News Early Theme Park Entry and Extended Evening Hours coming for resort guests

[MisterPenguin]

If you're off-site, "rope-drop" doesn't exist anymore. You sit in time-out while resort guests fill the queues for popular attractions.

Well, theoretically, there should be less resort guests because they're not all being shunted to just one park; they can spread themselves to all the parks.

In practice, most will be at the MK.

 

[marni1971]

So remove a perk that costs WDW money via staffing to replace with perk that allows you to use staff that will in all reality largely be in place already....

Pretty much.

 

[BoarderPhreak]

This is ABSURD. To call this a "perk" is by the thinnest of margins. EMH had morning or evening hours, which are key to my family - and how we planned which parks to hit on particular days. And it was a worthwhile hour (or more). Thirty minutes is barely enough time for one ride - if you get there quickly. Just one more thing turning me off on visiting Disney any time soon, honestly.

 

[homerdance]

Yeah, but with 30 minutes being such a short window, those non-resort guests will still be able to get in line for major rides because by the time they reach the entrance those 30 minutes will likely be up unless they were one of the very first people inside the park.

100% spot on, between navigating the guests waiting in line who are not resort guests (mistakenly in the wrong line or not) and the act of actually getting in the 30 minutes is going to be equal to 10 minutes in real life. This is a cheap money grabbing move by Disney, which is distasteful that they portray this as a "perk" when they have cut so many employees.

 

[PolynesianPrincess]

Simple on paper, but that doesn't seem like the type of thing Disney has the will to enforce these days. If there's a family that's been waiting in line to get in, and they technically aren't supposed to be allowed in for another 20 minutes, chances are they are going to be waved on through rather than telling them to wait 20 minutes and then get back in line, if only to avoid the hassle of their complaining.

At Disneyland, certain ticket types had Magic Mornings. I thought our AP was good for MM but we were staying off-site so it wasn't. We were told we could not enter until the park opened to the general public. If DLR can enforce it, WDW can enforce it.

 

[UNCgolf]

At Disneyland, certain ticket types had Magic Mornings. I thought our AP was good for MM but we were staying off-site so it wasn't. We were told we could not enter until the park opened to the general public. If DLR can enforce it, WDW can enforce it.

Sure they can. Wasn't suggesting they couldn't.

There's a huge difference between being able to and actually having the will to, though. Disneyland tends to operate differently than WDW.

 

[bpiper]

No one has noticed that Disney's announcement didn't Actually say that the rides would be running.... Just saying....

"You will be able to enjoy more fun with 30-minute early entry to ANY theme park"

"The new early theme park entry benefit helps us better spread visitation across all four theme parks, while providing added flexibility by giving guests extra early park time on each day of their vacation and in the park of their choosing"

I can see Disney thinking that just being in the park an extra 30 minutes earlier is FUN.....

 

[plawren2]

So how is this gonna work if they already let people in earlier than actual Park open time? Granted it says later this year, but still, they gonna have people wait at turnstiles again?

In previous visits, they would often let people in the turnstiles but hold with rope line at top of Main Street until early opening time (avoids huge crowds backed up at the turnstiles)

 

[plawren2]

I generally avoided the park with morning EMHs each day because that park was almost always more crowded than it otherwise would have been and I am too lazy to go for the EMHs and then hop to another park after an hour or 2. I think offering it at all 4 parks every day is a big upgrade for most on site guests. It does kinda put off property guests and locals at a pretty big disadvantage.

I think it would be much better if it was a full hour, but I guess that’s a compromise on costs. The biggest loss is the nighttime hours. Back in the day being at the park 3 hours after regular close was huge. I do hope that maybe this results in later hours at all 4 parks on busy days (once we get back to a version of normal).

I wonder if when crowds really begin to return later this fall or spring 2022 that WDW may extend EMH to one hour as needed

 

[UpAllNight]

I think I’m likely to cancel my stay on property. It’s a very expensive price and the perks sold it. Disney have used the pandemic to systematically remove all of them. I’ll still visit, but I’ll stay somewhere where I don’t feel fundamentally ripped off.

 

[plawren2]

As a morning person, I suppose this is good for me. However, we swear by the midday pool/nap break and then hitting up the parks until closing time. Hoping they push those back to a decent hour, but not banking on it.

I think the hours parks are open will completely depend on crowds, as demand increases this fall and in spring 2022 WDW will simply lengthen the park day as needed, in the meantime they are managing staff and costs by keeping hours lower

 

[wedenterprises]

No one has noticed that Disney's announcement didn't Actually say that the rides would be running.... Just saying....

"You will be able to enjoy more fun with 30-minute early entry to ANY theme park"

"The new early theme park entry benefit helps us better spread visitation across all four theme parks, while providing added flexibility by giving guests extra early park time on each day of their vacation and in the park of their choosing"

I can see Disney thinking that just being in the park an extra 30 minutes earlier is FUN.....

30 minutes doesn't leave a lot of room for error. A lot of families will be stuck in a boat/parking/monorail line with the masses during those 30 minutes.

It should be an hour.

 

[plawren2]

I guess this is less of an issue if the parks are actually open later anyways, but my favorite WDW memories are usually of exploring past 10 pm on EMH nights. That early opening thing is worthless. If you’re lucky maybe you can book it and get two popular rides in before major crowds hit.

I would guess that as crowds increase later this year and into spring 2022 WDW will meet demand by extending regular park hours-like they have always done for holiday seasons and peak crowd dates

 

[bpiper]

30 minutes doesn't leave a lot of room for error. A lot of families will be stuck in a boat/parking/monorail line with the masses during those 30 minutes.

It should be an hour.

But that would defeat the purpose if this is just a gimmick to give people something, that doesn't cost anything, while removing something of value.

If they allowed them in for 1 hour and the rides aren't running, and I don't think they will, then the mob will be getting ugly at the entrance to the rides.

 

[wedenterprises]

But that would defeat the purpose if this is just a gimmick to give people something, that doesn't cost anything, while removing something of value.

If they allowed them in for 1 hour and the rides aren't running, and I don't think they will, then the mob will be getting ugly at the entrance to the rides.

I assumed the rides would be running.

 

[plawren2]

I agree. The perception of having an hour extra vs a half hour extra is a big change. A half hour is nothing. It's the same amount of time some of us spend wrangling toddlers to get dressed every day.

I do appreciate that it's at every park. That is a nice change.

I wonder if when crowds begin to grow later in 2021 and into 2022 whether demand and larger crowds will see WDW increase to one hr

 

[plawren2]

Not sure the logistics. Just assuming they can figure it out... not always a given I know.

I don't think that will be the case, takes too much staffing to check resort guests vs non-resort at each attraction

 

[plawren2]

30 minutes doesn't leave a lot of room for error. A lot of families will be stuck in a boat/parking/monorail line with the masses during those 30 minutes.

It should be an hour.

I wonder when crowds increase later this year and into 2022 if they will extend to one hr as demand warrants

 

[DisneyOutsider]

I don't think that will be the case, takes too much staffing to check resort guests vs non-resort at each attraction

Most of the parks are set up in a way that guests can be let in with store/restroom/food access but still be sectioned off from the attractions. 3 of the 4 I'd say (I'm not sure how that works at EPCOT).

 

[Tavernacle12]

I would guess that as crowds increase later this year and into spring 2022 WDW will meet demand by extending regular park hours-like they have always done for holiday seasons and peak crowd dates

I'd hope so, but hadn't they been cutting hours pre-pandemic? I remember complaints that MK was rarely open past 10 ever going into 2020.

One of my best memories was walking out of Haunted Mansion at the end of EMH just after midnight and them flipping on the worklights just as I exited the crypt hallway. The CMs had been knowingly nodding at me for the past hour or two as I'd ridden 13 times straight.

Late night EMH were pure joy.

I used to do 3-5 Haunted Mansion rides in a row, visit Pan without a wait, visit the Princesses with no line to say hi (they tended to have a somewhat more jokey, different tone at night since it was mostly adults visiting them), then go on Buzz repeatedly until Park close. One day they even had Casey's open really late and I nabbed fries and cotton candy and just strolled around Main Street by myself taking in the scenery and watching the Kiss Goodnight.