Park hours expanded in September!

[loves to dive]

I was playing on MDE with FP on my phone this morning for Sept. and noticed that. No I haven't made any FPs yet and my trip is 9/12-18. I don't plan on making any until I get there since I don't really know until I'm there what park I want to go to. I do check the app every once in awhile though to see what's available. Looks like I'll be going AK my first night there since I should be getting in around 2:30 or 3, that gives me a good 5 hours there. This is what I do every trip, I'm a seats of the pants go with the flow type of WDW person. Works out well when they change the hours.

 

[DisneyKeepsUsYoung]

@yulilin3 i noticed in another thread that someone posted they saw on the HUB that they are not doing the nighttime safari anymore!? Have you seen this change at all on your end? We planned a night at AK to do EE and the safari at night before close, so would have to rework some plans if that were the case. Just a little odd how that person also said their source was the HUB, but you've always been spot on, so wanted to check and see if the safari will still be opened until park closing the last week of September?

I have a FP for 7:30-8:30 to ride Safari and have not been notified of any changes. They changed my Nemo FP for me due to show times changing so I'm pretty sure they would change my Safarri one if the ride wouldn't be available. This is for Sept 16, so not the last week but still.

 

[dreamseeker9]

FINALLY!!! This is such great news! I'm going Sept. 16-22! Woohoo!!!

 

[jcemom]

Thanks for the heads up! It looks like our AK day changed from 8:00 to 9:00 closing. We were only planning to go for the afternoon so that makes our day more relaxing, giving us an extra hour and guaranteeing that it will be good and dark for the Tree of Life show. Yay!

 

[ArielSRL]

Hours were extended for October. Originally AK was scheduled to close at 5pm. Latest schedule shows AK open till 7:30pm. With sunset being around 7:15pm it is unlikely there will be any night time shows as it won't be dark until closer to 7:45pm.

Disney has been extending hours about the middle of the previous month. In June, it was mid May, for July it was mid June, and so on and so forth. Expect tweaking to occur mid Sept for October.

 

[yulilin3]

@yulilin3 i noticed in another thread that someone posted they saw on the HUB that they are not doing the nighttime safari anymore!? Have you seen this change at all on your end? We planned a night at AK to do EE and the safari at night before close, so would have to rework some plans if that were the case. Just a little odd how that person also said their source was the HUB, but you've always been spot on, so wanted to check and see if the safari will still be opened until park closing the last week of September?

which dates are you coming. The HUB basically says that Safari will be open until park closing, it all depends when you come and at what time the park closes.

 

[SarahSnow]

woohoo! thanks for the good news!

 

[Criickette]

Woot woot!!

 

[Mrs~Incredible]

Yeah! Now it will actually be dark to see the Tree of Life for our trip!
I wonder if this means they are expecting higher crowds by extending MK hours too though.

Yes I think they are banking on higher crowds, that is my guess too.

Well, at least they are accommodating. They are generally pretty good at moving masses of people.

 

[Jennasis]

Well, it looks like they DID add MSEP back in on our MK night which is a plus but they extended AK AK hours to 9pm rather than 8pm and pushed the start time of the DVC Safari Spectacular event that night, that we have reservations for, to 9:30pm instead of 9pm.

 

[SBWB48]

which dates are you coming. The HUB basically says that Safari will be open until park closing, it all depends when you come and at what time the park closes.

We are planning to be at AK on 9/30 closing is currently listed as 8:30pm, so it seems like we should be ok catching the safari at dusk as long as they are keeping it open until closing!

 

[yulilin3]

We are planning to be at AK on 9/30 closing is currently listed as 8:30pm, so it seems like we should be ok catching the safari at dusk as long as they are keeping it open until closing!

You should be fine

 

[Speri337]

With no ROL and a 9pm closing, does anyone have an educated guess as to what time things like the Wildlife Parti or Carnivale might happen?
With no night show, I'd like to make both and I keep changing our ADR, but it's like a shot in the dark.

@yulilin3 Thank You!!!

 

[yulilin3]

With no ROL and a 9pm closing, does anyone have an educated guess as to what time things like the Wildlife Parti or Carnivale might happen?
With no night show, I'd like to make both and I keep changing our ADR, but it's like a shot in the dark.

I'm out of the house so can't check, but tag me in this post so I can remember to check tomorrow

 

[tinkerbella16]

So happy our first full day on 9/4, MK is extended until midnight instead of 10pm! I can now stay at the park later while my sister and BIL head back to the resort with the baby. And on 9/6 we planned on going to AK from 4pm to close and the park is open until 9 instead of 8!

3 weeks from today we will be in Disney!!!!

 

[Ecuteacher]

I was hoping ROL would be here by then for my two week Sept trip. I'll be here to see the Jungle book and the TOL so yay!

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

Thanks for posting. Nice that folks can now work in an afternoon break if needed!

 

[manakin]

wow, Saturday 10 the MK will be open from 8 am till midnight! So that means that crowds will be (as expected) quite massive...

 

[AtlantaDisneyDreamer]

I'm a little bummed because this is more confirmation that this September will be far more crowded than ever. I have never seen hours this late in September. We planned on a night when MK closed at 9 and had extra magic hours from 9-11. I thought the 9-11 would be perfect for us to experience EMH since we have two little girls who can stay up that late. Now the park closes at 11 and EMH are from 11-1. I don't think the kids will be able to experience EMH now. Just too late.

Extended hours did not affect HS. Hours moved from a 7:30 close with an 8 pm Fantasmic to an 8 pm close with an 8 pm Fantasmic and a 7:45 Star Wars fireworks show, which makes it impossible to see both.

I really do appreciate Disney's efforts to accommodate people. Just didn't happen to help our plans this time.

 

[yulilin3]

With no ROL and a 9pm closing, does anyone have an educated guess as to what time things like the Wildlife Parti or Carnivale might happen?
With no night show, I'd like to make both and I keep changing our ADR, but it's like a shot in the dark.

@yulilin3 Thank You!!!

Just checked, the entertainment schedule is only out until Sept. 5th. But the HUB does say that both parties will continue. So my best guess would be:
Harambe Partii 5pm until 9pm (includes performances from Karibu Sisters, Kora Tinga Tinga and Harambe Village Acrobats)
Discovery Island Carnivale: 6:45pm, 7:40pm, 8:35pm,