Amazed and Disappointed

[jdisnut]

They are also trimming the other end. More crowded times of year have also had regular 8am openings in the past as well.

For what it's worth, Magic Kingdom appears to be open from 8 a.m. until 1 a.m. on July 4. The same goes for Animal Kingdom when factoring the evening Extra Magic Hours. Meanwhile, Epcot is open until 11 p.m. for hotel guests as well. Clearly, park hours remain robust on the busy holiday.

I suspect the Fourth of July falling on a Tuesday has played some role in the overall shorter hours moving forward. It's hard plan a weekend, since I know plenty of people have to work today. Just a thought.

 

[Klayfish]

Not everyone has the luxury of taking 2-3 week vacations multiple times a year to wdw. Remember that when you chastise others for complaining about the hours.

What does my Disney trip have to do with anything? And for the record, the long trips only started a few years ago. Prior to that, we only went once every few years. It's one thing to be disappointed about the hours. Sure, fine. I posted once or twice that I was somewhat disappointed because of the irony of the timing of them doing this for my family...my kids are finally old enough to do late nights at MK and NOW they close early. But at the end of the day, so what? It's not like they're closing at noon. Each to their own, but IMO posting what certainly reads like a rant that they're not open to past midnight is rather "millennial".

Wow, sorry did not mean to upset the Disney Police. How dare I have an opinion on anything negative about Disney!!

Sorry, didn't mean to...you know...have an opinion that isn't in lock step with the flock. That must be why they're building Star Wars land. I'll bet the crowning jewel in Star Wars land will be a Spaceship Earth sized replica of the Death Star, where senior WDW leadership will be located and plot ways to take your money. WDW will finally show their true colors. My bad.

EDIT: At the end of the day, I don't really care. I'm going to sign off this computer at 4pm and head to AK tonight with my family and have a wonderful time. I certainly hope you don't care what my opinion is either. It's a public forum. Sorry, I don't agree that it's some terrible thing that they close MK at 10pm. I just don't.

 

[LSUmiss]

As a west coast person, I just looked at Disneyland out of curiosity. Disneyland is open from 8-midnight for the month of July. Maybe because there are only 2 parks there?

However, it's also my understanding that Disneyland is always open those hours almost year round. Maybe it's b/c there are only 2 parks. But, when I recently found that out I wondered why they don't the same for MK.

 

[DisneyQueen1320]

I guess I'm considered a millennial and I'm a proud millennial.

Nothing is wrong with being dissatisfied with Disney over hours. Let's face it, it's not just hours that are slipping, housekeeping, bathrooms, rides breaking down are problematic.

This whole thing that Disney can't do wrong or just be happy with Disney all the time is ridiculous.

Of course you can have an opinion that's different that's why I love the Dis. The problem is you called people whiny. It appears you care a lot about this subject.

 

[bettybooplove]

If Disney "is a business" then the Disney cast members aren't your friends. They're employees. They're being paid to work and interact with you, therefore you shouldn't feel sorry for them because they're making extra money when the parks are open later.

Anyway, I don't think it's negative or outrageous to oh, I don't know, comment on hours being cut while prices go up.

If July is suddenly a slow season, why are we purchasing Peak tickets?

Disney wants you to pay more and receive less.

 

[Anniefrances]

Counterpoint to this as someone who used to attend the EMH until 3am: there was NEXT TO NO ONE in the park 2-3am. Pretty sure that is the market speaking that there isn't demand -- even though WE liked it.

This is precisely why we loved the super late EMH - we used to sleep in, start the day with late brunch by the pool, and head to the parks around dinner time through closing. I'm gonna have some cranky kids on our upcoming visit when I attempt to convert them into rope droppers.

 

[Anniefrances]

Our family will adjust, we always do but for us those late night hours were magical. I remember when EMH lasted for 3 hours and the park was open till 3 a.m., my son had the best time. For him it was so cool to hang out with mommy till 3 in the morning, where else in the world could he have that experience in a safe environment.

My sons and I also have some of our best memories on those super late nights - like your family, we felt that the combination of it being so far past their bedtime and playing together in MK really was 'magical'. We are disappointed that our visit later this month will not include the same EMH.

 

[DisLaw]

I don't want to get involved in the discussion about why or why not this is happening but I will chime to say that I think that 10pm closing is too early for the summer. We were in the MK on Friday. We left at around 5 because of a torrential downpour and went to get dinner. Came back at around 7:30 after eating offsite and getting stuck in some traffic. I can't recall what we did first but before long it was 8:30 and we wanted to get a spot in the hub to see HEA with a straight on view of the castle which we did manage to do. But from 8:30-9:30 we were not doing anything but waiting or watching the show. At 9:30 DD begged to ride Carousel of Progress (which we had been putting off) which lasted until about 9:50. We then hustled over the Fantasy land, checked the wait for 7DMT (60 minutes??) and opted to ride the real carousel since that was another thing we had missed. Now its after 10, and all the rides are closed. And that doesn't take into account attractions that close one hour before park closing such as Enchanted Tales with Belle which we had been trying to do.

So my point is that the evening time gets eaten up by the fireworks and we didn't even watch the projection show at 9:45 which I had wanted to do. With the heat and the inevitable rain in the summer, I really had wished the park had stayed open until at least 11! It was packed with people and I felt I could have done so much more in the coolness of the evening with energy from eating dinner and resting a little in the afternoon.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

With the spate of recent upcharges, abridged park hours, and novelties such as foregoing mousekeeping, Disney does seem pretty chintzy. Probably not the image they would like to project, but I'm sure it all strategically helps the profitability ahead of the possible coming merger/takeover.

"Chintzy"? I don't think that's the word at all:

chintz·y
ˈCHin(t)sē/
adjective

1. 1.
   BRITISH
   of, like, or decorated with chintz.
   "brighten the room with fresh paint and chintzy fabrics"
2. 2.
   informal
   cheap and of poor quality.

And I think this is quite premature...

 

[squirrel]

I haven't been to WDW in a few years but I was also disappointed to see the park hours for my upcoming trip. I'm going at a busier time than I have previously been and there are way fewer evening EMH and the park hours are much shorter, with the exception of AK. With the heat in the summer having a few later nights would have been great. I know they may add an extra hour here or there if it's busier than they think.

 

[back2disney]

I think the lower attendance theory is moot. Maybe relative to last year its a little less, but I bet its a lot higher than it was last time I came 5 years ago and whole lot higher the time before that in 2006. And there are only maybe 2 more rides since then. 7dmt and mermaid. The parks were a zoo 5 years ago and the late hours helped, so if the crowds are still more than they were 5 years ago but fewer hours, than the experience is lessened.

 

[DaisyJ]

"Chintzy"? I don't think that's the word at all:

chintz·y
ˈCHin(t)sē/
adjective

1. 1.
   BRITISH
   of, like, or decorated with chintz.
   "brighten the room with fresh paint and chintzy fabrics"
2. 2.
   informal
   cheap and of poor quality.

And I think this is quite premature...

It is informal slang for cheap.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

It is informal slang for cheap.

Cheap in quality, generally...

 

[back2disney]

Also if rental car prices are directly related to demand.. This July's have been the highest I have ever seen anywhere at any time.

 

[back2disney]

Also one more thing... Hollywood Studios is ONLY open 30 minutes less(9:30pm vs 10pm, same open time) and I would view that park as half a day experience and possible a 1/3(I haven't counted) as many activities to enjoy.

 

[pcstang]

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?

HHN nights they do and they have noise ordinances to adhere to because of their location.

 

[ucfknight]

July (other than around 4th of July) has been unusually slow the last few years. It is not shocking they don't have the midnight or 1 am closes they used to when this used to be the busiest season of the year.

 

[back2disney]

July (other than around 4th of July) has been unusually slow the last few years. It is not shocking they don't have the midnight or 1 am closes they used to when this used to be the busiest season of the year.

I'll let you know how "slow" it is in a couple of weeks.

 

[LAS2012]

We are visiting the second week of August and the MK hours are very disappointing for my family. Based on KTP calendar for the same week August 2016, the MK close time was 11:00 pm, 12:00 am, 2:00 am with only two days that week closing at 11:00. As of now, with no reason to expect a change, MK is closing at 10:00 pm with only one EMH 12:00 pm close. We purposely booked a split stay at GF for the first half of the week for MK, EP, and HS days thinking it would be easy to for DS and one parent to hop over to MK and finish the night while the other parent and DD went back to the resort. We are moving to AKL for our AK portion of the trip, so those extended AK hours during the first half of the trip for only two rides are useless to me personally. For three park days, we lose 5 MK hours and any ability to hop back to MK after EP and HS nightly entertainment, so for our family it was a complete waste of money to get hoppers. Part of our reasoning for a summer trip and staying at the GF was the opportunity for longer hours and the ability to hop back to MK at the end of the night.

I also have concerns that MK will be more crowded earlier in the day. Those people that stay until close and are backwards planning their time are going to arrive earlier in the day. Fireworks at 9:00 pm and a close at 10:00 pm leaves almost no time to do anything post-fireworks and takes away an hour of pre-fireworks ride time. Earlier close at MK means fewer people are going to hop over there at night, leaving the other parks a little more crowded as they stay put until those parks close.

I understand it is a business. I understand Disney is able to set any hours they would like to enforce. As an educated consumer, not a whiny millennial, I am completely justified in my customer satisfaction being severely downgraded from my expectation of Disney's service. Particularly in the face of rising costs. I'm not sure how reduced attendance -- if that is even a real, legitimate factor -- is going to help me get 5 MK hours back into my week.

I understand how these operating hours may not impact your touring style, but maybe you could also understand how unfavorably it impacts some families'/individuals' touring styles?

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

I understand how these operating hours may not impact your touring style, but maybe you could also understand how unfavorably it impacts some families'/individuals' touring styles?

I get what you're saying and I am in the same camp: I hate seeing the late hours shortened. We use them -- we LOVE them.

However, IF this is based on crowd forecasts, I understand Disney's decision as a business. I don't have to like it, but there's a limit to how much I'll complain about it, I guess. And if crowd levels end up higher than currently forecast, they have been known to add hours last minute. Would this is a reason change how you feel about it at all?