On
Oct 17, 2012
Abby from TX
Asked
Note: This answer was provided prior to the change to planDisney and may still contain references to Disney Parks Moms Panel.
Experiences, policies, pricing and other offerings are subject to change and may have changed since the date of this answer.
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Trying to decide on HS on a busy day 11/24 with Extra MH and Fantasmic Dining plan versus 11/26 with no extra hours and no Fant. DP. Touring Plans shows an extra Fantasmic show on 11/24 and closing at 9, but Dis. Cal shows 1 show closing at 8. Advice?”
Hi, Abby!
As with every day I plan in Walt Disney World, I always head straight to the official Walt Disney World website, so that I can get a look at official postings such as park hours, parade times, dates of special events and closures. However, these dates and times are subject to change, so it's best to revisit that site as a trip gets closer. According to WDW's website, Disney's Hollywood Studios is open from 8 a.m. until 9 a.m. for Extra Magic Hours, with Park Open at 9, Fantasmic! showing at 6:30 p.m., with park closing at 8 p.m. However, that's as of right now...this, too, can change.
TouringPlans.com, a great unofficial source for all things Disney Parks, shows the park staying open until 9 p.m., after a second Fantasmic! show, which is listed at 8:00 p.m. However, Touring Plans researches years' worth of data and trends, and, because it's not an official WDW website, can post what they predict will be the park schedule that day. For example, if a very crowded day in the parks has often resulted in the addition of a second show of any kind, Touring Plans will post this information, perhaps before it's been announced or publicized on WDW's webpage.
As such, the "official" dates, schedule and times are as posted on WDW's page, which is why you might see this same information elsewhere on the web.
Either way, keep an eye on all of the sites, most especially WDW, since that is where you'll find the official schedule at any given moment...and it does change. :-)
Worst case scenario? Plan on sticking with 11/24, since you've gotten your Fantasmic! Dining Experience reserved and only skip it if you find that a less-crowded tour on 11/26 (3.8 out of 10 on Touring Plan's crowd level prediction versus 9.7 for 11/24) would be worth it for you.
Have a great trip! Be sure to send more questions as you think of them; we love to help!