MGM closing early this Friday, Dec. 8th

[Poohbear123]

Are there till Dec. 9th in competition at Wide World of Sports! I am soo sick of seeing them EVERYTIME I go to Disney, no matter what Month, they are THERE! Is there a time they DON'T compete at WDW?

 

[kaytieeldr]

How did you find out MGM was closing early?? I am trying to find ou the same thing for 2/11. I heard that there is an event for the national cheerleading championships that night at MGM and I have ADR's based on 7:00 Fantasmic. I will be all screwed up if Fantasmic is an hour earlier. HELP!!!

Okay, while past results are no guarantee of future returns my experience has been that chances are the event will be in the Indiana Jones theater - so it'll be closed to the public, probably all that week. Now, of course, the organizers of the February cheerleading championship competition could well decide to rent out the entire park - but at this time, there's no way to know. Can you move your reservation up an hour or so, just in case?

 

[Mouse House Mama]

We just got back and the cheerleaders were really no problem. They were all very nice and seemed to be having a great time. I asked one of them where they were competing and they said it was at the Wide World of Sports Complex.

 

[patsal]

I'm sure that for some this hour will be a small inconvenience. It may force heavier crowds to Epcot as well, but cut the kids a break--so many say that the kids overrun the parks then they pony up to pay for private time in the park and people complain. It isn't like they've taken away half of the day, only an hour--if you are going to be at MGM and have already made ADR's than that is a good reason to be disappointed, but the hour early thing--it is only an hour!

 

[lovethattink]

I'm not sure how small the inconvenience will be. It's my understanding that MVMCP is sold out Friday night, Pop Warner is at WDW, Mousefest is at WDW, etc. So Pop Warner will be at MGM, many will be at MVMCP, but that leaves everyone else at Epcot. I was at Epcot on the Friday evening of Thanksgiving weekend. The park was packed that night. We tried to grab dinner at the fast food at Morrocco. I waited in line a good 30 minutes.

 

[CheshireVal]

I actually have a problem with Disney allowing private groups to "buy out" the park for a night. I don't think that's right, and it's not fair to everyone else who paid for tickets for that day.

 

[Dizzyworld]

Two years ago we ran into the same problem. It was a short trip and that was our MGM day and night to see the Osborne Lights. In NOV, we get the call that the park would be closed. Of course this meant that we would not get to see the Osborne Lights due to MVMCP tickets (2x) and other reservations. I said I wasn't going to pay the admissionn price for dinner and the the lights only. Disney did work with us, got our dinner reservation moved to other nights. They met us at the gates of MGM and walked us to our dinner reservation so we could eat there and see the lights without having to pay the ticket fees. The next year, we made sure we didn't make our reservations to go during Pop Warner time.

Like anything else in life, the groups' behaviors are based on the make-up of the group at that time. We've gone there when the girls were obnoxious and times when we wouldn't have know the girls were there. The boys were never a problem during any of our trips. But we still won't go during that time, I won't risk our money again.

 

[finnster77]

Attentional all Olympic Gymnasts, Figure Skaters, Ice Dancers, Freestyle Skiers, Snowboarders, Ski Jumpers, Divers, Synchronized Swimmers and Boxers - these are apparently not sports. Please turn your Olympic medals in immediately.

No need for that...........medals are awarded in olympic COMPETITION!

 

[kaytieeldr]

I'm not sure how small the inconvenience will be. It's my understanding that MVMCP is sold out tonight, Pop Warner is at WDW, Mousefest is at WDW, etc. So Pop Warner will be at MGM, many will be at MVMCP, but that leaves everyone else at Epcot.

But, as patsal points out

I'm sure that for some this hour will be a small inconvenience. It may force heavier crowds to Epcot as well, but cut the kids a break--so many say that the kids overrun the parks then they pony up to pay for private time in the park and people complain. It isn't like they've taken away half of the day, only an hour

it IS only an hour. MGM will close at 6 instead of 7. MVMCP has been scheduled that night, sold out or not, since the dates were released. Guests at MGM without MVMCP tickets would obviously not have made it to the Magic Kingdom after MGM closing that night, anyway - now they definitely won't. Epcot has been scheduled for Extra Magic Hours since that schedule was published. So, yeah - maybe Guests leaving MGM at 7:30 who were iffy about getting to Epcot in time to do anything good, now will go - since they'll have about two hours instead of one. Yeah, it'll be more crowded than, say, last Friday night was for those two hours. So?

I actually have a problem with Disney allowing private groups to "buy out" the park for a night. I don't think that's right, and it's not fair to everyone else who paid for tickets for that day.

Aside from it being Disney's decision to do with their property and business what they choose, it happens. MVMCP and MNSSHP can potentially close Magic Kingdom SEVERAL hours before "normal", not just one hour. Ditto for the Tom Joyner Family Reunion at MGM. Admission tickets don't give you X number of HOURS in any Disney park. By this reasoning, Guests who go in January when, say, MK is open from 9 to 6 should pay less for their tickets than Guests who go in late December when it's open 8 to midnight (examples only, hours not confirmed with any source).

 

[CheshireVal]

MVMCP and MNSSHP can potentially close Magic Kingdom SEVERAL hours before "normal", not just one hour. Ditto for the Tom Joyner Family Reunion at MGM. Admission tickets don't give you X number of HOURS in any Disney park. By this reasoning, Guests who go in January when, say, MK is open from 9 to 6 should pay less for their tickets than Guests who go in late December when it's open 8 to midnight (examples only, hours not confirmed with any source).

MVMCP and MNSSHP are equal opportunity parties, though. Not really the same thing.

 

[robinb]

I found out on this website, www.wdwinfo.com.

You do know that website is the DIS, right? These boards are only a section of a bigger website.

 

[caribear]

We were at MGM yesterday and saw (and heard) a large group of cheerleaders. They were walking around the park screaming Christmas carols at the top of their lungs. I am all for having fun, but please be mindful of others....

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

This is what I think. Yes it does suck & is unfair for people that are going to be at MGM tomorrow, however WDW can do whatever they want since they own the property & as long as the adults who are with the kids for Pop Warner week are willing to pay for to have MGM fior themselves, of course WDW will accept their money. I do agree that MVMCP & MNSSHP are different parties because anyone going to WDW at those times can purchase tickets, where as with the Pop Warner group you have to be with the cheerleaders as an example. We can debate this over & over, but in the end it's going to happen wheather we like it or not.

 

[lovethattink]

I checked the mousefest pocket guide. Looks like the itinerary has them going to the wishes cruise or PI for the evening hours. So maybe it won't be as bad as I'm thinking.

 

[delilah]

Off topic, but can't resist a rebuttal:

Cheerleading is a competition, not a sport. Any activity that requires judges to tell you if you scored points or not is NOT a true sport.

Nor would be gymnastics or diving or even competitive swimming. Of course, watching some football games, there seems to be some judge activity to determining scoring there as well.

 

[kaytieeldr]

MVMCP and MNSSHP are equal opportunity parties, though. Not really the same thing.

Right. It was an example. For example, the Tom Joyner Family Reunion is, to the best of my knowledge, NOT an EOP - but MGM closes early just the same, AND Pop & CBR Guests are informed several times in the days leading up to it that there may be LOUD music coming from the park - but I digress.
Disney can do whatever it wants with its parks. Parks have, if not always then at least for a number of years, been available for rent by private organizations or even individuals. Again, we're talking about ONE HOUR.