Extended evening hours questions

[maxiesmom]

Is getting into the Magic Kingdom for extended evening hours as crazy as party nights? As in, is there a crush of people during a certain time frame flooding the checkpoints? The official start time is 10 pm, which I'm thinking is when the fireworks are shown. Is the new parade still before that? Should we aim to get in around 8pm? We do have park hoppers.

Also, what rides would it be best to try and go on? Should we hit the ones with typically longer lines like Peter Pan? Does the Jungle Cruise run?

TIA!!!

 

[Karalee402]

I haven't found extended hours to be anything like party nights. For the most part (or at least what we do), people are in that park already, so there's really not a lot of people entering just for EEH. It's more of an emptying out of all the other guests.

 

[Coastie]

Be wary of many guests not staying at a deluxe resort who stay, regardless of rules. I did not see cast members checking bands. Around park closing time, we bee-lined to one of the more popular rides and the wait was less than 15 minutes. I can't see Jungle Cruise, Peter Pan, or 7-dwarfs being any different. We have done EPCOT (twice) and AK once... in a few weeks, we plan to try MK.

 

[msmayor]

Be wary of many guests not staying at a deluxe resort who stay, regardless of rules. I did not see cast members checking bands. Around park closing time, we bee-lined to one of the more popular rides and the wait was less than 15 minutes. I can't see Jungle Cruise, Peter Pan, or 7-dwarfs being any different. We have done EPCOT (twice) and AK once... in a few weeks, we plan to try MK.

Can't speak to ineligible guests getting in lines after official close, but as long as ANY guest is in line before the closing time, they get to stay...regardless of how long the line is. Lines don't magically go to 'no wait' at closing time, and you could easily find yourself only able to get to 2-3 attractions, depending on popularity.

 

[polynor]

Is getting into the Magic Kingdom for extended evening hours as crazy as party nights? As in, is there a crush of people during a certain time frame flooding the checkpoints? The official start time is 10 pm, which I'm thinking is when the fireworks are shown. Is the new parade still before that? Should we aim to get in around 8pm? We do have park hoppers.

Also, what rides would it be best to try and go on? Should we hit the ones with typically longer lines like Peter Pan? Does the Jungle Cruise run?

TIA!!!

It's not crazy. People who are ineligible to do the rides might still be in the park but will eventually clear out. Since anyone can jump in line right up to closing, at closing the lines won't necessarily be shorter yet -- however -- there won't be lightning lanes to compete with. they also won't really update the wait times displayed.
Double check the fireworks time -- it's not usually at park close. During the summer they'll run the parade, fireworks and parade again at closing. If you aren't watching the fireworks -- that's a great time to hop in line for things like Pooh, speedway, small world, mansion etc (even 7DMT). During extended -- start with some of those type of attractions first -- though not 7DMT -- to let the non-extended crowds clear out of the big rides. Then do the 7DMT, Tron, Space etc.
Our displayed line for Tron was still showing 60 minutes -- but we waited 30 minutes. we got in line about 40 minutes before the "end" of the evening hours and had enough time to get on space mountain.

 

[Genie+]

Hey a little bonus for any of you deluxe MK EEH-ers going on Wed April 22nd:

That night is DVC’s Moonlight Magic over at HS.

That is going to make a significant dent in MK EEH attendance that night!

 

[cheryl.UK]

Sometimes we have been in Epcot until closing then hopped over to MK for EEH, getting there around 9.45. We've never been in a big line to get in and we have always had our bands checked on the first ride. We have often seen families not stying at a deluxe being sent away just after park closure and once had the misfortune of having a guest trying to stop us entering because his family couldn't! This was at Buzz Lighyear ride. He leapt over the the barrier and stood in our way declaring it wasn't fair and suggested that we were friends of the cast members. Cast members quickly moved us across and escorted us in but it was a bit scary. This was a one off though and we've never seen anything else like this either before or after.