Disneyland Hours????/Disneyland questions??

[Bob O]

Whats up with the park hours for Disneyland??? I read on another site that DL will only be open from 10am to 600pm on weekdays the first week of Dec. Is this normal for the park?? And didnt they announce awhile ago they were getting rid of the EE perk but were going to open the park earlier for all guests, is that the case or been abandonded??
Ive heard it is real busy on week ends which will have longer hours so will we be able to see aot more on week days even though the hours are shorter??? Is it even dark enough when the park closes to see the fireworks at 545pm??

 

[Michelle]

Typically it is DCA that is open from 10:00 to 6:00 in the off season on weekdays; Disneyland is usually open from 10:00 to 8:00 on weekdays. I wouldn't panic yet, Disneyland's hours change all the time and are far from official for December.

Uh, and not to burst your bubble about the fireworks but generally DL does not run them at all in the off season. They do the Parade of the Stars daily and Fantasmic on Friday and Saturday nights, but no fireworks (except perhaps during holidays). At DCA there are no parades during the week and the Electrical Parade generally runs Friday-Sunday.

As for the early entry, yep they HAD been opening DL an hour earlier every day but with 10:00 am openings that's definitely not an hour earlier than last year.

Time will tell what the official scoop is for December!

 

[Planogirl]

Webmaster Michelle, do you know if Disneyland has always had such short hours during offtimes or has this been a fairly recent thing? I don't mind it really except for the lack of fireworks. I'll have to keep that in mind for all future trips.

 

[WDW2002]

Maybe I am mistaken but I believe thought (at least in 2001) that believe in Holiday Magic was daily??

 

[Bob O]

Thanks for the info Michelle!! The schedule lists holiday fireworks every night.
A couple of more questions How busy is friday as compared to a Wed. The park is supposed to be open 4 hrs later on a friday but would the increased attendance not make it worthwhile??
Also what is Minnie's Christmas party?? and Calling all scouts, a Buzz lightyear adventure??

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

<font color=navy>Last year when we were there, they showed the fireworks every weekend during the off season (and it could very well have been a daily show - I seem to remember that). In fact, after the 9/11 tragedy, they had a special patriotic fireworks show - I saw it from Downtown Disney, but when I was at Disneyland the first weekend in November they already did the holiday fireworks show - I had missed the patriotic show by one weekend.

Bob, expect Friday to be a bit more crowded in the afternoon due to the number of locals who go, but it won't be a significant number, and in my opinion, adds more to the ambience of fun at the park. Wait times should still be reasonable on Friday.

We won't know until Disney releases the info what their plans are, as they change from season to season and from year to year.

Bob - the only thing I really recommend for the hours and such is to do It's a Small World early in the day. The attraction is so beautiful at night and you're looking at a 2 hour wait and at least 20 minutes in the Fastpass line.... I think the same goes for the Haunted Mansion, as it also will be set up in holiday fashion.

Last year, we drove to Disneyland to go on the Haunted Mansion. We got there @ 7:40, and had enough time to run to the Mansion, ride the attraction, and then go home (I didn't know the park closed at 8pm ) It was during the week, and there wasn't a big line ... but that was off-season, sometime in October, I think.

Minnie's Christmas Party is a show that Minnie and friends put on - musical - Buzz Lightyear is another show that plays at Tomorrowland.

 

[Sonya in Boise]

I have heard that the park is closing at 6:00pm the first week in Dec due to private parties after closing.

Friday Dec 6th is 9:00am - 10:00 pm
Saturday Dec 7th 8:00 an - mid
Sunday Dec 8th 9:00am - 10:00pm

These hours are per the website and of course can change without notice.

 

[Michelle]

That's good to hear about the holiday fireworks schedule, I hope they do continue with that. They just don't currently have fireworks schedule in October at all.

Mary Jo has some GREAT suggestions for you, Bob, definitely do see the Holiday IASW and Haunted Mansion Holiday as early in the day as possible.

 

[mickey4ver]

Michelle, sorry to always be the "question" person here..but you mentioned no schedule of fireworks in October. Are you saying, their is no schedule "yet" or they just are not scheduling/having them in October?

Thanks

 

[Sonya in Boise]

I have read that there will not be any fireworks until the "holiday" events start, some time early Nov (I think). We are going in Oct and are not planning on seeing any fireworks. But they are listed on the schedule every day we go in early Dec.

 

[mickey4ver]

 

[Michelle]

Right, what Sonya said, mickey4ver. The October hours are out and there are no fireworks at all on the schedule, sorry!

 

[mickey4ver]

Thanks again for the info. I did go to the DL site and see that the Electrical Parade will be happening and Fantasmic while we are there, so we will get to take our little one to something special!

 

[Bob O]

Does IASW have the same capciaty at DL as wdw and also for HM?? Both rides can usually go thru a lot of people so would their be that long of a line on a weeday in early dec, or on the first friday of the month. Where she we be to see the fireworks show??
In regards to hours MOn/Tues/Thurs thje parek is open till 600pm, 800pm on Wed and 10pm on Friday in the first week of dec. Will rides be almost walk ons on a thursday as compared to a Friday when the park is opne later??
Thanks for all the help!!

 

[ivanova]

Regardless of day of the week, I would expect lines at the Haunted Mansion during the holiday season ... this year something "new" will appear (starting on Sundays) every week, driving repeat business thru the roof (or so hopes DL mgmt).

IASW will reopen in it's Xmas splendor on 11/08, and that's when they'll supposedly roll out the FastPass system for IASW (not a FP ride year round) because it too has constant lines regardless of day of the week.