Magic Kingdom After Hours Coming Back!

[serenitynow]

Rumor has it ...

On the Disney Travel Agent website it states that "By popular demand" the MK After Hours event will be returning in 2017. No date given.

Talk amongst yourselves.

Ready, set, GO ...

 

[Barbara76]

Rumor has it ...

On the Disney Travel Agent website it states that "By popular demand" the MK After Hours event will be returning in 2017. No date given.

Talk amongst yourselves.

Ready, set, GO ...

I never experienced this..what is it? Sounds fun

 

[serenitynow]

I never experienced this..what is it? Sounds fun

It was a 3 hour party that occurred at Magic Kingdom after closing, back in the spring of 2016. It was called Disney After Hours with free bottled drinks, free ice cream cart items and unlimited rides. Attendance to the event was supposed to be "limited". Disney never said how many tickets were actually available to the party, but guests who attended claimed every ride was a walk on and the park was not crowded at all. It wasn't a very well advertised event.
It cost $149.00 per person.

Guests who attended the party gave it rave reviews and many said they would do it again. Other people felt the price was too high and Disney was basically "selling" Extra Magic Hours which have traditionally been free to resort guests. This party did not replace EMH, but was a seperate up charge event open to anyone willing to pay $149.00 to stay in the park at night for three hours after the park was closed to park guests.

 

[Accident]

I'm there, many times!!!!! best event ever!!

This was not disney selling extra magic hours, this was disney selling you an everything walk on tiny crowd..

They didn't adjust the calendars and the parks actually closed earlier just after it finished..
I'll pay for no crowd..

 

[focusondisney]

Oh, I'd love it if it was available when we go in May. It is just DH & me. We pay for extra events like tours frequently. I would LOVE to be in a nearly empty MK.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

The nice thing about this one - at least in the past, was it didn't require separate admission and I think you got in to the park in time to see the nightime shows and then had the 3 hours with no/limited crowds. So for a short stay I think it could really make sense

 

[mcd2745]

Question is...does it return at the same price point?

I have no doubt it was a great experience for anyone who went to these events. It's just a steep price for virtually the same thing they used to charge 12 bucks for (old "E-Ride Nights - best money I've ever spent at WDW). If they charged $50 back in the day, the $150 price tag wouldn't have been as outrageous.

 

[megs1313]

I didn't attend, though I was at MK on one of the first nights they did this last spring. We're headed back and if they do this over our stay, we will seriously consider it.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I never experienced this..what is it? Sounds fun

Armed robbery without the gun and ski mask

 

[TCRAIG]

Rumor has it ...

On the Disney Travel Agent website it states that "By popular demand" the MK After Hours event will be returning in 2017. No date given.

Talk amongst yourselves.

Ready, set, GO ...

We went to one last year - only because it was 1/2 price for either DVC or AP holders (don't remember if it was one or the other or both) I hate to admit it - but it was pretty awesome...literally an empty park

 

[rteetz]

By popular demand? That's really really funny.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

We went to one last year - only because it was 1/2 price for either DVC or AP holders (don't remember if it was one or the other or both) I hate to admit it - but it was pretty awesome...literally an empty park

And that's exactly why it's a fail...at half price they can't justify opening the park...at full price they can't sell
It.

So if the price goes low...then it's just an overcrowded, overpriced event like the Halloween party without the pretense

 

[soniam]

I really liked the idea, especially at half price. However, it's not very feasible for all families with kids, since it runs so late. I suspect that's why the morning magic hours have been more popular.

 

[rteetz]

I really liked the idea, especially at half price. However, it's not very feasible for all families with kids, since it runs so late. I suspect that's why the morning magic hours have been more popular.

And the morning includes breakfast.

 

[AdamEfimoff]

Rumor has it ...

On the Disney Travel Agent website it states that "By popular demand" the MK After Hours event will be returning in 2017. No date given.

Talk amongst yourselves.

Ready, set, GO ...

because the first ones were so popular

 

[Prissyms]

Really surprise this is coming back. I didn't think it did well! I know a few people really liked it but I'm still not sold on the $150 for three extra hours. We'll see where it goes.

 

[rteetz]

Really surprise this is coming back. I didn't think it did well! I know a few people really liked it but I'm still not sold on the $150 for three extra hours. We'll see where it goes.

It didn't do well according to everything I heard. I don't think any night they did it sold out or came close.

 

[HopperFan]

Went. Was AWESOME!!

It didn't do well - and that was (1) Disney never promoted it, did very little to advertise and shot themselves in the foot. (2) Originally overpriced. The event was to be part of a multi-part promotion but apparently a CM (and maybe former) leaked the news way before planned and so Disney quickly announced it and never really had the chance to do any fanfare.

The original price was too much for the capacity they wanted. They then began offering substantial discounts for AP, DVC ... and that was a great price point. By time we went they were charging everyone the reduced price. We bought our tickets only hours ahead at the reduced price. We had so much fun, walked on to everything, tried every ice cream they offer (and I still like Mickey Bars best), bottled soda and water (took some extra in backpack). We could have gone on everything but repeating rides and the walking slowed us down. We rode the big ones over and over. It truly was a blast!

I would not be surprised at all to see it come back WITH a better promotion AND a better price point. Keeping it under $100, I think closer to $80 would change everything. BUT if it does and is received well, there will be way more people in the park than what most of us experienced. They were only selling about 15-20% of tickets most nights.

PS One of the perks for us with it being so late was ..... not many little kids. It was big kid play time.

 

[Accident]

I would not be surprised at all to see it come back WITH a better promotion AND a better price point. Keeping it under $100, I think closer to $80 would change everything. BUT if it does and is received well, there will be way more people in the park than what most of us experienced. They were only selling about 15-20% of tickets most nights.

The last night of it was noticeably more than the earlier nights. I think people didn't' have time to learn the event was even an option and near the end they did and whole famliies (not like family of 4 but groups of 8 or 12) attended. It really changed the atmosphere and some people were acting very entitled that last night. It was also a bigger mix of ages but not to the point I woudl say it was a lot of kids.

I think they learned a lot, the parties seemed to be priced based on feedback they got from the first attempt. I think this next iteration if they advertise and handle it right will be a smashing success. they also need to do somethign special like get some characters just out in the park and not do it meet and greet style. It's the perfect atmosphere and crowd size to really make it where the characters live and play too.

 

[wench]

By popular demand? That's really really funny.

Maybe the DVC members who got in for free when sales were a bust demanded it? Other than that, I agree the popularity wasn't there. It was just priced too high for most people to be interested.