Rides after Fireworks? Is this possible?

[triciambe]

Hello, all! First, thanks for all the great advice I've found here - super helpful as we plan our second family trip to Disney this summer (husband and three boys, ages 7 -12).

I'm hoping more experienced Disney park goers can help. We'd loved to experience Big Thunder Railroad and Splash Mountain at night. I was hoping to spend most of the day at the resort (AoA) and then do MK at night (We have another MK day planned for earlier in the week). We have a 5PM dinner at Ohana, followed by FPs for Haunted Mansion, Big Thunder, and Splash that night.

However, yesterday we decided we'd like to do the HEA Fireworks Dessert Party, which begins at 7:45 and lasts through the fireworks.

Question - is it possible to have enough time to do Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Splash Mountain after the fireworks if I get Fastpasses for 8:30 and 9:30? The real question, I guess, is if we'll have enough time to make it from the Fireworks viewing area in front of castle over to Splash Mountain before the 8:30-9:30 FP window closes. (We'll keep the Haunted Mansion FP after Ohana and before the dessert party.)

Is this wishful thinking or will the crowds be too much? The park closes at 10pm that night.

 

[abnihon]

Yes you'd have time and you may even be able to ride extra times before close! Lines for Splash and Thunder are usually very short then and as long as you're in line by 10 you can ride.
But is there a 9:30 FP time with a 10pm close? That would be a good question. But even doing one with FP and one standby you'd have time.

 

[triciambe]

Yes you'd have time and you may even be able to ride extra times before close! Lines for Splash and Thunder are usually very short then and as long as you're in line by 10 you can ride.
But is there a 9:30 FP time with a 10pm close? That would be a good question. But even doing one with FP and one standby you'd have time.

Awesome! Thank you! And yes, there is a 9:30-10 FP available for Big Thunder! I guess as long as we make it there by 10pm, we're good to ride!

 

[DisneyLover1217]

HEA is about 18 minutes, let's just say 20. That would put you at 8:05 and you would be leaving from Tomorrowland where the dessert party is, which means you have to cross main street which will be packed. You can certainly do it if you book it over there. Remember you do have a 15 minute window after FP expires, so you really have until 8:45. Not sure if you can get an FP at 9:30 if the park closes at 10, but if you can that's great. If not, you will have to decide which ride will have the bigger line and FP that and hopefully be able to jump on the other one before park close.

 

[abnihon]

HEA is about 18 minutes, let's just say 20. That would put you at 8:05 and you would be leaving from Tomorrowland where the dessert party is, which means you have to cross main street which will be packed. You can certainly do it if you book it over there. Remember you do have a 15 minute window after FP expires, so you really have until 8:45. Not sure if you can get an FP at 9:30 if the park closes at 10, but if you can that's great. If not, you will have to decide which ride will have the bigger line and FP that and hopefully be able to jump on the other one before park close.

I think what she meant is HEA is 9pm. So then if it ends by 9:20, she'd have 10 min (plus 15 min grace window, so really 25) to make it to Frontierland. It's doable.

 

[triciambe]

HEA is about 18 minutes, let's just say 20. That would put you at 8:05 and you would be leaving from Tomorrowland where the dessert party is, which means you have to cross main street which will be packed. You can certainly do it if you book it over there. Remember you do have a 15 minute window after FP expires, so you really have until 8:45. Not sure if you can get an FP at 9:30 if the park closes at 10, but if you can that's great. If not, you will have to decide which ride will have the bigger line and FP that and hopefully be able to jump on the other one before park close.

Yes, I'm counting on that 15 minute window!

I think what she meant is HEA is 9pm. So then if it ends by 9:20, she'd have 10 min (plus 15 min grace window, so really 25) to make it to Frontierland. It's doable.

I have a FP for Splash Mountain for 8:30 and FP for Big Thunder at 9:30. My thinking: HEA ends 9:20, get to Splash by 9:40, then FP in line for Big Thunder before 10.

That said, now that I think about it - is that enough time? Isn't Splash Mountain a long ride? Will I have enough time even if I get there by 9:40, ride, then get off and in line at Big Thunder by 10?

My other option is to try to squeeze one of those rides - probably Big Thunder - along with Haunted Mansion after Ohana (5pm reservation) and before the dessert party (7:45 start). Or maybe I'm just trying to do too much...

 

[triciambe]

Okay, so I switched my two FPs. Now I've got Big Thunder FP for 8:30-9:30, then Splash Mountain FP 9:30-10. We should be good to get to Big Thunder after the Fireworks by 9:30/9:40, using the grace period, and have enough time to use the Splash Mountain FP before 10. Whew!

 

[deedubb]

Just keep in mind that Main Street is a zoo after fireworks and you will be battling the hordes of people who are trying to leave the park. You'll have to boogie.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Yes, I'm counting on that 15 minute window!



I have a FP for Splash Mountain for 8:30 and FP for Big Thunder at 9:30. My thinking: HEA ends 9:20, get to Splash by 9:40, then FP in line for Big Thunder before 10.

That said, now that I think about it - is that enough time? Isn't Splash Mountain a long ride? Will I make it off that ride even I get there by 9:40 to get off and in line at Big Thunder by 10?

My other option is to try to squeeze one of those rides - probably Big Thunder - along with Haunted Mansion after Ohana (5pm reservation) and before the dessert party (7:45 start). Or maybe I'm just trying to do too much...

Which dessert party did you book? The Plaza viewing or Terrace viewing? If it's Plaza viewing, you don't have to be there at 7:45 pm (if it's Terrace, you need to be there EARLIER to line up to get a good table). We did the Plaza viewing in December and were about 40 minutes late for the party (we got stuck in a rain storm at BTMRR). That still gave us ample time to eat lots of desserts. They didn't escort us over to the viewing area until about 15 minutes before the fireworks. Unless you think you can eat dessert for over an hour, there is really no reason to check in for the Plaza viewing exactly at 7:45 pm.

My recommendation (if you have Plaza viewing) would be to check into O'hana around 4:45 pm, hope they seat you on time, ask for the check in the beginning of the meal and try to high-tail it out of there by 6:15 pm. I would actually try to get your Splash and BTMRR rides in BEFORE the dessert party and do Haunted Mansion afterward. If you can get on Splash by 7:00 pm (the ride itself is 11 minutes long) and BTMRR by 7:30 pm, you will be heading back to the Tomorrowland Terrace by about 7:45 pm. Even 8:00 pm would be fine to head out of Frontierland and get over to the party. You would then be at the party by 8:15 pm and have 30 minutes or so to eat dessert. After the party, all you would then need to do is to make your way to HM and you are done!

 

[bbjunkie]

I believe you said this summer, but didn't include your specific dates. I do think you have enough time to make it, but beyond that, I suspect park hours will be extended and you'll have no problem riding them both stand-by a few times with minimal wait after HEA.

 

[triciambe]

Which dessert party did you book? The Plaza viewing or Terrace viewing? If it's Plaza viewing, you don't have to be there at 7:45 pm (if it's Terrace, you need to be there EARLIER to line up to get a good table). We did the Plaza viewing in December and were about 40 minutes late for the party (we got stuck in a rain storm at BTMRR). That still gave us ample time to eat lots of desserts. They didn't escort us over to the viewing area until about 15 minutes before the fireworks. Unless you think you can eat dessert for over an hour, there is really no reason to check in for the Plaza viewing exactly at 7:45 pm.

My recommendation (if you have Plaza viewing) would be to check into O'hana around 4:45 pm, hope they seat you on time, ask for the check in the beginning of the meal and try to high-tail it out of there by 6:15 pm. I would actually try to get your Splash and BTMRR rides in BEFORE the dessert party and do Haunted Mansion afterward. If you can get on Splash by 7:00 pm (the ride itself is 11 minutes long) and BTMRR by 7:30 pm, you will be heading back to the Tomorrowland Terrace by about 7:45 pm. Even 8:00 pm would be fine to head out of Frontierland and get over to the party. You would then be at the party by 8:15 pm and have 30 minutes or so to eat dessert. After the party, all you would then need to do is to make your way to HM and you are done!

Intriguing... We did get the Plaza viewing, so this would work! That said, we did want to ride on one of the mountains when it's dark, so maybe we'll take your suggestion and do two rides before the dessert party and one ride after.

Related question - how wet should we expect to get on Splash? I haven't been on Splash mountain since I was in HS (boys were too small/scared last time) - I hesitated doing Splash mountain before the dessert party b/c I didn't want to be soaking wet eating desserts. Lol.

 

[triciambe]

I believe you said this summer, but didn't include your specific dates. I do think you have enough time to make it, but beyond that, I suspect park hours will be extended and you'll have no problem riding them both stand-by a few times with minimal wait after HEA.

We will be there July 19-25 - as of right now, the night we're going doesn't have the extended hours - just until 10. Will that change? That would be great if it did!!!

 

[DisneyLover1217]

I think what she meant is HEA is 9pm. So then if it ends by 9:20, she'd have 10 min (plus 15 min grace window, so really 25) to make it to Frontierland. It's doable.

Yeah, I read it as HEA started at 7:45, but she was talking about the dessert party, duh lol.

If HEA starts at 9:00, ending 9:20, you got your work cut out for you making both rides. Yes you have until 9:45 but remember that just leave 15 minutes before closing. So good idea to make BTMRR first since it's a much shorter ride. Hopefully you can get on and off with enough time to run over to Splash by 10.

 

[DisneyLover1217]

Related question - how wet should we expect to get on Splash? I haven't been on Splash mountain since I was in HS (boys were too small/scared last time) - I hesitated doing Splash mountain before the dessert party b/c I didn't want to be soaking wet eating desserts. Lol.

You can get pretty wet, it all depends. I've been on where I just got splashed, other times I got soaked. I would avoid the front row that tends to always get wet.

 

[minniegirl19]

Just a question.. Why are you waiting to have fastpasses until night? Are you not going to be there earlier in the day?

 

[Davey Jones II]

Which rides are closed during the fireworks? Can you do rides with a short wait before/during the fireworks?

 

[GADisneyDad14]

OP - I did close to this very thing May 13th, a Saturday night. In my case, we did the HEA Plaza fireworks party, then had a BTMRR FP, then I wanted to get back to the hub for OUAT (9:45pm) - so my reasons for "rushing" were a bit different than you but somewhat similar circumstances.

You'll be leaving the Plaza Garden at roughly 9:20. It is going to be TOUGH SLEDDING getting through the hub then - there's just people everywhere going in every which direction. Just grab the kids, carry them if needed, and start making your way through! It's going to be rough, but you can do it. Once you get past the hub, you're good.

I don't remember exactly what time I made it to BTMR but I suspect it was in the 15 minute range, 20 max if that.

I 'think' you should be ok, you'll just need to hustle as you don't have much margin for error at all.

Seperate subject, watch out for your Ohana reservation. Ohana runs notoriously behind and it's always slower getting out of there than most people think.

I also agree with the PPs who said you don't need to be at the dessert party right at 7:45. We didn't get there until roughly 8:15 and even that was a bit earlier than I wanted/needed for us.

Good luck!

 

[Klayfish]

Related question - how wet should we expect to get on Splash? I haven't been on Splash mountain since I was in HS (boys were too small/scared last time) - I hesitated doing Splash mountain before the dessert party b/c I didn't want to be soaking wet eating desserts. Lol.

Depends on how high they have the "splash" turned up. You will never get soaked head to toe like you can on Kali (that can get you as wet as if you had jumped in a pool), but you can still get somewhat wet on Splash. You can also get just a few drops. The further back you set, the less wet you get. Also, sit on the left side of the boat if you want to stay drier. After the big splash, there's a point where your boat will stop. There's a small waterfall directly to the right and the person in the right front and right middle rows get sprayed by it.

We will be there July 19-25 - as of right now, the night we're going doesn't have the extended hours - just until 10. Will that change? That would be great if it did!!!

Possible, but unlikely.

 

[triciambe]

Just a question.. Why are you waiting to have fastpasses until night? Are you not going to be there earlier in the day?

We actually won't be there earlier. We're hoping to make that our "resort" day and relax by the pools. We have a MK day earlier in the week when we are hitting Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. The only rides left that are "must do" are Splash, Big Thunder, and Haunted Mansion. We've never been to the parks at night, either, so we were hoping to ride those at night after dinner.

Which rides are closed during the fireworks? Can you do rides with a short wait before/during the fireworks?

We'll actually be doing the HEA Fireworks dessert party that night, so before and during the fireworks is out.

 

[triciambe]

OP - I did close to this very thing May 13th, a Saturday night. In my case, we did the HEA Plaza fireworks party, then had a BTMRR FP, then I wanted to get back to the hub for OUAT (9:45pm) - so my reasons for "rushing" were a bit different than you but somewhat similar circumstances.

You'll be leaving the Plaza Garden at roughly 9:20. It is going to be TOUGH SLEDDING getting through the hub then - there's just people everywhere going in every which direction. Just grab the kids, carry them if needed, and start making your way through! It's going to be rough, but you can do it. Once you get past the hub, you're good.

I don't remember exactly what time I made it to BTMR but I suspect it was in the 15 minute range, 20 max if that.

I 'think' you should be ok, you'll just need to hustle as you don't have much margin for error at all.

Thank you for sharing your experience! I'm hoping that extended hours magically appear, but I'm glad to know that someone else has tried something similar successfully!

Seperate subject, watch out for your Ohana reservation. Ohana runs notoriously behind and it's always slower getting out of there than most people think.

Good to know! I wasn't aware until this thread that Ohana often runs late. We'll try to get there early and see if they can seat us right away. Will also take PP's suggestion to ask for the check in the beginning of the meal.