Disney’s Animal Kingdom just picked up more evening time for Thanksgiving week. The park added a later closing time for Monday, November 23rd. That comes only days after Walt Disney World stretched hours at three parks for the holiday week, and it gives Animal Kingdom later closings four nights in a row heading into Thanksgiving.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Extends Hours for November 23rd, 2026
IN THIS ARTICLE:
- Animal Kingdom’s new closing time for Monday, November 23rd.
- How the rest of the park’s Thanksgiving week schedule looks now.
- Added showtimes, later dining hours, and Tree of Life Awakenings dates.
Monday was the one gap left in Animal Kingdom’s pre-Thanksgiving hours extension schedule. Disney added time to Thanksgiving week at Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom earlier this month. The park picked up later closings on Sunday and Tuesday in that update but kept its 6:00pm close on Monday. When we looked at the Disney World website this morning, Monday had caught up with Tuesday.
Animal Kingdom Now Open Until 8:00pm on Monday, November 23rd
Animal Kingdom now opens at 8:00am and closes at 8:00pm on Monday, November 23rd, two hours later than its previous 6:00pm close. Early Theme Park Entry for guests of Disney Resort hotels and other select hotels stays at 7:30am.
That makes Monday and Tuesday, November 24th, the park’s two longest days of Thanksgiving week at 12 hours each. Sunday, November 22nd, closes at 7:00pm, the same as Saturday, November 21st, which picked up its later close in an earlier round of mid-November changes.
The extra evening time stops after Tuesday. From Wednesday, November 25th, through Saturday, November 28th, Animal Kingdom keeps its 8:00am to 6:00pm hours (for now), Thanksgiving Day included. Select resort guests can still stay late on Wednesday, when Extended Evening Hours are scheduled from 6:00pm to 8:00pm.
Added Showtimes, Later Dining, and Tree of Life Awakenings
Attractions now follow the 8:00pm close on Monday, including Avatar Flight of Passage, Na’vi River Journey, Expedition Everest, and Zootopia: Better Zoogether! Live entertainment picked up extra performances too. Festival of the Lion King added a 5:00pm show on November 23rd and 24th, and Feathered Friends in Flight! added a 4:45pm show on both days.
The Disney World website also now lists Tree of Life Awakenings on November 22nd, 23rd, and 24th, starting at 6:00pm. A later close means more time to watch the projections on the Tree of Life after sunset.
Several restaurants are keeping later hours as well. On Monday, Tusker House Restaurant serves until 7:30pm, Yak & Yeti Restaurant until 7:50pm, and Rainforest Cafe at Disney’s Animal Kingdom until 8:30pm. Tiffins Restaurant now stays open until 7:30pm on both Monday and Tuesday.
Animal Kingdom Thanksgiving Week Changes at a Glance
- Sun, Nov 22: 8:00am to 7:00pm (previously 6:00pm close)
- Tree of Life Awakenings added starting at 6:00pm
- Mon, Nov 23: 8:00am to 8:00pm (previously 6:00pm close)
- Tree of Life Awakenings added starting at 6:00pm
- Extra Festival of the Lion King show at 5:00pm and Feathered Friends in Flight! show at 4:45pm
- Tue, Nov 24: 8:00am to 8:00pm (previously 6:00pm close)
- Tree of Life Awakenings added starting at 6:00pm
- Extra Festival of the Lion King show at 5:00pm and Feathered Friends in Flight! show at 4:45pm
- Wed, Nov 25 through Sat, Nov 28: 8:00am to 6:00pm, unchanged, with Extended Evening Hours for select resort guests on Nov 25 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm
Keep Reading
- Animal Kingdom isn’t the only park with a busier holiday week, so see every Thanksgiving week hours change at Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios before you lock in your park days.
- The weekend before Thanksgiving also has longer days, and the mid-November hours extensions at three parks cover what changed for November 15th, 16th, and 21st.
- Planning a Sunday visit earlier in the month? Find out when Animal Kingdom opens an hour late on November 15th.
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!