Amazed and Disappointed

[MickeyMinnieMom]

It's not. AK closed at 5pm last year in July. In August it was open till 11pm, I agree with that part.

So does that mean now I don't have to be grateful for the AK hours in Aug and have that gratefulness offset my 2.5 hours LESS in MK PER DAY next month??

 

[Pacolovestacos]

So does that mean now I don't have to be grateful for the AK hours in Aug and have that gratefulness offset my 2.5 hours LESS in MK PER DAY next month??

As soon as you admit the link wasn't wrong as you claimed

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

As soon as you admit the link wasn't wrong as you claimed

I didn't expect you to send me a link to JULY times when I am talking about my AUGUST trip last year and this year.

 

[Pacolovestacos]

As much as I would love to not have to deal with huge crowds, i'm not made of money. If Disney substantially increased their ticket prices, we would go somewhere else. I dare say that we would not be the only ones.

Not sure I believe it (not necessarily you in particular, just in general). I've been hearing this EVERY SINGLE YEAR since 2000 about "if prices go up, we will go elsewhere." The numbers don't indicate that is happening. Not even close. As prices go up, crowds go up, lol.

 

[Pacolovestacos]

I didn't expect you to send me a link to JULY times when I am talking about my AUGUST trip last year and this year.

But that's what I've been talking about, July. Today is July 24th so I'm comparing this week to the week a year ago.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

But that's what I've been talking about, July. Today is July 24th so I'm comparing this week to the week a year ago.

My posts have been about AUGUST today. 2.5hrs/day LESS in MK, and LESS AK time than I experienced last August.

Over a time where crowds appear UP per crowd estimates, assuming July trends hold for August.

Would you acknowledge that maybe this sounds a bit much? Like perhaps a bad call on Disney's part?

 

[wdwlver]

Last year when August 1 rolled around park hours increased. Not holding out much hope for that this year but maybe t

My posts have been about AUGUST today. 2.5hrs/day LESS in MK, and LESS AK time than I experienced last August.

Over a time where crowds appear UP per crowd estimates, assuming July trends hold for August.

Would you acknowledge that maybe this sounds a but much? Like perhaps a bad call on Disney's part?

That really is so frustrating. I'm in same boat, DVC here too, booked last September because August hours always worked so well for us.

 

[Pacolovestacos]

My posts have been about AUGUST today. 2.5hrs/day LESS in MK, and LESS AK time than I experienced last August.

Over a time where crowds appear UP per crowd estimates, assuming July trends hold for August.

Would you acknowledge that maybe this sounds a but much? Like perhaps a bad call on Disney's part?

Of course but Disney has been making bad calls for nearly 5 years now. I'm not surprised by anything anymore.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Last year when August 1 rolled around park hours increased. Not holding out much hope for that this year but maybe t


That really is so frustrating. I'm in same boat, DVC here too, booked last September because August hours always worked so well for us.

I would be THRILLED if they fix this obvious error and increase hours Aug 1!! The big hours increase last year took place on Jul 15th, so I have not been holding out too much hope.

Yes -- it is frustrating. Fingers crossed for both of us!!

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Of course but Disney has been making bad calls for nearly 5 years now. I'm not surprised by anything anymore.

Well, this one surprises me. And not much does. About Disney or in life.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

One other thing, @wdwlver... I actually wrote to them (WDW.Guest.Communications@disneyworld.com) somewhat preemptively that we are very disappointed to see the Aug hours... that we booked Aug again this year as DVC based on their track record of increasing hours, that Jul crowds appear up making this of great concerns, etc., etc. You never know... might make a difference if enough of us provide feedback... ... Pollyanna of me, perhaps, but anything feels worth a try!

 

[Monykalyn]

Well let's hope August hours do get extended last minute. Looking at TP crowd levels are predicted to be same as last year yet MK opened at 8 or 9 (regular opening) and closed 11 or 12 (with EMH until 2). OTOH-AK did get an overall increase in hours (maybe not attractions, but hours with the EMH am and PM several days.

 

[Monykalyn]

One other thing, @wdwlver... I actually wrote to them (WDW.Guest.Communications@disneyworld.com) somewhat preemptively that we are very disappointed to see the Aug hours... that we booked Aug again this year as DVC based on their track record of increasing hours, that Jul crowds appear up making this of great concerns, etc., etc. You never know... might make a difference if enough of us provide feedback... ... Pollyanna of me, perhaps, but anything feels worth a try!

Hm I will too. After all-they will not change what they don't know may be broke (less hours) unless enough people actually take action.

 

[wdwlver]

I emailed last week too @Mickey & Minnie Mom!

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

I found this a while back on DIS (can't even recall where -- I just pasted it into a note in case I ever needed it... this is actually the first time I am bothering to write them about ANYTHING!)... does this one include DVC or is there another address?: Karl L. Holz, President New Vacation Operations and Disney Cruise Line

Contact Addresses for WDW Officials

Walt Disney World Guest Relations
P.O. Box 10000
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830

Walt Disney World Guest Communications
PO Box 10040
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830-0040
wdw.guest.communications@disneyworld.com

Robert A. Iger
Chief Executive Officer
The Walt Disney Company
500 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521-4873

Bob Chapek
Chairman
Walt Disney Parks & Resorts
500 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521-4873

Karl L. Holz
President New Vacation Operations and Disney Cruise Line
PO Box 10000
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830

Mr. George Kalogridis
President, Walt Disney World Resort
PO Box 10000
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830-1000

 

[Klayfish]

how do you figure that. its 2 hours actually as most nights were 12am. And what parks are open later? Animal kingdom open a bit later than it was before because they added a nightime event to try to keep people there? Epcot and DHS still closing at the same time.

At least in all of our past summer trips, and there have been a lot, MK closed at 11pm...some nights were late, but most were 11pm.

As for the later parks, I'm referring mostly to AK. It wasn't all that long ago that AK closed before the sun went down. I forget exactly, but it was something like 5pm or 6pm when it closed. Now it's many hours later each night.

Wrong. 27 hours less over same 11-day period in Aug. That is an average of 2.5 hours less per day during my trip.

ETA: You mention that it wasn't a big deal FOR YOU -- and that's GREAT!! But this is subjective and it MAY be a big deal to others. Pretty common on DIS! When I find that what feels like excessive "complaining" gets to me, I move along -- I let others have their discussion and don't try to tell them that they shouldn't be bothered.

Wow, easy there cowboy. I see you're quite passionate about this. I'm not telling you that you shouldn't be bothered...you've made that point abundantly clear. Sorry if someone else dared give you an opposing viewpoint. My bad.

I'll bow out now and leave you to your crusade. Just e-mail me when you get WDW to change their minds and put park hours back to 11pm.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Wow. 26 pages of complaining that WDW is closing MK one hour earlier than they used to...even though they now have other parks open much later than they ever were (and I don't think it's apples/oranges at all). Jeez. I understand everyone has their opinions, but I just don't get the huge fuss.

Wow, easy there cowboy. I see you're quite passionate about this. I'm not telling you that you shouldn't be bothered...you've made that point abundantly clear. Sorry if someone else dared give you an opposing viewpoint. My bad.

Perhaps your tone and word choice has something to do with the response.

Happy to hear other viewpoints. Don't need to hear that others' "opposing viewpoint" to yours is "complaining", that others are making a "huge fuss"... "wow"... "jeez".

 

[mom2rtk]

I totally get being disappointed and I understand exactly why. That was not my point in commenting about the person at all. Again it was more in regards to the poster being told by another poster "I'm sure you'll have fun" and the person responded with "Not really" in a dismissive negative tone. There's nothing wrong with being bummed about the hrs or anything like that;it just came off as someone was trying to give a positive "make the most of it" comment and the person disregarding that entirely and responding in a continued negative way. If you're really truly not going to have a fun time then don't go. Only thing I can think of is if the poster is just down in the dumps right now but will strive to have a good time on their trip regardless, it just didn't seem that way from their comments.

I didn't see the other post. But maybe they have non-refundable tickets? Maybe they promised their kids and don't want to take it back? Maybe they rented DVC points and it's not refundable?

 

[mom2rtk]

Again, over the 15-day period in July that I looked at in TP, using their crowd "actuals" there is a 12% increase resort-wide from 2016 to 2017. (https://www.disboards.com/threads/amazed-and-disappointed.3615389/page-20#post-57936102)

Combine 1) that slight increase in crowds with 2) MK closing earlier (1 to 2 hrs daily), 3) the rest of AK besides Pandora closing earlier than last year, and 4) even some earlier DHS days, PLUS 5) everyone leaving at the same time without the nighttime parades --> worse experience for guests at MK and Pandora in the later hours -- at minimum.

You also need to consider that a 12% increase resort wide might be more heavily concentrated in the MK than in the other parks, making the cut in hours even more egregious.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I didn't see the other post. But maybe they have non-refundable tickets? Maybe they promised their kids and don't want to take it back? Maybe they rented DVC points and it's not refundale?

They explained it was paid for with no way to get the money back.

I had in my original comment to the exact poster who I was asking the question the following: "What's more important to you-potentially losing the money already spent on the trip or going on a trip that you look forward to and anticipate having a good time on?" So they ended up answering that question which was losing the $ they already spent on the trip.