Decreased Summer Hours at MK; Increased Summer Hours at AK: Even Trade?

[JimmyV]

Disney has decreased hours this summer at the MK. A typical night now ends at 11:00. Last June, the park was open every night until at least midnight not including EMH. At the same time, it introduced longer hours at AK with some but not all attractions open, but with new entertainment options. Assuming that we cannot have both longer hours at the MK and AK, and instead have to be limited to one or the other, which would you choise?

 

[cornflkgrl]

I wish there were a happy medium. I wish they could do a midnight close at MK like twice a week + an EMH night (seems to be one EMH night scheduled for our week there) and have AK close at like 10 instead of 11. I like the later hours over there and I'm excited for it to be open past 5 or 6 but because MK is so crowded in the summer and we spend very little time out during the day (medical issues/sun/heat) we really want to utilize the night time hours at MK to avoid heat and crowds and able to ride some rides that are outside (dumbo) in the sun.

 

[cornflkgrl]

Btw, I voted more MK. Even though I love AK.

 

[JimmyV]

Btw, I voted more MK. Even though I love AK.

We love AK too. But our 3 favorite things there are the Safari, the Maharajah Jungle Trek and Gorilla Falls. The first is open at night but a big downgrade from the daytime experience, and the latter two are not open at night. So the late night hours at AK do nothing for us.

 

[PrincessWithABlaster]

There is just so much more to do at MK. We don't park hop and even with our afternoon nap beaks we get in most of what we want at AK so later doesn't really appeal (although I do wish ROL would open). I'd like the hours to be a little later 8 or 9 at AK, but I feel like there is a lot more value at MK.

 

[loves to dive]

I don't normally stay that late at MK so 11 is fine with me and I'd love to see AK at night.

 

[rabidstoat]

If you go to AK at night, be sure to catch the light/laser show that's projected on the Tree of Life! I don't think it has set times but it seems to be at least once an hour. I also found that the safari just before dusk was nice for animal activity. And I'm in the minority of people who enjoyed the Jungle Book show.

Gotta say, I loved the extended hours around the 4th of July. On the 3rd MK was open until 1am (okay, so I suppose that was technically 1am on the 4th), and EMH went until 3am! I was there solo, so my schedule looked like:

• 7/2: 8am until 10pm doing AK, EPCOT, and DHS (exhausting day, I walked almost 15 miles!)
• 7/3: Slept until almost noon. Had lunch and a massage, then did AK and MK from 3pm to 3am and saw pretty much everything!
• 7/4: Slept until noon, then did lunch at the pool and slow-rolled into the MK around 4pm. I wanted to mostly avoid the crowds at the parks on the 4th, but I had snagged Be Our Guest dinner reservations and Seven Dwarf Mine Train FP so I had to go! Very crowded, I tried to escape before the fireworks but no luck, and getting back to the resort afterward was a nightmare.

 

[lady_hlh]

Not enough to do at night at AK, we would much rather stay until after midnight at MK. I don't even know if we'll bother going to AK at night, we'll probably spend more time at SAB at night when we're at YC at the end of August.

 

[mister morrow]

Animal Kingdom deserves it- it's probably the most underrated park at disney world

 

[DisneyFive]

IMO, Disney needed to add hours to AK regardless due to crowds and how they've built the last 5 years. When you look at it that way, MK should have kept it's later hours AND AK should have increased theirs like they have.

So, no, it's not a fair trade, but I don't look at it that way (as a trade). To me, we are simply getting MK hours ripped away from us.

Dan

 

[tony67]

To me, we are simply getting MK hours ripped away from us.

Dan

I skipped Disney last year for the first time in a while, but I am booking a trip for this year and have to agree.

There is almost always at least one night where MK is open till 1 AM with EMH, but not this year...it is 8-10PM..the hours may change, but I doubt it.

 

[HM]

I actually feel happy for the CMs that work at Magic Kingdom not having to be there past 3 on EMH nights.

We didn't need the later hours at MK two weeks ago.

 

[tony67]

I actually feel happy for the CMs that work at Magic Kingdom not having to be there past 3 on EMH nights.

Some of them might want those hours when they see their paycheck though. There is no guarantee they will just get more hours somewhere else..more likely they just get less hours and less $s in their pockets...but that is just a guess

We didn't need the later hours at MK two weeks ago.

I'm sure there are a lot of people who don't take advantage of those late nights..but there are plenty that do


To me it is all the little cuts here and there in my perceived value as the price of admission continues to go up and up.
Extra hours at AK are not equal to extra hours at MK IMO - it might be cool to do Everest later at night but other than that we will see

 

[lady_hlh]

We're not rope drop people, my hubby sleeps late and teens are hard to get up early. So with the heat in August we really need the late EMHs because we take a break during the middle of the day. Not late EMH at AK as the previous poster said those are not the same as late EMH at MK.

 

[Farro]

For us it's great, AK is beautiful at night and AK and MK are our favorite parks.

 

[Mikie]

I love AK and definitely not in the "half-day park" camp, but I have always done it justice between about 10-4 or 5. Although I am excited to see the things already added (street performers, Tree of Light, Jungle Book) and do EE and safari at night, at the moment, that just isn't 6 more hours of things to do. We have generally been open-ish to until-we-poop-out visitors, so we don't hop and we don't take long midday breaks. Longer hours at AK really don't currently translate into the kind of park day we do. It seems like I'd just shift my existing AK hours from day to evening, but we're not the type to hang out at the pool half the day waiting for park time. In my case, I say it's not an even trade - but that could definitely be different when Pandora arrives.

 

[HM]

Some of them might want those hours when they see their paycheck though. There is no guarantee they will just get more hours somewhere else..more likely they just get less hours and less $s in their pockets...but that is just a guess


I'm sure there are a lot of people who don't take advantage of those late nights..but there are plenty that do


To me it is all the little cuts here and there in my perceived value as the price of admission continues to go up and up.
Extra hours at AK are not equal to extra hours at MK IMO - it might be cool to do Everest later at night but other than that we will see

Oh, I agree that they are cutting back. I also don't think AK nights are equal to MK nights. I am not going back to Disney until after DHS has opened their new area and Pandora is open in AK. I'm hoping that the prices don't jump so much that we decide even then it's not worth it.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

Given the choice I'd much rather have the longer hours at MK. With the unrelenting heat during the summer, MK really should be open until at least 12 every night. People need to be encouraged to take a break in the afternoon if they wish, not feel pressed by limited hours. I think that makes for happier, healthier, more satisfied guests. JMO

 

[jade1]

jimmyv do we mean longer hours at MK and closing AK at 6 or 7 like last year? Or the extra hour on average at MK and AK still is open at night?

In other words no more AK nights going forward?

 

[DisneyFive]

I love AK and definitely not in the "half-day park" camp, but I have always done it justice between about 10-4 or 5. Although I am excited to see the things already added (street performers, Tree of Light, Jungle Book) and do EE and safari at night, at the moment, that just isn't 6 more hours of things to do. We have generally been open-ish to until-we-poop-out visitors, so we don't hop and we don't take long midday breaks. Longer hours at AK really don't currently translate into the kind of park day we do. It seems like I'd just shift my existing AK hours from day to evening, but we're not the type to hang out at the pool half the day waiting for park time. In my case, I say it's not an even trade - but that could definitely be different when Pandora arrives.

This pretty much sums up our thoughts EXACTLY. This year, AK is in the middle of our 9 night stay so we are going to use this as either a sleep in day or a day to do the water parks in the morning. We are shifting our AK visit to the evening/night in order to experience the new thing at night. In fact our first FP+ isn't until 6:30pm!

Dan