What can you do at Epcot around closing time?

[Wdwfan2016]

If your Via Napoli reservation is that late plan for nothing including Mouse Gears to be open. Also be prepared for the walk out of the park by a CM. Italy is the 2nd country checked at roughly 10:30 so if you aren't done eating by 10:35 you'all be asked to keep walking to the front exit (international gateway only with escort there) and you will not be allowed to stop and take photos etc. The hard clear of the park starts in World Showcase every night starting 1 hour after the posted close time so roughly 45 minutes after Illuminations.

That's not true at all. We finished dining around 10:30 in France 2 weeks ago and walked throughout the World Showcase including Italy taking pictures after park close and never were asked to hurry up or to stop.

 

[wilkeliza]

That's not true at all. We finished dining around 10:30 in France 2 weeks ago and walked throughout the World Showcase including Italy taking pictures after park close and never were asked to hurry up or to stop.

What time was park closing that night? It depends on park closing. If you were able to walk that way for a 9 pm closing it was a big drop of the ball or they have massively changed park closing procedures (which I have not heard of from anyone I know who still does it) as I closed Epcot maybe 100 times across the two years I worked for the company.

 

[Wdwfan2016]

Hi there! I'm just trying to figure out if an idea may work for my trip next year. Personally, my DH and I don't love Epcot, but there are a few things there that we would be sad to miss on our trip, so we are considering hopping over one night close to closing time. Our must-dos at Epcot on this next trip with my sister would include Spaceship Earth, Soarin', Living with the Land, Mission Space, the Mexican pavilion, Frozen Ever After, Via Napoli, and shopping in Japan at the Mitsukoshi building. I also might want to hit up Karamell Kuche. We do not care for Illuminations.

For reference, we will be there December 8-12, 2017.

Let's potentially say that we show up at Epcot at 6 pm on a night when it closes at 9:30. I think we could potentially get through the rides and the Mexican/Norwegian pavilion by 9 (maybe even sooner?). If we made a late reservation at Via Napoli (like, say 9:20-9:25), what would be open after park close? Would Mitsukoshi and Karamell Kuche be open when we left Via Napoli, or should we plan to get there earlier to make sure we get to those before a late ADR? I know at least in Magic Kingdom that the shops on Main Street are open late, so I was wondering if that might be similar in Epcot.

Also, what are restaurants like at Disney that late? Are the servers usually just as attentive as any other time of the day or do they seem annoyed that you are there so late? We wouldn't take our sweet, sweet time there, but if Disney allows us to make a reservation at 9:25, I would want to make sure that we will receive good service.

Thank you in advance for any information!

You more then likely will not have enough time to do everything you are wanting to do. Frozen is normally a good 90 minute wait without a FASTPASS. Living with the Land closes at 7:00 pm on most evenings. When Epcot closes at 9:30 during the holiday season everything will close at that time with the exception of Mousegears and the two stores around Spaceship Earth. They will remain open normally for about 30 minutes afterwards. This differs depending on the the day so don't always plan on that. I have seen them close mousegears as quick as 15 minutes after IllumiNations. It really just depends on the crowd levels for the day.

 

[Wdwfan2016]

What time was park closing that night? It depends on park closing. If you were able to walk that way for a 9 pm closing it was a big drop of the ball or they have massively changed park closing procedures (which I have not heard of from anyone I know who still does it) as I closed Epcot maybe 100 times across the two years I worked for the company.

The park closed at 9:00 pm, and I've done this many times throughout the years. So it really wasn't any big change.

 

[vicb]

is there a walk from the IG to the Main Gate of Epcot that you can hit that goes on the outside of the park. Once one leaves through the IG after park close you can't get back in to get to the main parking lot if thats where you parked

Not that I am aware of. But two things come to mind.... first you could take a cab from the BWI, S/D or B/Y Club back to the front of Epcot. But better, if you could take public transport to Epcot that day then you could get a bus from a resort or take a cab back to your resort. Honestly, we never rent a car or have a car at WDW. We use primarily Disney transport but we use cabs a couple of times each trip to just make it easier. I will say the post Illuminations exit through the IG is so much more relaxing, not a mob exit if you know what I mean.

 

[wilkeliza]

The park closed at 9:00 pm, and I've done this many times throughout the years. So it really wasn't any big change.

Then you have been pretty lucky. If the CMs have already called a section of the park clear guests are not allowed to walk through with out escort. France is the 4th country that was so you could probably walk through France, UK, and Canada with no one stopping you but usually by that time if you back track towards America you should be stopped unless they are still waiting on people to finish dinners in Italy. If Italy and Japan had not yet been cleared then a CM should have at least slowly walked you through America then let you walk out once you were past the other crew. The hard clear does start roughly 1 hour past regular close (less on EMH nights) and if countries have been hard cleared you aren't suppose to be allowed through them with out CM escort. Also if you are just walking around talking pictures you should have gotten a heads up that you need to make your way to the front.

Of course Italy and Japan usually have people still eating as they sit at 9:30 and some people really take there time but at some point yes there is a hard close and you can not back track through the countries so don't guarantee yourself that it is an option.

 

[Wdwfan2016]

Then you have been pretty lucky. If the CMs have already called a section of the park clear guests are not allowed to walk through with out escort. France is the 4th country that was so you could probably walk through France, UK, and Canada with no one stopping you but usually by that time if you back track towards America you should be stopped unless they are still waiting on people to finish dinners in Italy. If Italy and Japan had not yet been cleared then a CM should have at least slowly walked you through America then let you walk out once you were past the other crew. The hard clear does start roughly 1 hour past regular close (less on EMH nights) and if countries have been hard cleared you aren't suppose to be allowed through them with out CM escort. Also if you are just walking around talking pictures you should have gotten a heads up that you need to make your way to the front.

Of course Italy and Japan usually have people still eating as they sit at 9:30 and some people really take there time but at some point yes there is a hard close and you can not back track through the countries so don't guarantee yourself that it is an option.

Yes I'm sure there is a hard close at some point I just don't think it occurs until 11 or later. Because like I said, I have dinned in France, Italy and a few others several times were we haven't finished until well after 10:30 and never have been forced to go one way or not be allowed to take our time exiting. And just two weeks ago we were in France and walked back towards Mexico when we had finished, and never encountered anyone.