December is one of the busiest times of the year to visit Disney World, but it’s also one of the most festive and fun times to visit the parks! The holiday decorations, treats, and merchandise are around every corner, but so can those massive holiday crowds.

The holidays (and holiday crowds) have arrived in Disney World

If you’re heading to the parks next week, then you’ll want to make sure you’ve reviewed the latest park hours and Park Pass Reservation updates so you can stay in-the-know on how busy the parks may get!

Disney World Park Hours the Week of December 5th

Magic Kingdom will be open 9AM-8PM on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, 9AM-9PM Monday and Wednesday, and 9AM-10PM on Saturday. Disney Very Merriest After Hours will take place from 9PM-1AM on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Magic Kingdom will remain open for two additional hours for guests staying at Deluxe and Deluxe Villa Resorts on Wednesday, December 8th.

Magic Kingdom park hours the week of December 5th © Disney

EPCOT will be open from 10AM-10PM Sunday, Monday, Friday, and Saturday, and from 11AM-10PM Tuesday through Thursday next week. The park will remain open for two additional hours for guests staying at Deluxe and Deluxe Villa Resorts on Monday, December 6th. The EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays continues next week, with festival hours being the same as that day’s park hours.

EPCOT park hours the week of December 5th © Disney

Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be open daily next week from 9AM-9PM.

Hollywood Studios park hours the week of December 5th © Disney

Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be open 9AM-8PM on Sunday, 8AM-8PM on Monday and Saturday, and 8AM-7PM Tuesday through Friday.

Animal Kingdom park hours the week of December 5th © Disney

If you want to make the most of your time in the parks, be sure to take advantage of Early Theme Park Access, available to all guests staying on Disney World property every morning thirty minutes prior to the park’s posted opening time.

Click here to check out our reviews of this year’s holiday treats in Disney World

Current Disney Park Pass Reservation Availability the Week of December 5th

Select Resort Hotels

As of this writing, next week appears to be pretty wide open for Park Pass Reservation availability! For guests staying at Select Resort Hotels, the week of December 5th is currently fully available at all four parks.

Park Pass Reservation availability for guests staying at Select Resort Hotels the week of December 5th as of December 3rd © Disney

Theme Park Tickets

The same goes for guests with Theme Park Tickets, who as of this writing have full Park Pass Reservation availability at all four parks each day next week.

Park Pass Reservation availability for guests with Theme Park Tickets the week of December 5th as of December 3rd © Disney

Annual Passholders

Annual Passholders do not have full Park Pass availability next week, though their schedule looks to be decently available as of this writing. As you can see, the only date with limited reservation availability is Saturday, December 11th. All of the other dates are fully available as of this writing.

Park Pass Reservation availability for Annual Passholders the week of December 5th as of December 3rd at all theme parks © Disney

Magic Kingdom is fully booked on December 11th as of this writing.

Park Pass Reservation availability for Annual Passholders the week of December 5th as of December 3rd at Magic Kingdom © Disney

It looks like crowds will really start ramping up after the upcoming week. So next week may be the BEST time to visit Disney World this month if you are looking to avoid those dreaded holiday crowds. 

No matter when you are planning on visiting the parks, be sure to double check Park Pass Reservation availability to make sure you can get into the park you wish to see that day! Reservation availability can change constantly, so it’s important to be keeping an eye on the calendar for the latest updates. Be sure to follow along ahead of your next Disney World vacation so you’re up-to-date on all of the latest news and announcements!

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