Conflicting info about crowds on party nights (MNSSHP and MVMCP)

[Masonmj84]

It seems like in most reports I read about party nights, the reporter stays until at or near the end of the party (I hardly ever read any reports where someone says they left right after Wishes).

Yet, those same reports usally state that the crowds thin out dramatically after Wishes. How can so many people be leaving right after Wishes, when almost all party night reports describe staying much later than that?

I figure it's got to be one of two things:

A. The vast majority of party-goers (at least 75-80%) stay until well past Wishes. But losing the 25% or less that leave after Wishes makes the party seem a lot less crowded.

B. A significant number of party-goers (well over 25%, maybe at least a third or more) leave right after Wishes. However, party reports are disproportionally written by Disney fanatics who are more likely to stay until the end (hence the relative infrequency of party reports from people leaving early).

So party veterans, which is it, A or B?

[steeners81]

I would say a little bit of both but mostly B

[mesaboy2]

Originally Posted by masonmj84

it seems like in most reports i read about party nights, the reporter stays until at or near the end of the party (i hardly ever read any reports where someone says they left right after wishes).

Yet, those same reports usally state that the crowds thin out dramatically after wishes. How can so many people be leaving right after wishes, when almost all party night reports describe staying much later than that?

I figure it's got to be one of two things:

A. The vast majority of party-goers (at least 75-80%) stay until well past wishes. But losing the 25% or less that leave after wishes makes the party seem a lot less crowded.

B. A significant number of party-goers (well over 25%, maybe at least a third or more) leave right after wishes. However, party reports are disproportionally written by disney fanatics who are more likely to stay until the end (hence the relative infrequency of party reports from people leaving early).

So party veterans, which is it, a or b?

b.

[ladybug0506]

I would say B as well. DH and I attended our first party - MVMCP - in Dec 2009. We didn't have any kids at the time and we noticed a dramatic dropoff in crowd levels right after Wishes. We also noticed during wishes an extremely high number of little ones had fallen asleep and as a result all those parents left to put said little ones to bed immediately following Wishes leaving the park feeling very open feeling

[MomofKatie]

B. Definitely B.

I read in the Unofficial Guide once that a ridiculously small percentage of guests at WDW have read any guidebook at all or done any significant research. Something like 3-4% of guests at any one time.

I think of all the people I talk to that have been to WDW and when I ask them about attractons or experiences, they didn't know about them or didn't do them because "Disney is too crowded" or "it was boring". Being in the parks and hearing people complain that they didn't know they had to have dining reservations, or tell their kids FP "costs too much" just makes me more glad I am a planner.

[DisLis]

I vote for B.

[mom2rtk]

I think it really depends on the overall crowd level.

Lose a chunk of a small crowd and it will seem empty after the second parade. Lose a chunk of a sold out or heavily attended party night and it will not seem like anyone has left. I have been at both kinds. There's a marked difference.

[PrincessShea]

Every time I have been to MK in my adult life, I have only gone on nights it's open until midnight, or on nights when there are extra magic hours and it's open until 2-3am. I have ALWAYS found that the crowds thins significantly after Wishes and the park becomes virtually empty after the second parade. So I guess my point is that I can tell when a crowd thins out.

I went to a party the first time this past week, and found there was barely any thinning after the fireworks and even after the second parade. I am sure most people felt like I did; they wanted to get their money's worth and stayed. If the party only runs from 7-midnight, I am sure most people entered around 7 and rallied until the very end. I cannot see many people paying that kind of money and leaving at 10.

[fdecker]

Obviously you don't have kids Try keeping a 5 year old or even an 8 year old up all day from park opening until close. Even if you try to take a break back at the room, most kids will fall asleep or be cranky and exhausted by the fireworks. Most parents with small children have to leave the parks around bedtime.

[Nancyg56]

Originally Posted by fdecker

Obviously you don't have kids Try keeping a 5 year old or even an 8 year old up all day from park opening until close. Even if you try to take a break back at the room, most kids will fall asleep or be cranky and exhausted by the fireworks. Most parents with small children have to leave the parks around bedtime.

I know we did not need to leave early. We knew the days we wanted to stay in the parks and planned accordingly. No way would I spend the kind of money a party casts and then get my DGD up to hit rope drop.