MK Entertainment Experiments

[JPVonDrake]

I was wondering.
If they want to keep cost down but still give nightime entertainment, why doesn't Disney just shifting the operating times instead of extending them?
i.e. the parks will be open from 11am -8 pm instead of 9am - 6 pm? What does everyone thing?
:veryconfu

 

[cymbaldiva]

Originally posted by JPVonDrake
I was wondering.
If they want to keep cost down but still give nightime entertainment, why doesn't Disney just shifting the operating times instead of extending them?
i.e. the parks will be open from 11am -8 pm instead of 9am - 6 pm? What does everyone thing?
:veryconfu

Actually I was thinking the very same thing! :sohappy: Of course, I'm not a morning person by nature - and especially not on vacation! - so shifting the hours would be absolutely perfect for me! :animwink:

As far as most people, most everyone does seem to love Disney after dark, so it's really a pretty good idea...

What does everyone else think?

 

[chellnjr]

Not for me. Just let me have longer to roam around the parks!!

 

[skiaugusta]

I just got off the phone with entertainment and they confirmed that Spectromagic..no fireworks..will run every night 22-28 September. The plan is to alternate fireworks with spectro 29 sep - 10 Oct. The alternating plan has not been approved but is on the tentative schedule.

The character event is a morning thing reminiscent of Minnie's morning show that they used to do. The concept is that the characters all arrive on the train...do a show of sorts and then participate in a character greet. The idea is to do two or three shows a morning. They tested this two or three weeks ago but the girl I was talking to didn't have any information on the feedback.


474 hours to the Wonder!

 

[darthdarrel]

I truly don`t understand Disney`s reasoning for shorter hours! It just stands to reason if you are open longer the more people are buying things! Thus more profit! They should have hours like Cedar point they are open from 9 A.M to
9 P.M during the week and 9 A.M to 11 P.M on the weekends.

 

[BradleyJ]

Originally posted by darthdarrel
I truly don`t understand Disney`s reasoning for shorter hours! It just stands to reason if you are open longer the more people are buying things! Thus more profit! They should have hours like Cedar point they are open from 9 A.M to
9 P.M during the week and 9 A.M to 11 P.M on the weekends.

Disney does have these tpyes of hours during the summer, same as Cedar Point.

If you comapre Disney's hours today to those of Cedar point, you will notice that Cedar Point isn't open today at all, and at best is only oopen on weekends, if at all.

 

[Chernabog]

Here's an extra bit of info for everyone but it looks like unless things change soon the Fantasyland Character Festival with the Villians may go down in about a month due to too many guest complaints that the villians are too mean and scary. Also, for those who work in the tunnels, the Park zoo is getting a MAJOR rehab. It is going to be moved to where the current parade base and band practice room is and they are going to combine the parde base, park zoo, and resort zoo all into one room and then create a larger breakroom and warmup area for everyone else. The current park zoo will be extended for costuming so that they can add a couple hundred more costumes. This may have some bearing on the 100 characters in front of the castle later this month. Theres some FYI for ya! All of this info came straight from a manager's mouth to my gifted ears.

 

[dreamer]

The nighttime parades are the best part of the Magic Kingdom.

We were only going to do 2 park days this trip, but with MK open later we will probably do 3. Since we have to take afternoons off with the younger kids, that will allow us to go back to MK after naps. Otherwise the trip back to MK at 430 or 5 would be useless with a 6pm closure.

I wouldn't be surprised if this increases park visits. However, I'm not sure how many people are aware of the later closing times. If I didn't already have plans for that week, it would be too late for me to change them. I live too far away.

Maybe they could alternate one week of later closing time with one week of 6pm closing time for a while to see what that does to attendance and resort bookings.

 

[Raidermatt]

Its always good to find out what guests want, and then attempt to provide it (and therefore make more profits). Hence, the tests.

But I can't help but notice that there was no such experimentation when nightime entertainment and hours were being cut. Understandable immediately following 9/11, but not so understandable this year. (Aug, Sept, Oct, and now Nov hours are set much shorter than even last year...).

Has the philosophy actually changed? Hmmmm.....

 

[AkiraRaptor]

Check out Disney's hours now for October, they indeed are extending the hours and adding the nightime entertainment until 10/15.

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/waltdisneyworld/parksandmore/parkhours/parkhoursindex?id=SEMagicKingdomLocationCrit&date=102002

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

And despite the early closing Ill still get a chance to see Fantasy in the Sky, thanx to the Tuesday showing.

 

[Chernabog]

Not sure how much of this information has already been discussed elsewhere but it seems appropriate in this board still. Got word yesterday that the character caravan to the hotels is being cut next week, the hunchback show at MGM is going down, and half of Tapestry is ending now and the other half in March. So, for those who liked any of these I recommend you see them now if possible before they're gone!

 

[BradleyJ]

Originally posted by Raidermatt
Understandable immediately following 9/11, but not so understandable this year. (Aug, Sept, Oct, and now Nov hours are set much shorter than even last year...).

Alot of it, in fact, has to do with the fact that the fiscal year starts Oct. 1st.

 

[MKingdom25]

Originally posted by Mag1575
That's interesting. I just wish that I would be able to go in September. I'm hoping I can make it at the beginning of November.

Mark

Don't we all wish we could go every month (well every week even)!

 

[mkt]

just a head up, I have just looked at next weeks character schedule and they did not lie... MK has a TON of new characters, and I don't mean a ton... I mean a TON!!! I'm not at liberty to discuss this right now, but wow...

 

[RobFL]

Originally posted by mktiggerman
just a head up, I have just looked at next weeks character schedule and they did not lie... MK has a TON of new characters, and I don't mean a ton... I mean a TON!!! I'm not at liberty to discuss this right now, but wow...

Isn't this next week the all Fireworks week? This last week was the alternating week, no?

So, characters and fireworks? Oo...

-Rob

 

[Fievel]

Yeah, i think the disneyworld website had spectro or fireworks every night this week....it's nice to not have to plan to say "Fireworks only on saturday" so everyone goes there that day.

 

[MKCustodial]

Originally posted by mktiggerman
just a head up, I have just looked at next weeks character schedule and they did not lie... MK has a TON of new characters, and I don't mean a ton... I mean a TON!!! I'm not at liberty to discuss this right now, but wow...

New characters as in bran-new never before seen characters? That's be cool!!