**Disney After Hours - Magic Kingdom** FAQ & Discussion Thread

[StayAwake]

I just made it home, so wanted to report in on my 2/17 experience, although I see that many others have done so already. While there were issues with multiple rides going down that increased waits at others, I still felt that I got a great value from the event. And I'll apologize to whoever didn't get water- we picked up water at every cart we went past, so we might have gotten more than our share.

We entered the park just a few minutes after 7. From 7-9 we did:

Monsters Inc Laugh Floor
Buzz Lightyear
Peoplemover
Tomorrowland Speedway
Teacups

Bathroom break

Starting at just after 9 we did:

Barnstormer
Dumbo
Voyage of the Little Mermaid (this part of the park was empty! we were a tiny bit creeped out)
Snack break #1
Meet Rapunzel & Tiana
Meet Elena & Cinderella
Small World
Tangled Light photo
Snack break #2
We walked to BTMRR and it had just gone down and they were dumping the queue.
Pirates
We passed on Jungle Cruise because of the long line
Peter Pan
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train x 2
Snack break # 3
We had about 15 minutes left but the kid decided her feet were too tired and she wanted to leave, so we left.

While we didn't experience loading through the FP queue or being allowed to stay on for multiple rides of anything, we still had a great time. Not realizing BTMRR was down ate up a lot of time that we could have spent riding a bunch of other things, so that was a lesson learned. However, considering the crowds and wait times, this was still a better value than a 1 day park ticket for the day would have been. Lines at the snack carts were no more than 5 people long and moved quickly.

I was on the fence about purchasing this in the first place, and skeptical about it after I purchased, but now am a believer. If this was a horrible AH, then I can only imagine how great a smoothly working one would be.

 

[faithtrustandpixiedust123]

Does anyone have any speculation on when August DAH will be released? Trying to plan park days and make ADRs and it's hard without knowing!

 

[JakeAZ]

Does anyone have any speculation on when August DAH will be released? Trying to plan park days and make ADRs and it's hard without knowing!

That's the Disney way!

You probably won't have the dates before your ADR window opens. I know I didn't when I had to book ADRs back in October for our April trip. Luckily we were able to make MK DAH work. However, the AK DAH announced during our trip was the same day we carved out for a day trip to Universal...and by that time, we couldn't move ADRs / park days around without blowing everything up.

If they had announced before our 180 day, we would have been able to make them both.

 

[Davkind76]

What is the thought about adding a regular Disney after hours to Magic Kingdom this summer? As they are running both villains and this during the spring, do you think that they will add them in the summer also?

 

[GADisneyDad14]

What is the thought about adding a regular Disney after hours to Magic Kingdom this summer? As they are running both villains and this during the spring, do you think that they will add them in the summer also?

It seems likely, but as always with Disney and these things, hard to say with any certainty.

 

[jdd]

DH and I were there Tuesday (2/24) as well and it was awesome! This was our first AH event, and it was definitely worth every penny. Here's our list:

Arrived at the tail end of HEA and watched/listened as we walked toward Liberty Square.
Hopped in line for Haunted Mansion at about 8:40?
On our way to BTMRR, stopped at first snack cart (it was 8:57 and they did make us wait until 9pm)
BTMRR line was about 15 minutes, but we noticed lots in line without wristbands, so they were the last of the normal guests
Did BTMRR a second time with no wait
Grabbed another snack and drink and walked through Swiss Family Treehouse while eating - this was really cool at night, all the scenes lit up and a great view of an empty park!
Jungle Cruise
Buzz Lightyear
Space Mtn
Winnie the Pooh
Mine Train
Snack stop #3
Peter Pan
BTMRR x 2
Could have done one more Mine Train ride, but decided to just meander down Main Street, take pictures and enjoy the atmosphere

All rides were a walk on except Mine Train - I think we timed that at 7 minutes - and the first Big Thunder at 15. We even left the park with a few water bottles and Diet Cokes in our bag - the snack cart CMs were all encouraging us to take more drinks. So we had drinks in our fridge for the rest of the week.

This was especially great since the rest of our trip was unbelievably crowded - I had no idea late February was a busy time, but all the parks were crazy from Sunday through Wednesday. Would highly recommend AH.

 

[ryman471]

What is the thought about adding a regular Disney after hours to Magic Kingdom this summer? As they are running both villains and this during the spring, do you think that they will add them in the summer also?

No one knows but my guess is they are trying to suck every dollar they can right now for people to buy advanced tickets for VAH first, and then they MAY add this regular DAH in a month or 2.

 

[jen7233]

DH and I were there Tuesday (2/24) as well and it was awesome! This was our first AH event, and it was definitely worth every penny. Here's our list:

Arrived at the tail end of HEA and watched/listened as we walked toward Liberty Square.
Hopped in line for Haunted Mansion at about 8:40?
On our way to BTMRR, stopped at first snack cart (it was 8:57 and they did make us wait until 9pm)
BTMRR line was about 15 minutes, but we noticed lots in line without wristbands, so they were the last of the normal guests
Did BTMRR a second time with no wait
Grabbed another snack and drink and walked through Swiss Family Treehouse while eating - this was really cool at night, all the scenes lit up and a great view of an empty park!
Jungle Cruise
Buzz Lightyear
Space Mtn
Winnie the Pooh
Mine Train
Snack stop #3
Peter Pan
BTMRR x 2
Could have done one more Mine Train ride, but decided to just meander down Main Street, take pictures and enjoy the atmosphere

All rides were a walk on except Mine Train - I think we timed that at 7 minutes - and the first Big Thunder at 15. We even left the park with a few water bottles and Diet Cokes in our bag - the snack cart CMs were all encouraging us to take more drinks. So we had drinks in our fridge for the rest of the week.

This was especially great since the rest of our trip was unbelievably crowded - I had no idea late February was a busy time, but all the parks were crazy from Sunday through Wednesday. Would highly recommend AH.

Thank you for your feedback on the event! Hopefully we have a good experience, also. This is why I took the plunge for the purchase price of the ticket this year, last year our week was terribly crowded, and I hope this gets us more time in MK done, so we can spend the other time in DHS! I'll need my sanity for DHS this year, calm and cool.

 

[jbish]

Thank you for your feedback on the event! Hopefully we have a good experience, also. This is why I took the plunge for the purchase price of the ticket this year, last year our week was terribly crowded, and I hope this gets us more time in MK done, so we can spend the other time in DHS! I'll need my sanity for DHS this year, calm and cool.

This is my theory, too. If I could do only DAH for our trip, I would. But we will brave the Spring Break masses at DHS and Epcot and balance that out with DAH at both AK and MK. Hopefully that keeps DH from thinking of never coming back to WDW again!

 

[jen7233]

This is my theory, too. If I could do only DAH for our trip, I would. But we will brave the Spring Break masses at DHS and Epcot and balance that out with DAH at both AK and MK. Hopefully that keeps DH from thinking of never coming back to WDW again!

Last April we had two days (plus park hopped at night for MK on one or two), and the first daytime with morning fastpasses, not too horrible. Left a bit after lunch, so can't comment on the afternoon. The other planned day, however, was terrible SO early, jam packed at I think it was 10 am just packed that early, hard to even walk. We used fastpasses and left. I will say be brave during spring break, and know it'll be crowded, but know that ahead and be cool (really, I am telling myself this, lol!) Last time even though MK was mobbed, people were generally fine. DHS, we got bulldozed I was holding my son's hand and someone was pushed right through us from behind, separating us and he got swarmed up in a mob of people, which annoyed me and I spoke up to them, and was told to calm down by her husband (but of course). This year, I'm going calm, cool, and collected, taking a breath and just getting where we need to with a big deep breath, expecting something with the crazy crowd level, but dealing with it differently.

 

[Kricketnp]

Going back in May, and even though I just did this in January, contemplating doing it in again! It was THAT worth it.

 

[cakebaker]

No one knows but my guess is they are trying to suck every dollar they can right now for people to buy advanced tickets for VAH first, and then they MAY add this regular DAH in a month or 2.

I don't think that's actually the reason. As I recall, back in November they released VAH's and AH's at the same time. I think that was the first time we've seen both events in the same time frame. I don't know that they'll continue to offer both, but who knows.

Edited to add: Went back and looked and they were not released at exactly the same time, but within a day or two of each other, VAH being released first. There were people reporting that Disney allowed them to switch from VAH to AH though.

 

[hcalla]

That sounds awesome! Hoping the April 5th one is just as great and doesn’t get oversold due to spring break.

 

[hcalla]

Me, too! We're going on 4/5 and hoping for the same experience as 2/24.

Us too for the same date!

 

[gatormom2tots]

I just booked our first one for March 30...me and 3 kids (15, 8, and 6). Lord help me...

 

[DisneyKCKC]

we went 24th and it was worth it.
Pirates
People Mover
Buzz Lightyear
Space Mtn #2
Winnie the Pooh
Mine Train
3 Snack Stops
Peter Pan
BTMRR x 2
Haunted Manson
Little Mermaid
Dumbo
Its A Small World

 

[pfeifer1990]

Questions about AH. We are going 5 adults in (first time back in 20 years) middle May. We are thinking about doing th MKAH event but have a few questions.
1. How early to book. We have 16 days before we do our fast passes. Are we safe to wait until then to book MKAH.
2. How many hours do you get for the event?
3. I have read people getting in early (7pm?) and using fast passes. Do you get 3 fast passes with the purchase of the ticket? And if so when can you book those fastpasses?
4. Is this a non refundable ticket?
I'm sure I have more but I'll start with those. TIA

 

[Katie1174]

Questions about AH. We are going 5 adults in (first time back in 20 years) middle May. We are thinking about doing th MKAH event but have a few questions.
1. How early to book. We have 16 days before we do our fast passes. Are we safe to wait until then to book MKAH.
2. How many hours do you get for the event?
3. I have read people getting in early (7pm?) and using fast passes. Do you get 3 fast passes with the purchase of the ticket? And if so when can you book those fastpasses?
4. Is this a non refundable ticket?
I'm sure I have more but I'll start with those. TIA

Hello fellow May traveler, my hubby and I go every year in the middle of May. To answers some of your questions as we always do AH (but we also have park hopper tickets)
1. You can buy tickets even day of if it doesn't sell out and I dont believe any in May have sold out yet(but the price slightly goes up day of)
2. The event is 3 hours, for our events this year, we have regular MK AH on May 11 and its 9-12 we have VAH on May 14 and its 10-1am and we have AK AH on May 16 from 9-12.
3. MK may let you in early, they may not, the official time is 7, sometimes they let people in at 6:30, 6:45 etc, you get 3 fastpasses with your AH ticket that you can book 60 days out if staying onsite if they have the tickets bought and linked into MDE and If you are not booking 3 fastpasses for another park that same day on your regular ticket. You can only pre-book 3 fastpasses in advance. So if you pre-book 3 for the morning in another park you can not pre book for AH as well
4. yes it is non-refundable but guest services would probably work with you to come up with a solution if something were to go wrong, but no guarantee of that

You will probably love it. The first time we did it my hubby loved it so much he said we would do any and all AH offered during our vacations

 

[pfeifer1990]

Hello fellow May traveler, my hubby and I go every year in the middle of May. To answers some of your questions as we always do AH (but we also have park hopper tickets)
1. You can buy tickets even day of if it doesn't sell out and I dont believe any in May have sold out yet(but the price slightly goes up day of)
2. The event is 3 hours, for our events this year, we have regular MK AH on May 11 and its 9-12 we have VAH on May 14 and its 10-1am and we have AK AH on May 16 from 9-12.
3. MK may let you in early, they may not, the official time is 7, sometimes they let people in at 6:30, 6:45 etc, you get 3 fastpasses with your AH ticket that you can book 60 days out if staying onsite if they have the tickets bought and linked into MDE and If you are not booking 3 fastpasses for another park that same day on your regular ticket. You can only pre-book 3 fastpasses in advance. So if you pre-book 3 for the morning in another park you can not pre book for AH as well
4. yes it is non-refundable but guest services would probably work with you to come up with a solution if something were to go wrong, but no guarantee of that

You will probably love it. The first time we did it my hubby loved it so much he said we would do any and all AH offered during our vacations

Thank you. For your answers. (We also have park hoppers so the 3 fast passes wouldn't benefit us either.)
Seeing as you have done MKAH in May is the park pretty empty for this event? I would love to be able to walk onto rides and I love the park at night.

 

[Katie1174]

Thank you. For your answers. (We also have park hoppers so the 3 fast passes wouldn't benefit us either.)
Seeing as you have done MKAH in May is the park pretty empty for this event? I would love to be able to walk onto rides and I love the park at night.

Good that you have hoppers, we couldn't live without them on our vacations.
Crowd level is never a sure thing but we did 3 AH’s last May and in MK absolutely everything was a complete walk on for us, even SDMT, Space Mountain and BTMR(which will be closed while we are there so i am soooo sad about that) Most of the time the park felt virtually empty which was fabulous and eerie at the same time. I got lots of castle pictures with no one in them at all. Dont let wait times fool you either, for ours SDMT said 30 min wait, i asked the CM if it really was and she said no not at all, it was a 5 min wait 2 of the 3 times we rode and a 8 min wait the first time we rode, but we did wait until an hour in to go ride that one.
everything else we went on was zero wait
i should clarify i find a 5 min wait to be walk on but most rides had zero wait