October 2021 Calendar Update & Extended Evening Hours Schedule for Disney World
Walt Disney World has released more of the calendar for October 2021, added hours during the start of the 50th Anniversary at Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios & Animal Kingdom, and released the schedule of “Extended Evening Theme Park Hours.” In this post, we’ll share the refreshed calendar, new hours, and the Extended Evening Hours for the start of the World’s Most Magical Celebration.
Let’s get the most inconsequential part of this out of the way first. Like clockwork every Friday, all four theme parks have had hours for another week added to the DisneyWorld.com park hours calendar. These hours now run through October 16, 2021. Here are the hours for most dates within that week:
- Magic Kingdom: 9 am to 9 pm*
- EPCOT: 11 am to 9 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.
We also have extended hours for a scattering of dates in each of the parks. On August 15, Magic Kingdom bumps its closing time to 10:00 pm. It was previously scheduled to close at 9:00 pm.
Over at Epcot, the park will now be closing at 10 pm from October 1 through 9. This was an inevitability, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see all but one of these dates (see below) have their extended until 11 pm and opening moved forward to 10 am or (hopefully) 9 am.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be open until 9:00 pm, rather than the previously-scheduled 8:00 pm on September 15, 2021. This puts it in line with all other September dates (minus the 29th), so not exactly bombshell news–it was probably accidentally omitted when other hours were extended.
Animal Kingdom also sees its closing time extended to 8 pm on August 15 and 21. Again, nothing earth-shattering there. Unless there are a ton of cancellations due to dual blows of the rising case numbers and reinstated indoor face mask rule, we should get another round of more significant hours extensions for fall fairly soon.
In related news, Walt Disney World has released showtimes for the new fireworks spectaculars coming to Magic Kingdom and Epcot beginning October 1, 2021 for the 50th Anniversary. The schedule is currently posted through October 16.
Disney Enchantment at Magic Kingdom:
- October 1 – October 4: 9:00 pm
- October 5 – October 16: 8:00 pm
As a reminder, Disney Enchantment is replacing Happily Ever After, which is “permanently” ending in September 2021.
Harmonious at Epcot:
- October 1 – 16, 2021: 9:45 pm
Harmonious is permanently (no air quotes this time) replacing Epcot Forever, which also ends its limited run in September 2021.
Both of these new nighttime spectaculars are debuting as part of the World’s Most Magical Celebration. See our Guide to Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary for more details.
Finally, the news that likely has most of you reading this. Beginning in October 2021, guests staying at Deluxe Resorts, Deluxe Villas (Disney Vacation Club units), or other select hotels can enjoy extended evening hours. Guests staying at Value or Moderate Resorts are not eligible.
The Extended Evening Theme Park Hours perk will allow eligible guests to experience select attractions, shops, and dining after regular park hours–in select theme parks on select nights.
As a reminder, this is different from Early Theme Park Entry. That perk allows on-site resort guests 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.
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.
For Extended Evening Theme Park Hours, you’ll need a valid Resort ID, valid admission and a theme park reservation for the same park on the same day. (Or Annual Pass or ticket with the Park Hopper option, provided you entered the park where you made your reservation earlier in the day.)
Current Schedule for Extended Evening Theme Park Hours*
Date | Theme Park | Extended Hours |
Monday, October 4, 2021 | Epcot | 10:00 PM – Midnight |
Wednesday, October 6, 2021 | Magic Kingdom | 9:00 PM – 11:00 PM |
Monday, October 11, 2021 | Epcot | 10:00 PM — Midnight |
Wednesday, October 13, 2021 | Magic Kingdom | 9:00 PM – 11:00 PM |
*Check back as more dates are added. Schedule subject to change.
In terms of commentary, this is exactly what I expected based on the announcement made earlier this month that offered details of Early Theme Park Entry and Extended Hours Coming to Walt Disney World. The nighttime offering is essentially a 1:1 replacement for Evening Extra Magic Hours, but with more limited eligibility and different branding presumably so repeat visitors don’t assume Value and Moderate Resorts are eligible.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios or Animal Kingdom are not participating, but that’s not a huge surprise since neither were staples of Evening EMH in recent years. Personally, I’d be fine with Animal Kingdom being skipped.
Not DHS, though–those rare Evening Extra Magic Hours nights (post-Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge) there were fantastic. I can’t explain why, but the crowd situation during Evening EMH was always better at DHS.
In any case, having the Extended Evening Theme Park Hours will be most valuable at Epcot and Magic Kingdom at the outset of Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary. If the program goes well, I hope it’s expanded to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and maybe Animal Kingdom.
Based on comments here and from social media, I’m guessing this is not what a lot of Walt Disney World fans expected. Much of the outrage seemed like it conflated Early Entry and Extended Hours, which is understable. Even though Disney indicated the Extended Evening Theme Park Hours would only be for “select parks on select dates,” a lot of fans seemed to be operating under the assumption this perk would also be a daily thing at all of the parks.
Many people were upset that they “would never be able to stay late” or would be “kicked out early” so the “rich people could have the parks to themselves at night.” Now that we know that’s not the case, and these hours will be incredibly easily to plan around, I wonder if this changes anything in terms of fan response. (That’s not rhetorical, I’m not sure and would love some feedback.)
Beyond that, my assessment of Extended Evening Theme Park Hours is pretty much unchanged. From a practical perspective, limiting the pool of guests eligible for nighttime extended hours is necessary to make it a worthwhile benefit for anyone. Evening Extra Magic Hours were a nightmare in their last few years due to the larger pool of eligible guests.
As a result of Walt Disney World expanding and building new resorts while also adding to the list of participating on-site hotels, crowds had become pretty bad. (As much as I love them for the exceptional value they offer, it was a mistake to include the Disney Springs resorts.) It got to the point that not only did we recommend avoiding Evening EMH, but also the park hosting that hour during the day. People are much more likely to be night owls than early risers on vacation.
What remains an open question is whether restricting eligibility for Extended Evening Theme Park Hours sufficiently limits the pool to lessen the crowds. We already know that the “other select hotels” means the Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin, Swan Reserve, and Shades of Green.
When the hotel lineup is finalized, I’m betting the Four Seasons Orlando will also end up being eligible, but not any of the Disney Springs area hotels or Bonnet Creek resorts. That’s just a guess, but it’s probably an accurate one–or at least close to it.
If my rough math is correct, this means that approximately 46% of all on-site resort rooms will be eligible for Extended Evening Theme Park Hours. Even if I’m off on which “other select hotels” will end up being eligible, that doesn’t change the percentage in a meaningful way–none of those hotels have a large number of rooms. It’ll still be under 50%.
That’s a calculation based on rooms, not guests. The larger size of some Disney Vacation Club villas is conducive to higher per room guest counts, but I’m guessing the difference is negligible. There are also a lot of older DVC couples and those guests often underutilize the parks. I’d bet that all nets out, and the pool of on-site guests eligible for Extended Evening Theme Park Hours is just under 50%.
Based upon our anecdotal observations of Evening Extra Magic Hours during the busiest times of year when occupancy rates are highest (which is what October through December 2021 will be), the Extended Evening Theme Park Hours needed to cut the guest cut approximately in half in order to be a high-quality perk. This does that. Unless the attraction roster dramatically decreases, Extended Evening Theme Park Hours should be a nice experience for eligible guests.
As suggested above, Extended Evening Theme Park Hours will also be easy for Value, Moderate, and off-site guests to plan around. Obviously, no one likes losing access to a perk, but a “benefit” that had lost all actual utility is one in name only. It’s also not exactly “elitist” (or whatever) given that the Swan & Dolphin are often less expensive–and superior–options to even the Value Resorts. (For those who must have a Disney-owned hotel, renting DVC points is another cheaper alternative, and way to gain access.) Maybe I’m just being overly optimistic this, but I’m feeling pretty good about Extended Evening Theme Park Hours. I’m sure you all will give me a “reality check” in short order if I’m being unreasonable. 😉
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you think of Extended Evening Theme Park Hours? Think this is fair and reasonable? Did you attend Evening Extra Magic Hours during busy seasons in the last couple of years? What was your experience with crowds and wait times? Looking forward to Extended Evening 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!
Without Fastpasses and being able to book them earlier as resort guests, as well as no longer being able to purchase tickets to extended evening hour events, I imagine the trip we already have booked will be our last for a few years. Our family requires 2 bathrooms, so we mostly stay at Art of Animation suites. The cost for 2 bathrooms at a deluxe resort is just not worth it.
Thanks Tom! I’ll keep checking!
You’re right Tom, only when Disney takes a hit will they make changes. I’m seriously debating moving offsite but holding off in case fast passes or the dining plan come back. I did price out swan and dolphin but they are a fair amount more for our trip the week of Christmas and NYE. Sadly unless things change this will be our last trip for a while. 🙁
Keep monitoring pricing for the Swan & Dolphin–those rates bounce all over the place, and are often best at the last minute. That might not be the case for Christmas and NYE week due to demand, but we’ve scored some insanely low last minute rates there. (They’re also often on Hotwire and Priceline: https://www.disneytouristblog.com/tips-priceline-express-deals-disney-world-hotels/)
I’m really unhappy this perk was taken from moderate and value resorts (along with every other perk) yet is somehow being given to some offsite hotels. 2 hours at night would be fabulous!! If they want to lower attendance for night EMH, then why not give this ONLY to onsite guests? No matter the level, you pay way more to stay onsite than offsite and the extra costs pay all those perks (Disney doesn’t give you any of them for free!). So to lose night emh’s (and ME, fastpasses, magic bands, free parking, etc) and not have room prices drop is just rubbing me the wrong way. To be clear, I have no problem with deluxe resorts getting perks that lower tiers don’t get. Pay more get more. Just not a perk that I’m paying for and now not allowed to participate in. Email Disney everyone! Probably won’t change anything but it has a better shot than complaining here!
Complaining anywhere won’t make any difference. If people want to see this change, they’ll need to vote with their wallets. If occupancy rates drop at Value or Moderate Resorts, this will be expanded to those.
In the meantime, the Swan & Dolphin are great on-site options (as is Shades of Green, but most people aren’t eligible for that) with a superior location to any Value or Moderate and prices that are often better.
How thick are the people around here to think this plan is okay for the moderate and value guests because they can plan around it? Like that’s all there is to it. Simple fact of the matter is that these people also pay extra to stay on site and keep losing perks, with this perk being a big one. It’s not that they never had it to begin with, so they really did lose it to give extra to the rich…
I really could get behind the idea to split it though, so give one evening to the moderate and value resorts and another to the deluxe and villas guests. That way the rich don’t have to mix with the ‘peasants’ and have their evening and the masses can still have a perk vs off-site guests like they always had.
Definitely agree with you that Disney continuing to cut perks and benefits while also raising prices is disappointing and frustrating. No doubt about that whatsoever.
I do disagree with the characterization that this is catering to “the rich.” Rooms at the Dolphin are often less expensive than Caribbean Beach. Ditto Shades of Green. Renting DVC points is also often cheaper. An ongoing “issue” at DVC parties is members bringing coolers and bags to stock up on the free snacks. I don’t know why this perception exists, but the reality is that the vast majority of guests at Deluxes are also middle class, who just saved or are splurging more. The idea that they are mostly wealthy elites is false. Although pricing suggests otherwise, Walt Disney World is overwhelmingly a vacation destination for the middle class. Aside from the obligatory rite of passage trip for their kids, rich people are traveling elsewhere.
Seems like a fair program and good way to thread the needle, all things considered. Nothing is going to be perfect. You could expand it to all on-site, and then off-site would complain. This mostly feels like giving something extra to some, rather than taking away from the majority, and for that reason I think this feels about right. It’s also worth calling out that even folks who aren’t eligible to ride something past regular hours can still join a line at the last minute, meaning they really will be riding rides well into the extended evening hours. With that in mind, even less for those not staying in deluxe to complain about, and a reason that Deluxe guests could argue that the hours should be extended more than 2 hours.
Did anyone else notice that on Disney’s website (https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/extra-magic-hours/) it makes mention of evening Extra Magic Hours at Hollywood Studios?! Maybe that is some good news yet to come!
“Disney’s Hollywood Studios – Mornings and Evenings
The following attractions are open during morning and evening Extra Magic Hours at Disney’s Hollywood Studios:…”
That’s outdated.
Looking forward to the extended evening hours. Hopefully it will be a respite from the long lines we experienced when we were there earlier in July. Also hoping for the return of FP, even if it’s a paid option.
Elitist or not, I am a sucker for paying extra to avoid waiting in long lines.
As a side note, we also enjoyed the ticketed “Early Morning Magic” events at MK. We walked onto SDMT 6 times in a row and my kids had a blast. The actual breakfast… well, we weren’t there for the food.
It’s funny to hear people complain about “only the rich…”. We’re staying nine nights at a Deluxe hotel starting on Oct. 1 and for our thousands of extra dollars we get four measly extra evening hours. If you ask me you all are the winners and we’re the losers.
By stay late I don’t mean stay until park close. Why would you consider that a perk, you pay for that with your ticket. From what you posted, it is still only the “rich” resorts that will get Extended night hours in the parks. Am I interpreting this wrong? Extra morning hours are garbage to me as when I’m on vacation I like to sleep late. I’m an adult, I can stay up until midnight unlike most little kids. Why does Disney think that my money is not as valuable as people staying in the Deluxe resorts? This is completely unacceptable to me and if I could get a refund for my trip in December I would. So we’re still going, but the way Disney has slowly and steadily raising prices waaaaay more than the rate of inflation all while they keep cutting on site perks down to basically nothing, it will be our last trip for at least the foreseeable future and maybe forever.
I guess I’m just naive or missing something, but I think the Deluxe limit/ not adding anything for values or moderates is lame.
I’ve read your posts about an era where the park hours were greatly extended compared to current times. Why not offer extended hours for the pool of values/moderates on select evenings and deluxe only on others to offer something enticing to everyone staying on site?
Reading your recent experiences with the crowds, and seeing the rack rates for moderates it all seems kind of crummy to me.
We did vote with our wallets, and pulled the plug after years of increases at the Disney parks.
I’m still a sucker and planning on overpaying for an after hours event in December, but it seems like for the deluxe rates there should be even more and for the others there should be something better.
Many people were upset that they “would never be able to stay late” or would be “kicked out early” so the “rich people could have the parks to themselves at night.” Now that we know that’s not the case, and these hours will be incredibly easily to plan around, I wonder if this changes anything in terms of fan response
So what am I missing? How is this not just for the rich? Has this changed? Are all Disney Resort guests eligible for after hours now?
Extended night hours were my favorite time in Disney, many of the families with young kids gone, shorter lines, more space.
I’m assuming value and moderate resort types won’t actually be kicked out of the park. They just can’t get on the rides. Maybe they can buy souvenirs or food? It seems foolish that Disney would refuse to take their money unless they show the proper papers?
I wonder about Disney. Have they any idea how bad this looks?
When I buy season tickets for the Mets there are many different seating levels. The more you pay the better your seats. The same is true for hotels, the more you pay the better the hotel. The nicer the room, the nicer the surroundings, amenities, restaurants, service etc.
But the reason we are there paying for those seats is to watch the game. Not to sit in seats.
If the game goes into extra innings everyone gets to stay. People in the cheap seats are not required to leave after nine innings.
At this point in time, no matter what hotel you stay in, perks are almost non-existent.
Therefore anyone staying in an official Disney hotel should be given evening EMH’s.
I don’t know how many people the parks comfortably hold or how many people the Disney only hotels sleep but if that means too many people in a park then open two parks for EMH’s and have guests sign up for one or the other.
I don’t understand why Epcot needs the late hours. Even with the Remy ride opening, DHS is still the park with the most “new” rides. I think if they did the extra hours at Hollywood, it would alleviate the “need” of those staying in Deluxe resorts to rope drop DHS.
We are really excited about this announcement. Our family only gets to visit once every two years, so we always stay at either the Swan/Dolphin or rent DVC points. I’m actually really impressed with how well Disney World seems to have thread the needle with this perk for deluxe guests without negatively impacting the normal touring plans for value and moderate guests.
Any idea when the rest of the dates will be out? We have a trip planned for Nov 13th – 20th and rented points to stay in a 3bd grand villa. (Thank you DVC rental store) but will have to change our park reservations if the current theme for Monday and Wednesday nights is followed as those were our resort/Disney Springs days. Hate to miss out – thanks
Hey Tom! We are super excited for this perk. While I understand the original concerns people had, I also think it’s nice that Disney is trying to do something extra for those folks paying a crazy amount to stay in a deluxe accommodation. I really don’t think this will negatively impact the majority, as like you said, it’s easy to work around. I do have a question, as I am still a little unclear on the offerings, however. Do we know if all attractions will be open? Or is this just a handful remain open? Also, I’m curious to see with the fewer people in the park, if Disney will send staff home and only run half ride capacity(ex: one train on btmr)?
Attraction lineup isn’t official and nothing would surprise me from Disney, but everything we’ve seen thus far suggests this is simply a rebranded Evening Extra Magic Hours, but with fewer hotels. I’d be surprised if they cut ride efficiency or the attraction lineup–Disney wants this to be a perk that incentivizes guests to book higher resort tiers, and that won’t happen if people dislike it and report unfavorable on social media, etc.
Many people were upset that they “would never be able to stay late” or would be “kicked out early” so the “rich people could have the parks to themselves at night.” Now that we know that’s not the case, and these hours will be incredibly easily to plan around, I wonder if this changes anything in terms of fan response
So what am I missing? Has this changed? Are all Disney Resort guests eligible for after hours now?
Guests of Value, Moderate, and off-site resorts will be able to stay late 6 out of 7 nights per week in 2 parks and 7/7 nights in 2 parks, so I’d say none of the statements in the quotes are accurate.
Only wishing they were starting the extended evening hours in early September…
Hi Tom!
I saw the announcement today of Extended Evening Hours for October. Do you recommend avoiding that park (with extended evening hours) on that specific day, if you are not eligible to join? We are doing one day at MK on Oct 13 and one day at Epcot on Oct 14. Should we flip our reservations to avoid the extended evening hours at MK on 10/13?
It’s too early to say–it also depends upon whether park closing ends up being extended significantly for the other nights.