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Disney World Extends Park Hours for Holiday Week, New Year’s Eve, and Early January
Disney fans hoping to squeeze every last twinkle of holiday magic out of 2025 just got an early present from the parks. Disney World has officially stretched operating hours across Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios from December 28 through January 3, giving guests more rope drop, more nighttime sparkle, and a whole lot more room for merriment during the most wonderfully bonkers week of the year. If you’re visiting for New Year’s Eve, these updates may just feel like Cinderella upgrading your pumpkin to a stretch limo.
Magic Kingdom is doing the heaviest lifting, starting Early Entry at 7:30 am from December 28 through January 3. The park shifts to an 8:00 am opening each of those days, with later nights now lined up across the full run. December 28 and 29 extend to 11:00 pm. December 30 bumps to midnight. And New Year’s Eve itself glitters the longest, stretching the celebration to 1:00 am. January 1 through 3 all land at 11:00 pm closings. Translation: Extra hours = extra snacks, extra rides, and extra chances to stare lovingly at Cinderella Castle like it’s a holiday card come to life.
Animal Kingdom is slipping into its holiday glow with extended evenings too. December 28 and 29 now run until 8:00 pm, December 30 and 31 flow to 7:00 pm, and January 1 through 3 once again return to 8:00 pm closes. Plus, on January 1, the park is offering Extended Evening Hours from 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm. More time for Tree of Life Awakenings, more time for glowing menagerie critters, more time for simply vibing with the animals after dark.
Related: Hallmark Christmas Movie Filmed Completely at Disney World Coming in 2026
Hollywood Studios also gets an early holiday boost by shifting Early Entry to 8:00 am from December 28 through 30 and again January 1 through 3. Regular park opening now begins at 8:30 am on those same dates. Closing remains 9:00 pm, which feels fair since the park already throws enough nighttime neon around to light up a small planet.
If you’re traveling during that end-of-year rush, consider these expanded hours your theme park fuel. Early birds get shorter lines, night owls get extra sparkle, and everyone gets a slightly easier path to tackling the busiest (and most festive) stretch of the season.
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