After Hours Events - Ask Questions and Share Experiences Here

[georgina]

Well, now, this is a great question and point.

I have a 2-Day Ticket with Admission to 1 Park Per day, valid 3/16 - 3/19, in addition to the After Hours ticket for 3/17.

First thing this morning, I purchased LLMP for Hollywood Studios on 3/16 and Epcot on 3/18. Two days of LLMP.

Later this afternoon, I purchased LLMP for Magic Kingdom on 3/17.

I combed through some PlanDisney questions about LLMP and found this: “If you have a date-based ticket then you will be able to purchase Lightning Lanes for the total number of valid admission days on your ticket.” That suggests that since I had already purchased two days of LLMP, I shouldn’t have been allowed to purchase for Magic Kingdom. (Unless they are allowing it for After Hours guests now, but if they are I can’t find that in print anywhere…)

Everything is showing up in my app, but I’ll admit that I’m a bit worried this is going to cause me a headache in some way or another at some point… For example if I use my After Hours ticket to gain access to MK but it somehow thinks I’m using my 2-day ticket because of the LLMPs and then I can’t get into Epcot the next day? I mean we all know Disney IT is pretty wonky sometimes…. What do you think / what would you do? I’m not trying to “game” the system here; I simply did what the booking system allowed me to do…

Thanks. I will be at that AH also. I am not planning to buy LLMP for that day because I have a 10 day non-expiring ticket that requires a park reservation. If I was going to another park in the morning I might get it, but not worth the added anxiety for my situation.

(I have found planDisney answers to be wrong several times, you should be fine with your plan!)

 

[Pirates life for me]

Hello Dis friends,

Its been 12 years since I have been on here and appreciate all the help you gave me to plan our 3 awesome trips.
I need your expertise again, back with grown up Star Wars fans and looking to make the most of one day and stumbled upon After Hours for Disney Hollywood Studios. Could this be the best way to see Star Wars galaxy, characters, the attractions, I understand not as long but want the best bang for the buck, I assume we would have to add fast lane to regular ticket if we didn't do this...April 30th and price is $175 per...thanks for the advice!

 

[TikiRob]

Tangential question about MK AH… Anybody know if they pipe in the music for Enchantment into the Poly beach?

 

[We’reAllMadHere]

Hello Dis friends,

Its been 12 years since I have been on here and appreciate all the help you gave me to plan our 3 awesome trips.
I need your expertise again, back with grown up Star Wars fans and looking to make the most of one day and stumbled upon After Hours for Disney Hollywood Studios. Could this be the best way to see Star Wars galaxy, characters, the attractions, I understand not as long but want the best bang for the buck, I assume we would have to add fast lane to regular ticket if we didn't do this...April 30th and price is $175 per...thanks for the advice!

Yes for the two rides and experiencing Galaxy’s Edge with fewer people.

Not sure about characters. Darth Vader and BB8 are available to meet at Star Wars Launch Bay but only until 6. I do not think you can meet them during AH. Chewie is also at Launch Bay. I have met Chewie and Rey during AH as they were roaming GE but I don’t know if that is still happening in 2025.

If your party is interested in building a droid, building a lightsaber, or going to Oga’s cantina, I would not do that during AH - it’s kind of a waste of AH time. You can get reservations to do that earlier in the night though. (With AH tickets, you can get into the park at 7.)

 

[disneylover102]

Hello Dis friends,

Its been 12 years since I have been on here and appreciate all the help you gave me to plan our 3 awesome trips.
I need your expertise again, back with grown up Star Wars fans and looking to make the most of one day and stumbled upon After Hours for Disney Hollywood Studios. Could this be the best way to see Star Wars galaxy, characters, the attractions, I understand not as long but want the best bang for the buck, I assume we would have to add fast lane to regular ticket if we didn't do this...April 30th and price is $175 per...thanks for the advice!

AH is a fantastic way to experience the rides in Galaxy’s Edge! Especially if you want to get multiple rides. When I went to HS AH a couple years ago there was no wait for Rise of the Resistance (and I didn’t do Millennium Falcon). I’m mostly just a rides guy so I’m not super familiar with all the entertainment and everything but I would imagine there’s less of it during after hours. Like mentioned above you can enter the park at 7 but you’ve only got a couple hours of the normal park day. If you do choose to go during the day you could still do the rides with no LL but you’d have to wait. The Millennium Falcon single rider line is always super quick but honestly that ride is way more fun to do as a family

 

[baggs32]

Yes, we were quite shocked at the lack of checks. We are used to the masses of CM's checking bands at Haloween and Christmas parties, so not to be challenged after paying all that money was not good.

We went to MK AH on 3/3 and while the CMs were better at checking wristbands for snacks and rides, it was still too spotty for my liking, especially at the snack stands outside of the hub, and the hub was full of people watching Enchantment from prime spots without wristbands once again. I don't think this is acceptable when the event costs just under $200 per person and I think we're done with these until they fix it. We also noticed several garbage cans in the ride queues overflowing with popcorn boxes which we didn't notice the previous two parties we attended. I thought that was odd and hope it doesn't mean they are cutting the amount of CMs back even more for these now, or maybe they are and will continue to do so until we all reach a breaking point and stop going.

 

[disneylover102]

March 24th. Will let you know for sure. LL window opens on the 15th for us, so will attempt to book then.

Were you able to book LLs for your day doing after hours?

I just bought my MK AH ticket for April 28th and will be attempting to get Tron and Mine Train LL before the event starts

 

[Lovewinnie]

Were you able to book LLs for your day doing after hours?

I just bought my MK AH ticket for April 28th and will be attempting to get Tron and Mine Train LL before the event starts

I just did this. Bought AH at MK for Monday 3/17. I was able to book 7D and tron when my booking window opened. Chose times after 7:00. No issues

 

[disneylover102]

I just did this. Bought AH at MK for Monday 3/17. I was able to book 7D and tron when my booking window opened. Chose times after 7:00. No issues

Sweet! Did you have a normal day ticket that day too or just the after hours?

 

[MommaKetch]

Were you able to book LLs for your day doing after hours?

I just bought my MK AH ticket for April 28th and will be attempting to get Tron and Mine Train LL before the event starts

Yes, I was! The only caveat is my kids have a valid day ticket for that day, but we will be at AK. Because their tickets do not require a park reservation, Disney does not know which park they will enter, nor what days they will use their tickets. They have 4-day single park tickets, valid 3/24-29. I have an AP.

It does not answer the question for those that only have an after hours ticket and would like to purchase LLs.

 

[Lovewinnie]

Sweet! Did you have a normal day ticket that day too or just the after hours?

I did not have a day ticket, only AH that day. I had 2 additional park day tickets that I booked LL for prior to the AH selections

 

[MommaKetch]

We went to MK AH on 3/3 and while the CMs were better at checking wristbands for snacks and rides, it was still too spotty for my liking, especially at the snack stands outside of the hub, and the hub was full of people watching Enchantment from prime spots without wristbands once again.

I think MK has itself in a pickle with this situation. On a regular park day, guests can stay in the hub and Main Street for up to an hour and a half after park closing time, and people now expect this.

The word must be out that day guests are allowed to stay for the 11 PM Enchantment, and some cast members are lax about the free snacks and rides, so people are taking advantage.

For our upcoming 3/24 After-hours, the park does not officially close until 10 pm. So, with that 1.5h grace period, I fully expect the Hub to be full of day guests for Enchantment. I am a bit bummed as I’d hoped for a lighter crowd watching the show. When I purchased the tickets, the park was scheduled to close at 9 pm. They bumped it to 10 a few weeks ago. They do not see an issue with this or the guests taking advantage.

Had I known this, I never would have bought the after-hours tickets. It’s also upsetting that it makes me feel like I’m the one complaining and being entitled when, in fact, the ones taking advantage are the entitled ones. Ugh!

 

[RivGirl]

FWIW, at last night’s MK After Hours, cast members asked to see our wrist bands for snacks and for almost every single ride. They asked to see it on all of us, too - it wasn’t enough for just one in our party to wave our wrist when getting in line.

I don’t know how things went during 11pm fireworks in the hub, because we were riding rides during that time.

 

[georgina]

I think MK has itself in a pickle with this situation. On a regular park day, guests can stay in the hub and Main Street for up to an hour and a half after park closing time, and people now expect this.

The word must be out that day guests are allowed to stay for the 11 PM Enchantment, and some cast members are lax about the free snacks and rides, so people are taking advantage.

For our upcoming 3/24 After-hours, the park does not officially close until 10 pm. So, with that 1.5h grace period, I fully expect the Hub to be full of day guests for Enchantment. I am a bit bummed as I’d hoped for a lighter crowd watching the show. When I purchased the tickets, the park was scheduled to close at 9 pm. They bumped it to 10 a few weeks ago. They do not see an issue with this or the guests taking advantage.

Had I known this, I never would have bought the after-hours tickets. It’s also upsetting that it makes me feel like I’m the one complaining and being entitled when, in fact, the ones taking advantage are the entitled ones. Ugh!

FWIW, at last night’s MK After Hours, cast members asked to see our wrist bands for snacks and for almost every single ride. They asked to see it on all of us, too - it wasn’t enough for just one in our party to wave our wrist when getting in line.

I don’t know how things went during 11pm fireworks in the hub, because we were riding rides during that time.

The hub was VERY empty for Enchantment last night. Lots of room to walk up at the last minute and have a great view.

 

[Nimbus]

Did the AH event on the 17th sell out? Wait times seemed pretty low for most of the night when I was checking the app. I'm thinking about purchases tickets for the event on 4/7 and want to get a realistic gauge for about what the wait times will look like. Was anyone there on 3/17? What was the feel like?

 

[disneylover102]

Did the AH event on the 17th sell out? Wait times seemed pretty low for most of the night when I was checking the app. I'm thinking about purchases tickets for the event on 4/7 and want to get a realistic gauge for about what the wait times will look like. Was anyone there on 3/17? What was the feel like?

I wasn’t there but I did see it was sold out when I bought my ticket for 4/28

 

[baggs32]

I think MK has itself in a pickle with this situation. On a regular park day, guests can stay in the hub and Main Street for up to an hour and a half after park closing time, and people now expect this.

The word must be out that day guests are allowed to stay for the 11 PM Enchantment, and some cast members are lax about the free snacks and rides, so people are taking advantage.

For our upcoming 3/24 After-hours, the park does not officially close until 10 pm. So, with that 1.5h grace period, I fully expect the Hub to be full of day guests for Enchantment. I am a bit bummed as I’d hoped for a lighter crowd watching the show. When I purchased the tickets, the park was scheduled to close at 9 pm. They bumped it to 10 a few weeks ago. They do not see an issue with this or the guests taking advantage.

Had I known this, I never would have bought the after-hours tickets. It’s also upsetting that it makes me feel like I’m the one complaining and being entitled when, in fact, the ones taking advantage are the entitled ones. Ugh!

I agree that it's hard to control but when they check for bands at the hub, and they are perfectly capbable of doing this, you don't lose those prime spots or seats in the hub. Those should not be taken up by guests who did not pay to be there and honestly I'm OK with them hanging back on Main St to watch. Just don't take my seats or run in at the last minute and stand in front of me! That actually happened to us earlier this month, then when we and others around us started talking about the lack of wristband on some people, quite loudly and purposefully I might add, those folks moved away and sat on the ground elsewhere. This isn't a matter of there's plenty of room for everyone or the hub is empty either, these tickets are expensive and we purchased our entitlement to be there. I'll be honest, we are not ones to take advantage of situations like this but we did go home with bags full of water and pop because we were so fed up.

Even Ron on the Go told ResortTV1 the other night when they met up at Fantasmic that they weren't checking wristbands. RTV1 assumed you could not watch Enchantment without paying for it, and they did pay for it this past Monday, then RotG told him how it really is. I don't think they will try to get away with rides in the future or stay to watch Enchantment without paying, but I mean why not when everyone else is? So yes, word is out and if it continues to spread this will get out of hand.

 

[MommaKetch]

I agree that it's hard to control but when they check for bands at the hub, and they are perfectly capbable of doing this

That makes sense if they are checking bands at the hub. I was under the impression that bands were only checked at rides and for snacks. They at the very least should clear the Hub of non wristband holders.

That actually happened to us earlier this month, then when we and others around us started talking about the lack of wristband on some people, quite loudly and purposefully I might add, those folks moved away and sat on the ground elsewhere.

I appreciate you and others calling them out. It’ll just be me with the two kids, and I don’t know if I would have the guts unless others joined in. I hope it doesn’t come to that, but I also don’t want set an example for my kids that’s it’s okay for them to cheat the system!

Even Ron on the Go told ResortTV1 the other night when they met up at Fantasmic that they weren't checking wristbands.

Wow! Well there ya go. People know and are purposefully staying because Disney isn’t checking.

My hope is that if we keep sharing and reporting our experiences they will make a change.

 

[MommaKetch]

The hub was VERY empty for Enchantment last night. Lots of room to walk up at the last minute and have a great view.

That’s very good news! I’m glad that you all didn’t have to deal with a crowded Hub. Did you happen to notice if they were checking wristbands to enter that area?

 

[baggs32]

That makes sense if they are checking bands at the hub. I was under the impression that bands were only checked at rides and for snacks. They at the very least should clear the Hub of non wristband holders.

They did check at the hub last April when we attended an AH event, at least before the fireworks. I'm not sure why that has changed.

In our more recent experiences they have not been consistent checking for bands at the snack stands or rides later in the event. For example, on March 3rd there were two cast members at the queue entrance to Jungle Cruise. Neither of them acknowledged our party of 5 walking in let alone check our wristbands. We all had long sleeves on too because there was a chill in the air that night and the wristbands were not showing at all times like they would when wearing short sleeves. Maybe the CMs loading us onto the boats are looking for them but they didn't ask to see them either. Mine Train was very strict later in the night and our kids said Tron was too. So it's' not all bad but it needs to improve for us to pay for another one of these.

Not checking at snack stands gets even worse when you find out they run out of items at some stands later in the night. One has to wonder if that is because they are handing out to anyone who walks up or just poor planning.