Disney's Hollywood Studios Closing Early in October 2026 for Private Park Buyout

Disney's Hollywood Studios will close early on October 20 2016, cutting park hours short due to a private event taking over the park that evening. The Gartner IT Symposium | Xpo conference has bought out Hollywood Studios for its attendees from 8pm to 11pm, and regular guests won't have access after 5:00pm.

Photo: WDWMAGICDisney's Hollywood Studios overview

Typical October hours at Disney's Hollywood Studios run 9:00am to 9:00pm, so this is a four-hour cut to the normal schedule.

If you want a full day at Hollywood Studios, this isn't the date for it. Consider swapping your touring plan to a different park, or visit Hollywood Studios on a different day of your trip when the park runs its regular hours. If you are just planning on hitting a few rides, early close days can offer shorter waits as the park is often less crowded due to guests choosing other parks to use their ticket.

Hours for the Other Parks on October 20 2026

The rest of Walt Disney World runs on typical schedules that day. Here's the full lineup:

Magic Kingdom

• Hours: 9:00am to 10:00pm
• Early Entry: 8:30am to 9:00am

Animal Kingdom

• Hours: 8:00am to 6:00pm
• Early Entry: 7:30am to 8:00am
• Extended Evening: 6:00pm to 8:00pm

EPCOT

• Hours: 9:00am to 9:00pm
• Early Entry: 8:30am to 9:00am

Blizzard Beach

• Hours: 10:00am to 5:00pm

Typhoon Lagoon

• Closed

Plan Around the Closure

With Hollywood Studios closing four hours early, you have a few solid options for the rest of your day. Animal Kingdom offers Extended Evening hours until 8:00pm for deluxe resort guests, and Magic Kingdom stays open until 10:00pm. Both give you more time to fill out your evening if Hollywood Studios was on your original itinerary.

If you already have a Hollywood Studios visit planned for October 20, get there for Early Entry at 8:30am to make the most of your shortened day.

Photo: WDWMAGICDisney's Hollywood Studios overview