Disney posted this year's New Year's Eve fireworks this morning (Oct 28, 2026), and Disney World's park calendar now runs through Jan 7, 2027, so for the first time you can plan the night with real 2026 times instead of last year's. Here is the schedule, the hours, who's blocked out and how to pick a park, with every source linked.
The 2026 fireworks schedule
| Park | Night | Show and time |
|---|---|---|
| Magic Kingdom | Dec 30 and Dec 31 | Fantasy in the Sky, 6:30 PM and 11:50 PM |
| EPCOT | Dec 31 | Luminous The Symphony of Us, 6:30 PM; Cheers to the New Year: A Sparkling Celebration, 11:54 PM |
| Hollywood Studios | Dec 31 | New Year Countdown Fireworks, 11:57 PM |
| Animal Kingdom | None | No fireworks |
Schedule from WDWMAGIC ↗, published Oct 28, 2026. Showtimes can still change, so check the My Disney Experience app that week.
Park hours on Dec 30 and Dec 31
From Disney's official park calendars, as pulled into our park hours calendar on Oct 28, 2026:
| Park | Wed, Dec 30 | Thu, Dec 31 |
|---|---|---|
| Magic Kingdom | 9 AM – midnight | 9 AM – midnight |
| EPCOT | 9 AM – 9 PM | 9 AM – 1 AM |
| Hollywood Studios | 9 AM – 9 PM | 9 AM – midnight |
| Animal Kingdom | 8 AM – 6 PM (Extended Evening 6 – 8 PM for Deluxe resort guests) | 8 AM – 6 PM |
Disney Resort hotel guests get in 30 minutes early every day: 8:30 AM at Magic Kingdom, EPCOT and Hollywood Studios, 7:30 AM at Animal Kingdom (Disney ↗). Sources: Magic Kingdom ↗, EPCOT ↗, Hollywood Studios ↗, Animal Kingdom ↗ calendars.
Which park should you pick?
- EPCOT for the midnight moment. It's open latest (1 AM) and counts down with its own show at 11:54 PM. One catch: the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays ends Dec 30, so its holiday food booths are gone by New Year's Eve (Whistle While You Work ↗).
- Magic Kingdom on Dec 30 for the castle. Disney runs the same two Fantasy in the Sky shows on Dec 30 and Dec 31. WDWMAGIC's advice: if you want to skip the biggest crowds, the Dec 30 shows are your best option (WDWMAGIC ↗). Do the castle on the 30th, then EPCOT or Hollywood Studios on the 31st.
- Little kids? Take the 6:30 PM shows. Both Magic Kingdom and EPCOT run an early show at 6:30 PM on Dec 31, so you can see fireworks and be back at the hotel before the late-night crowds leave.
- Animal Kingdom as a calm morning. It opens at 8 AM and closes at 6 PM with no countdown. With a Park Hopper you can start there and move on to a fireworks park in the afternoon.
Annual Passholders: most passes are blocked out
Disney's pass calendar blocks every pass except the Incredi Pass at all four parks on New Year's Eve, per Whistle While You Work ↗, which read Disney's blockout data on Sep 22 and Oct 14, 2026:
- Incredi Pass: not blocked (still needs a park reservation)
- Sorcerer Pass: blocked Dec 20 – Jan 1
- Pirate Pass: blocked Dec 19 – Jan 2
- Pixie Dust Pass: blocked Dec 18 – Jan 3
Passholder park reservations are limited and first-come, first-served, and Disney says a pass doesn't guarantee entry even on dates that aren't blocked out (Disney ↗). If you're on a regular ticket and your ticket type needs a reservation, make it now rather than in December: in 2025, Magic Kingdom reservations for some ticket types were gone by late September, according to reporting summarized by Whistle While You Work ↗.
What it costs
New Year's Eve is a regular ticketed day; there's no separate party ticket, and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party's last night is Dec 22. Whistle While You Work recorded Disney's one-day adult prices for Dec 31, 2026 at $184 (Animal Kingdom) to $209 (Magic Kingdom or EPCOT) before tax, or $287 with Park Hopper, as of Oct 14 (Whistle While You Work ↗). Disney uses date-based pricing, so check the current price before you buy.
Want fireworks with dinner? Disney says booking details for The Magic of New Year's Eve at California Grill (Contemporary Resort) come out on Nov 11, 2026; last year it ran $229 to $349 per person (Disney ↗, WDWMAGIC ↗).
Lightning Lane: the 7-day head start matters most this week
Disney Resort hotel guests (plus Swan & Dolphin and Shades of Green) can buy Lightning Lane passes starting 7 days before check-in at 7:00 AM ET, for up to 14 days of their stay. Everyone else can buy 3 days ahead of each park day (Disney ↗). Holiday week is when that head start counts most. Our Lightning Lane page has today's prices and a "when can I book?" calculator.
Staying at Universal instead?
Universal hasn't posted Dec 31, 2026 hours yet; its published calendar runs through Dec 30 (Universal Studios Florida 9 AM – 9 PM; Islands of Adventure and Epic Universe 9 AM – 10 PM that day). Universal's holiday events, including Grinchmas and the holiday parade, run Nov 14, 2026 – Jan 3, 2027 (Universal ↗). Last year the CityWalk countdown was free with no park ticket, from 4 PM to 2 AM with a midnight confetti drop (Universal blog ↗); 2026 details aren't out yet. Volcano Bay is closed until on or before Apr 1, 2027 (details).
A simple New Year's Eve plan for a family
- Dec 30: Magic Kingdom, staying for the 6:30 PM or 11:50 PM Fantasy in the Sky.
- Dec 31 morning: Animal Kingdom from rope drop (Early Entry 7:30 AM for resort guests), back to the hotel for a midday rest.
- Dec 31 evening: EPCOT. Early show at 6:30 PM if the kids are small, or stay for the 11:54 PM countdown and leave after the exit rush.
Check what else is closed that week on our Disney World closures page (Tiana's Bayou Adventure is back Dec 18), and see party and festival dates in the holiday event finder.
Quick answers
What time are the Disney World New Year's Eve fireworks in 2026?
Magic Kingdom shows Fantasy in the Sky at 6:30 PM and 11:50 PM on both Dec 30 and Dec 31. On Dec 31, EPCOT runs Luminous The Symphony of Us at 6:30 PM and Cheers to the New Year: A Sparkling Celebration at 11:54 PM, and Hollywood Studios has New Year Countdown Fireworks at 11:57 PM. Animal Kingdom has no fireworks.
What time does Disney World close on New Year's Eve 2026?
Disney's published hours for Dec 31, 2026 are Magic Kingdom 9 AM to midnight, EPCOT 9 AM to 1 AM, Hollywood Studios 9 AM to midnight and Animal Kingdom 8 AM to 6 PM. Resort guests get in 30 minutes early. Hours can change, so check again the week before.
Which Disney park is best for New Year's Eve?
EPCOT if you want to stay up for midnight with older kids or adults: it stays open latest (1 AM) and has its own countdown show. Magic Kingdom if you want the castle fireworks; it runs the same two shows on Dec 30, so you can see them a night early and spend Dec 31 elsewhere. Animal Kingdom closes at 6 PM and makes a calmer morning park.
Can Annual Passholders go to Disney World on New Year's Eve 2026?
Only Incredi Pass holders, according to Disney's pass blockout calendar as read by Whistle While You Work: Sorcerer Pass is blocked Dec 20 to Jan 1, Pirate Pass Dec 19 to Jan 2 and Pixie Dust Pass Dec 18 to Jan 3, at all four parks. Incredi Pass holders still need a park reservation.
Is Universal Orlando open late on New Year's Eve?
Universal hasn't published its Dec 31, 2026 park hours yet; its calendar currently runs through Dec 30. Last year the CityWalk countdown was free with no park ticket, running 4 PM to 2 AM with a midnight confetti drop, but Universal hasn't announced 2026 details.
Still deciding what to book? See Disney World's 2026 holiday season and what you actually need to book.