Forgetting to do this 1 thing could ruin your Disney trip
For an admitted Type A vacation planner like me, I enjoy the ins and outs of planning a Disney World vacation. When my alarm goes off 60 days before my vacation, signaling it's time to begin booking my Disney dining reservations, I pop out of bed full of excitement. I also get a little thrill when I snag the Disney Genie+ or virtual queue times I was hoping for.
Related: 'Be our guest' at these 5 best character dining meals at Walt Disney World
Whether you enjoy the process or not, there are many boxes to tick when planning a Disney trip, and it can be easy to let one or two important details slip through the cracks. Specifically, there is one often overlooked detail that can have a major impact on your visit, especially if you have your heart set on a twilight ride on Tron Lightcycle / Run or seeing one of Disney's fireworks spectaculars light up the night sky.
The one important thing you need to do while planning your trip to ensure your Disney vacation feels like a fairy tale from start to finish? Check the park hours.
Why you need to check Disney's park hours
On most days of the year, you can expect Disney's four theme parks to open around 8 or 9 a.m. and close between 9 and 11 p.m. The exception is Disney's Animal Kingdom, which tends to wind down earlier in the evening in accordance with the sleep schedules of its animal residents.
This fairly predictable schedule gets turned on its Mickey-shaped head when Disney hosts special after-hours events throughout the year. This is most evident in the fall and winter months when events like Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party occur three or four nights each week.
Related: These are the best times to visit Disney World
On special-event nights, the park where the event is being held (most often the Magic Kingdom) closes as early as 6 p.m. to guests with regular daytime tickets. If you are planning to visit the Magic Kingdom as a regular guest on a day when a Halloween or Christmas party is scheduled, you'll be politely ushered out at that time. You'll miss out on nighttime rides, fireworks and a few extra hours inside the park.
Related: Tips for visiting Disney World at Christmas: Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party and beyond
After the park closes to daytime guests, after-hours party guests enjoy parades, fireworks, special entertainment and more, but you can only get in on the fun if you have a ticket.
If you check Disney's theme park hours for the date(s) of your visit beforehand, you'll know well in advance if you plan to visit on a day when one of the parks closes early and plan accordingly. For frequent Disney visitors, this may seem like common knowledge. But those who don't visit often or are planning their first trip sometimes show up unaware of this detail and leave feeling disappointed that their day was cut short.
How to check park hours at Disney World
It's easy to check the operating hours for Disney's theme parks on the Walt Disney World website. From Disney's homepage, hover over "Parks & Tickets" and click on "More Hours" in the right-hand column under today's park hours.
This will take you to a page where you can choose which dates and parks you want to view hours for. This will show you not only the operating hours but also the times for any parades and fireworks, early entry hours, park-hopping hours and whether there are any special events that will cause the park to close early.
You should check the hours for each park you plan to visit during your trip so you have an accurate picture of what your trip will look like. If you want nighttime hours in the Magic Kingdom during the run of Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, for example, you'll want to visit on a nonparty day.
Park operating hours are also available in the My Disney Experience app. If you scroll down a bit after opening the app, you can see today's hours for each park. Or, you can click on "All hours" to choose another date.
When Disney releases park hours
Disney releases operating hours for each of its four theme parks about 60 to 75 days in advance, according to the official planDisney website. A good rule of thumb is to check the park hours around the time your dining reservation window opens. This gives you time to make changes to your itinerary before any reservations are set in stone.
Why you might want to visit when a park closes early
A park closing early isn't necessarily a bad thing. It all depends on your goals for the day. When the Magic Kingdom closes early on party nights, you may miss out on fireworks, but the crowds at that park will likely be lower than on a regular day. That's because many guests without party tickets will flock to one of Disney's other three parks that aren't closing early.
If you are willing to swap evening hours for lower wait times during the day, a party day could be a good day to visit. This holds true if you have a Park Hopper ticket, as well. You can start your day at a less-crowded Magic Kingdom and move to another park at 2 p.m. when park-hopping becomes available.
Bottom line
Planning your Disney vacation is like putting together a puzzle. You need to have all the pieces — or information — to complete the puzzle and have the best day ever. Knowing each park's operating hours during your visit is just one of many important pieces to that puzzle.
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There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
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- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.
Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro Offer
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.