Annoyed by crowds for MVMCP

[surferdave]

I see you guys points now. The thought just crossed my mind tonight. I knew the posters here would set me straight!

Well, it's always nice to get another point of view, but I wouldn't go that far.

 

[mom2rtk]

OP, were you at the park at rope drop?

Early in the day when there is a party that night is awesome! Apparently there are so many like you annoyed with going on a party day that they just don't. No other time of the year is it so simple to choose a low crowd day.

We do the entire day (regular park entry at rope drop) straight through the party on many occasions. And those days are the BEST! I do have to say I generally have my riding done by 4 and am heading for some sort of early TS meal by 4:30, so not a lot of experience there. I can remember one occasion being there on a party day and leaving around 6:30. Yeah, Main Street was busy. But what we got done earlier in the day? That made it totally worthwhile.

And honestly, there just isn't any other way for them to handle it. Once the started bag checks, they needed to over lap, or the lines to have everyone enter at the same time through security would just be out of control.

 

[goofy4tink]

Sorry but saw a ton of party wrist bands in line for rides between 4 pm & 7 pm. Also lined along Main Street hindering the flow of traffic out of the park. Hey I said I understand the logistics of why they let people in early but maybe Disney should limit party people with party wristbands from riding rides until 7 pm. That would seem fair to me.

I have been doing the party for over 10 years now. I was there when they started the party at 7, but closed the park at 6 so they could empty the park of day guests. Those of us with party tickets were corralled into one 'land'. Granted, the party was nicer back then. You know well before you decide on going to MK that day that there will be a party that night...you can always head to another park if you choose. As noted, earlier in the day the park is great to be in....everyone tends to wait until later in the afternoon to go.

I have always had a park pass that I used to get into MK the day of the party. I then had to go get into another line to get my wristband. Those lines could get long!!! Not so much fun. So, while you may be seeing folks with wrist bands, you have no way of knowing whether or not they used a park pass of some kind to enter the park that day!! Not all that many people actually enter the park, using their party ticket, at 4pm.

Disney tried having the party goers enter at 7pm, but the park was closing then as well...it was chaos!!

This year will be the first time I have ever attended a party without a park pass in my hand. But, my AP expires two days prior to that. I refuse to spend close to $300 to spend two days in the parks!! I won't be heading back to WDW for at least a year, more like 18 months, so no need to renew my AP. I will get a one day park pass for Sat so I can spend the day in a park with my ds and his wife. The next day I will go to the party at 4 and use my party ticket to enter MK. Those party tickets aren't cheap! They are almost the same as a ticket for one day in the park!!!

 

[RMulieri]

You realize many MVMCP guests also have park tickets and would be entitled to be in the park from 4-7 anyway.

AGREE..We often spend the whole day at the park during the party.

 

[fla4fun]

I remember way back in the day when they used to clear the parks first. That was back before they reconfigured the entrance to include the fences and bag check areas, and we would be up at the turnstiles with just a sea of people behind us as far as the eye could see, waiting to get in. I honestly don't know how the people in the park got out! They were backed up the monorail ramps and the ferry boat ramp and all the way out toward the buses as far as we could see. We would always arrive early enough that we would be the first or second family behind the turnstiles - we never ended up in the middle of the group.

If I remember correctly, once they couldn't hold that many people outside the gate, they tried letting them in but isolating them in one land until the rest of the park cleared. Obviously, Disney didn't feel this worked well, so they went with the procedure they have now. How they arrived at 4pm for the admission time, I don't know. I skipped a few years of going to the party so I don't know if they tried different times and settled on 4pm, or if it was 4pm from the start of the new procedure.

I can understand some of the frustration for the day guests, but it's not like they don't know that there's a party that night, and when the party guests are allowed to enter. I would plan all my "must do" activities before 4pm, and then perhaps do what another poster suggested and schedule your dinner during the most crowded part of the overlap. Or you could do what I did - buy a party ticket and spend all day in the park, including the party!

 

[Talking Hands]

Sorry but saw a ton of party wrist bands in line for rides between 4 pm & 7 pm. Also lined along Main Street hindering the flow of traffic out of the park. Hey I said I understand the logistics of why they let people in early but maybe Disney should limit party people with party wristbands from riding rides until 7 pm. That would seem fair to me.

Many of the ones you see have already been in the park on a regular ticket and picked up their wrist band at 4pm when it becomes available. I know I often go before 4pm and get in on my AP and then pick up my wrist band as soon as they start giving them out.

 

[DebbieB]

I always plan to be at MK during the day on party days and don't plan to go to the party. Crowds are much lower than non-party days.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

If Disney wanted to they could just simply state the party start time to occur sooner if it was that much of a problem. They obviously want MNSSHP and MVMCP to sound as enticing as possible.

This. Basically, the party access starts at 4pm. They then have 3 hours to entice people who may not even know about the party to purchase tickets for that evening, assuming they aren't sold out.