The four theme parks and two water parks at Walt Disney World all open at different times. Plus, opening times can change throughout the year and even be different depending on the day of the week. To view park hours for your trip, check the Disney World website or My Disney Experience app.
In general, Animal Kingdom is usually the first park to open at 8 a.m. and the other theme parks closely follow. The water parks and Disney Springs open later in the day, typically around 10 a.m. (check Disney Springs hours here).
Note that if you are staying at a Disney hotel or one of the select area hotels (view the list), you can enter the theme parks 30 minutes early. It’s a great perk that can help you avoid some of the long wait times. If you qualify, you’ll want to arrive at least 30 minutes before the early entry time. Disney sometimes opens the parks and rides extra early, so you don’t want to miss this opportunity!
TipS
- Shortest wait times are usually in the morning when the parks open, so it pays to get up early.
- You can drink coffee and eat breakfast while you wait in line for the parks to officially open (plan to pack food).
- You can buy coffee at the Magic Kingdom Ticket and Transportation Center (on the walkway to the ferry) and in Animal Kingdom’s entrance plaza.
- Disney buses and friendship boats typically aren’t running early enough to get a prime spot in line before the parks open. Use Lyft or Uber, or stay at a hotel that is in walking distance of Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, EPCOT or the Skyliner.
- Allow extra time to get to Magic Kingdom — it takes longer than you might expect, especially if you aren’t staying at a Disney hotel (you’ll have to take the monorail or a ferry boat to reach the theme park after you arrive).
Disney World for Adults 