Disney World extends mid-November hours at Magic Kingdom and more

Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios added hours for Nov. 15, 16 and 21. Plus, Astro Orbiter is closing for a short refurbishment in January 2027.

Good news if your Disney World trip lands in the middle of November: you’ve got some extra park time.

Walt Disney World extended hours at Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios for a handful of mid-November days, BlogMickey and WDW News Today reported Friday, Oct. 30. EPCOT’s hours didn’t change.

And there’s one closure to know about for early 2027. Astro Orbiter, the rocket ride above Tomorrowland, will close for a short refurbishment in January.

Here’s a full ride on Astro Orbiter from DocumentDisney:

What are Magic Kingdom’s new hours in November 2026?

Magic Kingdom picked up time on three days:

• Sunday, Nov. 15: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The park now opens an hour earlier, at 8 a.m. instead of 9, and Early Entry starts at 7:30 a.m. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party takes over at 7 p.m., and BlogMickey says that party night is sold out.

• Monday, Nov. 16: 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., an hour later than before.

• Saturday, Nov. 21: 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., also an hour later.

“Magic Kingdom will open one hour earlier on Sunday, November 15,” WDW News Today wrote.

What are Animal Kingdom’s and Hollywood Studios’ new hours?

Animal Kingdom is staying open later on two days:

• Sunday, Nov. 15: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. The park still opens an hour later than usual that day, but it now closes at 8 p.m. instead of 6 p.m. That’s two extra hours.

• Saturday, Nov. 21: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., an hour later than its old 6 p.m. close.

Hollywood Studios opens earlier on one day:

• Saturday, Nov. 21: 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., 30 minutes earlier than before. Early Entry starts at 8 a.m. The park closes at 7 p.m. that night ahead of Disney Jollywood Nights.

Early Entry for Disney World hotel guests always starts half an hour before regular opening, WDW News Today noted.

These dates land right as Disney World’s holiday season gets going. The official season runs Nov. 13, 2026, to Jan. 6, 2027.

Disney often adds hours as a date gets closer, so it’s worth checking the My Disney Experience app again the week before your trip.

When is Astro Orbiter closing?

Astro Orbiter will be closed Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2027, through Thursday, Jan. 7, 2027, and it’s expected back Friday, Jan. 8, 2027, according to Disney’s refurbishment calendar and the My Disney Experience app, BlogMickey and WDW News Today reported.

That’s just three days. Disney hasn’t said what the work is. WDW News Today guessed it’s probably general maintenance.

If Astro Orbiter is on your must-do list for early January, plan around those dates.

Didn’t Astro Orbiter just get a big refurbishment?

Yes. Astro Orbiter closed in January 2025 and was taken apart, removed from Tomorrowland and rebuilt over nearly six months. It reopened June 27, 2025, WDW News Today reported.

The biggest visible change was the elevator shaft. “The previously orange elevator shaft was painted silver-gray,” WDW News Today wrote at the time. Otherwise, the ride looked and worked about the same as before.

What is Astro Orbiter?

It’s Magic Kingdom’s spinning rocket ride, perched high above the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover in Tomorrowland, about 50 feet in the air, according to TouringPlans. You take one of two small elevators up to the loading platform. TouringPlans says they “look like they were built from an Erector Set.” From there, you fly your own rocket around a tower of colorful planets.

The front rider controls how high the rocket goes. There are 12 rockets, each on a 20-foot arm. The ride spins about 11 times a minute, and it lasts about a minute and a half, according to TouringPlans.

There’s no height requirement, so it’s a good pick for little ones who aren’t ready for bigger coasters. Riders in wheelchairs need to transfer to the ride vehicle.

The ride opened as Star Jets on Nov. 28, 1974. It closed in January 1994 and reopened as Astro Orbiter on April 30, 1994, as part of the New Tomorrowland makeover.

Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.

Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

Hat Tips:

• BlogMickey (Oct. 30, 2026), the new hours and Astro Orbiter dates

• WDW News Today (Oct. 30, 2026; June 27, 2025), the hours, closure and 2025 rebuild

• TouringPlans, Astro Orbiter details

• DocumentDisney on YouTube, the ride video

AI Disclosure: All articles are assigned, edited and reviewed by an experienced human editor before posting. Like most modern newsrooms, WebReef Media uses a variety of AI tools to help with accuracy and efficiency. Ways AI may be used in article creation include research, grammar, fact-checking and ideation, as well as occasional AI generated or enhanced thumbnails or graphics. No articles are generated or posted without human oversight or involvement.