Hi Christina, and welcome to planDisney!
It sounds like you’re planning a visit during one of my favorite times of year at
Walt Disney World Resort, December. Between the decorations, festive treats, and nighttime shows, the entire resort shines during the holiday season. I can understand your confusion about the park hours, especially since Magic Kingdom Park does close early on certain nights for
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.
This year, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party will be held on select evenings from November 8 through December 20. On these party dates, Magic Kingdom typically closes to day guests at 6:00 p.m. so the park can transition to the separately ticketed event, which begins at 7:00 p.m. If you visit on one of the non-party nights, the park will generally stay open later, often until 10:00 p.m. or even midnight, depending on the date.
To verify which days the park will close early, I recommend visiting the
Park Hours & Calendar page on the Walt Disney World website or checking the
My Disney Experience app. Both are updated regularly and will reflect the most accurate operating hours for each park, including extended evening hours for eligible
Disney Resorts Collection hotel Guests.
Currently, the only days in December that have hours listed are December 1 through December 5, and of those five days, there are three Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party dates scheduled, and two regular park days. Of those two park days, I am seeing that the park will be open from 9 AM to 10 PM, allowing Guests to get in a very full (and long) day in Magic Kingdom Park! Similarly, the same goes for Hollywood Studios and
Jollywood Nights. Of the days available to search on the Park Hours & Calendar page, only one night is impacted by the special event, and the remaining dates available show the park's normal operating hours. If you happened to have purchased tickets on a specially ticketed event day, you can contact the
Help Center, Tickets and Hotel Reservations line, to add the Park Hopper Option to your ticket or inquire about changing to a different park that won’t be impacted by the special event.
If your visit happens to fall on a night when the park closes early and you don’t want to pivot, don’t worry, you’ll still have plenty of time to enjoy the day’s attractions and entertainment. Plus, that could be the perfect opportunity to head over to EPCOT to enjoy the International
Festival of the Holidays or catch the Candlelight Processional, one of my favorite seasonal traditions.
Christina, I hope this helps you plan your December visit with confidence. If you’d like, I can help you map out which parks to visit on which days to maximize your time and avoid those early closures, just
send me another question here at planDisney.
Cheers,
Brent