MNSSHP - No more early entry?

[Cheshire Figment]

If they did a hard close it would have to be at 6:00 and get out the whips and cattle prods to get everyone out by 7:00.

 

[beattyfamily]

I don't understand how this would be a logistical nightmare? This used to be the policy, years ago, back when we first started going to MVMCP. I don't remember it being a problem at all.

In fact, I'd prefer it that way. Empty the park of the day guests first, then open it to the party. Feels more special that way.

It would only be a logistical nightmare if they stopped letting party goers in at 4:00p and yet still kept the park open till 7:00p. That would mean that approx 20,000 party goers will be trying to get in at 7:00p while day guests are still leaving up till 7:00p.

In the past, the park was close for an hour. If they did that again, it'd be GREAT.

 

[pmdeve]

Thanks for the heads up. Just made reservations for Liberty Tree Tavern for 3:00 on the day of our party.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

Thanks for the heads up. Just made reservations for Liberty Tree Tavern for 3:00 on the day of our party.

Unless you have a park hopper, why would you waste a day's park ticket on one hour?

 

[PatsMom]

I have an ADR at Crystal Palace for 4:35 on September 21st when we are attending MNSSHP so the ultimate answer doesn't really matter to me as long as they are letting those of us with ADRs in in time to get to our meal. We don't have park hoppers and are planning on going to the AK in the morning, returning to Bay Lake Tower and resting a bit, then going to the MK for dinner and the party.

Just wanted to say that I've seen this rumor several times and nothing has come of it. So I wouldn't worry about it. But I wanted to mention that for those who think they might make a dinnig reservation to get in early, it might be impossible for at least the early parties as free dining is in effect at that time. So I would expect that most of the dinner times at the sit down restaurants are already taken for September! We made ours before free dining opened up since we wanted an early character dinner before the party.

Years ago when we did the party, they 'herded' those of us with tickets/wristbands to Fantasyland at 6 when the park closed to day guests. It was awesome! We rode all the Fantasyland attractions before the park re-opened at 7 and then headed right to Tomorrowland for Space Mountain with no wait! I wouldn't mind them bringing this back at all.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

Sommeone correct me if this is wrong, but if the party entry really is at 7, a 4:35 ADR will not get you in the park.

 

[PatsMom]

Sommeone correct me if this is wrong, but if the party entry really is at 7, a 4:35 ADR will not get you in the park.

It will according to the information being given out by the CM's. They are saying they will admit and give bracelets to those who have an ADR listed.

You may stand corrected (or at least cited for not reading the entire thread)

 

[geenerbell]

If they did a hard close it would have to be at 6:00 and get out the whips and cattle prods to get everyone out by 7:00.

Do you think this is a possibility?

 

[rie'smom]

The people at the call centers know that the Party Hours are 7:00pm to Midnight. The call centers are in Orlando, Tampa, Houston, Salt Lake City and somewhere in North Carolina. The people at the call centers don't know all the procedures.

There has been nothing published internally which states that the tickets will not be valid starting at 4:00. It is just that the call center people do not know that the tickets are valid earlier.

This same problem happens every year!

Thi is exactly what I was going to post. Call center CMs who may have never even been to WDW much less a hard ticket event are reading the times off of a ticket or the website.
There have been 1 zillion posts more or less about incorrect information told to guests by the call center.

Do you think this is a possibility?

It should would be different start to a Disney party.

 

[Robo]

... just waiting for Robo's "it happens every year" post lol

It happens every year.




"The CM said..." info gets posted and those who have not been through it every year start to panic.

Don't panic.

 

[mom2rtk]

Ahh, but there IS a bean counter in charge of the parks now. He probably assumes every person buying a ticket wanting in at 4 will now buy a single day ticket to get in at that time.

 

[cyctorres]

I don't understand how this would be a logistical nightmare? This used to be the policy, years ago, back when we first started going to MVMCP. I don't remember it being a problem at all.

In fact, I'd prefer it that way. Empty the park of the day guests first, then open it to the party.

In universal studios they do it that way

 

[mom2rtk]

Well, either way it's bound to be a PR disaster. To change a practice that has been established for several years without good communication is very poor business practice. If that's where it was headed, that's great. But they needed to make that announcement at the time tickets went on sale and people made ADR's and touring plans. Having people potentially show up at 4 only to find out it changed with no communication would certainly create an ugly scene.

It doesn't matter to me. We have ADR's in the park just ahead of both nights we're attending, and will be day guests before that.

But how on earth do they plan on getting that many people IN the park without wasting 30-45 minutes of their already diminished park time just fighting those crowds?

 

[Robo]

We have no valid reason to think that they have changed anything.

 

[bas71873]

Ahh, but there IS a bean counter in charge of the parks now. He probably assumes every person buying a ticket wanting in at 4 will now buy a single day ticket to get in at that time.

...and we all know what assuming does. I won't buy a single day ticket to get in at 4:00. We use party days as our "down" day to relax, swim & nap so we can get to the park at 4:00 and then close it down. And if this "rumor" does prove to be true, then 1) the "change" should have been announced so that people could plan accordingly and 2) it will be the last party my family attends. I personally don't think 5 hours in a park is worth $60. And if I end up wasting some of that time after 7:00 waiting in line to get in with all the other party goers, I really won't be a happy partier! That extra 3 hours is really, really useful. Just my opinion though.

Come on first MNSSHP so we can all rest easy

 

[maiapapaya]

I was going to post something similar to CheshireFigment's cattle prod comment. So far, the party nights have MK hours listed as closing at 7:00. If the party starts at 7:00 and regular day guests (without tickets) will be in the park until 7:00 (according to the current schedule) there is no way they could get those people out while trying to admit all of the party ticket holders who will have been gathering outside, effectively wasting a huge amount of those guests party time - and creating a PR nightmare in the mean time. You would have a heck of a lot of severely ticked off people who payed big bucks for their tickets. The only way not allowing party guests in until 7:00 would seemingly work would be if they reverted to the old system of admitting & holding party guests in one of the lands, closing the park at 6 and clearing it out. Based on the posted hours so far it does not appear that this is planned.

There really doesn't seem to be a good reason to change the current policy. Non-party guests get to have a decent length of day in the park and party guests get the perk of entering a few hours early (which also greatly helps to avoid a log jam for a 7:00 pm party entry). No one is going to buy a full day's admission on top of their party ticket to compensate for those 3 hours.

 

[mom2rtk]

No one is going to buy a full day's admission on top of their party ticket to compensate for those 3 hours.

Well, I didn't say people WOULD buy an extra ticket. I just said maybe the bean counters ASSUMED they would!

Additionally, closing at 6 would prove problematic for MVMCP because there would be little time to do the castle lighting after dark early in the season.

 

[tony609]

I know it would be a nightmare trying to get people in at 7pm BUT Disney use to do it ALL the time. The park closed at 6pm re-opened at 7pm, for years. I don't think they will do it BUT it can be done. I think asking the cm's on the phone they are telling you what the ticket information says and they will stand bythe 7pm entry . Letting people in at 4pm is a courtesy that Disney does not have to do.

 

[madge]

I know it would be a nightmare trying to get people in at 7pm BUT Disney use to do it ALL the time. The park closed at 6pm re-opened at 7pm, for years. I don't think they will do it BUT it can be done. I think asking the cm's on the phone they are telling you what the ticket information says and they will stand bythe 7pm entry . Letting people in at 4pm is a courtesy that Disney does not have to do.

one thing about the 6pm closure, though .. they let people in early then, too. We didn't know that the first year we went to MNSSHP (2002), but we did the second year. We went in around 5pm, and waited in Tomorrowland between 6:00 & 7:00pm until the party started.

 

[maiapapaya]

Well, I didn't say people WOULD buy an extra ticket. I just said maybe the bean counters ASSUMED they would!

Additionally, closing at 6 would prove problematic for MVMCP because there would be little time to do the castle lighting after dark early in the season.

Oh, I wasn't criticizing your theory (which could be right based on so-called Disney logic ) I meant TPTB are sadly mistaken if they think there would be some sort of financial benefit to restricting admittance until 7. And I agree about MVMCP. It would really mess up the whole castle lighting show.

I know it would be a nightmare trying to get people in at 7pm BUT Disney use to do it ALL the time. The park closed at 6pm re-opened at 7pm, for years. I don't think they will do it BUT it can be done. I think asking the cm's on the phone they are telling you what the ticket information says and they will stand bythe 7pm entry . Letting people in at 4pm is a courtesy that Disney does not have to do.

That was part of the point I was trying to make. Based on the current hours posted the park isn't closing at 6:00 (to empty it out). They have the closing time listed as 7:00, so unless they update the hours they can't be using the old system. While it is a courtesy to let people in at 4, they do need some sort of strategy to handle the outgoing/incoming crowds if they discontinue that practise.