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.
I find the other end, the fact that everything Disney does is wrong, just as ridiculous. None of us know the ins and outs of Disney as a business. People act as if they are doing things out of spite, which is silly. Maybe the parks have not been as busy later on as they used to be, maybe they are having issues with staffing, none of us know their reasons for having the hours they have. If someone made plans based on a guess, that is their own fault. Good grief.
Just for context, people have been accusing Disney of "slipping" for decades. My uncle was a cast member in the 90s can tell you that since Disney internet boards existed (and even before), people have had the exact same complaints about cutbacks, greed, maintenance, and standards. I think people have rosier views of how things used to be, because it cannot be true that every year Disney is getting worse.
I'm not dismissing any specific individual complaints, or saying things don't go up and down. But the idea that things are getting worse is not novel or unique to today's commentators. People say it every year. If it were really a constant truth that Disney is getting worse, can you imagine how awful the place is now?
Disney World needs more nightlife whether in the parks or somewhere like Disney Springs. I really miss Pleasure Island.
Coming from the West Coast, I couldn't agree more. Calling it a night at 9pm (West Coast time) is way too early. Based on what I've read, the closure of Pleasure Island was the result of some poor decision making. Sadly, now there is not demand for more nightlife. Businesses are free to stay open late at Disney Springs, but very few of them choose to do so. One of the bartenders told me if guests were still milling about, eating and buying drinks, the business would keep serving. Several of them have tried to stay open later, but it didn't work. We need to vote with our wallets and Disney probably needs a new strategy if nightlife is the goal.
There is a happy medium between 10pm and 3am.
I'd like to see summer hours until midnight as well. But during my last visit, it really was dead in the last couple of hours.
Longer hours are directly tied to more ticket, food, and merchandise revenue. If there are extra dollars to be made, Disney will not hesitate to keep the parks open longer. Every hour guests stay in the parks, they spend a number of dollars (on whole) they would otherwise not spend. If they're closing at midnight instead of 10pm, it's not because they're just being nice or want higher costs. Every food and merchandise location reports revenue per hour. Each attraction reports turnstile clicks per hour. They have a lot of good data on how many people are being served.
Conversely, if they're closing at 10pm, they're forecasting that attendance is lower. Of course, they don't always forecast correctly (as most visitors come from offsite).
. They're not holding us up at gunpoint- we can vote with our feet and not give them the money.
