December 2026 Extended Evening Hours at Disney World

The December 2026 Extended Evening Hours schedule is now available for guests staying at deluxe and deluxe villa resorts. Like last month, December’s extended evening hours are offered at Epcot on Monday evenings and at Disney’s Animal Kingdom on Wednesdays.

This is pretty typical for this time of year, with seasonal parties offered on select evenings at both Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. If history holds, we’ll see this special offering shift back to Magic Kingdom on Wednesday evenings after the first of the year.

For reference, this benefit lets guests of select resorts experience the parks for a couple of hours after regular closing time on select evenings. To be eligible, you must stay at a deluxe or deluxe villa resort. To learn more, see our list of resorts eligible for extended evening hours. Or you can browse all the perks of staying at a Disney Resort Hotel.

As of the time of publication, Extended Evening Hours will be held on the following evenings in December: (As noted below, Disney will likely extend some park hours between now and your visit.)

Wednesday, December 2nd at Disney’s Animal Kingdom (6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.)
Monday, December 7th at Epcot (9:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.)
Wednesday, December 9th at Disney’s Animal Kingdom (6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.)
Monday, December 14th at Epcot (9:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.)
Wednesday, December 16th at Disney’s Animal Kingdom (6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.)
Monday, December 21st at Epcot (9:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.)
Wednesday, December 23rd at Disney’s Animal Kingdom (6:00 to 8:00 p.m.)
Monday, December 28th at Epcot (9:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.)
Wednesday, December 30th at Disney’s Animal Kingdom (6:00 to 8:00 p.m.)

Disney notes that applicable theme parks, days, and times of operation, attractions, and service availability may vary and are subject to change without notice.

*Please note that Disney could extend park hours between now and your visit. We recommend double-checking park hours on the day of your visit to ensure accuracy. You can view these hours in the My Disney Experience app. Here are the steps:

Open the My Disney Experience App.
Select the 3-line icon in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
Scroll down to the section titled Plan My Visit.
Select Park Hours and Info.

(We use this feature every time we visit the parks to double-check operating hours.) The calendar below highlights the dates.

December 2026 Extended Evening Hours Calendar for Disney World

As always, those eligible for Extended Evening Hours will likely want to pair these evenings with a partial resort day, a slower morning, or a midday break. Guests with a park hopper ticket entitlement can start the day in one park and then hop to that park later. That said, if you don’t have a park hopper ticket and are eligible for this benefit, you’ll need to plan your day at the park offering Extended Evening Hours. If you don’t want to spend the entire day in the park, you can always leave and return later.

We try to take advantage of this benefit whenever we’re eligible. Extended Evening Hours often mean lighter crowds and shorter waits for most attractions. December is somewhat busy, depending on when you visit. You can expect cooler temperatures. To learn more about visiting this time of year, see our guide to Disney World in December.

One bonus this month: the holiday version of the Tree of Life Reflection Show will be offered each night at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. It’s a simple projection show that’s displayed on the Tree of Life. Since the park isn’t always open after dark, not everyone gets a chance to see it. We include it in our Christmas at Disney’s Animal Kingdom guide. You might also enjoy our entire overview of spending Christmas at Disney World.

For the previous month’s schedule, see November Extended Evening Hours. We’ll post January’s schedule when it becomes available. If you haven’t decided when to visit, see our overview of the best and worst months to visit Disney World. If you’re new to planning or need a refresher, you might also like our guide: How to Plan a Disney World Vacation. Check back with Resorts Gal soon for more updates.