will you get kicked out of DL without Halloween tickets

[laurasvwee]

We will be at DL on 2 of the Halloween Party days but don't plan on buying tickets for the Halloween Party. Do you have to leave DL when the party starts?

 

[ArchOwl]

We will be at DL on 2 of the Halloween Party days but don't plan on buying tickets for the Halloween Party. Do you have to leave DL when the party starts?

Yes.

 

[chrissiecutie]

I've been told that those with party tix will get a special wristband. So when the party officially starts, CM's will kick out all the folks without the wristbands. I've also heard that when you trick or treat, you have to show your wristband first in order to get the treat. Anyone know if this is true??

Party starts at either 7pm or 6pm, depending on which day. So be prepared to leave the park fairly early. And of course, most folks will probably just park hop, so DCA will be busier as all those with party tix come over.

If I were you, I would see about changing my dates so that I avoid the party days. Because this would really cut into my disney park time...but that's just me.

 

[busymom232]

the 1st year they did the party at dca not dl i think that was better. did they change it just for the construction and maybe change it back next year or is this probley a forever change???

 

[chrissiecutie]

the 1st year they did the party at dca not dl i think that was better. did they change it just for the construction and maybe change it back next year or is this probley a forever change???

I know they had it at DL last year and I thought it was at DL again this year.

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

I know they had it at DL last year and I thought it was at DL again this year.

Yes its at DL again this year. The last time it was at DCA was in 2009.


Yes they check wristbands to trick or treat, shop, ride rides, move between lands, etc.

 

[chrissiecutie]

Yes its at DL again this year. The last time it was at DCA was in 2009.


Yes they check wristbands to trick or treat, shop, ride rides, move between lands, etc.

Cool! thx! I was pretty sure you had to show your wristband to do all this.

 

[bakerudall]

We will be at DL on 2 of the Halloween Party days but don't plan on buying tickets for the Halloween Party. Do you have to leave DL when the party starts?

Yes, but if you leave slowly and walk with your head turned backward, you can catch most of the Halloween firework show on the way out.

 

[taaren]

We were at DL and did not buy the special party ticket for the last few years during Halloween parties.

Generally Halloween ticket people start coming in around 4p. We got FPs for rides going up until 7p when the party officially starts. You can get into a line (FP or standby) for an attraction until 6:59p, which we did (we picked Star Tours as our last ride for the night in DLR). After you come out from that ride you can't get on any more attractions. I believe they told us that we were welcome to shop for as long as we liked though (we weren't very interested in trick-or-treating or shopping), and after the last ride we headed for DCA but we did not get the feeling we were being 'kicked out', just that the rides were now for Halloween party ticket holders. I want to say we did take pictures with the giant Mickey pumpkin before leaving and the photopass people seemed find with it.

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

We were at DL and did not buy the special party ticket for the last few years during Halloween parties.

Generally Halloween ticket people start coming in around 4p. We got FPs for rides going up until 7p when the party officially starts. You can get into a line (FP or standby) for an attraction until 6:59p, which we did (we picked Star Tours as our last ride for the night in DLR). After you come out from that ride you can't get on any more attractions. I believe they told us that we were welcome to shop for as long as we liked though (we weren't very interested in trick-or-treating or shopping), and after the last ride we headed for DCA but we did not get the feeling we were being 'kicked out', just that the rides were now for Halloween party ticket holders. I want to say we did take pictures with the giant Mickey pumpkin before leaving and the photopass people seemed find with it.

I am extremely disappointed about this post. The RIDES are not exclusive to the party. The experiences including the parade, trick or treating, fireworks, and special meet and greets ARE exclusive to the party. People don't pay to go in and ride the rides they can do all day, every day, from mid September to late October.

 

[StephNJer]

My big beef last year when we went to the party was how little they checked wristbands. It would have been so, SO easy to just hang back while they were kicking people out, and just stay. We had our wristbands checked only three times the entire night. When they were making the transition from kicking people out of the park and letting party guests in, it was a huge crowd of people, and honestly, I have no idea how they could have kept track or everyone who had a wristband.

It was frustrating because we paid (a lot) to attend this party. People who just try to skirt by wristband checks and hang out at the party without having purchased a ticket, are grossly abusing the system, in my opinion.

 

[JadeDarkstar]

from what ive been told on phone at 5pm they started to slowly move ppl out of the park that didn't have the party tickets. If you don't buy one you don't get to shop eat ride see any of the special only for the party time stuff. I've been told some shops only sell some things at the party never at any other time.

At least how i see it, if im paying 55bucks to get the special treats others shouldn't.

call me a stick in the mud lol

 

[DLR29]

Yes, you will get kicked out. I went on a Friday last October. We hopped over to DCA after DL closed...but so did EVERYBODY else. It was one of the most crowded times I've ever seen at DCA. The Bug's Land rides had 20-30 min long lines! All the major rides were over an hour too. Just a warning.

 

[Eclectic Goddess]

We went last year and also didn't notice any wristband checking. I don't think anyone ever asked to see ours, though we were in costume, so maybe they assumed we wouldn't have gotten through the gates without party tickets.

The first couple hours of the party were PACKED, with the incoming crowd and the (supposedly) outgoing crowd all trying to take up the same space. I doubt that the CMs could have separated the crowd if they tried. As it was, most of the people around us for the fireworks were there from that afternoon, with no wristbands.

As a party-goer, it was a bit annoying, but I can't say I would do any different if we had decided not to buy party tickets.

 

[Malcon10t]

I am extremely disappointed about this post. The RIDES are not exclusive to the party. The experiences including the parade, trick or treating, fireworks, and special meet and greets ARE exclusive to the party. People don't pay to go in and ride the rides they can do all day, every day, from mid September to late October.

I want to clarify... While we did not go last year, we did go the prior years. If you did not have a wrist band, you could not ride, buy food, go to the meet and greets, or progress deeper into the parks. They even were checking at the stores, and you needed to be exiting. They checked wristbands for those waiting for fireworks, and had people leave if they did not have a wrist band. I was doubtful myself when I first heard how it was to be handled, but I was quite impressed with how they handled it.

 

[humboldthny]

This is really interesting....we've been to the WDW Halloween Party a few times and they are much stricter about remaining in the parks after the party has started. I think it was last year you couldn't even get a dining reservation after about 6pm unless you had party tickets. Beginning before 7 the CM's start to sweep the park from back to front, checking for wrist bands at walkways, checking bathrooms (many reports of people trying to hide their families in the restrooms to wait for the parade) and stores, etc. and ushering people out of the park. I don't know if it is true, but I've heard that they won't even let you exit the park 'on stage' after the party starts, but use the alternate crowd exit by taking you through the parking lot behind Main Street.

 

[chrissiecutie]

I want to clarify... While we did not go last year, we did go the prior years. If you did not have a wrist band, you could not ride, buy food, go to the meet and greets, or progress deeper into the parks. They even were checking at the stores, and you needed to be exiting. They checked wristbands for those waiting for fireworks, and had people leave if they did not have a wrist band. I was doubtful myself when I first heard how it was to be handled, but I was quite impressed with how they handled it.

Does anyone who went last year know if this is how they handle things? Do you have to show your wristband to buy food, buy souvenirs, go on rides etc? I know 3Minnies1Mickey confirmed you do have to show your wristband, but was that last year you went?? What happens if it's 8pm, the party has officially started and you don't have a wristband? Does a CM escort you to the gates? Or do they just politely ask you to leave? If no one is escorting the non-party goers, then I would imagine that they might try and cheat the system and stay in the park.

I'm honestly not too concerned about these things...but what I would like to see is CM's moving folks out who are trying to "sneak peaks" at the parade & fireworks. I figure these are a big part of what you're paying extra for & IMO, they should be making a huge effort to not let this happen.

 

[Malcon10t]

What happens if it's 8pm, the party has officially started and you don't have a wristband? Does a CM escort you to the gates? Or do they just politely ask you to leave? If no one is escorting the non-party goers, then I would imagine that they might try and cheat the system and stay in the park.

What they do at these events is pretty interesting... They set up "checkpoints" at all major "thoroughfares", such as the walkway between the Castle and Pixie Hollow. Then they have cast members who start their own "walk" from deeper in the park than that checkpoint. You need a wristband to continue past the CMs, and the CMs deeper in the park turn you around and send you back towards the hub. They explain you can purchase a ticket to stay and where to go. They keep moving the check points closer and closer to the hub, then start moving it down Main St. If you don't have a wrist band, while they don't escort you, they turn you around and security is right there. They even had CMs by the restrooms 2 years ago. By 830p, it was pretty well cleared of day guests. We headed to see fireworks about 835p (started at 845) and we had to show the wristbands to join in the street, and I didn't see anyone without one. They did ask to see it at the Treat stations if it wasn't easily visible, and when we stopped for a snack.

They used the same method a few weeks ago for the AP Fantasmic! party.

 

[disneydreamerbelle]

Last year they would not let me buy a popcorn bucket at the train station stand after the party hours had started. I had to go over to DCA to get it.

 

[StephNJer]

We were there last year, and only had our wristbands checked three times total that entire night. All three times we were stopped by a CM as we were walking around. They were never checked during the parade, fireworks, or at any of the treat stations. I'm not sure if this was an "off" night but DH and I distinctly remember this and made comments about how little they seemed to be concerned about the wristbands.