More cutbacks at the MK???

[Bob O]

More reduced hours on Magic Kingdom's west side
The Magic Kingdom's west side, already running attractions and merchandise locations on shorter hours in Adventureland, Frontierland, and Liberty Square, is getting hit again with hour reductions. From now through Monday, March 1, Liberty Square's merchandise locations are open from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Frontierland locations are reduced, with Big Al's opening at 10 a.m., and the Trading Post, Prairie Outpost & Supply, and Briar Patch opening at 11 a.m. The Trading Post and Briar Patch are closing at 6:30, Prairie Outpost & Supply are closing at 7:30, and Big Al's are closing at park close.

Over in Adventureland, Pirates of the Caribbean, the Magic Carpets of Aladdin, and the Swiss Family Treehouse open at 9 a.m. on Feb. 12 through 24, 26, and 28, with the rest of the land opening at 10 a.m. On all other days, the entire land opens at 10 a.m. El Pirata Y el Perico Restaurante opens on Feb. 12 through 16, and Feb. 28 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

This is courtesy of the fine folks at mouseplanet.com

 

[Planogirl]

The worst part is the changing hours on different days. You need a planner with you just to keep all of this straight.

 

[Bob O]

Im sure the different hours each day is done purely and soley for the guest experience!!!!

 

[phorsenuf]

yet we are paying peak rates for that time frame!

 

[KNWVIKING]

***"The worst part is the changing hours on different days. You need a planner with you just to keep all of this straight."***

They are trying to increase the sales of Pal Mickey.

 

[freediverdude]

That's it! Synergy! If all the attractions, shops, and restaurants have different operating hours, then people will naturally purchase a Pal Mickey to keep them up to date, as well as reducing operating costs!

 

[mickey1010]

Sooo...somewhere along the line some genius (Ei$ner?) decides that he can replace hundreds of CMs with a talking stuffed animal?

Now, if only he could figure out how to get the street sweepers to sweep themselves...

 

[manning]

Buy a Pal Mickey?....NO

Reduce my spending?......YES

 

[manning]

Latest rumor

Every 100th visitor entering the park will get a $1 dollar reduction in the ticket price,be issued a power sweeper and be required to walk to the back of the park.

 

[KNWVIKING]

Will you ? Will the change in shop hours really change your spending habits ? I'm not trying to be argumentitive, but we all say we will vote with our wallet,but do we really ?

 

[cindyfan]

Don't want to start an arguement here......
But I would rather see them shorten the shop hours than to shorten the attraction hours or park hours again!

Do they really need all those shops anyway?
I am thinking they can close a couple of these shops and replace them with a lovely garden where we can just sit and relax and soak up the sun.

Haven't I heard complaints that there were too many shops anyway???

Has anyone considered this to be a "good business decision"?

Uh-Oh.....did I just open a can of worms!!!

Okay, if they feel they are forced to make cuts......
Where do you guys suggest they do it?

 

[phorsenuf]

Originally posted by cindyfan
Don't want to start an arguement here......
But I would rather see them shorten the shop hours than to shorten the attraction hours or park hours again!

Do they really need all those shops anyway?
I am thinking they can close a couple of these shops and replace them with a lovely garden where we can just sit and relax and soak up the sun.

Haven't I heard complaints that there were too many shops anyway???

Has anyone considered this to be a "good business decision"?

Uh-Oh.....did I just open a can of worms!!!

Okay, if they feel they are forced to make cuts......
Where do you guys suggest they do it?

But it's the principle of the matter to me. Charge me for peak season for my room ($30 a night more than 2 weeks earlier) but don't let me have access to everything that should be open. Would I normally be shopping there at those hours, probably not, but I should be able to if I wanted to.

 

[cindyfan]

Would I normally be shopping there at those hours, probably not,

But that is just the point!

Nobody shops at those times.....so why have them open.
Would you rather WDW raise prices into the parks just to keep an empty shop open and pay CMs to stand around and just watch people walk by.

I pay good hard earned money to see the attractions and experience the magic.
Not to shop. IMHO.....the shops don't add anything to my "Magical Experience" at WDW.

NO, I dont want to see a bunch of empty buildings.....but I bet most people wouldn't even notice whether they were open or not.

 

[Chuck S]

But it's the principle of the matter to me. Charge me for peak season for my room ($30 a night more than 2 weeks earlier) but don't let me have access to everything that should be open. Would I normally be shopping there at those hours, probably not, but I should be able to if I wanted to.

Well, you have a choice. You can enjoy the parks with relatively low crowds and plenty of room/time to stroll around - or go at peak season to and fight the mobs. If shorter shop hours is so upsetting, don't go. In the "real world" shops do not open during hours that they do not find profitable.

 

[phorsenuf]

Originally posted by Chuck S
Well, you have a choice. You can enjoy the parks with relatively low crowds and plenty of room/time to stroll around - or go at peak season to and fight the mobs. If shorter shop hours is so upsetting, don't go.

Well, I go when school vacation says to go. One of my children is a junior so pulling him out isn't a very good idea.
What I guess I just don't understand is if it's peak season (again as our hotel rate indicates) and it's peak because more people are expected, why close things down? Wouldn't it make more sense to close these places when they are expecting less people?

Like I said before, it's the principle of the matter. Don't charge me more and give me less in return.

 

[phorsenuf]

Originally posted by cindyfan
But that is just the point!

Nobody shops at those times.....so why have them open.
Would you rather WDW raise prices into the parks just to keep an empty shop open and pay CMs to stand around and just watch people walk by.

I pay good hard earned money to see the attractions and experience the magic.
Not to shop. IMHO.....the shops don't add anything to my "Magical Experience" at WDW.

NO, I dont want to see a bunch of empty buildings.....but I bet most people wouldn't even notice whether they were open or not.

If I'm not mistaken some of the attractions in that same area have different hours than the normal park hours. So it's not just the stores.

 

[hopemax]

In the "real world" shops do not open during hours that they do not find profitable.

I'm not sure this is true. Consider a mall, most shops stay open the same hours as the mall. But at opening and closing, there isn't enough mall traffic to support all the stores in the mall. How often do you see a store or kiosks with no customers, just the lone employee looking bored? As long as the entire day is profitable, I don't think they are too concerned with if each hour is profitable.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

Originally posted by phorsenuf

What I guess I just don't understand is if it's peak season (again as our hotel rate indicates) and it's peak because more people are expected, why close things down? Wouldn't it make more sense to close these places when they are expecting less people?

Like I said before, it's the principle of the matter. Don't charge me more and give me less in return.

Amen, brother! I couldn't care less about the opening of the stores, but don't tell me its "peak season" and charge me higher prices for my room when we can't even get the whole park up and running until 11am. Then, as if that wasn't bad enough, the MK closes at 7pm just about every night during the week of "peak season" I'm there!!!!

Yeah, I'll still go and have a good time. But more and more I get the feeling I am not getting my money's worth. Or maybe more appropriately -things aren't like they used to be. (And I mean that in a rotten way)

 

[Chuck S]

Originally posted by hopemax
I'm not sure this is true. Consider a mall, most shops stay open the same hours as the mall. But at opening and closing, there isn't enough mall traffic to support all the stores in the mall. How often do you see a store or kiosks with no customers, just the lone employee looking bored? As long as the entire day is profitable, I don't think they are too concerned with if each hour is profitable.

That may also be why we see more and more vacancies at malls these days. One mall in San Antonio closed completely recently, several others are on the verge of closing or cutting hours...but newer "open air" centers, where stores set heir own hours, seem to be thriving. Personally, I'd pick a mall over an open air center in the summer any day in Texas.

 

[manning]

Will you ? Will the change in shop hours really change your spending habits ? I'm not trying to be argumentitive, but we all say we will vote with our wallet,but do we really ?

You bet! Done it in the past, will do it in the future. I own at DVC and find myself spending more of my money off property. Sea World is a pleasant place.