Does Anybody Else Wish There Were More Parks Open Late??

[tinkermell]

Does anybody else wish there were more parks open late?? Good grief, I'm trying to plan our days to see all of the lights for Christmas at the parks and by the time I get my ADR's, the parks are about ready to close. You'd think during the holidays leading up to Christmas, they would stay open later. On Extra Evening Hours AK is open till 8:00, DS-11:00 (which we won't be there yet), EP-10:00 and MK-12:00. So unless you want to be with every resort guest at WDW on those nights you avoid those parks. So then you hit the ones that are only open till 8:00-9:30 over and over. I have a bunch of college age kids and me included that would like to hang around awhile!!! Are they trying to get us to DTD something??? We want to see the lights, ride the attractions, watch the parades and the shows....not so much DTD! Now don't get me wrong, we want to go to DTD, but we are coming from California to see the parks that we don't have. Sorry! I'm just getting frustrated trying to get everything in order! Thanks for listening!

 

[bytheblood]

In a word - YES!!!!

 

[DebbieB]

Epcot is midnight for EMH, actually might be 12:30 in December with regular closing at 9:30. Test Track, Mission Space, Soarin and Spaceship Earth stay open until 9:00 or 9:30 (whatever Illuminations time is) every night, so EMH is 3 hours after that.

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

In a word - YES!!!!

Ditto. We're more night people than morning people and basically the only option is to go to EMH at each park, along with the other bazillion resort guests doing the same. LOL

 

[twinkle]

I agree YES!!!

 

[imaaagination]

I definitely agree also. Is it just me, or did the parks used to stay open later years ago?

 

[xmelissax]

I wish they did too. I am NOT a morning person, especially on vacations and I like it when parks stay open till midnight. It's muchhhh better and the crowd load is better since it's more spaced out through the day.

 

[bicker]

I sure would prefer a 1pm - 10pm schedule than a 9am-6pm schedule, even though I'm a morning person (as you can tell from the time I'm posting this!) I suppose, though, even though the number of operating hours wouldn't change (since it makes sense that the number of operating hours match the number of guests), it is probably more expensive to operate at night, and beyond that I wonder if there are as many of us who would prefer such a shifted schedule, even for just one park each day.

 

[muffy0110]

does this for a reason-they do not want you to see everything
they want each person to ride between 6-7 rides and no more
than that-I know this because I took the Keys to the Kingdom
Tour

 

[bicker]

I'm not sure I understand how shifting the nine hours that a park is open in a day by four hours would mean folks could ride more rides... After all, it's the same amount of hours.

 

[We-Luv-Disney]

We plan on being at the gate/rope when the parks open but I still wish they were all open til 10 every night. I can understand AK not being open that late but the rest just don't make since.

 

[Mamu]

I always think that about the parks in December. Yet when your there there's plenty of things to see and do in the evenings. We were there last December and I can tell you we were out late every night. Most nights it was after midnight before we got back to our condo. Less then 10 minutes from the park.

All the resorts are open, in the evening and beautifully decorated, plus lots have great lounges. You also have The Boardwalk. Lots of evenings we would have a late dinner in Epcot, we would be the only ones leaving the park. As a matter of fact I think we closed most parks.

Yes there's pleny to see in the evenings.

 

[helenk]

I've gone the beginning of December twice and we are going a the same time this year.
The park hours are pretty much the same as they have been in the past, in fact the MK is open until 8:00 on the non MVMCP nights this year, whereas last year it was open until 7:00.
The crowds were light enough that we were able to do everything we wanted to do, MVMCP, the Osborne lights, the CandleLight Processional, Wishes, Spectro, Fantasmic as Illuminations.
With EMH in the evening the MK and MGM will be open until Midnight and Epcot until 12:30, and AK until 8:00. I think that is pretty good, last year we did not have the EMH evenings so I'm anxious to see how it will work out this year.

 

[tinkermell]

OK. I thought I read that for Epcot the closing hour was at 7:00 regular time, so that means 10:00. At first I thought it was 12:30 also, but then the schedule said Future World's closing??? Please tell me they do go by World Showcases' time. That would be so nice.
Thanks for your input so far!

 

[graygables]

fewer crowds+less money spent+higher electric use (lights)=shorter staff hours and the parks close earlier. It all boils down to economics. I'm trying to plan and refuse to be sucked into another evening EMH (last one I went to was DREADFUL), so I'm saving things like ADRs at resorts or visting the Adventurer's Club on the days we visit early-closing parks. Just another reason I love Epcot...makes me feel like I've gotten some value for my park ticket!

 

[helenk]

OK. I thought I read that for Epcot the closing hour was at 7:00 regular time, so that means 10:00. At first I thought it was 12:30 also, but then the schedule said Future World's closing??? Please tell me they do go by World Showcases' time. That would be so nice.
Thanks for your input so far!

Because there is a variety of FW attractions and WS attractions open it would appear the the EMH would begin with the closing of WS. Here is list of some of the times that the shows are open during EMH. This is from themeparks.com

Thursday EVENINGS - Epcot:
Attractions Open: American Adventure (9:45, 10:30 & 11:15), Circle of Life, El Rio del Tiempo, Honey I Shrunk the Audience (9, 9:30, 10, 10:30, 11 & 11:30pm), Journey into Imagination with Figment, Living with the Land, Maelstrom, Mission: SPACE, O Canada!, Soarin', Spaceship Earth & Test Track. Kidcot Fun Spots (9pm - 11pm). Dining Offerings (Hours will Vary): Epcot International Food & Wine Kiosks, Bistro de Paris (Limited seatings), Boulangerie Pâtisserie, Cantina de San Angel, Chefs de France (Limited seatings), Electic Umbrella, Harry Ramsden, Kringla Bakeri Og Kafé, L'Originale Alfredo di Roma Ristorante (Limited seatings), Lotus Blossom Café, Mitsukoshi Restaurant Tepanyaki Dining Room (Limited seatings), Outpost, Refreshment Port, Rose & Crown Pub & Dining Room (Limited seatings), San Angel Inn (Limited seatings), Sommerfest, Sunshine Seasons, Tangierine Cafe, Takitori House.
..
Spaceship Earth, Test Track, Mission Space and Soarin are generally open until Epcot closes...in December it closes at 9:30 because of the Candlelight processional, the remainder of the year it closes at 9:00

 

[The Sweetness]

Sounds like a win/ win to me. More hours copuld make touring more relaxing, and people could choose their timing more to their taste. Also, more hours, as long as people stayed, means more $$$ for them. More shopping, eating etc

Maybe I just simplify things too much

 

[bicker]

It is that nasty MONEY stuff that always gets in the way of great ideas like that!

 

[tinkermell]

Because there is a variety of FW attractions and WS attractions open it would appear the the EMH would begin with the closing of WS. Here is list of some of the times that the shows are open during EMH. This is from themeparks.com

Thursday EVENINGS - Epcot:
Attractions Open: American Adventure (9:45, 10:30 & 11:15), Circle of Life, El Rio del Tiempo, Honey I Shrunk the Audience (9, 9:30, 10, 10:30, 11 & 11:30pm), Journey into Imagination with Figment, Living with the Land, Maelstrom, Mission: SPACE, O Canada!, Soarin', Spaceship Earth & Test Track. Kidcot Fun Spots (9pm - 11pm). Dining Offerings (Hours will Vary): Epcot International Food & Wine Kiosks, Bistro de Paris (Limited seatings), Boulangerie Pâtisserie, Cantina de San Angel, Chefs de France (Limited seatings), Electic Umbrella, Harry Ramsden, Kringla Bakeri Og Kafé, L'Originale Alfredo di Roma Ristorante (Limited seatings), Lotus Blossom Café, Mitsukoshi Restaurant Tepanyaki Dining Room (Limited seatings), Outpost, Refreshment Port, Rose & Crown Pub & Dining Room (Limited seatings), San Angel Inn (Limited seatings), Sommerfest, Sunshine Seasons, Tangierine Cafe, Takitori House.
..
Spaceship Earth, Test Track, Mission Space and Soarin are generally open until Epcot closes...in December it closes at 9:30 because of the Candlelight processional, the remainder of the year it closes at 9:00

Thanks for the hours for Epcot. Glad to see they do stay open later! Now I just have to decide if it is worth it to go there???

 

[LlamaKuzco]

Anyone remember when the MK was open until midnight every day during the summer and EMH were until 3 AM. Those were the days.