Is Disney World Open Year Round and Every Day of the Year?

(Last Updated On: October 5, 2023)

For holiday makers who have never been to Disney World a simple question sometimes asked is Disney World open every day of the year? Walt Disney World is in operation 365 days of the year, so you don’t need to worry about when to visit. Every day of the year Walt Disney World will be in operation. But there are some things worth thinking about when you plan your Disney World Holiday.

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Some Considerations Though….

Although Disney World as a whole doesn’t close, the water parks will close for refurbishment works during the colder winter months (colder for Florida anyway). What we have found in the past is that if one water park is closed such as Typhoon Lagoon then Blizzard Beach will be open (and vice versa).

Also, during periods of colder weather, the water parks may close if Disney decide it is too cold for guests and then reopen when temperatures increase again. There is also a constant refurbishment schedule for attractions in the park so it always best to check before your holiday to see what is closed. Having taken a few holidays in Disney World during mid-February into early March we have seen various attractions closed during our holidays. If you are prepared you will know what to expect and you can sometimes plan to ride an attraction before it is closed for maintenance.

Is Blizzard Beach at Disney World open every day of the year? — Blizzard Beach

Christmas

Disney World is open throughout Christmas (and all other holidays) and it is one of the busiest times of the year for the parks. Christmas Day, News Years Eve and New Years Day are usually extremely busy days in the park with some parks often getting close to full capacity.

Theme Park Opening Hours

The opening hours of the parks can change but tend to be seasonable. Epcot and Animal Kingdom usually both have fairly stable opening hours whereas Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios can change depending on the expected crowd levels for the time of year.

Magic Kingdom has the most varying opening hours throughout the year with it sometimes closing at 10pm and then at other times during the year being open into the early hours of the morning (around 2am). Epcot usually closes around 9pm with Animal Kingdom usually being around 8pm. Hollywood Studios can vary too with closing times ranging from 8pm to 10pm and sometimes later.

Early Park Opening Hours

If you are staying at a Disney World Resort you will benefit from the parks opening early for resort guests only. Every park opens 30 minutes early for resort guests which is really helpful to get on the popular rides in the Disney World parks before the guests arriving for the standard opening times.

It’s usually the case that your magic band will be checked by cast members to ensure you are a resort guest.

All Walt Disney World Resorts guests benefit from the early opening times along with guests at the following hotels:

Walt Disney World Swan Hotel
Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel
Shades of Green Resort
Disney Spring Resort Area Hotels
Four Seasons Resort (Orlando)

You can find the current park hours on the Disney World Website here.

Has Disney World Ever Closed?

Since opening in 1971 it has closed only five times, and, on each occasion, this has been due to hurricanes. The resort had to shut it gates in September 1999 for Hurricane Floyd and for Hurricane Frances. In 2004 Hurricane Jeanne also forced the parks close along with Hurricane Matthew in October 2016 and then most recently in September 2017 due to the category 5 Hurricane Irma hitting the east coast of Florida. The parks were also evacuated following the 9/11 attacks in 2001.

Is Disney World Open Every Day of the Year and during the Christmas Holidays

Visiting Disney World When It’s Busy

If you happen to be visiting Disney World during peak season, then you are unlikely to experience any water park closures and possibly not any maintenance closures. During Hurricane season anything can happen but most likely you might experience some storms, but this can differ from year to year.

Having been at Disney World in February for past vacations I have seen Typhoon Lagoon closed and attractions such as Splash Mountain in Magic Kingdom and the Kali River Rapids at Animal Kingdom closed for refurbishment works.

However, I haven’t had a Disney World vacation I haven’t enjoyed as there is always plenty of other things to keep my family happily entertained for the duration of our holiday. Walt Disney World can keep certainly keep you entertained whatever may be out of action.