Back in May, after a month of “Extra Magic Hours” testing in April, Disneyland Park began trialling a new opening hours system based entirely on the amount of visiting guests. For weekends and busy holidays, extra hours are added. For slow weekdays, an hour is taken off, balancing out the hours. The trend continued throughout June and July, before making its mark on Autumn and Halloween hours. Now, it seems Christmas Season – a season now considered more important than Summer for the resort – is finally getting a taste of the changes.

Park hours are now available right up to the end of the season on 7th January 2007, and, whilst 18 days between November 6th and January 7th will see Disneyland Park open beyond 8pm, it should be noted that on 33 days the park will close one hour earlier than normal at 7pm. Still, for anyone vising at weekends or during the incredibly busy Christmas holidays, an extra one to two hours of park time to enjoy the magic lights of Christmas is sure to be a pleasant surprise.

Here are the hours in full:

from November 6th to December 1st, 2006:
10.00 – 19.00 from Monday to Friday
9.00 – 20.00 on Saturday and Sunday

from December 2nd to 7th, 2006:
10.00 – 19.00 from Monday to Friday
9.00 – 20.00 on Saturday
9.00 – 21.00 on Sunday

on December 8th, 2006:
10.00 – 20.00

from December 9th to 21st, 2006:
10.00 – 19.00 from Monday to Friday
9.00 – 20.00 on Saturday
9.00 – 21.00 on Sunday

on December 22nd, 2006:
10.00 – 20.00

from December 23rd to 30th, 2006:
9.00 – 22.00 daily

on December 31st, 2006:
9.00 – 1.00

from January 1st to 6th, 2007:
9.00 – 22.00 daily

on January 7th, 2007:
9.00 – 20.00

Unsurprisingly, the closing time for Walt Disney Studios Park remains permanently stuck at 6pm.

It seems likely that, on the days Disneyland Park closes later than 8pm, Disney’s Fantillusion will be shifted to a later timeslot to make sure guests stay in the park. The Enchanted Fairytale Ceremony will likely retain its usual dusk timeslot, the perfect time to light up the park, so the only question remaining is whether, like the late opening nights in May, June, July and September, some special fireworks will add an extra fiery sparkle to those cold Winter nights…