Disney Park Infuriates Guests by Closing Early, Posts "ZERO Signs" Indicating Closure - Inside the Magic

EPCOT closed early yesterday for a private event, with the World Showcase closing at 6 p.m. and the rest of the Disney Park following behind at 8 p.m. This time of year, EPCOT is typically open until 9 p.m.

Related: Disney Attraction Closing Early For Third-Straight Day With No Reason Given

Though the closure was stated on the Walt Disney World app, a Reddit user shared a story of an angry family with single-day Park tickets who didn’t realize they’d have to leave the World Showcase between 5:30 and 6:00 p.m.

According to u/Arctic-Fox-410, there were no signs at EPCOT indicating the Park’s early closure, especially that the World Showcase would close two hours before the rest of the Park and that there wouldn’t be a performance of Harmonious, EPCOT’s nighttime spectacular:

We went to EPCOT this morning and we are annual pass holders and live locally. We got a spot for Guardians of the Galaxy and then went to eat in Mexico. There was a family in front of us trying to get a table and were just plain irate about the park closing early today. In their defense, the only place that I saw anything posted about the park closing early was in the app and it was only because I knew it normally closes at 9 and not 8. They were mad because the world showcase closes between 5:30 and 6 but there are ZERO signs anywhere saying that the park is closing. I understand their frustration and would be mad if I bought a ticket and didn’t get a park hopper. I asked a cast member and of course they couldn’t tell me why it was closing early. Anyone know why? I thought that Simple Plan has 3 shows tonight. They aren’t even doing fireworks tonight!

Another Disney fan explained that they only knew the Park was closing early because Simple Plan, scheduled to play three evening shows at EPCOT, posted to Instagram that they’d only be doing one show Sunday night.

Related: Disney Shopping Center Reopens After Mysterious Multi-Month Closure

Some Disney fans felt Walt Disney World should offer a free Park hopper add-on to any Guest with a single-day Park ticket when a Park closes early. Reddit user u/Edenlord1971 wrote:

Simple solution which Disney should honestly do is allow day ticket users to go to a second park that day if they close the original one early

Another, u/mous3hous3, agreed but said it’s on each Guest to check the Walt Disney World Resort app for Park hours and closures, as Walt Disney World constantly notes that entertainment is subject to change. They wrote:

IMHO we are responsible for n owing the hours, as they can change, but Disney would be smart to give anyone with a one-day one-park pass the ability to park hop, in the interest of positive guest experience.

u/SakuraBlitz called the situation “completely unprofessional on Disney’s part. They continued, “i understand that people could probably see it in the app, but there should also be signs ALL OVER the entrance to the park. and quite frankly, at the parking lot gate as well.”

Have you ever been inconvenienced by a Park closure at EPCOT, Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, or Disney’s Hollywood Studios? Share your experience in the comments. 

Please note that the story outlined in this article is based on a personal Disney Parks Guest experience. No two Guest experiences are alike, and this article does not necessarily align with Inside the Magic’s personal views on Disney Parks operations.