You've got to be kidding me with these hours!

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

I haven't seen this poster or anyone else on this thread put down WDW as an experience in and of itself. Quite the contrary. People here love Disney World and are complaining that the hours are too short to have a chance to properly get to enjoy it.

Telling people with that concern to just stop going to WDW does not address their concern. Rather, it's just a way to try to shut down what they're saying.

And that is your opinion and you have every right to it.

BTW I was referring to post #24 if you're like to take a look.

 

[EEEEE]

I've been going every summer for a long time and have come to expect the standard 11 PM - 1 AM closing times that previous years provided. I am heading down on Monday for this year's 10 day trip. I am disappointed that I will have so much less evening time in the parks, but am hoping for the best. Overall it feels like I am getting less for more money (and it's a lot of money). This will likely be my last trip for a while.

 

[bryanb]

Is this thread the sequel to the blockbuster hit, Amazed and Disappointed?

It's Amazed and Disappointed 2: You've Got to be Kidding Me with These Hours

And coming soon to Disboards, 3 Amazed 3 Disappointed: The November Chronicles

 

[firefly_ris]

Is this thread the sequel to the blockbuster hit, Amazed and Disappointed?

It's Amazed and Disappointed 2: You've Got to be Kidding Me with These Hours

And coming soon to Disboards, 3 Amazed 3 Disappointed: The November Chronicles

But when is the reboot?

 

[umichigan10]

But when is the reboot?

Amazed and Disappointed: Uncle Bob's Revenge

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

What's frustrating about the whole hours thing is that you're expected to plan your food 180 days ahead of time for "high demand" table service places, select your fast passes 60 days out....without knowing if the hours are going to change 3 weeks before you go.

I agree with this completely. However Disney does not give a flip about our challenges in planning.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

I've been going every summer for a long time and have come to expect the standard 11 PM - 1 AM closing times that previous years provided. I am heading down on Monday for this year's 10 day trip. I am disappointed that I will have so much less evening time in the parks, but am hoping for the best. Overall it feels like I am getting less for more money (and it's a lot of money). This will likely be my last trip for a while.

Having been at WDW for a week in July, I will level with you about the deal with the "shortened" hours... You will likely experience more angst about the IDEA of not staying later at MK than you do actually not staying longer while there. By that I mean it feels like something is being taken away from us (hours) when we discuss it here on the internets, but the truth is you will probably have another amazing vacation filled with memories, joy, and wonder; and when it is done you will remember the good stuff and maybe even be a tad grateful you didn't have to put yourself through the wringer of staying at MK until the wee hours and then turning around for a rope drop (shudder)

 

[mousefan73]

My gut feeling is August is peaking over July. Especially when you see the major increase in nonstop european flights into Central Fl. August is peak vacation month for most of the western world. And september is becoming more popular.

 

[Davey Jones II]

Seriously it was rediculous. Also don't know if you tried the EMH at all this trip but what a disaster. Their system sucks, they scan your band at each attraction instead of giving you a wristband at the beginning of the night like they used to

My guess is that they made the system more stringent in order to foil off-site guests who are trying to take advantage of EMH.

 

[Davey Jones II]

Having been at WDW for a week in July, I will level with you about the deal with the "shortened" hours... You will likely experience more angst about the IDEA of not staying later at MK than you do actually not staying longer while there. By that I mean it feels like something is being taken away from us (hours) when we discuss it here on the internets, but the truth is you will probably have another amazing vacation filled with memories, joy, and wonder; and when it is done you will remember the good stuff and maybe even be a tad grateful you didn't have to put yourself through the wringer of staying at MK until the wee hours and then turning around for a rope drop (shudder)

True for some people. But others mentioned that they don't even want to go to the parks before 5:00, because of the brutal heat. For non-rope drop people, having the parks open later is their best option.

 

[AdamEfimoff]

OP, if those hours aren't enough for you, you can expand them several ways.

You can buy EMM tickets at the bargain price of $69 per person plus tax and park admission. EMM (Early Morning Magic or Even More Money as I call it) also includes a breakfast buffet. Not only do you get to be inside the park ahead of the general public, you can ride 3 attractions as many times as you want during the hour and 15 minutes of EMM.

Not enough time? Consider attending Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. You are allowed in at 4:00 without having to purchase an additional ticket. I don't know the exact price, but I'm going to guess around $100 per person.

Still not enough? Well, maybe you need to maximize the time you do get inside the park with a dessert party. Why stand around for who knows how many minutes to get a perfect view of Happily Ever After?

Just pay $50 or $70 (the extra $20 gets you a seat), and you'll have your cake and eat it too while watching the fireworks. But these prices do not include tax or admission to the MK.

Happy planning.

I stayed at the Four Seasons and find those prices well steep.

 

[AdamEfimoff]

Nailed it.

Yes its stupid. Why can I book the fat duck 4 weeks out and not Disney venture.

 

[EEEEE]

Having been at WDW for a week in July, I will level with you about the deal with the "shortened" hours... You will likely experience more angst about the IDEA of not staying later at MK than you do actually not staying longer while there. By that I mean it feels like something is being taken away from us (hours) when we discuss it here on the internets, but the truth is you will probably have another amazing vacation filled with memories, joy, and wonder; and when it is done you will remember the good stuff and maybe even be a tad grateful you didn't have to put yourself through the wringer of staying at MK until the wee hours and then turning around for a rope drop (shudder)

Thank you for the good thoughts. I am sure we will have a good time and make great memories, but my family is the total opposite of rope droppers. Personally I don't sleep much so I may wake up early and do something in the morning, but my wife and daughters are night owls. They will sleep until 9 or 10 and spend a relaxing morning in the hotel having breakfast and going in the pool. In previous summers we would head to the parks around 3 or 4 pm after the worst of the sun is over. With MK closing at 11, 12, 1, 2 as it did all of last August as well as all of AK open until 11, 12, 1 this worked great for us. The other major advantage to the late closings was that the park would close several hours after the nighttime shows. This would give people several hours to trickle out of the park rather than everyone trying to leave in the same short time periods. In late evenings last year we would rarely have to wait more than a few minutes to get on a monorail after leaving the park near closing at 11, 12, 1. So overall I will certainly be getting less out of my trip this year and based on reports of the chaos of people all trying to leave MK at 10 pm I will likely also have more stress.

 

[dreiwhit]

The only way to change things it to vote with your $$'s and go somewhere else, but obviously that's not the case right now as we all are still going.

That's what we're going to do after our 2018 trip. Disney has gotten a little to expensive for us.

 

[snoopy352]

We are rope droppers and don't stay in the parks past 8:00 pm (sometimes earlier) but the early closings still impact us as more people are in the parks during the day b/c they can't be there late any more. It's a major trickle down effect on everyone's enjoyment at the parks.

 

[Colleen27]

Hours reflect booking rates and expected attendance. If they expect bigger crowds, they'll lengthen the hours.

The hours I've seen this summer are on par with what we're used to when traveling at traditionally very low crowd times (Jan, Mar before spring break season, Sept, early Dec but not during Pop Warner). Do you really think mid-summer crowds this year were lower than mid-December crowds in 2015, or late January crowds in 2012, and that - rather than actual honest-to-God cutbacks - is why we've been able to do midnight-or-later in the MK on every one of our off-season trips while this year's peak season travelers couldn't do the same?

We usually plan 180 days in advanced based on the hours given at that time.
We pick the days and stick to them no matter what the hours do so no big deal here.

But there are no hours being given at that time, at least that I can find. Disney is releasing them day by day exactly 180 days out right now, so using the 180+10 for on-site guests you only have the park hours and EMH schedule for the first day of your trip. The rest is guesswork and prediction.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

The hours I've seen this summer are on par with what we're used to when traveling at traditionally very low crowd times (Jan, Mar before spring break season, Sept, early Dec but not during Pop Warner). Do you really think mid-summer crowds this year were lower than mid-December crowds in 2015, or late January crowds in 2012, and that - rather than actual honest-to-God cutbacks - is why we've been able to do midnight-or-later in the MK on every one of our off-season trips while this year's peak season travelers couldn't do the same?



But there are no hours being given at that time, at least that I can find. Disney is releasing them day by day exactly 180 days out right now, so using the 180+10 for on-site guests you only have the park hours and EMH schedule for the first day of your trip. The rest is guesswork and prediction.

If you have your reservation linked and you are logged in you will see 180+10 for the park hours.

 

[Grmnshplvr]

An hour extra is nice, but other people who go in summer are used to midnight and one closing times. This nine and ten closing is probably a bit of a shock. But I'm going in Sept with two new people and I'm going to enjoy the early bed times. A full day in the parks on minimal sleep was hard.

we go every summer the last week in August. I'm disappointed with the earlier hours as well but 10 is better than 9

 

[Colleen27]

If you have your reservation linked and you are logged in you will see 180+10 for the park hours.

Thanks! The site keeps logging me out for some reason, so I guess I haven't clicked on the hours when it was recognizing me.

 

[nicko]

We are rope droppers and don't stay in the parks past 8:00 pm (sometimes earlier) but the early closings still impact us as more people are in the parks during the day b/c they can't be there late any more. It's a major trickle down effect on everyone's enjoyment at the parks.

You are absolutely correct. This affects all, not just the night owls. This past July I envisioned 3 visits to MK. Two at rope drop and one noon to midnight. With the earlier closing we did rope drop all three days. My unscientific observation was that MK seemed busier than previous years by 9:30 am.