Wow, I genuinely didn't think my thread would bring out of the woodwork those nasty people who like to merely to complain about those of us who are concerned about the summer operating hours.
My view is this - if Disney wants me to book my ADRs at 180 days out and FP+ at 60 days out then they should darn well have the park hours firmed up by then.
It makes me laugh that some people in this thread:
- seem to think Disney extending the hours is Disney doing us a "favor" - they won't extend the hours if it isn't profitable; they don't keep MK open later than 10pm as a gesture of goodwill, they do it because guests spend $$$ in the park that justifies keeping it open;
- are arguing we should "be grateful" to have 13 hours as that "is enough" - LOL - we don't literally spend 13 hours in the park; it's about having flexibility to have some pool/outside park time during the day and to visit the park in the cooler evening hours;
- argue that "no other theme park" stays open until 10 or has "fireworks everynight" - erm, hello? Disney advertise the night entertainment and it's fully priced into the admission ticket pricing. Again, it's nothing "to be grateful for" - Disney isn't "doing us a favor" here.
- have said that people should be "arrested" for taking their time in leaving the park. Geez, take a chill pill - first, to me it came across as a JOKE and second you really need to get real.
it makes me laugh how some people in this thread feel as though they have the right -- no the obligation -- to assign malicious intent to a business who is trying to maximize its profit. I think that's funny, because at the same time people chastise Disney, the reason they chastise Disney is because Disney is making it impossible for them to get what they consider the most for their money. They are allowed to demand (or condemn) a company for making financial decisions, and their reasons for criticizing are often cited as their own financial circumstances. People demand from Disney above and beyond what they get ANYWHERE else, and them condemn them for not doing enough. You're very right -- the whole thing is laughable.
But to address your specific points:
No one uses the word grateful. What people say is if you don't like it, don't go. If you don't see value, don't go. It's easy. Don't go to Disney. And if you've decided not to go to Disney, there's no real reason to be posting here about how much Disney sucks.
People want flexibility in their resort planning. But flexibility isn't enough-- you want WDW to increase its labor costs by 15-20 percent so you can go back and have a dip in the pool without missing anything. I think it's a fine plan, but you know what? Beaches get closed after dark. Ski slopes close at 5. And most amusement parks close at sundown or shortly thereafter. The Promised Land of Universal closes at 7 during the week. Resort kitchens and food courts have operating hours. So does WDW. And they are being upfront about them. Like I said, they don't reduce the hours, all they do is expand them, so if you're planning, plan around the posted hours. It's easy. 9-10. There you go. Plan according to that -- they spell it out. But that doesn't seem to be enough.
A Disney ticket is expensive -- except, when you're trying to defend DAH, in which case the DAH ticket is too expensive because a 5-day hopper breaks down to $42 or so a day. There is no level of satisfaction for those who want to condemn the place -- every decision Disney makes is mean spirited and motivated only by how much money they can take from you. Early reviews on the new desert party are good; but it's insulted because it's not enough, or because people don't want to pay. The folks who do the EMM seem to find it very worthwhile, but the rest say it's silly to spend that on three rides and breakfast. Meanwhile they're mad because their plan to spend $10 on a BOG breakfast and get a head start on those same rides (or those coveted pictures of empty Main Street) have now been thwarted. And it's painted as Disney being the ones who are doing wrong.
People want MORE. That's all this is about. Not fairness, not economics, not betrayal, not money grubbing. This is simply people complaining because they can't have MORE. And those perpetual tantrums get a little tiring.