Park Hours Greatly Extended

[2much2do]

Hey Dogsrule, I have a question:
Let me get this straight. Are you saying that despite what the posted hours at the Disney website are, they typically extend the hours they stay open? I assume you have some solid basis for this conclusion? Do they base it on the number of guests staying at the resorts? Is it based on just park attendance? Do they advertise it? When do they make that decision?

 

[ToTBellHop]

it's based on park attendance, and it can be anywhere from a month before to the day of. I mean, if you print out the hours or April today, and compare them to the hours they have posted at the end of April, you will see much change. When I was in Florida for presidents week, one of the days they actually made the change THAT DAY, so the hours guides were all wrong and they simply put an A-frame sign at the entrance showing the updated hours and explaining that SpectroMagic would be shown twice, not once, that evening. Also, the changes to next week's hours (mk to 8:30-12, future world to 10-9) were made today. This week, the hours were originally 9 to 8 or so, and now they are 9-9 and 9-10. Disney basically says "okay, it's much more crowded this week than we planned on, so it will definitely be packed next week" and they extend hours for this week and next.

 

[Pioneer Hall]

In august once the MK was scheduled to be open until 9 PM but before the afternoon parade they made an announcement that the park wold stay open till 10 and they would show the evening parade twice.

 

[2much2do]

Wow! That sounds great! They haven't posted May hours yet, I'm going May 4th thru the 16th. I hope they do that for my trip. I really wanna see Spectromagic.

 

[ToTBellHop]

they will pretty much always show SpectroMagic on saturday nights....

 

[no2apprentice]

tommy112973, we will be staying at AKL. Our first time staying on-site. I told my wife, but my kids don't know - it will be a big surprise!

 

[adr315]

Disney will NOT extend any days where MK closes early....thats because those are Grad-Nights, thats why MK closes early certain days this time of year, to prepare for the late night Grad-Nights......When does Disney usually post Park hours? im going memorial day weekend, and wondering when the May hours will be posted

 

[Thespis]

Let me get this straight. Are you saying that despite what the posted hours at the Disney website are, they typically extend the hours they stay open?

We always go the last week in May and I have seen this happen for the last 5 years. The actual hours are always longer than the hours posted on the website.

When does Disney usually post Park hours? im going memorial day weekend, and wondering when the May hours will be posted

You'll find the May hours on the website probably the first week in April. Again, be advised that those hours will probably change before you get there and the change may or may not be noted on the website.

 

[ToTBellHop]

aren't grad nights in May, when seniors actually graduate?

 

[DisneyFreak721]

I am going next week and now that the Park hours are extended, that leads me to wonder, will Carousel of Progress and Timekeeper be open? Does anyone know? Tell me if you do. COP is one of my favorites and I would like to see Timekeeper again, even if it is the last time. (I guess this would apply for COP too)

 

[2much2do]

what are grad nights? I have never read or heard anything about them. Do they happen every night in May? How badly will this effect the park hours??????

 

[niteobsrvr]

Carousel of Progress will be open Mar 24 thru April 6
Time Keeper will be open Mar 24 thru April 6

As for the extension of the park hours, what appears to the guest as an extension of hours the day of your visit actually is not. Cast member schedules are released on Saturdays and take effect on the Sunday 8 days later. For example, The schedule released last Saturday Mar 16th is for the week beginning Mar 24 and ending Mar. 30.

As for the printed schedules, they are printed several weeks in advance so if there is a change in hours 2 weeks before the date you are arriving, it is too late to reprint. This is one of the reasons Disney removed times from the Guidemaps. Times are now printed on a separate sheet with only one color ink which allows for shorter lead times.

Occasionally, hours do actually get extended the day of your visit, but I have only seen this happen once in the last year and a half. Also, Occasionally hours will change with less than a weeks notice to cast members. This I have seen happen maybe half a dozen or so times in the last 18 months.

 

[orlpassholder]

w00t w00t COP and TK

*fires the ol video camera, and digital camera up*

 

[adr315]

DogsRule, my schools Grad night is April 17 i think, and Grad Nights pretty much occupy most of the second half of April and all of May

 

[LoriL]

Spectromagic

I am going 4/27-5/5 and there is no Spectromagic parade posted on the Disney site for any of those eight nights (!). And the Fantasy in the Sky fireworks are only scheduled for one of those nights, a Monday. Can anyone give me an idea of whether or not you think park hours will be extended during that week (the second week of the discount promotion)-- and whether or not we'll be able to catch Spectromagic? I'm really disappointed that they are not planning to run it at all during a promotional week!

Also, do any of you CM's out there have a feeling for how crowded the parks will be due to this promotion? Usually this week is "moderate attendance" and I hope it remains that way! Thanks!!

 

[Billdis86]

Grad Nights rarely affect park hours. Little planning is needed the night of, and Students are taken in at about 11pm. They stay till sunrise. The mornings after grad nights, the MK usually opens at 10am, not 9. The park can stay open as late as 10pm on Grad nights.

 

[JoeZerboy]

Originally posted by 2much2do
what are grad nights? I have never read or heard anything about them. Do they happen every night in May? How badly will this effect the park hours??????

Grad Nights at WDW are usually for graduating seniors that are from high schools in Florida [and maybe other nearby states, am not real sure] and is held outside of normal park operating hours.

When I had the chance to go 17 years ago, they opened the gates at 10pm-ish and we had the park to ourselves, the CMs and other WDW Staff, and live music acts. The year I went, and to further show off how old I am I guess, the big groups at Grad Night were Animotion and Midnight Star.

The only drawback at the time was that the parkgoers had to dress nicely [guys had to wear button down shirts/ties, khakis & girls nice skirts and blouses] which seemed odd for a Florida night during the summer [and yes, summer is the right term for that time of year in Central Florida...haha].

Joe

 

[2much2do]

Originally posted by adr315
Grad Nights pretty much occupy most of the second half of April and all of May

Every single night in May?? This seems excessive and totally not fair to the regular guests who pay big bucks to stay at the resorts and go to the parks! If hours are going to be cut for some teenagers, why don't they say that on any of the sites or guide books. I would never have booked for May had I known the parks would close early and open late during my whole stay!!! Do they do this at all the parks, or just MK? Will they do a second Illuminations for the regular guests?

 

[2much2do]

Re: Spectromagic

Originally posted by LoriL
I am going 4/27-5/5 and there is no Spectromagic parade posted on the Disney site for any of those eight nights (!). And the Fantasy in the Sky fireworks are only scheduled for one of those nights, a Monday.

Where are you getting this information? The WDW website says park hours for May are not determined, and the CM I spoke to said the hours wouldn't be up until the first week of April. Whether or not Spectromagic is showing will depend greatly on the park hours.

 

[JoeZerboy]

Originally posted by 2much2do

Every single night in May?? This seems excessive and totally not fair to the regular guests who pay big bucks to stay at the resorts and go to the parks! If hours are going to be cut for some teenagers, why don't they say that on any of the sites or guide books. I would never have booked for May had I known the parks would close early and open late during my whole stay!!! Do they do this at all the parks, or just MK? Will they do a second Illuminations for the regular guests?

Not every single night. Unless things have changed since I went, these are on Friday and Saturday nights only in May. Also, when I went in 1985, it was just at MK.

Joe