Strategy for leaving parks at close?

[Farro]

Hi!

So we are staying at Gran Destino and it's all buses baby! (unless we Uber of course)

So when leaving a park at close and taking a resort bus - do you find it better to meander out of the park and let the crowds go first?
How long can you "hang" in a park after close before heading for the bus?
If you do that - do you find the waits for buses to be shorter?

If you leave a bit before close, do you find the waits to be shorter?

thanks!

 

[Laura72]

I like to slowly wander out, I’m not worried if I have to wait for the last bus.

 

[Farro]

I like to slowly wander out, I’m not worried if I have to wait for the last bus.

Do you find the lines to be shorter at that time? What time do the buses stop picking up? Is it 2 hours after close?

 

[disneydreamer1980]

I like to shop for a bit while the crowds thin out. They say busses pick up an hour after close but I’ve heard that they keep going till everyone’s picked up, even if it’s longer than an hour. In my experience the longer you wait after closing the shorter the bus lines, but they can still be long.

 

[Snowysmom]

Thanks for asking this question Farro. We will be at GDT in Nov and I am a bit concerned about the buses. This info helps. Also, I will be looking for a trip report from you!

 

[MissionMouse]

Probably not an uncommon question. The answers vary by night depending on events and weather. With that aside, it depends on you and what your want to do. If its critical to avoid crowds, then leave before closing or leave well after by visiting shops and slow wander to the exit...avoiding crowds. If you want to leave in the middle of the crowds with the surge then consider accepting lines or paying to get away from the crowd by pay transportation option. We have found accepting the reality of the crowds, we were fine. We wanted to relax and align to being on vacation. It wasn't a competition for us

 

[kevgraub]

Yeah, unless you have cranky little ones you are carrying around at that point, take your time. The shops stay open about an hour after park closing, and the busses will be there when you get out. You may still have some line for a bus, but it will be way shorter than if you join the stampede leaving right at closing.

 

[Tigerlulu]

I’ve meanandered out an hour and a half past closing and they had a bus for me. Also times I’ve had some of the friendliest CMs as well to chat with. That doesn’t mean it will be the same with covid, but I’ve never worried about it pre-covid.

 

[Farro]

Thank you all!

 

[Farro]

Thanks for asking this question Farro. We will be at GDT in Nov and I am a bit concerned about the buses. This info helps. Also, I will be looking for a trip report from you!

Oh I'll be reporting!

 

[gharter]

For us there are 2 options.
Leave a bit before the park closes to beat the rush to the buses.
More commonly, its get in line for a ride just before close, then slowly walk out, the shops are usually still open. By then, the bus lines tend to be short, and we got an extra ride.

 

[tinkerbelletreasure]

If you get in a line before close, you get to ride. So we always hit a big attraction right before leaving... slinky dog, FoP, 7 dwarves, or test track. By the time we get off the ride, a lot of the lines have calmed down. They won’t let you stay indefinitely. But most of the shops are open for about an hour after close, so you can slowly meander through those as well.

 

[Newbie500]

This is going to sound weird but the most relaxing part of my day at WDW is at park close, when I'm in no rush to leave, the crowds are thinner, and I can take a long, last look at where I've been. Even a longish bus ride back to my resort feels good at that point!

 

[William B]

This is going to sound weird but the most relaxing part of my day at WDW is at park close, when I'm in no rush to leave, the crowds are thinner, and I can take a long, last look at where I've been. Even a longish bus ride back to my resort feels good at that point!

I completely agree with this! We loved hanging back at the park and perusing a few shops and just wandering until the CMs (very nicely) asked us if we were lost or if we could just head on to the exits. Was very peaceful and relaxing for us!

 

[Disney Fool]

I head straight for ice cream, find a park bench, and people watch until crowd thins out.