Walt Disney World has prolonged park hours at Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Magic Kingdom for the beginning of Celebration Season. They’ve additionally revealed showtimes for Starlight: Dream the Night time Away at Magic Kingdom via October 2025, that are in all probability unsuitable. This shares dates & particulars, plus predictions of precise parade efficiency occasions for Halloween & Christmas, and why the brand new schedule is probably going incorrect.
Let’s begin with the newest on park hours. Walt Disney World already prolonged park hours throughout the board at Magic Kingdom for August 3-30, 2025. The park will now be open from 9 am to 11 pm on non-party nights. This isn’t a brand new growth–this calendar change occurred again on July 11. Previous to that, Magic Kingdom park hours have been prolonged for the start on Starlight’s run. These hours are actually appropriate and remaining.
At present, Magic Kingdom reverts to its boilerplate 9 am to 10 pm schedule on non-party nights beginning August 31, 2025. On Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Celebration dates, the boilerplate hours for Magic Kingdom are 9 am to six pm. If you happen to’re taking a look at dates anytime in September or past, these are the hours that you just’re going to see. They could find yourself being correct, however they’re not remaining as of but!
As longtime followers doubtless know, Walt Disney World’s commonplace working process is to publish boilerplate park hours for extra distant dates, after which lengthen them primarily based on inside attendance projections as soon as these dates draw nearer (hours get longer or keep unchanged, however not shortened).
As of proper now, Walt Disney World has solely made focused park hours extensions via August 30, 2025. Right here’s a have a look at these:
Magic Kingdom Park Hours Extensions
- August 15, 2025: 8 am to six pm (beforehand 9 am to six pm)
- August 17, 2025: 8 am to six pm (beforehand 9 am to six pm)
- August 19, 2025: 8 am to six pm (beforehand 9 am to six pm)
- August 22, 2025: 8 am to six pm (beforehand 9 am to six pm)
- August 29, 2025: 8 am to six pm (beforehand 9 am to six pm)
The explanation for these extensions is Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Celebration. As we’ve mentioned numerous occasions, Celebration Season working hours trigger chaos with crowds, pushing attendance a lot increased on the dates it’s not occurring and decrease on the dates it’s occurring. On occasion nights, Magic Kingdom closes to day company at 6 pm. It is usually more and more opening at 8 am, however be aware that there are exceptions to this (as of proper now, August 24 & 26, however extra weeknights in September will doubtless observe the identical sample).
If in any respect attainable, we advocate being aware of this schedule and doing Magic Kingdom on days when Early Entry begins at 7:30 am. That’s, if you will get out the door in time to do Early Entry at that hour. If not, do MK on the opposite celebration dates. I’ll be doing subject testing at Magic Kingdom on one other 7:30 am Early Entry day very quickly, however suffice to say, it (hopefully) gained’t go something like our latest publish, Magic Kingdom’s New Early Entry Course of & Pitfalls of Dreaded Delayed Openings.
Moreover, we strongly advocate visiting Magic Kingdom in the course of the day on MNSSHP or MVMCP nights. That is one thing we’ve coated at size, time and again. See Finest & Worst Days to Do Magic Kingdom in 2025 for a rundown of when crowds will likely be particularly good or dangerous, together with a handful of ‘pink flag’ dates to keep away from in any respect prices this month via December.
Animal Kingdom Park Hours Extensions
- August 16, 2025: 8 am to eight pm (beforehand 9 am to six pm)
- August 23, 2025: 8 am to 7 pm (beforehand 9 am to six pm)
Hollywood Studios Park Hours Extensions
- August 15, 2025: 9 am to 10 pm (beforehand 9 am to 9 pm)
- August 16, 2025: 8:30 am to six pm (beforehand 9 am to six pm)
- August 17, 2025: 9 am to 10 pm (beforehand 9 am to 9 pm)
- August 19, 2025: 9 am to 10 pm (beforehand 9 am to 9 pm)
- August 22, 2025: 9 am to 10 pm (beforehand 9 am to 9 pm)
- August 23, 2025: 9 am to 9:30 pm (beforehand 9 am to 9 pm)
- August 24, 2025: 9 am to 9:30 pm (beforehand 9 am to 9 pm)
- August 26, 2025: 9 am to 9:30 pm (beforehand 9 am to 9 pm)
- August 29, 2025: 9 am to 9:30 pm (beforehand 9 am to 9 pm)
There are additionally a number of days within the subsequent week or so when each water parks, Storm Lagoon and Blizzard Seashore, have their closing occasions prolonged till 7 pm or 8 pm. That is totally on Friday via Monday nights, however we don’t anticipate it to proceed for for much longer as water park ‘season’ winds down. There’s additionally the truth that Walt Disney World hasn’t prolonged any hours previous August 18, and we might’ve anticipated the next two weeks to be prolonged if that was going to occur.
As for why park hours at Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios are being prolonged, it’s additionally a results of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Celebration, albeit an oblique one.
With regards to Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, I are likely to favor taking the additional hours assuming you’re going to be there all day. And even in case you’re doing a noon break however will return to the identical park. Extra time is best. Nonetheless, in case you plan on leaving early, the very best apply is avoiding these parks when the closing is later. There’s a cause these dates get prolonged hours and others don’t, and it’s as a result of WDW’s inside attendance projections are increased.
Anecdotally, my expertise is that that is (often) pretty marginal–particularly this time of yr. I’ll take the longer hours with the view that extra time outweighs increased common wait occasions. If you happen to’re Park Hopping to these parks, the later closings are gravy–particularly with the afternoon exodus and Animal Kingdom and early night departures at DHS.
With all of that mentioned, you actually don’t want that a lot time at Animal Kingdom. If you happen to arrive for Early Entry and even common rope drop, you may simply run the desk on all the rides earlier than lunch. That leaves stage exhibits and animal reveals for the afternoon, which nonetheless gained’t require you keep after 6 pm, except you intend on doing like a dozen countdowns to extinction on DINOSAUR. See Animal Kingdom Park Opening & Early Entry Journey Technique (or, “How I Did Each Journey at DAK Earlier than 10:30am.”)
Starlight Showtimes Shenanigans
Right here’s the present Magic Kingdom nighttime leisure schedule:
- Starlight Parade: 9 pm
- Fortunately Ever After: 10 pm
- Starlight Parade: 11 pm
- Park Closing: 10 pm or 11 pm
Walt Disney World has formally added extra night time parade dates to the leisure calendar, and Starlight will proceed to be carried out at 9 pm and 11 pm via no less than October 4, 2025 on nights when Magic Kingdom closes at 11 pm.
Walt Disney World has already confirmed that Starlight will solely be offered on non-party nights throughout Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Celebration and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Celebration dates. Which means that, for instance, Starlight won’t be carried out in any respect on August 15, 17, and so forth.
It’s completely zero shock in any respect that Starlight goes to proceed being carried out twice nightly via October on dates when the park closes at 10 pm or 11 pm. As we’ve mentioned on numerous events, it’s going to proceed to be added to the schedule, so don’t panic whenever you see “no occasions obtainable” on the calendar. That’s just because it hasn’t been up to date but.
The actual shock right here is the 9 pm and 11 pm showtimes all the way in which into October. That is not what we anticipated, and no less than a few of these showtimes are in all probability unsuitable. Right here’s why…
The shock right here considerations Fortunately Ever After, as that nighttime spectacular beforehand had showtimes scheduled for dates deeper into the yr.
From now via August 30, Fortunately Ever After’s showtime is 10 pm, which is definitely late by historic requirements–it’s to accommodate an earlier efficiency of Starlight, which can’t happen earlier than 9 pm attributable to sundown occasions. That is actually correct, that means Starlight’s schedule can also be correct via then.
Starting Sunday, August 31, 2025, the fireworks will start at 9:30 pm. Solely a few weeks later, beginning September 15, 2025, Fortunately Ever After will likely be at 9 pm. For reference, the present sundown time is 8:17 pm, whereas it’ll be 7:30 pm on September 15, 2025.
All of this is sensible and is to be anticipated. Even within the absence of an evening parade, Fortunately Ever After has its showtime transfer ahead as the sooner sundown and nightfall time permits. The explanation for that is fairly easy and simple, because it permits extra company (youthful households) with earlier bedtimes to expertise the fireworks, and likewise is advantageous with staggering exit occasions (shifting the fireworks away from park closing).
The ‘shenanigans’ listed below are that Fortunately Ever After and Starlight have conflicting showtimes.
The present cadence of 1 hour between Starlight and Fortunately Ever After isn’t accidentally–it’s out of necessity from a crowd management perspective. Starlight and Fortunately Ever After can’t have efficiency occasions inside half-hour of each other, not to mention overlapping schedules with each offered at 9 pm. One thing’s gotta give.
It’ll in all probability be the Starlight showtimes. For a similar cause that it’s advantageous to maneuver ahead Fortunately Ever After, it’s additionally useful to have night time parade showtimes which can be sooner than 9 pm and 11 pm. There’s a cause that the later efficiency is usually uncrowded, and that’s as a result of it’s just too late for a lot of company. It’s exhausting to think about park operations wanting to keep up this schedule when it might shift the occasions ahead.
As we frequently see with park hours and leisure calendars, the occasions usually begin as boilerplate additions. That’s doubtless what’s taking place with Starlight. It’s simply odd that Walt Disney World has particularly up to date these calendars on a number of separate events for Fortunately Ever After, park hours, and Starlight, however hasn’t caught this discrepancy.
Celebration Season Starlight Efficiency Predictions
As soon as the ultimate schedule for Starlight is ready, we anticipate the night time parade to proceed its nightly cadence of two performances with Fortunately Ever After in between, spaced aside by an hour, however with earlier showtimes for every thing. If we take a time machine again to September 17, 2015–10 years in the past–we are able to see that the schedule was Essential Road Electrical Parade at 8 pm and 10 pm, with Needs in between at 9 pm.
There was a cause for this method a decade in the past. It’s fascinating from Walt Disney World’s perspective as a result of it’s going to extra evenly redistribute crowds if the Starlight showings are at 8 pm and 10 pm versus 9 pm and 11 pm. Maybe most significantly, it’s additionally my understanding that the schedule can’t be condensed any additional, as 60 minutes is concerning the minimal attainable buffer between the parade and fireworks showtimes.
The latter showtime is hard for households, leading to an enormous imbalance in demand for the 2 showtimes, and a mass exodus after Fortunately Ever After. That imbalance will nonetheless exist as a result of 10 pm remains to be too late for a lot of young children, and it means leaving the park round 10:30 pm and never being again on the resort and in mattress nearer to 11:30 pm. But it surely’s an enchancment and will assist!
What may also assist is that if Walt Disney World continues extending the closing time till 11 pm. Longer hours are good for apparent causes, however having yet one more level for staggered visitor exits makes issues extra orderly within the evenings, permitting for much less chaotic crowds exterior the park, shorter traces for buses, boats, monorails, and so forth.
We anticipate this to happen all through Celebration Season, however there’s no assure that it’s going to. As soon as Starlight shifts ahead (assuming that occurs and HEA isn’t the one which has its schedule modified), the park gained’t want to remain open till 11 pm. If the second Starlight is at 10 pm, the park might shut then. We wish to imagine that gained’t occur throughout Celebration Season attributable to increased crowds, nevertheless it may.
The opposite concern that we’ve talked about beforehand is that Walt Disney World may attempt to “get away” with just one nightly efficiency of Starlight on choose nights in September. Within the above time machine situation, we went again to September 17, 2015. Had we gone again at some point earlier, we’d’ve solely had one MSEP efficiency–at 8 pm.
I don’t suppose Walt Disney World will do that. Starlight being scheduled for 2 performances (even when they’re on the unsuitable occasions) via October 4, 2025 is a fairly sturdy signal that this isn’t the intention. Walt Disney World usually adjusts park hours and leisure occasions as soon as they’re posted however earlier than they’re deemed “remaining.” However one factor they hardly ever, if ever, do is take issues away. The park hours updates are about giving–and it’s very uncommon to see cutbacks made to the boilerplate schedules. It’s nearly at all times (over 99% of the time) additions.
If there have been going to be a time when just one nightly efficiency of Starlight have been to happen, it’d be weekdays in September. I might’ve mentioned (and did say!) that was unlikely within the first place. With this schedule replace, I’d say there’s just about no probability of it taking place in 2025. October via December is when crowds choose up, and Walt Disney World is aware of higher than making an attempt to chop prices then.
Wanting ahead a bit of additional, if we went again in time to November 3, 2015, we’d see showtimes of seven pm and 9 pm for Essential Road Electrical Parade and eight pm for Needs. I might anticipate comparable showtimes for Disney Starlight: Dream the Night time Away and Fortunately Ever After all through November and December 2025.
Clearly, nothing is official but that far into the long run, however there’s good cause why that was the leisure cadence a decade in the past, and it makes much more sense in 2025 for Walt Disney World to revert to that schedule.
Accordingly, we’d anticipate Starlight to shift its schedule in accordance with these historic occasions and the present Fortunately Ever After schedule.
It’s frankly odd that Starlight obtained the newer replace and that’s what we’re saying is in all probability unsuitable (versus Fortunately Ever After, which had its schedule up to date some time in the past). In any case, why wait so as to add the Starlight showtimes till after every thing else is already up…after which publish the unsuitable showtimes?!
It is senseless, however that’s par for the course–the Walt Disney World calendar is usually unsuitable. Making an attempt too exhausting to make sense of it’s in all probability a idiot’s errand…and I assume that makes me a idiot, since we’ve simply devoted a variety of phrases to it. If all of this leaves you confused, welcome to the membership. Regardless, that’s what we anticipate–and we’ll maintain you posted about future Celebration Season park hours extensions and leisure schedule changes!
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you consider Walt Disney World’s calendar updates? Count on to see two nightly Starlight showtimes all through 2025 and 2026? Assume the parade will proceed at 9 pm and 11 pm, or is {that a} schedule glitch by Disney? Agree or disagree with our evaluation? Any questions we might help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even whenever you disagree with us–is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!
