Other rides that close early?

roctavia

Mouseketeer
Joined
Jan 17, 2020
Messages
201
I know ROTR closes early, but are there other rides that typically close early on later park nights? We are traveling in May and can handle late nights, but I didn't know if there were other rides that closed early and could make the late nights not as good as rope drop. I assume many of the waits are shorter later in the evenings.
 
Toontown closes early every night but all other attractions are planned to stay open until park closing time. You may run into the odd breakdown that may close a ride early but those don't happen too often. One of the strategies most people use is to hop in a long line just before park closing as anyone who is in line before park closing will get to ride.
 
You do need to be careful because they will occasionally shut lines before the park closes - I’ve personally seen both Incredicoaster and Peter Pan close at about 11:50 on midnight park closes. (*ETA: Incredicoaster would have been 9:50 on a 10:00 close, actually, and it was when WOC was down. Same idea, though, they do shut some lines a bit early on occasion.) So, I’d plan to jump in if it’s a re-ride or something, but don’t pin all your hopes on jumping in a line at 11:57pm.

As someone who very frequently rope drops (because kid) and somewhat less frequently closes out the park at 11 or 12 (often solo after being in the park with friends who go home, but I’m a night owl)... the end of the night can be comparable to rope drop, kind of, but it’s often more crowded than you’d expect, and the nighttime shows/fireworks can make it hard to move around the parks easily.

If it’s cold, you have a much better chance of the parks clearing out. A cold, drizzly Sunday night? That puppy might be empty by 9:00. But a decently-weathered Friday night is probably going to be popping until they kick people out.
 
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The outdoor Pixar Pier rides shut down like an hour before World of Color to clear the lines before the show starts. That's often an hour before park close.

Tom Sawyer Island closes at dusk.

After the fireworks or Fantasmic, all of the lines (standby and FP) temporarily swell as many of those people who were watching get into a standby or FastPass line. My goal if I'm not watching the show is to be already in a ride line before the show ends, or if I'm watching to be positioned near the edge of the crowd to speedwalk to an attraction before the wave hits.

PHXscuba
 
Don't forget about the most underrated attraction at DL: the canoes! They open late and close early (10a-4p I think). Why doesn't anyone ever think about the canoes!? 🚣‍♂️🚣‍♀️🚣‍♂️🚣‍♀️
Fun fact: my daughter has never been on the canoes. She asks ALL the time, but they’re always either closed or it’s like “we were about to leave before we had to reapply sunscreen, and we could maybe squeak in another ride without getting burnt... but not the canoes.” She’s real bitter.
 
Fun fact: my daughter has never been on the canoes. She asks ALL the time, but they’re always either closed or it’s like “we were about to leave before we had to reapply sunscreen, and we could maybe squeak in another ride without getting burnt... but not the canoes.” She’s real bitter.
I try to get people to go on the canoes with me and usually the best I can get is begrudging acquiescence!

It guess it can be a bit much on hot sunny days.

Me: Who wants to go on the canoes!?
<crickets>
 
Don't forget about the most underrated attraction at DL: the canoes! They open late and close early (10a-4p I think). Why doesn't anyone ever think about the canoes!? 🚣‍♂️🚣‍♀️🚣‍♂️🚣‍♀️

I got my family to do it once a couple of trips ago. They all SWEAR they'll never do it again....
Next time I might have to go by myself!!
 
I got my family to do it once a couple of trips ago. They all SWEAR they'll never do it again....
Next time I might have to go by myself!!
Why didn’t they like them? We’ve never done them, how long is the adventure?
 
The amount of effort one has to put forth with the canoes is extremely minimal. About the same as eating a churo :rolleyes:
The attraction gives one a unique persepective of the ROA. When I knew the rivers were going to forever change for SWL, I made it a mission to enjoy the original layout one last time.
 
I remember when I was a kid I was so confused by the canoes... like, people wait in line to paddle canoes?
But of course we spent/spend most summers on a lake so canoeing was second nature... and my parents reminded me that when I went to camp - which also costs money - I went canoeing there too, despite the fact that it was also like a vacation.

Now I see no reason to NOT canoe. Nice break for your feet and chance to use those arms instead!
 
My nine year old has no interest and just says, “Ugh, I’m not exercising on vacation.”

I don’t point out the 7 miles a day we’re walking is much more exertion than the canoes. 🤣 I haven’t been on it since I was a kid but this summer I’m gonna make him comply. Maybe. Can I sit in the back and pretend paddle? Will I deserve a splashing if I do that? 🧐
 
  • Haha
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I think a lot of people don’t realize that you really have to paddle. 😆
Yep. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ This. They'll walk miles and miles without complaint, but the canoes were too much work......They are total wimps. I may have to bribe them all next time.....
 
Fun fact learned tonight (which I hope is true and not a fluke): A plaid told me that PP does not shut early when the fireworks show is MMM! Which is a major reason for me to like MMM. We did get in line for PP between 8:30 - 9 pm, and the ride did stay open. And CMs didn't appear to be cutting off the end of the line like they normally do before fireworks.
 
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Fun fact: my daughter has never been on the canoes. She asks ALL the time, but they’re always either closed or it’s like “we were about to leave before we had to reapply sunscreen, and we could maybe squeak in another ride without getting burnt... but not the canoes.” She’s real bitter.
I can just see the years of therapy over this... Canoe Bitterness: it's a thing.
 


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