October Hours frustration

[kayteekt]

We have a trip planned for last week of October. Right now HS is showing closings of 7pm most nights. To me that doesn't make sense considering the SW Fireworks. I mean, they just started...wouldn't think they're going anywhere for a while. Any guesses on what will happen with HS hours/SW Fireworks??

I know hours can and prob will change a little but it's really a pain to try and plan. Mostly trying to mesh dinner times/adrs with trying to guess what time fireworks will be/park will be open, etc...

And...don't even get me started on AK hours! I know that's all up in the air. I really have a hard time believing they're going to go back to closing at 5 & 6pm. So I'm holding out they'll be open at least until 8 or 9pm. The tree of life was so spectacular when DH and I saw this summer...want the kids and our extended family to see that and ride EE at night, even if there is no nighttime "show."

After the October crowds last year, I would hope they would leave some parks open later. MO is that would help the disperse the crowds.

Hard to plan, when you don't know what you're planning, arggg.....Anyway, just frustrated, like everyone else, I suppose So there's my rant for the day.

 

[CAS239]

Hours lately have been updating about a month in advance. So you should see October hours updated next month in September more than likely.

For now just plan around the hours they give you but anticipate hours extending. Star Wars fireworks will still be there so HS hours should definitely be extended. It's rumored AK hours will go back to 5pm until RoL is ready, but I don't believe that rumor at all. RoL is also rumored to be ready soon, maybe as soon as next month. So I fully think AK hours will be extended.

 

[kayteekt]

Hours lately have been updating about a month in advance. So you should see October hours updated next month in September more than likely.

For now just plan around the hours they give you but anticipate hours extending. Star Wars fireworks will still be there so HS hours should definitely be extended. It's rumored AK hours will go back to 5pm until RoL is ready, but I don't believe that rumor at all. RoL is also rumored to be ready soon, maybe as soon as next month. So I fully think AK hours will be extended.

I like you're thinking, along the same lines as mine We shall wait and see...

 

[trouttigger]

Hours lately have been updating about a month in advance. So you should see October hours updated next month in September more than likely.

For now just plan around the hours they give you but anticipate hours extending. Star Wars fireworks will still be there so HS hours should definitely be extended. It's rumored AK hours will go back to 5pm until RoL is ready, but I don't believe that rumor at all. RoL is also rumored to be ready soon, maybe as soon as next month. So I fully think AK hours will be extended.

Thanks for this info. - I have the same frustration. We have a 1 day PH in November, and I want to plan ahead and get the most hours out of it. Very hard to do that with hours unknown.

 

[Klayfish]

I wouldn't get concerned with it one bit. It's only August.

 

[jhoannam]

Hours lately have been updating about a month in advance. So you should see October hours updated next month in September more than likely.

For now just plan around the hours they give you but anticipate hours extending. Star Wars fireworks will still be there so HS hours should definitely be extended. It's rumored AK hours will go back to 5pm until RoL is ready, but I don't believe that rumor at all. RoL is also rumored to be ready soon, maybe as soon as next month. So I fully think AK hours will be extended.

You really think they will reduce AK hours back to 5pm? As of now they have AK closing at 7pm in October

 

[Ydnameht]

We have a trip planned for last week of October. Right now HS is showing closings of 7pm most nights. To me that doesn't make sense considering the SW Fireworks. I mean, they just started...wouldn't think they're going anywhere for a while. Any guesses on what will happen with HS hours/SW Fireworks??

I know hours can and prob will change a little but it's really a pain to try and plan. Mostly trying to mesh dinner times/adrs with trying to guess what time fireworks will be/park will be open, etc...

And...don't even get me started on AK hours! I know that's all up in the air. I really have a hard time believing they're going to go back to closing at 5 & 6pm. So I'm holding out they'll be open at least until 8 or 9pm. The tree of life was so spectacular when DH and I saw this summer...want the kids and our extended family to see that and ride EE at night, even if there is no nighttime "show."

After the October crowds last year, I would hope they would leave some parks open later. MO is that would help the disperse the crowds.

Hard to plan, when you don't know what you're planning, arggg.....Anyway, just frustrated, like everyone else, I suppose So there's my rant for the day.

I'm dealing with the same thing. Pretty frustrating. I sent an email and got a nice phone call from someone in Guest Experiences but basically all she said was "just keep doing what you're doing and checking the hours." Considering the hotels look pretty packed I'd be surprised if they didn't extend the hours but then again I've been surprised by a lot of things happening with WDW as of late.

I've got AK closing at 7 every night I'm there and HS at 7:30 one night and 7 the rest aside from one night with EMH. So there's Fantasmic but no fireworks and nothing that requires darkness happening at AK.

 

[Jadyreen1282]

We stopped planning based on hours of operation. They change so much. We decided to start planning our days around adrs and fp's using Hoppers. If we get extended hours we modify. You just never know when MK will go to 1 am anymore.

 

[Missyrose]

You really think they will reduce AK hours back to 5pm? As of now they have AK closing at 7pm in October

No, there were a flurry of news stories this week about "shorter fall hours" at AK. Some people worried that meant Disney would cut back the existing hours, but those stories were just about how the park is closing at 6 or 7, which is far earlier than the 11 p.m. Close AK has had all summer.

 

[megster1123]

Hello, I'd like to sign up for the October support group please. I've moved beyond frustrated and am into the apathy phase.

 

[COscrapper]

Hello, I'd like to sign up for the October support group please. I've moved beyond frustrated and am into the apathy phase.

Ha! Welcome, welcome. At least we're in it together!

 

[lomillerin]

I am waiting also.

 

[epcotty]

I'm dealing with the same thing. Pretty frustrating. I sent an email and got a nice phone call from someone in Guest Experiences but basically all she said was "just keep doing what you're doing and checking the hours." Considering the hotels look pretty packed I'd be surprised if they didn't extend the hours but then again I've been surprised by a lot of things happening with WDW as of late.

I've got AK closing at 7 every night I'm there and HS at 7:30 one night and 7 the rest aside from one night with EMH. So there's Fantasmic but no fireworks and nothing that requires darkness happening at AK.

If the hotels are packed they probably won't extend the hours as they'll see no need to. I've become a lot more critical of Disney than I was with all the cutbacks this year as well as the big price increases. Their whole philosophy is "anything to save money or make more money". This may work in the short term but this will lose them a lot of customers in the long run

 

[behindthegossip]

Maybe the early hours have to do with construction? So that they can get more work done on SWL and TSL? Just a theory.

 

[Delirium]

I wouldn't get concerned with it one bit. It's only August.

Being concerned about it is different than being irritated about it. I'm confident they will extend hours, but considering I'm trying to plan a very expensive trip without complete information, it is frustrating, irritating, and downright unnecessary for Disney to be so apathetic about providing their customers the information they need.

 

[Delirium]

You really think they will reduce AK hours back to 5pm? As of now they have AK closing at 7pm in October

7 PM provides little to nothing in terms of providing nighttime entertainment. Dusk-time maybe. Nighttime.....not so much.

 

[Lehuaann]

We were there the last week of Oct last year and the latest DHS stayed open our entire 13 night stay was 7:30/8:30 pm (9:30 for EMH). This went for opening night of the Osborne Lights (8:30 pm) - which was absolutely SLAMMED.

 

[yulilin3]

Maybe the early hours have to do with construction? So that they can get more work done on SWL and TSL? Just a theory.

Not likely. They have stopped caring if guests see construction (in this case demolition) going on. And thank God, imagine if they waited for guests to leave, we would never see anything finished

 

[snoopy5386]

I feel your pain. We have 2 days in the park wrapped around a cruise. My top two priorities are seeing SW fireworks and ROL if it's open. I want to make my plans already!

 

[scurvyfreedman]

We're there from the 23-28 of October. Hoping that either Wed or Thurs that week has later HS hours. We are hopping and with the Halloween party many of the nights we're there, we need something to do at night besides the one night we're going to the party. Seriously, it's Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday. We're going on Tuesday. Other than going to Epcot every night, there's nothing to do past 7pm. Seem pretty outrageous. Maybe they're trying to funnel guests to the Halloween Party, but it's really unfair considering it's an expensive hard ticket and they shouldn't expect people to go more than one night while they're visiting the parks.