Clearing MK before a party

[BugsDaddy]

It seems that Disney struggles to get MK totally clear of non-party guests during their holiday parties. At least based on the feedback from the first Halloween party of the year and how crowded it was, being partially blamed on non-party guests.

While it may be logistically difficult, my idea would be to have all park guests leave the park at lets say, 6:30 and only allow party guests back in once all guests have been cleared out. This might delay the party for a bit but might also give the guests a much better experience with a less crowded party.

I think it is a compromise between the non-party guests being asked to leave a little earlier and the party guests potentially having to wait a little longer.

I never quite understood why they allowed party only guests in at 4:00pm. That seems very early to me for a 7:00pm party.

 

[bc7ate9]

I wouldn't necessarily use the first party to be indicative of a much larger problem, nor would I be so quick to believe that there is a simple solution.

 

[Robo]

my idea would be to have all park guests leave the park at lets say, 6:30 and only allow party guests back in once all guests have been cleared out. This might delay the party for a bit but might also give the guests a much better experience with a less crowded party.

Your idea used to be the way they did clear the park.
Now, with SO MANY guests, it is impossible. (And could be near dangerous.)

There is absolutely nowhere to "store" that many guests for 30-45 minutes.

 

[mom2rtk]

I can't even imagine what bag check would look like between 6:30 and 7, or where people who had been through bag check but were waiting to enter would even wait. And I can't imagine what it would cost them in lost dining revenue.

Disney knows how to handle this. They have done it successfully many many times before. They dropped the ball the night of the first party. They need to not drop the ball.

 

[iheartglaciers]

Based on how long it took to enter Disneyland for the Wookie Welcome Party for the SW Half Marathon, the line would be really long and many people would be annoyed!! The parties involve too many people to have everyone show up at the same time (which is why they start letting people arrive at 4pm).

 

[phtktz3]

Personally, if they didn't allow party guests in at 4:00pm I believe the sale of special event tickets would drop. I am an AP holder and I always go to the parties but my family and friends who don't have AP's wouldn't pay the escalated price for a party if they couldn't get in before 7:00pm. They don't mind the price of the special event ticket as long as they can enter the park at 4:00pm.

 

[wilkeliza]

They just need to be more aggressive at checking for the party bands. It works for the race parties. For the Wine and Dine Half after party it starts right at park close. So they set managers and a few CM at several different points. IF you didn't have a wrist band you were directed to the nearest exit. You were not allowed to stick around if you didn't have a band.

That is how it was last year at both holiday parties. At each land entrance they checked bands and on main street. No band and you were directed to the quickest way to exit.

 

[mom2rtk]

They just need to be more aggressive at checking for the party bands. It works for the race parties. For the Wine and Dine Half after party it starts right at park close. So they set managers and a few CM at several different points. IF you didn't have a wrist band you were directed to the nearest exit. You were not allowed to stick around if you didn't have a band.

That is how it was last year at both holiday parties. At each land entrance they checked bands and on main street. No band and you were directed to the quickest way to exit.

I've been to a lot of hard ticket parties, and that's the way it's always worked when we were there too.

 

[maxiesmom]

I'm not sure why they were lax at checking for bands at the first party this year, in the past they have always been very strict. I have seen people who were trying to hide challenged by CMs ad told to buy a ticket.

As far as clearing the parks before the party starts, they used to do that. You were let in prior, but if you went past a certain point in your wanderings you were herded back to the main hub before the official start time. It was kind of obnoxious--one moment you are enjoying the park, the next you are placed behind a rope and told to wait there.

Disney had one bad night, I wouldn't go crazy trying to reinvent things based on that.

 

[GoofyforDisney3]

If they waited until 7:00 to start letting people in for the party, they would still be letting people in at 9:00. I don't think it would work to do it like that. The 4:00 time allows them to stagger the entrance and makes it easier on the CMs IMO. I just wish they didn't start anything party related until 7:00. I've read reports of characters being out early, etc. That isn't fair in my eyes, but then maybe it works to their advantage.

 

[disnut8]

We were at Magic Kingdom a few years ago the night of a special party and I had told my mother-in-law that we would need to leave by 7:00. That kind of backfired as she then became obsessed with having to be totally and completely OUT of the park by 7:00. I told her that we would not be arrested and thrown out but she didn't listen. It became her mission. What we all found out was once it became close to 7, we just slowly made our way towards the front and all was fine.

But I can tell you that if everyone had to leave the Magic Kingdom at 6:30 and then have everyone exit on the monorail or ferry boat or stand around until 7:00, that would have been, well, a cluster something.

 

[mousehockey37]

They won't go back to clearing the park. It's too much revenue lost. People shopping and dining will win out.

 

[siskaren]

If they waited until 7:00 to start letting people in for the party, they would still be letting people in at 9:00. I don't think it would work to do it like that. The 4:00 time allows them to stagger the entrance and makes it easier on the CMs IMO. I just wish they didn't start anything party related until 7:00. I've read reports of characters being out early, etc. That isn't fair in my eyes, but then maybe it works to their advantage.

I read that Jack and Sally were out early, but that you couldn't get in line unless you had a wristband. That seems fair to me.

 

[ellie05]

We have been to a few parties and it has never been a problem clearing out guest. I am not sure why it became and issue this year, but from reports of the second party it seems that they have solved the problem.

 

[mom2rtk]

I read that Jack and Sally were out early, but that you couldn't get in line unless you had a wristband. That seems fair to me.

Seems like a great way of handling that.

 

[hakepb]

Your idea used to be the way they did clear the park.
Now, with SO MANY guests, it is impossible. (And could be near dangerous.)

There is absolutely nowhere to "store" that many guests for 30-45 minutes.

The Parking lot behind Main Street? Just open that up to some M&G at 5p?

 

[Robo]

The Parking lot behind Main Street? Just open that up to some M&G at 5p?

I'll call and have 'em get right on that.

 

[fairygagamother]

I am here now & accidentally booked a BOG reservation for 6:00 before I realized it was a party night. I personally was panicked because I'm a true rule follower. I was out of the park by 6:59 (whew!) but I could have stayed for the parade & other specials & no on

 

[fairygagamother]

And no one would have noticed. But I'm not one of " those " people who would have taken advantage of the situation. I did enjoy seeing everyone in their costumes!

 

[mom2rtk]

I am here now & accidentally booked a BOG reservation for 6:00 before I realized it was a party night. I personally was panicked because I'm a true rule follower. I was out of the park by 6:59 (whew!) but I could have stayed for the parade & other specials & no on

It's actually fine and within Disney policy to book an ADR any time up to 6:55 on a party night. Historically they have escorted guests to the front of the park after dinner if they finish after 7 PM. It's just smart touring to schedule as late in the day as possible.