WDW hours uuugggg

[GenGen22]

This is just a rant... So, WDW makes us pick which park we want to visit by requiring it's guests to book the ADR's 6 months out if you want to experience the TS restaurants which of course I do as in CA where I live DL doesn't have all of the dining options that they have in WDW. Then they have you book your FP+ 60 days out as well and at the last minute they decide to change their park hours to longer days which is great however, I wished I would have known the hours first hand so, I could have picked the park that I wanted to be in the longest and then decide my ADR's and FP+. All my touring is messed up constantly. I just think it's way to much planning for my west coast planning style. I feel like I have to plan more on my vacation than I do on a regular days work day. The point for me to vacation is to get away from my hectic schedule and just take it easy. This is so stressful. I'm not sure if anyone else has this same type of experience but it makes me not want to come back. I felt this way on my first trip about the dining and now adding the FP+ is just another level of added stress. I know I will have fun and I wished this was a pleasure only trip but the main reason I am coming to FL is because of a conference I am attending so, I can only visit WDW 3 days which is not very much at all. I plan to PH one of the 3 days because of night shows that I want to see & dining etc. I have to make a decision and stick to it. Last time I came for 10 days which was too long. We ended up foregoing the last day to sleep in and head to a movie in DTD of course that was right before they implemented the "if you don't show up to your ADR you have to pay a fee per person policy". I do get the policy and why they have it I guess I am just frustrated at this point. We are less than a month out before our 2nd WDW trip. End of rant.

 

[MickeyWaffles]

I'm with you. Last year we went to Disneyland a couple months after our WDW trip. Our WDW trip was incredible as usual but I am not an over planner and prefer to make decisions on the fly. We LOVED our Disneyland trip. We planned next to nothing. Walked up to Blue Bayou for a late lunch. Made character breakfast reservations in the morning the day we felt like going to one. I still love WDW more, but our Disneyland trip last year gave me that old feeling I used to have before minute by minute planning became so prevalent at WDW. I really miss making plans based on weather. We don't go to DAK if it's raining. But if we don't designate our DAK day ahead of time, it blows up the entire plan. Drives me nuts.

 

[Mom2Stitch]

I understand your frustrations. I'll also be there in 3 weeks and I think that the May hours were updated on Friday. Hope that helps.

 

[GenGen22]

9

I'm with you. Last year we went to Disneyland a couple months after our WDW trip. Our WDW trip was incredible as usual but I am not an over planner and prefer to make decisions on the fly. We LOVED our Disneyland trip. We planned next to nothing. Walked up to Blue Bayou for a late lunch. Made character breakfast reservations in the morning the day we felt like going to one. I still love WDW more, but our Disneyland trip last year gave me that old feeling I used to have before minute by minute planning became so prevalent at WDW.

exactly. I like WDW just not all of the uber planning. I mean the restaurants are really cool. I've only been to one character meal at DL and several at WDW. I don't do a lot of ADR's at DL.

 

[GenGen22]

I understand your frustrations. I'll also be there in 3 weeks and I think that the May hours were updated on Friday. Hope that helps.

Yes this is what I'm referring to. I got an email from touring plans telling me there were some changes.

 

[DaisyJ]

Yep, totally with you. We're trying to figure out plans for our July trip and knowing hours won't be updated until a few weeks before is making me very ornery.

 

[Mom2Stitch]

Yes this is what I'm referring to. I got an email from touring plans telling me there were some changes.

Oh I thought maybe you were still waiting for the update. I completely get what you are saying. I have my ADRs in place and may have scheduled them differently also.

I'm really more concerned about the hours changing after I get there. I would really hate to have planned for a 9AM RD and get there to find out that it was moved to 8AM at the last minute, there goes the RD advantage. We don't normally watch tv on vacation, guess I'll tune in to the resort channel every night to be sure I don't have to get up an extra hour early.

 

[mjohnson96]

I agree, we are going in June and they have MK closing at 9pm each night but from experience they usually will extend them. I don't know what the formula they are using to determine when to extend and when not to extend the hours but it would be nice to know in advance that it really won't close until 11pm a little more than a few weeks prior to heading out.

 

[stink]

It has always been a bug a boo of mine, that they open the ADR window so early. You need to book when ADRs open to get in the more popular options but you have no idea what park hours/EMHs/entertainment schedule will be. Even when park hours are released they can change. I would love one window for everything. To plan dining that far in advance and FP+ that far in advance is ridiculously frustrating.

 

[GenGen22]

Oh I thought maybe you were still waiting for the update. I completely get what you are saying. I have my ADRs in place and may have scheduled them differently also.

I'm really more concerned about the hours changing after I get there. I would really hate to have planned for a 9AM RD and get there to find out that it was moved to 8AM at the last minute, there goes the RD advantage. We don't normally watch tv on vacation, guess I'll tune in to the resort channel every night to be sure I don't have to get up an extra hour early.

I don't watch tv while on vacation either. If they change again that's just nuts!

 

[maryj11]

This is why I'am racking my brain trying to guess what times and parks to make ADR's

 

[GenGen22]

It has always been a bug a boo of mine, that they open the ADR window so early. You need to book when ADRs open to get in the more popular options but you have no idea what park hours/EMHs/entertainment schedule will be. Even when park hours are released they can change. I would love one window for everything. To plan dining that far in advance and FP+ that far in advance is ridiculously frustrating.

Yes it is. You can't make a full detailed plan and the relax about it. You have to keep changing ADR's around to suit the fp+ or new times they have selected. I decide on which restaurants I want on certain days and if I can't get the fp+ I want then I have to move stuff around and then here comes the hours change. I'm just leaving as is at this point but it is frustrating. And for the ADR's and fp+ I have to get up at like 4am to reserve or I might not get what I want. It's just not like that at DL. I was lucky to get the Tattoria al Forno ADR. If I wasn't up early that morning I wouldn't have it and it was actually a really important ADR as my trip is themed all about Ariel as its my DD's favorite princess and it's part of her surprise trip. My DD is gonna be 21 but this trip is for her graduating college which I never did so it's a big deal for us.

 

[GenGen22]

This is why I'am racking my brain trying to guess what times and parks to make ADR's

I feel your pain. Its a tough decision.

 

[Farro]

I make our ADR's next week for our October trip. The way I did it was basically I just used last year's hours as a guide and went from there.
Most days I will be scheduling our fast passes during the late morning/early afternoon hours and outside of Pandora, I don't foresee any issues with our chosen dinner times and fast pass times - we don't eat until 6 or later each night except for one, our Animal Kingdom night. That is the wildcard as there are no previous years to compare to!

 

[em36]

I agree, we are going in June and they have MK closing at 9pm each night but from experience they usually will extend them. I don't know what the formula they are using to determine when to extend and when not to extend the hours but it would be nice to know in advance that it really won't close until 11pm a little more than a few weeks prior to heading out.

I took the Keys to the Kingdom tour last year, and the guide talked about how they determine whether or not to extend the hours in MK. She said that they want the average person to be able to enjoy 10 attractions in one day. Attractions also include shows. Anyway, she said that if larger than normal crowds are predicted, they extend the hours.

 

[123SA]

I agree. It is very frustrating to not know the park hours.

I know I could not make any plans, but I know a plan makes the trip so much better. Like most of you I woke up early, (5 days in a row) to make my ADRs (first day I made days 1-11, then day 12, day 13 etc) and I've already had cancel ADRs because of the Sept ROL schedule. I obsessively checked over and over again for ROL dining packages to come out. I'll plan my fast passes with more thought than some military campaigns...and I am absolutely positive that some of it will have to scrapped as more changes are rolled out.

 

[Mom2Stitch]

I don't watch tv while on vacation either. If they change again that's just nuts!

Yep-but it's been reported especially during more crowded times that they have opened earlier. I don't expect that to be an issue in early May, but keep an eye out just in case.

 

[GenGen22]

I make our ADR's next week for our October trip. The way I did it was basically I just used last year's hours as a guide and went from there.
Most days I will be scheduling our fast passes during the late morning/early afternoon hours and outside of Pandora, I don't foresee any issues with our chosen dinner times and fast pass times - we don't eat until 6 or later each night except for one, our Animal Kingdom night. That is the wildcard as there are no previous years to compare to!

I guess as I am still somewhat new to WDW as this is my 2nd trip I didn't know where to look at hours from the previous year which I think this is a good strategy. I think it's also more frustrating to me as my 1st trip was before fp+ which I'm not liking the additional planning. I really want to see F! As last time I didn't see it but since ToT is now gone from DL this is a must for DD as is RnR. So, it was pretty much deciding what we want more. I'm hoping for a 4th fp for F! Actually I'm praying for a fp for F! And getting dining package is out as we really want to go to eat at Sci-Fi.

 

[GenGen22]

Yep-but it's been reported especially during more crowded times that they have opened earlier. I don't expect that to be an issue in early May, but keep an eye out just in case.

I will thank you so much for the tip!

 

[GenGen22]

I agree. It is very frustrating to not know the park hours.

I know I could not make any plans, but I know a plan makes the trip so much better. Like most of you I woke up early, (5 days in a row) to make my ADRs (first day I made days 1-11, then day 12, day 13 etc) and I've already had cancel ADRs because of the Sept ROL schedule. I obsessively checked over and over again for ROL dining packages to come out. I'll plan my fast passes with more thought than some military campaigns...and I am absolutely positive that some of it will have to scrapped as more changes are rolled out.

ROL played a roll in one of my ADR changes as well. I did get a fp for it so that's good atleast!