Nov. & Dec. Hours Changed-MK opens: 8AM, Daily-Starting TODAY

[nuzmom]

It seems that they have opened up FP+ for 8:00-9:00 am those days, at least for 7DMT.

Does anyone know if they opened up A&E and I missed it, or have they just not opened the 8-9 time yet?

Thank you so much for posting this! I was able to get a morning 7DMT, which was much needed. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I forgot that I was to be watching to see when/if they opened any up and would have missed out if I hadn't read your post.

I'm sorry I can't help you with A&E. Maybe someone else will comment.

 

[twinsmama]

I haven't seen any early A&Es released yet. I am stalking!

 

[Airship Ariadne]

Nice, we are there from the 14th-20th and just checked and yes, they are opening earlier! So cool. more park time!

After reading other people's posts...wait...what? They have extended hours and that is ... WRONG? REALLY? This right here is proof that some people will complain about anything.

 

[5Hfan]

Thank you so much for posting this! I was able to get a morning 7DMT, which was much needed. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I forgot that I was to be watching to see when/if they opened any up and would have missed out if I hadn't read your post.

I'm sorry I can't help you with A&E. Maybe someone else will comment.

ditto thanks for the heads up, got 7 dwarves dec 24 am, wohoo!

as a general touring rule, we never schedule adrs for early am, don't want to be rushed even if it is the hour before park opens. I would try to find mid morning adr instead, tour early, then take a break once it starts to get more crowded, then hop and/or start using fast passes...

 

[5Hfan]

Nice, we are there from the 14th-20th and just checked and yes, they are opening earlier! So cool. more park time!

After reading other people's posts...wait...what? They have extended hours and that is ... WRONG? REALLY? This right here is proof that some people will complain about anything.

I don't think that's fair, people plan dining 180 days out, fast passes 60 days out, so while added hours are good, messing up hard fought plans and having to get up an hour earlier for rope drop can be a problem. Not to mention added hours are likely due to bigger crowds...

 

[Airship Ariadne]

I don't think that's fair, people plan dining 180 days out, fast passes 60 days out, so while added hours are good, messing up hard fought plans and having to get up an hour earlier for rope drop can be a problem. Not to mention added hours are likely due to bigger crowds...

Now if Disney shortened the hours and made them have to reschedule thos ADR's and FP+'s I would see the issue...ADDING hours doesn't mess up an ADR or FP+.

 

[redsbe]

We already scheduled two MK days, including booking FP+ for mid morning, for recommended low crowd days with a planned 9am RD during our Dec 12-18 trip. I doubt we will be able to now make a 8am MK RD, but will likely get to the gates by 830a and still able to get a few rides in before our FP+ and then crowds building by mid day. Not sure change has a real impact to our plans as 8am RD is pretty hard for most people to make.

 

[jtowntoflorida]

On past trips in October, they changed the MK to an 8 a.m. opening while we were there, or the week before we left. The hours from 8-9 are still really, really light...people just don't want to get up that early on vacation.

I'm not worried that this means an increase in crowds for the week...as long as kids are in school, the crowds won't be out of control. Not sure what Disney is thinking, but I also don't care. Having extra hours in the park is nothing to complain about!

As for resort bookings still being available, but no ADRs...Disney implemented peak holiday pricing starting on the 12th. Of course that's going to keep most people away from their resorts! However, they are offering discounts for that week--both Free Dining and Room-Only. The Free Dining is what's causing the lack of availability of ADRs. It's always a challenge to find ADRs during Free Dining periods.

 

[OasterP]

Though I understand not loving last minute (kind of) change of plans, I'm not sure I totally understand why this would mess up an entire days fast pass or other plans?

I can easily understand the early morning/pre park ADR's. I would personally drop those for sure.

Will it really mess up any fast pass though? You would still have the original passes and get to ride at the original times? Or is it that people won't be able/want to make the EMH and are afraid that lines will be ridiculous after their original fp? I am definitely not trying to argue - just wasn't sure how the additional of EMH would change a fast pass.

I am thinking of the trip we did in September and I think the only thing I can think of it really affecting is my pre park opening breakfast at MK.

 

[LBIJim]

I don't think that's fair, people plan dining 180 days out, fast passes 60 days out, so while added hours are good, messing up hard fought plans and having to get up an hour earlier for rope drop can be a problem. Not to mention added hours are likely due to bigger crowds...

The ultimate in First World Problems.

 

[Airship Ariadne]

The ultimate in First World Problems.

 

[luvsJack]

Now if Disney shortened the hours and made them have to reschedule thos ADR's and FP+'s I would see the issue...ADDING hours doesn't mess up an ADR or FP+.

The very reasons most people schedule an 8 am ADR is to not lose any park time, be a bit ahead of the crowd at rope drop and to see Main Street almost empty. Most people do not want to spend the first hour of park opening--which is prime park touring time-- at breakfast.

Both CRT and CP are hard to get at 8 am and CRT is hard to get any time. Cancelling means possibly not getting another time in either restaraunt and pretty much guarantees it in CRT.

So, yes, adding hours DOES mess up ADR's. And its not about "complaining about anything", its about having the plans you so carefully made being messed up.

Personally, I would enjoy that extra morning time in the park. But if I had an 8 am, I would be angry about losing it.

 

[luvsJack]

The ultimate in First World Problems.

Yes, we actually should be here on a Disney planning site discussing hunger in the world and the travesties to women in the Middle East.

Everyone pretty much knows they are blessed in being able to go, doesn't change their right to be frustrated in their plans being messed up.

 

[BuzzinDownToDisney]

I hate that my pre-park CRT had to be dropped, but I love that I was just able to get FPs for our whole family at overlapping times on SDMT because of the 8am hours. I've been hunting them like crazy, then this morning I had my pick of a bunch of times.

 

[Airship Ariadne]

The very reasons most people schedule an 8 am ADR is to not lose any park time, be a bit ahead of the crowd at rope drop and to see Main Street almost empty. Most people do not want to spend the first hour of park opening--which is prime park touring time-- at breakfast.

Ok...but if it was to open at 9...and you were to be eating at 8...and are done at 9, you are still hitting the park at the SAME TIME you would have...yes, you lose the ADDITIONAL hour Disney just gave everyone, but you still have the same amount of park time as you would have if they didn't change the hours.

ok, so you don't get to see an "empty" Main Street...but being upset about that is like being upset at an attraction that is under refurb...if you booked your trip for that one thing, then you have bigger issues.

As for being ahead of the crowds at RD...an 8am ADR wouldn't be a guarantee of that at all...knowing how service sometimes goes, that is a crapshoot and we all know it.

Sorry, but I can only feel happy for the majority of the visitors that are now getting an extra hour in the park.

Sure the idea that this signal's larger crowds then I want is a negative, but I can't blame Disney for that.

Nope, stand by my original thought that there is just no pleasing some people.

 

[IWannaBuildASnowman]

I just noticed the other day that the park opened at 8 am instead of 9 am. We have a CRT ADR at 8:35. If we had snagged an 8 am ADR I would be miffed, but at 8:35 this may, just may, work in our favour. If I get to rope drop, I might be able to SPRINT to see A&E before breakfast. Otherwise we're toast because the FPs are long gone.

We've gone the last two years on this week and have always had really positive experiences, crowd-wise.

 

[JanaDee]

Disney philosophy, force you to decide where you will be at what time, 180 days from when you'll actually be there. Then at 26 days out they pull the rug out from under you and force you to scramble to rearrange plans. This is awful for us. A Disney trip is simply not viable for us if we can't RD, but having to wake a 3.5 year old at 5:30am to do it, is a recipe for disaster.

Are you sitting down? I completely agree with you.

I think it is awful Disney rearranges times so close to people's vacations, making them scramble as far as plans go. Did the fact that super duper crowds are going to be descending on WDW a couple weeks before Christmas JUST occur to them?

Get it together, Disney.

 

[JanaDee]

The ultimate in First World Problems.

If you're looking for people to post about non-First World problems, you're in the wrong place.

 

[JanaDee]

I hate that my pre-park CRT had to be dropped, but I love that I was just able to get FPs for our whole family at overlapping times on SDMT because of the 8am hours. I've been hunting them like crazy, then this morning I had my pick of a bunch of times.

Great!

 

[nuzmom]

ditto thanks for the heads up, got 7 dwarves dec 24 am, wohoo!

as a general touring rule, we never schedule adrs for early am, don't want to be rushed even if it is the hour before park opens. I would try to find mid morning adr instead, tour early, then take a break once it starts to get more crowded, then hop and/or start using fast passes...

Yes, we don't do early FP+ either (but are rope droppers), but I was able to get 8:35 to 9:35am for 7DMT. Considering the only 7DMT FP+ I had been able to get for that day at 60+ days (for our family of 5) was for a time which was after we wanted to leave for the day, I'll gladly take the 9:35am.