May Hours - Disney Giveth and Taketh Away

[DisneyKidds]

Anyone have an idea what bookings are like for May? I found some interesting changes in the May hours for the MK.

First the good news..........Whereas there used to be only one SpectroMagic scheduled on the 24th, there are now 3 on the 24th, 28th, and 31st. They also added an E night on the 24th.

Now the bad..........Previously, I believe there were 2 nights that the MK closed before 9:00 - the 27th and 30th, which both had E nights, which they still do. Now, the MK closes at 7:00 on the 26th, 27th, 29th, and 30th. A 7:00 close on Memorial Day . Wow! And there is no E night scheduled. Can bookings be that bad?

This info comes from the Disney website, and a call to Disney. I'm sure all will change again before the end of the month rolls around - but the level of hours posted doesn't paint a rosy picture for bookings, assuming they tie the hours to bookings in any way.

 

[raidermatt]

Coincidentally, I printed the hours out last night, before these most recent changes.

Hours were flip-flopped for the 20th and 21st. (Good thing I didn't adjust our schedule to catch Spectro on the 20th...)

Memorial day went from 9:00 to 7:00, the 27th from 8:00 to 7:00, the 28th from 9:00 to 9:30, and the 31st from 9:00 to 9:30.

Net loss of 2 hours.

As of yesterday at least, the the 29th was already a 7:00 close. When you said only those few days had pre-9:00 closings, I assume you meant for the last week? Because there are quite a few prior to Memorial Day Weekend.

They seem to have decided that Wednesdays should have later closings instead of Tuesdays. I have no idea what happened in the last week to make them come to that conclusion.

If hours are tied to expected attendance, then I guess they feel Memorial Day will be no busier than any other Monday in May? (Of course it will be busier, which makes the schedule all the more perplexing)

Couple of other changes:

MGM changed from a 9:00 closing to a 10:00 closing on the 24th, with an additional Fantasmic at 10:30.

Not sure if anyone noticed, but some of the original days the water parks were supposed to be closed were changed to "open" a week or so ago. At some point prior to yesterday, the remainder of the closed days were changed.


If this isn't a screwy way to run a business, I don't know what is...

There is no way patterns and projections are changing so radically in such short intervals....

 

[crazyforgoofy]

I was sweating the lack of a Spectromagic during an upcoming trip with three sisters who've never been and will probably will never go again. But, yippee, they've added that one on the 31st of May!

 

[ilovefh]

Hours were flip-flopped for the 20th and 21st. (Good thing I didn't adjust our schedule to catch Spectro on the 20th...)

I did unfortunately! Looks like I'm changing plans again! Changed HDDR ressie from Sat may 17 to wed may 21. Looks like I will be checking the hrs before I leave for the airport on Fr. may 16 and then changing plans....yet again. I wanted to do E-ride sat. night...so we can see spectro that night....but i need (yes i said need ) the option of seeing it more than once!!

Elena

 

[mudhen]

I wonder if anyone in the team Disney dept.
could explain to the common tourist just what
their convulated method is to set theme park
hours??

Maybe I'm spoiled by Cedar Point, who has their
hours posted for the entire summer season, and
they actually stick to them (unless they add an
hour during the busy July season).

 

[raidermatt]

More relatively minor changes in the positive direction.

Saturdays in May have now been changed to 10:00pm closings, which had been at 9:30, and before that 9:00. Those were the only changes saw.

Considering the change to 9:30 came only 3 days ago, I have to ask: What kind of Mickey Mouse operation is this???



Ok, so this extra 1/2 hour still leaves us short of what was posted a week ago overall, and WAY short of past years... but one thing that COULD be a big plus in my book is that FOR NOW, the fireworks are still scheduled at 9:30 those nights.

Meaning, either they just haven't updated the entertainment schedule, or, they are actually not closing the park on an event. If its the latter, it would be one of those seemingly insignificant, but actually very significant things. By giving guests about 15 minutes after the fireworks until the park actually closes, the guest has OPTIONS!!! They can head out with the other cattle, er, guests, they can plop down on a bench and people watch, they can spend some dough in the crowded stores on Main Street, OR they can go hit one more ride while the cattle, er, I mean guests thin out.

Of course, its an E-night, so the crowds won't thin out as much as they would otherwise, and 10pm is still too early to close, especially on Memorial Day weekend, and a second Spectro would be really helpful in avoiding the cattle, er, guests, and 45 minutes after the fireworks would MUCH more helpful than 15 mintues.... but I'm trying to be balanced and look for what I can...

 

[ThAnswr]

Originally posted by mudhen
>I wonder if anyone in the team Disney dept.
could explain to the common tourist just what
their convulated method is to set theme park
hours??<

I'd love to know too. It makes no sense.

I do know one thing; this constant tweaking of the schedule has got to be the most expensive way to go dollarwise and doubly expensive goodwill-wise.

But, then again, what do I know? I'm not making $121,000,000 a year salary.

>Maybe I'm spoiled by Cedar Point, who has their
hours posted for the entire summer season, and
they actually stick to them (unless they add an
hour during the busy July season). <

It's not just Cedar Point. US/IOA have their operating hours posted through the end of this year.

Unless someone can tell me otherwise, I believe WDW is the only group within the resort/amusement park group that really doesn't seem to have any set hours and what they do post, they change day by day. I've never seen anything like this.

 

[OnWithTheShow]

Most theme/amusement parks hours are based on attendance levels. With Disney they analyze the booking trends at their resorts compared to historical levels. The problem is the time period prior to booking has dropped from around 4 months to about two weeks. Also attendance swings wildly week to week and doesnt seem to follow any pattern. Disney is still adapting to this change. If attendance is low they close earlier because the guests can experience the same number or attractions as they would if attendance was higher and the park was open later (theoretically this works) Other amusement parks instead of changing park hours simply close attractions. This gives them the same labor cost savings as Disney closing early but deprives guests of experiencing certain attractions. They also will sometimes operate one attraction for part of a day then move the ride ops to another attraction. I remember two years ago when Six Flags Great Adventure added a bunch of new rides and became the park with the most rides in the world. I visited the park about 20 times that season and was never there on a day when less that 10 rides were closed often with several of the larger roller coasters operating on the half day schedule.

 

[Another Voice]

"time period prior to booking has dropped from around 4 months to about two weeks. "

Which is interesting when you think about. Whereas last year a family would have to plan for months to take the time off work, get the kids out of school, send the cat over the aunt's and save up money for a week long vacation - suddenly now the entire country is free to travel on a whine.

What with the economy and all I'm sure everyone is feeling like they can now go into the boss and say "I just now decided that I'm leaving in two weeks - I'll bring you back a churro!" Not to mention all the extra cash people have just lying around so they don't have to worry about low air fares and are able to jump on deals as they pop up. Even with the current gas prices, no one seems detered from just packing up the kids in the mini-van and suddenly hitting the road.

It's also a very interesting demogrpahic that Disney has suddenly discovered as well. The National Parks are saying that their bookings are soaring - and people are booking eariler than they have ever booked before. And all the destination resorts in Las Vegas are saying that their current strength is coming from long-planned vactioners - it's the last minute trip and weekend trip market they have fallen short with. I wonder what the ratio of passenger's who book a cruise due so two weeks before sailing?

Then again I also wonder how interesting life must be as a financial analyst at Disney. Their lives are certainly nothing like mine...


Then again, maybe people just value a Disney vacation more. What other company would be so kind as to shut down an entire theme park so their guests might not suffer their favorite attraction - like Future World or 'Carousel of Progress' - being closed while the rest of the park is open. I know how distressing it is to walk past the closed gates of 'Timekeeper' at 9:00pm and thinking "I really should have left at 6 so I didn't have to see that, I would feel so less deprived".

 

[raidermatt]

Show, I understand what you are saying, and with respect to other theme parks, I'm not really that concerned with them. As I've stated before, WDW's main competition is not Six Flags, Cedar Point, or even Universal. Only Universal comes close to being anything resembling a true family vacation resort, and guests of those other parks do not spend time planning the way Disney's guests do. I know you were only responding to comparisons being made to other parks, I just wanted to make it clear where I am coming from.

Its clear that Disney is not simply applying an attendance formula to determine hours. Based on their own statements in earnings calls, they have been setting hours shorter than in previous times with lower attendance. Hours were reduced from '98 to '00, even though attendance rose during that time.

MK's hours changed twice in a 2 1/2 day period this week. If attendance projections really are changing that rapidly, it makes no sense to react to them on nearly a daily basis.

Regardless of what we believe the cause is, clearly there is more going on than just the official line of ever-changing attendance projections.

 

[EUROPA]

Originally posted by ThAnswr

Unless someone can tell me otherwise, I believe WDW is the only group within the resort/amusement park group that really doesn't seem to have any set hours and what they do post, they change day by day. I've never seen anything like this.

...your right and it is a bad business practice. How would you like it if your local {insert any place} did that?

AV is right again...Disney if full of it. Everybody I know that is going to Flordia this year has been planning for months. Including my family. Disney is not a last minute type of getaway place.

 

[doubletrouble_vb]

Disney may be choosing to adjust its hours based upon its last minute guests. Seems incredibly stupid to me. I can understand making adjustments 8 weeks in advance but most people expect amusement parks to be open late(r) starting in May and ending in August. Disney appears to be engaged in an experiment to see if they can make money by running contrary to the normal expectations of tourists.

 

[*123JOANNA123*]

I've just started a thread on this in the attractions and strategies forum, but I wonder how the new fairytale package is going to impact on the hours etc.

If the resorts are sold out all summer (which I'm guessing is the aim of this package), and disney use resort bookings as an analysis factor, then surely we'll have some sweet hours/e-night schedules to look forward to?

Just a thought...

 

[DisneyKidds]

then surely we'll have some sweet hours/e-night schedules to look forward to?

Just my gut feeling, but I don't think it matters how busy it ever gets or how sold out the resorts might be in the future - I don't think we will ever see hour like WDW used to have (right up thru the late 90's). Used to be the MK was open until midnight every night during the summer, and I doubt we'll ever see that again. Management just doesn't seem to understand that people actually do notice that kind of thing. Then, if they can sell out resorts without it - well that will just make them think they are geniuses. Of course they will completely miss the fact that sold out resorts with short hours may lead to the type of crowds that might discourage people from coming back again. Disney seems more concerned with short term results, rather than cultivating lifelong fans.

(.................and that's my opinion, and I'm one of the less 'negative' folks on this board )

 

[*123JOANNA123*]

I see your point- I used to go to Disney as a child and when I returned after a long hiatus (put it this way, I'm now taking my own kids there) I was shocked to see the MK closing at 7pm (I had not discovered disboards and knew nothing about early closings). I was totally expecting the 'good old days'.

My thoughts are that if the point of the big room and tickets discount is to increase the amount of time spent by the average Joe at the park, ergo increasing the amount of money spent, then surely increasing hours helps them acheive their goal.

I guess maybe they're hoping to shunt you to downtown disney or pleasure island to spend the extra time you've gained by staying 7 nights instead of 4. Or perhaps you'll spend more $$$ at the resort foodcourts, shops and restaurants. They'll still rake in the extra money without having to increase the hours.


Hang on- don't they charge for e-nights? Looks like a potential moneymaker to me- fill the resorts, keep the hours short and offer more e-nights. hmmmmmm.....

 

[blackshirt]

Disney's complete indifference to their core customer is the main reason that during our 7 day visit in April, we went one day to Disney. I refuse to support a company whose management cares only about short term financial objectives(get the stock up, cash the options in, get out of Dodge) I am saving for the day when I can buy into DVC, but the final decision to buy won't be made until REAL changes are made in Orlando.

 

[crusader]

I thought the big room and ticket discount promotion going on right now was exclusive to the DC holders. I viewed it as serving a dual purpose - to mitigate the bad feelings it generated when they decided to cancel the program; and to help get those customers who are typically more frequent guests to book a trip this year.

I happen to agree with Mr. Kidds. They really aren't interested in providing an added level of customer service to their core constituentcy. I also agree that there is not a surge of the 2 wk WDW vacation planner whimsically packing up a smaller version of their stuff and spontaineously flying down.

It has everything to do with micromanagement of the park attendance on a daily basis in an attempt to save money.

 

[hopemax]

I thought the big room and ticket discount promotion going on right now was exclusive to the DC holders.

Disney Club members were given first crack at the Fairytale package rates and they get an additional $50 discount, but anyone can book the package at this point.

 

[wdw4us2]

I wonder if anyone in the Team Disney Dept. could explain to the common tourist just what their convoluted method is to set Theme Park hours?

My source at WDW says that their system is to wait as long as possible to project attendance, based on resort occupancy, and adjust the hours accordingly.

According to this source, Disney no longer cares if guests are upset about the hours, they don't want to spend extra $$ to make your visit memorable, and they assume you will return because you are a loyal customer. They just want their bottom line to look good for those on the West Coast.

I certainly haven't seen anything during my most recent visit to disprove these comments, have you?

 

[ArcticWildMan]

The scope of Disney micro/mis-management of the parks and their hours is really beginning to grate on me.

I come a long way to enjoy my stay at WDW and not knowing what the park hours are until right before I leave, is extremely frustrating. Last trip I was so peeved about it, I made it a point to eat OFF property as much as possible since they obviously thought it inappropriate for me to try and plan my family's meals and activities until the last minute.

This upcoming trip we are renting points at OKW as a way to further cut back on the cost of buying food on property.

After this trip, I probably won't be back until I see some things change at WDW for the better. Travelling 12-16 hours each way with two little kids is stressful enough, I don't need the added uncertainty WDW is creating with their actions. When my "bang for the buck ratio" keeps going down thanks to reduced hours and reduced service, I will gladly look elsewhere to spend my money.