**Disney After Hours - Magic Kingdom** FAQ & Discussion Thread

[GADisneyDad14]

Can you buy the tickets the day of the event? Want to go January 13th but moving my DD into her DCP housing that day, so I wont know until later in day if we will have time to go.

Yeah, as PP noted, you can buy day of (if it’s not sold out) at a higher price. The day of price used to be $4-5 higher, but as of the most recent overall price increase (11/2019) the day of price is $10 over the advance price.

 

[PolyRob]

I am torn if I should still do regular DAH at MK or Villains in the spring. My plans after returning from WDW last week and experiencing RotR is to go early a few mornings, one of which would be the day of regular DAH! I did take a nice 2 hour nap each day I experienced RotR and was surprisingly refreshed. I am thinking regular DAH is still the best way to go!

 

[Iowamomof4]

I am torn if I should still do regular DAH at MK or Villains in the spring. My plans after returning from WDW last week and experiencing RotR is to go early a few mornings, one of which would be the day of regular DAH! I did take a nice 2 hour nap each day I experienced RotR and was surprisingly refreshed. I am thinking regular DAH is still the best way to go!

I don't know how we're going to manage late nights at DAH with early mornings at DHS for ROTR. I don't nap well at all. Might just forego the after hours events on this trip.

 

[YawningDodo]

I don't know how we're going to manage late nights at DAH with early mornings at DHS for ROTR. I don't nap well at all. Might just forego the after hours events on this trip.

I already committed to two DAH events before I knew quite how early the mornings would be for DHS. I've just resigned myself to sleeping in and missing rope drop the morning after each DAH. I've currently got two rope drop mornings planned and might add a third if I have the energy--but I'm stuck, too, on the napping issue. I nap pretty well, but I don't always revive from naps well, if that makes sense. I figure I'll make the attempt, but overall I'll probably just alternate between long days and sleeping in.

 

[PolyRob]

I don't know how we're going to manage late nights at DAH with early mornings at DHS for ROTR. I don't nap well at all. Might just forego the after hours events on this trip.

I already committed to two DAH events before I knew quite how early the mornings would be for DHS. I've just resigned myself to sleeping in and missing rope drop the morning after each DAH. I've currently got two rope drop mornings planned and might add a third if I have the energy--but I'm stuck, too, on the napping issue. I nap pretty well, but I don't always revive from naps well, if that makes sense. I figure I'll make the attempt, but overall I'll probably just alternate between long days and sleeping in.

I love naps and honestly felt so refreshed those nights I went on RotR. I even opened and closed down DHS. I was more tired getting up for rope drop at AK on Friday. It really is so hard to plan around all these changes Disney makes. I have to catch-up on the RotR thread, but I doubt the opening will change much in the next few months. That ride is going to have a high demand. I haven't committed and purchased either DAH tickets, but the traditional was just so much more relaxed. I love being in MK late with no sun and cooler temps in the spring so I will be stuck booking one

 

[YawningDodo]

I love naps and honestly felt so refreshed those nights I went on RotR. I even opened and closed down DHS. I was more tired getting up for rope drop at AK on Friday. It really is so hard to plan around all these changes Disney makes. I have to catch-up on the RotR thread, but I doubt the opening will change much in the next few months. That ride is going to have a high demand. I haven't committed and purchased either DAH tickets, but the traditional was just so much more relaxed. I love being in MK late with no sun and cooler temps in the spring so I will be stuck booking one

Your experience sounds encouraging and it's making me consider tearing apart my entire schedule and rebuilding it with more early mornings and naps leading into late nights. This is the point at which FP+ starts driving me nuts, since I've got some good ones booked and hate to move things around too much.

Edit: Also, I hope you're right about opening procedures staying the same for a while. Crazy as it sounds from reading about it, I feel like I've got a good handle on how to navigate the current situation and it'd be frustrating to have to start over in strategizing.

 

[PolyRob]

Your experience sounds encouraging and it's making me consider tearing apart my entire schedule and rebuilding it with more early mornings and naps leading into late nights. This is the point at which FP+ starts driving me nuts, since I've got some good ones booked and hate to move things around too much.

UGH, I completely understand your struggle! Fitting everything perfectly months in advance and then having to completely rework stuff because Disney changed everything. I wouldn't completely destroy all your plans, but maybe reconsider 1 day that you can be flexible. I find last minute changes are doable. I was able to move everything around within 24-hours and secure the same restaurant ADR and even FP+ (besides SDD which I rode when I entered early so it all worked out).

I could see DAH running into getting up early as a problem, but I think I am going to throw caution to the wind and do early DHS, rest/nap, nice dinner ADR, FP+, DAH.

 

[YawningDodo]

UGH, I completely understand your struggle! Fitting everything perfectly months in advance and then having to completely rework stuff because Disney changed everything. I wouldn't completely destroy all your plans, but maybe reconsider 1 day that you can be flexible. I find last minute changes are doable. I was able to move everything around within 24-hours and secure the same restaurant ADR and even FP+ (besides SDD which I rode when I entered early so it all worked out).

I could see DAH running into getting up early as a problem, but I think I am going to throw caution to the wind and do early DHS, rest/nap, nice dinner ADR, FP+, DAH.

Yeah, I'm reminding myself that I've been twice since FP+ was instated and I have actually found it surprisingly easy to be flexible once I'm there, but it's still a time for over-thinking right now. I've got three days that are pretty locked down for various reasons, but then three more that are at least a little bit more flexible, plus my departure morning (though I'd hate to get a high boarding group number and have to leave the park to meet the Magical Express before it's called!). I'm fortunate, too, that the ADRs I picked are generally not very hard ones to re-book, and I have no doubt I'll shuffle things around at least a little bit on the fly.

And the SDD thing has me laughing--I was so anxious to get a SDD FP+, and then RotR opened and everyone's been able to do repeat rides on SDD at the early openings. I'm still hanging onto that FP+ for now because who knows what it'll look like in a month, but at least that one takes pressure off instead of putting more on.

 

[krayzie]

And the SDD thing has me laughing--I was so anxious to get a SDD FP+, and then RotR opened and everyone's been able to do repeat rides on SDD at the early openings. I'm still hanging onto that FP+ for now because who knows what it'll look like in a month, but at least that one takes pressure off instead of putting more on.

The one morning I went early for ROTR, SDD shut down for an hour or so due to storms. Ended up just riding it once with my fast pass.

 

[sandam1]

Can anyone add their first hand accounts of getting back to the TTC at the end of the event? From the FAQs, it looks like we would need to take the ferry. How are the parking trams? Also if you arrive in the transition time (between the start of DAH entry and before park close), are you still directed to park at the back of the lot or can you fill in where day visitors have left?

We will have a rental car as we will be at Universal for most of our February trip so driving makes the most sense. BUT I am also the queen of the catastrophic Disney transportation failures so I am a little gun-shy to say the least. I'm wondering if using a Lyft to the Contemporary (which we've done several times for Halloween parties) might be worth the extra money. This DAH will also be the night after I do the Princess 10K/half-marathon challenge so I'm trying to minimize the standing/walking as much as possible.

 

[jen7233]

I have a DAH only ticket, plan to enter the park at 7 p.m. and the party starts at 10 p.m. I can book fast passes with this DAH only ticket at 60 days if staying on property? Wondering if these follow the same guidelines on FP booking. I'm only going to the DAH on my particular evening, so no other parks/FP use that day. I hope I'm understanding the FAQ correctly that I can do this?

 

[clee152]

Can anyone add their first hand accounts of getting back to the TTC at the end of the event? From the FAQs, it looks like we would need to take the ferry. How are the parking trams? Also if you arrive in the transition time (between the start of DAH entry and before park close), are you still directed to park at the back of the lot or can you fill in where day visitors have left?

We will have a rental car as we will be at Universal for most of our February trip so driving makes the most sense. BUT I am also the queen of the catastrophic Disney transportation failures so I am a little gun-shy to say the least. I'm wondering if using a Lyft to the Contemporary (which we've done several times for Halloween parties) might be worth the extra money. This DAH will also be the night after I do the Princess 10K/half-marathon challenge so I'm trying to minimize the standing/walking as much as possible.

WDW will figure out a way to get you to where you need to go so don't stress it.

 

[wiggy500]

Can anyone add their first hand accounts of getting back to the TTC at the end of the event? From the FAQs, it looks like we would need to take the ferry. How are the parking trams? Also if you arrive in the transition time (between the start of DAH entry and before park close), are you still directed to park at the back of the lot or can you fill in where day visitors have left?

Yes, the ferry is running but not the monorail. After the ferry pretty much everyone who was on it gets on the tram. From what I can tell they don't fill in the spots of people who left early. They just keep going.

 

[JakeAZ]

I have a DAH only ticket, plan to enter the park at 7 p.m. and the party starts at 10 p.m. I can book fast passes with this DAH only ticket at 60 days if staying on property? Wondering if these follow the same guidelines on FP booking. I'm only going to the DAH on my particular evening, so no other parks/FP use that day. I hope I'm understanding the FAQ correctly that I can do this?

My understanding is yes you can book FP for your AH day starting at 7pm. Since you’re on site, you should be able to do 60 days.
I reserve the right to be wrong though!

 

[sandam1]

WDW will figure out a way to get you to where you need to go so don't stress it.

Alas, my experience is that they might get you where you need to go - EVENTUALLY and usually not in the most time efficient manner. To say the least, I have little to no faith left in Disney transportation.

Yes, the ferry is running but not the monorail. After the ferry pretty much everyone who was on it gets on the tram. From what I can tell they don't fill in the spots of people who left early. They just keep going.

Thanks for the information! I know that on one of our trips a number of years ago, they would let you fill in the spaces, but I suspected that that was no longer the case. I'm assuming with the lower crowd levels that there isn't much wait for the ferry or trams?

 

[GADisneyDad14]

I have a DAH only ticket, plan to enter the park at 7 p.m. and the party starts at 10 p.m. I can book fast passes with this DAH only ticket at 60 days if staying on property? Wondering if these follow the same guidelines on FP booking. I'm only going to the DAH on my particular evening, so no other parks/FP use that day. I hope I'm understanding the FAQ correctly that I can do this?

A PP answered you as well, but you're correct with your assessment. All good.

 

[jen7233]

My understanding is yes you can book FP for your AH day starting at 7pm. Since you’re on site, you should be able to do 60 days.
I reserve the right to be wrong though!

No problem! Thanks, I hated to even ask, but for some reason I read too much into FP talk on some other after party events and it just wasn't sinking in. I needed another to cross reference with

 

[Belleandtinker]

If the MK VAH starts at 10 pm, we can get in at 7 pm (have a hopper pass anyway) - what time does Space Mt and Pirates get rethemed to Villians? 10 pm or 7 pm?

 

[csmom]

My annual pass expires on 1/24/20. Will not be renewing. I'd like to attend After Hours on 4/5/20. Can I buy the After Hours ticket at the AP discounted price before my Annual Pass expires, then use it after my Annual Pass expires. Would there be any problem with this?

 

[wiggy500]

I'm assuming with the lower crowd levels that there isn't much wait for the ferry or trams?

It wasn't bad leaving at the very end. But even with not very many people there is some waiting involved, which may feel longer than it is if you are not a night owl and want to be in bed at that time of day.