Category — i. Itineraries for Walt Disney World

DISNEY WORLD NEXT WEEK: APRIL 4, 2026 to APRIL 12, 2026

The material below details next week’s Disney World operating hours, parades, early entry, extended evening hours, and fireworks.

OPERATING HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 4/4/26 – 4/12/26

Magic Kingdom will be open from 8a-11p 4/4, 9a-11p 4/5 and 4/6, 8a-11p 4/7 and 4/8, 9a-11p 4/9 and 4/10, 8a-11p 4/11, and 9a-11p 4/12

Epcot will be open from 9a-9p every day

Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be open 8.30a-9.30p 4/4, 9a-9.30p 4/5 through 4/9, 8.30a-9.30p 4/10 and 4/11, and 9a-9.30p 4/12

Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be open from 8a-8p 3/28 through 4/4, and 8a-7p 4/5

EARLY ENTRY AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 4/4/26 – 4/12/26

• Magic Kingdom: every morning
• Epcot: every morning
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios: every morning
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom: every morning

EXTENDED EVENING HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 4/4/26 – 4/12/26

• Epcot: 4/6
• Magic Kingdom: 4/8

PARADES AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 4/4/26 – 4/12/26

• Magic Kingdom’s afternoon parade is scheduled for both noon and 3p 4/4 and 4/5, and for 3p 4/6 through 4/12
• Magic Kingdom’s evening parade will show at 8.30 and 10.30p every night

FIREWORKS AND EVENING SHOWS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 4/4/26 – 4/12/26

• At Magic Kingdom, the evening fireworks show is scheduled at 9.30p every night
• At Epcot, the evening show Luminous shows at 9p every night
• At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Fantasmic will show at 8.30 and 10p 4/4 through 4/12

Follow yourfirstvisit.net on Facebook or Twitter or Pinterest!!

DISNEY WORLD NEXT WEEK: MARCH 28, 2026 to APRIL 5, 2026

The material below details next week’s Disney World operating hours, parades, early entry, extended evening hours, and fireworks.

OPERATING HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 3/28/26 – 4/5/26

Magic Kingdom will be open from 8a-11p 3/28, 9a-11p 3/29, 8a-11p 3/30 through 4/4, and 9a-11p 4/5

Epcot will be open from 9a-9p every day

Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be open 8.30a-9.30p 3/28, 9a-9.30p 3/29 and 3/30, 8.30a-9.30p 3/31 through 4/4, and 9a-9.30p 4/5

Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be open from 8a-8p 3/28 through 4/4, and 8a-7p 4/5

EARLY ENTRY AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 3/28/26 – 4/5/26

• Magic Kingdom: every morning
• Epcot: every morning
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios: every morning
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom: every morning

EXTENDED EVENING HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 3/28/26 – 4/5/26

• Epcot: 3/30
• Magic Kingdom: 4/1

PARADES AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 3/28/26 – 4/5/26

• Magic Kingdom’s afternoon parade is scheduled for both noon and 3p every day
• Magic Kingdom’s evening parade will show at 8.15 and 10.30p 3/28, and 8.30 and 10.30p 3/29 through 4/5

FIREWORKS AND EVENING SHOWS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 3/28/26 – 4/5/26

• At Magic Kingdom, the evening fireworks show is scheduled at 9.30p every night
• At Epcot, the evening show Luminous shows at 9p every night
• At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Fantasmic will show at 8.30 and 10p every night

Follow yourfirstvisit.net on Facebook or Twitter or Pinterest!!

DISNEY WORLD NEXT WEEK: MARCH 21, 2026 to MARCH 29, 2026

The material below details next week’s Disney World operating hours, parades, early entry, extended evening hours, and fireworks.

OPERATING HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 3/21/26 – 3/29/26

Magic Kingdom will be open from 9a-11p 3/21 through 3/26, 8a-11p 3/27 and 3/28, and 9a-11p 3/29

Epcot will be open from 9a-9p every day

Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be open 9a-9.30p 3/21 through 3/27, 8.30a-9.30p 3/28, and 9a-9.30p 3/29

Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be open from 8a-7p 3/21, 8a-8p 3/22, 8a-7p 3/23 through 3/27, and 8a-8p 3/28 and 3/29

EARLY ENTRY AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 3/21/26 – 3/29/26

• Magic Kingdom: every morning
• Epcot: every morning
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios: every morning
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom: every morning

EXTENDED EVENING HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 3/21/26 – 3/29/26

• Epcot: 3/23
• Magic Kingdom: 3/25

PARADES AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 3/21/26 – 3/29/26

• Magic Kingdom’s afternoon parade is scheduled for both noon and 3p every day
• Magic Kingdom’s evening parade will show at 8.15 and 10.30p every night

FIREWORKS AND EVENING SHOWS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 3/21/26 – 3/29/26

• At Magic Kingdom, the evening fireworks show is scheduled at 9.30p every night
• At Epcot, the evening show Luminous shows at 9p every night
• At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Fantasmic will show at 8.30 and 10p 3/21 through 3/28, and 8.30p 3/29

Follow yourfirstvisit.net on Facebook or Twitter or Pinterest!!

DISNEY WORLD NEXT WEEK: MARCH 14, 2026 to MARCH 22, 2026

The material below details next week’s Disney World operating hours, parades, early entry, extended evening hours, and fireworks.

OPERATING HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 3/14/26 – 3/22/26

Magic Kingdom will be open from 9a-11p 3/14, 9a-10p 3/15, and 9a-11p 3/16 through 3/22

Epcot will be open from 9a-9p every day

Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be open 9a-9p 3/14 and 3/15, and 9a-9.30p 3/16 through 3/22

Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be open from 8a-7p 3/14 through 3/21, and 8a-8p 3/22

EARLY ENTRY AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 3/14/26 – 3/22/26

• Magic Kingdom: every morning
• Epcot: every morning
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios: every morning
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom: every morning

EXTENDED EVENING HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 3/14/26 – 3/22/26

• Epcot: 3/16
• Magic Kingdom: 3/18

PARADES AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 3/14/26 – 3/22/26

• Magic Kingdom’s afternoon parade is scheduled for 3p 3/14, and both noon and 3p 3/15 through 3/22
• Magic Kingdom’s evening parade will show at 8.15 and 10.30p 3/14,  8.15p 3/15, and 8.15 and 10.30p 3/16 through 3/22

FIREWORKS AND EVENING SHOWS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 3/14/26 – 3/22/26

• At Magic Kingdom, the evening fireworks show is scheduled at 9.30p every night
• At Epcot, the evening show Luminous shows at 9p every night
• At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Fantasmic will show at 8.30p 3/14 and 3/15, and 8.30 and 10p 3/16 through 3/22

Follow yourfirstvisit.net on Facebook or Twitter or Pinterest!!

UPDATED ITINERARY WITH MULTI PASS AND SINGLE PASS LIGHTNING LANES AT WALT DISNEY WORLD WITH BLUEY BUILT IN

Below is my updated Multi Pass based Disney World itinerary for first time visitors who may never return, updated in February 2026.

This itinerary optimizes Early Entry, Lightning Lane Single Pass, and Lighting Lane Multi Pass strategies to minimize waits and create an overall relaxing Walt Disney World experience.

My itineraries use all the tools available to guests to shorten waits, and thus will only work for those staying in a Disney-owned or other hotel eligible for both Early Entry and for seven days in advance booking of LLSP and LLMP attractions.  That narrows the list to all of the Disney-owned value, moderate, deluxe, and DVC properties, and in addition Shades of Green, the Swan, Swan Reserve, and Dolphin. (For more on these hotels, see this.)

Included are a detailed To-Do List with everything you need to do–especially reservations–when, and detailed daily agendas that cover what to do and see, in order, in each of the parks. See the links below for all of these.

For how and why this itinerary is different than my last one, see the bottom of the page, after the daily links.

For a larger version, click here.

This itinerary won’t work all weeks, and some weeks that it mostly works it may benefit from some little adjustments. Check your week here.

TO-DO LIST FOR THE DISNEY WORLD BLUEY-AWARE MULTI PASS ITINERARY

The To-Do List for this itinerary is here.

DAILY AGENDAS FOR THE DISNEY WORLD BLUEY-AWARE MULTI PASS ITINERARY

Detailed daily agendas are in the links:

• Saturday: Epcot Day 1
• Sunday: Disney’s Hollywood Studios Day 1
• Monday: Epcot Day 2
• Tuesday: Animal Kingdom Day 1
• Wednesday: Magic Kingdom Day 1
• Thursday: Magic Kingdom Day 2
• Friday: Off Day (other than dinner)
• Saturday: Hollywood Studios Day 2
• Sunday: Animal Kingdom Day 2

This itinerary is dedicated to my friend and co-author Josh Humphrey, who died at the age of 36 on March 10th, 2022.

WHY THE ITINERARY CHANGES?

For several reasons, I’ve almost completely revised my recommended itinerary—only the Epcot days are largely unchanged. The new itinerary, for reasons that will become clear, is called the Disney World Bluey-Aware Multi Pass Itinerary.

It is not compatible with my former itinerary, Multi Pass Itinerary with Test Track and Disney Starlight—you need to pick one or the other.

This need to pick between them is most poignant for those who have already made their dining reservations. If you already have Crystal Palace Wednesday evening and Che f Mickey’s Thursday morning, then you need to stick with the “Test Track and Disney Starlight” itinerary.  Those who have not, or not yet, booked dining can switch to the new itinerary immediately.

DISNEY WORLD ITINERARY CHANGES: BLUEY ET AL

The principal motivation for changes in my itinerary was to reflect changes in rides—closing and openings. We’ve lost DINOSAUR, and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster is closed for a re-theme to the Muppets.

Meanwhile, refurbed and new things will be opening over the next few months…

Big Thunder Mountain at Magic Kingdom will be coming out of refurb in early May and I expect the updated version to be a smash hit, one that will need to be carefully managed to avoid long lines. Thus, I’ve added some time for it to the beginning of one of the Magic Kingdom days, and moved Tiana’s Bayou Adventure from another day to the same day part, to cut back on walking.

Rafiki’s Planet Watch at Animal Kingdom is being rethemed to Bluey’s Wild World at Conservation Station and will include appearances by the almost unbelievably popular Bluey and Bingo. Rafiki had been an afterthought in my prior itineraries, but given the wide appeal—including to those much older than toddlers—of Bluey, I’ve put a couple of morning hours for it (once it opens) into an Animal Kingdom day.

Similarly, a swatch of Disney’s Hollywood Studios, formerly holding the near- moribund Star Wars Launch Bay, is being rethemed to a Walt Disney Studios area.  Like Bluey’s Wild World at Animal Kingdom, the bullseye of this section is preschoolers and younger elementary school students, but also like at Animal Kingdom, I except many of the offerings here to be very, very broadly popular. So, I’ve put a couple of hours for Walt Disney Studios into the afternoon of a Hollywood Studios day. Part of this time will go to Rock ‘n’ Roller once it emerges from its re-theming.

DISNEY WORLD ITINERARY CHANGES: FIXING DINING

My recent Magic Kingdom itineraries have had a reserved dinner at Crystal Palace on parade/fireworks nights.

This has always been awkward, as the varying times of the parade and fireworks across the year have sometimes meant too little scheduled evening ride time.

I’ve fixed this by swapping two reserved meals, with brunch at Chef Mickeys now on parade/fireworks nights, and Crystal Palace dinner on nights where that is the last thing the itinerary contains. This creates more efficiency in the itineraries both days.

DISNEY WORLD ITINERARY CHANGES: CREATING AN OFF DAY

The  various Magic Kingdom changes—adding morning time for Big Thunder, creating evening time by changing the day of Crystal Palace, and creating late afternoon time by moving Tiana’s Bayou Adventure to the Big Thunder morning slot—have let me create an off day, when you are (other than dinner) free from the tyranny of schedules.

Ideally this off day would be Thursday, but I have six or seven good reasons for why the flow of parks from Saturday through Thursday is the way that it is, and moreover, having the off day be Friday lets families choose to make it a park day in case crowds or life events meant that they have missed key attractions at a park earlier in their trip, particularly at Magic Kingdom, which otherwise is completed Thursday.

Follow yourfirstvisit.net on Facebook or Twitter or Pinterest!!

(Note: this is from the Disney World Bluey-Aware Multi Pass Itinerary.)

EPCOT DAY 1: FIRST SATURDAY AGENDA

Your plan today is to see Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, and Soarin’ Around the World, and to fit in among these what you can of other parts of Epcot’s World Showcase. You will complete your Epcot visit on another day.

You need to have pre-booked

• A Lightning Lane Single Pass visit to Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind for 6p, and also
• Lightning Lane Multi Pass Tier 1 for Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure at 7p, and also a Multi Pass for Soarin’ Around the World at 8p

You will see the rest of the park–including Epcot’s evening show, Luminous–on Epcot Day 2.

AT THE PARK

Arrive at Epcot as soon as you can, and no later than 6p. If you arrive earlier, see Spaceship Earth.

Then use your 6p Lightning Lane Single Pass to ride Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.

Have dinner at nearby Connections.

Head to France and see Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure using your 7p Lightning Lane Multi Pass.

Explore the pavilions France, UK and Canada as much as you have time for–you’ll have more time for them on Day 2. Save the films in France and Canada for Day 2.

Then be at Soarin Around the World no later than 8:45p, and ride it using your 8p Lightning Lane Multi Pass.

You are almost done for the day, but on your way out of the park, be sure to watch the lights on Spaceship Earth.

Return to your hotel.

PREVIEW OF TOMORROW

You will spending the first of two days at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Your day will start early.

Follow yourfirstvisit.net on Facebook or Twitter or Pinterest!!