July Hours really cut back from 2008

[D.DUCKMENOW]

Wake up. why should i buy a park hopper if your are going to slash hours this summer.

 

[bicker]

Because you know you love the place, and you cannot live without it.

 

[buffettgirl]

Wake up. why should i buy a park hopper if your are going to slash hours this summer.

for us a park hopper allows us to have dinner wherever we want. Our schedule generally focuses on the mornings for rides and actual park time, and then the evenings for dinner and walking around time. We generally don't count on rides at night - if we get a few in, bonus. And it also seems to break up the day better if we're not revisiting what we did in the AM, if we're starting fresh at dinner in a new park.

I think it's just personal preference.

 

[DebbieB]

Um, Epcot had not been open until 10 pm in the last two and a half years that I have worked here, including the summer, and I close most EMH nights.

And according to the Walt Disney World website Epcot has two emh nights a week and the hours are from 9 pm to 10 pm. That is the exact same schedule as last summer.http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/epcot/calendar/

Evening EMH is 9:00pm to Midnight.

 

[Disneypirate85]

My DW commented on the drop in July hours as well last, I'm sure the closer we get to it tho you'll see hours added. Last year MK closed at 1:00am and EMH till 4:00am we stayed was TOTALLY AWESOME we had a 5 minute wait for Space Mountain walked on BTMR and Splash Mountain and rode it around 3 times. Shawn

 

[Shir Kahn]

With the amount of CMs hours being cut, they might not be able to extend the hours later. It may not be anything to do with the amount of people they have in the parks, but more to do with the fact that they don't have enough hours to give to their employees.

 

[Buckeyemouse]

If the projected attendance is 10% less than last year they would could also reduce the amount of time the parks are open. I am just offering another perspective on the time the parks are open. I do not know for sure administrative decisions and reasoning.

 

[Tiger926]

We have gone every July for the past 8 years, and the hours seem to be a bit reduced, but not much. As everyone has said, Disney makes changes sometimes that day by changing closing times. This happened last year as we were driving out of Epcot, and into Mk, we had been there earlier in the day, they changed the closing time to make it later. As it gets closer, hours probably will change, but Epcot's hours are the same as always, and AK closing at 7:00 most nights we are there (we are always there for 2 weeks), and sometimes it closes earlier at 6:00 even, so this is ok.

Just an FYI, I read on All Ears that there is a huge McDonald's convention in July, and so some of those reduced hours around July 13-18th, are for private McDonald's parties at DHS.

Tiger

 

[Pediatri]

We were there in early Dec. 2008. I think the park hours were comparable to the previous year, however, attractions were not running to full capacity. For instance, TOT was only running one drop not two, so lines were 1 hr wait the entire time we were there. We waited for an hour for Big Thunder Mtn when the wait was posted as 20 min. Again, they only had 1 side running. It seemed pretty evident that they were cutting back on cast members.

 

[Tiger926]

OP - Something else I forgot to mention in my last post, AK is never open for EMH until 1:00 am, ever! The animals have to be tended to, so EMH works a bit differently at AK in this respect. The latest we've ever been at AK for EMH in July is 8:00 pm - they closed at 5:00 and stayed open later for EMH (3 hours).

Also, as others have stated, Epcot's hours are always the same too - WS closes at 7:00 and FW at 9:00.

I just pulled out some of my last year's notes, and AK closed at 5:00 many nights that we were there, with some 6:00 pm times thrown in there. Most nights that we will ber there this year, AK closes at 7:00, so that's good.

Based on your posts, it seems like you are going in August, as this is when you normally go, so not sure how you know what July is like? Like I said, Epcot's hours are the same, and AK actually seems to be open a bit later on some nights then it normally is in July - remember, AK closes the earliest as it's so hot in July. As as someone who has been at least 8 times in July, with trip 9 fast approaching, the hours are pretty similar to normal, with a few exceptions.

Good luck with making the hours work for you in August - I'm sure it will be just fine! Tiger

 

[BRR]

My family has been going to Disney World since 1986.

I have to admit that every trip we have taken has been always been more enjoyable that the last. Our last trip in July 07 was by far the best. This July we will be returning for the 9th time and I have to be honest, I am a bit apprehensive.

I have noticed that compared to 07, the park hours have been cut back, the dining menus are not what they were and the Premium and Platnum packages no longer include tips as a part of their plan (a very important feature to us, especially with a large family). My biggest concern is that the cost cutting everywhere may be even deeper and more noticable than we can really imagine.

The main reason that we keep returning to Disney World is that the experiences continue to get better and better. With the cutbacks in hours and services I can already see, I am concerned that we will be disappointed this time around.

With the Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, closing at 7:00pm the sun will still be up. Nightime is the most magical and enjoyable time at Disney world. Even with the extra magic hours, they will only be dark for only an hour or so after dark this summer. Sad indeed.

Regardless, I am counting the days and looking forward to our next visit. We will see how it goes then. If my concerns were valid or unfounded I will certainly report that back.

For good or bad, we all really do hold Disney World to a higher standard don't we?

BRR
WDW 86,91,92,96,99,02,04,07,09

 

[bicker]

I wouldn't really worry. There have been rounds of significant cut-backs at least three times over the course of the years you have been visiting WDW. It never has resulted in an inability of guests to have a great time.

 

[EEyorelover22]

MK hours seem to be where the cuts have been made. A few nights at DHS too. I have had two friends that went during March...different weeks and the MK hours were extended that day for that evening and a Spectro was added. I'm sure if it's busy, they will stay open longer.

Fantasmic is a bummer though. Those have really been cut back/

 

[marivaid]

We went the past two summers and there are significant differences this year. The one thing that worries me is Fantasmic. THREE shows for the entire time we're there. Last year, there were at least one show each night, most of the time there were two. How on Earth is this going to work ? That time of year, the Brazilian groups alone fill up half the stadium.

 

[disneynuts777]

OP - Something else I forgot to mention in my last post, AK is never open for EMH until 1:00 am, ever! The animals have to be tended to, so EMH works a bit differently at AK in this respect. The latest we've ever been at AK for EMH in July is 8:00 pm - they closed at 5:00 and stayed open later for EMH (3 hours).

Also, as others have stated, Epcot's hours are always the same too - WS closes at 7:00 and FW at 9:00.

I just pulled out some of my last year's notes, and AK closed at 5:00 many nights that we were there, with some 6:00 pm times thrown in there. Most nights that we will ber there this year, AK closes at 7:00, so that's good.

Based on your posts, it seems like you are going in August, as this is when you normally go, so not sure how you know what July is like? Like I said, Epcot's hours are the same, and AK actually seems to be open a bit later on some nights then it normally is in July - remember, AK closes the earliest as it's so hot in July. As as someone who has been at least 8 times in July, with trip 9 fast approaching, the hours are pretty similar to normal, with a few exceptions.

Good luck with making the hours work for you in August - I'm sure it will be just fine! Tiger

I guess my origonal post is not very clear with regards to certain parks. I was just making a general statement.
I realize that AK is never open late. You would not be able to see the animals in the dark!!!
M/K and H/S have taken the biggest cut in hours. There have been many visits at many different times of the year that I remember the M/K and H/S being open well past 2am for EMH. And yes I have referred back to my many disney folders (1 for every trip taken...there are 21 in total)August just happens to be my favorite time.
Epcot FW normally closes earlier than WS but refering to past trips there have been times when WS has been open till 11pm.
Since I am an OCD planner I usually can use July's hours as a guide of what to expect for August. Espessially during the FD period.
It was just dissapointing to see the inital july hours because August's could end up being worse. Since I am bringing two families that have never been it is going to take some very strategic planning to fit everything in for the nine days that we will be there.
If it were just my family I would not care as much as I do at the moment.

I am sure that things will work out.....they always seem to!

 

[hmansure]

I was trying to compare hours for the first week of July as well and am confused by a discrepancy between what is posted on Disney's site versus what is posted on wdwinfo.com? On Disney's site, for example, they list a Fantasmic show on Thursday July 2, but the other site lists "none"?? We called for a Fantasmic dining package for July 2 and were able to get one so presumably the official site is the best source for hours - or is it?!