Amazed and Disappointed

[grahampb]

We have been going to Disney on a regular basis now for over 10 years and I am totally staggered by the closing times of MK in July. I was certain they would change the hours and close at 12/1.00am or even 2.00am as they have in previous years, but I have never known such a consistent period of 10.00pm closing as is posted for this July. It just does not make sense, all the prices are sky high and they shut MK at 10.00pm in July!! And they compensate us by opening 2 rides at AK instead.

Very disappointed.

 

[back2disney]

Also peak pricing for MK tickets thru the 22nd. Go figure.

 

[rteetz]

Disney wants the focus on Pandora for the summer not MK.

 

[Shanti]

We have been going to Disney on a regular basis now for over 10 years and I am totally staggered by the closing times of MK in July. I was certain they would change the hours and close at 12/1.00am or even 2.00am as they have in previous years, but I have never known such a consistent period of 10.00pm closing as is posted for this July. It just does not make sense, all the prices are sky high and they shut MK at 10.00pm in July!! And they compensate us by opening 2 rides at AK instead.

Very disappointed.

Agreed. They've been gradually shortening operating hours, EMH and pool hours over the past several years. Saves them money.

 

[mom2rtk]

Also peak pricing for MK tickets thru the 22nd. Go figure.

That's a really good point.

Very disappointing.

 

[Babsy]

Try going near Christmas when the MK closes at 6:00 pm many nights and they charge you extra to go in the evening (called MVMCP).

 

[Westcoastwild]

I don't think it's that big of deal if you rope drop. It was open until midnight one day I was there, and I was pretty exhausted the next day. The only thing I really liked was the fact the heat is much more tolerable after dark. I would be fine if they switched open hours to graveyard. 1-3 pm is brutal time to be in the parks.

I think the 10pm closing time is so that they can run extra magic hours only until midnight, which would make sense to me. Closing the park at 2 am and reopening it at 9 can't be much fun for staff.

 

[Shanti]

Try going near Christmas when the MK closes at 6:00 pm many nights and they charge you extra to go in the evening (called MVMCP).

The trade off there is that party days are less crowded. Also, in December the weather is typically fine. Summer weather is hot & humid, with regular thunderstorms mid-day that can shut down attractions & pools for hours. That's one reason why late nights were especially integral to effective summer touring.

 

[mom2rtk]

I don't think it's that big of deal if you rope drop. It was open until midnight one day I was there, and I was pretty exhausted the next day. The only thing I really liked was the fact the heat is much more tolerable after dark. I would be fine if they switched open hours to graveyard. 1-3 pm is brutal time to be in the parks.

I think the 10pm closing time is so that they can run extra magic hours only until midnight, which would make sense to me. Closing the park at 2 am and reopening it at 9 can't be much fun for staff.

I like to do rope drop, but not everybody does. I'm a morning person, but in the summer even I do the parks later in the day trying to miss the worst of the heat.

 

[Westcoastwild]

I like to do rope drop, but not everybody does. I'm a morning person, but in the summer even I do the parks later in the day trying to miss the worst of the heat.

Right. I don't really like to rope drop. But my point is that they still give customers plenty of opportunity to be in the parks, and at least they still have extra magic hours. Does Universal ever close later than 10?

 

[Praying Colonel]

Right. I don't really like to rope drop. But my point is that they still give customers plenty of opportunity to be in the parks, and at least they still have extra magic hours. Does Universal ever close later than 10?

IMHO it's a sad commentary when the justification essentially is "well, that's the way Universal does it, too." A far cry from "The Disney Difference."

Unfortunately this is the natural progression of WDW's philosophy toward its guests over the past few years. Some smart guy or gal looks at the money they can save and that it's a high-demand time of year where they're going to make $ anyway and they just say they don't have to, so they're not going to.

 

[Farro]

Maybe it's because it's less crowded in July than it used to be.

 

[Westcoastwild]

IMHO it's a sad commentary when the justification essentially is "well, that's the way Universal does it, too." A far cry from "The Disney Difference."

Unfortunately this is the natural progression of WDW's philosophy toward its guests over the past few years. Some smart guy or gal looks at the money they can save and that it's a high-demand time of year where they're going to make $ anyway and they just say they don't have to, so they're not going to.

Well, that's if you believe in the "Disney difference". They're a theme park- they may be a different kind of theme park than Universal, but they're still a theme park. I think it's normal for a theme park to close before midnight. When I stayed for the extra magic hours, it was fairly low crowds, and I don't know if it's worth operating costs for them to keep it open until midnight every night.

 

[CAS239]

Hours are not much different than they were last year. Last July MK frequently closed at 10pm, not midnight or 1 am

 

[CAS239]

Looking back, last July MK was only open 5 days out of the month after 10pm, and that's only due to EMH. Even going back 2 years ago in 2015, 10pm closing was the norm. However in 2015 they had a couple closings at 12 then emh until 2.

I'll agree that I think every park should be open every day of the year until 11pm or 12. But it's not like all of a sudden this year parks are closing early or hours are being cut.

 

[mom2rtk]

Right. I don't really like to rope drop. But my point is that they still give customers plenty of opportunity to be in the parks, and at least they still have extra magic hours. Does Universal ever close later than 10?

I don't know. How does their attendance compare with the MK?

 

[Shanti]

Hours are not much different than they were last year. Last July MK frequently closed at 10pm, not midnight or 1 am

Last year MK usually closed at 11pm. And the year before that MK typically closed at midnight. We were there both summers.

 

[Kaytie]

Maybe it's because it's less crowded in July than it used to be.

Most likely hours are based on projected attendance, which is determined by area room bookings

 

[Westcoastwild]

I don't know. How does their attendance compare with the MK?

I don't know if attendance means much. A lot of the people who go to MK are families with kids and they aren't staying out that late anyway. Extra magic hours seemed to be mostly teens and adults which is what I liked about it.

 

[Westcoastwild]

Last year MK usually closed at 11pm. And the year before that MK typically closed at midnight. We were there both summers.

There were several nights they closed at 10 last summer though. I think, but could be wrong, it was only 11 on weekends.

But bottom line is that they're a business that determines their own hours. 10 PM is pretty much the time that everything except bars closes, so it's not that problematic.