6 pm Closing for Magic Kingdom Party Nights

[eeyoregirl13]

Hello! We are going to the MK on a Halloween party day, but not going to the party. I know the closings in the past were always at 7 pm, but now they are at 6 pm so that non-party people are out in time. I realize we won't be able to get on any attractions, but will we also be unable to eat at a quick service restaurant after 6 pm? We were hoping that we could get all of our attractions in by 6 pm, grab a quick bite at 6 pm, and then leave the park by 7 when the party officially starts. Does anyone know if they stop you everywhere after 6 pm (and before 7 pm) or is it just attractions? Thanks for any help!

 

[puffkins]

I have never been in the parks after official closing time for one of those extra ticket events but I can't imagine Disney denying anyone the ability to eat, drink or shop after the 6pm deadline technically passes. I have been shopping many times after an official park closing while waiting for the monorail crush to subside and have seen a bunch of people eating as well.

Disney rarely prohibits guests from spending money. The 6pm deadline applies to rides and entrance, not restaurants and gift shops. Even the restrooms will be available to you. You should be fine.

 

[eeyoregirl13]

Thank you for your thoughts!! Hahaha, I thought the same thing about Disney not wanting to deny anyone spending money!! so was hoping as long as we left only that to do after 6 pm, we would be okay

 

[gap2368]

Last year they close the emporium at 6 PM you had to have a wristband to get in. not sure about food location I would think you would have better luck getting food closer to the front then the back of the park if you are trying after 6 pm

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I think this is going to be a wait-and-watch situation to see what procedure they implement this year as this was just introduced during MVMCP 2017. In looking at our party date for this year (8/24), they haven't even released the QS hours yet. I would have a back-up plan in case they close everything at 6 pm to non-party guests. There is good QS at all of the MK resorts!

 

[Gentry2004]

You could always get QS at one of the monorail resorts as a backup plan.

 

[eeyoregirl13]

Oh interesting! I didn’t realize the 6 pm was such a hard rule. I knew 7 pm was since that’s when the party starts, but didn’t realize they actually close even the emporium at 6! Thank you for all of this help! I might need to change a few plans around now

 

[jjjones325]

This was 4-5 years ago, but we had grabbed some ice cream on our way out. Honestly can't remember if it was before or after official closing when we got it. But, we sat down in the little alley on Main St where they do the silhouettes to eat and let the non-party exiting crowds subside. We were asked to make our way to the exits as MK was now for party guests only.

 

[JerseyJanice]

Having been there the past two years, I can tell you that you may not want to be in the park much past 4:00. That is the time that people who have only party tickets can enter, and it got super, crazy crowded by 5:00.

 

[jsmla]

Having been there the past two years, I can tell you that you may not want to be in the park much past 4:00. That is the time that people who have only party tickets can enter, and it got super, crazy crowded by 5:00.

I've been to many, many parties over the years and I second getting the heck out of dodge. We won't even go early to a party without either an ADR or FastPasses in place. Geyser Point at the Wilderness Lodge is a favorite of mine and I've recently read a lot of good things about Captain Cook's in the Polynesian. I don't know much about the food at a Contempo Cafe but it's a quick walk from the MK (even quicker to the MK buses) and it's fun to eat with the monorail whizzing by overhead.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

I think this is going to be a wait-and-watch situation to see what procedure they implement this year as this was just introduced during MVMCP 2017. In looking at our party date for this year (8/24), they haven't even released the QS hours yet. I would have a back-up plan in case they close everything at 6 pm to non-party guests. There is good QS at all of the MK resorts!

This.

 

[ENJDisneyFan]

If the park hours state 6pm closing, I would go in with the assumption that you need a party ticket to do anything in the park past 6pm (including QS).

 

[wishuponastar1984]

I was at MVMCP this year and once 6om came around there were cast members at key points and if you didn't have a wristband you couldn't go "deeper" in the park. You may be okay getting to someplace on the way out but you may be stopped from backtracking.

 

[HopperFan]

I have never been in the parks after official closing time for one of those extra ticket events but I can't imagine Disney denying anyone the ability to eat, drink or shop after the 6pm deadline technically passes. I have been shopping many times after an official park closing while waiting for the monorail crush to subside and have seen a bunch of people eating as well.

Disney rarely prohibits guests from spending money. The 6pm deadline applies to rides and entrance, not restaurants and gift shops. Even the restrooms will be available to you. You should be fine.

And therein lies the difference. During normal closing it is not an issue (although it wasn't that long ago when it was). During PARTY time, the closures are firm. In the past you could not enter a store or restaurant without a Party Band, you could not enter a restroom without a Party Band, you could not walk past checkpoints that were anything other than heading to the gate without a Party Band. For years they have been quite strict and I've seen it all - including the temper tantrums by guests without Party Bands.

I think this is going to be a wait-and-watch situation to see what procedure they implement this year as this was just introduced during MVMCP 2017. In looking at our party date for this year (8/24), they haven't even released the QS hours yet. I would have a back-up plan in case they close everything at 6 pm to non-party guests. There is good QS at all of the MK resorts!

THIS ^ as moving the time up an hour could alter some of their procedures. But if it's the same procedure but an hour early .... OP have a backup plan. Personally I wouldn't want to be a wait and see issue, I would make some plans to eat QS outside the park either at our resort, Disney Springs or maybe just monorail over to Poly's QS.

 

[Alesia]

I have never been in the parks after official closing time for one of those extra ticket events but I can't imagine Disney denying anyone the ability to eat, drink or shop after the 6pm deadline technically passes. I have been shopping many times after an official park closing while waiting for the monorail crush to subside and have seen a bunch of people eating as well.

Disney rarely prohibits guests from spending money. The 6pm deadline applies to rides and entrance, not restaurants and gift shops. Even the restrooms will be available to you. You should be fine.

In years past, guests without party tickets couldn't shop, eat, or even stop in the bathrooms after the park closed. I would expect that to continue.

 

[Davey Jones II]

I've been to many, many parties over the years and I second getting the heck out of dodge. We won't even go early to a party without either an ADR or FastPasses in place. Geyser Point at the Wilderness Lodge is a favorite of mine and I've recently read a lot of good things about Captain Cook's in the Polynesian. I don't know much about the food at a Contempo Cafe but it's a quick walk from the MK (even quicker to the MK buses) and it's fun to eat with the monorail whizzing by overhead.

When we were there last October, we would stay until party time, to get in (relatively short) lines for 7DMT just before 7. When you left around 4, did you park hop to other parks, and how was the crowd situation there?

 

[JohnneeO]

Last year, on the day we were at MVMCP, some of the QS restaurants actually closed at 6PM. As I recall, we entered 7DMT at 5:24 for our 5:30 FP, and we still had time to use a paper FP at PPF before we entered Pinocchio Village Haus to eat before 6 PM.

So if you plan to enter and eat around 5:45, you will be fine.

 

[jsmla]

When we were there last October, we would stay until party time, to get in (relatively short) lines for 7DMT just before 7. When you left around 4, did you park hop to other parks, and how was the crowd situation there?

If attending a party we aren't usually in the park beforehand. We enter on our party tickets. I've almost always found the park pretry crowded between 4:00 PM and the time the party began. We did have one very, very rainy MNSSHP where things were pretty slow.

I really like the MK on the morning of a party day since days when HEA is on tend to be much more crowded but I try to leave before 4:00. I have an AP-sometimes I hop, sometimes I make an early evening of it.

 

[disneylover102]

This is different than a restaurant but when we went on Halloween 2013 (without party tickets) we got in line for Space at 7 and then I believe we bought popcorn. If it means you spend money, I don’t think they’ll kick you out.

 

[Farro]

This is different than a restaurant but when we went on Halloween 2013 (without party tickets) we got in line for Space at 7 and then I believe we bought popcorn. If it means you spend money, I don’t think they’ll kick you out.

Well that's an anomaly. The party starts at 7 and you shouldn't have been allowed in the line. And they will (or are supposed to) kick you out when the party starts, even if you plan to spend money.