Is Disney Really Cutting Hours?

[Lesverts]

It has been the almost unchallenged narrative here over the past couple of months that Disney is cutting hours at Walt Disney World compared to the previous summer.

I am here to challenge that narrative.

Comparing June 2015 and June 2016 is as follows:

All numbers posted are for regular operating hours, no EMM or EMH

June 2015
Magic Kingdom: 467 hours
Disney's Hollywood Studios: 396 hours
Epcot: 360 hours
Animal Kingdom: 300 hours
Total Hours: 1523

June 2016
Magic Kingdom: 435 hours
Disney's Hollywood Studios: 380 hours
Epcot: 360 hours
Animal Kingdom: 420 hours
Total Hours: 1595

Magic Kingdom experienced a 6.85% decline in hours year-over-year
Disney's Hollywood Studios experienced a 4.04% decline year-over-year
Epcot experienced no change year-over-year
Animal Kingdom experienced a 40% increase year-over year

Total Park Hours experienced a 4.79% increase year-over-year

So for people traveling in June there was an addition 73 hours of park time available to them over the course of the month with only noticeable declines in Magic Kingdom to offset the remarkable increase in hours available at Animal Kingdom. Some could argue that those hours were premature without a fully functional evening show and Pandora, but that is not the point of this post.

Sources were undercover tourist and the official Disney calendar.

It is also notable that park hours for DHS didn't decline as much as you would have expected given the number of closures and no Star Wars Weekends. SWW added 6 hours of extra park time over the two weeks in June 2015.

 

[Shanti]

It has been the almost unchallenged narrative here over the past couple of months that Disney is cutting hours at Walt Disney World compared to the previous summer.

I am here to challenge that narrative.

Comparing June 2015 and June 2016 is as follows:

All numbers posted are for regular operating hours, no EMM or EMH

June 2015
Magic Kingdom: 467 hours
Disney's Hollywood Studios: 396 hours
Epcot: 360 hours
Animal Kingdom: 300 hours
Total Hours: 1523

June 2016
Magic Kingdom: 435 hours
Disney's Hollywood Studios: 380 hours
Epcot: 360 hours
Animal Kingdom: 420 hours
Total Hours: 1595

Magic Kingdom experienced a 6.85% decline in hours year-over-year
Disney's Hollywood Studios experienced a 4.04% decline year-over-year
Epcot experienced no change year-over-year
Animal Kingdom experienced a 40% increase year-over year

Total Park Hours experienced a 4.79% increase year-over-year

So for people traveling in June there was an addition 73 hours of park time available to them over the course of the month with only noticeable declines in Magic Kingdom to offset the remarkable increase in hours available at Animal Kingdom. Some could argue that those hours were premature without a fully functional evening show and Pandora, but that is not the point of this post.

Sources were undercover tourist and the official Disney calendar.

It is also notable that park hours for DHS didn't decline as much as you would have expected given the number of closures and no Star Wars Weekends. SWW added 6 hours of extra park time over the two weeks in June 2015.

1. The Magic Kingdom is by far the most popular and crowded park, and cutting hours there has a miserable effect that extended hours at AK cannot compensate for.

2. MK used to regularly close at midnight in summer- now it's 10 or 11pm. Only being able to tour in daytime heat puts a huge damper on summer visits.

3. Extra Magic Hours have been whittled down over the past several years, as well.

 

[jhoannam]

It doesn't matter how you spin it adding 40 hours at AK does not make up for cutting 32 hours at MK. Why are people so eager to make excuses for Disney?

 

[Lesverts]

It doesn't matter how you spin it adding 40 hours at AK does not make up for cutting 32 hours at MK. Why are people so eager to make excuses for Disney?

120 hours actually, not 40. Huge difference. It isn't making an excuse. It is challenging the notions here that Disney is cutting when it is the furthest thing from the truth. Hard numbers show that Disney is adding hours overall. They just are at different parks. Did Disney over-estimate the demand for evening AK? Probably. But it doesn't change the fact that when Disney was planning their hours for the summer they had to find a way to balance the incredible increase in hours at AK with the other parks.

Hard numbers don't lie. 73 additional hours don't lie. You are spinning it to defend your emotional response by make excuses for the complainers and concentrating solely on the Magic Kingdom.

Also to Shanti's point. 2 days out of 61 is Magic Kingdom closing before 11pm in June and July this year. 2. I hardly call that regularly.

 

[Angel Ariel]

Also to Shanti's point. 2 days out of 61 is Magic Kingdom closing before 11pm in June and July this year. 2. I hardly call that regularly.

The "regularly" in Shanti's post was in reference to midnight, not 11pm.

2. MK used to regularly close at midnight in summer- now it's 10pm. Only being able to tour in daytime heat puts a huge damper on summer visits.

According to wdwinfo's calendar from June and July 2015, there were only 2 days total during that time where MK closed prior to midnight. In June and July 2016 there are 56 days where MK is closing prior to midnight. That is absolutely closing "regularly" prior to midnight in June/July 2016.

 

[lovethattink]

Please remember to keep it friendly. Everyone is entitled to their feelings about how the change in hours affects them personally. It's fine to disagree, but please don't turn it into an argument.

 

[jhoannam]

Fine I was way off... but what is the logic to cutting the hours of the busiest park? They want to shift crowds to another park then add more attractions, and you can argue that they did, but it looks like they completely failed! They should have accepted their failure, eaten the cost and extended the hours at MK.

 

[mister morrow]

AK usually closes around 5 or 6 so extending it to 11 is fine in my perspective.
MK "had its chance to shine" for a long time and i think it's fair enough to say that AK's extended time is not messing up the equilibrium that some of you think there is.
I am not for or against any park, but I think that there is no problem adding hours to a park that is usually closing 5 and 6 hours earlier.

 

[Angel Ariel]

Did Disney over-estimate the demand for evening AK? Probably.

I don't think they so much over-estimated the demand as they did under-deliver on the product, and that has then turned into less demand. Stuff happens, and that's understandable, but it's within Disney's power to recognize the lack of demand and revise the hours if they choose to, and clearly they aren't. That's their prerogative, of course.

 

[Lesverts]

The "regularly" in Shanti's post was in reference to midnight, not 11pm.


According to wdwinfo's calendar from June and July 2015, there were only 2 days total during that time where MK closed prior to midnight. In June and July 2016 there are 56 days where MK is closing prior to midnight. That is absolutely closing "regularly" prior to midnight in June/July 2016.

Shanti wrote regularly close at midnight, now 10pm. I was challenging the now 10pm. I was merely pointing out that was furthest form the truth. My post makes no bones that MK is closing early. Before 11pm includes 10pm closes.

Fine I was way off... but what is the logic to cutting the hours of the busiest park? They want to shift crowds to another park then add more attractions, and you can argue that they did, but it looks like they completely failed! They should have accepted their failure, eaten the cost and extended the hours at MK.

Can't say I disagree with you that Disney should have reversed course when it wasn't working. But that is not the point of my post. It was hard numbers. Not looking at motivation or insight. But if you add perspective to the argument. Disney is even more justified in closing MK earlier because attendance is just not there. I think this is why Disney is taking so long to update park hours now. We are seeing unprecedented summer discounts for on property hotels. That should be a clear indicator that the demand for nightly midnight closing is not there. And I am guessing Disney is eating a lot of costs associated with AK right now. I can't imagine all the extra work for the Jungle Book show and ROL, plus paying hundreds of cast members to pretty much just stand in shops that are getting no business.

 

[Angel Ariel]

I am not for or against any park, but I think that there is no problem adding hours to a park that is usually closing 5 and 6 hours earlier.

I think the question for many is whether or not AK is offering 5 or 6 hours worth of attractions during that extended time, with the amount of attractions that still close at 5 or 6pm.

We have done AK at night, and it is beautiful. ANd EE is a totally different experience at night, which was awesome. But there wasn't 5 or 6 hours worth of attractions open past when the animal attractions close.

Once Pandora is open, that's an entirely different story.

 

[Angel Ariel]

Shanti wrote regularly close at midnight, now 10pm. I was challenging the now 10pm. I was merely pointing out that was furthest form the truth. My post makes no bones that MK is closing early. Before 11pm includes 10pm closes.

And I'm challenging the statement that it only closes twice before 11pm.

According to wdwinfo's calendar, MK closes at 10pm every night in July 2016. (not including EMH, just regular closing time). That's "regularly closing at 10pm," IMO.

 

[AngiTN]

It doesn't matter how you spin it adding 40 hours at AK does not make up for cutting 32 hours at MK. Why are people so eager to make excuses for Disney?

My question is why are people so eager to hate on Disney

 

[mister morrow]

I think the question for many is whether or not AK is offering 5 or 6 hours worth of attractions during that extended time, with the amount of attractions that still close at 5 or 6pm.

We have done AK at night, and it is beautiful. ANd EE is a totally different experience at night, which was awesome. But there wasn't 5 or 6 hours worth of attractions open past when the animal attractions close.

Once Pandora is open, that's an entirely different story.

i completely agree.
now, with the addition of hour to AK. it gives us the benefit to enjoy other disney amenities while being able to visit AK; that is usually closing during the evening. I guess Disney tried to mix things up a bit, but clearly caused controversy. but hey, some people can't be pleased.

 

[Disney mac]

Fine I was way off... but what is the logic to cutting the hours of the busiest park? They want to shift crowds to another park then add more attractions, and you can argue that they did, but it looks like they completely failed! They should have accepted their failure, eaten the cost and extended the hours at MK.

Cutting hours is an effort to push customers to Disney springs to spend more money. All Disney springs is is a place to spend.
As for "shifting", AK is almost a ghost town at night. The other night, rode EE 6 times in 40 min. Kids loved it, but it was empty in the park. HS was empty for the most part, except for the annoying chanting 15 year olds during Star Wars fireworks.

 

[AngiTN]

Somehow we can find more than enough hours outside the heat of the day to enjoy all the parks now. Before AK's hours got extended, that was much more difficult. I, for one, am very happy to see the late night hours at AK and am shocked folks say there is nothing to do. We had no problems filling our night there.

 

[Disney mac]

My question is why are people so eager to hate on Disney

It's pretty obvious. People hate on things they feel like they are getting less value than they normally have been used to. It's gotten very expensive.

 

[Angel Ariel]

And I'm challenging the statement that it only closes twice before 11pm.

According to wdwinfo's calendar, MK closes at 10pm every night in July 2016. (not including EMH, just regular closing time). That's "regularly closing at 10pm," IMO.

I decided to take a look at touring plans, and it appears that wdwinfo's calendar is not up to date. So I apologize for my incorrect data. I figured halfway into the month their calendar for the current month would be up to date, but it appears that somewhere along the line Disney changed the hours to 11pm. Perhaps that is similar information that Shanti was seeing, and where the "regularly closing at 10pm" comment came from as well.

 

[Lesverts]

I think the question for many is whether or not AK is offering 5 or 6 hours worth of attractions during that extended time, with the amount of attractions that still close at 5 or 6pm.

We have done AK at night, and it is beautiful. ANd EE is a totally different experience at night, which was awesome. But there wasn't 5 or 6 hours worth of attractions open past when the animal attractions close.

Once Pandora is open, that's an entirely different story.

https://www.undercovertourist.com/orlando/crowd-calendar/

And I just noticed your new response.

 

[Angel Ariel]

Somehow we can find more than enough hours outside the heat of the day to enjoy all the parks now. Before AK's hours got extended, that was much more difficult. I, for one, am very happy to see the late night hours at AK and am shocked folks say there is nothing to do. We had no problems filling our night there.

For the record, I didn't say there was "nothing" to do, I questioned whether there was 6 hours worth of attractions to do. Perhaps that has changed with the new summer offerings, but on our November 2014 trip there was not 6 hours worth of attractions open after sunset when the animal attractions and the shows closed down.