RIDES opening late at Disneyland?

[mkg_on_snl]

hoping someone here can help me figure this out - looking at Disney’s website park hours for Feb 4, 2019 at DL are 9a-8p (for a Monday in early Feb I would have figured 10-8) however, when I go to the list of attractions, basically all the rides outside of Fantasyland say open 10a-8p, but rides within fantasyland show open at 9a - is there some event going on affecting some rides opening at park open? DCA has extra magic hour that morning and I can’t find any info on this - hoping if we come for rope drop things will actually open at 9....i’ve never dealt with a gradual opening like this on past visits - is this a new way of managing crowds on low crowd days? Or any chance the DL website is just wrong? Also, looks like Soundsational is coming back? Anyone know for sure the opening date for this and the new fireworks/laser show? Guessing no fireworks on a Monday when i’m going though? Thanks any experts out there!

 

[EyeOnDisnsey]

Hi there

By no means am I an expert and someone will definitely correct me but Mickey’s Mix Magic was announced as starting January 18th 2019 (projections on weekdays, projections AND fireworks on weekends/peak days) - but for the moment I haven’t seen it pop up onto the park schedule (again maybe I’m wrong and just don’t know where to look)

Soundsational returns on January 25th I just checked

Hope this helps and have a magical trip!

 

[mkg_on_snl]

Hi there

By no means am I an expert and someone will definitely correct me but Mickey’s Mix Magic was announced as starting January 18th 2019 (projections on weekdays, projections AND fireworks on weekends/peak days) - but for the moment I haven’t seen it pop up onto the park schedule (again maybe I’m wrong and just don’t know where to look)

Soundsational returns on January 25th I just checked

Hope this helps and have a magical trip!

Thank you! Would love to see at least the projections part of the new show when we’re there! Our kids are young enough to still sometimes not enjoy the noise of fireworks so being there on a less busy Monday i’ll take what we can get! Hopefully it will start in January as planned! Just need to sort out what the deal is with these rides opening times now

 

[smartlabelprint]

Thank you! Would love to see at least the projections part of the new show when we’re there! Our kids are young enough to still sometimes not enjoy the noise of fireworks so being there on a less busy Monday i’ll take what we can get! Hopefully it will start in January as planned! Just need to sort out what the deal is with these rides opening times now

The calendar is rarely correct this far out.

 

[mkg_on_snl]

Ok. I’ve normally had ok luck getting accurate park hours within 6 weeks like I am now - the thing that struck me as odd was that some rides were matching park hours and all the headliners and basically all of Tomorrowland was showing open an hour later - i’ll keep checking as dates get closer. Just wondered if anyone else had experienced a change in opening procedures during slower times at the park, like this seems it would push all the crowds to one area and require less CMs to be working at other rides from the time park opens if they expect a lower crowd that day? Hoping that won’t be the case but has anyone dealt with something like that?

 

[Christin82]

I noticed the same thing. Some rides are scheduled to be open when the park opens, while others are listed as opening an hour later. Considering that no one has replied by saying that this is a common practice or that it’s a glitch they’ve encountered on the DL site before, I’m starting to wonder if it’s like you said: some new strategy they’re about to put in place, possibly because they’re predicting low crowds in the months between the holiday season and the opening of GE.

The trouble is, since the ticket promotion has sweetened the pot significantly for anyone who might’ve been contemplating a pre-Galaxy’s Edge trip in 2019, I’m not sure the crowds will be particularly low. Many once-a-year visitors were already leery of booking anywhere near the GE opening, and more and more people are consulting crowd calendars in planning their visits.

If the off-season crowds end up being larger than anticipated, and overall attraction capacity is reduced due to these gradual opening procedures, I’m afraid wait times might be much higher than one would expect during refurb season, especially considering the concurrent closures of WOC and F! Since a huge number of guests have always left the queues to stake out spots and watch these shows, the closures of both will likely cause a considerable spike in wait times.

Anyway, I don’t have an answer, but I share your curiosity about how this will affect those of us planning to visit in early 2019.

 

[midnight star]

I noticed the same thing. Some rides are scheduled to be open when the park opens, while others are listed as opening an hour later. Considering that no one has replied by saying that this is a common practice or that it’s a glitch they’ve encountered on the DL site before, I’m starting to wonder if it’s like you said: some new strategy they’re about to put in place, possibly because they’re predicting low crowds in the months between the holiday season and the opening of GE.

The trouble is, since the ticket promotion has sweetened the pot significantly for anyone who might’ve been contemplating a pre-Galaxy’s Edge trip in 2019, I’m not sure the crowds will be particularly low. Many once-a-year visitors were already leery of booking anywhere near the GE opening, and more and more people are consulting crowd calendars in planning their visits.

If the off-season crowds end up being larger than anticipated, and overall attraction capacity is reduced due to these gradual opening procedures, I’m afraid wait times might be much higher than one would expect during refurb season, especially considering the concurrent closures of WOC and F! Since a huge number of guests have always left the queues to stake out spots and watch these shows, the closures of both will likely cause a considerable spike in wait times.

Anyway, I don’t have an answer, but I share your curiosity about how this will affect those of us planning to visit in early 2019.

I saw your other post. I've only been going regularly with my AP since March, and from what I've noticed, all rides are open at the stated opening times. The only rides that are open late are Toontown (which is well known). I hope the calendar is wrong and all rides open when the park opens. Are you able to call and ask?

And I too wonder if this "off season" will really be off. With the ticket deal going on, many refurbs (I'm sure more are coming), and people wanting to avoid SWGE, I feel like it will be packed. I guess we will have to wait and see.

 

[ArchOwl]

Has it changed? Looked at 2/4 attraction list right now and they all say 9am except three: Matterhorn, Star Tours, and Indiana Jones.

 

[ArchOwl]

I think someone has messed up the calendar. On 2/4/19 DCA has EMH from 8am-9am on the hours page. But on the attractions page it lists Guardian of the Galaxy ride as being open 9-10am for EMH and open 10am for regular hours. So something is definitely wrong.

 

[YayforMickey]

I've also noticed some strangeness on the February 7th calendar. It shows Disneyland being open from 9am-8pm, but there's also Sweetheart Night that night. Sweetheart night tickets are from 9pm-1am, and they say that people with tickets can enter three hours early. So they can arrive at 6pm, but the park closes at 8pm and then opens again at 9pm for the party? That can't be right.

 

[mkg_on_snl]

Ok yeah, looks like website errors because now Feb 4th is updated as of today showing all rides open at 9am, matching park open time, so hopefully it’s all been corrected

 

[mkg_on_snl]

I saw your other post. I've only been going regularly with my AP since March, and from what I've noticed, all rides are open at the stated opening times. The only rides that are open late are Toontown (which is well known). I hope the calendar is wrong and all rides open when the park opens. Are you able to call and ask?

And I too wonder if this "off season" will really be off. With the ticket deal going on, many refurbs (I'm sure more are coming), and people wanting to avoid SWGE, I feel like it will be packed. I guess we will have to wait and see.

Yeah I’m hoping weekday crowds will still be manageable and actually it doesn’t seem bad as far as refurbs by beginning of February - just splash mountain per usual and Astro orbiters, and sailing ship Columbia but overall that doesn’t seem bad on the DL side - and with soundsational coming back and as long as the new projection show starts when planned I won’t mind seeing that in place of fantasmic

 

[mkg_on_snl]

I've also noticed some strangeness on the February 7th calendar. It shows Disneyland being open from 9am-8pm, but there's also Sweetheart Night that night. Sweetheart night tickets are from 9pm-1am, and they say that people with tickets can enter three hours early. So they can arrive at 6pm, but the park closes at 8pm and then opens again at 9pm for the party? That can't be right.

This might actually be consistent for how they do Halloween parties? The park closing an hour prior to hard ticket festivities starting? But anyone with tickets to after dark would just be able to utilize that 8-9 hour for rides while day guests are sort of gently ushered forward Main Street and exit?

 

[YayforMickey]

This might actually be consistent for how they do Halloween parties? The park closing an hour prior to hard ticket festivities starting? But anyone with tickets to after dark would just be able to utilize that 8-9 hour for rides while day guests are sort of gently ushered forward Main Street and exit?

That's not how it was when I went to Halloween parties, but I haven't been to one in a few years. Maybe all the parties are working this way now.

 

[CustodialQueen]

Ok. I’ve normally had ok luck getting accurate park hours within 6 weeks like I am now - the thing that struck me as odd was that some rides were matching park hours and all the headliners and basically all of Tomorrowland was showing open an hour later - i’ll keep checking as dates get closer. Just wondered if anyone else had experienced a change in opening procedures during slower times at the park, like this seems it would push all the crowds to one area and require less CMs to be working at other rides from the time park opens if they expect a lower crowd that day? Hoping that won’t be the case but has anyone dealt with something like that?

I actually was just searching the forums for more on this specific situation in regards to Universal Studios Hollywood. I was navigating the USH app and noticed the SAME type of thing. Harry Potter attractions are open for early entry at 9:30am, park opens at 10:00am, but then most of the other attractions (especially on the lower lot) don't open until 11am. Is this a common practice? It will be my first time so I want to plan accordingly.

 

[j9isawesome]

I've also noticed some strangeness on the February 7th calendar. It shows Disneyland being open from 9am-8pm, but there's also Sweetheart Night that night. Sweetheart night tickets are from 9pm-1am, and they say that people with tickets can enter three hours early. So they can arrive at 6pm, but the park closes at 8pm and then opens again at 9pm for the party? That can't be right.

They park closes at 8 but only to day guests. Anyone with an event lanyard that already came in can enjoy a slightly emptier park during the buffer time of 8 & 9 as they’re ushering out most day guests & in most event guests. I don’t think that one is a mistake.

 

[dina444444]

I actually was just searching the forums for more on this specific situation in regards to Universal Studios Hollywood. I was navigating the USH app and noticed the SAME type of thing. Harry Potter attractions are open for early entry at 9:30am, park opens at 10:00am, but then most of the other attractions (especially on the lower lot) don't open until 11am. Is this a common practice? It will be my first time so I want to plan accordingly.

It’s usually common practice that the lower lot doesn’t open till an hour after the park opens. There’s only two rides down there right now (transformers and mummy’s) until Jurassic world comes online later this year.

They park closes at 8 but only to day guests. Anyone with an event lanyard that already came in can enjoy a slightly emptier park during the buffer time of 8 & 9 as they’re ushering out most day guests & in most event guests. I don’t think that one is a mistake.

It’s not a mistake. They started doing this in Florida at MK with the Christmas and Halloween parties in the last year. Disneyland now seems to be following suit with all of their after hour events. Moonlight magic, sweethearts night, and 90s night are all from 9pm-1am and the park closes to day guests at 8pm with party guests getting access at 6pm.

 

[YayforMickey]

It’s not a mistake. They started doing this in Florida at MK with the Christmas and Halloween parties in the last year. Disneyland now seems to be following suit with all of their after hour events. Moonlight magic, sweethearts night, and 90s night are all from 9pm-1am and the park closes to day guests at 8pm with party guests getting access at 6pm.

I kind of wish it had been like this for the Halloween parties I went to in past years. My family always entered as soon as the party ticket would allow, and it didn't get less crowded until the start time of the party. This makes the paid party tickets a better value.

 

[CustodialQueen]

It’s usually common practice that the lower lot doesn’t open till an hour after the park opens. There’s only two rides down there right now (transformers and mummy’s) until Jurassic world comes online later this year.

Good to know thank you!

 

[FeistyDisneyMom]

Seems like WAY back when MM/EMH stuff was brand new, Fantasy land rides were the only ones up during the extra hour and everything else opened at normal time, minus Toontown which was an hour later. It would seem weird if they went back to that though, given attendance and utilization of the extra hour just keeps growing! Hope it was a glitch!