Amazed and Disappointed

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

"You could have just left it alone but you had to respond to me"

Will do. Was just trying to emphasize where we agree now and move on.

That's very true that I could have left it alone as could you have. You instead took the opportunity to tell me my observation was irrelevant whereas yours was relevant.

It would have been just as easy to respond to my comment of:

My phone is taking forever to receive e-mail so I can't show a screen shot but I already see 7DMT down to 40mins @2mins past closing..so 7mins later and it dropped 20mins from your time.

I couldn't check the other ones quick enough before MDE reflected things as closed now.

in a "hmm it dropped that still seems longer than you'd want for close time (which I would have just agreed with and moved on at that point) but instead you responded with

Ok... PAST closing... not sure how that helps... I'm confused...

as well as other comments.

I didn't have some bad agenda here I just had an observation. You pretty much took it to the Nth degree or at least completely opposite from my initial comment by choice.

But yeah we can agree to disagree and move on.

 

[DoTheDisFam]

Lordy...

 

[suevee]

Email I just sent to WDW


I am starting to plan my 2018 summer vacation. I plan to bring 9 people and currently have bookings at Shades of Green for 2 weeks.

However, reading about the current dissatisfaction of patrons with the early closings at Magic Kingdom during peak price season of summer, I am reconsidering my trip.

If I am going to spend more time at my accommodations due to shorter hours then perhaps either a shorter vacation at a Universal resort or a longer vacation at the Outer Banks may be better than visiting the frustration of WDW.

I will make my decision in in January.





Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Email I just sent to WDW


I am starting to plan my 2018 summer vacation. I plan to bring 9 people and currently have bookings at Shades of Green for 2 weeks.

However, reading about the current dissatisfaction of patrons with the early closings at Magic Kingdom during peak price season of summer, I am reconsidering my trip.

If I am going to spend more time at my accommodations due to shorter hours then perhaps either a shorter vacation at a Universal resort or a longer vacation at the Outer Banks may be better than visiting the frustration of WDW.

I will make my decision in in January.





Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone

That's a short but to the point e-mail to Disney and I'm sure they wouldn't like the idea of someone completely going to their competitor rather than hopping over there for a day or two.

Not that this has any bearing on your decision or not for next year but I myself just learned the other day that Universal has adjusted their ticket policy. Tickets bought now expire within 12months of print date or within 7days of first usage. The 7days part is what caught me off guard as it's been cut in half from 14 days. Just thought I would let you know just in case you didn't know- I don't know what you would consider a shorter vacation at Universal since your original vacation was set for 14 days.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Email I just sent to WDW


I am starting to plan my 2018 summer vacation. I plan to bring 9 people and currently have bookings at Shades of Green for 2 weeks.

However, reading about the current dissatisfaction of patrons with the early closings at Magic Kingdom during peak price season of summer, I am reconsidering my trip.

If I am going to spend more time at my accommodations due to shorter hours then perhaps either a shorter vacation at a Universal resort or a longer vacation at the Outer Banks may be better than visiting the frustration of WDW.

I will make my decision in in January.


Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone

I think it's great that you took the time to write!

 

[Amy&Dan]

So do you think to get from MK to the Poly at closing plan on how much time? Hour and half?

I think it took us about an hour. Had we left at 10:00 or later it would have taken longer unless we had really hung out.

I didn't time things exactly but I noticed if we left directly after HEA it was quicker. Or if we hung out inside MK until closer to 11. Between 10:00 and 10:30 was the worst at the transportation area.

I hope this helps!

 

[suevee]

If I stay at Universal it would be for 7 days as the rooms are more expensive. The beach would be 3 weeks as the other expenses would be lower...ie no park tickets. Thank you for the heads up.

 

[maryj11]

I think it took us about an hour. Had we left at 10:00 or later it would have taken longer unless we had really hung out.

I didn't time things exactly but I noticed if we left directly after HEA it was quicker. Or if we hung out inside MK until closer to 11. Between 10:00 and 10:30 was the worst at the transportation area.

I hope this helps!

Thanks yes it helps, at least I know when the majority of people will be leaving. We may hang out in MK until 11:00 hoping it clears out some.

 

[TXAKDisneyFan]

No you do need to fold the strollers up on the monorail, people just don't. I stopped doing it after the third time or so of watching people leave their strollers open while I dragged my sleeping kid out to make room for everyone. Think about how much quicker the lines would go on the monorail if people were folding their strollers up.

I'll take your word for it that you're supposed to fold up strollers on the monorail, I've just never seen anyone do it, and we've never been asked to do so by the CMs at the monorail stations.

The bus drivers ALWAYS tell people to fold their strollers (at least in our experience). We also asked the boat captains and were told that we did not need to fold them up on the boats bet PO-R/FQ and DS, or on the boardwalk area boats unless the boats got very full (we've always had to fold them up on the smaller boats to/from MK, but not on the larger ones).

I'm not sure if folding the strollers would make the monorails quicker. There aren't really many places to put strollers whereas there is plenty of room under or bet seats on buses. The monorail waiting areas are also pretty open, not an organized line like for the buses (we fold up strollers while in line) - it'd be a huge PITA to try to do it in a middle of a crowd. It's MUCH faster for us to push a stroller onto the monorail than unload everything, fold it up,... It also means we aren't jockeying for a seat bc the adults can stand and don't need a place sit and safely hold young kids. But we also try not to head to any transportation at peak times - we'll go before the evening shows or wait until things clear out.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

If I stay at Universal it would be for 7 days as the rooms are more expensive. The beach would be 3 weeks as the other expenses would be lower...ie no park tickets. Thank you for the heads up.

No problem! Have to admit though 3 weeks at the beach sounds lovely to me

 

[robl45]

I'll take your word for it that you're supposed to fold up strollers on the monorail, I've just never seen anyone do it, and we've never been asked to do so by the CMs at the monorail stations.

The bus drivers ALWAYS tell people to fold their strollers (at least in our experience). We also asked the boat captains and were told that we did not need to fold them up on the boats bet PO-R/FQ and DS, or on the boardwalk area boats unless the boats got very full (we've always had to fold them up on the smaller boats to/from MK, but not on the larger ones).

I'm not sure if folding the strollers would make the monorails quicker. There aren't really many places to put strollers whereas there is plenty of room under or bet seats on buses. The monorail waiting areas are also pretty open, not an organized line like for the buses (we fold up strollers while in line) - it'd be a huge PITA to try to do it in a middle of a crowd. It's MUCH faster for us to push a stroller onto the monorail than unload everything, fold it up,... It also means we aren't jockeying for a seat bc the adults can stand and don't need a place sit and safely hold young kids. But we also try not to head to any transportation at peak times - we'll go before the evening shows or wait until things clear out.

The problem is, you can fit probably at least 5 more people per car if people would fold the strollers. I just find it rude that people don't do it. Not saying you are rude mind you as I did the same thing after I saw other people doing it. Boats are different as usually there is a place for them to go.

 

[robl45]

Email I just sent to WDW


I am starting to plan my 2018 summer vacation. I plan to bring 9 people and currently have bookings at Shades of Green for 2 weeks.

However, reading about the current dissatisfaction of patrons with the early closings at Magic Kingdom during peak price season of summer, I am reconsidering my trip.

If I am going to spend more time at my accommodations due to shorter hours then perhaps either a shorter vacation at a Universal resort or a longer vacation at the Outer Banks may be better than visiting the frustration of WDW.

I will make my decision in in January.





Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone

I sent the same thing and told them I was considering not renewing my annual passes. I got the same form response that everyone else got. I truly believe Disney really doesn't care.

 

[maxiesmom]

I sent the same thing and told them I was considering not renewing my annual passes. I got the same form response that everyone else got. I truly believe Disney really doesn't care.

Or that the number of people expressing dissatisfaction are so few that it makes very little difference, attendance wise. No offense intended, but it probably costs them more to keep the park open a couple of hours than what you spend on your whole vacation.

There has to be a great number of people expressing dissatisfaction for Disney to make a change. And as much as we like ourselves, the whole of the Dis does not equal a great number of people when you think of how many people visit the parks.

 

[maxiesmom]

I'll take your word for it that you're supposed to fold up strollers on the monorail, I've just never seen anyone do it, and we've never been asked to do so by the CMs at the monorail stations.

I've heard them ask, but only when things were Tokyo full.

 

[maxiesmom]

I have been regularly coming to Disney in the summer for years and have taken the late evenings as a given when planning my trip. We will usually spend the early morning in one of the parks and then relaxing by the pool and then head to MK after lunch when the worst of the sun is over so we can spend a late evening there. When I booked my late August trip this year I just assumed that the hours would be the same as 2016 so I'm really disappointed to see that across all of the parks I will have no really late evenings in any park my entire trip (other than one 12 am EMH in MK, which will likely be packed right up to closing). It is unquestionable that this will make we rethink coming back again next year.

One lesson to learn is that absolutely nothing should be taken as a give for a Disney World trip. Disney states that everything is subject to availability. They change park hours all of the time. I've had them change day of before. We have no way of knowing what hours will be next summer. Disney probably doesn't know.

 

[bryanb]

Regarding wait times at the end of the night:

It is standard to inflate the "official" wait time, but this is even more true during the last 60 minutes before closing... particularly on major rides like Space Mountain. When necessary, CMs will even hold the lines so they visually appear to be longer than actual. This is done to discourage too many people from jumping into lines after closing, and the amount of the inflation may vary from night to night depending on judgment calls. If you actually do get in line before closing, you will be allowed to ride as long as the attraction is operating. I realize some people don't like the idea of artificially inflating wait times, but this practice has been in place for decades and is standard across the theme park industry.

That said, I have no reason to doubt the anecdotal accounts of people saying how crowded it has been at 10:00pm.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

It is standard to inflate the "official" wait time, but this is even more true during the last 60 minutes before closing... particularly on major rides like Space Mountain. When necessary, CMs will even hold the lines so they visually appear to be longer than actual. This is done to discourage too many people from jumping into lines after closing, and the amount of the inflation may vary from night to night depending on judgment calls. If you actually do get in line before closing, you will be allowed to ride as long as the attraction is operating. I realize some people don't like the idea of artificially inflating wait times, but this practice has been in place for decades and is standard across the theme park industry.

While it's a long time ago (I guess you could say that) back in 2011 TSMM was rarely below 75mins..it def wasn't that 5 mins before close which was the only time we had been able to ride that ride that trip. We had to run through the queue just to keep up with the people. I don't remember if it still said 75mins but it def wasn't posted as a walk on. that's the one I remember the most though just because everytime we walked past it it was a high wait time and it had a bunch of people waiting in line (well mostly younger kids).

That said, I have no reason to doubt the anecdotal accounts of people saying how crowded it has been at 10:00pm.

Yup, not doubting it either.

 

[Farro]

Just a question - have August hours been reduced? Meaning were they scheduled to be open later earlier in the year and then recently changed to closing earlier? Or were they never even scheduled to be open later?

I'm really thinking October hours may be as is...9 pm MK closings on non-party nights = nightmare.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

One lesson to learn is that absolutely nothing should be taken as a give for a Disney World trip. Disney states that everything is subject to availability. They change park hours all of the time. I've had them change day of before. We have no way of knowing what hours will be next summer. Disney probably doesn't know.

I would think probably not at this time given that Toy Story Land is supposed to open up next summer right? I really don't know if they will do anything remotely like Pandora with a new land opening up just like this year but it's possible they will want to have people check out DHS.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

I'll take your word for it that you're supposed to fold up strollers on the monorail, I've just never seen anyone do it, and we've never been asked to do so by the CMs at the monorail stations.

Agree with the PP who said it would certainly help things move some if all strollers were folded, but I don't think you missed a rule at all. I don't ever recall people folding up strollers on the monorail as a matter of course, and we stay at BLT so have ridden quite a bit. A PP mentioned it being requested by a driver at times when really packed, which makes sense to me.

Regarding wait times at the end of the night:

It is standard to inflate the "official" wait time, but this is even more true during the last 60 minutes before closing... particularly on major rides like Space Mountain. When necessary, CMs will even hold the lines so they visually appear to be longer than actual. This is done to discourage too many people from jumping into lines after closing, and the amount of the inflation may vary from night to night depending on judgment calls. If you actually do get in line before closing, you will be allowed to ride as long as the attraction is operating. I realize some people don't like the idea of artificially inflating wait times, but this practice has been in place for decades and is standard across the theme park industry.

That said, I have no reason to doubt the anecdotal accounts of people saying how crowded it has been at 10:00pm.

Everything that you say makes sense wrt CMs packing people in line, still being able to get in line up until close, etc. -- all of that I expect.

However, the anecdotal accounts on here seem to suggest that once in line near/at closing, the actual wait is much longer than has typically been experienced at MK close -- even at this time of year. Like you, I don't doubt their accounts, and am just crossing my fingers for Aug 7-17!!