There have been a LOT of changes since Walt Disney World’s four theme parks reopened last month.
Crowd levels have changed, menus have changed, what restaurants are open has changed, and last week, Disney announced that the theme park hours would be reduced starting September 8th.
But that left us with one HUGE question: How would the new theme park hours affect dining reservations?
In case you missed it, Disney announced that it would have shortened theme park hours beginning September 8th. Magic Kingdom will be open from 9AM to 6PM; EPCOT will be open from 11AM to 7PM; Hollywood Studios will be open from 10AM to 7PM; and Animal Kingdom will be open from 9AM to 5PM.
As it turns out, though, some restaurants around Disney World will STAY OPEN past park closing time, despite the shortened park hours. So if you have a Be Our Guest dinner at 6:30 this fall, you may be in luck!
We chatted with a cast member on the Disney World website who said that Tiffins at Animal Kingdom and Le Cellier at EPCOT will have adjusted park hours, while 50’s Prime Time Cafe at Hollywood Studios and Be Our Guest Restaurant at Magic Kingdom will not. However, the language is a little confusing here. In short, it means that Be Our Guest Restaurant and 50’s Prime Time will stay open past the set hours.
As you can see, we ARE seeing open reservations at Magic Kingdom in September for after 6PM, like this one for 6:45PM at Be Our Guest!
At this time, the restaurants that will be open after the adjusted park closures will include:
Magic Kingdom
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
It’s important to keep checking the My Disney Experience app for adjusted park hours and any changes that may occur to your dining reservations. And restaurant hours and park hours can always change with little notice, so it’s doubly important to pay attention!
If you have questions about whether your dining reservation is affected, be sure to contact Disney for confirmation.
And as things keep changing at Disney World, you know we’ll keep you filled in, so stay tuned to DFB as well!
Have a dining reservation that’s affected by the new hours? You NEED to read this!
Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!
Don't Miss Out on Any Disney Fun!
Order Your Copy of the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today!
With more than 900 pages, the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining is full of tips and planning tools developed by Disney World experts over 30+ years of visits. We've done the research for you, so you'll know just which spots will uniquely suit your family's needs!
With mini-reviews of every single restaurant, bar, lounge, kiosk and more; an entire chapter on the best snacks in Disney World; full Disney Dining Plan analysis (and how to get FREE dining); and a full chapter on discounts and deals; you'll have everything you need to plan your best vacation yet.
Click here to order your copy of the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2023 to save 25% off the cover price today!
Use code WDW2023 at check-out for 25% off the cover price today!
Our guides are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose. 🙂
Do you have a dining reservation outside of park hours in September? Let us know your experience in the comments.
TRENDING NOW

There's a strange UPDATE about the Star Wars hotel in Disney World. If you were...

Today we're going over some harsh truths you'll need to come to terms with and...

Critical information has been shared about the TRON ride, we've got an announcement about a...

You might recognize these characters!

One Disney attraction might be seeing a BIG change soon!

Takumi-Tei is hosting an exclusive event in EPCOT this month that food connoisseurs might want...

There is something CONFUSING going on in the Disney parks right now but we're going...

Don't make this mistake when planning your 2023 Disney trip.

When it comes to visiting Disney World, planning ahead might be the best advice we...

We've got a big update on Disney World's Reedy Creek Improvement District!

What's new in Hollywood Studios you ask? New meet and greets, merchandise, and more!

We headed over to Beaches and Cream to try their new Valentine's Day milkshake!

Here are all the menu updates that happened at Disney World restaurants this week.

Check out ALL of the latest updates from Disneyland Resort!

See the NEW Disney100 nail polishes at Ulta!

We're trying the prettiest Valentine's Day treat yet!

Here are the dining package details for the Garden Rocks concert series at the EPCOT...

We found an incredible cake in Disney World and we're sharing all the details right...

Don't make this mistake when planning your 2023 Disney trip!

If you're going to be at a Disney park soon, make sure you check out...
Will you have to leave the park and come back for the dining reservation, or will they let you just stay in the park?
When dinning after hours or in another resort will transportation be running back to the resorts even though the parks are closed ?
I’m happy to hear that some restaurants will be open later, but what about transportation? I am staying on property but not with a car. Thanks in advance 😊
Jennifer, Disney typically runs buses for an hour after Park closing, so you should be fine. I would think with restaurants open late, they’ll be prepared for that.
Andrea, we would expect so, yes.
Angela, you’ll likely be able to stay. If we find out, we will report!
Prior to Covid, as long as they knew guests were still in the park they’d keep a CM at the resort buses. I love getting the last reservation of the night. I’ve even had reservations at Sci-Fi Dine-In that were after park closing time before. There is nothing cooler than getting to walk through a completely empty park at night. Especially Hollywood Studios with all the neon. We’d get out to the buses & they’d ask which resort we were staying at & we’d get our own bus “home.”