Magic Kingdom park hours differ in 2023, relying upon crowds, seasonal occasions, and extra. This information covers regular opening & closing occasions, plus Early Entry, Extended Evenings, After Hours, rope drop, fireworks, and extra. Additionally, now we have suggestions & tips for beating the crowds and avoiding occasions of day when attendance is highest.
Park hours are added to DisneyWorld.com’s 5-day calendar on a rolling foundation, sometimes 60 days upfront. Walt Disney World additionally has a month-to-month calendar that isn’t as straightforward to seek out, and this presently has hours dumped in ‘batches’ a lot additional upfront. Speaking of which, these month-to-month calendars comprise placeholder hours that may be prolonged primarily based on attendance and resort occupancy projections.
For some time, the preliminary launch of park hours was nearly meaningless, as each single park and date would see extensions. This is less-pronounced of a observe now, and the hours which might be launched are very often the ultimate hours. With that stated, Disney nonetheless provides hours–they simply are much less prone to happen throughout the board. Now, it’s extra focused to weekends, holidays, and particular days when the parks are forecast to be busier. We’ve seen precisely this state of affairs play out round Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, MLK Day, Presidents’ Day, Spring Break, Easter, and so on.
Most dates, Magic Kingdom is open from 9 am till 11 pm. However, there are another working hours which might be doable:
- 8 am till 10 pm (Mostly ‘After Hours’ occasions–see beneath)
- 9 am till 10 pm (Least busy dates–widespread within the low season)
- 8 am till 4:30 pm (Cast Member Service Celebration occasions–very uncommon)
- 8 am till 6 pm (Party Season–see beneath)
More than some other park, Magic Kingdom has shorter hours than prior to now. While 2023 is already bettering as in comparison with the final two years–when the park extra generally closed at 10 pm–its hours are nonetheless brief as in comparison with historic precedent.
Magic Kingdom used to usually function from 8 am till 12 am, with Extra Magic Hours even later. This schedule remains to be widespread at Disneyland, however not Magic Kingdom. Here’s hoping that modifications as staffing shortages relent all through 2023.
As famous above, there are a lot of dates when Magic Kingdom closes even earlier. This largest exception is “Party Season” in Magic Kingdom, which runs from mid-August via late December throughout days when Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP) or Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (MVMCP) particular occasions are held within the evenings.
On these dates, Magic Kingdom opens at 8 am and closes to common ticket holders at 6 pm. MNSSHP and MVMCP are separately-ticketed, which means that solely those that bought occasion tickets are capable of keep in Magic Kingdom after 6 pm. (Those events run till midnight.) In different phrases, the park stays open 5 hours later to common visitors when MNSSHP and MVMCP should not held.
Most guests behave accordingly, making the intuitive alternative and visiting Magic Kingdom on non-party days after they can spend 4-5 additional hours within the park. As a outcome, Magic Kingdom is considerably much less busy in the course of the day time hours on dates when events are held within the night, and way more busy on non-party days.
Throughout Party Season, Magic Kingdom usually has 9/10 or 10/10 crowd ranges on non-party days, with Saturdays being the worst. On social gathering days, Magic Kingdom sometimes has 1/10 to 4/10 crowd ranges. That quantities to a median wait time differential of about 20 to half-hour per journey, which provides up over the course of the day to the purpose you could accomplish extra within the party-shortened days when Magic Kingdom closes at 6 pm.
This similar dynamic doesn’t exist round one other exception, which is dates of 2023 After Hours at Magic Kingdom. That’s largely as a result of these are a lot much less frequent and solely see Magic Kingdom shut one hour earlier–which is absolutely offset by opening an hour earlier.
Currently, After Hours at Magic Kingdom is simply scheduled for Winter and Spring 2023, however given their reputation and what number of dates are already offered out, we anticipate many extra dates within the months to come back. After Hours at Magic Kingdom is a pleasant spluge, however we far favor After Hours at Disney’s Hollywood Studios–particularly for individuals who have already got entry to Extended Evening Hours at Magic Kingdom.
Speaking of which, there are two choices for expanded park hours at Magic Kingdom if you happen to’re staying in an on-site resort. These are Early Entry and Extended Evening Hours, which substitute Extra Magic Hours within the morning and at evening. If you’re unfamiliar with the ins and outs of the morning choice, study extra in our Guide to Early Entry at Walt Disney World.
Early Entry is commonly underwhelming at Magic Kingdom. This is for a few causes. First, Magic Kingdom is the preferred park at Walt Disney World, and lots of visitors (mistakenly) assume Early Entry is most “important” right here and prioritize it accordingly. Second, Magic Kingdom often opens at 9 am, and that makes Early Entry extra approachable for households–it’s simpler to be up and out the door in time for that. To that time, Early Entry is way more helpful on these 8 am park opening days, as fewer individuals can or will make the most of the 7:30 am beginning time for Early Entry.
Extended Evening Hours are sometimes held at Magic Kingdom on Wednesday–generally Tuesday. This 2-hour providing for choose on-site resort visitors is massively advantageous, and you’ll accomplish nearly each high-profile attraction throughout that point. (See our Guide to Extended Evening Hours at Walt Disney World for extra about eligibility and technique.)
It’s additionally a pleasant option to take pleasure in Magic Kingdom, providing a serene expertise that’s an effective way to decompress from the sooner chaos throughout peak season. Extended Evening Hours is similar to After Hours, albeit shorter and with out the “free” refreshments. The upside is that it doesn’t value an additional $100+ per individual! (See Magic Kingdom Extended Evening Hours Photo Report.)
The timing of Magic Kingdom’s nightly fireworks present varies relying upon the time of dusk. In the winter when the sundown happens earlier, the fireworks may also transfer ahead to between 8 pm and 9 pm. This creates a spot of about 2-3 hours between the tip of the fireworks and park closing.
In the summer season, sundown happens later (clearly). Consequently, the fireworks should observe go well with and there often will not be a lot time between the conclusion of the fireworks and park closing. This results in crushing crowds all leaving Magic Kingdom on the similar time, which is depressing and chaotic. (See Avoiding Magic Kingdom’s Evening Exodus for images displaying how unhealthy this will get.)
Regardless of the timing of fireworks v. park closing, you’ll be able to keep away from this Magic Kingdom mass exodus just by lingering. One of the explanations we advocate New Fantasyland in our Magic Kingdom Fireworks Viewing Guide is as a result of that space has lighter crowds and makes it simpler for leaping in line for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train proper after the fireworks.
Unlike the opposite parks, it’s not widespread for desk service eating places to supply Advance Dining Reservations proper up till park closing at Magic Kingdom. At least, not when the park closes at 11 pm. Usually, Be Our Guest Restaurant and different fashionable eating areas settle for ADRs till 9:30 pm, and even the final visitors out of these eating places are often leaving shortly after park closing–no later than the ultimate visitors off Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.
If you’re fearful about transportation again to your resort, don’t. Officially, transportation to the theme parks begins roughly 2 hours previous to park opening time and runs till roughly 1 hour after the parks shut. This is the information you’ll discover on Walt Disney World’s web site, and what Cast Members will let you know.
Unofficially, transportation after park closing continues so long as persons are contained in the park. As a lot as Kingdom Keepers IRL may sound, Disney received’t depart you stranded at a park. Sometimes it’s nearer to 2 hours after the parks shut when transportation ends. Cast Members are methodical about clearing the parks and radio to bus drivers to ensure they stick round till the entire stragglers are accounted for.
We have left Walt Disney World theme parks lengthy after park closing many, many occasions and have by no means had a problem. If something, delaying departure so long as doable is the most effective plan of action. You get to take pleasure in park closing serenity and usually tend to have a bus all to your self!
Most lands of Magic Kingdom are often cleared fairly rapidly, excluding Main Street. You can often take your time buying on the Emporium and elsewhere, and never have any points. Unless you actually drag your ft leaving, the monorail and numerous watercraft will often nonetheless be working once you depart Magic Kingdom. If not, buses will get you wherever it’s worthwhile to go.
If you’re not eligible for Early Entry, common rope drop (official park opening time) remains to be good at Magic Kingdom as a result of Frontierland and Adventureland should not open throughout Early Entry. This makes rope drop alone, or Early Entry plus rope drop an excellent method. If you’re solely eligible for rope drop, doing Frontierland and Adventureland first and saving Fantasyland till later within the day is usually a workable method.
There are additionally sufficient worthwhile secondary sights in Magic Kingdom you could spherical out the remainder of your day with enjoyable, low wait reveals and extra. Many of our smartest and sexiest readers take pleasure in filling out the center of their days by watching Country Bear Jamboree on repeat. Speaking of which, stage reveals like that, plus different leisure and character meet & greets typically open late and shut early, so plan accordingly.
Aside from the primary couple of hours and the very finish of the evening, crowds are pretty constant all through the day in Magic Kingdom. Unlike Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom, there may be not a day and night lull–Magic Kingdom has essentially the most to do and has the very best attendance of all 4 parks.
There’s additionally no actual zig-when-they-zag technique like at EPCOT, the place you are able to do the park “backwards.” Magic Kingdom is less complicated to navigate because of its format and extra compact dimension. Do the preferred sights very first thing within the morning or in direction of the tip of the evening–particularly those who attraction to households with young children. Fill in the midst of the day with stage reveals, leisure, and less-popular sights. Pretty intuitive from a planning perspective.
When it involves the intersection of technique & park hours, one other nice choice at Magic Kingdom is Lightning Lanes. Genie+ works higher at Magic Kingdom than some other Walt Disney World park, and it’s actually no contest. In My Day Using Genie+ Lightning Lanes at Magic Kingdom, I cowl how a lot I used to be capable of get executed–just about every thing.
Thanks to a excessive worthwhile attraction rely accessible by way of Lightning Lanes, Magic Kingdom is the one park the place we extremely advocate shopping for Genie Plus. Not solely does it provide the most effective bang-for-buck, however it’s the least tense since each attraction often has Lightning Lane availability till a minimum of noon. This will not be doable on the different parks, particularly Disney’s Hollywood Studios and EPCOT the place journey reservations refill for the preferred sights fairly rapidly.
To that time, for Magic Kingdom technique & planning perception see the next posts:
Ultimately, that ought to cowl what it’s worthwhile to find out about park hours at Magic Kingdom. Although the usual working schedule is 9 am till 11 pm, there are a ton of exceptions to that all year long–particularly in the course of the ‘Party Season’ months of August via December.
Unlike the opposite three parks, there isn’t a lot in the way in which of counterintuitive crowd-beating technique at Magic Kingdom. Arriving early and staying late don’t do fairly as a lot right here as elsewhere–if something, Early Entry typically isn’t as helpful as many followers would anticipate. Nevertheless, sound technique utilized all through the day–or shopping for Genie+ to make use of Lightning Lanes–will nonetheless put you and assist you to accomplish quite a bit throughout a day at Magic Kingdom!
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Learn about motels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To lower your expenses on tickets or decide which sort to purchase, learn our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets publish. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips publish takes a novel take a look at intelligent objects to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, the most effective place to start out is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for every thing it’s worthwhile to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you consider regular park hours in 2023 at Magic Kingdom? Prefer to reach very first thing for Early Entry, later within the morning, afternoon, or night? How do you make the most of attendance dynamics at Magic Kingdom to beat the crowds? Do you agree or disagree with something in our information to park hours at Magic Kingdom? Any questions we may help you reply? Hearing your suggestions–even once you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!