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The Walt Disney World Resort will have shorter hours for its theme parks this fall. Here’s why the change isn’t that big of a deal for guests.
Starting September 8th, all four Walt Disney World theme parks will have shorter hours. Some of the parks are cutting up to two hours off of their already limited operating times. The change follows Labor Day weekend, which we expect to be far busier than the rest of the summer.
Disney World Theme Park Fall Hours (Beginning September 8th)
Magic Kingdom: 9AM – 6PM (previously 9AM – 7PM)
EPCOT: 11AM – 7PM (previously 11AM – 9PM)
Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 10AM – 7PM (previously 10AM – 7PM)
Disney’s Animal Kingdom: 9AM – 6PM (previously 8AM – 6PM)
Though shorter hours seem like a bad deal for visitors, ultimately, we don’t believe that it makes much of a difference. Though Disney is keeping its standard ticket prices with fewer hours, we have a some reasons why this isn’t that big of a deal.
First, Disney World typically shortens its hours after the summer when kids go back to school and families visit less often. Second, Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party usually cuts Magic Kingdom hours on select dates during this anyway. The biggest parks affected are EPCOT and Animal Kingdom which have two hours taken off their daily schedule.
However, with fewer attraction available at those parks and incredibly thin crowds, guests can get everything they want done within the time frame. The same goes for Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. For guests arriving in the morning, most attractions have incredibly low wait times below 10 minutes. There are, of course, a few excepts, especially with new rides at Hollywood Studios.
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To us, the biggest issue here are shortened hours for Cast Members. Though many are back to work and getting paid, many could see their hours cut. Like at any company when business is down, these types of cuts are made. Ultimately, we worry that an inevitable restructuring with fewer Cast Members is coming. That isn’t to say Disney won’t try their best to keep employees, but they can only employ as many people as are needed.
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