Do park hours change after they are posted?

[ncbyrne]

I read on another post, that park hours are likely to change even though they are posted on the WDW website. Today the August calendar is out that lists the EH days. (Still don't know which is a.m./p.m.) How do you make firm ADRs without knowing which park you will be in, when the park of the day will depend on which has EE? How likely, and how often are the hours and extra hours days to change before August?

 

[bicker]

Park hours do change after posted, sometimes being extended, and occasionally being reduced. You make your reservations based on the best information you have at the time, and then respond to any changes that occur when you learn of them. If you want to be especially precise, you can monitor the hours periodically, so you learn of changes soon after they're made known. Otherwise, you can just make whatever changes are necessary when you arrive at WDW and receive the official printed hours. You may have fewer choices available, but as long as you're adequately flexible that won't be a problem.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

The hours DO change, and they usually change on short notice. Like they will leave those hours up for several months, then as you get to be about 2 weeks from arrival they change them. VERY frustrating!

We only do the morning EMH, so hopefully they will leave that alone. I partly based my plans on what last year's hours were, and then firmed them up with what they posted for this year. I did do a survey from Disney where they asked how far in advance I plan, and I made it very clear that I plan as soon as my booking windows open. Changes after the fact make me very angry. Maybe if enough people responded that way they will try to minimize juggling the hours around!

It is a huge pain if you have a dinner ADR and then they pop the fireworks back to an hour earlier.

 

[Pete W.]

Hours change all the time based on anticipated crowd levels. They even change on the actual day -- I've seen signs near the park entrances saying things like "the Magic Kingdom will be open until 11pm tonight" even though the posted time was 10pm.

They're publishing anticipated park hours 6 months in advance now because everyone wants to see them before making their ADRs, but the hours may be nothing more than "best guesses."

 

[disneysnowflake]

In 2005 we had MK as having Morning EMH. The bus was full going to MK around 7:15am. After we got to MK we were all told that the night before morning EMH was changed from MK to AK even though evening EMH was at AK the night before. None of the full bus knew about the change.

They did allow us into the park at 8am, but we had to stay in Tomorrowland, which was fine with DS because Buzz is his favorite ride. It was his 12th birthday, so we rode Buzz 12 times in a row. Then we moved onto Fantasyland as soon as it was 9am.

From now on I'll check daily to see what the EMH parks are.

 

[irishbosoxfan]

We just got back and all the EMH was changed except for 2 of the days!!

It was maddening and we were not the only ones who got bit by it but our luck was that we had made most of our ADRs for hotel restaurants!

 

[Jill Schwartz]

At the start of each and every touring plan, the Unoffical Guide tells you in step 1: The night before call Disney at (and gives the phone number) to confirm park hours. In the narrative it describes how Disney very often changes things up based on up to the minute hotel occupancy data, etc.
Jill