WDW Park Hours ... A Historical Perspective

[hpyhnt 1000]

Interesting info there. Thanks for posting. :wave:

Just wondering, you wouldn't happen to have the times for the "off season" would you? I notice the times you listed were mostly for the peak summer months. I'm curious to see what the hours were like in, say, February/March. I noticed the one you posted for September (which generally signals the start of an "off season") was pretty close to the times we usually see during the quiter months anyway.

 

[WDW1974]

Nice....

I`d forgotten the 1030pm showing of Sorcery in the Sky. Best straight fireworks show ever. And then in June 1990 the park stayed open another 90 minutes. I recall doing DMGM for our first time then - it still took a full day with those hours to do the half-day park.

Yeah ... one thing you'll notice is that ALL the fireworks shows were scheduled later then they are now.

The traditional time for pyro in the MK was always 10 p.m., for instance.

I recall a conversation with a then-WDW exec about EPCOT's move to earlier hours and the response was 'well, people always leave after the fireworks.'

My response was something along the lines of 'yeah, that's why you always had them LATER.'

 

[WDW1974]

Very interesting. I'd like to see hours from the 80's too. I'd forgotten about Epcot being open to 10 and 11pm. Seems like it's been 9-9 forever. Did the opening of Animal Kingdom affect hours any, I wonder?

Well, then you likely have no recollection of when EC closed at midnight nightly either. (that I believe was strictly in the 80s, but it may be some 90s too)

It's been 9-9 for so long (and really 9-7 and 11-9) because Disney conditioned its guests to expect less while paying more.

As to DAK's opening affecting hours at other parks, my general feeling is no. At least not at first.

The problem became when WDW started selling the whole package as more than the sum of its parts. That allowed it dumb down an aspect of one park under the guise that something new and exciting was opening in another. That's the WalMarting I refer to because while Everest is a very cool new attraction (or was on the few days it actually has operated with all its effects) it does nothing to stem the fact MK hasn't had a major addition since 1992!

But to get back to your question, yeah now hours are looked at across the board instead of as individual parks.

They don't take into consideration that many folks may be visiting say EPCOT for the day and can't park-hop at 9 p.m. if the MK is open for 2-3 more hours.

 

[EPCOT Explorer]

Well done sir.


Just what the doctor ordered if you catch my drift.

 

[WDW1974]

Well, this looks promising for the summer. I won't get my hopes too high (okay, too late for that) yet seeing as the official hours and EMH are not posted yet. Thanks WDW1974! :wave:

Oh, two more questions for you, WDW1974.
1. What were the hours like the summer after 9/11?
2. What are the booking and resort numbers looking like for middle to late June? I had a somewhat hard time getting a room at the WL for that time. The options were limited.

The hours for summer of 2002 were very short. I recall regular 9 and 10p.m. closings at MK. I have them some where and at some point will try and post them.

As to next June, I have no idea what the bookings are looking like yet (and neither does Disney I am sure). But at least you have good taste in resorts and hopefully you'll be able to get a room there for that timeframe.

I'd like to be at the Lodge right now!

 

[WDW1974]

Interesting info there. Thanks for posting. :wave:

Just wondering, you wouldn't happen to have the times for the "off season" would you? I notice the times you listed were mostly for the peak summer months. I'm curious to see what the hours were like in, say, February/March. I noticed the one you posted for September (which generally signals the start of an "off season") was pretty close to the times we usually see during the quiter months anyway.

I have schedules for every month of the year.

I am posting them in random order (AKA the order they're sitting in my files).

But, rest assured, there will be more off-season hours coming.

The next hours will be from the remainder of the summer of '94 when I get some time to type it in.

Off to lunch now.

Thanks for the comments.

 

[HauntedPirate]

This is awesome, and a great look into WDW of the past. It allows easy comparisons to current park hours. And also quiets some critics.

 

[wvdisneyfamily]

The hours for summer of 2002 were very short. I recall regular 9 and 10p.m. closings at MK. I have them some where and at some point will try and post them.

As to next June, I have no idea what the bookings are looking like yet (and neither does Disney I am sure). But at least you have good taste in resorts and hopefully you'll be able to get a room there for that timeframe.

I'd like to be at the Lodge right now!

I wonder if the hours this summer will compare to the summer 2002 hours. I did get my room at the WL. It's woods view. I wanted courtyard, but maybe I'll luck out and a courtyard will open up or I'll get an upgrade. I'm sure woods view is nice, but I loved waking up every morning and enjoying my coffee on the balcony overlooking the courtyard. I, too, would love to be at the WL right now. I've been to almost all of the deluxes, and I would pick the WL over all of them.

 

[marypoppins68]

Well, then you likely have no recollection of when EC closed at midnight nightly either. (that I believe was strictly in the 80s, but it may be some 90s too)

It's been 9-9 for so long (and really 9-7 and 11-9) because Disney conditioned its guests to expect less while paying more.

Nope. I've visited every year since 1973, but since I was only 5 then I have no idea what the hours were. I only know we stayed til my sister and I grew too cranky and had to be taken home. :lol: It was one visit per year, two per year after Epcot opened. I didn't get my AP til 1989. I DO remember all of Epcot being opened at once. My family usually started in World Showcase first, and then went to Future World. I remember the first time we went after they delayed the opening of World Showcase. It really messed up our touring plans. :brick:

 

[CBOMB]

Thanks for another interesting thread WDW1974. Like so many others I am very curious about how the Park times have changed over the years. Thanks for all the effort I know this is taking. I am very much looking forward to the additional information you will be providing.

 

[MomofKatie]

I looked up the summer 2002 hours on another site with a Historical Hours Archive (www.intercot.com), and this is what was listed:

June:
MK- 9am-9 or 10pm all month long. Spectro ran, on avg, 3 times/week, only once per night.

EP- 10am-9pm (FW 10am-7pm, WS 11am-9pm) all month

MGM- 9am-9pm all month

AK- 9am-6pm all month

July:
MK- 9am-9 or 10pm all month EXCEPT 7/4 which was 9am-midnight. Spectro same as June.

EP- 9am-9pm all month EXCEPT 7/4 which was 9am-10pm. FW- 9am-7pm, WS- 11am-9pm.

MGM- July 1-6, 9am-10pm. Rest of July- 9am-9pm.

AK- 9am-6pm all month

 

[WDW1974]

Thanks for those 2002 hours.

Those are exactly what I remembered.

A very depressing summer when on many nights the sun was just setting, there was still light in the sky and all the parks were closed for the night.

Not magical at all.

And while summer of 2002 was generally uncrowded, it was no means dead like fall of 2001 and early 2002 were. There were still crowds.

 

[WDW1974]

July 1994

MK

7/1 (9-10);
7/2/7/3 (9-11);
7/4 (9-2 a.m.);
7/5-7/31 (9-midnight);

Spectromagic
July 1-3 at 9 p.m.;
July 4 at 10:30 p.m. and midnight;
July 5-31 at 9 and 11 p.m.;

Fantasy in the Sky
July 1-3, 5-31 at 10 p.m.;
July 4 at 9 p.m.;

EPCOT '94

7/1 (9-9);
7/2-3 (9-10);
7/4 (9-midnight);
7/5-7/31 (9-10);

Illuminations
July 1 at 9 p.m.;
July 2-31 at 10 p.m.;

Disney-MGM Studios

7/1 (9-9);
7/2-7/31 (9-10)

Aladdin's Royal Caravan
july 1 at 1 p.m.;
July 2-31 at 11:30 a.m. and 4 p.m.;

Sorcery in the Sky

July 4 at 9:55 p.m.;

Notes: Even with cutbacks the amount of park hours available in 1994 vs. 2008 are considerably higher.

 

[WDW1974]

August 1994

MK

8/1-8/13 (9-midnight);
8/14-8/19 (9-11);
8/20 (9-midnight);
8/21-8/28 (9-10);
8/29-8/31 (9-8);

Spectromagic

Aug. 1-13 at 9 and 11 p.m.;
Aug. 14-28 at 9 p.m.;

Fantasy in the Sky

Aug. 1-28 at 10 p.m.;

Epcot '94

8/1-8/20 (9-10);
8/21-8/31 (9-9);

Illuminations
Aug. 1-20 at 10 p.m.;
Aug. 21-31 at 9 p.m.;

Disney-MGM Studios

8/1-8/20 (9-10);
8/21-8/27 (9-9);
8/28 (9-7);
8/29-8/31 (9-6);

Aladdin's Royal Caravan
Aug. 1-20 at 11;30 a.m. and 4 p.m.;
Aug. 21-31 at 1 p.m.;

Notes: You can see the start of a trend where mid and late August were starting to be viewed as a slower back to school time and not the middle of summer like at Disneyland.

 

[WDW1974]

OK, let's see how things used to look at WDW in fall, back in the days when the Food and Wine Festival and MNSSHP hadn't of even been thought of yet.

October 1989

MK

10/1-10/31 (9-7);
*10/21 featured a hard ticket 'On Stage Rock Party' from 9 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. (I don't recall anything about this one).


EPCOT Center

10/1-10/31 (9-9)

Illuminations nightly at 9.

Disney-MGM Studios

10/1 (9-9);
10/2-10/6 (9-7);
10/7-10/8 (9-9);
10/9-10/13 (9-7);
10/14-10/15 (9-9);
10/16-10/31 (9-7);

Notes: I can already hear the fanboys whining about all those early MK closes with no pyro or night parade. This was back when October was one of the slowest months of the year, slightly more crowded than September and nothing like it started being in the late 90s. Also, notice the extra weekend hours at the new Studios park despite the very slow time ... this type of move was more for locals, APers/Fla residents who were likely to be checking the new place out.

 

[WDW1974]

November 1989

MK

11/1-11/18 (9-7);
11/19-11/23 (9-8);
11/24-11/25 (9-midnight);
11/26-11/30 (9-7);

MSEP
Nov. 24-25 at 9 and 11 p.m.;

Fireworks
Nov. 24-25 at 10 p.m.;

EPCOT Center

11/1-11/23 (9-9);
11/24-11/25 (9-11);
11/26-11/30 (9-9);

Illuminations
Nov. 1-23, 26-30 at 9 p.m.;
Nov. 24-25 at 10 p.m.;

Disney-MGM Studios

11/1-11/4 (9-7);
11/5-11/23 (9-8);
11/24-11/25 (9-9);
11/26-11/30 (9-7);

Notes: Thanksgiving Day was 11/23 and the parks still closed relatively early to allow CMs to spend time with family. This, IMHO, was very nice ... and much like stores and fast food outlets being open on Turkey Day was destined to end as soon as Disney realized how much money they were leaving on the T-Day table. But again, in the 1980s, people generally didn't plan Thanksgiving trips to the World unless they were relatively close by or from other countries where it didn't matter. Turkey with the Mouse is largely a phenomenon of the past 15 or so years.

 

[WDW1974]

When next we meet, I'll show you what a December looked like before the days of hard ticket parties four times a week and expensive dinner packages to see the Candlelight Processional ... that is if anyone's interested?

 

[wvdisneyfamily]

When next we meet, I'll show you what a December looked like before the days of hard ticket parties four times a week and expensive dinner packages to see the Candlelight Processional ... that is if anyone's interested?

I'd like to see that. My husband remembers going in October before the hard ticket parties. He says it was dead. I bet December was much the same way.

 

[HauntedPirate]

December used to be dead, before MVMCP and Pop Warner and cheerleading competitions. You could go anytime from the 1st to about the 20th and walk on to a good number of rides (it's how I rode Space Mountain 18 times in a row one day in December 1991).

 

[disnyfan89]

July 1994

MK

7/1 (9-10);
7/2/7/3 (9-11);
7/4 (9-2 a.m.);
7/5-7/31 (9-midnight);

Epcot '94

7/1 (9-9); 12
7/2-3 (9-10); 26
7/4 (9-midnight); 15
7/5-7/31 (9-10); 338

Disney-MGM Studios

7/1 (9-9);
7/2-7/31 (9-10)

Notes: Even with cutbacks the amount of park hours available in 1994 vs. 2008 are considerably higher.

July 2008:

MK
7/1-2, 8, 10, 15, 22, 29 (8-midnight)
7/3 (9-4am)
7/4 (8-1am)
7/5, 7, 9, 12 (9-midnight)
7/6, 11, 13, 18, 20, 25, 27 (9-2am)
7/14, 16, 19, 21, 23, 26, 28, 30 (9-11)
7/17, 24, 31 (8-11)

Hours open
1994: 444 hours < 2008: 485 Hours

Epcot:
7/1, 8, 10, 15, 17, 22, 24, 29, 31 (9-midnight)
7/2-3, 5, 7, 9, 11-12, 14, 16, 18-19, 21, 23, 25-26, 28, 30 (9-9)
7/4 (8-10)
7/6, 13, 20, 27 (8-9)

Hours open
1994: 391 hours < 2008: 405 hours

Disney's Hollywood Studios
7/1, 3, 5-6, 8, 10, 12-13, 15, 17, 19-20, 22, 24, 26-27, 29, 31 (9-10)
7/2, 4, 9, 16, 23, 30 (9-1am)
7/7, 11, 14, 18, 21, 25, 28 (8-10)

Hours open:
1994: 389 hours < 2008: 414 hours

Total park hours open:
1994: 1,224 hours < 1,304 hours

Notes: Even with cutbacks the amount of park hours available in 1994 vs. 2008 are considerably higher.

Sorry WDW1974 but as you can see the park hours in 2008 are higher than 2004 by about 6%! You should double check your facts before making such a statement. :wave: