"Official" 2018 Disney After Hours (DAH) Thread (Now Closed, see New 2019 Thread)

[igrsod]

Guess that's why the rest of the park is so empty! Everyone is on Dwarfs!

The funny thing is, although it's a "good" ride, it's not my favourite and I can gladly skip it. Weird that it is still SOOOOOO popular. I think other rides are just as good or better.

 

[GMatisse]

Did DAH on 2/8. Collected lanyards at 6:30 at front of park (Town Hall sent us there, they said they weren’t handing them out until 7 at TH). This night has been the highlight of our trip!

Highs: seeing fireworks on BTMR, not one of our family got run over by a stroller or scooter!
Lows: kinda sad to see MK scattered with litter and dropped Mickey bars here and there. They ran out of bottles water at the end of the night.
Consumed (family of 3): 5 Mickey bars, 1 Olaf bar, 3 popcorns, 3 drinks
Here is what we rode:

BTMR (x2) both times during fireworks, second time during fireworks finale!
Splash Mountain*
Pirates
Buzz Lightyear
People Mover
Haunted Mansion (x2)
Peter Pan (x2)
SDMT (10 minute wait...only wait of the night)
BTMR
Splash Mountain

*the first time we rode Splash Mountain, the audio was off and only random animatronics were moving. It must be on a timer of some sort and they forgot to turn it back on. It was really creepy but in a fun way.

 

[Haley R]

The funny thing is, although it's a "good" ride, it's not my favourite and I can gladly skip it. Weird that it is still SOOOOOO popular. I think other rides are just as good or better.

I completely agree with you. Dh and I really could skip 7dmt and not think twice. Btmr is my absolute favorite just because it’s so much fun to ride at night. Space or CoP come tied in second. I think it’s still popular because it has characters on the ride and younger kids might be more willing to ride it compared to space or btmr.

 

[coasternut22]

Went Thursday. Had a blast. Not much to add except I can confirm that we were able to get our lanyards at the Liberty Square ticket office at 7:15pm. Also rode BTMRR twice during the fireworks. So cool.

 

[MommaBerd]

This is my first chance to catch up and give my thoughts on the event.

I must say, I was surprised by the number of people in the park AND that it was not a sold-out night. Here’s the thing - in 2016 our family went in November and on one of the days the park closed at 4:00 for a Cast Member party. Because we had park hoppers, we went that morning. The “crowds” that day were truly non-existent. It was amazing! So, that is what I was hoping for with DAH. After reading the reviews here, I thought my expectations were realistic, so I was a little disappointed with the number of people there.

All that being said, we were able to ride almost every ride we wanted, with the exception of AstroOrbiter which DS decided would take too much time. We did take our time and enjoy the evening VERY much. We never really rushed to any ride. DS said it was his favorite trip so far! And THAT made it “worth it.”

We were in right at 6:00. We FP’d: Jungle Cruise (great Skipper!)
PotC
Magic Carpets (no FP)
HM
Event began and we rode/
BTMRR x2 (had to re-board) - fireworks
Splash
(Popcorn)
Space
Buzz
(Ice cream)
Teacups
Pooh
7DMT (long-ish line; we must not have timed it right)
IaSW
PP
BTMRR - This was “unscheduled,” but DS had left his hat in the pocket of our seat. No luck getting it back BUT he has another one just like it.
Barnstormer x2 (stayed on)
(Ice Cream) - DS tried the Olaf bar -YUM! Bought one in AK the next day.
Space - DS only to close out the night. I was left holding his Olaf bar. I don’t think he was off Space until 11:15-11:20? We grabbed another popcorn. Which - by the way - I can’t recall who suggested the Ziplock bag, but that was GENIUS!!!

We stopped by City Hall to try to recover his hat, but no luck there either. So, I don’t think we were out of the park until 11:45 at the earliest. We and a couple waited for a bus to OKW less than 5 minutes, bus driver waited a couple of minutes for any other riders (none) and we were on our way. So no complaints about transportation at all.

I don’t want to sound like a negative nelly, but I am on the fence if I would do this again. I do think that part of the reason I feel this way is that our family has gone at very low crowd times and this didn’t feel (crowd-wise) THAT much different. But, on the other hand I am very glad I did it! As I mentioned earlier, what made it worth it to me was spending one-on-one time with one of my kids doing something we both love without the stress of having to be all strategic in my planning...or having to plan anything at all! Oh - and the “free” Mickey bars!

OK that was one of the more bizarre experiences of my life - I just rode splash with no music on most of the ride. A lot of the lighting was off too as were some of the effects and movements. The drop was the least scary bit of the ride!

Highs: seeing fireworks on BTMR, not one of our family got run over by a stroller or scooter!
Lows: kinda sad to see MK scattered with litter and dropped Mickey bars here and there. They ran out of bottles water at the end of the night.

*the first time we rode Splash Mountain, the audio was off and only random animatronics were moving. It must be on a timer of some sort and they forgot to turn it back on. It was really creepy but in a fun way.

Agree with the posters above that Splash without music was very...odd. Almost all of the animatronics’ voices were working when we went on, so it was cool to actually hear all their different lines. And by the time we got to the last scene the music was back on, so that was fun! It was a REAL celebration! However, it made a unique memory for DS. He was kidding about telling his grandchildren about how back in the day, he rode Splash Mountain one time...with no music.

Love, love, love fireworks on BTMRR! Whenever some went off and we could see them, the whole train would cheer! That was a lot of fun!

I also agree with @GMatisse’s Highs and Lows above. It was really sad to see the trash that had been left behind by guests. There was even a plastic water bottle floating in the water at Its a Small World. I have a theory that since the ice cream treats were free, parents were more apt to let the kids have messy treats. If it gets dropped (and subsequently left where kid dropped it), no big deal. On the other hand, DH & I closed MK down (EMH maybe even?) back in September, and it almost seemed like they didn’t bother to pick up trash the last hour of park time because it was on the floor of the attraction queues and near the loading/unloading. Definitely not good show.

Yea, they do advertise unlimited snacks. But I think there is an implied reasonableness to anything listed as "unlimited". And yes, maybe the lady was getting those ice creams for 30 other paid attendees. Or maybe she was stocking her freezer for the next few months.

I understand your concerns, however, there is just no way for Disney to know that some guests are “hoarding” treats. Some guests eat a lot, others not so much. If ALL guests begin to hoard, then maybe Disney cracks down. But, I think they have strategically chosen the complimentary snacks by offering “free” ice cream, which melts, and popcorn, which is cheap. And let’s face it - it isn’t “free,” the cost is covered in the ticket price.

 

[BK2014]

I don’t want to sound like a negative nelly, but I am on the fence if I would do this again. I do think that part of the reason I feel this way is that our family has gone at very low crowd times and this didn’t feel (crowd-wise) THAT much different.

I guess for us, the benefit of this event is that you cannot predict or guarantee when you might have such low crowds on a normal park day. But by doing this event, you can guarantee (absent changes to the even in the future) that you will be in the park with very low crowds.

And not specific to MommaBerd's post, I wonder how much one's perception of crowd levels is affected by any number of factors. Such as gravitating to the more popular attractions, the path around the park that one takes, or just the randomness of constantly traveling in the same direction as other groups of people.

 

[SmithSmith]

This is my first chance to catch up and give my thoughts on the event.

I must say, I was surprised by the number of people in the park AND that it was not a sold-out night. Here’s the thing - in 2016 our family went in November and on one of the days the park closed at 4:00 for a Cast Member party. Because we had park hoppers, we went that morning. The “crowds” that day were truly non-existent. It was amazing! So, that is what I was hoping for with DAH. After reading the reviews here, I thought my expectations were realistic, so I was a little disappointed with the number of people there.

All that being said, we were able to ride almost every ride we wanted, with the exception of AstroOrbiter which DS decided would take too much time. We did take our time and enjoy the evening VERY much. We never really rushed to any ride. DS said it was his favorite trip so far! And THAT made it “worth it.”

We were in right at 6:00. We FP’d: Jungle Cruise (great Skipper!)
PotC
Magic Carpets (no FP)
HM
Event began and we rode/
BTMRR x2 (had to re-board) - fireworks
Splash
(Popcorn)
Space
Buzz
(Ice cream)
Teacups
Pooh
7DMT (long-ish line; we must not have timed it right)
IaSW
PP
BTMRR - This was “unscheduled,” but DS had left his hat in the pocket of our seat. No luck getting it back BUT he has another one just like it.
Barnstormer x2 (stayed on)
(Ice Cream) - DS tried the Olaf bar -YUM! Bought one in AK the next day.
Space - DS only to close out the night. I was left holding his Olaf bar. I don’t think he was off Space until 11:15-11:20? We grabbed another popcorn. Which - by the way - I can’t recall who suggested the Ziplock bag, but that was GENIUS!!!

We stopped by City Hall to try to recover his hat, but no luck there either. So, I don’t think we were out of the park until 11:45 at the earliest. We and a couple waited for a bus to OKW less than 5 minutes, bus driver waited a couple of minutes for any other riders (none) and we were on our way. So no complaints about transportation at all.

I don’t want to sound like a negative nelly, but I am on the fence if I would do this again. I do think that part of the reason I feel this way is that our family has gone at very low crowd times and this didn’t feel (crowd-wise) THAT much different. But, on the other hand I am very glad I did it! As I mentioned earlier, what made it worth it to me was spending one-on-one time with one of my kids doing something we both love without the stress of having to be all strategic in my planning...or having to plan anything at all! Oh - and the “free” Mickey bars!





Agree with the posters above that Splash without music was very...odd. Almost all of the animatronics’ voices were working when we went on, so it was cool to actually hear all their different lines. And by the time we got to the last scene the music was back on, so that was fun! It was a REAL celebration! However, it made a unique memory for DS. He was kidding about telling his grandchildren about how back in the day, he rode Splash Mountain one time...with no music.

Love, love, love fireworks on BTMRR! Whenever some went off and we could see them, the whole train would cheer! That was a lot of fun!

I also agree with @GMatisse’s Highs and Lows above. It was really sad to see the trash that had been left behind by guests. There was even a plastic water bottle floating in the water at Its a Small World. I have a theory that since the ice cream treats were free, parents were more apt to let the kids have messy treats. If it gets dropped (and subsequently left where kid dropped it), no big deal. On the other hand, DH & I closed MK down (EMH maybe even?) back in September, and it almost seemed like they didn’t bother to pick up trash the last hour of park time because it was on the floor of the attraction queues and near the loading/unloading. Definitely not good show.



I understand your concerns, however, there is just no way for Disney to know that some guests are “hoarding” treats. Some guests eat a lot, others not so much. If ALL guests begin to hoard, then maybe Disney cracks down. But, I think they have strategically chosen the complimentary snacks by offering “free” ice cream, which melts, and popcorn, which is cheap. And let’s face it - it isn’t “free,” the cost is covered in the ticket price.

Awesome recap!

So... tell me more about this Olaf bar...

 

[Gus V.]

Trying to buy tickets for 3/1, but the 7 Dwarfs are doing maintenance to the website! Let’s hope it doesn’t sell out. 3/1 is Epcot day for us, which means we will have to skip Illuminations...I guess we will have to figure something out

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Trying to buy tickets for 3/1, but the 7 Dwarfs are doing maintenance to the website! Let’s hope it doesn’t sell out. 3/1 is Epcot day for us, which means we will have to skip Illuminations...I guess we will have to figure something out

FWIW, WDW updated their website with new regular park admission and AP ticket prices last night, so some stuff was offline. I think it’s back to normal now.

 

[nancy155]

Well I am up next for the 15th! I plan to go to HS in the morning/early afternoon then over to MK for an early dinner at the Ski[[er Canteen. I will let you know when I am able to get a lanyard and where! Looks like the weather is going to be PERFECT! YAY!!

 

[cindyfan]

Yes, that was us! We have always wanted to get that photo but the parks are always just too busy. We were laying on Main Street between the Emporium and the Confectionery taking photos. They came out really great.

Can you share them with us here? I'd love to see them!

 

[wayfinder]

gaaaaahhhhh I need to buy tickets to this! The only things I love more than WDW are short lines and complimentary ice cream.

 

[Gus V.]

FWIW, WDW updated their website with new regular park admission and AP ticket prices last night, so some stuff was offline. I think it’s back to normal now.

Yes, got them! Thanks! Our first time doing this event, can’t wait!!

 

[MommaBerd]

I guess for us, the benefit of this event is that you cannot predict or guarantee when you might have such low crowds on a normal park day. But by doing this event, you can guarantee (absent changes to the even in the future) that you will be in the park with very low crowds.

And not specific to MommaBerd's post, I wonder how much one's perception of crowd levels is affected by any number of factors. Such as gravitating to the more popular attractions, the path around the park that one takes, or just the randomness of constantly traveling in the same direction as other groups of people.

I totally agree with both of your points. One’s perspective on the event will be based on his/her previous park experiences. So, that’s why I included my previous experience with the “short” park day. If I had only been in summer time, I’m sure I would have been dancing in the streets...I mean walkways! And, I would say that I wasn’t really intending to complain (not that you said I was), but rather temper some expectations.

Awesome recap!

So... tell me more about this Olaf bar...

@Megsmachine is the expert on Olaf bars But, it is like a lemon-orange juice base with strawberries swirled in. Great amount (really meant to say great balance) of tart, not too sweet. It was especially good at AK the next day when it was getting on the hot side and I needed something refreshing. The great thing about the “free” ice cream is that you can try something new without investment!

 

[TexasKiwiPrincess]

I just went back and read the first post again, and I have to say Thank You to GADisneyDad for keeping all that information in one place! That post plus all the reviews in this thread really make this a great resource for all things DAH. So helpful.

Do we have a list of DISers for the remaining dates? We have decided to attend on 3/8 (the last event for this year!) and I was curious who else might be there.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

I just went back and read the first post again, and I have to say Thank You to GADisneyDad for keeping all that information in one place! That post plus all the reviews in this thread really make this a great resource for all things DAH. So helpful.

Do we have a list of DISers for the remaining dates? We have decided to attend on 3/8 (the last event for this year!) and I was curious who else might be there.

Keep reading to Post #2 and you’ll find a guest list.

Thanks for the nice note on Post #1!

 

[Momfoaj]

Got our tickets for 3/1 in the mail yesterday. Can't wait!

 

[georgina]

I'm getting excited for this Thursday too! Every time I check the weather forecast it is better (hotter!) Trying to decide what to pack as I will be in Florida 15 days total. Now it looks like 80's during the day and mid-60's for lows.

 

[Danadanes]

Interested to hear everyone's plan for the next ones that start at 9, with an 8 HEA.

Do regular parkgoers still leave in droves after HEA, or do they disburse for a couple more rides?

 

[Haley R]

Interested to hear everyone's plan for the next ones that start at 9, with an 8 HEA.

Do regular parkgoers still leave in droves after HEA, or do they disburse for a couple more rides?

I’m planning on going to btmr during the fireworks. Hopefully they will let us use our lanyard from 8-9. If not we might just stroll around a bit so our niece can take it easy and then hit it hard once dah actually starts