Why is the park closing at 7pm every night?

[SuperRob]

I doubt it's a glitch. When I can get it to show hours those days, it's consistently showing 7PM close for DL on weekdays. I pinged their Twitter account, but predictably didn't get a response back.

 

[disneyworld1977]

Everyone on here just start sending email comments to Disney and tell them you are not too thrilled about the 7pm closing time at DL!!!! Maybe we can make a difference....maybe....i can hope!

 

[Escape2Disney]

I don't think they are finished updating the calendar. The 13th is supposed to be open until 1am for a limited time magic. On that night the villains are supposed to be out.

 

[twinspirit]

I've tweeted a couple times as well. But as PP said, no response here either. The kids and hubby were looking forward to doing some night rides. FX there is hope....

 

[HeatherRaye]

These hours are very disappointing! But yet our tickets cost the same as the days they are open until midnight! We are going Sept 21-29 but only going to parks 4 of those days, I may need to change to a 5 day hopper to see everything!
Can I just pay the difference between a 4 & 5 day hopper if we decide to do that?

 

[Princess351]

I went ahead and sent an email to Disney as wll. Who knows if it'll do any good, but I sure as heck can't understand *why* they would close so early on so many days in September!

 

[junmatno]

It won't do any good. Why would they stay open so late when school is back in session? These are off season hours and always have been. We went in April after spring break season ended and had these hours and it was really great!

It wasn't very busy we saw a ton in only 2 1/2 days. Emailing them to change hours is gonna work about as much as emailing them to stop taking pics in PH's did...NOT AT ALL. And guess what? We all survived that like we'll survive being there for shorter park hours.

 

[DisneyOz]

These are off season hours and always have been. We went in April after spring break season ended and had these hours and it was really great!

It wasn't very busy we saw a ton in only 2 1/2 days.

So for us - 24th - 29th September with EMH (4 day park hoppers, 2 little ones 5 & 7 years) we should expect to see our must do's and more? I am envisioning massive lines for rides and crowds - would this be over-doing it a bit? Will it not be crazy crazy?

 

[Escape2Disney]

So for us - 24th - 29th September with EMH (4 day park hoppers, 2 little ones 5 & 7 years) we should expect to see our must do's and more? I am envisioning massive lines for rides and crowds - would this be over-doing it a bit? Will it not be crazy crazy?

We've been in the off season quite a few times. While some rides have lines, they are certainly shorter than what you'll get during the summer. We got to do everything we wanted to do multiple times during a 6 day stay. We could have gotten on everything once if we were there for 3 days. This was before Carsland.

 

[Susie63]

It won't do any good. Why would they stay open so late when school is back in session? These are off season hours and always have been. We went in April after spring break season ended and had these hours and it was really great!

It wasn't very busy we saw a ton in only 2 1/2 days. Emailing them to change hours is gonna work about as much as emailing them to stop taking pics in PH's did...NOT AT ALL. And guess what? We all survived that like we'll survive being there for shorter park hours.

Historically, off season hours have typically been DL closing at 8pm. The current calendar has DL closing at 7pm. We are just trying to figure out why it is one hour earlier.

 

[DLR29]

I'm a little confused at WDW vets who say that DLR's off season hours are so much shorter. I understand the entertainment schedule and that MK has fireworks every night and Fantasmic runs at DHS (almost?) every night. Ok, DLR doesn't do that.

But I'm planning for a trip to WDW in October and on a Friday night:
-AK closes at 5pm (5???)
-MK closes at 7
-DHS closes at 8
Leaving Epcot the only park open until 10 (and it's only 10 because of the F&W Festival).

On any Friday night throughout the entire year (off season or not), DL is open until midnight and DCA until 10...not to mention that they open at 8, not 9AM.

 

[perlster]

On any Friday night throughout the entire year (off season or not), DL is open until midnight

Uh ... not exactly

 

[ZanderMan]

Two years ago we went in October and both parks closed at 6pm Tues-Thurs. We knew this before our trip because we wanted to try the slow season, NEVER again. Everything was closed, no fireworks not even the corn dog truck was open.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

Uh ... not exactly

If you are looking at Sept, then technically you are right, but 10pm is still very different than the 5-7pm closing times at WDW for a Friday night.

 

[perlster]

What's weirder is that even Disney thinks these hours are weird:

 

[Priory]

I can't believe these hours. A park that has over 1 million locals with annual passes does NOT have an off season. And DCA staying open than DL is just bizarre. I think this will change. I will be surprised if it doesn't. One thing is for sure, when the next gen stuff comes to Disneyland, they're going to have to get their act together and start calendaring out further than 30-45 days.

 

[Priory]

The September calendar has been removed again and I just read in another thread they may be closing at 5 on 9/12. I am going to be there 9/12 - 9/15 so I'd love to know what's going on. September is now less than a month away. To not have the calendar published and finalized is just mind-boggling.

 

[cruiselover914]

The September calendar has been removed again and I just read in another thread they may be closing at 5 on 9/12. I am going to be there 9/12 - 9/15 so I'd love to know what's going on. September is now less than a month away. To not have the calendar published and finalized is just mind-boggling.

They are preparing for Halloween themed activities. They started Friday 13th of September

 

[kamik86]

I'm a little confused at WDW vets who say that DLR's off season hours are so much shorter. I understand the entertainment schedule and that MK has fireworks every night and Fantasmic runs at DHS (almost?) every night. Ok, DLR doesn't do that.

But I'm planning for a trip to WDW in October and on a Friday night:
-AK closes at 5pm (5???)
-MK closes at 7
-DHS closes at 8
Leaving Epcot the only park open until 10 (and it's only 10 because of the F&W Festival).

On any Friday night throughout the entire year (off season or not), DL is open until midnight and DCA until 10...not to mention that they open at 8, not 9AM.

I don't know about DL but to address the WDW:
AK always closes early. Sometimes they have evening EMH till 8 but that is all. This is for the animals.

DHS does close at 8

MK at 7 in october on a Friday means this is 99% likely a MNSSHP night. So the park will be open til midnight, you just have to pay extra

and as you said Epcot is open til 10.

So half the parks are open until 10 or later... not too bad.

 

[disneyworld1977]

What's weirder is that even Disney thinks these hours are weird:

Yeah I find that very odd!!! We went in an "off-season" before in mid January and I don't remember the hours being like this, where they close at 7pm. I could be wrong but it seems like it was later than that. Have to do some research.

Edit: DL open until 8pm back then