There might be nothing more annoying than showing up to your theme park for the day and then realizing you didn’t check the park hours, and now you’re staring at a gate and will be there for the next hour. While getting there early is certainly better than getting there late, it’s still annoying to realize you got up early for nothing!
Tree of Life
That’s why we’re here. Park hours are pretty consistent at Disney World depending on the time of year, but sometimes we’re totally thrown off by a random change. Whether EPCOT opens late for runDisney events or Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom close early for Jollywood Nights and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, another park can be thrown into the mix with different hours.
Animal Kingdom will open late on Sunday, November 15th, and it will open at 9 AM instead of 8 AM. Early Entry will start at 8:30 AM and run until 9 AM instead of the usual 7:30 AM to 8:00 AM. The park will close at 8 PM, which is later than usual!
KEVIN!
It’s a good idea to check the times for all of your theme park days, but we highly recommend it during the holiday season. Jollywood Nights and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party run on select nights throughout November and December. Hollywood Studios will close to day guests at 7 PM on those days, and Magic Kingdom closes at 6 PM. Guests with the tickets can enter the parks at 5:30 PM and 6 PM, respectively, and we find that’s when the parks get busy.
The line at Jollywood Nights!
You don’t necessarily need to avoid the parks when they close early, since those parks usually have low wait times because many guests choose another park. If you have a Park Hopper ticket, which lets you switch from one park to the next whenever you want, you can take advantage of the low crowds before heading to another park. It’s also great for an evening at the hotel pool or a visit to Disney Springs, but if you want the most park action, you’ll want to pick different days to go.
Crowds at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party
Back to Animal Kingdom! Animal Kingdom tends to close obnoxiously early, so it’s another good park to pair with a Park Hopper or alternative park plans. Many guests visit Animal Kingdom for only one day during their trip, but if your family loves the atmosphere, entertainment, and food, you might want to add an extra hour or choose a second day. For this random day, 8 PM is pretty late, so it’s a great time for some late-night rides on Everest.
Walking around Animal Kingdom
The park doesn’t do too much for the holidays, but a fan favorite is the Merry Menagerie. These Arctic-themed puppets hang out by the stores in front of the Tree of Life, and they might be the most adorable thing we’ve ever seen. We love seeing them every single year and learning their names.
Seal Merry Menagerie puppet at Animal Kingdom
In the meantime, keep following Disney Food Blog for more tips and tricks on how to have the best Disney World vacation ever! We’re sharing everything you need to know, especially for a holiday trip, right here for your trip of a lifetime.
THEY’RE HERE! CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS JUST LANDED AT DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM
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What’s your favorite park during the holidays? Tell us in the comments!
