Cruise and Theme Park Operational Updates due to Coronavirus

[Heather07438]

• Magic Kingdom (Mar. 6-20): 9am to 6pm
• EPCOT (Mar. 6-20): 11am to 7pm
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios (Mar. 6-20): 10am to 7pm
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom (Mar. 6-20): 9am to 5pm

^hours just released for March. Same to what was posted a couple months out for our trip next week. As our date got closer hours were added. Most of that happened last week which included:

Adding an hour to open at HS and the close of MK so both parks are 9a-7p during the week.
(Our first Sat has MK 8a-8p)
Adding an hour to the opening of AK (8a-5p) all week and also adding and hour to closing on weekends (8a-6p).
EP 11a-8p.

This is just to give an idea of how hours may change as March approaches. I think it's helpful for planning. Very likely many rope drops will be pulled back an hour earlier. Good to keep in mind that possibility. That change didn't happen until 2 weeks before our trip.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Were there any reports yesterday of people being denied access to park hop due to capacity? May take skyliner over to HS

Didn't see any reports of that

 

[osufeth24]

Currently walking from epcot to HS

I miss taking this walk. Still depressing walking around the boardwalk

 

[skeeter31]

Currently walking from epcot to HS

I miss taking this walk. Still depressing walking around the boardwalk

That’s my favorite walk on property, although I can’t wait to walk the GF path at the end of the month.

 

[MMSM]

• Magic Kingdom (Mar. 6-20): 9am to 6pm
• EPCOT (Mar. 6-20): 11am to 7pm
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios (Mar. 6-20): 10am to 7pm
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom (Mar. 6-20): 9am to 5pm

^hours just released for March. Same to what was posted a couple months out for our trip next week. As our date got closer hours were added. Most of that happened last week which included:

Adding an hour to open at HS and the close of MK so both parks are 9a-7p during the week.
(Our first Sat has MK 8a-8p)
Adding an hour to the opening of AK (8a-5p) all week and also adding and hour to closing on weekends (8a-6p).
EP 11a-8p.

This is just to give an idea of how hours may change as March approaches. I think it's helpful for planning. Very likely many rope drops will be pulled back an hour earlier. Good to keep in mind that possibility. That change didn't happen until 2 weeks before our trip.

I am planned for March 27th. I hope you are right at times are extended. People who hop to AK right now get only 3 hours?

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I am planned for March 27th. I hope you are right at times are extended. People who hop to AK right now get only 3 hours?

I believe the 2pm "hop time" is also subject to change - I wonder if they don't extend AK's close time would they let people hop there (only) starting at 1pm

 

[skeeter31]

I am planned for March 27th. I hope you are right at times are extended. People who hop to AK right now get only 3 hours?

That’s 3 more hours than people got prior to 1/1. I’ll take anything I can get with hopping.

 

[osufeth24]

Yyaaaa, they need to figure out how to handle people arriving before 2 and just standing around. Especially at HS where it's not as wide open as others. It went from just a few people standing around to a mass. They ended up letting people in because of how many people got there. There wasn't any line being formed etc.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Yyaaaa, they need to figure out how to handle people arriving before 2 and just standing around. Especially at HS where it's not as wide open as others. It went from just a few people standing around to a mass. They ended up letting people in because of how many people got there. There wasn't any line being formed etc.

Yeah, might need to have some of the tapstyles set to be just for hoppers and let people socially distance queue there

 

[rpb718]

Prior to Pandora and the Rivers of Light era, AK was always a "hop from" park and rarely a "hop to" park for us and I expect many others mostly due to being the first park to close each day.

I wonder when they'll start opening EPCOT earlier. That 11AM opening time is getting a bit old, and I miss having at least one breakfast in France at a decent morning time.

 

[Heather07438]

I am planned for March 27th. I hope you are right at times are extended. People who hop to AK right now get only 3 hours?

Right now AK is open until 6pm until Sun Jan 10.
Mon Jan 11 goes back to 5p.
Sat Jan 16 is 6p, but it goes back to 5p after that.

Looks like 3 or 4 hours to hop at AK depending on the day. Keep in mind that the Hopping info on WDW site says: 'soon will be able to check the MDE app for the most up-to-date Park Hopper hours, as they could start earlier at a later date, depending on the day and park.' I can see this happening at AK.

 

[rpb718]

Yeah, might need to have some of the tapstyles set to be just for hoppers and let people socially distance queue there

They really should do this. I think once the novelty of having hopping back rubs off the desire to hop will lessen a bit - especially the days with shorter park hours. Weekends and holidays will continue to have these issues though. I also think the issues would lessen if they actually implement that rumor to allow resort guests to hop an hour earlier, or could be that they need to have 2 lines since I'm not sure how they attempt that.

 

[andyman8]

I am planned for March 27th. I hope you are right at times are extended. People who hop to AK right now get only 3 hours?

As I understand it, “Hopping hours” can be extended to start before 2pm (likely something they’ll try out at DAK first) but I wouldn’t expect them to start tweaking the PH system until at least after MLK Day when they’ve gotten a few weeks to see how reintroducing PH has changed crowd patterns and when they have a solid 4-5 week period of low crowds to experiment with a bit.

 

[MinnieMSue]

Gideon’s FB page said they learned a lot in their soft opening, that it went beyond their expectations and are closing temporarily to tweak their their behind the scenes logistics.

 

[mattpeto]

https://allears.net/2021/01/03/fantasmic-got-a-fancy-makeover-on-the-my-disney-experience-park-map/

 

[rpb718]

https://allears.net/2021/01/03/fantasmic-got-a-fancy-makeover-on-the-my-disney-experience-park-map/

Appears to be safe from the chopping block and only a matter of time until they decide to reopen. Yeah I'm reading a lot into a MDE map update but I'm allowed to have optimism from time to time.

 

[gottalovepluto]

https://allears.net/2021/01/03/fantasmic-got-a-fancy-makeover-on-the-my-disney-experience-park-map/

Yeah... they are definitely not shuttering Fantasmic forever.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Appears to be safe from the chopping block and only a matter of time until they decide to reopen. Yeah I'm reading a lot into a MDE map update but I'm allowed to have optimism from time to time.

One would think it would work for social distancing I'm the stadium (managing crowds exiting will be a challenge)

Wonder if need to modify some of the characters used - like the princes and princess on the floats. Maybe just do fur characters on the boat at the end, things like that

 

[Mit88]

• Magic Kingdom (Mar. 6-20): 9am to 6pm
• EPCOT (Mar. 6-20): 11am to 7pm
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios (Mar. 6-20): 10am to 7pm
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom (Mar. 6-20): 9am to 5pm

^hours just released for March. Same to what was posted a couple months out for our trip next week. As our date got closer hours were added. Most of that happened last week which included:

Adding an hour to open at HS and the close of MK so both parks are 9a-7p during the week.
(Our first Sat has MK 8a-8p)
Adding an hour to the opening of AK (8a-5p) all week and also adding and hour to closing on weekends (8a-6p).
EP 11a-8p.

This is just to give an idea of how hours may change as March approaches. I think it's helpful for planning. Very likely many rope drops will be pulled back an hour earlier. Good to keep in mind that possibility. That change didn't happen until 2 weeks before our trip.

This park hour drop is for a major traveling period (In normal years). If it’s not busy enough for them to extend hours the 2nd and 3rd week of March, Disney is in very, very big trouble moving into the summer.

 

[Mit88]

That’s my favorite walk on property, although I can’t wait to walk the GF path at the end of the month.

Hands down my favorite walk on property. I love the skyliner. And it’s probably ~5 minutes faster than walking from DHS to Epcot, and vice versa, but it’s such a relaxing walk. I too cannot wait for the MK path. I don’t stay at GF, but I’ll use it when I stay at the Poly for sure.