Reduced Spectromagic during free dining?

[BostonRob]

I would imagine this has been discussed before, but I haven't seen it. I just checked the times for spectromagic in August and was shocked to see that for the last 16 days in August, Spectro is only showing 8 times! That is a sharp contrast top the first 15 days in August when Spectro is showing every day.
I can only assume that this is the beginning of their "slower" season, hence the free dining promotion. But the MK hours are the same for all of August, so why run Spectro only 50% of the time, especially if they think that free dining will bring people into the parks?
Free dining begins on the 16th, right? There's no spectro the 16th, 17th, or 19th. Can you imagine how packed the MK will be for that Spectro show on the 18th?
Anybody else remember the good ole days when they used to run the Main Street Electrical Parade twice a night during the summer?

 

[HallGirl]

In my experience, Spectro has always been shown only a few days a week. Also, the end of August is pretty close to the beginning of a slow time, so it makes sense to me that they reduce the number of showings. That's what I think anyway.

 

[shoppgirl]

Yes I was concerned that Spectro is on limited showings during the week of the 24th (I guess the second week of free dining). Out of the 5 nights that we are there, it is only showing on ONE night, and that also happens to be morning EMH day!!!!! So, that is the only night we can go to MK as we do not have park hoppers. It's going to be PACKED, slow season or not.

 

[bitohoney]

We went last year at the end of August during free dining and it wasn't crowded at all. The southern schools will be in session already, maybe that's why.

 

[RMulieri]

Spectro is usually on a reduced schedule once end of august rolls around. Plus Come Sept MNSSHP so that also comes into play.

 

[Sammie]

Parades, hours and such are all scaled back during the less busy times of the year and that begins the middle of August.

It is the reason free dining is even offered. If you check the schedule for July I am sure you will see that it runs every night.

You are right that it will be packed.

 

[perkinsrose]

Past 4 years, we've found Spectromagic showing only 2-3 times per week during off-season in Jan/Feb. Just more need for planning when/where touring plans.

 

[RMulieri]

I remember back in the early 90's when fireworks and spectro showed ONLY ON WEEKENDS during off season.So at least 2-3 times a week is definitely something.

 

[chloelovesdisney]

I do remember the days of twice nightly electric parades. It is showing I think 4 of the 8 nights we are there. We have an illuminations cruise for one of those nights, so we are down to 3 nights.

I plan to go to the very first one scheduled, as we have been there is August when lightening storms have cancelled the parade. This way, if the parade gets cancelled, we have two more chances to try again.

 

[Colleen27]

We've only gone in the off season (late Sept/early Oct, late Aug, mid Jan), and that's a typical Spectro schedule from what we've seen. We haven't actually caught it yet, because it is usually only running a couple/few nights during our trip and not on nights that worked with our plans.

 

[Macdonx]

In September, the Spectro schedule is effected by the MNSSHP schedule. There's no Spectro on Party nights.

That wouldn't apply to the OP, though.

 

[SPOERLX3]

I was wondering about this myself. Eventhough I can understand trying to cut down due the the slower season beginning, It was hard to see that during the 1st week of free dining, Aug 16-22, based on the Disneyworld.com website, Spectromagic is only on Tuesday the 18th and Friday & Saturday the 21st & 22nd. Our original plans were not to visit MK on either of those days but I guess we will make a trip over there to see it on Tuesday or Friday since we will be flying home on Saturday.

 

[jcemom]

Two to three times per week is normal at that time of year. MK still stays open late, at least partially, due to Wishes. It needs to be dark enough for it, so MK will gradually, begining in September, start to close earlier as it gets dark earlier.

 

[chloelovesdisney]

I was wondering about this myself. Eventhough I can understand trying to cut down due the the slower season beginning, It was hard to see that during the 1st week of free dining, Aug 16-22, based on the Disneyworld.com website, Spectromagic is only on Tuesday the 18th and Friday & Saturday the 21st & 22nd. Our original plans were not to visit MK on either of those days but I guess we will make a trip over there to see it on Tuesday or Friday since we will be flying home on Saturday.

It's also on the 20th.

 

[DebbieB]

I remember back in the early 90's when fireworks and spectro showed ONLY ON WEEKENDS during off season.So at least 2-3 times a week is definitely something.

On my first trip in mid October 1994, Spectro and Fireworks were not shown at MK at all from Labor Day to Thanksgiving. Closed everynight at 7:00pm. MGM had Sorcery in the Sky on Saturday night only. Illuminations was everynight. I didn't get to see it until my next trip in November 1996, during the 25th anniversary it was held everynight.

 

[SPOERLX3]

It's also on the 20th.

I saw on wdwinfo.com that it was listed to be showing on the 20th but on the disneyworld.com website when you go to the calendar and click on the park hours it doesn't show Spectro on the 20th, so i'm not sure what to go by

 

[chloelovesdisney]

Uh oh. It's a good thing I had my back up plans for the 21st. Thanks for the heads up.