Operating hours of The Walt Disney World parks extended around the opening of Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance

Nov 22, 2019 in "Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance"

Posted: Friday November 22, 2019 8:47am ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Disney is taking steps to ease the pressure on Disney's Hollywood Studios during the opening of Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance by extending park hours at other parks.

On December 5, the day Rise of the Resistance opens, Disney's Animal Kingdom moves to an 8am opening with EMH at 7am. At Epcot, the park gets a rare 8am opening, with EMH at 7am.

Disney's Hollywood Studios will open at 8am, closing at 10pm.

You can view the full operating hours on our calendar.

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No NameNov 26, 2019

I fully agree, but in my opinion, they should then be removed be security if they persist in verbally abusing a CM and/or attempting to break a rule, especially if it’s clear they understand English. Plenty of signs and warnings should be present. And this would hopefully set the precedent for people to stop this behavior, or in any case, it would get rid of bad guests. I also think some sort of warning could be tagged on them through the MagicBands or other technology, for any foreign folks who may have make this mistake innocently. But that’s just my opinion. You may disagree and I understand. When I replace Bob Chapek I’ll test it out.

Rob562Nov 26, 2019

Soarin at Epcot had a single-rider line when it first opened, but it didn't last long. The seating layout and long theater cycle time meant that the grouper had plenty of time to fill in the open seats efficiently. If you think about it, at most the theater would only take a max of 9 single riders per cycle, one in each row. In reality it was likely only 2 or 3 singles per 5 minute cycle. Now you have a situation where it takes a theater half an hour just to use 20 single riders. I was pleasantly surprised by the way they decided to go with grouping at Seven Dwarfs, where they separate people into two lanes based on whether you had an odd or even number in your party. Two odd-number groups combine to form an even number of riders, easily filling all the seats without need for singles. -Rob

ToTBellHopNov 26, 2019

Yeah, I don’t understand either. Obviously good groupers load more efficiently. We’ve all seen that. Some CMs just aren’t good at grouping. But, even still, any open seat lowers efficiency. And shouting at a line of guests for a “party of 1” when everyone is transfixed on their phones doesn’t work either. So, if a ride routinely dispatches with open seats (many coasters do), and there are individual restraint systems, I think a SRL would increase hourly capacity.

ToTBellHopNov 26, 2019

That’s unfortunately not how it plays out. People get verbally abusive with CMs over their own embarrassment. Some people are so tacky as to knowingly enter the shorter SRL with the intention to demand to ride together. Some people are insufferable. And not all parents have the best judgment. That shouldn’t be Disney’s problem but it often becomes theirs.

No NameNov 26, 2019

You seem to be dancing around an answer that you don’t know because it doesn’t exist. Always saying what isn’t and never what is. What is the most efficient way to fill seats and why? Please give a real answer.

No NameNov 26, 2019

Also can’t stand when I talk to my family in a single rider line and the people next to us complain that we’re not single riders. No, we’re single riders. We’re choosing to ride singly. One time at a regional park, an employee told us we weren’t single riders because we knew each other, and I had the park president come educate the employee. How are they in an uproar over their child riding alone when they entered a single rider line?! I get annoyed when I order a roast beef and provolone sandwich and they put dressing on it that wasn’t indicated on the menu. I don’t, however, get annoyed when they put roast beef on it! It’s literally in the name. Same applies. Single rider line. You ride single. I can possibly understand certain foreigners getting confused, but when I see perfectly-speaking English folks get in said uproar... I have zero sympathy, zero patience, zero tolerance. It’s usually a planned move to get on quicker together, not some innocent mistake. And then when a CM gives in... oh I have negative tolerance, to put it simply. The reason I first joined this site was to lambast people with this kind of behavior. Anyway, I don’t think the rules should to be changed due to this behavior. I was going though single rider lines at 8 without issue. If a parent thinks their child shouldn’t ride alone, they should’ve made the parental decision not to have their child enter the line. But if somehow they’re in line, they either need to suck it up or leave the line.

peter11435Nov 26, 2019

I’ve already stated. Single rider lines are not the most efficient way to fill seats.

No NameNov 26, 2019

Again, you haven’t gotten to what you’re arguing. What is this primary reason?

Mike KNov 25, 2019

Thanks very much for the reply! We'll certainly be doing some rope drops at Hollywood this trip to experience these with as little wait as we can manage.

ToTBellHopNov 25, 2019

Because people are in an uproar when they realize they won’t be with their first-graders. That would be less likely if they had to be 14. 7 is rather young to be in charge of your own actions without supervision.

TouchdownNov 25, 2019

Why? Odds are they are riding with an adult in their party directly before them (and if a party of 3+ an adult directly after them) so in the event of an evac they will be reunited quickly.

ToTBellHopNov 25, 2019

That’s the restriction to ride anything alone. I think it should be higher for SRL.

peter11435Nov 25, 2019

Seven

ToTBellHopNov 25, 2019

What is the restriction?