Question about Night of Joy.

[tim123]

I will be at WDW September 5 and 6…The MK closes for Night of Joy at 7pm.
Night of Joy begins at 7:30pm. My question is do they throw all the regular guests out in that half hour period? How do they do that? Or is it like extra magic hours where you can stay (park open til 1am) but you just can't ride the rides? How do they manage to throw everyone out of the MK in that half hour and how is it enforced? Just curious. I would love to stay and wonder around but am ok with no rides because I wouldn't have a ticket for the event. Anyone experienced this…or maybe you've gone to a "hard ticket event" like Halloween or Christmas..Do some people who don't have tix stay in the park? Thanks.

 

[kmb584]

I will be at WDW September 5 and 6…The MK closes for Night of Joy at 7pm.
Night of Joy begins at 7:30pm. My question is do they throw all the regular guests out in that half hour period? How do they do that? Or is it like extra magic hours where you can stay (park open til 1am) but you just can't ride the rides? How do they manage to throw everyone out of the MK in that half hour and how is it enforced? Just curious. I would love to stay and wonder around but am ok with no rides because I wouldn't have a ticket for the event. Anyone experienced this…or maybe you've gone to a "hard ticket event" like Halloween or Christmas..Do some people who don't have tix stay in the park? Thanks.

No. For all hard ticketed events wristbands are issued to those with tickets and beginning at 7pm CM check diligently to make sure the people in the park have one on. We've done MNSSHP quite a few times (6) and I spend that first hour with my hand practically up in the air so CM can see it; that's how frequently they ask.

 

[CharmedLife]

I think hard ticket events are treated differently than EMH because there is extra entertainment involved - it's not just about the rides. There are many music stages at Night of Joy with professional bands and singers, so even if you weren't on the rides you would still be at the "concerts" which (in most other cases) you would buy a ticket for.

Of course with the parties there are usually extra parades, special fireworks, dance parties, etc., so in those cases there is special entertainment as well.

Personally when I go to NOJ it's to see the performers - we will usually hit a few rides (mainly headliners with short to no lines) but mainly it's about the music for us. Of course there are usually a million youth groups with lots of teenagers and few chaperones and they definitely hit the rides. It balances out...

 

[kmb584]

I think hard ticket events are treated differently than EMH because there is extra entertainment involved - it's not just about the rides. There are many music stages at Night of Joy with professional bands and singers, so even if you weren't on the rides you would still be at the "concerts" which (in most other cases) you would buy a ticket for.

This. Parties that require a hard ticket are focused on the entertainment aspect of that night. That includes the special parades and firework displays, rare character and villain meets, and in the case of NoJ the concerts. Those are the reasons that people pay extra to attend, and the reasons why Disney politely but firmly escorts party crashers from the park.