[gracie]

Hi all, Trying to plan my schedule and I just wondered if there was a schedule listed of the days when the parks open an hour early for the resort guests. We are early birds, so this would be great for us with a toddler in tow. We'd be able to get some rides done before the July sun hits.
Does that mean that the park opens at 8am? Seems kind of early to me?

[kphil89]

This is what I have found, if I am wrong someone please correct me. Yes if the park normally opens to the public at 9 am then on the extra hour day the park would open at 8. Have fun planning your trip...that's what keeps me going between trips!

Sunday - MAGIC KINGDOM
Monday - ANIMAL KINGDOM
Tuesday - DISNEY/MGM
Wednesday - EPCOT
Thursday - MAGIC KINGDOM
Friday - ANIMAL KINGDOM
Saturday - DISNEY/MGM

[mickey]

As of today, here is the schedule:

Surprise Morning Schedule
Sunday > Magic Kingdom
Monday > Disney's Animal Kingdom
Tuesday > Disney-MGM Studios
Wednesday > EPCOT
Thursday > Magic Kingdom
Friday > Disney's Animal Kingdom
Saturday > Disney-MGM Studios

With the current tests going on for extra hours after the park closes, this list could change prior to your trip. Watch the front page for any announcement that may concern your trip.

For right now, the parks listed above open one hour early for resort guests. That is 8 AM for all four parks.

[mickey]

I type too slow....

[darthspiderman]

just remember the schedule using the acronym (?) MADEMAD from sunday to saturday.

M - agic K.
A - nimal K
D - isney MGM
E - PCOT
M - agic K
A - nimal K
D - isney MGM

Hope that the schedule has not MADE you MAD, but happy! Ok, ok, that pun was horrible...

[gracie]

Cool Thanks! Do the resort CM's give you this sort of information when you check in, or are you on your own?

[tinkerbell]

they should give you a booklet Gracie that list everything going on and the Surprise morning schedule when you check in .. in fact normaly they give you a ton of stuff at check in.. the past year its all been in a large envelope that is an ad for joining DVC.

[Thia327]

We did the extra hours after the park closed- They stay open 3 hours after the park closes. (We did MK ) They have spots in the park and begining 2 hours before the park closes you get a bracelet so they know you're allowed to stay - It was nice but it would have been nicer if they left the bakery open

[darthspiderman]

Originally Posted by Thia327

We did the extra hours after the park closed- They stay open 3 hours after the park closes. (We did MK ) They have spots in the park and begining 2 hours before the park closes you get a bracelet so they know you're allowed to stay - It was nice but it would have been nicer if they left the bakery open

They no longer do the Park After Dark system, that was a test in the month of May where resort guests could come to the parks early on certain days, and stay 3 hours after closure on certain days. Disney is now back to the old system, the E-Ride System, where you pay about $13 for a bracelet - as you mentioned - to stay 3 hours after closure. Unlike the Park After Dark system, E-Ride is only operates in Magic Kingdom. They call it E-Ride becoz waaaaay back in the day, guests had to pay extra for thrill rides; the entertainment-rides. Now, you pay extra to stay when the park closes to ride 8 Rides (Space, Splash, Thunder Mountain; Haunted Mansion, Buzz LIghtYear's Space Ranger spin, and some others that I cant remember off the top of my head right now...) in Magic Kingdom. Maybe starting the fall or early next year, if disney was happy with the results of the test run of Early ENtry & THe Park After Dark, they will discontinue E-Rides and recontinue the newer idea. Basically the only difference is E-Ride only allows you to stay at MK, whereas The Park after Dark allows you to stay after at certain Parks (not only MK). I don't know if resort guests would have to pay for the Park After Dark though (after all Early Entry is free), but e-ride is $13=adult and $11=child.

hope this helps.