Animal Kingdom Late EMH to end?

[kennygman]

With the May WDW hours released today, effictive 2/24 it is obvious AK will no longer offer Late Extra Magic Hours .http://tinyurl.com/3xpp4kc

 

[sweetpee_1993]

I wonder if they'll do morning EMH twice as much in lieu of the evening ones?

 

[GrumpyFan]

With the May WDW hours released today, effictive 2/24 it is obvious AK will no longer offer Late Extra Magic Hours .http://tinyurl.com/3xpp4kc

This may be due to the fact that there are some refurbs being planned (Primeval World Jan 17th thru Apr 5th) for early next year. Which would mean there's even less than what's normally available to do, which is close to nothing.
We were there earlier this month and about an hour and a half was all I could stand. There is nothing to do! All of the food carts close at 5, so if you want any kind of specialty treats like a coke float or ice cream forget it.

 

[kennygman]

Yes, they are offering morning EMH at least twice per week.

 

[Buried20KLeague]

If true, this is HIGHLY disappointing.

AK at night is amazing. The lighting in that park is truly a sight, and is practically wasted because the park is hardly ever open after dark.

I'll agree that there isn't much to do during evening EMH, but we enjoy just walking around the park taking in the whole thing from a different perspective than is normally possible.

 

[wdwmagic]

Its certainly the case that after Feb 23 2011 there are no evening EMH scheduled. They could be added later however.

 

[Pioneer Hall]

I would think that it has to do with the refurbishment schedule as well. Makes the most sense, but you never know with Disney.

 

[WDWmazprty]

I would think that it has to do with the refurbishment schedule as well. Makes the most sense, but you never know with Disney.

It'd be nice if Mr. Yeti was included in this.

 

[MKCP 1985]

I have been in the Animal Kingdom park after dark on 3 occasions. Once for an Expedition: Everest Challenge 5K event, once for extra magic late closing and most recently during the running of the Wine & Dine half marathon.

All three times, the park smelled like p00p. :hurl:

Yes, it is beautiful at night and yes it stinks! :lol: Plus, the animal exhibits are closed after dark, which means you get less value for your admission dollars spent at Animal Kingdom as compared to any of the other 3 parks. On balance, it doesn't bother me that Disney would decide not to continue Animal Kingdom after dark with extra hours as a matter of routine. It would be nice if they would have it open late a couple of times per month so that those who love the night ambiance can enjoy that park after dark.

 

[jonnyc]

Gutted! Hopefully they will return for Sept next year when I go. It is quite a stunning park at night.

 

[Huglife]

EE is amazing in the dark though! I'd be sad if I could never do that again.

 

[rpk4444]

Having been there after dark, I can say that I was surprised that the low light levels were aloud. Disney's big push for safty may have caused this along with the rehab schedule. Working in the lighting industry, I know the standards for my state and AK is well below that. Then again, Disney seems to write their own laws. (or pay someone off that does)

 

[rpk4444]

Oh, and Everest is 10 times better in the dark.

 

[Pioneer Hall]

For some reason I just don't foresee this being a permanent move. I feel that financially this is the best park for them to keep open late. Even of it's late night it tends to close earlier than most of the other parks which saves them big on labor. They also don't operate nearly as much in the park at that time since the animal encounters and almost all entertainment is shut down. My guess is that with an extended Rehab at Primeval Whirl they are realizing that operating the park at that point just doesn't make enough sense to justify the expense. In the winter you are looking at having about 4 attractions open for everyone. I don't even count Kali in there since it is hit or miss in the winter due to the weather and one of those counted is Triceratop Spin. For a company not looking to garner complaints, I see where they are coming from IF this is their logic.

Of course, I could have just wasted all these words and they could never bring them back. Hoping that isn't the case though.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

Yeah, even though there isn't a lot to o during evening EMH it does provide a different ambiance for the scenery. I agree, the night lighting is quite dim. We came out of Nemo as the very last hints of sunlight were leaving the sky and a family had lost their child in the crowd. The lighting was so bad and the parents were frantic. I felt so bad for them. I remember thinking how quick & easy it would be for even the most careful of parents to lose a kid in those conditions. From a time-maximizing standpoint, mornings are more productive at AK because the animals are out & about and the safari can run in addition to the other attractions.

 

[Brian Noble]

My guess is that with an extended Rehab at Primeval Whirl they are realizing that operating the park at that point just doesn't make enough sense to justify the expense. In the winter you are looking at having about 4 attractions open for everyone. I don't even count Kali in there since it is hit or miss in the winter due to the weather and one of those counted is Triceratop Spin. For a company not looking to garner complaints, I see where they are coming from IF this is their logic.

That all makes sense, but it doesn't explain why the lack of PM EMH doesn't *coincide* with the Primeval Hurl refurb. The refurb is mid-Jaunary through early April. The morning-only EMH schedule is March through May (and counting.)

 

[bstiles]

Maybe this has something to do with the test and adjust with the new animal trek or some hybrid version of night kingdom.

 

[BrerFrog]

I have always wanted to see AK in the dark. I will try to do that on my next trip.

 

[the-reason14]

I stopped doing emh at Ak years ago. After seeing that MK or mgm would be open during the same time, I'd rather go to the park with more options. It was nice to do E:E all those times at night with hardly any wait, but that was when it was "new" and everything was running properly :lol: If anything I'll miss it for the sole purpose that many on property people would go to emh at AK, thinning out the crowds elsewhere.

 

[RSoxNo1]

It makes sense to cut EMH evenings during the time period where Kali and Primeval Whirl are both down, but beyond that it should still exist. Riding Everest at night is a great experience, and you can get some great photos of the park after dark.

Primeval Whirl is better at night, but I'd just assume skip that anyways.