After Hours Event - 4/28/2016 Review

[jade1]

I'm just making an anecdotal observation based on the last trip we had (October 2015). One of the nights we were there with Evening Magic Hours until 1am, we were able to ride 7DMT 4 or 5 times and probably could have done more if we hadn't also been riding Haunted Mansion half a dozen times! If you figure you can get one ride (or maybe 2) in right at rope drop and an additional ride with FP, plus several rides at the very end of the night then I think it's definitely possible. Now, possible during peak crowds? Maybe not. But I don't have any experience with peak times. Also, we definitely waited in line longer during those EMH but even still...the wait was only 10 or 15 minutes.

Plus, if I hadn't spent $300 for three hours of short lines, I don't think I would have felt the need to cram so many rides into such a short amount of time. I would have been perfectly satisfied with a slightly slower pace and only riding the hits a couple of times instead of as many times as possible, which is easily done with a rope drop ride and a FP. The fact that I *could* walk onto everything made me feel like I *had* to take advantage.

I want to stress that we had an absolute blast and I don't regret the money spent on the tickets *at all*!! It would just be much harder for me to justify the cost during a regular vacation, when we're going to be visiting for 5 or 6 days. But if we are ever in a situation where we will only be able to do a single day at WDW, then I think there is a very strong argument to be made for the After Hours tickets instead of a one day ticket.

Yea forget it peak times, even the 80 minute wait last week is more like it, 7dmt has been a long line even most emh we have been to. But then again 9am rd to 1am is a bit long for most as well, 16 hours vs 3. Of course we're talking mostly 7dmt, not everybody cares about it, but I think enough do to peak some interest esp if i is offered cheaper.

Actually even Space and Pan have stayed around 40 min emh evenings we have been to, right up to closing.

 

[Dismomalita]

Thanks for the review and the detail. I doubt this will be available in August but we would do it even at the current cost because there are only 2 of us and how many more times will I get to take my son on a trip to Disney alone.

 

[Agent Wendy Pleakley]

We used the fast passes for Haunted Mansion and Seven Dwarfs, then stopped at Sleepy Hollow for a fruit waffle.

Were you able to link the event ticket to MDE and book fast passes for the period prior to the event start time?

 

[tlmadden73]

I actually can't remember how I discovered it now. It was in someone's report somewhere. They are doing it the same way they do for parties. Officially they are 7:00 but you get in at 4:00
Not sure they state anywhere it's 4:00 for those either. It's just known. Though I could be wrong, they may say 4:00 somewhere

So the OP said they were let it at 6:15 with no questions ..but (as stated above), if this is true (getting in as early a 4:00 PM) . .then this after hours ticket is quite worth it. A lot more value than a lot originally gave it.

Basically pay a little more than a single day ticket for 9 hours in the park and 3 "empty" hours. 9 hours is probably more time "in" the park than your average guests spend (once they take an afternoon break or leave early).

Though .. i bet this isn't hard and fast. If the park is crowded, they may enforce the 7:00 PM time a bit more.

 

[AngiTN]

So the OP said they were let it at 6:15 with no questions ..but (as stated above), if this is true (getting in as early a 4:00 PM) . .then this after hours ticket is quite worth it. A lot more value than a lot originally gave it.

Basically pay a little more than a single day ticket for 9 hours in the park and 3 "empty" hours. 9 hours is probably more time "in" the park than your average guests spend (once they take an afternoon break or leave early).

Though .. i bet this isn't hard and fast. If the park is crowded, they may enforce the 7:00 PM time a bit more.

I don't believe so. They don't for party tickets and it is very crowded around Thanksgiving. Still let them in at 4:00. As PP said, they had the check in point at 4:15

 

[AngiTN]

Good point about the parties just being "known". But this is a bit different to me. I thought parties were a 7-12 event with 4-7 "bonus time". I thought of the DAH event as 10-1, with the 7-10 portion being the "bonus" entry time, and now it's really 4. Quite a lot of "bonus time"!

No, 7:00-10:00 is on the ticket, not bonus time. It's still like the party, 4:00-7:00 unwritten time.

 

[AngiTN]

Were you able to link the event ticket to MDE and book fast passes for the period prior to the event start time?

Mine shows up on my MDE under Tickets, I didn't have to link anything. It just showed up because I bought it online via my MDE account
I can't tell about the FP as I have an AP

 

[AngiTN]

Found where I read it.
http://**************.net/2016/04/27/the-disney-after-hours-event-spontaneity-strikes-back/

Then someone here confirmed they were admitted just after 4:00, with an entry point out front. We will be arriving prior to 7:00 on Sunday. Probably about 4:30. I can report what I find then.

 

[Agent Wendy Pleakley]

Mine shows up on my MDE under Tickets, I didn't have to link anything. It just showed up because I bought it online via my MDE account
I can't tell about the FP as I have an AP

Thanks! They weren't showing up there yesterday when I checked but the tickets are there now. I just got some decent fast passes

 

[Cirlonde]

Were you able to link the event ticket to MDE and book fast passes for the period prior to the event start time?

Yes, I had no trouble linking my tickets (I ordered over the phone because at the time they weren't available online). And I was able to book Fast Passes, even though a cast member told me I probably wouldn't be able to. I'm not sure if they "intend" for you to book Fast Passes, but I certainly could and I could use them with no issues.

Yea forget it peak times, even the 80 minute wait last week is more like it, 7dmt has been a long line even most emh we have been to. But then again 9am rd to 1am is a bit long for most as well, 16 hours vs 3. Of course we're talking mostly 7dmt, not everybody cares about it, but I think enough do to peak some interest esp if i is offered cheaper.

Actually even Space and Pan have stayed around 40 min emh evenings we have been to, right up to closing.

I might should have mentioned that we always take a break in the heat of the day. I'm dedicated, but I'm not that dedicated! I couldn't do rope drop to close without a rest in the middle. So we probably average about 10-12 hours actually in the park versus the 7ish hours we were in the parks for After Hours.

I think if the After Hours price was $100 a ticket, I would consider doing it even during a full length vacation. And if I was eligible for the discount and getting the tickets for $75, I would absolutely do it again even if I had 5 or 6 day tickets. If you assume Disney is selling about 3,000 tickets (which is the number I keep seeing tossed around), I think they could probably increase that to 5,000 or even 6,000 and cut the ticket cost in half. They'd make the same amount of money but without making a significant difference in the "crowd feel".

Or instead of selling more tickets, they could reduce the number of attractions available, if it meant they could lower the ticket cost. Things like Stitch, Country Bears, PhilHarmagic, Tiki Room...I saw very few people at those attractions and when you've got such a limited amount of time at a higher price, you're probably not going to want to commit the time some of those shows take.

 

[maryj11]

Thanks for the review! I can't repeat this enough- I hope this gets extended and becomes a permanent fixture during the spring/summer months!

If it does I will buy tickets. So you do not have to have a regular ticket also ? Just the event ticket?

 

[Kimberly9701]

If it does I will buy tickets. So you do not have to have a regular ticket also ? Just the event ticket?

Nope, no daytime ticket required

 

[AngiTN]

To further expand on the time you can enter.... I just completed a survey for the event.
One of the questions was "what time did you arrive"
The times to select start with 4:00 and go on in 30 min increments till 10:00
We did enter about 4:30 and they were out distributing credentials then