Operational Updates at Epcot

[yulilin3]

Starting Feb. 14th the Mouse Gear store will open at 10 am until park closing
All attractions at the Imagination Pavilion and Living with the Land will close at 7pm
Disney's Phineas and Ferb Agent P's World Showcase Adventure hours are 11 am until 6 pm

 

[Robo]

Starting Feb. 14th the Mouse Gear store will open at 10 am until park closing

Park closing?
9PM?

That flies in the face of everything we know about WDW principle in-park shops.

 

[MrKnight]

The interesting part is that FW is still listed as closing at 9pm for the remainder of February so it seems rather odd that any attractions within FW would close prior to that time if the entire land is technically still open.. This information is contradictory..

 

[DavidNYC]

Park closing?
9PM?

That flies in the face of everything we know about WDW principle in-park shops.

Don't they usually just list the hours as being until "park closing" as a shorthand but they're always open for about an hour after anyway? Don't remember seeing "official" closing times being listed as past park closing. No way does Disney close the main shop store as everyone is filing out with nothing else to do but spend money there.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

oh and La Cava now opens at 11:30 instead of 12.

I think the difference is actually that Mouse Gear is opening at 10 instead of 9 - didn't it typically open at 9?

 

[MrKnight]

Don't they usually just list the hours as being until "park closing" as a shorthand but they're always open for about an hour after anyway? Don't remember seeing "official" closing times being listed as past park closing. No way does Disney close the main shop store as everyone is filing out with nothing else to do but spend money there.

The main gift shops (Mousegear for Epcot, Emporium for MKP, etc.) close one hour after park closing, this is a regular practice as there is simply too much money being made on merchandise after park close for Disney to do otherwise..

 

[Robo]

The interesting part is that FW is still listed as closing at 9pm for the remainder of February so it seems rather odd that any attractions within FW would close prior to that time if the entire land is technically still open.. This information is contradictory..

Not really odd at all.

FW is (within the last half-decade) always listed as being open until 9PM.
It's just certain FW attractions have always closed at 7PM, nightly.

Traditionally, those closing at 7PM have been most of Innoventions, Imagination, and Ellen's Energy Adventure.
In the years before "The Living Seas" became "The Seas with Nemo and Friends," it closed at 7PM, as well.
I can see that The Land doesn't really need to stay open later until Soarin' comes back.

 

[MrKnight]

Not really odd at all.

FW is (within the last half-decade) always listed as being open until 9PM.
It's just certain FW attractions have always closed at 7PM, nightly.

Traditionally, those closing at 7PM have been most of Innoventions, Imagination, and Ellen's Energy Adventure.
In the years before "The Living Seas" became "The Seas with Nemo and Friends," it closed at 7PM, as well.
I can see that The Land doesn't really need to stay open later until Soarin' comes back.

With all due respect Robo.. I was a WDWCM several years ago (within the decade) and I can assure you that the official closing time for FW was normally posted and listed as 7:00pm, the few attractions that remain open until 9pm (TT, SE, etc.) were the exception, not the land as a whole.. Recently it appears that WDW is now posting the official closing time for FW as 9:00pm which is highly misleading considering that more than half of FW is closed after 7:00pm, kiosks are closed, there is no entertainment in the area, etc.. It is practically a ghost town. The one and only day that I can think of in which ALL of FW is actually open until park close is on NYE when park hours for the ENTIRE park are extended until 1am with no exceptions..

 

[rteetz]

It looks like this is only the start of reductions in hours across all parks.

 

[Robo]

With all due respect Robo.. I was a WDWCM several years ago (within the decade) and I can assure you that the official closing time for FW was normally posted and listed as 7:00pm, the few attractions that remain open until 9pm (TT, SE, etc.) were the exception, not the land as a whole.. Recently it appears that WDW is now posting the official closing time for FW as 9:00pm which is highly misleading considering that more than half of FW is closed after 7:00pm, kiosks are closed, there is no entertainment in the area, etc.. It is practically a ghost town. The one and only day that I can think of in which ALL of FW is actually open until park close is on NYE when park hours for the ENTIRE park are extended until 1am with no exceptions..

Having followed these things very closely, there was a specific CHANGE in how FW hours were announced to the public.
About 5 years ago (actually happened in late 2010 -about half a decade, as I said.)
Disney stopped saying that "FW closes at 7PM with certain attractions remaining open until 9PM."
They changed the info to "FW closes at 9PM with certain attractions closing at 7PM."

Here is a post from 2008 where I discussed the "old way" FW was announced to close as being 7PM.

Here is a post from 2010 where I discussed the newly announced way FW was announced to close as being 9PM.

Here is a Nov. 2010 post from WDWMagic.com that expresses the new info, as well.

 

[cel_disney]

In addition to low crowds in these pavillions (I really thought they always closed these at 7?) they need to finish Soarin and DVC Member Area construction!! If they wanted to stagger their hours even more - I don't think anyone would disagree! How many people rush to the park and head straight to figment at rope drop???

 

[KateP85]

It looks like this is only the start of reductions in hours across all parks.

Yep. I really think they're trying to cut down on labor costs.

 

[MrKnight]

Having followed these things very closely, there was a specific CHANGE in how FW hours were announced to the public.
About 5 years ago (actually happened in late 2010 -about half a decade, as I said.)
Disney stopped saying that "FW closes at 7PM with certain attractions remaining open until 9PM."
They changed the info to "FW closes at 9PM with certain attractions closing at 7PM."

Here is a post from 2008 where I discussed the "old way" FW was announced to close as being 7PM.

Here is a post from 2010 where I discussed the newly announced way FW was announced to close as being 9PM.

Here is a Nov. 2010 post from WDWMagic.com that expresses the new info, as well.

It looks like we are both referring to the same change, I just underestimated how long ago it was, I didn't realize this change occurred in 2010, I thought it was more recent, thank you for clarifying that Robo.. Nonetheless, I hope you can at least agree with me that the fact that FW is announced as officially closing at 9pm is misleading for the reasons that I mentioned in my original post above..

 

[Lothlórien]

Yep. I really think they're trying to cut down on labor costs.

All while raising the guest prices for literally everything!!!!

 

[summerw]

Disney's Phineas and Ferb Agent P's World Showcase Adventure hours are 11 am until 6 pm

I'm so bummed about this. We don't have that many daytime hours scheduled for WS so this will be hard to fit in now. What is the operational expense to them? One CM to pass out phones. Ugh.

 

[DebbieB]

Having followed these things very closely, there was a specific CHANGE in how FW hours were announced to the public.
About 5 years ago (actually happened in late 2010 -about half a decade, as I said.)
Disney stopped saying that "FW closes at 7PM with certain attractions remaining open until 9PM."
They changed the info to "FW closes at 9PM with certain attractions closing at 7PM."

Here is a post from 2008 where I discussed the "old way" FW was announced to close as being 7PM.

Here is a post from 2010 where I discussed the newly announced way FW was announced to close as being 9PM.

Here is a Nov. 2010 post from WDWMagic.com that expresses the new info, as well.

I remember discussing this and my post was in the 2008 link. I still think the same. 7:00 close with some open until 9:00 sounds like a bonus. 9:00 close with some closing at 7:00 sounds like a ripoff. Same result, different spin.

 

[jenniy122]

How many people rush to the park and head straight to figment at rope drop???

*raises hand* I did last week lol! In my defense, I was on a photography mission.

 

[summerw]

We will still be able to play Agent P as long as we get a phone before 6, right?

 

[soniam]

We will still be able to play Agent P as long as we get a phone before 6, right?

Last time we played, we finished a game close to 8pm. I don't remember the exact time, but it could have been as early as 7:30pm. It wouldn't let us play another game. It just directed us to put it in the box at Mexico. So, you may only be able to play one game if you get it too close to 6pm.

 

[summerw]

Last time we played, we finished a game close to 8pm. I don't remember the exact time, but it could have been as early as 7:30pm. It wouldn't let us play another game. It just directed us to put it in the box at Mexico. So, you may only be able to play one game if you get it too close to 6pm.

Thanks for the info. That completely blows. I really want to see the operational expenses on this one. I've tried to no get bothered by all the closures, but there are just so many in April. I think I'm actually going to call to complain. Does anyone know the best number?