Decrease in Magic Hours???

[luckyman_apd]

I'm getting close the date to book my fastpass + and checking the park hours for the dates of the trip, I'm noticing a big decrease in magic hours. There have been days in the past where there were a morning and night magic hours at separate parks. My upcoming trip show a few days with no magic hours at all. Also....for a summer month....the Magic Kingdom closes at 10pm.....on a Saturday????? I've never seen that before.

 

[disney world dreamer]

EMH have been gradually decreasing for several years now.
it ticks me off.

 

[GrnMtnMan]

For some reason, this year Disney has been waiting longer to announce schedule changes. The pattern seems to be releasing a tentative calendar with limited operating hours at 180 days, then updating it a few weeks before the month starts. They waited until April 18th to finalize May's schedule.

My upcoming trip show a few days with no magic hours at all.

I counted one day (July 6) in June, July, and August that did not have any EMHs. Where did you see more days with no EMHs?

 

[Anal Annie]

They're tickin' me off. Our trip begins June 4th and they still haven't updated / finalized the hours yet for June either and we're down to a month. Still have MK closing at 10:00 & HS at 8:30. That's never been the case before for summer hours. I don't know what's up with the waiting for the last minute to update the park hours but IT SCREWS WITH EVERYTHING from scheduling FP's to making ADR's. You can't book things for past the current posted operating hours. Generally the summer hours are much later than this (usually MK is 11 or 12:00 and HS is 10:00) and you can schedule your FP's and ADR's later if you want. This is just frustrating as all get out to try to plan. OH and just last week they switched morning EMH's around between 2 parks on 2 days that first week in June!! People plan their parks based on this stuff - what a cruel joke to switch park days!! And THEY'RE the ones that made it so that you have to plan every minute of every day. Then they go & pull this kind of stuff. They FINALLY updated the AK park hours to 11:00 a week or so ago (in anticipation of all of the new evening events there). But they didn't immediately open late FP's. Had to keep checking back over & over & over again every day for evening safari times. And they still haven't said what time what the times will be for the new show(s). How can you plan evening FP's for something when you don't know what time you need to be available for a show?! It's a total cluster.

 

[BillPA]

Do any of you remember when Disney actually gave a hoot about the customer? Now DVC is getting the same way. Poor old Walt must be spinning in his grave.

 

[DaisyNY]

May be due to charging for EMH with breakfast and Extra Evening hours at MK parks now on some days...seems pricey and from what I've read on the boards not too popular.

 

[kristenrice]

I'll bet the MK is closing at 10pm so that they can offer you the opportunity to pay another $150/person to attend the Extra Special Extra Magic hours.

 

[luckyman_apd]

For some reason, this year Disney has been waiting longer to announce schedule changes. The pattern seems to be releasing a tentative calendar with limited operating hours at 180 days, then updating it a few weeks before the month starts. They waited until April 18th to finalize May's schedule.
I counted one day (July 6) in June, July, and August that did not have any EMHs. Where did you see more days with no EMHs?

You are correct. I missed the one day that only has AK in the morning. so yes, only one day without any EMH. I noticed my whole trip, there isn't a single night time MK EMH

 

[GrnMtnMan]

I noticed my whole trip, there isn't a single night time MK EMH

It must be just the way your trip falls...I'm guessing that Wednesday July 6 falls in there? I bet when the revised schedule comes out, an evening EMH at the MK is added, unless they extend regular park hours to 1 AM that week (see December 2015).

For May 1 through June 22, there's an evening EMH at the MK every Wednesday night. The next three weeks, there's MK evening EMHs on Sundays and Wednesday, except for July 6. Then the rest of July and August MK evening EMHs go back to Wednesdays.

 

[bobbiwoz]

We had lots of magic hours last week. Did not use them.

 

[AdamsMum]

They're tickin' me off. Our trip begins June 4th and they still haven't updated / finalized the hours yet for June either and we're down to a month. Still have MK closing at 10:00 & HS at 8:30. That's never been the case before for summer hours. I don't know what's up with the waiting for the last minute to update the park hours but IT SCREWS WITH EVERYTHING from scheduling FP's to making ADR's. You can't book things for past the current posted operating hours. Generally the summer hours are much later than this (usually MK is 11 or 12:00 and HS is 10:00) and you can schedule your FP's and ADR's later if you want. This is just frustrating as all get out to try to plan. OH and just last week they switched morning EMH's around between 2 parks on 2 days that first week in June!! People plan their parks based on this stuff - what a cruel joke to switch park days!! And THEY'RE the ones that made it so that you have to plan every minute of every day. Then they go & pull this kind of stuff. They FINALLY updated the AK park hours to 11:00 a week or so ago (in anticipation of all of the new evening events there). But they didn't immediately open late FP's. Had to keep checking back over & over & over again every day for evening safari times. And they still haven't said what time what the times will be for the new show(s). How can you plan evening FP's for something when you don't know what time you need to be available for a show?! It's a total cluster.

I agree with you, especially when park guests are doing all this planning because of Disney's change to fast pass plus a couple of years ago, and the fact that you have to plan for popular ADRs 180 days out. If they are going to use this to distribute guests throughout the parks then it isn't fair to change EMH at the last minute. I hope all goes well on your trip.

 

[luckyman_apd]

I agree with you, especially when park guests are doing all this planning because of Disney's change to fast pass plus a couple of years ago, and the fact that you have to plan for popular ADRs 180 days out. If they are going to use this to distribute guests throughout the parks then it isn't fair to change EMH at the last minute. I hope all goes well on your trip.

I also agree. With all the advanced planning they want you to do, the least they could do is give you all the info you need for that planning. We have stopped with all the advance dining and just stick to 1 or 2 reservations now. But as you can see, I'm trying to plan fp+ and EMH definitely helps us decide where to go what days.