Why do the theme parks close so early??

[copper68]

We just got back from Disney yesterday...of course it was a wonderful trip, as always, although it was extremely hot...we are also going back again in August for a full week (this was just a weekend trip)...

does anyone wonder why the theme parks close so early??...especially Epcot...

we got there on Friday and went over to MGM around 4:30pm or so...not long after we got in, they were already closing down some of the food stands...the place was still packed and this just made the lines longer at the few remaining stands that were open...I was already annoyed that the park was closing at 8:30pm...

But what I really have a problem with is Epcot closing at 9pm...here you have 30-40,000 people all around World Showcase watching Illuminations, and as soon as it ends, they flush you right out...This makes no sense to me...that is the perfect time of day, especially in the summer, to walk around and do some shopping and have a few beers...even a late dinner...at least what they could do would be to have World Showcase re-open, kinda like e-ticket nights at the MK...

In the summer months in Florida, it is just too hot to spend the day walking around the theme parks...we did the early morning at one park, but by the time you go back and take a nap and then everyone gets ready again, you don't get back to another theme park until 6 or 7...that leaves you an hour or 2 at most...we did MK the other morning till around noon...went back and did the nap thing, and then got to Epcot around 6...that left us three hours to tour epcot and have dinner...

Thank god for PI...if it weren't for that and the Boardwalk there would be nothing to do in Disney after 9pm...

Wouldn't it be nice to walk around some of the theme parks in the cooler eveneing hours...wouldn't it be nice to be able to sleep in on a disney vacation and not have to stress out that you missed getting into the park at opening so that you don't have to wait now in long lines??

sorry for my rant...just frustrates me I guess...

 

[Chicago526]

Just a theory, but I think it's mainly to do with money.

The longer the parks are open, the more Disney has to pay their employees both for the parks and the transportation system. They'd either have to hire more people to cover the extra shifts or pay over time, neither is cheap. There may be other reasons why (maybe the demand isn't there, who knows?) but I think that's the main reason. Plus, most parks open at 8 or 9 am, and if they close 8-9 PM, that's 12 hours! Over night, the parks are cleaned up and restocked, rides are repaired etc., so maybe they need all the time the parks are closed to finnish it all.

MK can be open as late as 10 PM, plus 3 more hours on E night to make it open til 1 AM. But the demand may not be there for the other three parks, although I think WS in Epcot would do rather well, as you said, with all those people packed in for the show.

Disney is experimenting with E-nights in other parks this summer. They aren't called E ngihts (I want to say Extra Magic Hour but I could be wrong), but the therory is simular. Perhaps if it's successful, they may expand the program or just be open later period.

 

[DebbieB]

You think that's bad, in non-peak times of the year MK & MGM both close around 7:00pm weekdays, Animal Kingdom at 5:00pm. Epcot consistently stays open until 9:00pm year round except for holidays, 9:30 in December because of the Candlelight Processional.

 

[Wenda]

I agree. The first time I went to WDW it was just the MK and it was open until 1am every night that July. It seems that each time a new park opens the others close earlier - except for Epcot. It used to be that MK would decide at the last minute to stay open if the crowds were there but not anymore. E nights won't help me this August because my fav rides aren't open E nights. There was nothing like going thru the HM right a midnight. There were even two Electrical Parades most evenings so we stayed for the late one and were able to see it without all the pushing and shoving there is now. This time is an adults only trip so we will head for PI when the parks close but I would rather say in the parks. I think Disney is missing out on a lot of money. People would brouse more in the shops thus spending more and would spend much more on food. When we stayed offsite and the parks closed at 6 we rode until the very end and then ate off site. I bet most people do that if they can.

Wow, I have never written a post this long, but I needed to vent.

This August I will really miss those late, late nights in the parks when it is a little cooler and less crowded.

 

[chyam]

I think copper68 made some very valid points and perhaps it should be forwarded on to Disney.....perhaps if they knew how many people would enjoy extra hours at EPCOT especially in the summer they may give it some thought. I would think it would be financially feasible since there are so many people that visit in the summer, and it would be so much more enjoyable in the evening not having to deal with the hot sun!

 

[Micca]

There is something to the idea that closing the parks forces people to other parts of WDW. You've already paid to go to Epcot. If it were open later you might buy food, drinks, souvenirs, etc. However, if you're forced out of the park you have to go to PI, DTD, your resort, where perhaps the possibility of of spending more money is even higher. Also, it takes fewer CMs to staff the non-park properties at WDW. At least that's my hunch

 

[Sammie]

As stated it's a financial decision.

 

[gm]

I also think that in the daytime, when it is hot and humid, people buy more drinks from vendors like $2.50 for a coke, etc which can be great for their profits. Also at night, they do not want heavy electric bill for their lights. I was at AK one day around closing at 6pm and saw all the so called lights hanging from Dinorama area and just imagined how pretty it would look if they were lighted up but I think they will be collecting dust for quite a long time to come.

I do agree however that I wish they would keep Epcot WS open later at night and not close at 9pm. I avoided WS thruout my 12 day stay during the days and only went for 1 or 2 hours max at night which I had wished they had been open late. I think it has to do with all the lights they have to use to keep the parks pretty at night like MGM, etc.

Even after the parks close and you leave and get back to your hotel, you really do not even have time to enjoy Dowtown Disney which closes at 11pm expect Pleasure Island. I like to walk around with my kids at night since the weather is cooler but sometimes it just could not be done.

Just my 2 cents worth

 

[etwinchester]

We went last year in March, which was perfect month for weather and not many crowds, but the hours were horrible.

I think MK was open till about 7 or 8, which I don't even think it was really dark then to enjoy everything lit up at night. I miss that from when I was a child.

My girlfriend is going next year and wants to go in March but might reconsider due to the park hours. I love March as well, but I might change plans as well due to that fact. I'd love to be at the park at 10:00 with everything lit up so beautifully...

 

[TinkerGal]

Originally posted by copper68

does anyone wonder why the theme parks close so early??...especially Epcot...

I have fond memories of DL as a kid staying in the park late. My uncle took us to watch the nighttime parade and then did a few rides till Dad spoiled the fun with "it's way past their bedtime."
We just visited WDW for the first time and I found this most frustrating. It wasn't just the parks closing at 9pm (or earlier), but not everything was opened at 9am either. Particularly in MK, some rides opened later at 10 or later. When we first entered MK, walking down Main Street, I was surprised at how many stores weren't open yet and kiosks were still bundled up.
Most eateries closed early too. Because we had an late lunch, we thought we'd eat a later dinner at the park. At 8pm we were at Adventureland and walked clear around through Fantasyland only to find everything closing. Finally ended up at Cosmic Rays, which was good but dang... we didn't expect stuff to be closed. As we walked around, we noticed a lot of attractions (Liberty Belle, Hall of Presidents, Snow White) were already closed too.
After dinner, I promised one DS an ice cream and the other one last chance to finally ride Splash Mtn. Well, SM's line was way too long yet. (We were hoping to ride during Wishes.) And the kiosks for ice cream/popcorn/soda were all closed. He had to wait till we got back to the resort for his ice cream.
The same thing happened at AK the following day, and it was far from closing time. At the first sign of inclement weather around 3pm, the kiosks started closing. One CM told us we could find one at the park entrance!?! It poured for about 15 mins, by the time we made the bus stops the rain had stopped. From what I saw as we were leaving the park, didn't look like there was much to do there till 6 now.
We missed Illuminations. Partly cause of the storms rolling through nightly but mainly cause of our experiences at MK close. We weren't prepared the mass exoduses after Wishes, so opted out of all that fun at Epcot and left earlier.

 

[copper68]

I see that I've opened up frustration in alot of people...lol...

I know that we all still love everything Disney...but it's ok to vent about what we don't like...

I do realize that it is a financial thing...there is no doubt in my mind that if Disney thought they would make more money doing anything (practically) then they would do it...

I just don't understand the logic of having tens of thousands of people in the parks every night, and then flushing them all out...to me, that is the time they would make money...they do these fireworks shows at 3 of the parks and then tell everyone to get out...If i owned a business (any business), and had that many people standing in my store, I would not hustle them out...

and many people mentioned the later openings of the parks...we went on saturday morning to the MK...it opened at 9am...by 9:30 tomorroland was already packed (as i assume much of the rest of the park was also)...my wife and I discussed it, and I have no doubt that if they opened at 7 or 8, there would've been just as many people there at that time also...

at a minimum, the world showcase should be open later...even an hour or so...so that you can enjoy the countries in the cooler evening hours and after the daily florida thunderstorms...

I know that Disney is family oriented, and I am a part of that (twin 13 yr old boys and a 5 month old daughter)...I just think they need to have more entertainment options in the evening...even though I love it, I can only do the Adventurer's Club so many nights during a vacation...

Someone mentioned earlier about voicing our opinions to Disney...does anyone know an email address where we can send suggestions to them??

maybe if enough of us mention it, they will at least keep the WS open later...

and if we get this done, I will buy everyone a drink at the country of their choice at 10pm some evening...

 

[ErikdaRed]

I've always done my shopping after the fireworks at the various parks. Unless its changed recently, just don't follow the throng, stroll at your own pace, check in the shops, spend your time walking by yourself. You'll just catch up to everyone at the bus line anyways.

 

[copper68]

I am not sure about the other parks, but last Sunday night we got to Epcot at 6 or so, had a drink in England, then had to rush to France to order an umbrella for my daughter..then rush to Germany to order some glass engraved items (we do that on every vacation)...we told the CM's in Germany that we had an 815 PS time in Japan and asked what time they closed...they said if we were not back by 905 then we would have to come back the next day...couldn't do that because we were leaving the next day...so we had to have someone run from the table at dinner to get the items at 950pm before they closed...

dinner ended at about 930 or so, and as we walked out of the park, everything was closed...

again, I don't know how the other parks are doing now...I haven't been in MK in awhile at closing, but I do remember them having the main street shops open...

but at Epcot, everything closes every night right when Illuminations starts...I can even remember a few years ago when I used to make my PS times for 930pm so that we could have dinner after Illuminations...

no longer though...last PS times in Epcot are before Illuminations starts...

 

[Musky]

I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiments of this thread. When we were last there in 2001, there were several times when we had every intention of eating dinner in the parks, but we couldn't find anything open, so we ended up eating outside WDW. It's a Catch-22 - they're losing money so they close stuff up, reduce hours, then people can't eat there/don't have enough time to spend money there, so they lose more money, so they close more stuff....I'll bet if they closed the whole place they'd make billions!! You'd think they'd realize that a place can't make money if it's not open. And I also fondly remember the old days when the MK was open til 1:00 and you didn't have to stay onsite and pay extra to enjoy it. And when it was open it was open - none of this half**s stuff! And I have to disagree that closing the parks earlier encourages people to spend money in other parts of Disney. I think it just encourages them to eat offsite more and get to bed earlier. Like copper68, Disney's logic just escapes me.

Becky