Early Entry Guide for On-Site Walt Disney World Resort Guests
Disney Park Magic Hours: Guests staying at on-site Walt Disney World resorts and select nearby hotels enjoy the perk of Early Theme Park Entry, offering exclusive morning access to Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. This guide covers eligibility, ride options, how Early Entry works, and tips for maximizing the extra morning time at each park. (Updated September 24, 2024)
Early Entry Basics
Early Entry has replaced morning Extra Magic Hours, but there are key differences between these on-site guest benefits. Unlike Extra Magic Hours, which were offered only on select days at specific parks, Early Entry is available daily at all four parks. This regular schedule is a clear advantage, as it helps spread out the crowds.
Extra Magic Hours provided an hour of early access each day, whereas Early Entry typically offers 30 minutes each morning. This shorter duration can be a drawback at Magic Kingdom and EPCOT but is more nuanced at Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. We’ll explain how this plays out in those parks in our strategy tips.
Seasonal Park Hours & Early Entry Timing
Walt Disney World frequently adjusts park hours based on season and attendance forecasts, with recent trends moving opening times earlier. Animal Kingdom generally opens at 8:00 a.m., while Hollywood Studios and EPCOT typically open at 8:30 or 9:00 a.m., with 9:00 a.m. being most common except on peak days. This shift benefits Early Entry, making parks less crowded during this window.
Magic Kingdom Hours During Party Season
Magic Kingdom’s schedule varies significantly from August through December due to special events like Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. On party days, Magic Kingdom may open at 8:00 a.m. but reverts to a 9:00 a.m. opening in the off-season. This variation can impact Early Entry availability and crowd levels, so plan accordingly for the best experience.
Even outside of Party Season, Magic Kingdom occasionally opens at 8 a.m. on select dates, particularly during peak seasons or on days designated for Magic Kingdom After Hours. As we’ll explore, there is a significant difference between Early Entry on days when the park opens at 8 a.m. versus 9 a.m.
First, let’s examine which hotels are eligible for Early Theme Park Entry at Walt Disney World:
Early Entry Eligible Disney Hotels
Here’s a rewritten version of the list of Disney resorts:
- Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort
- Disney’s All-Star Music Resort
- Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort
- Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
- Disney’s Pop Century Resort
- Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
- Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
- Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
- Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort & Gran Destino Tower
- Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter
- Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
- Disney’s Beach Club Resort
- Disney’s BoardWalk Inn
- Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
- Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
- Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
Early Entry Eligible Disney Vacation Club Resorts:
- Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
- Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Island Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo House
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village
- Disney’s Beach Club Villas
- Disney’s BoardWalk Villas
- Disney’s Old Key West Resort
- Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
- Disney’s Riviera Resort
- Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
- Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Early Entry Eligible Third-Party Hotels
- Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel
- Walt Disney World Swan Hotel
- Walt Disney World Swan Reserve
- Four Seasons Resort Orlando
- Shades of Green at Walt Disney World Resort
- B Resort & Spa Lake Buena Vista
- DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Orlando
- Drury Plaza Hotel Orlando Lake Buena Vista
- Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace
- Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista
- Holiday Inn Orlando
- Wyndham Garden Lake Buena Vista
- Wyndham Lake Buena Vista
- Signia by Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek
- Waldorf Astoria Orlando
To qualify for Early Entry, third-party hotels must establish agreements with Walt Disney World, which likely includes significant payments to Disney for the privilege. Last year, there were discussions about some of these hotels potentially discontinuing their Early Entry status in early 2024. Fortunately, all of them have successfully renewed their contracts with Disney, ensuring their eligibility throughout 2024.
Keep in mind how the Early Entry agreements operate; for those planning for 2025, some hotels on this list may not continue to participate. If Early Entry is a critical factor in your hotel decision for 2025, consider waiting before making a reservation or opt for a refundable booking. (Note: All Disney-owned hotels will provide Early Entry in 2025.)
Early Theme Park Entry Rides – Magic Kingdom
- “it’s a small world”
- Astro Orbiter
- Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant
- Mad Tea Party
- Mickey’s PhilharMagic
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Prince Charming Regal Carrousel
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
- Space Mountain
- The Barnstormer
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Tomorrowland Speedway
- Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover
- Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid
- Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress
Early Theme Park Entry Rides – EPCOT
- Frozen Ever After
- Mission: SPACE
- Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
- Soarin’ Around the World
- Spaceship Earth
- Test Track (closed until mid-2025)
- The Seas with Nemo & Friends
Early Theme Park Entry Rides – Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Alien Swirling Saucers
- Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
- Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
- Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
- Slinky Dog Dash
- Star Tours — The Adventures Continue
- Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
- The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
- Toy Story Mania!
Early Theme Park Entry Rides – Disney’s Animal Kingdom
- Avatar Flight of Passage
- DINOSAUR
- Expedition Everest — Legend of the Forbidden Mountain
- It’s Tough to be a Bug!
- Na’vi River Journey
- TriceraTop Spin
As you can see, not all attractions at Walt Disney World are available during Early Theme Park Entry. With a few exceptions, this list mirrors the offerings from the former morning Extra Magic Hours, with only specific areas of each park open in the morning.
Please note that the Early Theme Park Entry schedule and available attractions can change at any time without prior notice. The applicable theme parks, operational days and times, as well as attraction and service availability, may vary and are subject to change without warning. Capacity limits and cancellation policies apply. [Additional standard disclaimers may be included here.]
Valid theme park admission along with a MagicBand, Key to the World Card, or Disney MagicMobile pass is required for Early Theme Park Entry. Guests who do not have the Park Hopper or Park Hopper Plus options must remain in the same park for the duration of the day to enjoy this benefit.
The process is similar to the previous morning Extra Magic Hours. Eligible guests will have their MagicBands or park tickets scanned at the turnstiles or at a designated ‘checkpoint’ within the park, allowing them access to deeper areas while off-site guests wait for the regular rope drop.
Early Theme Park Entry Strategy
We recommend arriving at least 30 minutes before Early Theme Park Entry begins, which means getting there an hour prior to the official park opening time. This advice isn’t new; we suggest the same for regular days and encourage off-site guests to arrive early as well. In fact, it’s wise to plan for even earlier arrival, particularly given the unpredictability of Walt Disney World’s transportation system.
Those 30 minutes can pass quickly, and being towards the front of the line at the start of Early Theme Park Entry will give you a better chance to enjoy more than one attraction. It’s also worth noting that parks, especially Disney’s Hollywood Studios, often begin Early Entry a bit ahead of the scheduled time, so being there early could pay off!
Please keep in mind that some of our recommendations are influenced by whether you plan to purchase the Lightning Lane Multi-Pass (LLMP) or Single Pass (LLSP) for each park. For detailed information, check out our Guide to Lightning Lanes at Walt Disney World.
Generally, we advise opting for the Lightning Lane Multi-Pass (LLMP) at Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios for most visitors on most days. Both parks feature numerous popular rides that tend to have long wait times, making LLMP a valuable investment. On average, guests can enjoy 4-6 significant attractions in Disney’s Hollywood Studios and 6-8 in Magic Kingdom with LLMP, although this can vary based on crowd levels and our effective refresh strategy.
Conversely, we typically do not recommend purchasing Lightning Lane Multi-Pass for EPCOT or Animal Kingdom. We also suggest avoiding the Lightning Lane Single Pass (LLSP), as a well-thought-out strategy can effectively minimize wait times for attractions in those parks. Consequently, we emphasize taking advantage of LLSP rides during Early Entry for optimal efficiency.
Let’s dive into the Magic Kingdom strategy, where Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and TRON Lightcycle Run offer paid Lightning Lane Single Pass access. As noted in the ride list above, TRON Lightcycle Run is currently not available for Early Entry and likely won’t open until late 2024 or early 2025.
This change follows TRON Lightcycle Run’s transition from a virtual queue to a standby line in Fall 2024. While the situation is still evolving, we tentatively recommend that Early Entry guests tackle Space Mountain first, then rush to TRON Lightcycle Run ahead of the rope drop crowd. However, the evening hours are often a better time to enjoy TRON. Check out our Ride Guide for TRON Lightcycle Run for tips on how to experience the attraction without paying.
Magic Kingdom offers more strategic options for Early Entry than any other park. Our top tip is to consider skipping Seven Dwarfs Mine Train—think outside the box, as this ride tends to attract large crowds first thing in the morning and is also subject to delays. Instead, focus on knocking out shorter rides to maximize your time.
To optimize your experience, check out our Best Early Entry Morning at Magic Kingdom Plan and Lightning Lane Comparison, which offer the best strategies for navigating Tomorrowland and Fantasyland. This guide provides a step-by-step overview of the first two hours at Magic Kingdom, detailing my experience starting in Tomorrowland while Sarah began in Fantasyland. It highlights our achievements, alternative strategies, and compares our day to a typical one using Lightning Lanes.
It’s important to note that the ideal Early Entry strategy at Magic Kingdom does NOT include the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (SDMT) when the park opens at 9 a.m. We discuss the reasons for this in more detail later in this post, and we strongly recommend following our advice. If you’re determined to tackle the SDMT Shuffle, check out our Magic Kingdom Early Entry Strategy Starting at Seven Dwarfs Mine Train for guidance.
However, if the park opens at 8 a.m., the strategy shifts, making Seven Dwarfs Mine Train a great choice for your first ride. The 7:30 a.m. Early Entry at Magic Kingdom is a game changer (refer to that link for detailed strategy), especially on Halloween or Christmas Party days. Very few guests are motivated enough to leave their hotel by 6:30 a.m., which is roughly the time needed to reach Magic Kingdom in time for Early Entry.
At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance stands out as the Lightning Lane Single Pass attraction. As the most popular ride at Walt Disney World, it now offers standby access, making it the top pick for Early Theme Park Entry at this park.
However, since it’s the obvious choice, expect to encounter plenty of fellow guests heading in that direction. Its popularity and lengthy ride duration may raise some concerns about whether it’s truly the best option. Additionally, the attraction often experiences downtime in the mornings or may open later than expected, turning it into a bit of a gamble.
During several Early Entry visits at DHS, we’ve successfully enjoyed both Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Slinky Dog Dash. Starting your day by exploring Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and Toy Story Land can be a far more rewarding experience than heading to Sunset Boulevard or Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway.
For detailed advice on navigating Disney’s Hollywood Studios, be sure to check out the guide on Early Entry at Disney’s Hollywood Studios Strategy & Park Opening Plan. If you’re going to read just one step-by-step strategy guide, make it that one! There are numerous nuances to managing Early Entry and rope drop at DHS, and this guide can help you save four or more hours during your visit!
EPCOT features two of the three newest attractions at Walt Disney World: Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure. Currently, however, only Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure is available during Early Theme Park Entry. Located at the back of World Showcase, it may not be the most convenient choice unless you’re arriving via the International Gateway.
If you’re coming from the Crescent Lake or Skyliner Resorts and entering through International Gateway, starting with Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure is highly recommended. Be sure to arrive more than 30 minutes before Early Entry begins. For a complete morning itinerary from the back of the park, check out our EPCOT Early Entry Itinerary: International Gateway with Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure.
We anticipate that EPCOT’s Early Entry strategy will evolve again, especially when Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind likely transitions from a virtual queue to join the Early Entry lineup in 2025. When this happens, focusing on the front of the park will become the more advantageous option for Early Entry at EPCOT.
For now, guests entering EPCOT from the front should focus on either Frozen Ever After or Soarin’, depending on your priorities and whether you’re planning to purchase Lightning Lanes. Keep in mind that if you choose to ride Frozen Ever After, you likely won’t have enough time for a second attraction. It’s not a groundbreaking strategy, but navigating EPCOT can be challenging.
The situation is even trickier for Early Entry with Test Track currently closed. We recently evaluated the value of Early Entry and found ourselves asking: Is it worth waking up for Early Entry at EPCOT with Test Track closed until 2025? The answer is uncertain; you may want to rethink your strategy and consider arriving slightly later (but still during Early Entry) if you’re entering through the front entrance.
At Animal Kingdom, the best strategy for Early Entry is to head straight for Avatar Flight of Passage. Regardless of your Lightning Lane plans, this is the most effective approach.
Most popular attractions in Animal Kingdom are either lengthy or spread out across the park, making it nearly impossible to experience two major rides during Early Theme Park Entry. Therefore, your best bet is to sprint to Avatar Flight of Passage first, and then consider riding Na’vi River Journey as the park opens to off-site guests, provided the wait time is manageable.
For those looking to maximize their time, our Early Entry & Park Opening at Animal Kingdom: Speed Running Ride Strategy offers a comprehensive guide to tackling every ride in the park before 10:30 a.m. This plan is ideal for guests with Park Hopper tickets or anyone wanting to enjoy a more relaxed afternoon at Animal Kingdom.
In summary, that’s all you need to know about Early Theme Park Entry at Walt Disney World. We’ll be updating this strategy guide regularly over the coming months.
Look for our next update after the TRON Lightcycle Run transitions to standby mode, as well as when crowd dynamics and park hours shift, which will affect Early Entry strategies. Stay tuned for more planning insights and Early Entry photo reports from our experiences with this exciting benefit for on-site hotel guests!
Planning a Trip to Walt Disney World?
Explore our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page for hotel options. Check out our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews for dining recommendations. To save on tickets or figure out which type to purchase, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post offers clever packing suggestions, and our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help you plan what to do and when. For comprehensive planning advice, start with our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need!
YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you think about Early Theme Park Entry at Walt Disney World? Are you excited to take advantage of this new perk for on-site guests, or do you find the timeframe too brief to be useful? Are you disappointed with the eligibility criteria or the list of available attractions? We’d love to hear your thoughts, whether you agree or disagree with our perspective. Your feedback is valuable not only to us but also to fellow readers, so please share your insights in the comments below!
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Disney Park Magic Hours?
Disney Park Magic Hours allow guests staying at select Disney Resort hotels to enjoy extra time in the parks before they open to the general public or after they close. This exclusive perk provides additional opportunities to experience attractions with shorter wait times.
How do I know if my hotel qualifies for Magic Hours?
You can find a list of eligible hotels on the official Walt Disney World website. Generally, guests at Disney-owned hotels, as well as some nearby partner hotels, qualify for Magic Hours. Be sure to confirm your hotel’s status when planning your visit.
How can I take full advantage of Magic Hours?
To maximize your experience during Magic Hours, arrive early and head directly to popular attractions. Prioritize rides that typically have long wait times later in the day, and use the extra time to enjoy less crowded areas of the park. Planning your day in advance can help you make the most of this special time.
Are all attractions available during Magic Hours?
Not all attractions are open during Magic Hours. A specific list of available rides and experiences is provided by Disney, which may vary by park and day. Be sure to check this list ahead of time to plan your itinerary effectively.
Can I use Genie+ during Magic Hours?
Yes, you can use Genie+ during Magic Hours if you have purchased it for that day. This service allows you to reserve access to select attractions, helping you save even more time. Be sure to secure your Genie+ reservations early in the day to maximize your experience.
conclusion
Disney Park Magic Hours provide a fantastic opportunity for guests to enhance their experience at the Happiest Place on Earth. By taking advantage of this exclusive perk, you can enjoy shorter wait times and access to popular attractions, making your visit even more magical. To make the most of your extra time, plan your itinerary in advance, prioritize high-demand rides, and stay informed about available attractions during Magic Hours. Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a seasoned Disney fan, utilizing Magic Hours can elevate your park experience and create lasting memories. So gear up, arrive early, and get ready to explore all the wonders Disney parks have to offer!
