Avoid Halloween Party?

[bardays]

3 years ago we were in the park when they opened the gates for the party goers and it was SO busy!!
We will not be attending the party. Crowdwise, is it best to stay out of the park completely on party days?
Specifically thinking about Friday Oct 27th. We will have park hoppers

Hope that makes sense!

 

[Babyhorsie]

We were in the parks last year dueing Halloween party days. I was surprised that the party day was actually the least crowded day! We didn't have party tickets but enjoyed the day until about 4 pm, then hung out in the esplanade and people/costume watched. It was perfect!

 

[Lesley Wake]

You also have to consider that this year party goers are allowed to go to California Adventure before the party. I would expect those hours are going to be insane at DCA with anyone who didn't have a day ticket going in there to see Halloween decorations and non-party goers who don't have park hoppers going there all day.

If I was not going to the Halloween party I would absolutely get a park hopper. Probably do DL in the morning/afternoon, but maybe just hop between parks if DCA doesn't seem too crowded. Then the 3 hrs before the party, I would stay in DL. Only when DL officially closes for the party would I head over to DCA. By that time most party people would have headed over to DL.

 

[bardays]

You also have to consider that this year party goers are allowed to go to California Adventure before the party. I would expect those hours are going to be insane at DCA with anyone who didn't have a day ticket going in there to see Halloween decorations and non-party goers who don't have park hoppers going there all day.

If I was not going to the Halloween party I would absolutely get a park hopper. Probably do DL in the morning/afternoon, but maybe just hop between parks if DCA doesn't seem too crowded. Then the 3 hrs before the party, I would stay in DL. Only when DL officially closes for the party would I head over to DCA. By that time most party people would have headed over to DL.

Oh that's right...so maybe stay put in DL and then head over for hopefully extended hours in DCA. It will be our last night and we always like to end it in the shops on Main Street. Does anyone know if the DCA shops stay open after closing?

 

[figment_jii]

I've generally found that the mornings and early afternoon on party days aren't that bad, but once the overlap period starts (three hours before the party), then the crowds really do pick-up. I am anticipating that things will be a little better this year with MHP guests being allowed to be in either park for those three hours, but my guess is that the majority will still go to DL. I wouldn't avoid going to the parks just because of MHP, but I would go expecting there to be a noticeable increase in crowds three hours before the party starts.

Oh that's right...so maybe stay put in DL and then head over for hopefully extended hours in DCA. It will be our last night and we always like to end it in the shops on Main Street. Does anyone know if the DCA shops stay open after closing?

The shops on Buena Vista Street usually stay open after the park closes (I think it's an hour after, just like Main Street, but I'm not 100% sure).

 

[mgpan]

So party guests can go to DCA three hours before the party starts as well as enter DL that early? (I still don't agree with being let in 3 hours early for a party and crowding me on my day ticket times, but when I complained about the practice on the boards for WDW I was skewered for it!) But you are not allowed into DCA all day before the party, correct? I wouldn't think so, but i need to be sure.

 

[smartlabelprint]

I use my wait times on the app to decide where we will go. We've been in both parks on party nights and didn't notice crowd spikes either way. Maybe if it's the first party of the year or something. But we usually travel the last couple days of October and into November.

 

[Geemo]

So party guests can go to DCA three hours before the party starts as well as enter DL that early? (I still don't agree with being let in 3 hours early for a party and crowding me on my day ticket times, but when I complained about the practice on the boards for WDW I was skewered for it!) But you are not allowed into DCA all day before the party, correct? I wouldn't think so, but i need to be sure.

You'll get no FLAMING from me. I know how I feel about a crowded park too.

DisBoard members are aware of the park hours for Halloween. So they know how to plan if they are taking a trip during this time.
I always feel for the guests that aren't aware the park will be closing at 6pm or 7pm. Or how the 3 hour rule is going to be on crowds.


This year Disney has changed it up a little.
A MHP ticket will allow you to enter either DL or DCA three hours prior to the party and NO earlier.
The thought is, it will keep DL from becoming so unbearably PACKED during the 3 hour period.
For MHP ticket holders going into DCA 3 hours prior, it's expected that they will move over to DL once it's party time.


Geemo

 

[SMD]

Non-party days seem to be just as crowded with people trying to avoid party days. Anyone going to DCA pre-party is probably going to to GotG, CL, TSMM, Soarin or they'll want to drink. If you're already in the park when it opens, and do something like see Frozen, Animation Academy, ride the fun wheel and use FP you likely won't notice them.

 

[Curlyxz]

I always tried to avoid going on party days as about 1pm onwards both parks got increasingly crowded from Party attendees. Sure, the three hour attendance window may lighten up crowds a bit but how many Party attendees are likely already AP's? I'm not placing my money on this year being any different from years past.

 

[MinnieMouse84]

A MHP ticket will allow you to enter either DL or DCA three hours prior to the party and NO earlier.

What if we have regular tickets too? We have park-hopper tickets for 3 days including a party day. We also have tickets for the party that night.

 

[mom2rtk]

What if we have regular tickets too? We have park-hopper tickets for 3 days including a party day. We also have tickets for the party that night.

At WDW, traffic changes between party and non party days are quite marked. Crowds are lower on party days as people try to avoid the MK on days with shorter hours. It concentrates crowds on non-party days.

It's just a whole other creature at DLR. Parks are side by side and most people have hoppers and treat it as one big park. Plus a lot of the people who have party tickets also have APs so they can come in earlier that day and not have to pay for an additional park day. So crowds can be up on party days. And crowds can be up on non-party days.

The best advice is to make good use of rope drop and early hours in the parks. And whatever you do, make sure you avoid trying to enter the park the same time as the party goers. It gets really backed up sometimes. We went back to our room one party day to change and had to re-enter with the crowds. Not very magical. On our other party day we made sure we were in the park all day and just stayed for the party. We just made plans to chill out on a bench for a while to rest inside the park instead. That was a much more pleasant experience.

 

[bardays]

Great advise everyone!!
So, party guests can enter at 4pm? Might be good time to leave and come back to DCA at 7pm when they all head to DL. Last time, (2012) it was so overwhelming, we just left at 4 and never came back!

 

[mom2rtk]

Great advise everyone!!
So, party guests can enter at 4pm? Might be good time to leave and come back to DCA at 7pm when they all head to DL. Last time, (2012) it was so overwhelming, we just left at 4 and never came back!

Some parties start at 7, some start at 6. And if I recall properly you can enter 3 hours prior, so 4 PM for a 7 PM start and 3 PM for a 6 PM start.