Extended Evening Hours Questions

[JulieODC]

MK is now closing at 11pm every night for the first week in March (with extended hours that Wednesday from 11-1). Im now expecting that to continue into the next week as well.

Selfishly I liked the initial hours as I paid for a Deluxe hotel for the evening hours but if the extend hours, I'm not sure my 7 and 9 year old can make in much past 11pm!

We went this past Monday and my 10/7 year olds were done by 10:30 - even with a mid-day break. I was bummed the hours got shifted so late to 10-12, we definitely didn’t get to take full advantage.

 

[JJsmama]

This happened last night at MK and there were MANY complaints from resort guests…and we noticed some line jumpers (or attempted line jumpers) from non-deluxe guests. Overall it didnt really quiet down until a little after 11, and then we squeezed a bunch in.

I wonder if this was a symptom of the holiday weekend? It is hard to believe that there are that many regular day guests still there at 11 on a regular day? what would i know? I am usually LONG gone by then.
BUT, year before covid, i did purchase a special MK After Dark and that’s all son and I did (meaning we did not do park all day before.)It was the best! I am planning two of these late hours in early March (I just got lucky on the dates.) my sons are 14 and 21 now, so their natural biorhythm is stay up very late, sleep very late. I was hoping the parks would start clearing around 8 or 9 though…

 

[Sabine W.]

For us last night, the 11:00 to Midnight hour was great! Did PP, BTMR, HM, Pooh, Buzz and Small World in just over an hour.

How was the line for 7DMT?

 

[UpstateMick]

7DMT was still 40 minutes at 11:05 PM!

 

[JJsmama]

Our experience last year was that there were a lot of people jumped into a queue right before closing and did not flush out quickly.

We were there two nights ago, Apparently, this is still happening. Park closed at 11, most ride times started dropping immediately. SDMT stayed at 80 min. When we left at 12:35, it was still an hour. We did not ride it. We enjoyed the EE, but Two hours, after the lines are already full of day guests is not the same as time in the park with no one ahead of you.

We still enjoyed it, but it took a while for the lines to dwindle. Plus, line
entry was very slow because they have to scan everyone, including each individual person looking through their bag for something to show or arguing that they should be allowed to ride. I felt badly for the ride CMs during that time period. A transition period of day guests having to leave before cutting into resort guests ‘time period’ would help, but I don’t know how they would do that.

That leads me to the question of how well explained the Deluxe Only is to guests of other resorts, I couldn’t tell if many were ‘playing dumb’ pretending not to understand the rule, or if they were truly surprised . In their defense, historically all ‘onsite resort guest’ were included. Also, come to think of it, most of the arguing people were in the first few minutes, so they could have been trying to work the ‘jump in at last minute‘ system and were too late.

I have ideas of what I thought was ‘worth it’ and not. Maybe i should start a new post.

 

[donaldanddaisy]

That's why the previous After Dark hours were great, you had a giant lanyard that made it clear you supposed to be there. Plus, I think when CMs know you have paid for a hard ticket they are more likely to make sure you get in. I mean, we are paying by staying Deluxe, but it's not quite the same

 

[Orsino]

SDMT stayed at 80 min. When we left at 12:35, it was still an hour.

7DMT is notorious for having inflated wait times posted. Were these posted times or actual waits? If I recall correctly, I got into 60+ posted waits at the end of the night and waited about 25 minutes.
If the 7DMT line doesn't extend out the entrance during Extra hours, then I very much doubt the wait was an hour. Extra hours have no LL to contend with, so I'd estimate the standby sign to be about a 40-ish minute wait? I've always queued past it, so I'm not sure.

 

[JJsmama]

7DMT is notorious for having inflated wait times posted. Were these posted times or actual waits? If I recall correctly, I got into 60+ posted waits at the end of the night and waited about 25 minutes.
If the 7DMT line doesn't extend out the entrance during Extra hours, then I very much doubt the wait was an hour. Extra hours have no LL to contend with, so I'd estimate the standby sign to be about a 40-ish minute wait? I've always queued past it, so I'm not sure.

No. There was a thick line out front going back toward Dumbo.

 

[JJsmama]

The other rides were much better after 30 min or so.
5–10 min on Big Thunder. Posted 10 on Splash (did not ride), posted 13 on HM,
waited about 10 on PP, posted 15 on Pooh, which was walk on, same for Space. If we hadn’t been so tired by the time we did Space at 12:20, we would have ridden multiple times, but the queue is still loooong and our feet were beat…

 

[luvdisney14]

Does any have any idea if they will increase the EEH hours in May from 9 to 11:00 pm
To 11:00 to 1:00 pm?

 

[bambialways4ever]

Does any have any idea if they will increase the EEH hours in May from 9 to 11:00 pm
To 11:00 to 1:00 pm?

If they do, you won't know until the Friday two weeks beforehand.

 

[holden]

We did it this week. By 12am everything was pretty much a walk on (didn't try SDMT). DD14 wanted to get on HM at 12:59am, so she did that. She and her friend were the only ones in the stretching room and on the ride. She said it made it so creepy.

 

[T'Lynn]

We did it this week. By 12am everything was pretty much a walk on (didn't try SDMT). DD14 wanted to get on HM at 12:59am, so she did that. She and her friend were the only ones in the stretching room and on the ride. She said it made it so creepy.

My DD9 would love that!!! I’ll see if we can make that happen!

I know it’s not ideal for everyone but I love the 11-1 hours. I think it thins out the crowds even more!

 

[luvdisney14]

Hopefully it will be available The beginning of May. Right now the days we are going late night Is 9 to 11:00

 

[Peach026]

MK is now closing at 11pm every night for the first week in March (with extended hours that Wednesday from 11-1). Im now expecting that to continue into the next week as well.

Selfishly I liked the initial hours as I paid for a Deluxe hotel for the evening hours but if the extend hours, I'm not sure my 7 and 9 year old can make in much past 11pm!

Mine are the same age - and they make it to past 1am! Every kid is different but the excitement (plus Mickey bars and a midday nap) get them partying

 

[T'Lynn]

Hopefully it will be available The beginning of May. Right now the days we are going late night Is 9 to 11:00

I wasn't sure if they would extend it for my week but I planned for both scenarios. I hope yours gets extended!

 

[disneyholic family]

there's no way we'll be able to take advantage with our full group, but if my husband and i babysit the grandkids, the 4 other adult (our kids and their spouses), might be able to make it through to the end. I think that will be fun for them, although they might be totally wiped out for the next day.

 

[ckelly14]

Our extended evening hours changed to 11-1AM for our trip in 2 weeks. I asked who was going to be with me to stay until 1AM, and I received a bunch of laughing emojis.

 

[DisneyFive]

Our extended evening hours changed to 11-1AM for our trip in 2 weeks. I asked who was going to be with me to stay until 1AM, and I received a bunch of laughing emojis.

I HOPE the hours are 11-1am when we are there in July. Our kids are grown now and can easily stay up until 1am. It also makes the crowds that much lower for EEH.

It's one of the gripes we had last summer when everything was standby only Not only were lines horrendously long, but park hours were short. By the time crowds started to disappear (due to families with little kiddos), the park was closing. We really missed those later hours.

I just hope the EEH hours line up with the days we want to visit that particular park. We don't have hoppers this year due to the added cost of G+

Dan

 

[ckelly14]

I HOPE the hours are 11-1am when we are there in July. Our kids are grown now and can easily stay up until 1am. It also makes the crowds that much lower for EEH.

It's one of the gripes we had last summer when everything was standby only Not only were lines horrendously long, but park hours were short. By the time crowds started to disappear (due to families with little kiddos), the park was closing. We really missed those later hours.

I just hope the EEH hours line up with the days we want to visit that particular park. We don't have hoppers this year due to the added cost of G+

Dan

Agree 100%. Looks like it's just me and the Kids that night...