Weekend of Night of Joy Crowded?

[Trissy]

We are going to be there during that time and are concerned about the parks having more people because of the event. Just how does it work if you are at the MK and don't have a NoJ ticket?

 

[Fast Pass]

All I can tell you is what I have read here and on other boards. I am going to be there the NOJ weekend too.

If you go early in the day and stay until about mid afternoon you will find low crowds but as the day progresses into night it will start getting very crowded.
If you are in the park when it closes,you will be asked to leave. If for some reason you do not leave you won't be able to use any of the rides because of some band or something you need to have on in order to ride on the attractions.
If you can swing it could you consider Epcot? This is what we have decided to do that way we won't have to worry about it. I think the park closes at 6 or 7 on that Friday and Saturday. I hope that alot of more informed people will be by later on and share some of their knowledge. Anyway, Have Fun!

 

[Trissy]

Thanks for your help! The 9th is our anniversary and I think I'm going to plan a special PS for dinner. I wonder, will they have fireworks? We will be staying in the world for 18 days, incase it rains too much we should be covered. I sure hope the storm predictions wont be true.

 

[mkymouse4ever]

We were there for NOJ a few years ago. It was very crowded at the MK all day, BUT got worse. They got to use there tix for entry after 4pm, that year so it was packed and the parked closed early at 6pm. MK has NO fireworks during NOJ. If I were there for this event again, I would stay as far away from the MK as possible, unless you are attending this event. I have never seen so many teenage kids in droves, it looked liked a stampeed at 4pm, and yes it was raining.

Good luck, mky

 

[Drcell01]

There will also be people from all over the world attending the annual EPCOT Disney Pin Celebration event. This will also add to the number of people visiting the resorts over the same weekend. Over 1500 people will be registered for this event at EPCOT from Sept 8th to the 11th.

 

[Belle0101]

So to avoid crowds as much as possible during that time:

Stay away from the MK on the 9th and 10th (which is a Saturday so that's a given anyhow)?

And stay away from Epcot the 9th, 10th and 11th?

I had planned on going to Epcot on Saturday afternoon (the 10th) and we have an AR at LeCellier at 6pm. Should I consider changing it?

We arrive on the 6th and leave on the 17th.


ETA: I thought Pin event was Fri - Sun (9th, 10th and 11th)?

 

[Trissy]

And here I thought we were going in a slow time because everyone say September is soooo slow. What a huge bummer!

 

[Drcell01]

Sept. 8th is the registration and pick up date for event pins and artist signings. This is why I included the 8th in the event dates.

We will miss the first two days as our cruise doesn't return to port until the 10th.

I would not change any plans as most of the pin collectors will be located in a special area just for the event.

 

[vic32]

Oh my, now I am worried. I thought Sept was quiet. Oh well!!! We are a group of Mom's running away for the weekend!!! As long as I don't have to watch anyones kids for them I can wait in lines all day!!!
We are doing NoJ on Friday. Planning to spend day at Epcot. Sat will be MK in day time, MGM at evening and night!! We can hardly wait!!
2 women in our group have never been!

 

[Master Gracie]

My wife and I attended NoJ last year and had a blast. The 9th is also our anniversary, by the way.

Our results are probably a bit skewed due to the fact that last year was so hurricane heavy. The parks were about as crowded as they normally are in September through the day. Which is to say not very. The time after the 3:00 parade and before the rush started to arrive for NoJ, was deserted though.

We had the time of our lives, especially in Fantasyland. We rode things 2 or 3 times simply because there was NO line...true walkons.

Like I said earlier though, one hurricane had recently gone through, was that one charlie? Another was headed that way, Ivan I believe. Anyway, one had just past, and another was coming. That probably had alot to do with the crowds last year.

 

[Viki]

We always go that time of year (except this year when we're going in early Dec) and we've always found it quiet. More than quiet. We OWN the place - and last year, even though we're not quite the targeted demographic , we attended our first night of joy and it was loads of fun. I say this has someone who absolutely refuses to ever again wait in a DW line longer than 10 minutes (I grew up there in the 70s when wait lines ran to 90 minutes on a regular basis).

The only problem we've ever had to manage is dodging hurricanes and tropical storms, but even then, and even last year, when we flew down in between hurricanes, there was really no problem.

Have a great trip.

 

[Neelloc]

DH and I were there last year (2004) during NOJ. (9/9-9/14.) We experienced light crowds. Most rides were walk on, with other waits being no more than 5 minutes. We did not pay to attend NOJ however. The MK closed early on Friday at 6pm I think. We left the MK at 6pm and took the monorail over to the Poly for our PS at O'Hana. After that, we went to PI.

If you are staying onsite, onsite guests were offered reduced admission (maybe $15 per person) for NOJ on Thursday night.

Frances had just left the area and Ivan was looming, so that would account for the very light crowds. However, I also based our itinerary on peak days/EMH hours and scheduled us opposite those. We also didn't get to parks until 10am each morning (this was our anniversary trip, and we wanted to sleep in) and we got to see everything we wanted to see. I think we rode TOT like 10 times, Splash Mountain just as many.

This was our itinerary for that time frame:

Thursday: MGM
Friday: MK, leave MK at 6pm, dinner, and then PI
Saturday: DTD (meeting friends) and EPCOT
Sunday: BB and Epcot
Monday: MGM (am) and MK (late afternoon, we saw "Wishes" that night.)


Good luck and have fun!

 

[Trissy]

So what was the rain (storms) like last September? Thank you all for putting my mind at ease about the crowds. Can you see my ticker?

 

[Neelloc]

To answer your question about the rain: It rained Thursday when we came in, downpoured, in fact. We bought ponchos. The rain started mid afternoon and lasted for an hour.

It rained again on Saturday, lightly, in midafternoon.

The rain wasn't that bad at all.

 

[Viki]

Yes, even in between the hurricanes it only rained that one day, on Thursday; we were riding the boat from BCV to MGM when it started, decided not to get off, and spent the hour riding all over the lagoon before getting off at Epcot and enjoying a nice meal in some foreign land.

Go, enjoy yourselves, but don't tell anyone else what a great time of year that is in WDW.