On October 9, Four Seasons Resort Orlando starts taking Thanksgiving-to-go orders. That's about seven weeks before the holiday itself on November 26. The resort's haunted speakeasy doesn't take walk-ins. Magic Kingdom ends regular admission at 6 p.m. on more than half the nights in October. Most of what happens around Golden Oak between now and New Year's runs on a date that comes well before the event, and October is when those dates pile up.
Sixteen October Nights End Early Inside Magic Kingdom
Disney's 2026 calendar for Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party has 16 nights in October, out of 31. On party nights, regular Magic Kingdom admission closes at 6 p.m. The separately ticketed party runs from 7 p.m. to midnight, and party guests can get in as early as 4 p.m.
Tonight, October 4, is one of them. The rest of the month's party nights are:
- This week: Tuesday, October 6; Thursday, October 8; Friday, October 9
- Mid-month: October 13, 15, 16 and 18
- Late month: October 22, 23, 25, 27 and 29
- Halloween: Saturday, October 31
That's 14 more evenings this month when Magic Kingdom is a 6 p.m. park for anyone without a party ticket. October also has quiet stretches. October 10 through 12 has no party nights, and neither does October 19 through 21.
The early closings move to Christmas next. Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party has 12 nights in November, starting November 8, and 13 in December, ending December 22. From early August to just before Christmas, a big share of Magic Kingdom evenings belongs to ticketed events.
Epilogue's Haunted Library Has a Hard Deadline
The best-dated Halloween event just outside the Golden Oak gates is at the Four Seasons. Epilogue is the resort's adults-only speakeasy, and normally it has a quiet art-deco library theme. Through October 31 it becomes Epilogue: The Hidden Chapter, decorated as an old Florida library that has supposedly been closed for decades. Expect cobwebs, moss, candlelit antique books, and velvet and brass.
The pop-up runs Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, with seatings starting at 6 p.m. Tickets are $85 a person, include two custom cocktails, and must be bought ahead through OpenTable. The resort says walk-ins are not accepted and space is limited. Counting from today, there are 12 Thursday-through-Saturday nights left, and the last one is Halloween night.
The seasonal menu comes from the resort's mixology team, led by Jaclyn Keogh, and several drinks draw on Florida stories:
- Ulele, named for a figure in Florida folklore: Hendrick's Oasium Gin, spirulina, Luxardo Herbal Liqueur, lemon and Ambrose mead
- The Painted Lady, inspired by the May-Stringer House in Brooksville: sake, Lillet Blanc, almond elixir, Moody Bitters and palo santo
The 6 p.m. seating start matches the 6 p.m. Magic Kingdom close on party nights. On October 8, 9, 16, 23 and 31, a quieter evening at the Four Seasons lines up with an early-closing evening at the park down the road.
Thanksgiving Is an October Decision
The Four Seasons published its 2026 Thanksgiving plans on September 8, and most of the deadlines that matter come before November.
| What | When | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Thanksgiving-to-go orders | Orders taken October 9 to November 20 | $440 serves up to five; $650 serves up to eight |
| Holiday pies from Lickety Split | Orders open October 25 | Not listed |
| Lickety Split seasonal treats | November 3 to 27 | Not listed |
| Character breakfast at Ravello | Thanksgiving, 7 to 11 a.m. | $64 adult, $44 child |
| Plancha Thanksgiving buffet | Thanksgiving, noon to 7 p.m. | $150 adult, $58 child |
| Ravello Thanksgiving buffet | Thanksgiving, 1 to 8 p.m. | $170 adult, $58 child |
The two buffets cater to different tastes. Ravello's includes a sushi and raw bar, turkey, and roast New York strip. Plancha leans South American, with turkey alongside Brazilian-style picanha, chimichurri, farofa and plantains. Both restaurants are also on the current Michelin list. The 2026 Michelin Guide Florida selection came out May 28 and names Capa Steakhouse & Bar and Ravello among Orlando's Recommended restaurants.
For a lakeside dinner on any other night, The Lakehouse is the former PB&G, renamed in October 2025. Chef Jonathan Grossman's seafood-forward menu includes Citrus Lobster Salad, Key Lime Scallop Ceviche and Crispy Conch Fritters.
Thanksgiving Week Falls Between Two EPCOT Festivals
Disney's festival calendar leaves a gap that lands right on Thanksgiving week. Here's how the dates line up:
- November 8: Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party begins at Magic Kingdom.
- November 21: The 2026 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival ends. It opened August 27.
- November 24 and 25: Christmas party nights at Magic Kingdom.
- November 26: Thanksgiving. The Four Seasons buffets and character breakfast take place this day, and there's no Magic Kingdom party.
- November 27: The EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays opens and runs through December 30. It's also a Christmas party night.
From November 22 through Thanksgiving Day, EPCOT has no festival running at all. Four Christmas party nights fall within a week of the holiday. For a household hosting visitors that week, the EPCOT gap and the November 24, 25 and 27 party nights matter more for planning than any single event does.
December Is Still Mostly Unannounced
Unlike Thanksgiving, December hasn't been scheduled yet. The Four Seasons' festive page lists "2026 Events and Experiences To Be Confirmed." It promises Christmas and New Year's dining at Ravello and Capa and resort-wide New Year's celebrations, but gives no 2026 dates, menus or prices. Disney Springs is in the same position. As of today, its Christmas Tree Stroll page and holiday overview both say the 2025 season has ended and point visitors to check back for 2026 details.
Golden Oak's own Summerhouse calendar is mostly private. The Golden Oak Club's public page lists Bolton's, Markham's and Tyler's Coffee Bar among the clubhouse amenities. It describes member events as year-round food, drink and holiday programming, but it doesn't publish dates.
Some changes at Disney Springs are already set:
- Hallmark holiday pop-up: Hallmark announced a store opening in early October 2026 with movie-inspired products, ornaments, cards and Disney-themed gifts. WDW News Today reported it would go into the former Francesca's storefront near Frontera Cocina in Town Center.
- Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill: Its last day at Disney Springs was September 13, 2026, and no replacement had been announced when the closure was reported.
- Vuori: Work was underway in the former Shore location as of early September.
- Marketplace Co-Op: All store areas reopened September 23 after new flooring was finished.
The Drive to the Grand Floridian Has Changed
Many of the season's dinner reservations near Magic Kingdom are at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. Victoria & Albert's there holds one Michelin star in the 2026 Florida guide, and Citricos, also at the Grand Floridian, is on the Recommended list. Getting there now involves a construction zone.
On August 10, traffic moved onto a newly built section of Floridian Way between the Magic Kingdom parking lot and the Grand Floridian entrance. For now, drivers use the finished southbound side while crews build the northbound lanes. Two of the project's three planned roundabouts are built, including a new one outside the Grand Floridian. The third will go in near the Magic Kingdom parking lot. Temporary connector roads keep the Grand Floridian, its Wedding Pavilion, and Island Tower at Disney's Polynesian Village Resort open.
The Polynesian has a bigger change. The intersection of Seven Seas Drive and Floridian Way is permanently closed. Seven Seas Drive now ends at the Polynesian's main entrance, so drivers reach the resort from World Drive North. The full World Drive North Phase III project is expected to be finished in late 2027. That means this holiday season, and probably next year's, will run with lane shifts and temporary connectors between Magic Kingdom and the resorts on its southern side.
Golden Oak's calendar works the same way for resort buyers as for residents. At Suzanne and Chad Team, we follow these dates closely because they affect how a home here gets used, rented and enjoyed. If you're weighing a Golden Oak purchase and want to know what the place is like in a real season, from the party-night closings to the holiday booking windows, reach out and Start Your Home Search with us.
