1st trip question about timing...

[Pluto 4Ever]

How late can you get in line for a ride? The park is closing at 7pm while we are there and I wondered about riding Escape From Gringotts as the last thing on the first day. Knowing the lines for that can be an hour, if you are in line at 630 will you still get to ride or do that close down the qeue?

 

[Pattil1960]

They close the lines when they think it is close to closing. If the line is an hour and the park closes at 7 and then when we were there in March the line closed about 6.

 

[rtfelt]

They close the lines when they think it is close to closing. If the line is an hour and the park closes at 7 and then when we were there in March the line closed about 6.

Really? I would not have guessed that. At Disney as long as you enter the queue by closing time, they let you ride, no matter how long the line is. That's the reason they often post very long waits near the end of the day to discourage guests from getting in line--the CM's want to go home.

 

[macraven]

when i am in the park, as long as i get in the ride line before closing (even if it is a minute left to go), i am allowed to stay in that line until i complete it.

 

[hpfan100]

when i am in the park, as long as i get in the ride line before closing (even if it is a minute left to go), i am allowed to stay in that line until i complete it.

That has been my experience too.

 

[JillyBean1899]

Getting in right before closing and being able to ride typically happens. The only times that parks might change it is if they anticipate a huge line at closing, similar to how WDW cuts off the Anna & Elsa line at 5 or 6PM, even if they have a 4 hour wait, they'll be done by the time the park closes or shortly after. It would be a logistical nightmare to keep Gringott's open with a 3 hour wait at park closing, because they'd have to have employees in the park to keep people out of trouble as they left (trying to go into closed stores, opening random doors, etc). Gringott's is all the way at the back of the park, it's not like a ride that's right at the front like Terminator or Despicable Me.

Best thing to do ... ask early in the day. A lot of times if they are going to close the line early there will be a sign that says "this line closes at XX:XX PM today" in front of the ride. You don't want to rely on the "slip in one minute before closing" only to find out the line was cut off 2 hours before that.

 

[macraven]

i'll share my experience with you.

last october i got in the line for ET at 4:59 pm, sunday afternoon.
the park was closing at 5:00 due to HHN.

the line was roped off exactly at 5:00.

got off the ride at 5:45, had a long wait in line until i got on the ride.
since i had the HHN ticket, i was escorted to one of the holding areas for HHN.

even with the hard ticket event, ride lines stayed open until park closing time that sunday.


at 12:59 that night/early monday morning that is, my friends got in line for RRR.
line closed off at 1:00 am as park was then closed.
they didn't get off the ride until 2:30 am.

HHN brings in crowds.
I have been on other HHN nights where i see ride lines open and long lines in wait as i leave the park maybe 5 minutes before the park officially closes.

for non HHN nights in the parks, i don't like staying until the park completely closes down but have stayed near the end.
this past january, i did close down the parks a few nights and did hop in the DE line minutes before closing.

i'm sure there have been times where others have not had the same experience that i have had.

if you are concerned about a cut off time for a specific ride, do as jillybean wrote and check with guest services during the day while you are at the park.

some of the park eateries do close down about 20? minutes prior to park closing.
you can finish eating but some places will not take a new order nearer closing time.
the shops will let you finish shopping.
they will always take your money.......

 

[Pluto 4Ever]

Appreciate the answers. I was thinking maybe 20-30 minutes before park closing, not cutting really close. Hope it works, but I'll ask to be sure.