Typical timing for extending hours/adding F! and EMHs around Easter?

[gzmtlock]

We'll be spending Spring Break (late March) at Kidani with our GKs. I've got my days planned as far as parks and ADRs. Window for FP+ opens in a couple weeks.

I believe it's highly likely that hours will be extended again (already have been once, minor changes mostly in the evenings), EMHs added, and possibly a second F! some/most nights. For example, for the two weeks surrounding Easter, I believe it has been consistent for the past several years that MK opened at 8 am, with 7 am EMH many or all mornings. I'm hoping they add a second F! and the SW fireworks the night we'll be at DHS.

Any ideas about when adjustments might be made by?

 

[Robo]

2-6 weeks in advance.

 

[gzmtlock]

Thanks, Robo!

 

[GPC0321]

I'm hoping they add a second F! and the SW fireworks the night we'll be at DHS.

Currently they only show the SW fireworks running through March 19th (I think). Is it likely they'll extend them through Easter week? Because I'd change things around to make sure we can see them!

 

[Robo]

Currently they only show the SW fireworks running through March 19th (I think). Is it likely they'll extend them through Easter week?

Nobody knows.

 

[asbyrneva]

Currently they only show the SW fireworks running through March 19th (I think). Is it likely they'll extend them through Easter week? Because I'd change things around to make sure we can see them!

No guarantees but certainly would make sense for them to extend at least by three weeks to cover the busiest time and spread crowds out in the evening.

 

[DVCcurious]

does anyone know MKs closing time last year? We go every Easter week and we've always done 7am EMH. We're considering going from 6pm to 12am close rather than 7am to 12pm (when crowds get so bad we can't take it anymore!)

but if MK closes at 10 or 11 each night we'll just stick with mornings. We have two weeks to figure this out before the FP window opens

 

[GPC0321]

does anyone know MKs closing time last year? We go every Easter week and we've always done 7am EMH. We're considering going from 6pm to 12am close rather than 7am to 12pm (when crowds get so bad we can't take it anymore!)

but if MK closes at 10 or 11 each night we'll just stick with mornings. We have two weeks to figure this out before the FP window opens

Right now they have MK closing at midnight.

 

[GPC0321]

No guarantees but certainly would make sense for them to extend at least by three weeks to cover the busiest time and spread crowds out in the evening.

That's what I'm thinking too, but as Robo says, who knows? I do wish they would give people a little more of a heads up about this stuff. My FastPass day is coming up very soon and I'd like to have some idea of what kind of park hours I'll be dealing with, when the fireworks will be, and if there will be additional parades (MSEP, FoF). Right now they still have only one MSEP at 10pm after Wishes. I want to believe they'll have an earlier one before Wishes, but I guess I cannot count on it. Same with the FoF parade with the Easter pre-parade. Historically they've done an earlier run of that, but no word at all about it yet. It kind of makes it hard to plan FastPasses and exactly when you want to be in the parks when you're not sure about the timing of these things. And for me, the Star Wars fireworks would be the only reason I'd make a special effort to be in HS in the evening. Otherwise we'd just hit it whenever because it's the park that holds the least interest for us.

 

[Robo]

No guarantees but certainly would make sense for them to extend at least by three weeks to cover the busiest time and spread crowds out in the evening.

The problem is, there have been MANY things that "made sense" and Disney discontinued them, anyway.

Just look at them COMPLETELY CLOSING Soarin' for months and months, just to attach a new connection to a third theater from the queue. Yes, they are changing the queue, but... that cuts the primary draw to Epcot by a huge amount at a time when they NEED a good draw. Just plain ODD!

It is quite possible that they will extend the DHS fireworks, but I've completely lost confidence in Disney's "logical decision making."

Who knows?!?

 

[asbyrneva]

That's what I'm thinking too, but as Robo says, who knows? I do wish they would give people a little more of a heads up about this stuff. My FastPass day is coming up very soon and I'd like to have some idea of what kind of park hours I'll be dealing with, when the fireworks will be, and if there will be additional parades (MSEP, FoF). Right now they still have only one MSEP at 10pm after Wishes. I want to believe they'll have an earlier one before Wishes, but I guess I cannot count on it. Same with the FoF parade with the Easter pre-parade. Historically they've done an earlier run of that, but no word at all about it yet. It kind of makes it hard to plan FastPasses and exactly when you want to be in the parks when you're not sure about the timing of these things. And for me, the Star Wars fireworks would be the only reason I'd make a special effort to be in HS in the evening. Otherwise we'd just hit it whenever because it's the park that holds the least interest for us.

Yeah it can be frustrating not knowing well in advance. Robo is correct, nobody knows for sure, but I think the odds are pretty good. Didn't make it for easter last year but I have in the past and the could extend hours and add parades fireworks anytime. If you look at WDWmagic.com on their calendar you can go back and do the same days around easter last year to get a guess of what they may do this year. Not sure it was earlier it looks like it was actually later. I would anticipate the 7 am starts and additional evening parades in MK (last year they were at 10:15 and 12:15). In 2014 it was also at 10 and 12. So again no guarantee but looks like they have added a second MSEP after the first because of all the extra park hours.

I just did this at thanksgiving and they were adjusting hours well inside the 30 days out mark. I made some assumptions about historical times and went from there. Pretty accurate (although they didnt do an 1 early morning I was expecting at MK) but I would say about 90% of my assumptions based on historical data was accurate.