Hollywood Studios - October 20

[Sherlee]

As my planned week in October posts park hours, I am checking daily as each date is posted. Today October 20 became available. I noticed HS shows a closing at 6:00 pm and the other days have all been 8:00 pm. Last year the huge Gartner IT conference bought out Magic Kingdom on this same day. Do you suppose they have a HS buyout this year?

 

[Kaadk]

It's possible, but unless you're at the conference, I doubt it makes a difference who specifically bought it out. Either way, they're now closed at 6.

 

[DaisyNY]

Thanks for the heads up...we're hoping to be there in October and had DHS scheduled for 10/20...going to flip our EP and DHS days now.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Do you suppose they have a HS buyout this year?

The date certainly lines up with the scheduled 10/18-10/22 conference dates this year.

 

[GeneralTso]

I don't think the parks will be open in October. That's just me.
I also have a trip planned that starts October 25. I'm very pessimistic that this will happen. Disappointing, but I get it.

 

[Disneyfan754321]

When we went in March the park was super full... lines for bathrooms and all but by 6 half the park had left.
I guess all those people that got up at 6am were tired and left. We left at noon and went back at 3.
No matter what no worries... unless you were trying for fantasmic or the starwars night show
( sorry i cant remember the name think its galactic something)

 

[gharter]

Saw the same thing. We had planned to do HS that day.
May have to rethink our plan.
Still have time before our ADR date.

 

[TomorrowlandKD]

I don't think the parks will be open in October. That's just me.
I also have a trip planned that starts October 25. I'm very pessimistic that this will happen. Disappointing, but I get it.

I have a trip starting around then too. I'm trying to optimistic!

 

[GoofyDad_4427]

Thanks for the heads up...we're hoping to be there in October and had DHS scheduled for 10/20...going to flip our EP and DHS days now.

i'd think twice about doing that. With the early close, I can almost guarantee that day will be the least crowded DHS day that week by quite a large margin. Most other people will do what you are thinking of doing. It's just like when MK closes early for the Halloween parties, it makes the park extremely less crowded that day.

 

[Kaadk]

i'd think twice about doing that. With the early close, I can almost guarantee that day will be the least crowded DHS day that week by quite a large margin. Most other people will do what you are thinking of doing. It's just like when MK closes early for the Halloween parties, it makes the park extremely less crowded that day.

I would think that could depend on wether or not they have Park Hopper options (either with a ticket add-on or AP). Without hopping available, picking a park that closes early is a poor choice, as you're short-changing yourself. With PH options, then yes, hitting an early close park in the morning is a good choice, due to the limited crowds of people who don't have PH options.

 

[buzzgirls&dad]

There's a MNSSHP on the 20th as well so AK and Epcot will be busy both day and night.

 

[DaisyNY]

EP is listed as having EMH 9-11 pm...it's our last night so we'll keep the little one up late!

 

[0FF TO NEVERLAND]

I don't think the people at Disney are thinking about the park hours at this moment, so I would take the hours with a grain of salt for now. They change all the time

 

[GoofyDad_4427]

I would think that could depend on wether or not they have Park Hopper options (either with a ticket add-on or AP). Without hopping available, picking a park that closes early is a poor choice, as you're short-changing yourself. With PH options, then yes, hitting an early close park in the morning is a good choice, due to the limited crowds of people who don't have PH options.

I disagree 100% with this. You will get much more done in this short day then you will in a full day with a much larger crowd.

 

[Kaadk]

I disagree 100% with this. You will get much more done in this short day then you will in a full day with a much larger crowd.

Depends on your goals. My wife's #1 favourite thing at WDW is Fantasmic! For us, going to DHS on a day that we have to leave by 6, doesn't work. Yes, if you're only focused on hitting the rides, then you'll hit more rides with lower crowds then larger crowds. But if you want to see the nighttime shows (Fantasmic!, HEA, whatever they're calling the thing that replaced Illuminations..., etc...) then planning a short change day at that park means you'll miss out out those. If we have PH, then we can hit DHS in the morning, then hop over to another park to see that parks nighttime show. Or, if we had large number of park days, and were planning on double hitting that park, then sure. But if that was my only day in that park, that means there's nighttime entertainment I'm missing out on by having to leave early.

 

[GoofyDad_4427]

Depends on your goals. My wife's #1 favourite thing at WDW is Fantasmic! For us, going to DHS on a day that we have to leave by 6, doesn't work. Yes, if you're only focused on hitting the rides, then you'll hit more rides with lower crowds then larger crowds. But if you want to see the nighttime shows (Fantasmic!, HEA, whatever they're calling the thing that replaced Illuminations..., etc...) then planning a short change day at that park means you'll miss out out those. If we have PH, then we can hit DHS in the morning, then hop over to another park to see that parks nighttime show. Or, if we had large number of park days, and were planning on double hitting that park, then sure. But if that was my only day in that park, that means there's nighttime entertainment I'm missing out on by having to leave early.

Excellent point. I have boys 13 and 10. The nighttime shows are not important to us. I can see where it would be very important to others though.

 

[Bullseye]

I don't think the parks will be open in October. That's just me.
I also have a trip planned that starts October 25. I'm very pessimistic that this will happen. Disappointing, but I get it.

Actually we rescheduled from May to that week in October. I just bought tickets to MNSSHP for the 10/20 party last night. I'm going to stay optimistic until at least late August before I start believing October is not going to happen. Was definitely puzzled why HS was only open until 6PM, figured it had to be some kind of private event.

 

[Shanazam]

We were at MK last year the day of the conference, it was great! We actually only had about 5 hours because we had mid-day magic tickets, but got to ride everything we wanted to (all of the mountains, Pirates, Haunted Mansion.. a few others that are escaping my memory right now). I have never seen the park that empty. I would do it again in a heartbeat!