Hiya Nancy! Welcome to planDisney!
You're well on your way to a fabulous vacation at The Most Magical Place on Earth! I LOVE visiting the
Walt Disney World Resort during the spring. The days are getting longer, the weather is absolutely beautiful and you'll get to experience the
EPCOT Flower & Garden Festival in all its glory. This has typically been the time of year my family visits and seeing those blooms and topiaries all around the Park just makes me smile. Plus, there are so many delicious treats to try.
Check them out before arriving to see which snack is a must-eat!
Nancy, I'm not exactly sure why Magic Kingdom is closing early on May 15th, but sometimes early closures are due to Cast Member activities or special events. Cast Members are really the heart of the
Walt Disney World Resort 50th Anniversary Celebration, and they may have an event that recognizes all their hard work.
While I definitely understand your wish for a full day in
Magic Kingdom, changing your
Park Pass Reservation is just one way to accomplish this! In fact, if you choose to add the
Park Hopper Option to your ticket you'll be able to start the day of the 15th at Magic Kingdom and then hop to any other Park anytime after 2 p.m. My family and I "Park Hop" on every trip and we wouldn't have it any other way. We get up for
Early Theme Park Entry and beat the crowds to our favorite rides. Then, we return to our
Disney Resorts Collection hotel for a nap and a swim before heading out to a different park in the cooler evening hours. It mixes up the day and gives us all a little time to recharge in the afternoon!
If you don't want to Park Hop, that's ok too! It's quite easy to switch your
Park Pass Reservation from Magic Kingdom to
Disney's Animal Kingdom. Before you start the process check the Park Pass Reservation calendar to be sure that there are Park Pass Reservations for the days you want to switch. Once you know for sure you're ready to swap log in to your
My Disney Experience account and find "My Plans, Reservations & Tickets." From here you'll click "View Details" which will show your current Park Pass Reservations. Since you cannot swap reservations, you'll need to cancel your Magic Kingdom reservation and then rebook your party for Disney's Animal Kingdom on the Park Pass Reservations site, just like you did for your original Park Pass Reservations. While this sounds like a lot of work when it's written out, it is a fairly easy-to-follow process on the website or
My Disney Experience Mobile app.
If you need anything else please don't hesitate to visit us again at planDisney.com!
Ashley M