Epcot’s hours are usually pretty simple. They have an opening time where guests are able to come and enjoy the park and a closing time where everyone packs up and leaves. But Epcot has been growing bigger and bigger over the years and they have found ways to extend their hours. Whether it’s through Disney’s after hours parties, Extra Magic Hours, or other events the Epcot’s hours are almost always in flux. Let’s take a look at all of the different park operations times that Epcot has to offer!

Epcot typically opens at 9 AM and closes at 9 PM (sometimes 10 PM)

Extra Magic Hours at Epcot are typically held Tuesday evenings for two hours after the park closes and Thursday mornings for one hour before the park opens.

The World Showcase does not open until 11 PM

Not all rides are open throughout the day

Epcot’s nighttime show typically starts at 9 PM

Be sure to use the My Disney Experience app to see all of the Epcot hours information

That is the short and sweet of it. Of course, there is a lot more that goes into it like how you gain access to Extra Magic Hours and how you can stay at Epcot after it closes. Now let’s go a bit more in depth.

NOTICE: DISNEY PARKS TEMPORARILY CLOSED The Walt Disney World parks are temporarily closed indefinitely.

Typical Epcot Hours

Epcot’s typical hours of operation are between 9 AM to 9 PM. The park does stay open until 10 PM on certain days as well. Of course, times do vary depending on if any events are being held. You can view Disney’s official hours for all of their theme parks including Epcot here.

Extra Magic Hours at Epcot

The other Disney parks have ticketed events like their after hours parties where guests can stay at their favorite theme parks extra late. But Epcot has yet to roll out such an event. But don’t worry because there are ways that you can experience Epcot with lower crowd levels. Disney offers what they call Extra Magic Hours that let guests enter the parks before they are officially open.

Extra Magic Hours at Epcot are typically held Tuesday evenings for two hours after the park closes and Thursday mornings for one hour before the park opens.

The main benefit of Extra Magic Hours is that you will be able to experience all the park offerings, well most of them at least, with far fewer people around. So how do you get access to these Extra Magic Hours?

In order to attend the Extra Magic Hour events, you must stay at one of Disney’s hotels. Some partner hotels also offer Extra Magic Hours to their guests too. This makes the event more exclusive and is an extra perk to staying on property at Disney World.

With lower crowd levels directly affect the wait times for rides. You will be able to hop on your favorite rides with a much lower wait time compared to regular hours. So attending the Extra Magic Hours event may be what you are looking for if you want to hit up some rides that typically have longer waits like Frozen Ever After or Test Track.

Visiting Epcot Without Extra Magic Hours

Spaceship Earth

If you aren’t planning on staying on property at Disney World then, unfortunately, there isn’t an option for you to visit Epcot and take advantage of their Extra Magic Hour offerings. But that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to go and have fun! Epcot is one of the more relaxing parks at Walt Disney World and they typically have a lower crowd than the other parks. Especially if there are no festivals, particularly food and wine, going on. So you will still be able to go and enjoy the park and if you managed to snag a fast pass for Test Track or Frozen Ever After then it will be smooth sailing.

Understanding Ride Hours

Not every ride may be open during your visit to the park. Some rides tend to close a bit early like Journey Into Imagination with Figment. And the truth is that there really isn’t any way to know which attractions will be open throughout the day.

The best way to find out if the attraction you want to visit will be open is to open the My Disney Experience app on your phone or tablet and see what the hours are. It even lets you know if any attraction is currently closed for maintenance and if it will be back up and running later. This app is a must have if you are visiting any Disney theme park and it will make your whole trip much easier to plan.

I mean, you don’t want to plan a visit to Epcot only to find that the one attraction that you wanted to visit is closed.

What Time Does The World Showcase Open?

World Showcase

The World Showcase at Epcot typically doesn’t open until 11 AM. I know what you may be thinking. But what about the Frozen Ever After ride located in the Norway Pavilion? Well, the good news is that the ride and the Anna & Elsa meet and greet opens as normal with the rest of Epcot.

Just don’t go in thinking you’re going to be eating breakfast in Canada or Mexico. Although you can get some delicious baked goods at Les Halles, the bakery in the France pavilion.

So be sure to hit as many rides as you can before the World Showcase opens and then you can refuel on some delicious cuisine from around the world.

Epcot Rope Drop

If you are visiting Epcot on a normal day without any Extra Magic Hours, it’s important to know some of the basics of rope drop. Epcot opens at 9 AM so you will need to be at your hotel’s bus stop by 8 AM if you want to be there when the park opens. This gives you plenty of time to arrive and should get you into the park and through security by 8:45 AM.

Epcot’s Firework Hours

So, Epcot’s current firework show is currently Epcot Forever. This nighttime show currently starts at 9 PM. Disney is actually changing this show however, to a new show called HarmonioUS. There is no current news on when that show will start, but I would assume that it would take place around the same time.

The park tends to close right after the nighttime show at Epcot. So you may need to decide if you rather take advantage of the low wait times during the show and hop on a few rides before the park closes.

What Time Does Epcot Open?

As I mentioned, Epcot opens at 9 AM on regular days. But just because Epcot opens at 9 AM doesn’t mean you should show up at 9 AM. In fact, we recommend getting there earlier in order to get to the rides that normally have a higher wait time. If you want to get on rides like Frozen Ever After or Test Track without waiting THREE HOURS then you may want to consider a rope drop strategy. Check back on our site soon for our rope drop strategy.

Epcot Shows

Epcot is not only home to many excellent rides it is also home to a lot of great shows as well. You got fan-favorite shows like the American Adventure. This show is excellent and you don’t want to miss it. The thing is that you can’t just walk up and take a seat whenever. This show has set schedules and you will need to be aware of them before heading in. As I’ve mentioned multiple times, use the My Disney Experience app for the most accurate showtimes.

How to Stay Late At Epcot

Epcot Ball

Just because the park is closed, doesn’t mean that you have to leave right away. In fact, a lot of rides will allow you to hop in line right at closing time. I wouldn’t necessarily plan on it being a sure thing or anything, but I have hopped on Test Track when the park was technically closed and by the time I got off the park was a ghost town. It really all depends on the ride operators and when they decide to cut the lines off.

Another tip is to skip on all of your merchandise shopping during the day time and shop at night. Some of the stores like Mouse Gears stay open well past the Epcot’s closing time. So take advantage and hop on all of your favorite rides during the day and shop at night when the park is closing. This way you can move through all of the stores without bumping into people since most of the park will be empty.

Epcot After Hour Events

Unlike the other parks at Walt Disney World, Epcot does not currently offer any ticketed after hour events. They do, however, have the Frozen Ever After Dessert Party. Included in that package is a special viewing area for the nighttime show and a plate of desserts. It also includes a ride on Frozen Ever after the park closes, which is pretty sweet. (See what I did there?)

Epcot Hours Conclusion

So there you have it. As you can see, Epcot’s hours are a bit more complicated than you may have originally thought. Remember not all of the rides and attractions may be open on your trip so be sure to check the My Disney Experience app. The best way to make sure that you are going to be able to do all of the things you want to at Epcot is to use the app. It is a lifesaver and will give you all of the latest updates on wait times, park hours, and ride closures. It really is the only reliable way to check the park hours.