Summer Hours Almost Over

[KProuty]

Ioatech,

Again, I repeat, it is going to be HOT! They should have at least one park open late (IOA) so people can take advantage of actually going back to the park after they leave after lunch. Sure, economize, close one park at 5 if you must, but keep one open late.

Katherine

 

[CindyZ]

I agree, close one park or the other early if you really need to economize.

I was so looking forward to an afternoon break...and now we'll have to reconsider that whole idea. I sure hope the 6pm closing won't be true for August 20-22.

I'm pretty upset about this...

Hope they'll realize that park-goers will be upset.

 

[CoasterFEV]

Just got back from work and, before leaving, checked the projection worksheets (as far in the future as available to us).

Hours for August:

IOA:

August 1st to August 11th: 9am to 10pm
August 12th to August 25th: 9am to 8pm !!!!

USF:
August 1st to August 11th: 9am to 10pm
August 12th to August 18th: 9am to 8pm
August 19th: 9am to 8pm
August 20th to August 23rd: 9am to 7pm
August 24th to August 25th: 9am to 8pm

That's as far forward as we can look at this time (sorry) - but the good news is that the 9am to 6pm hours haven't hit yet. Hopefully, we will wait until the week after Labor Day to go back to 6pm closings like we did last year !!!!

 

[gschmerl]

What would we do without CoasterFev and Earl.
Thanks so much for all your great info!

 

[MIB999999]

where did this 6pm closing time nonsense come from?????
thanks CoasterFEV and earl for the actual hours you posted. inkbounc

 

[CoasterFEV]

6pm closings are very typical during the off season on weekdays.

If you check Universal's web site, it looks like they start the week after Labor Day (September 10th).

 

[lisag1]

We're on holiday from Sept 13th and I am extremely disappointed in both Universal and Disney's opening hours. As far as the UK's concerned September is still in the holiday season. My plans of going back to our villa mid-p.m. to return about 5-6p.m have now been scuppered. This was important as we have 3 young children in tow (1, 3 & 4). So now they are classing End August - Mid September as winter season? What about lower admission charges to compensate for shorter closing times. And to add insult to injury there are now fireworks or parades mid-week at Disney!!!

I'm very disappointed.

Lisa

p.s. Is it worth emailing direct?

 

[CJ]

We'll be at the HRH from August 27-30 (weekdays). Should I assume that the hours listed on the official website: closings at 7:00 pm, will stay that way? I'm trying to decide when to book our p.s. and I really need to know for sure when the parks will be closing!

 

[markey]

We took our grandkids to WDW in September one year when they were 3&4. The parks closed at 7 and both kids needed a afternoon nap. Even with staying on site it was the least time I ever spent in the parks. Husband is not an early riser on vacation, so we never made it to the parks before 10. Then we had to return around 2 for naps. We didn't get back to the parks until 4:30 or 5. As you can see we usually ended up with 5 1/2 to 6 hours park time a day. Needless to say we never went back in
September. So if you cannot be at the parks when they open, 6 or 7 p.m. closing is not for small children.

 

[CindyZ]

I think that reduced ticket prices when the parks close early would be a great and fair idea for us park-goers...but not so great from a business sense for them. But it does make me mad that I won't have time to take a nice break in the middle of the hot hot hot and humid day! I'll be there for 7pm closings...woo hoo gee that makes me feel so much better.

It's the most dissapointing thing about my trip that I am very much looking forward too...

I don't think I can change it...so I'll have to learn to live with it...but I reserve the right to complain about it

 

[Carol O]

I can't believe how Universal gets away with such an early closing time! We were there June 25 and that was the transitional week where the parks were opened until 9. It was 8 the week before! I always felt like we were racing thru dinner so we would have time at the parks. Then after leaving the park at 9 we would race back to the HRH so we could swim before the pool closed at 10! I think that the parks should stay open til 10 June thru Sept. or it would be nice if the HRH would keep the pool open for 2 hours after the park closes.

 

[CoasterFEV]

....boy oh boy do people on this board complain a lot....

There is a very good reason why the parks here in Orlando have earlier closing times starting the 2nd week of September - THERE ARE NO GUESTS IN THE PARKS !!!!!! You can run from ride to ride to ride almost nonstop all day - as much as you want - the lines are just almost nonexistent.

This whole idea about charging less since the parks are open fewer hours is ridiculous. You will be able to ride twice the number of attractions then the poor folks visiting in mid-July and forced to wait in 75 minute + waits. If anything, we should charge less during peak season to those folks waiting up to 2 hours for just one 2-minute ride!

Theme parks are businesses. When we have 28,000 guests in the park each day during the Summer, we can afford to keep the parks open later - and understand that guests need this extra time to experience all the attractions. Our entrance counts (especially on weekdays) during the off season are more like 11,000. Most attractions rarely have a wait time - if they do it's rare to see anything over 20 to 30 minutes.

I know this thing about going back to the hotel during the afternoon for a swim and a nap is nice for most families. But vacationing during Florida's off season requires some tradeoffs. The biggest is trading off longer operating hours and fireworks for NO LINES!!!!

...sounds like a fair trade for my family!

 

[CJ]

I became concerned when you posted that the parks would be closing at 6:00 pm starting August 20th, not the second week of September. That really seemed early considering that many schools do not return until at least the end of August.

I agree with you about the less lines trade-off and I can accept and deal with whatever hours U.O. decides on. My complaint is that I wish they would decide and post it and leave it alone! This complaint is not only directed at U.O., but at Disney as well. Once the park hours have been posted on their webpage, I feel they should be official. That way people can plan their vacations accordingly. Changing closing times after people have booked and planned I think is unfair.

Earl, I do appreciate all of the help and information you offer here. Please don't take my opinions or anyone else's as directed at you personally. It's kind of like a "don't blame the messanger" thing, isn't it?

 

[JessicaR]

So true CoasterFEV. We last visited early December. I cant recall but I believe Universal closed at 6 and IOA at 7P. I have been to the parks during peak season as well as off and we are able to get much more done off season. The only thing I missed was not being in the parks at dark. We were even able to swim everyday. The kids took naps...okay so did we when we returned from the parks before going to dinner and it did work out well. You could take advantage of EE do the parks for 6 hours and have some lunch and relax by the pool or nap and be back at the park by 4 for another 3 hours. This way you are even able to take advantage of the pool being open after the parks close. Or do the pools close early too off season?? I hope not! I guess either way ya look at it late closings have their perks as well as slow season does. Another thing I was wondering...the parks hours, have they remained consistent as the years before? Just my take on it......Thanks CoasterFEV for all the posts!

 

[rob@rar.org.uk]

CoasterFEV, like CJ I was particularly worried when you said that there might be a chance of the parks closing at 6pm on weekdays during the last couple of weeks of August. Although this might be off-season for the USA, for visitors from the UK this is most definitely in the middle of holiday season.

I appreciate that there will be fewer people in the parks, and this equals fewer waits for all the attractions. However, afternoon heat and humidity in August just saps your energy, so a break from the parks mid-afternoon is pretty much essential in my opinion. There is also the fact that you miss experiencing the parks in the dark. You guys do such a good job of creating lighting which improves the themeing around the park, but then then the parks close before it gets dark! This is so frustrating for me, as after dark is my favourite time in the parks.

While I understand the business rationale for closing early, Universal should be aware of the effect this has on guests' perception of value-for-money. This is why I am complaining here and in other places, and also about Disney's opening times which are even worse. If the Universal parks close at 6pm during the greater part of my stay next month I will probably change my ticket type, most likely buying a multi-day ticket rarther than an annual pass.

Thanks for providing this information; it is such a help. Please don't fell that us complainers are trying to shoot the messenger!

Regards

Rob

 

[KProuty]

Honestly, this just FLOORS me. You have customers screaming that they want to stay at a park late. They are extremely vocal. They have a need. Companies exist to furnish customer's needs. We are nearing a recession. Business study after business study states that this is the time to expand market share when everyone else is cutting back.

Experiment. Have ONE night where one park stays open until 11 -- CONSISTENTLY! You must guarantee it for six months to a year so you can send out press releases, etc. If you must, make it a Friday night so you can tap into the locals too. Have the fireworks. Make it worthwhile. (IOA during the summer months, early fall, Universal in the winter.) Let the families go back to the room to take a nap or swim in the pool. Universal has a huge opporunity to take business away from Disney. If your business doesn't go up for that night, and bring in more people who wouldn't have given a day to Universal, I'll eat my hat.

Has anything like this ever been tried?

Katherine

 

[MrShiny]

closing times are a function of projected attendance, and with the economy, it's expected that that will be lower. Personally, I wouldn't worry too much because even with the early closing times, there will probably be fewer people in the parks (the whole reason for the closing times). So you'll be able to do by 6 what on a crowded day would take until 10 to do.

Gee remember when WDW did parades and fireworks every single day of the 25th Anniv. Celebration? Bet that won't happen again soon!

 

[h20jag]

It's truly a shame many vacationers will not get the opportunity to experience the beauty of the parks in all their nite-time lit-up glory. There really should be some concessions made to allow the many requests (demands, if push comes to shove) to experience the wonderment of lights in these magnificent parks.
You can't tell me everyone quits spending money at night either, I know better. If anything, you market it right & you make money. (You have people running to the outlet places to buy the same merchandise as in the parks, what's up with that?)
There are countless ways to keep some excitement going into the night, without breaking the Vivendi bank (or whoever owns it this year). The economy is definitely changing, and the voices of consumers will certainly dictate the outcome of who survives....Theme Parks included.
Keep the joint open till 10-11 PM on a Fri/Sat nite, might keep an AP family re-newing. That's just one example of what might make me happy.
All this fine tuning talk just sounds like excuses for ill-preparedness. (yeah, I'm venting for several threads actually, just not addressing them individually)
Hopefully UO will quit "reducing" the goodies soon.
Jim

 

[larworth]

I'm with Kprouty on this one.

It sure seems like there is a market for a once a week late night closing. Riding Hulk, JPRA, etc. at night is a whole different experience and the park does look great at night.

I have to assume this option has been studied. Maybe the IOA guys can shed some light on the drawbacks.

 

[IOATech]

I do see some points here, but it simply doesn't make sense to remain open one more hour for the twenty people remaining after 9pm. Really, the last guests in the park stay only for the fireworks. It just can't be sustained this year.