I can also see your point. However, I can't agree. Wanting a six month window or something that would be unreasonable. But sixty days? I'm very happy for folks like yourself that can work well with a 30 day window. I can work with it, too. But I'll never like it, and I'll never think it's fair. It means that I, who spend several thousand a year at Disney, am being inconvenienced because they don't have enough customers. We come 1,200 miles to go to Disney, and we plan our trips out well. We work hard for our leisure time. I like it planned, not to a fine tooth comb, but within reason so I can maximize both my park time and my leisure time. To do that, I need park hours. I've planned a full vacation using historical hours, but it's five week until I leave and I don't know what time MK closes the day I get there. It's not right, in my opinion.
I'm trying to think how many Disney trips I could afford if I wouldn't schedule my clients in advance and told them my rational was I didn't have enough business to schedule in advance. Perhaps stabilized hours are the type of thing that can help Disney increase business. I'm not claiming that's an end all, or even a major part of attendance problems (I think world situations and economics are hitting everyone in business, from little ol me to big ol Disney), but none-the-less, they charge top dollar and base their reputation on customer service. Getting a phone call to tell me I can't have the window of hours I'm used to have because my next door neighbor isn't going to Disney enough hardly constitutes "customer service" to me.
As for them being bombarded with emails for raising the hours: I told the lady that called that while I didn't buy her rational and didn't feel satisfied with the explanation, I none-the-less appreciated the personal treatment. Her statement to me (sic): "We've had a larger volume of emails and calls than ever this spring and it regards lack of posted hours. We know it's a problem and we're trying to let people know what's going on."
So I just can't imagine that they'd received more phone calls and emails about posting hours then raising them than they've received recently. The volume on this and other boards about recent lack of posted hours has been deafening. In troubled economic times, I personally take my vacation dollars more seriously. I'm not a complainer; I'm easily pleased. And I'd probably continue to go to Disney if they only gave a seven day window on hours. But it's still making it harder for me to plan vacation and it's still poor treatment of customers. In my opinion.
Pat
