October 2015 Park Hours??

[Blondie Mom]

When will they officially post park hours for October 2015? Is there anywhere I can view predicted park hours? This is our first visit to Disneyland, so I have no idea what to expect as far as hours go.

 

[Girimama33]

The hours will be posted 4-6 weeks before the date.
Here are the historical hours:
http://www.disboards.com/threads/historical-dlr-park-hours-entertainment-and-refurbs.2291124/

 

[GatorChris]

You can usually get hours 6 weeks out over at Disneyland.com under Parks&Tickets. But that won't help you with October. I go over to wdwinfo.com, scroll over Disneyland to get a dropdown menu, scroll over Theme Parks, and then click on Park Hours. They have an educated guess based on last year's hours posted there. You can also look at October from 2014.

It's really amazing to me that I can find out the park hours for Six Flags and Legoland months in advance, but DL only goes out 6 weeks. It just doesn't make sense for a worldwide destination to have such limited information on future hours.

 

[figment_jii]

Operating hours are typically posted about 45-days/6-weeks in advance, one day at a time. Entertainment and EMH/MM are not always complete when the hours are posted and generally are added about 30-days in advance (with some changes still likely to occur). Dining reservations can be made 60-days in advance.

Note that the Disneyland calendar and system are little wonky at times and may not load information immediately, especially at the start of a month or the start of a new week. Dining reservation times are not always loaded right at the 60-day mark, but if you give it a few days (to a week) it usually gets fixed.

Finally, regarding the wdwinfo calendar...note that it does predict the hours for the future using the information from the past. The hours for October 2016 are a best "guess" at this point, so don't get too attached to them. Also, don't necessarily get too worried about the refurbishments that may be listed (they often just port the calendar from a previous year, so it might list some old refurbs until the new information if "official"). See this list on wdwinfo instead, which is kept current.

 

[Blondie Mom]

Thanks for the help! I quickly looked at the historical data for October 2014 and compared it to the predicted hours for October 2015, and they are definitely not the same! Very frustrating! We are used to planning for WDW, which seems much more concrete than what I'm finding with DL planning. I guess this trip is going to teach me to go with the flow, eh?

 

[figment_jii]

In general, DLR doesn't require as much planning as WDW. So, yes, it's much easier to just "go with the flow" and not try to over-plan things. That's actually one of the things I like about DLR; I don't feel the need to plan everything like I do at WDW (more so now with the addition of FP+). Try to see it as a positive (I know it's tough when you're used to planning a WDW vacation).

Yeah, unfortunately, October's hours are all over the place historically. DL opens at 8:00 am, 9:00 am, or 10:00 am (depending on the day) and closes anywhere from 6:00 pm (on MHP nights) to midnight (weekends). The best rule of thumb is that the park will be open longer on weekends (e.g., 8:00 am to midnight) and it will close early (6:00 pm or 7:00 pm) on MHP nights.

 

[RKKUNK]

When we have been there in October DL has always closed at 8:00 pm except for the nights of MHP when it closes earlier. Figment is right that the DLR does not require the planning that WDW does. I personally like that.

 

[figment_jii]

When we have been there in October DL has always closed at 8:00 pm except for the nights of MHP when it closes earlier.

Last year, DL closed anywhere from 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm on weeknights and at midnight on weekends (Sat/Sun).

 

[Geemo]

The dining reservations for October aren't available, even though it's 60days out for early Oct. dates.
The CM I talked with again this morning, indicated maybe early next week to make dinner reservations for Oct 1-5

 

[RKKUNK]

Thanks Figment, I guess we have always been there when they closed earlier! I guess I forgot to say those hours were for weekdays! Hopefully, they will have some later hours during the week this year.

 

[Chris9ty]

I am waiting to see October hours too! I am wondering if they will do fireworks earlier than in the summer, stay open late, or close and then do fireworks (likeWOC)... Trying to plan our week with our travel agent so we can also go to Knotts and Universal and not be exhausted.

 

[figment_jii]

In terms of the fireworks timing on weekdays, I would look at the times in September as a rough guide of when fireworks are likely to be.

 

[keishashadow]

The dining reservations for October aren't available, even though it's 60days out for early Oct. dates.
The CM I talked with again this morning, indicated maybe early next week to make dinner reservations for Oct 1-5

I called recently and was told sometime in next 2 weeks.

 

[Blondie Mom]

Yeah, Dining Reservations are STILL unavailable for October. They are saying because park hours still haven't been decided. This is crazy!! I mean, WDW has hours posted already for February 2016!!! It's hard for me not to go into panic mode not knowing 6 weeks out what our basic plan is.