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Hollywood Studios Closes at 5pm on Tuesday, October 20, as a Tech Conference Takes Over the Whole Park for the Evening
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Hollywood Studios Closes at 5pm on Tuesday, October 20, as a Tech Conference Takes Over the Whole Park for the Evening

Michael Travels
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If Tuesday, October 20, is your Hollywood Studios day, plan to be out by 5pm. The whole park has been booked for the evening by a tech conference.

Disney's posted park hours for that day, as listed by themeparks.wiki, show Hollywood Studios open to regular guests from 9am to 5pm, with Early Theme Park Entry from 8:30am. The days around it run until 9pm, so the early close costs day guests four hours. From 7pm to 11pm the schedule lists a "Special Ticketed Event."

The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at dusk, its Hollywood Tower Hotel sign lit up and the building washed in purple and blue light against a dark sky

The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Hollywood Studios. Image: Disney

Who has the park

Blog Mickey reported the closure on October 16 and tied it to Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo 2026, a technology conference running October 19 to 22 at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin. Gartner's own conference schedule confirms the private event. A session listing titled "Special Event at Disney's Hollywood Studios® Theme Park!" runs from 8pm to 11pm on Tuesday, October 20, and tells attendees Gartner has "reserved the entire park for you to enjoy entertainment, thrilling rides, and delicious food."

A few details from Gartner's listings:

  • Early access first: buses for "Exclusive Member early access" leave the Gartner hotels between 6:30 and 7:30pm, which fits the 7pm start on Disney's schedule.
  • Main event at 8pm: main-event shuttles run from all Gartner hotels from 7:40 to 8:40pm, or attendees can take the walking path from the conference campus.
  • 21 and over: Gartner says all attendees must be 21 or older and must wear their conference badge and carry a photo ID to get into the park.

This is not the first time. Blog Mickey reported in 2023 that Hollywood Studios closed at 5pm on October 17, 2023, for a Gartner buyout.

The Chinese Theater at Hollywood Studios at night with a castle projected across its facade, searchlight beams crossing the sky and a crowd watching from the street

The Chinese Theater at Hollywood Studios during a nighttime projection show. Image: Disney

What it means for your Tuesday

Morning and early-afternoon plans are untouched: the park keeps its normal 8:30am Early Entry and 9am opening. Anything you had penciled in for the evening needs to move to another day or another park. Blog Mickey says crowds are typically lower on an evening corporate buyout day, so it may be a good day to visit or to combine with park hopping.

Hollywood Studios is back to its 9pm close the next day, Wednesday, October 21.

EPCOT opens late twice that week

Disney's schedule also shows EPCOT opening at 10am, an hour later than usual, on Friday, October 23, and Sunday, October 25, with Early Theme Park Entry from 9:30am. Blog Mickey links the later openings to Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend, and warns that EPCOT tends to get busier on race weekends as runners come in to celebrate.

Would you skip Hollywood Studios on October 20, or take the lighter morning and hop somewhere else by 5pm?

Sources

Image credits: Disney (Tower of Terror, Chinese Theater).

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Hollywood Studios EPCOT Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend

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