Lack of Late Park Hours

[NJ Goofy]

I have just started planning for our trip in May of 2017 and was surprised by how early the parks close. It's been a couple years since we've been there in May but I thought MK was open until 11:00 pm on our last May trip. The posted hours have it closed every night at 9:00 pm, even the weekend. Only on EMH's night is it open late. Is this the new normal or do you think as it gets closer the hours will be lengthened ??

 

[Robo]

It is FAR too early to judge the actual hours for May.

Disney adds hours and events every month (every single month) and the revised info will post within 15-45 days in advance.

Just keep checking.

 

[Brian Noble]

Disney has been publishing conservative hours at the 6-month point, and extending them closer to the date in question. You might not know final hours until mid-April.

 

[CAS239]

Yea you won't see finalized hours for May until likely April

 

[Keels]

Within the last two weeks, Disney has added significant evening hours to our January trip ... patience!

 

[LSUmiss]

Within the last two weeks, Disney has added significant evening hours to our January trip ... patience!

When is your trip & where are you looking at park hours? I'm asking b/c I've been looking at Jan park hours. I have been looking at MDE waiting for them to change, but they haven't that I can tell.

 

[Keels]

When is your trip & where are you looking at park hours? I'm asking b/c I've been looking at Jan park hours. I have been looking at MDE waiting for them to change, but they haven't that I can tell.

Marathon Weekend (4-10). I sent out planning spreadsheets to our group right before FP+s time, and in the two weeks since then, Disney added Evening hours at both DHS and Epcot during Marathon Weekend.

I saw it on MDE on both my phone and laptop.

 

[NJ Goofy]

Thanks, it's good to know the hours will probably get extended. I guess I was right when I remembered the parks were open later on our last May trip.

 

[kj2mom]

Hope for the best but plan for what you see. This same thing happened in July. I was there July 2015 and the hours (MK specifically) were much later than what was showing for this July, 2016. In the end, they did make some adjustments about a month prior but the MK hours during my trip were not part of that. I am glad I didn't expect for more because I would have been disappointed. On a day last year that I was in MK and I know it was open until midnight, I was there again this year and it closed earlier. You just never know. At the time, there were lots of complaints about the July hours with differing opinions on whether it was acceptable to expect things to be the same from year to year. In the end, it was what it was and we stayed until closing whenever that time happened to be.

 

[madchatter]

They haven't even put out final hours for upcoming Christmas season. Still showing AK closing at 7 week of 12/19. Last year ended up much later at all parks than it shows currently. Frustrating for FP+ particularly.

 

[CinderellaElla]

I understand. It's hard to try to plan a trip with all the FPs and reservations when they don't even post the correct park hours within the time that you are planning those things. My only advice is to make reservations and FPs for popular things first, then plan out the rest when you find out the correct park schedules later in 2017.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

It is FAR too early to judge the actual hours for May.

Disney adds hours and events every month (every single month) and the revised info will post within 15-45 days in advance.

Just keep checking.

I post this probably too frequently but I find this practice so ridiculous. They have YEARS of data to base hours on. A 9PM close in May? - can't recall what year that last happened - probably back when they had E-ride nights. They add more and more planning for guests to do and don't attempt to do the same themselves.

 

[jmkjr72]

Last may it wasn't until march that we saw the later hours listed