Whose park hours should I believe?

[wrighter]

Tomorrow we reserve our FPs for our April trip. I noticed that there are discrepancies in park hours listed here vs. those listed on other sites. The hours here don't list Rivers of Light, and hence the extended park hours required for that.

Just wondering who to believe. I know the veterans on here will point me in the right direction!

 

[erionm]

https://media.disneywebcontent.com/StaticFiles/ParkHours/WDW_TAC_2017Apr.pdf

 

[MaC410]

Have you looked at the Disney site itself? I would trust their officially listed hours over anything else.

 

[hiroMYhero]

Disney is currently adding in showtimes for RoL. A 2nd show is being added on for some nights which will affect Park closing.

If you are planning to book FPs for RoL, search for it on your AK day. It really won't matter at what time AK closes, it's the timing of the available FPs.

 

[wrighter]

We were more concerned about trying to ride both Everest and Kali when it is dark. Perhaps everyone will be at ROL and we won't need FPs! Lol!

 

[schultzywi]

My fast pass booking window opened today and I saw two shows for ROL each night of our trip (4/15 - 4/21) in the fast pass booking.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

We were more concerned about trying to ride both Everest and Kali when it is dark. Perhaps everyone will be at ROL and we won't need FPs! Lol!

I read somewhere that Everest closing during ROL because of noise interfering with ROL so that could be why no FP+. do not remember where

 

[Alesia]

Have you looked at the Disney site itself? I would trust their officially listed hours over anything else.

I wouldn't. If the travel agent calendar and the official site disagree, the travel agent calendar is almost always the correct one.

 

[AngiTN]

I read somewhere that Everest closing during ROL because of noise interfering with ROL so that could be why no FP+. do not remember where

It did not close during JB, not expecting it to close during RoL either. We rode during JB often. Somewhere I even have photos of the show from the top of the EE hill. There were no FP during the show so what little line there was moved very fast.

I wouldn't. If the travel agent calendar and the official site disagree, the travel agent calendar is almost always the correct one.

I don't trust the Disney site for much for park hours is one area they stay on top of

 

[AngiTN]

We were more concerned about trying to ride both Everest and Kali when it is dark. Perhaps everyone will be at ROL and we won't need FPs! Lol!

They were when JB was showing. Safari and EE were always walk on at night.
Though honestly, don't waste your time on the Safari at night. Go at dusk but not in the dark

 

[FastPasser]

I read somewhere that Everest closing during ROL because of noise interfering with ROL so that could be why no FP+.

I read that as well. I'll have to pay closer attention this weekend to see if EE closes down during the show. If it does, it could be due to the screaming riders disturbing the mood of the show or maybe the lights in the area are lowered and it becomes a safety issue, or it's something else altogether, don't know.

 

[wrighter]

Well, regretfully it didn't matter. Today was our FP opening day. The one evening we had allocated for AK at night, there were zero FPs available for Everest after 5:00 p.m. Bah humbug. I think it is important enough for my daughter that we'll have to suffer through the regular line. Double bah humbug. Lol.

 

[AngiTN]

Well, regretfully it didn't matter. Today was our FP opening day. The one evening we had allocated for AK at night, there were zero FPs available for Everest after 5:00 p.m. Bah humbug. I think it is important enough for my daughter that we'll have to suffer through the regular line. Double bah humbug. Lol.

Because FP for EE stop at 5:00. Nor will they be needed anyway

 

[wrighter]

Because FP for EE stop at 5:00. Nor will they be needed anyway

Oh! Well that actually makes me feel much better! Thanks so much for the heads up! I kept thinking, "How the heck are ALL the evening FP gone already?" Never even occurred to me that they stopped allowing them to be reserved.

 

[Delirium]

Well, regretfully it didn't matter. Today was our FP opening day. The one evening we had allocated for AK at night, there were zero FPs available for Everest after 5:00 p.m. Bah humbug. I think it is important enough for my daughter that we'll have to suffer through the regular line. Double bah humbug. Lol.

In October, we literally walked onto Everest 3 times in a row in the last 10 minutes the park was open.

 

[Somnia]

The biggest issue I ran into last year is I booked my restaurants and fast passes off of the hours posted on the WDW website, but 30 days out from our trip they altered them (typically just extending hours on days, but 1 day was shortened). Otherwise they were pretty accurate so just keep checking the WDW site.

 

[AngiTN]

The biggest issue I ran into last year is I booked my restaurants and fast passes off of the hours posted on the WDW website, but 30 days out from our trip they altered them (typically just extending hours on days, but 1 day was shortened). Otherwise they were pretty accurate so just keep checking the WDW site.

Now, one should never assume that the hours posted today will still be the hours posted in 30 days. That isn't because the hours posted today are wrong. It means they've changed the hours between now and then.
I believe the hours posted on MDE are the most accurate hours there are out there. Expect them to change the hours on you as your dates get closer. I never consider them final till the gates are closed on a given day.

 

[Somnia]

Now, one should never assume that the hours posted today will still be the hours posted in 30 days. That isn't because the hours posted today are wrong. It means they've changed the hours between now and then.
I believe the hours posted on MDE are the most accurate hours there are out there. Expect them to change the hours on you as your dates get closer. I never consider them final till the gates are closed on a given day.

Yep exactly which is why I brought that up. I just hadn't seen them adjusted THAT much before in all of my previous trips.

 

[AngiTN]

Yep exactly which is why I brought that up. I just hadn't seen them adjusted THAT much before in all of my previous trips.

Their doing these large adjustments are becoming more and more common place. One of the reasons we've seen changes to the way crowd calendars are done

 

[MermaidMommy]

I wouldn't. If the travel agent calendar and the official site disagree, the travel agent calendar is almost always the correct one.

I don't think it's the case anymore that the travel agent calendar is more accurate than Disney's. After they publish their initial calendar for each month, it's rare that they actually go back and update it when the hours change.

Josh posted about it last summer:

"While it had been true that the 'travel agent calendar' was historically more accurate than DisneyWorld.com, that is not really the case anymore. Disney updates their own website much more often than the travel agent calendar and last-minute changes are very rarely updated on the PDF."
http://www.easywdw.com/easy/blog/july-2016-disney-world-operating-schedule-updates/