Originally Posted By Darkbeer For the second day in a rwo, and how many days in the last two weeks... Disneyland will close at 9 PM tonight, DCA at 6 PM.... A very interesting TREND lately, nothing like this many early closures in the last couple of weeks have happened in Disneyland History!
Originally Posted By Utahgoof Is this likely to continue over the next 2-3 weekends we are are 13 days from our trip, and were counting on 8am-12am weekends. Thanks for any help you have Darkbeer.
Originally Posted By Darkbeer Who knows... in the past, on a VERY severe Weather issue, the park has closed, but I can't think of 5 days in the last 5 years (not including 2010) that it happened, so less than once per year. But it seems the current management is taking a different attitude, and using the weather to close the parks down early... Many folks think it is to save some money, as the daily paid (as in folks who are not AP holders) attendance is too low. I have lost count, it is at least 5, and I think now the 6, or maybe the 7th early closing in the last couple of weeks. I live about 8 miles south of DL and actually drove north up the I-5 past DL to to do a couple of errands, and now back home. The weather was just fine, a few sprinkles hit the windshield, but no major weather issues. Heck, with the Fireworks, they check the weather for a normal 9:25 PM show, and if it isn't right, they wait 10 minutes and try again. Seems like current management makes the decision the night before, waits until 2 PM and then, after most people have bought tickets, decides to say... SORRY, we are closing early. If they are even thinking about it, why not at least place large signs in front of each Security Check area saying "Due to Weather issues, there is a possibility that Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure will close earlier than scheduled today", and also place the same message at each and every Ticket Window. But Disney's doesn't want to do that... I wonder why???? Isn't Disney supposed to be the leader in Guest Service?
Originally Posted By WilliamK99 Darkbeer, at least Disneyland is opening, I know at least 3 or 4 times this season Knott's Berry Farm didn't open at all... Just imagine if someone visited there from across the nation, we'd have another National Lampoon incident...
Originally Posted By Darkbeer OK, the BIG Difference, if Knott's, which has most of its attractions outdoors... (and have you ever ridden a Roller Coaster in even Moderate Rain, it feels like a bunch of hail is hitting you). decides to close, they usually decide to close PRIOR to opening, and not charge for parking or sell tickets. And they do keep Guest Relations open to deal with those folks who bought a ticket in advance and make arrangements, which does include refunding their money if they can't return another day. On the other hand, Disney is collecting full prices, parking and NOT disclosing to guests that there is at least a possibility, if not a final decision, when they enter... It isn't until the magic 2 PM hour that Disney will admit... Oops, we are closing early. Now, a few folks can get a free comp ticket to return if they complain (and if they bought a single day ticket), but NO refunds. Basically, delivering a sub-standard product (based on what they claimed that morning).
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt Can we all just admit here once and for all that Disney is greedy? I'm not saying that's the final answer to Darkbeer's question, but Disney is a master at taking money out of people's wallets and that fact plays into every decision that they make.
Originally Posted By Longhorn12 >Knott's decides to close, they usually decide to close PRIOR to opening, and not charge for parking or sell tickets< Then Knott's is one hell of a park. I can't think of a time when any Six Flags closed prior to opening because weather might be an issue.
Originally Posted By Manfried Gee, a corporation that wants to make money and save on costs? No, say it ain't so.
Originally Posted By amazedncal2 Darkbeer how and when are they announcing this to the guests? Did they announce a reason for tonights early closure?
Originally Posted By Darkbeer The announcement today, and every other closure in the last couple of weeks is made by an PA announcement in the parks, right around 2 PM each and every day. Then they repeat the PA announcement about each hour, stating they are closing early. I am not sure of the exact wording, but I think it is something like "unforeseen issues".
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< I am not sure of the exact wording, but I think it is something like "unforeseen issues". >>> The "unforeseen issues" could be as simple as them not selling nearly as many regular (i.e. non-AP) tickets that day than they had expected, and/or the number of APers showing up being much less. That is, the unforeseen issue could be much lower than expected attendance. <<< Seems like current management makes the decision the night before, waits until 2 PM and then, after most people have bought tickets, decides to say... SORRY, we are closing early. >>> While at first this may seem like a bait and switch, consider that Disney's metric of getting a full day's value out of a ticket is not the number of hours spent in the park, but the number of attractions ridden. And I suspect that that's actually a more-accurate measure of actual satisfaction even if most guests don't realize it. Consider this hypothetical example: the park is scheduled to be open to 11pm with an estimated attendance of 60k guests. By 2pm, as you say most of the regular tickets are sold, and they have a good idea of how many APers will show up as well, so they revise the estimated attendance that day to 45k guests. Based on what they know about the historical relationship between attendance and queue length, they might calculate that even if they change the closing to 9pm, guests will actually get to ride more attractions than had they kept it open to the original opening time of 11pm and had the originally-forecast 60k guests shown up. So, is there really a bait and switch? The guests that bought full-price tickets prior to the closing time being changed at 2pm actually get to go on more rides than if the original predictions had been correct, even though the park closes 2 hours earlier. I have no idea of my hypothetical situation above is anywhere close to reality, but it's certainly within reason.
Originally Posted By Hista98 like i siad earlier but no one seemed to listen it is closing early beaycse it is the off season. off seaosn hours 10-8 for DL 10-6 for DCA!!! This is not unusual
Originally Posted By Darkbeer But it is a THREE DAY WEEKEND, have you checked the Operating Hours... Monday the 8th is a Holiday for many schools (in honor of Abraham Lincoln's BD)... And it is a SATURDAY.... The park does not close at 8 PM on a WEEKEND, it stays open until 11 PM or 12 PM depending on what is expected.
Originally Posted By mousermerf They need to make these changes prior to park opening - it's not like it's tornado weather or anything. WDW has to shut down the parks due to tropical storms and such every so often. DL is just lookign to cut their losses at the expense of their customers. It's wrong.
Originally Posted By mousermerf Note: WDW has been extending their operating hours for February. DLR simply doesn't have their act together when it comes to crowd forecasts.
Originally Posted By mousermerf To add to the above to clarify - WDW has been updating/adding hours a month or week in advance, but in advance. They are adapting to their forecasts. DLR is posting hours, not correcting them, and expecting guests to be ok with them just being cut the same day.
Originally Posted By amazedncal2 Thank you for the info. Darkbeer. I find it really strange that they would close at 9pm on a Saturday night unless it was something dire like flooding/thunderstorm/etc. As a guest, AP or not, I'd be quite annoyed if there was such a lame explanation. I can only imagine the line at City Hall tonight. I feel badly for the CM's.
