Walt Disney World Significantly Alters ALL Park Hours in 2026

For years, Extended Evening Hours has been one of the most coveted perks available to guests staying at select Walt Disney World Resort hotels. These extra hours—usually offered at just one or two parks per week—have allowed eligible visitors to enjoy some of the most popular attractions with dramatically lower wait times, cooler temperatures, and a noticeably more relaxed nighttime atmosphere.

Traditionally, this benefit rotated between EPCOT and Magic Kingdom, occasionally dipping into Disney’s Hollywood Studios and rarely appearing at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

But 2026 is shaping up to be a historic year. Walt Disney World has quietly updated its official operating calendar, and tucked into that update is a change that will thrill loyal nighttime park-goers and may reshape how visitors plan their winter vacations.

For the first time in years, all four Walt Disney World theme parks will host Extended Evening Hours in early 2026, creating an unprecedented stretch of expanded access across the entire resort.

This is more than a simple schedule tweak—it expands guest flexibility, impacts crowd patterns, and gives visitors more opportunities to experience major attractions without daytime wait times that can stretch past 60 or even 90 minutes during peak seasons.

As the holiday crowds fade and January brings fresh waves of travelers, Walt Disney World is making sure that Deluxe Resort guests, DVC members, and other eligible visitors have more nighttime options than ever before.

Below, we break down everything included in this major update: the full Extended Evening Hours schedule for the rest of 2024 through January 2026, the unexpected return of Disney’s Hollywood Studios to the roster, and the complete list of attractions currently offered during these exclusive after-hours sessions.

Extended Evening Hours Coming to All Four Walt Disney World Theme Parks

Walt Disney World’s updated operating calendar confirms that in early 2026, all four theme parks will participate in Extended Evening Hours. Here’s the breakdown of what’s changing and when.

According to the latest update:

“In general, you can expect that Extended Evening Hours will be presented on Monday evenings at EPCOT through January 19, 2026. With the exception of this Friday, November 21st, Extended Evening Hours at Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be held on Wednesdays through the end of the year. Extended Evening Hours will then be held at Disney’s Animal Kingdom on January 1st before it moves back to Magic Kingdom in the new year.”

As the holiday season ends and Magic Kingdom wraps up its massive New Year’s Eve celebration, the schedule shifts again:

“With the holidays wrapping up with a New Year’s Eve bash at Magic Kingdom, Extended Evening Hours return to the world’s busiest theme park on January 7th, and they should continue to be held there on Wednesday nights for some time to start 2026.”

The biggest change arrives at the end of the month:

“The notable change here is that Disney’s Hollywood Studios returns to the Extended Evening Hours schedule on Monday, January 26th, breaking the pattern of EPCOT hosting Monday evening extended hours. With the return of Disney’s Hollywood Studios to the Extended Evening Hours lineup in late January, that means that all four Walt Disney World theme parks will host Extended Evening Hours at least once during the calendar month.”

Upcoming Extended Evening Hours Schedule

Here is the full official lineup for the next two months across all four parks:

EPCOT

• Nov. 17, 24

• Dec. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29

• Jan. 5, 12, 19

DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM

• Nov. 21, 26

• Dec. 3, 10, 17, 24

• Jan. 1

MAGIC KINGDOM

• Jan. 7, 14, 21

DISNEY’S HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS

• Jan. 26

Attractions Available During Extended Evening Hours

Below is the full list of attractions currently included at each park during Extended Evening Hours, according to Walt Disney World’s latest published offerings.

Magic Kingdom Park

• “it’s a small world”

• Astro Orbiter

• The Barnstormer

• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

• Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin

• Country Bear Musical Jamboree

• Dumbo the Flying Elephant

• Haunted Mansion

• Mad Tea Party

• The Magic Carpets of Aladdin

• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

• Mickey’s PhilharMagic

• Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor

• Peter Pan’s Flight

• Pirates of the Caribbean

• Prince Charming Regal Carrousel

• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

• Space Mountain

• Swiss Family Treehouse

• Tomorrowland Speedway

• TRON Lightcycle / Run

• Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid

• Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room

EPCOT

• Frozen Ever After

• Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros

• Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind

• Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana

• Mission: SPACE

• Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure

• Soarin’ Around the World

• Spaceship Earth

• The Seas with Nemo & Friends

• Test Track

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

• Alien Swirling Saucers

• Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway

• Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run

• Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith

• Slinky Dog Dash

• Star Tours – The Adventures Continue

• The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™

• Toy Story Mania!

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park

• Avatar Flight of Passage

• DINOSAUR

• Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain

• Na’vi River Journey

Who Can Use Extended Evening Hours?

Walt Disney World clarifies:

“Extended Evening Hours is a benefit for registered Guests staying at Disney Deluxe Resorts, Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts, the Swan and Dolphin, and Shades of Green. Extended Evening Hours offers extra time in select Walt Disney World theme parks after the park closes for the day to regular guests. Typically, Extended Evening Hours offers an additional 2 hours of time in the park.”

This continues to be one of the most valuable perks offered to Deluxe-level guests, especially as crowds increase during seasonal festivals, holiday weeks, and major vacation periods.

A Major Upgrade to Winter Travel at Walt Disney World

The decision to rotate all four theme parks into the Extended Evening Hours schedule provides a major enhancement for guests visiting during late 2025 and early 2026.

Whether it’s experiencing Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind with minimal waits, flying through the Valley of Mo’ara under nighttime lighting, riding TRON Lightcycle / Run with no Virtual Queue stress, or enjoying Toy Story Land without its usual midday crowds, this expanded schedule offers unprecedented flexibility.

As the new year approaches, expect many travelers to adjust their itineraries to take advantage of this rare resort-wide offering. For Deluxe Resort guests and DVC members, early 2026 might be one of the best periods in years to maximize nighttime magic across all four Disney parks.