Monorails to no longer operate during Evening Extra Magic Hours

[DebbieB]

Yup, just inconvenience for me. When we'll be there in Dec, out of 8 nights, there is only 1 of them that the official park hours aren't closing at 7 (5 nights) or 8 (2 nights). With the shorter park hours we were planning on later dinners to maximize park time. Since 6 of those nights have EEMH or MVMCP, we were counting on the monorail being running so we could get back to our resort more easily. Sure, we could rent a car for the week and drive, but that would mean one of us has to skip drinks with dinner.

I would wait and see what they do for MVMCP and MNSSHP. Many offsite people go to those and park at the TTC. Far more than onsite people who park there for EMH. Plus Epcot stays open until 9:30 in December, so they may keep all the monorails running late.

 

[think-like-tink]

The 8PM closes at DAK are a huge fail, even more so than evening EMH there.

It's now open to everyone, there are more characters out now than there was ever at EMH, more things are open and its still a huge FAIL.

DAK is never going to be a evening park, no matter how hard they try. if they are serious about longer park hours for DAK they need to open the park earlier, say 8am and sunrise EMH for resort guests.

I would LOVE a sunrise opening for AK. They could pass out coffee at the entrance. A sunrise safari ride would be awesome way to wake up.

 

[asta]

Besides being highly annoying, all this is very interesting. Disney did away with EMH evening hours at AK, really messed with the characters at evening EMH at MK, and now the monorail thing. Is evening EMH on the way out?? Does anyone else know of anything else Disney has cut at evening EMH in any of the parks???

I don't know of anything else but all of this is very interesting. I am way, way past the stroller years but I can see this being a headache. It has to be much harder to fold a stroller and get on a bus than it is to roll a sleeping/tired child onto an air conditioned monorail. May seem minor but everything helps at the end of a long day. I know that the other parks don't have a monorail but I think more young families probably take advantage of MK EMH. Since they have done away with the characters, the next thing to look for may be the shutting down of fantasy land rides during EMH (I have no knowledge, just guessing). The original E-ticket nights didn't include this area to the best of my memory.

 

[doconeill]

I don't know of anything else but all of this is very interesting. I am way, way past the stroller years but I can see this being a headache. It has to be much harder to fold a stroller and get on a bus than it is to roll a sleeping/tired child onto an air conditioned monorail. May seem minor but everything helps at the end of a long day. I know that the other parks don't have a monorail but I think more young families probably take advantage of MK EMH. Since they have done away with the characters, the next thing to look for may be the shutting down of fantasy land rides during EMH (I have no knowledge, just guessing). The original EMH didn't include this area to the best of my memory.

I think that may be a BIG thing. The monorail handles ECVs, etc. far better than busses, both in convenience and capacity - boats from my experience aren't bad. Imagine the wait times for people in ECVs trying to get from Epcot to TTC/MK or vice versa...

I know from out December trip that when the monorail shut down due to an issue and the ferry was not yet operating, having an ECV was a hinderance when trying to get from the TTC to MK.

 

[Oglet]

So much still closes at 5:00. It's why we don't stay late at AK.

Really?

I thought most things stayed open
Safari is until 7:30
Camp is until 8
Everest 8
Lion King 6:30 show (quite often they seem to have shows after 7)
Nemo 6:15 show
Boneyard 8
Tough To be a bug 8
Dinosaur 8
Rafikis Planet Watch 6
Kali River Rapids 8
etc etc...
I think they have a pretty decent offering well past 5

 

[POOHsie]

The only problem is that canal where they park the barges for the Electrical Water Pageant. The bridge would have to be pretty high to let the barges pass underneath.

How about a pedestrian Rolling Bridge, like in London?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1NwXQaVAKA&feature=related

 

[asta]

I think that may be a BIG thing. The monorail handles ECVs, etc. far better than busses, both in convenience and capacity - boats from my experience aren't bad. Imagine the wait times for people in ECVs trying to get from Epcot to TTC/MK or vice versa...

I know from out December trip that when the monorail shut down due to an issue and the ferry was not yet operating, having an ECV was a hinderance when trying to get from the TTC to MK.

You are right about that. ECVs would have a harder time than strollers.

 

[TLSnell1981]

I think that may be a BIG thing. The monorail handles ECVs, etc. far better than busses, both in convenience and capacity - boats from my experience aren't bad. Imagine the wait times for people in ECVs trying to get from Epcot to TTC/MK or vice versa...
.

We will have a stroller AND two ECVs in October. I had planned to purchase, MNSSHP tickets on Monday. We may just skip it now.

 

[TLSnell1981]

Really?

I thought most things stayed open
Safari is until 7:30
Camp is until 8
Everest 8
Lion King 6:30 show (quite often they seem to have shows after 7)
Nemo 6:15 show
Boneyard 8
Tough To be a bug 8
Dinosaur 8
Rafikis Planet Watch 6
Kali River Rapids 8
etc etc...
I think they have a pretty decent offering well past 5

I guess, we've been unlucky in our choices. I didn't know, the Safari was open that late. We've traveled with little ones lately, and wanted characters and animals. Wow, thanks for the list!

 

[Oglet]

Okay disregard my theory about MNSSHP and MVMCP I found this

During Magic Kingdom Extra Magic Hours or Events, the Resort Monorail runs 1 hour after regular park hours. Return service from evening Extra Magic Hours in the parks will be supported by watercraft (where applicable) and bus transportation

Source for CM's

 

[asta]

How about a pedestrian Rolling Bridge, like in London?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1NwXQaVAKA&feature=related

That is so neat. I have never seen anything like that. It could be like another attraction. You have to love the little boy they have to keep making sure he stays back. The caption mentions the bridge was removed. Wonder why, maybe it is available.

 

[Dan Murphy]

The direction this all seems to be going is to slowly ratchet down pieces of evening EMH for their eventual elimination.

Besides being highly annoying, all this is very interesting. Disney did away with EMH evening hours at AK, really messed with the characters at evening EMH at MK, and now the monorail thing. Is evening EMH on the way out?? Does anyone else know of anything else Disney has cut at evening EMH in any of the parks???

I hope not. I like the evening emh, as well as the morning ones. They pull a lot of people to them and make the low crowd parks less crowded. Hoping emh does not fail.

 

[DebbieB]

Okay disregard my theory about MNSSHP and MVMCP I found this

During Magic Kingdom Extra Magic Hours or Events, the Resort Monorail runs 1 hour after regular park hours. Return service from evening Extra Magic Hours in the parks will be supported by watercraft (where applicable) and bus transportation

Source for CM's

I wonder about the express monorail? Seems like it would be a mess after a party getting back to the TTC for those who parked.

 

[MoonFaerie]

Okay disregard my theory about MNSSHP and MVMCP I found this

During Magic Kingdom Extra Magic Hours or Events, the Resort Monorail runs 1 hour after regular park hours. Return service from evening Extra Magic Hours in the parks will be supported by watercraft (where applicable) and bus transportation

Source for CM's

 

[TLSnell1981]

So, Disney cuts off the monorail service, a couple of months before MNSSHP and MVMCP? TIIC continue to outdo themselves. ("surrounded by idiots", comes to mind.)

 

[TLSnell1981]

I wonder about the express monorail? Seems like it would be a mess after a party getting back to the TTC for those who parked.

Previous posts have stated, ALL monorails, including the express.

 

[Oglet]

Hopefully they will revisit this and at least tweak it. I would not want to be a resort guest using a ECV on a party night.

 

[stm61]

we were at the Poly a few weeks ago. I remember the boat captain saying that anyone staying for EMH would need to take the monorail back, the boats were only operating 1 hour past park closing. If they're stopping the monorail during EMH now, does that mean the boats will continue running? Or will they just bus everyone to the GF and Poly?

 

[travelfanatic]

Well, I was going to purchase us a second evening of MNSSHP but after reading this maybe not! We are staying offsite & I can't imagine the nightmare it will to get to the parking lot after this event! If you take a cab where do they pick you up at the TTC or where the resort busses are? This would be our only hope. I cannot believe they are doing this!

 

[asta]

we were at the Poly a few weeks ago. I remember the boat captain saying that anyone staying for EMH would need to take the monorail back, the boats were only operating 1 hour past park closing. If they're stopping the monorail during EMH now, does that mean the boats will continue running? Or will they just bus everyone to the GF and Poly?

Wow, just wow!