Big Changes for Disney's Extended Evening Hours
We just noticed an interesting change for Extended Evening Hours, and we have a pretty good guess why Disney is making this change. Find out how this may affect your next Walt Disney World trip.
Extended Evening Hours
Guests staying at Deluxe and Deluxe Villa Resorts can experience the parks at night after everyone else has left. This is one of the many great benefits of staying at these high-tier resorts.
Typically, Epcot hosts Extended Evening Hours on Monday, and Magic Kingdom hosts Extended Evening Hours on Wednesday. This has been the case for the last few years, with a few exceptions.
For the most part, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom are left out of the Extended Evening Hours fun, but we have noticed a new trend this summer.
Extended Hours at Animal Kingdom
Disney's Animal Kingdom typically closes early to allow time to care for the animals. However, Disney has already announced 2 Extended Evening Hours dates this summer. Following along with Character Locator, we see new updated hours.
Heading into July 2025, Disney's Animal Kingdom offers 3 dates for Extended Evening Hours on July 2nd, 9th, and 16th. These are all offered on Wednesdays, which is typically the day of the week for Magic Kingdom Extended Evening Hours.
For each of these dates, Disney's Animal Kingdom opens at 8:00 am with Early Entry at 7:30 am and will close at 6:00 pm each night. Not only can you enjoy more time exploring Disney's Animal Kingdom, but there will also be fewer crowds for Extended Evening Hours. Check out which attractions will be available HERE.
Why the Big Change?
So, what could be the reason for this shift from the Magic Kingdom? Magic Kingdom will bring "Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away" to the nighttime entertainment lineup this summer.
Disney's Animal Kingdom offers 3 dates for Extended Evening Hours this summer.
While Disney has not yet officially released an opening date for this parade, this shift to move Extended Evening Hours away from the Magic Kingdom in July may be a pretty big hint for the opening date of this new parade.
What do you think of these late hours for Disney's Animal Kingdom? Do you wish they offered more late-night events for this park? Share your thoughts with us and share this news with your Disney pals.
Once an official opening is announced in this case, the parade, do they typically offer extended hours later in the year? For example, we are going in mid-August. If the parade officially launches mid-July, is there a possibility of the parade happening during extended hours?