Magic of Disney Animation Hours: What Changes September 28

Before you build a Hollywood Studios day around it, check the clock. The Magic of Disney Animation hours are out, and they change significantly two weeks after opening.

For the first stretch, the attraction runs essentially to park close. From September 28 onward, it shifts to 10am–6pm — which means it is shut for the first hour of the park day and closed well before the park is.

That gap matters if you are planning a visit in October or later. Here are the exact hours, what changes, and how to plan around the shorter window.

Quick Summary

• September 14–17 and September 20–27: 9am–9pm
• September 18–19: 8:30am–9pm
• From September 28: 10am–6pm
• The park opens at 9am with Early Entry from 8:30am on most days
• That means the attraction is closed for the first hour of the park day from September 28
• It also closes well before park close

Opening Week Hours

For the first two weeks after opening, the attraction’s hours broadly match park operating hours. That is a signal Disney expects heavy demand early.

• September 14–17 and September 20–27: 9am–9pm
• September 18–19: 8:30am–9pm

The slightly earlier start on September 18 and 19 reflects the park’s own earlier opening on those dates rather than anything special about the attraction.

Twelve-hour operating days for a walk-through experience is generous. Take advantage of it while it lasts.

Hours Shorten From September 28

From September 28 onward — as far as the calendar currently shows — The Magic of Disney Animation shifts to 10am–6pm.

That is a meaningful change, and it creates two specific problems.

You lose the first hour. The park continues to open at 9am, with Early Entry from 8:30am on most days. The attraction does not open until 10am. So the quietest, most valuable stretch of your morning cannot be spent here.

You lose the evening entirely. A 6pm close means anyone planning an after-dinner visit, or saving it for the back half of a long day, is out of luck.

To be fair, this pattern is common. Walk-through and show-based experiences at Walt Disney World often run shorter windows than the park itself once the opening period settles. It is not a sign of anything going wrong.

But it does change how you schedule your day.

How to Plan Around the Shorter Hours

Visiting before September 28? You have the full park day. Do the headliners at rope drop, then come here mid-morning when standby lines everywhere else are peaking.

Visiting September 28 or later? Flip it. Use the 9am hour for Slinky Dog Dash, Rise of the Resistance, or Runaway Railway, then arrive here right at 10am when it opens.

Do not save it for the evening after September 28. The 6pm close will catch people out. If you have one Hollywood Studios day, put this in the middle of it, not at the end.

Build in more time than you think. The building houses Olaf Draws!, Off the Page! character meets, the Once Upon A Studio Theater, Drawn to Wonderland, and an enchanted art gallery. Olaf Draws! is a timed class rather than a walk-through, so it is the piece most likely to add a wait.

One Caveat on These Hours

The 10am–6pm schedule reflects what the calendar currently shows. Disney adjusts operating hours regularly, especially for a new attraction still finding its demand level.

If these hours prove too restrictive during the busy holiday season, extending them would be a normal adjustment rather than a surprise.

Check the My Disney Experience app the week of your trip rather than relying on a schedule published in September for a December visit.

What the 10am Open Actually Costs You

It is worth being specific about why losing that first hour matters more at Hollywood Studios than it would at another park.

The 8:30am to 10am stretch is the single most productive window of a Hollywood Studios day. Standby waits for the headliners are at their lowest, walkways are clear, and you can cover ground that will take three times as long by noon.

From September 28, The Magic of Disney Animation is closed for all of it. That is not a small scheduling quirk — it removes the building from the part of the day when everything else is easiest.

The upside is that it forces a sensible order. Rope drop the rides, then walk into Animation Courtyard at 10am having already banked your hardest attractions. That is a better day than the reverse.

How This Compares to the Rest of the Park

A 10am to 6pm window puts this in line with other non-ride experiences at Hollywood Studios rather than with the attractions. Rides generally run park hours. Shows, walk-throughs, and character experiences frequently do not.

What makes this case unusual is the scale. Five experiences under one roof is a lot of content to fit into an eight-hour window, especially when one of them is a timed drawing class with its own capacity limits.

If you are trying to see everything inside the building in one visit after September 28, give yourself two hours and go early in that window rather than late.

Update: The building soft opened on September 11, three days ahead of schedule. Soft opening hours do not follow the schedule below.

The Bottom Line

The Magic of Disney Animation hours run 9am–9pm through September 27, then drop to 10am–6pm from September 28.

That shorter window is the number to plan around. You lose the first hour of the park day and the entire evening, which pushes this attraction into the middle of your schedule whether you wanted it there or not.

If your trip falls in the opening two weeks, you get the full day and should use it. If you are visiting later, plan to arrive at 10am after a rope-drop run at the headliners, and do not leave this for after dinner.

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Meet the Author: Nate Bishop

I’m a die-hard Disney fan with 38 years of visits under my belt, having stepped into Disney World 120+ times. Proud to be a Disney Annual Passholder, a Vacation Club member since ’92, a Castaway Club Member, and a runDisney enthusiast. Oh, and I’ve graduated from the Disney College of Knowledge. Need Disney insights or planning tips? I’m your guy!