How does Disney close?

[gdrj]

With a good night kiss

Never knew about this until our trip this past Fall when we stayed to see it.

 

[cajunfan]

We accidently closed down MK in 2004...Back then they had "e-nights", the pre-curser to EMH, and the boys had a friend there in MK at the same time. It was almost closing time and they wanted to get one more ride in on Splash Mtn. with their friend and to have a picture. Unfortunately, the friend looked the opposite way at the time the camera took the photo. We begged for one more ride and they let us get on and sent us on our way. When we got off the second time and the picture was good, we sent the extra boy out to his waiting parents and we stopped in the dump shop to purchase the photo (pre Memory Maker/Photopass). Well for some reason, the first print did not come out well, so they had to re-do it. By the time we got the picture and headed out of MK, it was empty. As we were walking toward the front, we noticed some managers with ear pieces following us...they had pin lanyards on, so the boys HAD to check them out (we were oblivious to the fact at the time that we were the only people in the park). Both managers were extremely nice and let the boys, and us, spend some time checking out their pins. Once that was done, they walked with us toward the front just chit-chatting. It was not until we got to the front gates that they told us we were the last guest in the MK, asked us about transportation (we were staying at the Poly, so the monorail). The monorail people cheered when we made it up the ramp to load (that was a tad embarrassing). But at no time in the park did we feel like we were being rushed or even escorted out of the parks. That was a MAGICAL trip. Lots of special memories from that trip, and this was one of them. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to walk down memory lane!

 

[scrappinginontario]

Never knew about this until our trip this past Fall when we stayed to see it.

Where does the good night kiss take place and how long after park closing? Since we're going in Sept the MK often closes early so we would be able to see it as long as it was not a MNSSHP night.

 

[Crystal824]

They close the parks kind of like a tree. All the rides, shops, streets etc are like the leaves. As PPs said, they will close the queues and lock some shops. Then starting at the back of the park, CMs will slowly start moving from the leaves, towards the commoner areas (the branches) before eventually ending up at the main exit area (trunk). The CMs only advance forward when the guests in front of them move forward. They won't force you to move forward towards the exit, but they won't let you go back them back into the park. Then as they move forward, they will join with the CMs from the other areas, slowly herding the guests out. But seeing as how the ride queues will close when the park does, most of the smaller stores at the same time usually with the larger stores (Mouse Gears, Emporium) closing an hour or so after the park does, there isn't much to do at that point but slowly make your way out of the park.

This. It has been a LONG time since my CP days. That is how we closed AK. I worked in Asia. All the shops and attractions in Asia closed right at park close. The CMS who worked further in Asia (Jungle Trek and Kali) would advance that area and declare it cleared. Then they would tell me. I would stand near the bridge and not let anyone else come into Asia saying good-bye and waving to those leaving. When that area was cleared, we would move forward toward the tree. The only shops that stayed open after park close were those near the tree and toward the front of the park.

 

[gdrj]

Where does the good night kiss take place and how long after park closing? Since we're going in Sept the MK often closes early so we would be able to see it as long as it was not a MNSSHP night.

It is at the castle, at closing. There were not a lot of people there so you can just sit somewhere in the middle near Mickey and Walt Statue.

 

[ajwolfe]

Closing the park at Disney World is the most stress free thing you can do on a vacation.

Can't agree more!! We take our time and mosey out, enjoying the sites and taking pictures without the mass crowds in them.

 

[shanethesaint88]

It's standard policy to never ask or tell the guest to leave the park. First off most people just leave when it's time to leave. They just assume they have to hurry up and leave or they will be in trouble or something lol and then like others have said they just don't allow you to do things. Surprisingly many merchandise locations stay open for a good half hour after park closing. I'm sure if it came down to it and you just wouldn't leave they would ask you to leave but they "trick" you into leaving so that never becomes an issue.

 

[RedAngie]

There are big signs at the entrance of the park on party days to tell you when the park closes. I guess people really don't pay attention, or just play dumb.

Some people may not pay attention, some others may play dumb, but I'm guessing the bulk of the people caught without wristbands on party nights think the rules just don't apply to them.


Many years ago, the MK closed perhaps at midnight and we got in line for Space Mountain at 11:59 and 45 seconds. The line was still an hour long. After riding, Tomorrowland had cleared out, and there were CMs every 50 feet or so directing stragglers toward Main Street. They were very nice and polite, saying "Goodnight, hope you had a great day" etc., but it was clear they wanted you out of the park. All the stores on Main Street had already closed also, but there were still some people lingering. I suppose within the next 10 minutes the CMs started shooing them out as well.

 

[Happy_Haunt999]

At the MK they rope off areas. They extend them out across parts of the park that they have cleared so you can't go back there and kind of gently "force" you to MSUSA.

 

[Dan Murphy]

 

[HelloMimi]

The monorail people cheered when we made it up the ramp to load (that was a tad embarrassing).

I think I'd pay extra to be cheered by the monorail people!

Where does the good night kiss take place and how long after park closing? Since we're going in Sept the MK often closes early so we would be able to see it as long as it was not a MNSSHP night.

The Kiss Goodnight takes place more than once a night! I think the schedule is every 30 minutes after the park "closes." When we were there in January with an 8:00 closing, we saw it at 8:30 and 9:00.

 

[cgattis]

We accidently closed down MK in 2004...Back then they had "e-nights", the pre-curser to EMH, and the boys had a friend there in MK at the same time. It was almost closing time and they wanted to get one more ride in on Splash Mtn. with their friend and to have a picture. Unfortunately, the friend looked the opposite way at the time the camera took the photo. We begged for one more ride and they let us get on and sent us on our way. When we got off the second time and the picture was good, we sent the extra boy out to his waiting parents and we stopped in the dump shop to purchase the photo (pre Memory Maker/Photopass). Well for some reason, the first print did not come out well, so they had to re-do it. By the time we got the picture and headed out of MK, it was empty. As we were walking toward the front, we noticed some managers with ear pieces following us...they had pin lanyards on, so the boys HAD to check them out (we were oblivious to the fact at the time that we were the only people in the park). Both managers were extremely nice and let the boys, and us, spend some time checking out their pins. Once that was done, they walked with us toward the front just chit-chatting. It was not until we got to the front gates that they told us we were the last guest in the MK, asked us about transportation (we were staying at the Poly, so the monorail). The monorail people cheered when we made it up the ramp to load (that was a tad embarrassing). But at no time in the park did we feel like we were being rushed or even escorted out of the parks. That was a MAGICAL trip. Lots of special memories from that trip, and this was one of them. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to walk down memory lane!

We had a very similar experience at Animal Kingdom last fall, on our only visit we'd ever seen AK after dark. The lady who was (in hindsight) herding us to the gate was chatting all the way about her job and the animals in the Oasis, etc. but not making us feel rushed at all. It wasn't until I took one last look over my shoulder that I realized how many CMs were in the area behind us and we were the last ones to leave. Also got our own private bus. As you said, it was quite magical and one of our very favorite memories from our many visits

 

[Big Kid at the World]

would highly recommend staying till closing. Great ride time and feel like have park to yourself!!!

 

[jenniy122]

Once they turn off the music and majority of lights on Main St. you kind of get the idea My roommates and I were the last "guests" in MK one night of our CP, but two of them worked on Main St.

 

[Monykalyn]

Yeah, they just stop letting you get on rides pretty much. Then once the park empties out people begin to funnel through to main street and they're playing the "When you wish upon a star" music, which is Disney's "bye-bye" music. There have been a couple of times when I stayed in Main Street til pretty much everyone else was gone. I bet the CM's hated me....

Actually I LOVED closing down the park during my CP-loved closing much much more than opening. It was so fun to chat with guests, walk with them etc. IIRC our shift schedule didn't end until 2 hours 1.5 hours??) after official close anyway (where I worked anyway-merch shop in future world at EPCOT right at the boat docks). We had to do cash handling, stock the shop etc. Loved working glow and talking with stragglers. We usually sang some stupid top 10 song as loud as we could walking back to wardrobe LOL and see who we could get to join in-then off to Waffle House for smothered and covered hashbrowns. Aaahhh to be 21 again...

'Course my CP was long ago but I loved the empty parks as much as the guests. My girls and I closed down MK during an EMH last year (3 am).

 

[scrappinginontario]

The Kiss Goodnight takes place more than once a night! I think the schedule is every 30 minutes after the park "closes." When we were there in January with an 8:00 closing, we saw it at 8:30 and 9:00.

Thank you.

 

[figment_jii]

I've also been in Epcot well past closing (we had a late dining reservation). As others have mentioned, all of the attraction and shop entrances close and they do eventually start sending security around to check the bathrooms and buildings. We met up with a security CM as we walked out and he asked which exit we were heading to and then I heard him radio in that information. There were still other guests in other restaurants (we could see guests in Les Chefs), so I would guess security slowly sweeps the parks and as areas clear out, the move on to the next area moving closer to the exits.

 

[cijay]

It just struck me that I have never been in any of the parks at closing time. I'm curious, what is Disney's protocol for letting people know it's closing time and getting thousands of people out of the park?

I took my niece there in 2010 and we closed the park every night. On the last night, we were absolutely sucking every last second out of the place as we were flying out the next day. We asked the guy at the exit "can we be the last to leave?" He let us stand there and when there was nobody else but staff, we walked out.

 

[franandaj]

I've had friends who stayed in the parks well after closing taking long image photography. They took their time leaving the parks and security found them over 2 hours after park closing. While the officers were cordial they encouraged them to leave relatively quickly as opposed to allowing them to continually set up photo shoots and taking pictures of the empty park.

 

[LadyGrimm]

Chiming in that I've also had two great experiences being an "accidental" last guest. Once was when I was in college and went with a few friends. We closed out the night at Epcot on the international side of the lagoon, and I can't remember why we lingered, but we were finally moving towards the front of the park by way of Mexico when we got stopped by some CMs and asked to hold on for a second. They lifted the drawbridge (which until that moment I didn't even realize was a drawbridge) to allow the Illuminations globe to float back into the maintenance area. It was so cool!

The other time, my husband and I got into the Mission Space line at 11:59 on an EMH night closing at 12:00. We were halfway through when the ride stopped. We waited a minute, then our "pod" door opened and a CM popped his head in. I thought for sure he'd tell us the ride was broken and we'd have to get out, but instead he said someone in another pod had gotten sick, asked us if we managed to finish our ride (no), and if we wanted to finish (yes). We didn't realize the whole ride would be started over from the beginning! By the time we finished it was about 12:45. We exited our pod and were walking towards the attraction exit when I heard cheering and clapping. I thought for a second it was an audio effect I'd just never noticed before, but nope - we rounded the corner and there was every Mission Space CM, cheering and applauding as though we really had just saved the mission! It was amazing. When we left, park security was there and they followed us towards the exit, but they never said a word or hurried us. One of my favorite WDW memories.