I'm confused... Wishes and park closing?

[blemon]

Ok, so the Disney website says the park closes at 9 and that Wishes starts at 9.
(This is May 7, a Sunday).

What happens? Do the fireworks start earlier or does the park really close at 9:12?

When do the rides stop?

Thanks in advance. Just trying to plan here...

 

[Amelia :)]

Park close means you can't join any more ride queues. Nobody is kicking anybody out at 9pm, locking the doors and turning the lights off. Hours will probably be extended anyway.

 

[blemon]

Thanks. I did a search of hours for the past 3 years and on Sundays in early May they were open until 10 or 11 and wishes was always at 10. In 2016 they were even open until midnight (not in my plan as we have ADR for BOG at 8:15).
Hoping they will extend the hours!

 

[Amelia :)]

Thanks. I did a search of hours for the past 3 years and on Sundays in early May they were open until 10 or 11 and wishes was always at 10. In 2016 they were even open until midnight (not in my plan as we have ADR for BOG at 8:15).
Hoping they will extend the hours!

Hope it works out for you! We were there during a fairly quiet time and I never saw a 9pm close.

 

[DOOM1001]

Even if park hours are or are not extended its just normal to have the fireworks start at closing time,look at Epcot,that's pretty much what goes on every day,9pm closing time and 9pm Illuminations.Even weirder is some days when they have Fantasmic 30 minutes after park closing time at DHS.As someone said closing time just means you can't get in line past closing time,with a MK 9pm closing time you might have people in line for certain rides until close to 10pm and the last people to leave the parks might not leave until 11:30.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

This is how any theme park I've ever gone to that has a nighttime show works.
I find it odd that it seems like many people get confused by it.

 

[Robo]

This is how any theme park I've ever gone to that has a nighttime show works.
I find it odd that it seems like many people get confused by it.

But, unlike Epcot, the MK fireworks are NOT always tied to "park closing time."
Many nights at MK, the fireworks don't close MK.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

But, unlike Epcot, the MK fireworks are NOT always tied to "park closing time."
Many nights at MK, the fireworks don't close MK.

But when they do I don't see why it should confuse anyone.
I see questions like this on here and other forums on a weekly basis asking about Disney, Six Flags, Cedar Fair parks.... It just surprises me how many people don't understand it.

 

[Baby Groot]

I guess a lot of people think amusement parks are supposed to be empty by closing time. That's not how Disney ones work anyway.

 

[Amelia :)]

I actually went to go in a shop in AK not long after closing (10-15 mins) and the doors were locked and I couldn't get my souvenirs! So actually there it seemed like closed meant closed. Somebody who hasn't been before isn't going to be familiar with the closing procedure at MK.

 

[DOOM1001]

I actually went to go in a shop in AK not long after closing (10-15 mins) and the doors were locked and I couldn't get my souvenirs! So actually there it seemed like closed meant closed. Somebody who hasn't been before isn't going to be familiar with the closing procedure at MK.

That shop in AK must not have been near the entrance as that's usually what they do,they'll only leave the stores near the front open herd the guests toward the front of the park to get them out of the back and get them to leave.Although the AK layout is a bit different with fewer stores right by the entrance so who knows maybe the store you tried to enter was not that far from the entrance but far enough that it was closed.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

I actually went to go in a shop in AK not long after closing (10-15 mins) and the doors were locked and I couldn't get my souvenirs! So actually there it seemed like closed meant closed. Somebody who hasn't been before isn't going to be familiar with the closing procedure at MK.

My guess is the same as a PP. I assume it was a shop further into the park. They start closing from back to front to get people headed toward the exit.
My family has always closed the parks as in an hour after closing we are still in the Emporium, Mouse Gears etc... and often times back in the day it was easy to find our car because it was the lone one in the parking lot lol.
Same for Universal and Seaworld. In fact I've got a pic from November of 2016 which shows my parent's car being all alone in the one section at Seaworld an hour after the park officially closed.

 

[Accident]

while rarer, there is times where close means it's time to leave and all shops and cast members will be more visible to point you the direction you should be walking. AK has all those stands outside the park which take place of the large anchor shop inside the park to get those on the way out merch.

 

[Amelia :)]

while rarer, there is times where close means it's time to leave and all shops and cast members will be more visible to point you the direction you should be walking. AK has all those stands outside the park which take place of the large anchor shop inside the park to get those on the way out merch.

Yeah that's exactly what happened. I went to the large shop near the entrance, there were a couple of people in there but they had locked the doors and were showing people out, they saw me trying to open the door but wouldn't let me in. I went to the smaller shop near the car park.

 

[DOOM1001]

often times back in the day it was easy to find our car because it was the lone one in the parking lot lol.
Same for Universal and Seaworld. In fact I've got a pic from November of 2016 which shows my parent's car being all alone in the one section at Seaworld an hour after the park officially closed.

About 2-3 weeks ago I took the Busch Gardens shuttle from Sea World and I was literally the first car to enter the parking lot as well as the last car to leave the parking lot.The bus dropped us off around 7:30 pm with the park closing at 6pm and it looks like Sea World doesn't play around getting people out of the park as 90 minutes after park close at Disney there would still be people inside the stores or just strolling around,also pretty much most of others that got off the bus with us were taking the I Ride trolley or some other transportation so our car was there all alone by its lonesome self.