News Extra Extra Magic Hours This Fall

[LuvWDW2]

The one variable that makes this hard for me to predict is the fact that identical lands are open on both coasts. A true die hard non Disney fan is probably going to DL because it’s first. For a lot of super fans, geography comes into play (which version is easier to get to). For others it’s vacation schedule (DL version will be open all summer while the kids are out).

I’m going Opening Weekend. Our first attempt to see it will be the first EEMH day. I plan on being on the first bus out of CSR, whenever that will be. I have nothing scheduled that day until an 11:15 ADR at the Sci Fi. I’m fully prepared to be in long lines, even that early in the day.

 

[Touchdown]

I don’t think the demand will be as high, as Universal found out with HP west coast the second (nearly) identical land will not get as much fanfare. I’m going to DL in June, July (booked after I realized I would only get limited time in SWGE in June) and Oct because I choose there for my AP this year. DHS will still pack in crowds but it won’t be as bad.

 

[DISR]

My kids get up early, but I shudder at the idea of trying to get the wife and kids to the park for a 6:00 am rope drop...it would be unique vacation challenge.

Waiting for the announcement of 12 new Starbucks outlets at DHS...they will need them. This will definitely increase in-park breakfast sales.

 

[Figaro928]

My family booked a vacation 8/28 - 9/4 thinking that SW wasnt going to be open then. Planning for this vacation is getting more and more intense. my family has little interest in SW, but what do you think the lines will be like in TSL? my kids are obsessed with TSMM.

What impact do you think these new hours (and the opening of SW in general) will have on Epcot and the F&W?

 

[DISR]

My family booked a vacation 8/28 - 9/4 thinking that SW wasnt going to be open then. Planning for this vacation is getting more and more intense. my family has little interest in SW, but what do you think the lines will be like in TSL? my kids are obsessed with TSMM.

What impact do you think these new hours (and the opening of SW in general) will have on Epcot and the F&W?

I'd expect spillover throughout the park/parks...either you elect to wait in huge lines and then want to do something else afterwards, or you see the lines and immediately bolt to another area or park. TSL and EPCOT will feel the pain. F&W is already crowded far beyond the normal EPCOT crowds. This will make it worse.

 

[Jeff456]

This is a good benefit for those going during that time!

 

[Dave B]

I bet people will be lining up at 4 or 5 am to get to the front of the 6am rope drop for EEMH, maybe even camp out all night in the beginning

 

[Minnie1986]

I hope that people realize what it will be like and do not drag their kids along because 7 hours of queuing when you've been woken up at 4am to get to EMH at 6am is going to cause all sorts of ructions with tired toddlers.

Which will only make it exponentially worse for everyone involved. If my cousin were any younger than he will be during our trip, there is no way I would even think of attempting it.

 

[olie64]

i think DHS will have massive crowds all morning,day and night for the 1st few months..
wouldnt surprise me if they had to do park closure at some points during the day

I would think weekends will have closures.

 

[Flynnwriter]

Enough with upcharges! Everyone against this needs to write Bob Iger a thoughtful email. Only the public can change greedy Disney ticketing patterns.

 

[aliceismad]

I don’t think the demand will be as high, as Universal found out with HP west coast the second (nearly) identical land will not get as much fanfare. I’m going to DL in June, July (booked after I realized I would only get limited time in SWGE in June) and Oct because I choose there for my AP this year. DHS will still pack in crowds but it won’t be as bad.

Do you think that's part of why DLR's SW:GE is opening first?

Seems like Disney is being purposeful in trying to split the opening hype. At DLR you've got the "have to be there at opening" crowd plus boatloads of locals, while some will wait for WDW opening just because it's WDW and has many more offerings than DLR.

 

[xdan0920]

Enough. Everyone against this needs to write Bob Eiger a thoughtful email. Only the public can change greedy Disney ticketing patterns.

This is fantastic.

 

[DisneyOutsider]

Along these lines, I think folks are grossly underestimating crowd size/time. This idea of strolling over at 4 or 5am, I don’t think that’s going to get you near the front of the line until October. There will be non-Disney “Star Wars only” fans who sleep outside of theaters when the new movies come out.

I'm going to disagree and say that, other than the opening week, arriving at 4am will get you exactly to the front of the line.

I think that the 'Star Wars impact' is starting to reach a mythical status around here that reality can't possibly measure up to and the pendulum for this discourse is starting to swing sharply towards hyperbole.

Yes it will have a large impact, but I think that if I show up at 4am for opening on the last week in September (my trip date), I will end up feeling silly for having come so early. I could be wrong.. but that's my prediction. There will be plenty of worms for the early birds in September.

 

[Dave B]

I'm going to disagree and say that, other than the opening week, arriving at 4am will get you exactly to the front of the line.

I think that the 'Star Wars impact' is starting to reach a mythical status around here that reality can't possibly measure up to and the pendulum for this discourse is starting to swing sharply towards hyperbole.

Yes it will have a large impact, but I think that if I show up at 4am for opening on the last week in September (my trip date), I will end up feeling silly for having come so early. I could be wrong.. but that's my prediction. There will be plenty of worms for the early birds in September.

I really hope you are right we will be there mid September, But I would bet BIG that you are wrong

 

[DisneyOutsider]

I really hope you are right we will be there mid September, But I would bet BIG that you are wrong

I wouldn't bet a dime on it either way.. as there's no precedent for it.

If I rope drop AK, I expect to be on FoP in less than an hour. If I show up at, let's say 4:30am to DHS in late September, I expect it will be roughly the same.

 

[cosmicgirl]

You can still get rooms in all the values opening weekend, that should say a lot. Revenue management has stepped in and enforced a variety of a minimum stay requirement, but still.

 

[DisneyOutsider]

Enough. Everyone against this needs to write Bob Eiger a thoughtful email. Only the public can change greedy Disney ticketing patterns.

Genuinely curious... what's your beef with this announcement/approach?

 

[Andrew M]

I know I'm late to this, but definitely a pleasant surprise after what had been trending over the past year. I'd love more nighttime EMH, but this is way more than I was expecting.

 

[MuteSuperstar]

My kids get up early, but I shudder at the idea of trying to get the wife and kids to the park for a 6:00 am rope drop...it would be unique vacation challenge.

As with many things at WDW now, it sounds much more like work than fun to me, but I'm not going near the place for a long time, if ever, so have at it folks. Hope the one ride that will be open lives up to the hype.

 

[jpeden]

You can still get rooms in all the values opening weekend, that should say a lot. Revenue management has stepped in and enforced a variety of a minimum stay requirement, but still.

This has always been a strange tact to me - I wonder how many people end up NOT booking rooms because they're enforcing a minimum stay. I can see a large number of people who want to go for one or two nights deciding not to book because they've enforced a three night minimum.