April Hours Shortened AGAIN...

[Emme]

OK maybe it's me but I don't believe I saw the week after Easter hours to be quite sooo shortened. I started a thread a while back when they first cut them but now it seems to be worse...

MK is only open until 8:00 the week after Easter which is the 19, 20, 21 (no hours for the 22 yet) 23 is 10:00, 24 is 11:00, 25 is 7:00, 26 is 8:00 and the 27-30 is 7:00.

Wow those are some tight hours. I know the War must have an effect on all this, but let's not bash our President on this thread...please .

Just wanted to vent...Times must be tough and people are just not traveling I guess

Well, let's hope those of us who are going stay safe and have a wonderful time!

Emmy

 

[angey77]

The shorter park hours do stink, they changed ours the week before we left for Mardi Gras.
I can say though, we were able to do a lot more this trip with shorter hours outside of the park. I was terribly disappointed at first with 6:00 MGM closings, 7:00 MK. But there is actually a silver lining. We spent some leisurely time in DTD, Disney Quest and a couple of the resorts. It was quite nice to do so because if the hours were extended, we would have never taken the time to explore and enjoy many other things Disney has to offer.
Its a shock at first to see the hours reduced, especially when you've been planning, but once you get there, you adjust.
Just always remember....A short or rainy or crowded day at Disney is better than any day at work!

 

[n2mm]

All I can say is WOW, those are short for Easter week. We are going in May, I hope, and am trying to prepare myself for those short hours too, and probably no e-ticket nights too, just like last year. Just hope they don't cut out early mornings. Not only watch for short evening hours, watch to check the openning times too. They have been known to open EPCOT at 10:00 AM instead of 9:00 AM when attendance is down. Not much we can do about it, just hope this conflict ends quickly.

 

[currycook]

I am liking my AP to DQ more and more this year. So far they have not shortened the hours to DQ. So when we go and if the parks close early we are able to go to DQ.

 

[TiggerInNY]

Have any of you gone in October? Do they have shortened hours then, too? Just curious.

Thanks.

Maria

 

[angey77]

I was there this past October and hours were running about 7 pm close at MK, 7:00 and 8:00 for MGM, and the standard 9:00 EPCOT and 5:00 AK. The hours are short, but there are no lines in October, its a great time to go. We knocked out AK by 1:30 with early entry!

 

[mslangen]

Hi,

My question is as follows: If they need to cut park hours, why are they cutting hours in the evening and not in the morning?
It should be much better when they open a park at let say 11 am in the morning, but don't close it before 9 pm.
If they continue with so early closing hours for the MK in the Magic Kingdom the Fireworks and Spectromagic can't go on.
If you ask it me both the Fireworks and Spectromagic are important attractions. For me those evening shows are the half of my day at MK.

While planning the dates of my trip I choose to include two full weekends, because the MK should stay open later in the weekends and there should be Fireworks and Spectromagic.
Now I hope that there is at least one day that I can see both.
Hope also that they will continue with Fantasmic and Illuminations.
If MK is closing really so early as 6 or 7 pm during my trip, I will be very disappointed. Not the reduced park time is the fact, but the canceling of evening shows.

Marcel.

 

[angey77]

Originally posted by mslangen
Hi,

My question is as follows: If they need to cut park hours, why are they cutting hours in the evening and not in the morning?

I'm guessing its the cost of Specto, fireworks and just electricity to light up the parks at night that keep them from opening late morning and closing late night. I agree, the parks are much more beautiful and entertaining at dark, but they're also more expensive.

 

[cindyfan]

ARE THEY CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Closing at 8pm on EASTER!!!! one of the BUSIEST days of the year!!!!
This must be a mistake!!!!!

If they cut anymore how can they possibly still charge such rediculously high prices for the resorts for those 2 weeks!!!!!!!!

YIKES!!!!!

 

[avcchichester]

We are going the week before Easter, and the schedule that I got from Disney web site, was that these parks were open later in the night. Where do I go to find out the new schedule, and where do I find the fireworks and spectromagic schedules??? We have never been before and we have saved a long time. For some reason I thought there was fireworks every night!!! Stupid ME!!! Thanks for you help.

 

[Emme]

Go to www.disneyworld.com click on parks /and then click on park hours. Hope this helps!

Emmy

 

[junglejane]

When I clicked on "Events and Entertainment" on April 20th and 21st (where they shortened the hours to 8:00) this is what came up.

Share a Dream Come True Parade 3:00pm

SpectroMagic 9:00pm, 11:00pm

Fantasy in the Sky Fireworks 10:00pm

Could it be they just didn't adjust this yet?

I tried to confirm by calling CRO and they told me they do not have any changes and confirmed my original hours. (The ones that were in effect still as of yesterday - 11:00 pm I guess) I'm confused.

Closing at 8:00 pm on EASTER is kind of leading me to believe that this may be some mistake.

You would think the week after Easter would be more crowded than the week before, but they havent touched those hours.

I guess we'll just have to wait and see. I did make a 9:20 ps at BOMA in case they do close at 8:00 on the 21st and I have to flip/flop my evening plans with the 24th where I will have to now see Spectromagic instead of dinner at BOMA. Doesn't hurt to have a "Plan B" I guess

 

[jk1]

how can they possibly still charge such rediculously high prices for the resorts for those 2 weeks

The price you pay for the resort hotel room is just that, the cost for your accomodations. The hotel price has nothing to do with the operations of the parks general hours. Those hotel prices are based on seasons - the higher the demand, the higher the seasonal cost for the room.

Just a FYI, WDW just extended park hours for the MK for some days this very week based on projected attendance.

 

[anne60]

Can anybody tell me why they mess around with the hours of Magic Kingdom so much? MGM is always open until at least 8:30, so why not Magic Kingdom? Do they save THAT much by closing at 7 instead of 8, or 6 instead of 7? If so, why don't they do the same with MGM? or Epcot? Just curious! By the way, can you imagine if the malls did their hours based on expected attendance month by month? yikes.

 

[mslangen]

Oh no!!! Don't bring them on a bad idea!
After you have to change your clock or watch one hour for the summer-time, it 'don't get dark before 8pm.
Shows like Fantasmic and Illuminations can't go on with shorter park hours.
If MK closes that early in April and maybe May, its the same as canceling the firworks and spectromagic.
At all times I prefer to see that evening shows and its very nice to walk in a dark park and enjoy the lights.
Could you immagine a WDW trip without the evening shows?

Marcel.

Originally posted by anne60
Can anybody tell me why they mess around with the hours of Magic Kingdom so much? MGM is always open until at least 8:30, so why not Magic Kingdom? Do they save THAT much by closing at 7 instead of 8, or 6 instead of 7? If so, why don't they do the same with MGM? or Epcot? Just curious! By the way, can you imagine if the malls did their hours based on expected attendance month by month? yikes.

 

[kimmie]

Cindyfan - I agree with you!! They are crazy!! Each time I check the hours they are changing!! MK closes at 8:00 p.m. and yet the have 2 Spectro's listed at 9 p.m. and 11 p.m.. You do pay top dollar for the resorts during that time! Why not reduce the rates during that time if they are reducing the hours. It would be like going in late Sept or Oct then, right? The higher the season the higher the demand doesn't seem to fit this year. Looks like they project lower attendance, or are more people staying off-site because of the higher prices? They need to set the hours and leave it alone!!

Thanks for letting me vent guys!!

 

[cindyfan]

The hotel price has nothing to do with the operations of the parks general hours.

Oh, but that is so wrong! There is a direct correlation between them!! I have had WDW Guest Relations on the phone and they have explained the "reason" for the "seasons". They have said that what they consider "peak" season is the most "popular" and most "crowded" time of year. Therefore since there are more people, the "demand" for resort rooms is greater....Therefore the increase in price! Which I fully understand. You know the "supply vs. demand".

Those hotel prices are based on seasons - the higher the demand, the higher the seasonal cost for the room.

Exactly!!! BUT.... the "demand" is the "crowds"!!!! These people are not just checking into a resort and not attending the parks!

SO NOW.....according to everything WDW Guest Relations tells us...... They adjust the hours according to the crowds!!!
Okay, so more people visit, more resorts fill up AND.....the more crowded the parks are!! AND....they extend the hours.
It is directly related!

SO NOW.....WDW Guest Relations is stating that the park attendance is not what they expected. They are not crowded!! And if you call guest relations they will tell you......."the hours are reduced because the attendance has decreased".
SO......Less people.....less crowds......less DEMAND for resort rooms!!!!......AND.......reduced hours.......

BUT......NOT reduced prices! Not even any type of discount!

The crowds are more like they would be in Sept or Oct.....
So....why not charge us the same price as if we were going in Sept or Oct????

So you see, the "demand" is simply missing from your equation!
It should be the lower the demand, the lower the cost. But they still have the "higher" cost for those weeks.

 

[Samirella]

More than likely what is going to happen is this: If attendance is actually down, they will keep the shortened hours. If attendance is up, they will extend the hours on a day to day basis.

 

[junglejane]

What do you think the chances are that codes or specials will become available at this late date for the weeks surrounding Easter (which were previously without codes) if resort booking are down or are cancelled? I am supposing that they have shortened the park hours for this reason.