Magic Kingdom Park is usually recognized by Walt Disney World Resort Guests as staying open later than any of its other Theme Park siblings. While its fireworks show, “Disney Enchantment,” may appear to be a “Goodnight Kiss,” the party tends to go on from Main Street, U.S.A., to Space Mountain long after Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and EPCOT have all closed for the day (and in most cases, in the order they were just listed).
But today, January 31, is an extremely rare exception, and the Magic Kingdom will be the first Disney World Prak to close its doors to Guests with no fireworks show offered.
According to the Disney World website, Magic Kingdom will close to Guests at 4:30 pm today, with early Theme Park entry still available for Resort Guests and a brief Park Hopping window still available after 2 pm. The “Disney Enchantment” fireworks are also canceled–most likely due to the fact the closure is occurring well before sunset.
Individual fans reported that the Magic Kingdom is closing due to another closed Cast Member event, most likely intended to celebrate work anniversaries in bulk and give Magic Makers their own special time to enjoy the Parks for themselves. But a Disney World Cast Member told us that the Magic Kingdom has actually been rented by some third-party event.
Either way, it should also be noted that today’s early closure has been on the Theme Parks schedule for quite a while. We at Disney Fanatic initially warned our readers of this early closure back in November. Click the link below to read our original coverage.
Read More: Walt Disney World Theme Park Set to Close Earlier Next Year
Last April, Disney Fanatic reported that an exclusive event called “EARidescent Evenings” was held in honor of the Most Magical Place On Earth’s 50th Anniversary Celebration. But this was an after-hours event. Today, Cast Members won’t apparently need to wait until the normal closure to have their fun.
This is not the first time Disney World has closed this early to give its Cast Members exclusive time in the Theme Parks. Magic Kingdom closed at this same time last May for a special Cast Member celebration, where the Magic Makers were treated to a special firework show that featured elements of “Wishes” and “Happily Ever After.”
Perhaps the most interesting or most disappointing part of this news is the Theme Park Ticket prices. Despite closing its most popular Theme Park hours early, Walt Disney World still has its Standard Theme Park Ticket listed well above the starting price for today.
While Magic Kingdom is closing at 4:30 pm today, both EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios are still open until 9 pm tonight, and the EPCOT monorail will continue to take Guests to and from the Magic Kingdom Parking Lot at the Transportation and Ticket Center until then. Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be open until 6 pm, and Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park is also open for normal operating hours today.
We at Disney Fanatic will continue to update our readers on Disney Parks news and stories as more developments come to light.
