Operating hours extended again at Disney's Hollywood Studios to include 6am openings

nickysDec 20, 2019

There were some early buses at the resorts to DHS, but again they failed to let resort guests know that. It was down to pure luck that some realised the buses were arriving early and as word spread there were more guests waiting at the bus stops early in the morning on subsequent days. The earliest I saw reported was around 5:30am.

Gabe1Dec 20, 2019

I’m so not an apologist for Disney screw ups which this was it. They lied outright to guests in their press releases and guest communications when the slots times would be released and opened them earlier despite the statements to that onsite guests. Trust is important. Transportation is important to those Disney guests vs locals with their own transportation. Disney provided transportation to the stated opening time for slots not the fake actual earlier time. Who was Disney placating to bloggers or Resort guests? Disney guests stranded without transportation to the Studio solely because stated times released by Disney. The slots were filled prior to first bus pick up at resorts. That is fair to guests trusting Disney word how? How is that not being an apologist For Disney? Blame the guest for not believing stating opening times and stated opening of slot time releases. How was I to be that clairvoyant? I find it insulting to fault me cause I trusted communications directly released by Disney to us Disney on site resort guests? My views are from being on property the day of opening and week after. Yours? Disney has a mega Mea Culpa to every onsite guest for their flip flops on opening slots. By the end of our trip we could see Disney wasn’t forthcoming or truthful when slot times would be released. My son opted for an Uber at 430 rise to beat the Disney deception game. The rest of us didn’t deem that to worth the trickery and just let it go. Me I was not admiring Disney being a victim of it all. it is is easy for next day explanations from fandom to blame the guests over Disney for the false and inaccurate Information provided to onsite guests. It was disheartening.

MisterPenguinDec 17, 2019

OK... so then you're going to say why they really open up early... More they really judged incorrectly right down to the flop of opening a half a land in September. Fizzle. They changed up the offerings again to day which was the most misguided blunder I’ve seen to date with the launch of this land. I guess you're not. That has nothing to do with why the open up early. Do you see the disconnect?

MitziBitfurDec 17, 2019

Do you think this will continue thru January at least?

Gabe1Dec 17, 2019

I don’t think Disney really fears all that. More they really judged incorrectly right down to the flop of opening a half a land in September. Fizzle. They changed up the offerings again to day which was the most misguided blunder I’ve seen to date with the launch of this land.

eliza61nycDec 15, 2019

lol no, it means that the parks are simply adjusting to the situation. I think generally theme park patrons are use to adjustments to the operating hours. It's hard to compare landmarks to theme parks but I also know plenty of monuments in Washington dc the vary their hours. which is kind of why many places advise you to check the places website for updated hours.

techgeekDec 15, 2019

Security concerns may be some of it, but I have a hard time believing that’s the primary source of reasoning behind early opens. Disney secures crowded areas outside of a secure perimeter every day at the Springs, at resorts, on various modes of transport. Countermeasures and screening start at the property line, not just at the metal detector. If anything, I think you’d want to avoid the sort of attention to a big crowd that this policy has generated. I’m not sure what it is, if it’s operational or guest satisfaction or revenue driven or just a tradition that TDO has backed themselves into over the years. Probably all of the above, and therefore hard to back down from because it affects so many bottom lines.

nickysDec 15, 2019

They very rarely dial back published opening times. So they won’t usually open later than published or close earlier. In August / September there were days when they changed MK opening from EMM to EMH, but that was done before FP day for those dates, IIRC. That was the only time I can remember them doing that.

ToTBellHopDec 15, 2019

Otherwise known as “we don’t want a large number of guests outside the park for too long for fear of terrorist attack.” Post-Pulse, this feels apropos.

techgeekDec 15, 2019

Otherwise known as the ‘Americans don’t follow the rules anyway so we might as well play fast and loose with them’ argument? I’ve been to plenty of iconic American landmarks that held to their published operating hours.

ToTBellHopDec 15, 2019

WDW is a bit different as an iconic American landmark.

techgeekDec 15, 2019

All of the TDL / Disneysea reports I’ve ever read seem to indicate the park opens at the advertised time, and usually with a large crowd waiting outside the gates.

eliza61nycDec 15, 2019

What's the alternative??

ToTBellHopDec 15, 2019

They’ve more recently been opening 30-40 minutes early anyway, completely in line with Pandora, which seems appropriate.