twilight mitsuk
Well-Known Member
will WS ever open at 9 AM.
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Operating hours of several Epcot attractions and shops to be reduced from Feb 2016
- Thread starter wdwmagic
- Start date
No Name
Well-Known Member
This actually seems like the most logical change to me. What's the first thing you do when you enter the park? Do you say "Oooh, those rides look really fun, but lets buy stuff from the gift shop first!" No. Nobody does, or at least not enough people to justify opening them that early. You might, but you're a wdw veteran of sorts so you can afford to take it more slowly. That's not the norm though.
Even the imagineers in Walt's day put the Emporium on the left side of Main Street for a reason. People generally exit down the left side and enter down the right side of main street (other than right when the park opens and at night). And the thought is that people buy things on their way out, or later in the day. That's also why most or all of the breakfast options are on the right. My point is that so few people go in the shops during the first hour that it isn't even worth having them open.
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peter11435
Well-Known Member
I have a times and information guide from May 1994 in my hands right now. It clearly shows future world closing at 7 and world showcase opening at noon. That's nearly 22 years ago. So clearly the "7 p.m. crap" is not relatively new.
Also for those interested the same guide shows that there were only 4 days the entire month where Magic Kingdom was open later than 9 with half of the month having 7pm closes. This May the park never closes earlier than 10. And there is only four days it closes before 11.
In May 1994 Fantasy in the sky fireworks were only performed 6 times the entire month and Spectomagic was only presented on 4 nights. This May Wishes is scheduled every night and MSEP has at least one performance every night as well.
Also Disney-MGM Studios closed at 6 all but the last 4 days of the month.
drew81
Well-Known Member
They've got to make up the money from all the AP holders who didn't renew after the increase.
prberk
Well-Known Member
I can say that the MK not having daily fireworks was a thing of the past that I remember, and sometimes closing early on some weekdays in the off season. But most of that changed in 1996, with the 25th anniversary (castle-cake time). That year they decided to have MK fireworks every night -- which frankly made sense, they way that they had been hyped on TV for a generation, and always brought in crowds.
But that was the MK, and usually most attractions were open the length of park hours (except, like I said, attractions dependent on daylight).
I also remember Epcot Center being open until dark, including Future World. At an early date the decision was made that, unlike MK, EPCOT would have a consistent close time of 9 p.m. That is what most people knew. (World Showcase did open a little later, like 11, but that was publicized and was the whole thing, mostly due to the sheer size of the park and how long it took people to get there.)
I understand things have been tweaked through the years, and sometimes better (daily fireworks); but overall I remember a time, perhaps especially the '70s and '80s, when the park open (or a section open, such as Future World), meant that most of it was open (except for refurbs). And that should be the same today, especially with the surge in both prices and attendance.
peter11435
Well-Known Member
Sometimes memories play tricks on you.
Also the magic kingdom didn't begin having fireworks nightly until wishes! Debuted in 2003.
Jon81uk
Well-Known Member
I also don't see this as a big issue. My first trip was almost 15 years ago and I remember Future World shut at 7pm, except for Test Track as it was brand new. I assumed the Film festival show shut at 7pm anyway and I wouldn't have been surprised if Living with the Land did too.
Also if you need to go to the gift shop at park opening then you are going to be carrying that item round all day, so its better to wait anyway! As long as somewhere to get breakfast is open, the gift shop can wait. Most people shop on the way out!
Also if you need to go to the gift shop at park opening then you are going to be carrying that item round all day, so its better to wait anyway! As long as somewhere to get breakfast is open, the gift shop can wait. Most people shop on the way out!
Biff215
Well-Known Member
It's also one of the few places in FW you can get a break from the sun, especially while pushing a stroller. I can't tell you how many times I've walked in there with my son while my wife and daughter were riding TT. Even if I didn't buy something at that moment, it almost always led to purchases at the end of the day or trip based on what I ran across. Walking up to those many doors and not having them open and welcoming just seems strange to me, no matter what the sales may be during that hour.
Jon81uk
Well-Known Member
Yes, but why would you when the ride lines are shortest in that first hour. Go and do some rides and come back to shop at 10am.
I was looking at a summer 1993 guide last night. Very different:
EPCOT Center
June 1-5 9-7
June 6-11 9-9
June 12- August 21 9-10
August 22-28 9-9
August 29-31 9-7
Magic Kingdom
June 1-4 9-10
June 5-12 9-11
June 13- July 3 9-12 midnight
July 4 9-2am
July 5- August 22 9-12 midnight
August 22-28 9-11
August 29-31 9-10
One day one park was $36. Five day hopper was $189.15. Annual pass was $205.
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ParentsOf4
Well-Known Member
With attendance up another 10% last quarter, exactly how many chances do Guests get to experience a "ghost town" at WDW?
Few operations at WDW run at a loss. It's not like the old days when Walt Disney and his successors felt that certain experiences should be part of the theme park, regardless of profitability, because they were integral parts of the overall ambiance.
Nowadays, it's more about whether corporate is satisfied with margins. In other words, it's not whether it's profitable, it's whether it is profitable enough.
With the previously announced reductions at the water parks and now these, it's fairly obvious that "the powers that be" have decided that operating margin isn't good enough.
Rather sad since domestic Parks & Resorts operating margin is back to where it was in the 1990s.
prberk
Well-Known Member
Nope, they did have nightly fireworks for the 25th anniversary, and made a big deal of it.
They may have cut some out after the celebration, especially after 9-11 (when everything was cut back), and then restored them for Wishes; but they definitely did it for the 25th anniversary castlecake celebration. It was a big deal as part of the celebration, just like the new nightly thing was at EPCOT for the millennium year.
My memory was not entirely unclear. MK has always had varied hours, but except for a very few daylight or special attractions, all of was open until park close. I think it has always been true that a few things did not open until later morning, and that was more pronounced at EPCOT due to the size of it, and the nature of World Showcase. But for the most part that was announced. Once they were open, they were open until close.
I think with very few, daylight-based, exceptions, most things should be open as late as the park is open, especially when you advertise and charge people so much for admission (which was MUCH less back then) and up to $50 for park-hopping.
peter11435
Well-Known Member
I can only speak for May 1994.
ParentsOf4
Well-Known Member
Are you really trying to compare 1994 with today?
WDW's per theme park attendance increased by 43% from 1994 to 2015. Disney just reported another 10% increase last quarter.
Maybe WDW should be increasing hours instead of decreasing them?
P.S. I had to modify my post because I originally used 1993 numbers whereas @peter11435 used 1994. Looking at 1994, it was a bad year for Parks & Resorts. Year-to-year operating income was down while attendance declined.
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Whilst looking at figures, a garden view at the Floridian in 1993 was $230-250, standard at the Poly was $185-195 and a tower room at the Contemporary was $240-260. Oh, standard at the CBR was $89.
The interweb tells me to times those figures by 1.66 to adjust for inflation. My my.
The interweb tells me to times those figures by 1.66 to adjust for inflation. My my.
peter11435
Well-Known Member
That wasn't the point. The point was that 7pm closings in future world are not new. And that even with the cuts the hours have been greatly extended from what they were 20 years ago. At least when comparing to May to May.
ILOVEDISNEY
Active Member
Sounds like those attractions days are numbered. Maybe Disney will build the oft-rumored Starbucksland.
Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
With attendance up another 10% last quarter, exactly how many chances do Guests get to experience a "ghost town" at WDW?
Few operations at WDW run at a loss. It's not like the old days when Walt Disney and his successors felt that certain experiences should be part of the theme park, regardless of profitability, because they were integral parts of the overall ambiance.
Nowadays, it's more about whether corporate is satisfied with margins. In other words, it's not whether it's profitable, it's whether it is profitable enough.
With the previously announced reductions at the water parks and now these, it's fairly obvious that "the powers that be" have decided that operating margin isn't good enough.
Rather sad since domestic Parks & Resorts operating margin is back to where it was in the 1990s.
I didn't say I liked it, but, even if the parks are filled to capacity, if no one is going to those places to warrant them being opened, I understand why it isn't. It's a waste of resources. I, again, am not one that likes to see things closed, but, there is a difference between an hour or so per day and permanently. I'd guess that the majority of those that are indignant about it, do not support those areas during the times listed. In other words, on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the worse thing that could happen, it wouldn't even reach 5.
As I said, just a few years ago, Future World basically closed down at 7pm. That's not conjecture, that is personal experience. So, what's new and shocking about it. After that hour 99.9% of all the Guests are in World Showcase waiting for the big boomers to start. It's a wonder that end of Epcot doesn't drop into one of the infamous sinkholes during that time.
matt9112
Well-Known Member
Soarin' and Circle of Life.
So the only attraction in The Land that is currently operational is Living with the Land.........closing at 7PM. Might as well just not run it at all, and close The Land altogether.
I'm so glad I'm trying to keep expenses down for this April trip. As irritating as this is, it would be way more irritating while staying in a Deluxe resort.
cant believe people pack rack for those anyway...robbery has a new meaning.