Disney World News: Extended Evening Hours, Orange Bird 50th Statue, Muppets Haunted Mansion Preview
It’s time for another Walt Disney World news & rumor roundup. This one offers another sneak peek at Muppets Haunted Mansion, more Extended Evening Hours dates & times, an earlier Epcot opening time, runDisney medals, Orange Bird statue, and more.
While there’s a lot of hot off the presses Walt Disney World news, we’ll start with the latest release of new and extended operating hours, which just missed making the cut for our last update. All four theme parks have had hours for another week added to the DisneyWorld.com park hours calendar. The current calendar now runs through October 23, 2021. Here are the hours for most dates within the month of October:
- Magic Kingdom: 9 am to 9 pm*
- EPCOT: 10 am to 10 pm
- Hollywood Studios: 9 am to 9 pm
- Animal Kingdom: 8 am to 7 pm
- Blizzard Beach: 11 am to 6 pm
- Disney Springs: 10 am to 11 pm (11:30 pm on Fridays & Saturdays)
*Magic Kingdom closes at 8:30 pm on Disney After Hours Boo Bash nights that are after September 5. That event runs from 9:30 pm to 12:30 am up until that date, and from 9 pm until midnight after that date.
Over at Epcot, park hours have now been extended for the entirety of October 2021, with 10 am opening times and 10 pm closings daily. This was an inevitability with both Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure and Harmonious debuting on October 1, as part of the World’s Most Magical Celebration. (See our Guide to Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary for more details.)
This is definitely a good start, and it makes sense that Walt Disney World would wait before further extensions given the current low crowd levels at Epcot, but attendance will almost certainly spike in October. Hopefully, Epcot’s opening time moves forward to 9 am once October draws nearer.
Next, we have more dates for the Extended Evening Theme Park Hours that will allow eligible guests to experience select attractions, shops, and dining after regular park hours–in select theme parks on select nights.
Current Schedule for Extended Evening Theme Park Hours*
Date | Theme Park | Extended Hours |
Mon, Oct 4 | Epcot | 10:00 PM – midnight |
Wed, Oct 6 | Magic Kingdom | 9:00 PM – 11:00 PM |
Mon, Oct 11 | Epcot | 10:00 PM — midnight |
Wed, Oct 13 | Magic Kingdom | 9:00 PM – 11:00 PM |
Mon, Oct 18 | Epcot | 10:00 PM — midnight |
Wed, Oct 20 | Magic Kingdom | 9:00 PM – 11:00 PM |
The Extended Evening Theme Park Hours perk is available to guests staying at Deluxe Resorts, Deluxe Villas, Disney Vacation Club units, or other select hotels (as of now, that means Swan & Dolphin or Shades of Green).
Guests staying at Value Resorts or Moderate Resorts at Walt Disney World are not eligible for the Extended Evening Theme Park Hours.
As a reminder, this is different from Early Theme Park Entry. That perk allows ALL Walt Disney World resort guests regardless of tier and those staying at select third party hotels (that are also all on-site) to enjoy 30-minute early entry to any Walt Disney World theme park, every day before normal operating hours begin.
It’s a little confusing. Essentially, every morning is for everyone on-site, whereas the occasional evenings are for Deluxe & DVC Resort guests. (See our List of Early Theme Park Entry Eligible Hotels at Walt Disney World for more details and participating resorts for the morning pre-park opening perk.)
runDisney has released the finisher medals for the the 2021 Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend at Walt Disney World. As you can see, there are designs featuring Evil Queen, Ursula, Oogie Boogie & Jack Skellington, and Yzma & Kronk from the Emperor’s New Groove.
The Wine & Dine Half Marathon occurs November 5-7, 2021–towards the start of the World’s Most Magical Celebration at a time when crowds are projected to be very high. Despite this and pent-up race demand, only the 5K and 10K are sold out. I’m personally a bit surprised, but I still wouldn’t read anything into this beyond runDisney demand being a bit softer than expected. (Registration for the 2022 Walt Disney World Marathon was also much smoother than I expected.)
As Halloween starts (checks notes) today in the Disney universe, we finally have another sneak peek at “Muppets Haunted Mansion” courtesy of Walt Disney Imagineering. It’s only two images, but as Muppets and Haunted Mansion fans desperate for any morsels of info we can get about the upcoming Disney+ Halloween special, we’ll take it!
The first photo features Gonzo the Great and Pepe the King Prawn in Haunted Mansion’s Corridor of Doors, appropriately dressed for the occasion. The second shot shows Kermit and Miss Piggy costumed as each other.
As a reminder, Muppets Haunted Mansion takes place on Halloween night, when Gonzo is challenged to spend a daring night in the most grim-grinning place on earth: the Haunted Mansion.
The special promises to feature a star-studded Muppets cast, with appearances from Fozzie Bear, Swedish Chef, Sam the Eagle, Statler and Waldorf, and other beloved characters created by the legendary Jim Henson, as well as all-new music, and celebrity cameos. Here’s hoping Eddie Murphy is one of the aforementioned celebrity cameos.
I’ve tried (unsuccessfully) to put Muppets Haunted Mansion out of mind, not wanting to get overly excited for something that might take a different direction in tone or storytelling that may not be to my tastes. With that said, I’m really hoping Muppets Haunted Mansion does justice to both the attraction and unique humor of the Muppets. Given that Imagineering is responsible for the best use of the Muppets in the last decade, I’m optimistic about this.
Nevertheless, I don’t want to get ahead of myself and further build up hype. Imagineering is far from infallible, the Muppets have been misused countless times in recent years, and the majority of Disney ride adaptations have been abysmal. So I’ll just cut off the commentary and try to contain my excitement for Muppets Haunted Mansion. (Also, still waiting on the “When Love is Gone” restored cut of the original Muppet Christmas Carol on Disney+.)
Finally, an update on the “Disney Fab 50 Character Collection” that will be featured across all four theme parks for Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary. Beginning October 1, fifty golden character sculptures will be on display during the World’s Most Magical Celebration.
It seems like Disney has been revealing one of these per day, which we’ve neglected to report on because…that seems mildly excessive? (Don’t get me wrong, I’m excited for the statues themselves and think it’s cool that Disney is doing the slow reveal on social media–you just don’t need a daily update here.)
In any case, Orange Bird is the latest Disney Fab 50 Character Collection statue to be revealed, and I just had to share that. Expect the same once Figment (and hopefully, DREAMFINDER!) is revealed.
For those who are curious, the other characters that have been announced to date include:
- Mickey Mouse
- Goofy
- Timon & Pumbaa
- Cogsworth and Lumiere
- Daisy Duck
- Donald Duck
- Winnie the Pooh and Piglet
- Edna Mode
- Dante
- Joe Gardner
- Cheshire Cat
- Bo Peep and Woody
- R2-D2
That’s a wrap on this Walt Disney World news roundup. However, stay tuned for more updates as it’s expected to be a big week. The first Disney After Hours Boo Bash is tonight, so we’ll have a full report on that tomorrow. Then there’s the Walt Disney Company’s Q3 earnings call on Thursday, which should shed some light on expectations for October through December. Who knows, they might also drop some info nuggets about the FastPass replacement, WDW Annual Passholder program, or Disney Dining Plan. Stay tuned!
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Are you excited, cautiously optimistic, or pessimistic about Muppets Haunted Mansion? Will you be doing any of the 2021 Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend races? Surprised they didn’t all sell out in hours? Thoughts on Epcot’s earlier opening time? What do you think of Extended Evening Theme Park Hours? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Hi Tom & Sarah!
Are the F&W festival food kiosks going to be open during the Evening Extra Magic Hours?
Thanks!
We’re so bummed that Extra Evening Hours are only on Mondays and Wednesdays, because we’re doing our first ever split stay between Pop Century and Wilderness Lodge (it’s my 50th too, I am “Walt Disney World” years old). But, we’ll be at Wilderness Lodge Thursday through Sunday (sad trombone). Oh well, I’m sure the trip will still be magical! Thanks for the great content Tom!
My 11 year old daughter loves all things Muppets. Out of all things Loungefly she picked the Kermit Backpack. Rizzo’s pizza is a top restaurant for her.She was heartbroken when they stopped the Muppets in History shows. Tonight we had to go see the Fathom 40th Anniversary of the Great Muppet Caper event. To say she is counting down Muppet’s Haunted Mansion is an understatement.
Did anyone else notice the candy bags from last night had the Haunted Mansion Muppets on them last night? Haven’t taken the time to actually look at them, but my boy was super stoked when he noticed this morning.
I’m confused on how the 30 mins early will actually work. Currently they are opening 30 mins early anyway. So are we to think on site guests could actually get in an hour early? I’ll be interested to see how it goes down.
I’ve been wrong before (just ask my wife), but I still don’t think Disney has any idea what they’re in for when the high school trip, the church group, the families that saved up just to stay at a Disney Resort, etc., start posting to social media video of them being kicked out of the parks while the “rich” people get to stay and play during Extended Evening Hours.
Thanks for the Muppets reminder! The Muppets and the Haunted Mansion are a perfect match, though I know better than to think that they can’t screw it up.
Speaking of which, I’m surprised that R2D2 is by himself. To include him, and not C3PO? To NOT include C3PO as a separate statue? With only 35 open slots left (I didn’t miscount; I’m counting Minnie from their own promotion art), who won’t make the cut, since we’re talking Classic Disney Shorts, all the movies, old school and recent vintage with princesses, Pixar, Star Wars, The Muppets, Marvel and possibly the Pirates franchise as well. What is the max number of characters they’ll include? Because they could do a group of the original Avengers, and another of the Guardians of the Galaxy. The 7 Dwarfs? You KNOW Pluto has to make it as well as Snow White. Chip ‘n Dale would be a shock to not make the cut. And will villains make the cut? Darth Vader, anyone? And as Orange Bird shows, what about surprise, niche, off-the-wall characters? Do we get the Rock & Emily Blunt for a Jungle Cruise tie-in? Suddenly, 35 spaces left, even for pairs and groups aren’t that many. It’ll be fun to see who makes it…and even more fun to read forums about who didn’t and who did.
Tom, you’re right, of course. I had thought the head of Live Entertainment (under Imagineering) was named to lead Muppet Studios under Consumer Products meant that he moved over, but since he kept his old job, Disney must have moved the Muppets again!
I’m sorry for the mistake.
Assuming that a new paid system is on the way to replace fastpass, I’m putting my money on such a system not being announced until AFTER the 50th kicks off. The start of the 50th will invite media attention, and Disney will want that coverage focused on their new offerings and what’s coming soon, and not have every media story include a mention of them now charging for fastpass.
I’ll put my money on it being announced this month. 🙂
(I agree with your rationale, though.)
I think it’s ridiculous that the moderate and value resorts are not included. Disney keeps doing more and more to alienate working middle class families. It’s crazy enough that they now charge $29 dollars a night to park your car at a resort. . Rates keep going up and up. I don’t think Walt ever intended to do things that would make it impossible for a lot of familiar to experience the joy of Disney.
No Chip and Dale in gold yet? I hope they’re just a late entry!
While Muppets Haunted Mansion is not being produced by Imagineering (they announced it as part of the anniversary of DL’s HM – Walt Disney perfected synergy, after all), I’m optimistic because the Muppets Now sketches I’ve seen look pretty good, maybe the best Muppet video product of the Disney era outside of the 2011 movie.
Perhaps an erroneous assumption, but I think it’s more than just synergy. Disney announced last year that the Muppets are now overseen by Imagineering, and were for “Muppets Now,” too.
Do you think they are going to add breakfast back to Be Our Guest anytime soon?
I hope so, but I’ve heard nothing whatsoever. Boma and Flying Fish are likely the next restaurants to return.
So…Timon and Pumba, Cogsworth and Lumiere, and….JUST R2D2? I can’t imagine how strange it’s going to be to see him in gold without C3P0 (who is already gold, so…that should have been easy!)
Really surprised that the hours haven’t already been extended for Magic Kingdom and Epcot on Oct 1st. It seems like if there’s going to be a longer day, that should definitely be it. I’ll be in line for the bus at 5am regardless…
No one has answered this yet on any Disney forums…how do CMs monitor and/or request exit of lingering guests for EEH or Boo Bash? As well as not admit for any extra morning hours? It’s a flood at rope drop and I see no type of monitoring in place to weed out who is who…So if they don’t have a method, maybe the value and moderate resort guests have nothing to worry about…
Presumably the same way it’s always been done for similar offerings: wristbands for Boo Bash, scanning MagicBands or room keys for early entry and accessing attractions during evening hours.
The first rollout of the EEH is very underwhelming. 4 hours per week, spread across 2 parks, one of which being the park least in demand. The 2 parks with the most sought after rides (and longest daytime lines) are not in the mix. I can’t see this enticing anyone to upgrade to Deluxe. Hopefully it gets better.
I agree that it’s underwhelming…but also exactly what I expected.
I think that’s probably for the best, because if the perk were too good, it would really alienate Value and Moderate guests. As it stands, it’s more about the principle of the exclusion than the substance of it (IMO).
Can someone explain how the extended evening hours thing works? I’m staying with the family in Nov in a DVC Boardwalk Villa and would like to take advantage of this.
Did you ever do Evening Extra Magic Hours? If so, presumably the exact same way.
We have a stay booked for the first night of evening hours at MK and will have a report/info/tips post after that–well before your trip! 🙂
I am crushed.. not Bo and Woody .. I have enjoyed all things toy story! But. At the end if the last movie I wanted to punch out woody for going with bo. Yuck! Let him find his true love with Jesse!
Ps. I am almost 69 years old!
I would settle for another restaurant opening announcement (looking at you Boma) and just about any additional entertainment returning by September.
All signs point to Boma and Flying Fish announcements in the very near future–perhaps even today or later this week. Here’s hoping Boma is still a buffet!
“Registration for the 2022 Walt Disney World Marathon was also much smoother than I expected.”
Read that as you’re participating in the marathon – good luck. I had been waitlisted for a 50k (not a typo) back home, and just got the e-mail I was moved to the active participant list. That part was exciting…realizing I need to start getting ready was not.
I’m surprised they haven’t dropped the official dates & pricing for the Christmas after hours event yet.
Enjoy the start of Fall in Orlando. Looks like it’s a cool 90ish down there today. Nothing says Halloween quite like 70% humidity in Central Florida.
Thanks!
As for the weather…suffice to say, we will not be wearing costumes tonight!
You had me at Muppets Haunted Mansion! A Salute to Haunted Mansion by the Muppets, only I’m hoping it’s more than a minute and a half! I cannot wait!!
Same!