Park close at 9, Once Upon a Time at 9:45?

[Rach3975]

Disney scheduling continues to baffle me! We'll be at MK on Sunday, November 3rd. Hours are 9 am to 9 pm with Happily Ever After at 9. Once Upon a Time has finally been added to the schedule, but it's at 9:45 instead of the 8:30 showing I was expecting. Is this common? Is there any explanation other than Disney just wanting it that way? What time is the kiss goodnight likely to be?

 

[Bjkandma]

Yes. Once Upon A Time is usually after the fireworks or Happily Ever After during the summer. Expect kiss goodnight half hour after OUAT.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

To me that’s either an error in the posted OUAT times, or they intend to bump park hours later that day. Those 9pm MK closings that week have never made much sense to me.

Just guesses though.

 

[yulilin3]

To me that’s either an error in the posted OUAT times, or they intend to bump park hours later that day. Those 9pm MK closings that week have never made much sense to me.

Just guesses though.

It's Disney's way of trying to make some stay for OUAT while most people leave after HEA, since the park is closed there's nothing else to do, they try and manage crowds leaving this way.

 

[Robo]

To me that’s either an error in the posted OUAT times, or they intend to bump park hours later that day...

I agree with this.

It's Disney's way of trying to make some stay for OUAT while most people leave after HEA, since the park is closed there's nothing else to do, they try and manage crowds leaving this way.

Sorry, but I'm less inclined to believe that is the case, simply because I've never seen a show scheduled to start that far after "closing time." (Especially one as minor as OUAT.)

 

[yulilin3]

I agree with this.


Sorry, but I'm less inclined to believe that is the case, simply because I've never seen a show scheduled to start that far after "closing time." (Especially one as minor as OUAT.)

we will see, last year, same date the mark was open until 10pm, so they still have time to extend the time. In any case, putting OUAT after HEA IS a way to control crowds leaving at night.

 

[katherine52478]

On 9/26, the park closed at 9 pm with the fireworks starting then and OUAT at 9:45 pm.

I was there for After Hours which also started at 9 pm so I thought it was strange but it does indeed happen!

 

[Rach3975]

Thanks for the insight and guesses, everyone! I guess I'll keep watching and see whether there's a time change for OUAT or park hours.

On 9/26, the park closed at 9 pm with the fireworks starting then and OUAT at 9:45 pm.

I was there for After Hours which also started at 9 pm so I thought it was strange but it does indeed happen!

Maybe it had something to do with there being an After Hours event? It seems more strange to me to do it on a night where there's nothing happening after park close.

 

[PanamaMike]

There is nothing strange about it. The park closes at 9pm and the fireworks start. At 9:18 the fireworks end and thousands of people exit Main St. heading for the monorail, resort boats, ferry or bus. Offering OUAT at 9:45 keeps a certain percentage of those guests in the park until almost 10:00 reducing the size of the post-fireworks exodus and the strain on the transportation system.

 

[SL6827]

One of the best things you can do at the end of the night at the MK is to find a place to sit back. Sit back, relax and wait out the crowds to exit. I can't emphasize this enough. If you have the time, are able to do so, just let everyone else go first.

 

[Poohspaleeyore]

HS also has park closing at 9 but both nighttime shows starting at nine on calendar for the day i plan to visit in November. i just assumed that rides would close by nine and then both shows would start - one which ends before the other so that crowds are staggered., but thats just guessing. its the weekend before thanksgiving so they could extend hours.

 

[Rach3975]

HS also has park closing at 9 but both nighttime shows starting at nine on calendar for the day i plan to visit in November. i just assumed that rides would close by nine and then both shows would start - one which ends before the other so that crowds are staggered., but thats just guessing. its the weekend before thanksgiving so they could extend hours.

On days with an 8 pm or 9 pm close, I think it's common for the nighttime shows to start right at official closing for HS, MK, and Epcot.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Went back and did some more analysis on this topic. OUAT has traditionally been performed prior to or at park closing. Unlike DHS and DAK where it is common to have nighttime entertainment performed after the scheduled park closing, that is not the norm for MK - be it with HEA or OUAT. Of the 307 showtimes in 2018, 266 were prior to park closing and 41 were at park closing.

Prior to 9/15/2019, a similar pattern held. Of the 238 showtimes to date in 2019, 165 were prior to park closing and 73 were at park closing.

Since 9/16/2019, there have been 10 nights where the park closed at 9pm and OUAT was at 9:45pm - so, after park closing. This is a new scheduling phenomena that - if the recently posted times heading into November that @Rach3975 notes in her OP hold - seems like may be a more common occurrence than has in the past depending on the season/park hours.

(All numbers above approximate)

 

[Rach3975]

Since 9/16/2019, there have been 10 nights where the park closed at 9pm and OUAT was at 9:45pm - so, after park closing. This is a new scheduling phenomena that - if the recently posted times heading into November that @Rach3975 notes in her OP hold - seems like may be a more common occurrence than has in the past depending on the season/park hours.

(All numbers above approximate)

Very interesting! Thanks for taking the time to analyze that. So we'll assume everything will probably remain as currently scheduled.