Two Walt Disney World theme parks have shortened hours next week. Disney’s Hollywood Studios closes to guests at 5pm on Tuesday, October 20th, for a private corporate event. That is four hours ahead of the usual 9pm close. EPCOT opens at 10am on October 23rd and 25th for Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend.
Disney World Shortened Park Hours: Hollywood Studios and EPCOT
IN THIS ARTICLE:
- The Hollywood Studios hours for October 20th and the private event behind them.
- The later EPCOT opening on October 23rd and 25th.
- How Magic Kingdom party nights could add crowds to the other parks.
Park hours shift often in October. Next week brings changes at two parks on top of the usual fall schedule. At Hollywood Studios, a corporate buyout means an early park closure, and EPCOT starts its day later to support race weekend. Both parks still offer a full stretch of open hours around those dates, so a little planning can help keep your vacation intact.
Corporate Buyout & Early Closure at Hollywood Studios
On Tuesday, October 20th, Hollywood Studios keeps its normal morning hours. Early Theme Park Entry begins at 8:30am, and the park opens to all guests at 9am. Regular guests leave at 5pm, when the park closes to them instead of at the usual 9pm.
A private event tied to Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo 2026 is the reason for the change. The conference runs October 19th to 22nd at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin. Event listings say that the evening party runs from 7pm to 11pm.
Gartner has bought out Hollywood Studios before. Back in 2023, we reported that Hollywood Studios closed early in October for a Gartner buyout as well.
Typically, crowds are lower when there is an evening corporate buyout, so it may be a good time to visit or combine with park hopping.
EPCOT Opens at 10am on Two Race Weekend Days
EPCOT shifts in the other direction, opening later than usual. The park opens at 10am on October 23rd and 25th for Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend.
Unlike lower anticipated crowds for Hollywood Studios during their early closure, EPCOT usually sees a bump in crowds due to runners wanting to celebrate their race. In general, we would try to avoid EPCOT on race weekends if possible.
Magic Kingdom Party Nights Continue to Affect Crowds
Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party continues to impact crowd patterns on October 22nd, 23rd, and 25th. Our Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party guide explains that the park closes to regular daytime guests at 6pm. Party ticket holders can enter as early as 4pm.
Two of those nights, October 23rd and 25th, overlap with the later EPCOT opening. Day guests who leave Magic Kingdom at 6pm need somewhere else to go. Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, and EPCOT could see extra guests in the evening. As we already mentioned, EPCOT on race weekends can get busy, so layering an early closure for Magic Kingdom could make things extra crowded on those days.
Conversely, if you are looking for some low crowd days at Magic Kingdom, the 23rd and 25th could be excellent times to visit, particularly in the morning. Runners will likely hang out at EPCOT, leading to even lower crowds than a party day brings in the morning and early afternoon.
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!