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.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Be wary of many guests not staying at a deluxe resort who stay, regardless of rules. I did not see cast members checking bands...

Don't they scan bands at the rides after park close? When I did EE at DHS CMs were stationed at each ride scanning ticket media before you were allowed to enter the line to ensure you were a deluxe guest. They didn't set up barrier type checks or sweeps like they do for party nights for non-deluxe guests, those crowds left on their own as there was nothing for them to do.

 

[maxiesmom]

If anyone else needs to be sure I did check the entertainment times-park hours are 9-10 with fireworks at 10.

Extra question: If I want to see the parade what time do I need to be in the park to grab a spot?

 

[Carolynleanne]

Last time we were there they scanned every band/ticket for every ride after park official closing time. Our kids did many rides over and over again with no lines around 11pm

 

[Babe the Blue Ox]

Don't they scan bands at the rides after park close? When I did EE at DHS CMs were stationed at each ride scanning ticket media before you were allowed to enter the line to ensure you were a deluxe guest. They didn't set up barrier type checks or sweeps like they do for party nights for non-deluxe guests, those crowds left on their own as there was nothing for them to do.

They typically scan one band per group for verification.

 

[Mle8308]

Don't they scan bands at the rides after park close? When I did EE at DHS CMs were stationed at each ride scanning ticket media before you were allowed to enter the line to ensure you were a deluxe guest. They didn't set up barrier type checks or sweeps like they do for party nights for non-deluxe guests, those crowds left on their own as there was nothing for them to do.

My experience, too. Some CM's would scan every band in the group, some attractions would ask how many and then scan just the first person. Happened at EMH at MK, DHS, and Epcot (we are usually there the 2 weeks when the MK EMH moves to DHS because of the party nights, se we get all 3). SOmetimes everyone, sometimes just the first person, but someone was always scanned.

 

[kilik64]

They are not gonna kick people out who are not deluxe, they can stay and shop etc until park close.

And yup as already pointed out, to get on any ride you have to scan MB, phone, etc to verify you are deluxe.

 

[Flash_Sloth]

They are not gonna kick people out who are not deluxe, they can stay and shop etc until park close.

And yup as already pointed out, to get on any ride you have to scan MB, phone, etc to verify you are deluxe.

Well, if non-deluxe guests stay to the very end, they might get a rude awakening when they realize that bus service to value & moderate resorts stopped. I think that bus service to value & moderates ends maybe 60 or so minutes after normal close; can anybody confirm the actual length?

But as others mentioned, during EEH, there are CMs at the entrances to the rides who scan magicbands to confirm if you're staying at a deluxe.

And unlike after-hour tickets or Moonlight Magic or MNSSHP/MVMCP/JN, EEH is not an entrance ticket. In order to do EEH, you need valid park admission, so most guests are already in the park. There will be some guests arriving later from park hopping or having dinner elsewhere, etc, but there isn't a mad rush like the ticketed events.

 

[Flash_Sloth]

This is what is open during EEH https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/extended-evening/

Peter Pan is listed, but not Jungle Cruise.

 

[TheDailyMoo]

Does the Jungle Cruise run?

This is what is open during EEH https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/extended-evening/

Peter Pan is listed, but not Jungle Cruise.

This last week when we were there for EEH Jungle Cruise and Tiana were both closed. I asked a CM if that was normal as I remember riding both many times during other trip EEHs and she said yes...that they assume people don't want water rides. Which makes very little sense but I just shrugged and moved on. Also agree with above that 7DMT is best saved for later on. In fact as it approaches closing I usually end up on it 3-4 times in a row as basically a walk on. Many times I'm on the last train. Tron kinda works the same but there's a lull in the line around 11:30 or so I noticed and then it gets crowded again until it tapers off towards 1 am. Hit something like Pirates or Haunted as they become walk ons then go for the bigger rides.

 

[Sherry76]

This last week when we were there for EEH Jungle Cruise and Tiana were both closed. I asked a CM if that was normal as I remember riding both many times during other trip EEHs and she said yes...that they assume people don't want water rides. Which makes very little sense but I just shrugged and moved on. Also agree with above that 7DMT is best saved for later on. In fact as it approaches closing I usually end up on it 3-4 times in a row as basically a walk on. Many times I'm on the last train. Tron kinda works the same but there's a lull in the line around 11:30 or so I noticed and then it gets crowded again until it tapers off towards 1 am. Hit something like Pirates or Haunted as they become walk ons then go for the bigger rides.

1 am? How long are the extended hours for deluxe hotel guests?

 

[Flash_Sloth]

1 am? How long are the extended hours for deluxe hotel guests?

EEH lasts for 2 hours. If the normal park close is 10pm, EEH goes to midnight. If 11pm, then it goes to 1am. For those nights where it goes to midnight or 1am, yeah, the crowds and lines really get small for the last half hour. I've had a boat to myself on Pirates, and I've ridden Tron as a walk-on back to back to back. Compared to normal lines, it is pretty awesome.

 

[scrappinginontario]

1 am? How long are the extended hours for deluxe hotel guests?

I’m not sure about historical hours but for upcoming EEH with published hours, Epcot is 9:00-11:00 and MK is 10:00-12:00.

 

[TheDailyMoo]

I’m not sure about historical hours but for upcoming EEH with published hours, Epcot is 9:00-11:00 and MK is 10:00-12:00.

1 am? How long are the extended hours for deluxe hotel guests?

Last week MK closed at 11 so EEH went to 1 I'm assuming because it was Spring break and they kept it open later with the crowds although many of my MK EEHs have been till 1 even in the summer less crowded times. Epcot will never go past 11 unless a hard ticketed event.