Rides or attractions with different hours than overall park hours?

[Mikie]

So I've learned in various threads that certain rides are not open during EMH, character meet hours are often shorter than park hours, in DHS certain rides close early for fireworks. . .

Are there other rides or attractions that simply have different operating hours than the park's hours? What's the best place to find attraction times for these types of exceptions?

 

[Robo]

That is a set of many questions.

No place that I know of has all of that info in one spot.

 

[Cadaverous Pallor]

The official park guides would list this information.

FWIW, the one I can think of off the top of my head is Living with the Land usually closes at 7pm in EPCOT.

 

[NJ Goofy]

If Robo doesn't have the answer than there's probably no where else you'd find all of that info. In most cases a lot of the things you questions depend on the time of year, weather, crowd levels, etc. So they are always changing. It would be something you'd have to check at each park as you arrive.

 

[Mikie]

That is a set of many questions.

No place that I know of has all of that info in one spot.

Naturally. . . Who would want easy access to attraction info all in one spot?

If Robo doesn't have the answer than there's probably no where else you'd find all of that info. In most cases a lot of the things you questions depend on the time of year, weather, crowd levels, etc. So they are always changing. It would be something you'd have to check at each park as you arrive.

I was pretty sure the in-park times guides would have much of this info, but not sure. For instance, do the times guides at DHS report the early closing of TSMM and GMR for fireworks, or do you only discover that walking by? It probably seems like minutia, but what with the other pre-planning necessary, sure is a valuable piece of info!

 

[Cadaverous Pallor]

You are correct, times guides list that information.
Not that that helps you planning ahead of time as I can't seem to find current Times Guides online.

 

[Robo]

If Robo doesn't have the answer than there's probably no where else you'd find all of that info. In most cases a lot of the things you questions depend on the time of year, weather, crowd levels, etc. So they are always changing. It would be something you'd have to check at each park as you arrive.

Yes.
That is exactly why I (and, AFAIK, others) have not compiled that info.

It simply changes ALL the TIME.

AM EMH open attractions are relatively consistent,
but even with that so-called "consistency" I have at least NINE different versions of what is open and what is not open for AM EMH...
it changes so often due to attraction closures, etc.

Newly-updated park "Times Guides" are regularly issued as needed, and special "EMH Times Guides" are also issued approx. weekly.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

The Tiki House and Tom Sawyer's Island usually close at dark. Actually, I think TS always closes at dark. Disney is adding a night safari, but in my experience the AK safari ride always closes at 5pm. Lesser rides are not always open for EMH.

ANY ride can go down temporarily during ANY day. Over the years we've seen a number of rides go down, and heard of many more. all it takes is one really dumb guest doing something really dumb to gum up the works. A few of the biggest rides go down like that, well, it isn't uncommon: Space Mtn, RNRC, Splash. Test TRack went dow quit a bit when it was new, but is now pretty reliable. Others we've seen down: BTMRR, POTC, HM, PPan, 7D, TSMM, Star Tours, Buzz, EE, Dinosaur, Primeval Whirl, M:Space, Energy, Mexico, safari, Kali. Oh, the monorail many times! Also the shuttle boats!

In half of AK park and all WET rides close during a severe thunder storm. All the animal attractions, Kali, and EE. Expect similar at Universal.

For Epcot, the hours of each half are listed. Often the WS opens at 11am-9pm, and Future World is open 9am-7pm, except big rides like Soarin' and Test Track will stay open past 7pm.

Oh, except there are often rehabs- like the current one of Soarin' that can also close rides.

I suppose the best approach is patience, doing a bit of homework (for major announced rehabs), and maybe the new app If you wish. the new app tells you if a ride is down (very temp few hour kind)...though if you happen to be at the entrance of a major ride JUST when it re-opens! BONUS! Well...that is, if you are brave enough to be the first one back on a ride that was JUST shut down for some unknown reason.

Characters are another matter. We don't usually scope out characters. We only see them if we happen across a short-ish line. It used to be that at busy times WDW offered po up unannounced characters. I think those are kind of rare now. Most (all?) are listed on the paper times guide you get when you enter the parks. I think there's a website which lists more. I ghaven't used one in ages so I don't know.

 

[Accident]

http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/earlyentry.htm has a list of what is opened both morning and evening

 

[Robo]

http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/earlyentry.htm has a list of what is opened both morning and evening

Much of the list is current, but not all.
That's the problem.

 

[WEDWDW]

What's the best place to find attraction times for these types of exceptions?

Right here.

http://www.orlandoparksnews.com/p/weekly-walt-disney-world-times-guides.html

 

[DavidNYC]

Right here.

http://www.orlandoparksnews.com/p/weekly-walt-disney-world-times-guides.html

The times guides are the only thing that will be accurate. You can use the current ones as a guide but as others have said, it changes frequently. In general, the "lesser" attractions can open or close a bit early or late and characters often are only part of the day.

 

[Mikie]

Super frustrating! Of course, times guides seem to be the best available info, but you can't get them in advance for planning. Further, one piece that instigated this question was the early closing of Toy Story and Great Movie ride to accommodate the fireworks (another thread reports that these close 1 hour prior to fireworks) but the times guide linked indicates those closing at fireworks time, not prior.

Blech. . . The short answer seems to be "make your plans with incomplete info and grab a times guide when you get there (and still remain flexible for changes to THAT)"
Thanks guys

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Blech. . . The short answer seems to be "make your plans with incomplete info and grab a times guide when you get there (and still remain flexible for changes to THAT)"
Thanks guys

Or just make a general habit of going with the flow, without bothering to attempt detailed plans.

On our last visit, we waited nearly an hour past our ADR for our table (though we arrived early). It took almost ANOTHER half hour until we had any food! So 90 minutes after we arrived, still no food!

Slightly off the topic of closed attractions, but perfectly par for a trip to WDW.

Now perhaps in retrospect we should have complained a bit, but we didn't really stress out because we didn't have any fixed need to be any place special after lunch.