Hiya, Teresa! Welcome to planDisney!
It looks like you’re planning a summer visit to
The Most Magical Place on Earth! August is a great time to visit in my opinion. It’s definitely hot and humid, but the lowest crowds I’ve experienced in the parks have been in August. Plus, you may start to see some Halloween decorations around property during your visit as well!
To answer your question, Teresa, while the 7-day advance booking window for
Lightning Lane Passes is a fantastic benefit, it’s currently only available to Guests staying at Disney Resort hotels and select other hotels, including the Walt Disney World Dolphin, Swan, and Swan Reserve Hotels, as well as Shades of Green Resort. Unfortunately, Signia by Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek is not included in this list as of this writing.
That said, you’ll still be able to purchase and book your Lightning Lane Passes 3 days in advance of your park visit if you have date-based tickets, which is a great option to help you plan ahead!
Walt Disney World Resort typically releases park hours and events approximately 8 weeks in advance, so we’re just a little too early to know exactly what the schedule will look like during your visit. As of now, the
Hours & Events Calendar is available through June 26, which can still give us a helpful idea of what to expect.
Magic Kingdom Park often stays open as late as, if not later, than the other parks. Closing times are currently ranging from around 9:00 PM to as late as 11:00 PM.
Happily Ever After, the nighttime fireworks spectacular at Magic Kingdom, is typically offered once per evening. The exact showtime does vary throughout the year to account for sunset times. Right now, it’s scheduled for 10:00 PM, but as the days begin to get shorter later in the summer, you may see that time shift slightly earlier.
As for any special events, those have not yet been announced for your travel dates. Once they are, they will appear on the Hours & Events Calendar, so I recommend checking back as your trip gets a little closer.
Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is held at Magic Kingdom on select evenings from August through October, and the event dates should be announced soon. Therefore, I also recommend keeping an eye on the
Disney Parks Blog and the Disney Parks social pages for updates on that as well!
If your travel dates do line up with Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, it’s a
spooktacular good time! I highly recommend it. It features a phenomenal fireworks show named Disney's Not-So-Spooky Spectacular, complete with projections, music, and plenty of magical moments!
I hope this answers your questions, Teresa. If you have any other questions as you continue to plan your visit, please don’t hesitate to come back and see us here at
planDisney. We’re always happy to help!
See you real soon!
Olivier