Planning Around After-Hours Events

[giantsmets]

Hey Everyone,

My SO and I are heading to WDW 10/23-10/30. We currently have park reservations for Magic Kingdom on 10/24 and 10/29. I see that these dates will have the Boo Bash after hours event, and I was wondering if I should avoid the park on those days due to higher daytime crowds? SO and I are not planning to attend the Boo Bash, so we’re open to doing MK other dates. Thoughts from the pros?

 

[maryj11]

I think that it becomes crowded after 7:00 when event guest are allowed to enter. When we arrived at MK for an after hours event it was pretty crowded until the event started.

 

[disneydreamer1980]

If they’re back to doing fireworks by then, crowds should be lighter on those days because they won’t be doing fireworks for the general public on those days. We’ve gone during mvmcp season for the past 20 years and we’ve found that party days are actually less crowded because the park closes early and there are no fireworks.

 

[maryj11]

If they’re back to doing fireworks by then, crowds should be lighter on those days because they won’t be doing fireworks for the general public on those days. We’ve gone during mvmcp season for the past 20 years and we’ve found that party days are actually less crowded because the park closes early and there are no fireworks.

On after hours the park doesn’t close early and when we went fireworks were right before the event started.

 

[disneydreamer1980]

On after hours the park doesn’t close early and when we went fireworks were right before the party started.

I’m not talking about after hours I’m talking about holiday parties. They’re different

 

[disneydreamer1980]

But not sure how they’ll be handling parties from now on

 

[disneydentist]

Since you're not dong Boo Bash I would avoid MK on those days. Why have larger crowds for your last two hours? That's often one of the better times in terms of crowds and wait times.

 

[giantsmets]

Thanks for the help! I’ll probably keep the one on the 24th as I want our first full day to be MK, but might move the one on the 29th to avoid crowds. Maybe we won’t need park reservations by then so it won’t matter as much!

 

[disneyseniors]

Hey Everyone,

My SO and I are heading to WDW 10/23-10/30. We currently have park reservations for Magic Kingdom on 10/24 and 10/29. I see that these dates will have the Boo Bash after hours event, and I was wondering if I should avoid the park on those days due to higher daytime crowds? SO and I are not planning to attend the Boo Bash, so we’re open to doing MK other dates. Thoughts from the pros?

I usually plan to go to the park on their party days,but only until 2 pm. Never stay til 4 pm. They are usually less crowded as most people want to stay later or make a day of it at the MK.
However, we made the mistake of park hopping to the MK on a party day at 3:30 PM. We wondered why there was such a huge crowd waiting at check in??? Then at 4pm the flood gaits opened and all the party guests with their early entry came in. The lines instantly became long. We got tired of fighting the crowds, and tried to leave. I say Tried to leave, because we had to physically part the crowd and walk through them. It was like swimming upstream! Very crowded and uncomfortable and you couldn't get anything done with waiting in long, long lines. We couldn't wait to get out of there, and found out Not to park hop to MK on party days.

 

[gharter]

In the past, we have done MK on days when there was MNSSHP that evening. The park was much less crowded most of the day and the lines were shorter. The party started at 7, and the park started to get busier about 4 or 5, but the park also closed at 6 for those not going to the party.

 

[maryj11]

I’m not talking about after hours I’m talking about holiday parties. They’re different

Yes the have different hours for the after hours and the parties.