EPCOT Opens at 10 a.m. on Three January 2027 Dates for Marathon
EPCOT will open at 10 a.m. instead of 9 a.m. on Jan. 7, 9 and 10, 2027, during marathon weekend. Resort Early Entry also moves back an hour.
Walt Disney World will open EPCOT at 10 a.m. instead of the usual 9 a.m. on three dates in January 2027, according to Inside the Magic. The dates are Thursday, Jan. 7, Saturday, Jan. 9, and Sunday, Jan. 10, and the park will still close at 9 p.m. on each of them.
Families staying at eligible Disney resort hotels are affected too, because Early Theme Park Entry moves back by the same hour on those days.
Why EPCOT opens later: runDisney races
The delay is tied to the 2027 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend, which runs Jan. 6 through Jan. 10. Runners in runDisney events pass through parts of the resort, including theme parks, and several races in 2027 involve EPCOT.
The race schedule for EPCOT weekend days is as follows:
- Thursday, Jan. 7: the 5K starts at 4:30 a.m.
- Saturday, Jan. 9: the Walt Disney World Half Marathon starts at 5 a.m.
- Sunday, Jan. 10: the full Walt Disney World Marathon starts at 4:30 a.m.
Inside the Magic reports that Disney needs extra time to handle the races before regular guests enter the park.
Early Theme Park Entry shifts by an hour
On a normal day, eligible resort guests can enter EPCOT at 8:30 a.m., 30 minutes before general admission. On Jan. 7, 9 and 10, they can enter at 9:30 a.m., and general admission follows at 10 a.m. The 30-minute head start remains; the whole morning moves back an hour.
Dates with the regular schedule
Under the currently published calendar, EPCOT is expected to open at its regular 9 a.m. on Jan. 6, Jan. 8 and Jan. 11. Disney can change its operating calendar as January approaches, and Inside the Magic notes that the My Disney Experience app carries the latest hours.
Why it matters for families with January plans
Guests on those three days lose an hour of morning park time, which affects anyone planning to head first to popular rides such as Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind or Test Track. Resort guests who book partly for early access will arrive at a different time than on a typical day.
Marathon weekend can also change traffic and transportation around Walt Disney World. Inside the Magic says guests may see temporary road restrictions or transportation adjustments, which could matter for dining reservations or arriving before opening.
Source: Inside the Magic
