I am glad it worked for you. However, it is NOT working for everyone yet it is the only option.
Even though it worked for me, I can see why others might not be so excited. We had got to enjoy a late evening meal at the Satu'li Canteen and then hop in line for FoL one more time. But for this option to work for you, you must be interested in the food, beverages, theming and/or the two rides in Pandora. If you don't want to do those things, then you're no better off than if the park was just closed. As for keeping all of AK open that late, I'll say that it seemed pretty empty at night in late June, even the second showing of Rivers of Light was 60% empty. Expedition Everest at 9:00pm was a 5 minute wait (almost a walk-on). Not sure the shops and restaurants would be profitable.
The way I looked at it, these extra hours are because Pandora is only a few months old and it gives an alternate option for experiencing that area to on-site guests. Other than that, I wouldn't count it as a substitute for other EMH or longer park hours in general.
Seems beyond stupid to go to the trouble of having it, only to not use it when needed.
When I was a cast member, knowledgeable guests would often call us stupid (or express other displeasure) for various things when they knew better than we did. Sometimes, they were right... and there are things that are stupid and inefficient. (I'll be the first to admit things aren't always perfect in any operation, but guests judged us -- both CMs and our leaders -- very harshly for various perceived slights or imperfections.) Sometimes there was a good reason that was not obvious to a guest observer, and it's not always everyone's business as to why it was the case.
I find it amazing that even with the constant increase in prices, crowds continue to climb. Maybe Disney needs to jack rates by 100% and see what sort of impact that has on crowds. I suspect not much.
During the Eisner days, Disney realized that tickets were underpriced relative to demand. These days, it's kind of hard to use the word "underpriced" when talking about $100+ entry fees, but I think you're right. There are even people on these boards who have expressed interest in paying even higher prices not to deal with as much crowds.
I don't think maybe people have done this before. The 10pm to 12am time on non extra magic hours was "magical" You could basically walk on any ride. Even with rope drop you can't do that.
Totally agree. Most people have left the park, and the hearty ones who remain have full run of the park. It's a catch-22. Most of your guests are gone and are not benefiting from the empty rides, and only a few people actually get to enjoy.
