EPCOT Shifts Three Marathon Weekend Openings to 10 AM

By · Local mom · Celebration, FL

Published October 31, 2026

Disney has scheduled later openings at EPCOT on three mornings during January 2027’s Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend, according to reports published Saturday, October 31, 2026. As of Saturday, October 31, the reported park hours show a 10:00 AM opening instead of 9:00 AM on the 5K, half marathon and marathon mornings.

Early Theme Park Entry for Disney Resort hotel guests also shifts back an hour, to 9:30 AM, on those three mornings. EPCOT’s closing time remains 9:00 PM, meaning the later starts remove an hour of regular park access without adding time at night.

Marathon Weekend runs January 6–10, 2027. Friday, January 8—the 10K morning—retains an 8:30 AM Early Entry start and a 9:00 AM regular opening, according to the reported schedule.

The Thursday 5K delay is the change from the previous two years. In January 2025 and January 2026, EPCOT’s 10:00 AM openings applied only to the half marathon and marathon mornings.

What we know

What’s not confirmed

Disney has not explained why Thursday has been added to the delayed-opening schedule. The reports do not establish the 2027 race routes or final-finisher times, so the previous year’s race timetable should not be treated as a confirmed forecast for January 2027. Park hours remain subject to change.

What it means for your trip

For an EPCOT rope-drop morning, Friday, January 8 preserves the earlier start; choose that date if an extra morning hour matters more to you than your other scheduling preferences. On the three delayed mornings, build your first-ride plan around 10:00 AM, or 9:30 AM if you qualify for Early Entry—resort eligibility still gives you a 30-minute head start.

Keep EPCOT’s unchanged 9:00 PM closing time in your itinerary: moving breakfast later does not mean you can move the whole park day an hour later without losing time. Allow extra travel time for buses or rideshares on race mornings, including trips to other parks, because road closures can affect travel beyond EPCOT.

Go deeper — the full guides: EPCOT Dec 12–13: Best Time to Ride on a 10/10 Weekend · La Hacienda de San Angel: How to Get a Reservation · Where to Sit at Yorkshire County Fish Shop in EPCOT

SupaPark tracks live wait times and crowd forecasts, and pings you the second a hard-to-get reservation opens or a ride goes walk-on — free to start at supapark.com.

Go deeper: the full guides