Debra,
Thanks for asking your question to planDisney!
Navigating your park plans during the holidays can be a bit like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. Whether you have tickets to
Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party,
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, or even to the new
Disney's Jollywood Nights over at
Disney's Hollywood Studios or not, making that decision of which park to visit on which day becomes a bit more complex.
As you correctly figured out, on days when the
Magic Kingdom hosts Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, the park will close early for traditional guests, typically around 6 p.m., though the party guests often are there as late as midnight. On those days when there is no party, the park will be open to standard guests until a more traditional closing time, like 9 or 10 p.m. My family, on trips where we don’t plan to attend the special event party, will choose to visit the Magic Kingdom on dates when there is no party, so we can stay into the night and enjoy how the park transforms!
However,
I have good news for you! On October 2, 2023, the Magic Kingdom is
not hosting Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party! That means that you can stay until the standard closing time of 10 p.m.!
BONUS TIP
If you are staying at a
Disney Resort Hotel you can also enjoy the
Early Theme Park Entry for Disney Resort Hotel Guests program. This lets you enter any park 30 minutes before the posted park opening time, which in the case of the Magic Kingdom on October 2, 2023, is 9:00 a.m. So, you could be in there from 8:30 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. A long, but magical day!
Please feel free to
write me back directly again if you have any follow-up questions.
Have a Magical Vacation!
Doug