Walt Disney World Is Extending Its Park Hours for the Holidays

Walt Disney World is extending its Halloween and holiday hours.

The company will keep its Magic Kingdom and Epcot theme parks open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday to better accommodate guests looking for spooky fun in Orlando this Halloween weekend, USA Today reports.

The Florida parks had been closing at 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays after Disney scaled back its hours in September due to lower-than-expected attendance and the continuing coronavirus pandemic. Disney World reopened in July after closing for three months early in the pandemic, but surging coronavirus cases in Florida have kept some visitors away.

Disneyland in California is still mostly closed, though some stores at and restaurants at Downtown Disney in Anaheim have reopened.

In addition to extended Halloween hours, Disney plans to keep the Magic Kingdom open until 9 p.m. every night from Nov. 9 through Thanksgiving weekend.

Epcot will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and from 11 a.m. through 10 p.m. on Halloween. It will remain open until 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday nights through November and on three Sundays: Nov. 8, 15, and 22. Epcot will stay open until 10 p.m. each night the week of Thanksgiving.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thanksgiving week. The Disney Springs shopping center will remain open until 11 p.m. every Friday and Saturday in November.

Some iconic Disney holiday events won’t be happening as the company continues to take steps to prevent coronavirus transmission at its parks. Magic Kingdom has canceled Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, and Epcot has canceled Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party and Candlelight Processional this year.

Disney parks are continuing to limit capacity and are requiring guests to wear masks.

Meena Thiruvengadam is a Travel + Leisure contributor who has visited 50 countries on six continents and 47 U.S. states. She loves historic plaques, wandering new streets, and walking on beaches. Find her on Twitter and Instagram.