Animal Kingdom Evening Hours

[PlutoTheDog89]

Sorry if something has already been posted about this..

I read somewhere that Disney is planning on doing away with the Nighttime Entertainment at AK. Has anyone else heard this? We planned a night at AK during our Christmas trip but if that's the case, there's no use in going to AK so late. I'd rather go early in the day and get it done.

 

[chris springer]

I have recently read that the times have been cut due to the River of Lights Show having "technical" difficulties and the Jungle Book show being not very good
....http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/0...ource=cnnmoney

 

[WEDWDW]

Everything is speculation at this point.

I personally don't see it happening at all.

All we know right now is September close is at 9:00 PM.

I expect October,etc. hours to be extended from what they are showing now.

Remember Pandora and RoL are coming.

 

[Jadyreen1282]

Time will tell. Seems kind of messy right now.

 

[Atilley]

I was also wondering about this. I heard Pete mention something about it in the daily fix but I am still holding out hope they will extend October hours.

 

[Geoff_M]

Here's a pretty good nighttime at AK write up from EasyWDW. Long term, I think that the extended night hours at AK will happen, it's only a matter of when. The end of the Jungle Book show could also be read as heralding the debut of RoL in the not too distant future. At some point there will be a RoL and then Avatar will come on-line, so nights should be in the cards.

 

[epcotty]

At this point I wonder if RoL will ever happen

 

[MrInfinity]

At this point I wonder if RoL will ever happen

So, if ROL is expected to be operational by the holidays... What is the current speculation around the rest of Pandora? All I see online is 2017. I've heard Summer 2017 thru unofficial channels. But it's getting to the time when people will be planning summer trips now... Is anyone booking a trip planning on this being open? I would like to visit the World again when it's open, but have no clue if I should target June, August, or not till fall.

 

[Accident]

I think that report is wrong and people are looking at this wrong....

1: when clocks roll back in october we're looking at dark around 5-6pm again and by december it will be dark by 5pm..
2: to have the park dark you don't have to close at 11pm year round, they'll still get a couple hours with a 7pm close and I dont' think dec is posted at this time no matter what anyone says..
3: other parks close and then do the night show already. closing the rides at 6 or 7 and then running the night show still gives a good night at AK, done before the other parks but not that much sooner. other parks aren't opened much more than 8ish in some seasons.

This is really no big deal although it's really unclear if the hours are accurate and disney should really say something so people can plan for what they are doing.

 

[Atilley]

1: when clocks roll back in october we're looking at dark around 5-6pm again and by december it will be dark by 5pm...

Are these times from experience? I am just asking because I had looked at sunset times for Orlando the first week of October and everything I see shows sunset around 7. My kids are wanting to ride a few of the bigger rides at night. I have a 630-730 fp for Everest one day and am wondering if it will actually be dark.

 

[Praying Colonel]

Are these times from experience? I am just asking because I had looked at sunset times for Orlando the first week of October and everything I see shows sunset around 7. My kids are wanting to ride a few of the bigger rides at night. I have a 630-730 fp for Everest one day and am wondering if it will actually be dark.

FWIW, DST ends Sunday 11/6. Sunset that day will be at 5:37 EST.

http://www.timeanddate.com/sun/usa/orlando?month=11

Earliest sunset in December will be at 5:28 EST.

http://www.timeanddate.com/sun/usa/orlando?month=12

IMHO this is the recognition that their evening programming was not ready for prime time. ROL still isn't ready and Jungle Book got mixed reviews at best. Probably would've been better to wait until it was all a go and met Disney standards.

 

[ckelly14]

I have recently read that the times have been cut due to the River of Lights Show having "technical" difficulties and the Jungle Book show being not very good
....http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/0...ource=cnnmoney

I have seen this article quoted here often, and it's also been picked up verbatim by a number of other news outlets. I don't put much stock in it. Disney can't back out of nighttime AK without it being considered a colossal fail. Hours will be shorter during slower times as they always have, but I guarantee that there will be some hours at AK available in the dark, every night, even if it's only an hour or two so Disney can save face...

 

[WEDWDW]

but I guarantee that there will be some hours at AK available in the dark, every night, ..

Agree.

Pandora is "DESIGNED" for night.

 

[Delirium]

We've built a lot of our plans for October based on AK being open at night. While we would love ROL to be open, it's not a showstopper for us. If hours do not get extended past 7:30 though, I'm going to be very unhappy.

 

[BoltzNBrew]

I think that report is wrong and people are looking at this wrong....

1: when clocks roll back in october we're looking at dark around 5-6pm again and by december it will be dark by 5pm..
2: to have the park dark you don't have to close at 11pm year round, they'll still get a couple hours with a 7pm close and I dont' think dec is posted at this time no matter what anyone says..
3: other parks close and then do the night show already. closing the rides at 6 or 7 and then running the night show still gives a good night at AK, done before the other parks but not that much sooner. other parks aren't opened much more than 8ish in some seasons.

This is really no big deal although it's really unclear if the hours are accurate and disney should really say something so people can plan for what they are doing.

My guess is September through November 5 AK will close at 9pm. From November 6 through December AK will close at 8pm.

 

[epcotty]

So, if ROL is expected to be operational by the holidays... What is the current speculation around the rest of Pandora? All I see online is 2017. I've heard Summer 2017 thru unofficial channels. But it's getting to the time when people will be planning summer trips now... Is anyone booking a trip planning on this being open? I would like to visit the World again when it's open, but have no clue if I should target June, August, or not till fall.

I don't know about Pandora. I still assume that'll open, noone knows officially when yet. But I do feel that ROL is effectively (if unofficially) cancelled at this point, especially with them rolling back the hours once the JB show is done

 

[Accident]

My guess is September through November 5 AK will close at 9pm. From November 6 through December AK will close at 8pm.

that's my thought as well but 7 in december wouldn't bother me much.. a couple hours with dark is enough time to do everything that they leave open.

 

[BoltzNBrew]

that's my thought as well but 7 in december wouldn't bother me much.. a couple hours with dark is enough time to do everything that they leave open.

I was just thinking they would want to stay consistent with the number of "night time" hours. I also think this happens with or without ROL. I can't see them abandoning ROL after all they have invested in it. They will make it work eventually, right?

 

[Accident]

I was just thinking they would want to stay consistent with the number of "night time" hours. I also think this happens with or without ROL. I can't see them abandoning ROL after all they have invested in it. They will make it work eventually, right?

Good point. there was a lot of earlier hours this spring for the other parks but they all ended with the night show happening at closing time so really it was opened another hour but the rides were closed on time. I suspect ROL will probably start as 1 show right as it's dark and a second that is at closing time.. it's the show that you need that extra hour for right now.

 

[DizBelle]

I found this. Not sure if it means anything.

http://www.wftv.com/news/local/disn...ering-after-dark-attractions-sept-5/424687714