Saint Patricks Day at Disney

Spending any day at the Walt Disney World Resort is a treat but imagine spending a holiday there Disney goes above and beyond to make guests who are spending holidays in Central Florida feel extra special by hosting special events around the parks and at Downtown Disney and with special theme park hours as well. And while St. Patrick’s Day may not be on the same level as Thanksgiving or Christmas, the Walt Disney World Resort does have some special plans up its sleeves for anyone who wants to feel the luck of the Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, which is Monday, March 17, 2008.

Although St. Patrick’s Day may be on a Monday, it will surely be an extra-busy day at all of the theme parks across town since it is in the midst of Spring Break season as well. But while you may run into slighty larger than normal crowds, you should also know that Disney has extended their theme park hours on this day to accommodate everyone! The Magic Kingdom Park will be open from 8 a.m.-11 p.m., with the Wishes fireworks spectacular at 10 p.m. and two SpectroMagic parades at 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. Epcot will have their same hours, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. with Illuminations: Refelctions of Earth at closing, while Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be open from 9 a.m.-10 p.m. with showings of Fantasmic! at both 8:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. Finally, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park will be open from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m., and any guest staying at a Walt Disney World Resort can enjoy Extra Magic Evening Hours at this park after it closes (or you can hit up Disney’s Hollywood Studios an extra hour early in the morning!).

If the theme parks are in your St. Patrick’s Day plans, it will probably be a good idea for your family to plan your day wisely to ensure that you get the most out of your day. One way to do that is by purchasing a park hopper ticket, which will allow you to hop back and forth from one theme park to the next all in the same day! The park hopper ticket is a little more expensive than a regular base ticket, which will get you into one park only per day, but that is where DWTickets.com comes in! We offer deeply discounted Disney World tickets (along with tickets to Universal, Sea World and other attractions in the area) for you and and your family, so don’t wait until you get to the parks to get your tickets – click here to get them now! We also offer delivery or pick-up options, so you can even have your tickets in hand by the time you arrive in Florida on vacation!

Once you have your tickets in hand, it is time to discover what all Disney has to offer on St. Patrick’s Day. While you can find special things going on inside the parks, Downtown Disney Pleasure Island will be the hub of activities on and around St. Patrick’s Day. On March 14, 15 and 17, 2008, Downtown Disney Pleasure Island will be hosting a special St. Patrick’s Day extravaganza from 7 p.m.-2 a.m. each evening. In addition to all of the fun going on inside the clubs, there will be live music, stilt walkers, leprechauns and more roaming around Downtown Disney Pleasure Island. And, as always, the common area, where all of this activity will be going on, is free to everyone of all ages, although you do have to pay one flat admission for access into the clubs and bars at Downtown Disney Pleasure Island.

Downtown Disney Pleasure Island may also be the place to be in all of Central Florida on St. Patrick’s Day itself, as the Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant will be hosting their biggest and best holiday bash ever! This Irish pub is the newest addition to the scene at Downtown Disney Pleasure Island, and it is truly as close to the real thing as it comes. This year’s St. Patrick’s Day festivities include the U2 tribute band ‘U2 Elevation’ (back by popular demand), Tuskar Rock, which will be playing sets all day, friendly competitions, giveaways and lots of green clothing (including kilts)! All of the mayhem starts at 11 a.m. Sunday, March 16 and doesn’t end until 2 a.m. on Tuesday, March 18! While there is usually no cover charge for this establishment, there will be one on these dates. For reservations to the Ragland Road Irish Pub and Restaurant, call (407) WDW-DINE.May the luck of the Irish be with you!