Magic Kingdom Stays Open 15 Hours on Thanksgiving Day 2026

Walt Disney World has pushed back closing times and moved up openings at three of its four Florida theme parks for Thanksgiving week, Sunday, Nov. 22 through Saturday, Nov. 28, 2026. On Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 26, Magic Kingdom will run from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., a 15-hour day, according to WDWMAGIC.

Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom all get extra time. EPCOT keeps the schedule Disney released earlier. WDW News Today reported that most parks gained at least a half-hour compared with the original calendar.

Magic Kingdom adds time on five dates

Most of the Magic Kingdom changes are later closings. Four nights now end at 11 p.m. instead of 10 p.m., and two mornings open an hour early. The updated hours, with Early Entry for eligible Disney resort guests, are:

• Sunday, Nov. 22: 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., with Early Entry from 8:30 a.m.
• Monday, Nov. 23: 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., with Early Entry from 8:30 a.m.
• Tuesday, Nov. 24: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (previously a 9 a.m. opening), with Early Entry from 7:30 a.m.
• Thursday, Nov. 26: 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. (previously 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.), with Early Entry from 7:30 a.m.
• Saturday, Nov. 28: 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., with Early Entry from 8:30 a.m.

Friday, Nov. 27, stays at 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The park closes early on that day and on Tuesday, Nov. 24, because Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, a separately ticketed evening event, runs from 7 p.m. to midnight on both nights, WDW News Today reported.

Animal Kingdom stays open later on two nights

Disney’s Animal Kingdom extends its evenings on two dates:

• Sunday, Nov. 22: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. (previously a 6 p.m. close).
• Tuesday, Nov. 24: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (previously a 6 p.m. close).

Early Entry runs from 7:30 a.m. on both days. The Tuesday change adds two hours at the end of the day and makes it a 12-hour park day before counting Early Entry, according to WDWMAGIC.

Hollywood Studios opens 30 minutes sooner

Disney’s Hollywood Studios moves its opening from 9 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. on two days. Monday, Nov. 23, runs until 7 p.m., and Tuesday, Nov. 24, runs until 9 p.m. Early Entry on both mornings starts at 8 a.m.

EPCOT has no changes for the week, so families with plans there can keep their existing times.

What this means for families visiting Thanksgiving week

Thanksgiving week is among the busiest stretches of the year at Walt Disney World, WDWMAGIC noted, and the site said waits are usually shorter early in the morning and late in the evening than at midday. The biggest gain lands on the holiday itself, when Magic Kingdom opens an hour earlier and closes an hour later than first planned. Resort guests with Early Entry can be inside at 7:30 a.m. that morning.

WDWMAGIC also pointed out that dining reservations made around the old schedule are worth a second look now that the hours have moved.

Disney’s full operating calendar currently runs through Jan. 16, 2027, according to WDWMAGIC. WDW News Today’s report on the new hours was published as a post sponsored by a travel agency.

Sources: WDW News Today, WDWMAGIC