You checked the Disney app months ago. EPCOT said 9:00 AM. You planned around 9:00 AM. Maybe you even told your family to be ready by 8:15 so you could snag a parking spot and walk in for Early Entry.
Here is the update: that plan needs to change.
EPCOT is opening at 10:00 AM today, Sunday, April 19, 2026. Early Entry for resort hotel guests and eligible partner hotel stays runs from 9:30 AM to 10:00 AM, a full hour later than the standard 8:30 AM window. The reason is the runDisney Springtime Surprise 10-Miler, which started at 5:00 AM this morning and sends thousands of runners through Walt Disney World's roads and pathways in a way that makes a standard 9:00 AM park opening logistically impossible. Normal hours come back Monday.
This is not a small adjustment. It reshapes how the whole day at EPCOT plays out, and it affects guests who are not racing just as much as the ones who are.
The runDisney Springtime Surprise Weekend has been building since Thursday, when the Health and Fitness Expo opened at Walt Disney World. Every participant had to stop by the expo before their first race to pick up their bib, shirt, and any merchandise they pre-ordered. The weekend's theme is Disney duos, and the race lineup reflects it: the 5K pairs Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde from Zootopia, the 10K belongs to Winnie the Pooh and Tigger, and today's 10-Miler is all Joy and Sadness from Inside Out. Runners who completed all three events earn a fourth medal as part of the Aladdin and Genie challenge, with Genie-themed Brooks running shoes also available through the expo collection.
The full cast of participants, plus every spouse, parent, child, and friend who made the trip to cheer them on, has been layered on top of the normal Walt Disney World guest population all weekend. Today is the last and most complicated day of all of it.
Every Park's Hours Today
Before getting into EPCOT specifically, here is the full Sunday picture so you can make the call that works for your group.
Animal Kingdom is open the earliest, from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM, with Early Entry starting at 7:30 AM. Magic Kingdom runs 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM with Early Entry at 8:30 AM. Hollywood Studios is open 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM, also with Early Entry at 8:30 AM. Blizzard Beach is open from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. And EPCOT opens at 10:00 AM and closes at 9:00 PM, with Early Entry from 9:30 AM.
Three parks are running completely normal Sunday hours. One is not. That context is useful if you have any flexibility left in today's plan.
Getting to EPCOT This Morning Is Going to Take Longer Than Usual
The 10-Miler course runs through a significant portion of Walt Disney World's road network, and the closures required to keep runners and vehicles separated are extensive. A number of these closures do not lift until 10:00 or 10:30 AM, which is exactly when guests trying to reach EPCOT for its delayed opening will be on the road.
Here is the full list. Backstage Lane North at the Red Lot Entrance is closed from 3:00 AM to 8:00 AM. Buena Vista Drive East from Osceola Parkway to Cypress Drive is closed 4:00 AM to 8:30 AM. The Buena Vista Drive West Ramp to World Drive South closes 4:00 AM to 8:30 AM. The Crush Lot Exit Bridge to Epcot Center Drive East closes 3:30 AM to 9:45 AM.
Epcot Center Drive West from Bonnet Creek to World Drive closes 4:30 AM to 9:30 AM. The Epcot Center Drive West Ramp to World Drive South closes 3:45 AM to 9:30 AM. Floridian Way South at the Bear Island Road Exit Ramp closes 3:45 AM to 9:30 AM.
Overpass Road West at Bonnet Creek closes 3:00 AM to 10:30 AM. The EPCOT Parking Exit Loops to Epcot Center Drive East close 3:00 AM to 7:30 AM.
The Vista Boulevard Ramp to World Drive South closes 3:45 AM to 9:30 AM. Woodpecker Lane in the Yellow Lot closes 3:00 AM to 10:30 AM. World Drive North Ramp to Buena Vista Drive closes 4:00 AM to 8:30 AM. World Drive South to Buena Vista Drive closes 3:45 AM to 9:30 AM. The World Drive South Ramp to Epcot Center Drive East closes 3:45 AM to 10:15 AM. The World Drive South Flyover Ramp closes 3:45 AM to 9:30 AM.
Disney transportation is not immune to this either. Buses, the monorail, and the Skyliner are all expected to run 30 to 60 minutes behind their normal morning schedules. If you are relying on Disney transit to get to EPCOT, factor that in before you decide when to leave.
What a Delayed Opening Actually Does to the Park
The hidden consequence of a delayed park opening is not that you lose an hour. It is that everyone loses the same hour, all at once, and then tries to recover it simultaneously.
On a normal EPCOT morning, guests trickle in from 8:30 AM onward. Early Entry visitors spread out across the park. By the time the 9:00 AM general opening hits, there is already a dispersed crowd and the first wave of ride-goers has had a 30-minute head start. Wait times build gradually.
Today, none of that happens. When EPCOT opens at 10:00 AM, every guest arrives at the same moment. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind will have a line before the park finishes its opening sequence. Frozen Ever After, Remy's Ratatouille Adventure, and Test Track will follow within minutes. The gradual build is gone. The rope drop window is gone.
Lightning Lane is genuinely worth it today if you have not already booked selections. Prioritize the headliners early and do not wait to see how crowds develop before making decisions, because by the time you can see how crowds are developing it will already be too late to get ahead of them.
The EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival is running all month and is one of the better reasons to be at this park right now regardless of the day. The outdoor kitchen booths, the character topiaries, and the general atmosphere around World Showcase are all at their best during festival season, and a day that leans into that rather than fighting wait times is usually the more enjoyable one.
If you are already at the resort and figuring out your morning in real time, this is the page to bookmark. We will keep it updated as the race wraps up and conditions on the ground change. And if someone in your group is still convinced the park opens at 9, show them this before anyone ends up in a parking structure at 8:45 with nowhere to go.
