Getting on rides just before park closing

[GADisneyDad14]

Well I learned something new today. It seems that WDW also has FPs in less than full hour increments at the end of the day.

Thanks for the heads up.

Yeah, there a few little nuances with end of day FPs. Not all have <full hour increments, but many do.

Let's look at MK for example. I just pulled up 60 days out, so lots of availability and enough to see patterns. 10pm scheduled closing. The last FP available for almost every ride is 9:30pm. The last character meet FP is 9pm.

Epcot, same thing - last FP of 8:30pm. 9pm closing.

AK is more of a mixed bag... Navi, Primeval Whirl have 7:30pm FPs (8pm closing). EE, Kali, Safari, Adventurers Outpost stop at 7pm. I'm going to assume that any post 7pm FPs aren't full yet for those rides, so that would seem to be a case where Disney is purposely not allowing a <1hr window FPs so things start clearing out. I can't see FoP as it's not available, but I assume it's probably 7pm (not sure though).

DHS has a 8:30pm scheduled closing. Last FP for AS2 and TSM is 7:30pm. The last FP for RnR, Star Tours, ToT is 8pm. Can't see SDD, but I bet it's 7:30pm along with the other TSL rides.

Anyway, point being there is some variability in the "less than 1 hour" last hour FP discussion.

I'm sure the programming of the above can probably change from time to time as well as they see fit.

(I'm ignoring shows and other things with odd FP times the sake of this discussion)

 

[shocker]

I just want to add that Pandora sometimes closes before official park closing. When this happens they have a sidewalk placard as you enter the land telling you what time it closes. Just be on the lookout for this if you want to use this strategy (still a good option, just have to change your arrival time). You can ask a CM also, most have pocket guides for park info on them.

 

[krinicone]

Thanks for all the info! getting in line just before park closing sounds like a good idea!

But how long after park closing does Disney transportation run?

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Thanks for all the info! getting in line just before park closing sounds like a good idea!

But how long after park closing does Disney transportation run?

Disney will never leave a guest stranded in a park without some form of transportation.

It’s not all that unusual for some of the very last guests out to find a bus where the driver asks “where do you need to go” and off you go.

 

[AngiTN]

Which would be why I asked what the last FP was since AngieTN said there were no FP returns during those last few minutes of regular park hours.

I guess what I said was not clear.
What I meant is FP people won't continue to get in line after closing. There will be FP people there AT closing but only a few and they'll filter through quickly. The few remaining FP returnees won't cause a significant delay to the stand by line. Where any other time of the day, they are

They'll issue FP with as little as a 20 min window, when it butts up to closing (at least that's the smallest window I've seen)

 

[AngiTN]

Thanks for all the info! getting in line just before park closing sounds like a good idea!

But how long after park closing does Disney transportation run?

Till every guest is gone

 

[pens4821]

Just giving our thoughts on getting in line late/early. We got a fp for tot Tuesday night and went in at 730 (lines up right outside the lobby). We came out after 8. They only had 2 elevators going, it was painstakingly slow. Same with mission space and test track the night before.

We haven’t had great luck moving quickly through the lines very early in the morning (emh mornings) or late at night this week. On previous trips we could get more done. The crowds are higher but they seem to run understaffed at these times. In the morning Everest had 2 trains running, rockin rollercoaster took a while and we were in the first 100ish to ride by the time we got out it was at 35 minutes (2 years ago we rode twice quickly), and btmrr only had one side going.

It’s frustrating how slow everything has been moving at these times when we are used to it being so much better.

 

[PrincessWithABlaster]

I just want to add that Pandora sometimes closes before official park closing. When this happens they have a sidewalk placard as you enter the land telling you what time it closes. Just be on the lookout for this if you want to use this strategy (still a good option, just have to change your arrival time). You can ask a CM also, most have pocket guides for park info on them.

There were reports of the placard showing up around NYE however there were no reports of anyone actually being turned away. There was some suspicion here that that might have been intended to discourage people from going late rather than actually closing early. Especially since it was on a day when Disney had MDE push a rather misleading message about the MK phased closure. I'm curious - have you seen the placard and if so did you see them actually close early?

 

[BridgetBordeaux]

Disney will never leave a guest stranded in a park without some form of transportation.

It’s not all that unusual for some of the very last guests out to find a bus where the driver asks “where do you need to go” and off you go.

Thanks for this piece of information!

 

[AngiTN]

There were reports of the placard showing up around NYE however there were no reports of anyone actually being turned away. There was some suspicion here that that might have been intended to discourage people from going late rather than actually closing early. Especially since it was on a day when Disney had MDE push a rather misleading message about the MK phased closure. I'm curious - have you seen the placard and if so did you see them actually close early?

When Pandora first opened, sure did, regularly had land closures in Pandora and the ride regularly closed the line prior to closing. That was only for a few weeks, couple of months at the most. It's not been a problem since.

 

[shocker]

When Pandora first opened, sure did, regularly had land closures in Pandora and the ride regularly closed the line prior to closing. That was only for a few weeks, couple of months at the most. It's not been a problem since.

Actually, it happened to me during my Oct or Dec 2018 trip, so it is still happening & worth checking into if you're banking on this strategy.

 

[AngiTN]

Actually, it happened to me during my Oct or Dec 2018 trip, so it is still happening & worth checking into if your banking on this strategy.

What happened? You were not allowed into Pandora or on FoP?

 

[Babe the Blue Ox]

There were reports of the placard showing up around NYE however there were no reports of anyone actually being turned away. There was some suspicion here that that might have been intended to discourage people from going late rather than actually closing early. Especially since it was on a day when Disney had MDE push a rather misleading message about the MK phased closure. I'm curious - have you seen the placard and if so did you see them actually close early?

The was one unconfirmed report on New Years Day where a guest was told by a ride attendant that FoP was closing an hour early.

There was never any evidence that it actually occurred.

 

[wfjny]

When Pandora first opened, sure did, regularly had land closures in Pandora and the ride regularly closed the line prior to closing. That was only for a few weeks, couple of months at the most. It's not been a problem since.

I also remember this happening several years ago with Toy Story Mania. I specifically remember it closing at 7:00, and mentioning that the sign was printed for 7:00 PM, not a Velcro type where they could put different times depending on the day.

Not to say that they did not have different signs with different times. If memory serves me correct, I think the "Closed" the entire "Plaza", and not just the ride. The point being, this approach is nothing new for Disney.

 

[tinkerbelletreasure]

I used this strategy in Disneyland to ride Radiator Springs Racers last time I was there. It had a posted hour plus wait time and got through the line in about 20 minutes. Cast members wanna ho home too. They keep the line moving.

 

[Babe the Blue Ox]

I also remember this happening several years ago with Toy Story Mania. I specifically remember it closing at 7:00, and mentioning that the sign was printed for 7:00 PM, not a Velcro type where they could put different times depending on the day.

Not to say that they did not have different signs with different times. If memory serves me correct, I think the "Closed" the entire "Plaza", and not just the ride. The point being, this approach is nothing new for Disney.

Those Toy Story Mania early closings were also somewhat misleading. They did close the ride early when they had the first incarnation of Star Wars fireworks overhead. They put up that 7 pm sign when the fireworks were scheduled for 8 pm, but in reality they only had to have the area cleared 20 minutes before showtime. When the line was short, they would actually keep the entrance to the ride open until 7:30 or so but the only way to tell was to walk pass the "Closed" placard and see if the gate was still open. If it was you could still ride again.

Even when it was new, the line for Toy Story would get very short near the end of the evening. We've always waiting until the last hour of the day so that we could ride at least 4 times back to back. I don't ever recall an early closing for that one that wasn't fireworks related.

 

[AngiTN]

I also remember this happening several years ago with Toy Story Mania. I specifically remember it closing at 7:00, and mentioning that the sign was printed for 7:00 PM, not a Velcro type where they could put different times depending on the day.

Not to say that they did not have different signs with different times. If memory serves me correct, I think the "Closed" the entire "Plaza", and not just the ride. The point being, this approach is nothing new for Disney.

Totally different situation. They closed that area for fireworks. It wasn't a random, ride too full, no more riders tonight, closure. They were published/printed closures. Planned for. This still occurs at MK. The difference at MK, at least most nights, the closed areas reopen. Typically they did not at HS because the park was closed after fireworks.

 

[wfjny]

Totally different situation. They closed that area for fireworks. It wasn't a random, ride too full, no more riders tonight, closure. They were published/printed closures. Planned for. This still occurs at MK. The difference at MK, at least most nights, the closed areas reopen. Typically they did not at HS because the park was closed after fireworks.

Ok, thanks, yeah, I forgot about the fireworks.

My how things have changed over the years...