Disney Retreats on Early Ride Closures

Buried in bitter complaints, Disneyland said Tuesday that four major attractions it had been shutting down early will instead stay open until the park closes.

Old favorites Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean, plus Tomorrowland newcomer Innoventions, will remain open until 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, rather than shut down at 7 p.m., park officials said. Jungle Cruise, which had been closing at 6 p.m., also will stay open until 8.

“They are the ones that were on the priority list for guests,” said park spokesman Ray Gomez.

The four were among more than 20 attractions that the park began closing early or opening late over the weekend. Other changes, including closing Mickey’s Toontown two hours before the park closes and opening Big Thunder Mountain Railroad one hour late, remain in effect.

The park didn’t announce its change in policy publicly, but news of the early closures leaked out last week. Phone calls and letters of protest immediately began flooding Disneyland, along with negative comment cards from visitors.

“We had a significant number of guests who expressed concerns,” Gomez said. “We know these are the people we depend on. It was clear our guests didn’t like this, and we’d better do something about it.”

The Anaheim park, opened by the Walt Disney Co. in 1955, decided to extend its weekday hours this fall. It is staying open until 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, compared with 6 p.m. after Labor Day last year, and until 10 p.m. Friday, three hours later.

The restrictions on attraction hours are an attempt to hold down labor costs despite the longer hours, critics say. They note that the park never restricted the hours of shops, because unlike rides they make money on top of Disneyland’s admission price of up to $38. And they played down Disney’s decision on the four big rides.

“We’re not really getting anything here,” said Al Lutz, a Disney aficionado and Internet hound who led cyber-protests against the cuts.

“We’re just getting back a small part of what they never should have taken away in the first place,” Lutz said. “That’s what’s so depressing. They just don’t seem to get it.”

Judging from some visitors’ reactions, Disney may still be in for protests over attractions whose hours remain restricted. Guests were visibly irritated when park employees began turning them away from Mickey’s Toontown shortly after 6 p.m. Monday.

“This was our last stop,” complained Jessica Carapinha, visiting with 10 members of her family--including several small children--from Aromas, a small town near Monterey.

“The kids were all excited. It costs a lot of money to get in, so they should leave it open and let us get our money’s worth.”

Marti Divino, shepherding seven disappointed members of a Mission Viejo Girl Scout troop, was equally vexed.

“They raise the price and close the rides,” she scoffed. “That stinks.”

Park workers, known as “cast members” in Disney parlance, were being coached in what to say when customers complained about unopened attractions.

This week’s Cast Member Reference Guide, an internal publication at the park, had sample answers to six questions and objections, including, “I came all the way to Disneyland just to ride Big Thunder [a roller coaster] and it’s closed!”

The suggested answer: “I am sorry Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is not open at this time,” began the scripted answer for the cast members.

“It will open at ---- a.m. today. In the meantime, you may want to visit Matterhorn Bobsleds for a thrilling bobsled ride or take a crack-shot at Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade.”

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Times staff writer David Haldane contributed to this report.