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ALERT: This New Disney World Update Will Affect Your Magic Kingdom Day

A grand castle stands against a blue sky, surrounded by white clouds. Colorful fireworks burst in the background. In front of the castle, costumed characters gather on the stage, with tall green trees visible on the sides.
Credit: Disney

Walt Disney World has updated the hours of its most popular theme park.

A close-up of the iconic Sword in the Stone with Cinderella Castle in the background

Credit: Only the Chosen, Flickr

Related: Disney Drops Surprise Update on 2026 Disneyland Expansion

Following the recent announcement regarding the new Disney Starlight nighttime parade, Disney World has officially extended Magic Kingdom’s park hours. Beginning July 20, Magic Kingdom will close at 11 p.m., giving guests more time to spend inside the park. These extended hours will last at least through August 2, though they could be extended again.

Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away is Disney World’s newest nighttime parade. When it opens on July 20, it will be the Magic Kingdom’s first daily operational nighttime parade since the Main Street Electrical Parade ended its run in 2016.

Guests can expect to see all kinds of classic Disney movies come to life in Disney Starlight, including Moana, Peter Pan, and Frozen, among others.

Two pieces of concept art for the “Disney Starlight” parade featuring characters from 'Encanto,' 'Pinocchio,' and 'Peter Pan.'

Credit: Disney

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Given Magic Kingdom’s size, guests need all the time they can get inside the park if they wish to do everything there is to do, see, ride, and explore. The park is split into several distinct areas, with Fantasyland and Tomorrowland being some of the most popular. Here, visitors can find fan-favorite rides like Space Mountain, “it’s a small world,” and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.

Guests will find classics like Pirates of the Caribbean and Jungle Cruise at Adventureland. Liberty Square is home to The Hall of Presidents and Haunted Mansion, two historic and legendary pieces of the Magic Kingdom.

Frontierland offers several thrill rides, including Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.

Main Street, U.S.A. is the first land guests see as they enter Magic Kingdom. While there aren’t any attractions here, at least not in the traditional sense, Main Street, U.S.A. is still a fantastic area to explore.

Guest can also do some serious shopping and dining during their day at Magic Kingdom, though these locations usually close earlier than the park’s collection of rides and attractions. As such, guests should be prepared for places like Casey’s Corner, Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe, and Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn & Cafe to shut down long before Magic Kingdom’s new 11 p.m. closing time.

Tom Sawyer Island, along with the Liberty Square Riverboat and Rivers of America, will close permanently in July, as Disney prepares to begin working on Magic Kingdom’s new Cars-inspired area, Piston Peak. This means guests only have a few weeks left with these iconic parts of the park.

Do you enjoy visiting the Magic Kingdom?

About Luke Dammann

When at Disney world, Luke will probably be found eating with his favorite animatronic, Sonny Eclipse at Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe. When not at Disney World, Luke will probably be found defending Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe to people who claim "there are better restaurants"

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