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

[123SA]

I think opening up EMH to several of the Disney Springs hotels has ballooned the number of people that can stick around which inflates the crowds. Disney is making it so the only way you can experience the parks with reasonable crowds is to pay fo the extra events.

Except that it seems like this week wasn’t quite reasonable. Honestly, I don’t wait 25 minutes during regular hours. I just find something else to do. At $139 plus tax, these waits aren’t acceptable. That’s not a low wait. Anything over 15 minutes cannot be described as a low wait.

 

[maui2k5]

Except that it seems like this week wasn’t quite reasonable. Honestly, I don’t wait 25 minutes during regular hours. I just find something else to do. At $139 plus tax, these waits aren’t acceptable. That’s not a low wait. Anything over 15 minutes cannot be described as a low wait.

I think Disney’s definition of “little to no wait” for the VAH events differs from the definition of paying guests.

 

[sjberg79]

We went to Thursday (7/25) event and it was BS compared to previous after hours we have attended. Ridiculous waits and some of the wait times were just posted lies, like Peter Pan posted 5 minutes and then we went there and it's wrapped around outside the building (I took pictures I may send to Disney). We rode 4 rides and one of them was the freakin' People Mover so I'm not even sure I should count that. Did Big Thunder at the start, was probably a 20 minute wait and by the time we through we went to see Malificent at 10:40 and get some snacks. Tried to do Haunted Mansion, sat in line for 10 or 15 minutes but then my son had to go potty and the line wasn't going anywhere so we had to abandon, came back and the wait time was still posted as "20 minutes" but was wrapped well outside of the mansion. It's after well after 11 at this point so it's an hour in and we've rode ONE ride. We went to Pooh, waited 10 minutes and rode that. Looked at some of the wait times, most things say "20 minutes" which after what I've seen at Peter Pan and the Mansion, I'm seriously doubting because this event was much more crowded than other After Hours I've gone to. Did Speedway right around midnight, that was about a 5-10 minute wait. Had another snack, then went to the People Mover. In fairness, we did leave around 12:30 and didn't stay until 1am so we probably could have squeezed out 5 rides instead of 4.

I've seriously gotten more done rope dropping or at Early Morning Magic. We were not even doing the "good" rides if you will, we were not waiting for Space or the Pirate with the live actors or 7DMT. I like Big Thunder and Winnie as much as the next person but the only reason we did the speedway and people mover was because they had low waits while it seemed like most of the rides were posting 20+ minutes. I'm just glad we had already spent so much time at magic kingdom already that morning and done rides or my son would have been disappointed. I'm getting tired of feeling like Disney is just pushing the envelope of how hard they can squeeze you, now what's my answer? I'm supposed to chase after Disney and scold them for wasting my money? That wastes my time too and my time costs money. I think I'll stick to non-themed after hours events, this was just way too busy for my liking.

 

[cindyfan]

Ah the good old days... Things truly were more enjoyable in many ways 20 years ago visiting WDW now.

Well, even just 7-8 years ago things were so much easier and relaxing and enjoyable.
The E-ticket nights were replaced with Extra Magic Hours back in 2005? I think.
They have made way too many changes that have take away from the Magic. sad.

 

[EEva]

We also attended the 07/25 event and had very similar experiences as others have posted. We too were right at the entrance doors to Haunted Mansion when it went down. It was disappointing that there was no announcement or any info provided. I felt free snack lines were very quick. We didn’t bother with the Tomorrowland cart as it has a very long line.

However, I want to mention that the resort monorail was running when we left at about 1:15. Also, Casey’s Corner was open when we walked by at 1, much to the delight of my DD15 who decided not to eat dinner earlier!

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Well my internal debate with this event continued until Thursday at 9:45pm, sitting on our Poly balcony staring across at the MK. DS and I sat there and debated heading over, as it seemed the weather was getting better.

Ultimately opted against it for a few reasons... it was day 5 of the trip and we had already had plenty of MK time...it was relatively late and sleep sounded like a better idea... plus the cost. And at heart I’m just not a Villains person, so I was always the wrong target market for this one.

Two more VAH events left, then back to regular DAH. I think from what I read/see on this thread, we’ll split future VAH events (if they are offered) into a separate thread.

Thanks as always for the many contributions to this thread!

 

[Mango7100]

I know the Villians is different than regular DAH, but I am wondering if DAH is going to end up being worth it for us. We are going to Disney 8/28-9/2 (not setting foot in HS thank you very much ha ha! ). We had thought of doing the regular DAH 8/29 but we have relatives doing MK during the day that day. The DAH cost for the 3 of us is more than adding another park day to our ticket. We did DAH in March and had a great time, but after reading the recent reviews and the wait times it doesn’t seem like it is as tempting. With refresh we don’t wait 25 min for anything (not counting 7D) on a regular day. Am I really going to get more done in 6 hrs compared to 12-14 hrs with rope dropping? The only benefit I am seeing is we avoid the blazing August sun with DAH...

 

[GADisneyDad14]

I know the Villians is different than regular DAH, but I am wondering if DAH is going to end up being worth it for us. We are going to Disney 8/28-9/2 (not setting foot in HS thank you very much ha ha! ). We had thought of doing the regular DAH 8/29 but we have relatives doing MK during the day that day. The DAH cost for the 3 of us is more than adding another park day to our ticket. We did DAH in March and had a great time, but after reading the recent reviews and the wait times it doesn’t seem like it is as tempting. With refresh we don’t wait 25 min for anything (not counting 7D) on a regular day. Am I really going to get more done in 6 hrs compared to 12-14 hrs with rope dropping? The only benefit I am seeing is we avoid the blazing August sun with DAH...

I do think it's important to differentiate DAH and VAH. I don't think the two can really be compared as similar events based on what we have seen to date.

That being said, I really don't know what to make of the 8/29 DAH date, and others around SWGE opening. Seems like it could be ripe for sell-out conditions (which by the way, shouldn't even be much of a concern even if it were to sell out based on most past events), or it could be awesome, I'm just not sure?

There are lots of conflicting things going on all over property... crazy early hours at DHS, DAK, and MK....tons of EMH hours... SWGE opening, MNSSHP parties. To me that could be a good set up for shifting guest demand and crowds around, but hard to tell.

And to me, avoiding the August sun is a major beneift!

 

[Lsdolphin]

I do think it's important to differentiate DAH and VAH. I don't think the two can really be compared as similar events based on what we have seen to date.

That being said, I really don't know what to make of the 8/29 DAH date, and others around SWGE opening. Seems like it could be ripe for sell-out conditions (which by the way, shouldn't even be much of a concern even if it were to sell out based on most past events), or it could be awesome, I'm just not sure?

There are lots of conflicting things going on all over property... crazy early hours at DHS, DAK, and MK....tons of EMH hours... SWGE opening, MNSSHP parties. To me that could be a good set up for shifting guest demand and crowds around, but hard to tell.

And to me, avoiding the August sun is a major beneift!

Going to DAH on the 29th and hoping for "awesome"

 

[bocaj1431]

We went to Thursday (7/25) event and it was BS compared to previous after hours we have attended. Ridiculous waits and some of the wait times were just posted lies, like Peter Pan posted 5 minutes and then we went there and it's wrapped around outside the building (I took pictures I may send to Disney). We rode 4 rides and one of them was the freakin' People Mover so I'm not even sure I should count that. Did Big Thunder at the start, was probably a 20 minute wait and by the time we through we went to see Malificent at 10:40 and get some snacks. Tried to do Haunted Mansion, sat in line for 10 or 15 minutes but then my son had to go potty and the line wasn't going anywhere so we had to abandon, came back and the wait time was still posted as "20 minutes" but was wrapped well outside of the mansion. It's after well after 11 at this point so it's an hour in and we've rode ONE ride. We went to Pooh, waited 10 minutes and rode that. Looked at some of the wait times, most things say "20 minutes" which after what I've seen at Peter Pan and the Mansion, I'm seriously doubting because this event was much more crowded than other After Hours I've gone to. Did Speedway right around midnight, that was about a 5-10 minute wait. Had another snack, then went to the People Mover. In fairness, we did leave around 12:30 and didn't stay until 1am so we probably could have squeezed out 5 rides instead of 4.

I've seriously gotten more done rope dropping or at Early Morning Magic. We were not even doing the "good" rides if you will, we were not waiting for Space or the Pirate with the live actors or 7DMT. I like Big Thunder and Winnie as much as the next person but the only reason we did the speedway and people mover was because they had low waits while it seemed like most of the rides were posting 20+ minutes. I'm just glad we had already spent so much time at magic kingdom already that morning and done rides or my son would have been disappointed. I'm getting tired of feeling like Disney is just pushing the envelope of how hard they can squeeze you, now what's my answer? I'm supposed to chase after Disney and scold them for wasting my money? That wastes my time too and my time costs money. I think I'll stick to non-themed after hours events, this was just way too busy for my liking.

Sorry for your experience.

We also attended the 07/25 event and had very similar experiences as others have posted. We too were right at the entrance doors to Haunted Mansion when it went down. It was disappointing that there was no announcement or any info provided. I felt free snack lines were very quick. We didn’t bother with the Tomorrowland cart as it has a very long line.

However, I want to mention that the resort monorail was running when we left at about 1:15. Also, Casey’s Corner was open when we walked by at 1, much to the delight of my DD15 who decided not to eat dinner earlier!

by any chance did you notice if the bakery was still open at 1.

 

[EEva]

Sorry for your experience.

by any chance did you notice if the bakery was still open at 1.

Sorry, I did not notice if the bakery was open. We were on the other side of the "street" and I was pretty tired by then.

 

[Elle :)]

My DH and I went to the 7/25 VAH party. I had already lowered my expectations, based on the previous reviews here, but I was still surprised at just how busy it was. We arrived around 7:30 and had no problem grabbing our party bracelets and getting in. The park pre-party was PACKED!!! We haven’t been during July in years (we’re May / September people) so we definitely noticed the difference. We started with a FP at Space and the FP line was well outside the door. It took 30+ minutes to get through that line. Next, we had a FP for Splash Mountain, which also had an insane FP line (another 30+ min wait). We ran over to Pirates around 3 minutes before 10pm and hopped in line. The line was outside the door and building fast. The CMs were doing a pretty good job of making sure everyone had bracelets over there. The line moved pretty quickly but still took at least 20-30 minutes. We stopped for a snack break and grabbed some popcorn, ice cream, and a couple drinks. The CMs had everything out so that line moved very quickly. Atfter that, we rode the Magic Carpet ride with no wait and went over to BTMR. Huge line with a 20 minute posted wait time. We finished around 20-25 minutes. We bypassed a second ride at Splash after seeing the lines and walked over towards fantasy land. Stopped for a pic at the Fantasy Land wall (Maleficent) then rode Tea Cups as a walk on. 7DMT had a 35 minute posted time so we skipped it. We rode Barnstormer twice in a row as a walk on. Grabbed another popcorn / drink and walked over to Tomorrow Land around 12am. Space had a line way out the door and down towards the snack cart. I didn’t want to wait in that line again so we passed on it. Buzz had a 20 minute posted line but was really a walk on. We grabbed another pic by the Tomorrow Land bridge (Oogie Boogie) then made our way towards Main Street. We had no interest in the shows (and we were both exhausted) so we skipped out around 12:30.

Overall, I found the event a bit disappointing. All the main rides had 20+ minute waits, during the event. The only walk on rides were ones we usually have no interest in but we did them anyway to make the event feel worthwhile. There were a LOT of people at the party and I never had that empty park feeling. We usually rope drop MK and get way more done in two hours than we did during the party (including multiple rides on Space). So if you’re going just for the rides, I wouldn’t recommend this party. I wish they had opened this up for some Villain picture opportunities (like the MNSSHP) because I feel like it would make people happy and have the added bonus of (hopefully) lowering ride wait times. I’m still willing to try a DAH if they have one in May but only because I’m hoping the crowds will be lighter.

 

[Lisa F]

I remember the good old days when there were "E-ticket" nights!! It would cost $10/person and the park stayed open an extra 3 hours.... sometimes until 2am!!!
It would be so awesome, riding everything multiple times without even getting off the ride!
Things have changed so very much in these last few years!

I remember e-ticket nights too but it's been more than a few years... try a few decades at this point. Just feeling super old now, lol.

My next trip is in February and I am hoping that this VAH thing didn't ruin DAH at the MK for good.

 

[vinotinto]

We went on July 25. Overall we had a good time, but agree with all others that the waits were much longer than what you would have with FPs or Rope-Drop.

We entered around 7:30ish with our APs and got our wristbands without any wait at the Tomorrowland area (near Monsters, there is a big sign).

We did our 3 FPs (Space, BTMRR, 7DMT) and saw HEA.

During the party, we did:
- Splash - 5 minute wait
- BTMRR - 19 minute wait
- Maleficent Dragon (very cool)!
- Snacks
- Pirates - 23 minute wait
- Scar shot
- Buzz - walk on
- Snacks
- I went to the 12:00 pm show. Well worth it. Rest of the crew went to Space. Said 35 minutes and it was close to that for wait. Rest of my crew skipped the show.
- Villains goodbye, very fun
Left around 12:50

So snacks twice, about 5 rides, dragon, one magic shot and the goodbye in the roughly 3 hours. Probably not the best "value."

I’ll post pics of the wait times during the event and my comments on whether it was /looked accurate (“yes”) or actual wait time. The reports that we had received that the little kid rides have no waits or tiny waits are accurate. Rides for older kids and adults definitely had waits that were easily 3-4 times the wait you would have with a FP.

 

[KangaFan]

View attachment 421141View attachment 421143

Thanks for posting all the good wait time info!

 

[KangaFan]

Just tried to change one of our 8pm fast passes for two of my nieces for August 8 and there are no fast passes available for anything in MK after 6pm. I never tried this during regular DAH last year. Does anyone know if this is the norm because it’s so close or another indicator of a really busy night?

 

[monorailrabbit]

Yikes, it seems like the most recent parties are bombing. I'm still excited to go, but I'm so sad to see all these reviews. We will def. make sure to get our Space fix during rope drop (we are odd and are fine with just one ride on 7DMT and have a FP for it). We will plan on riding Space overlay during a show and hope that helps. I don't think we will make it back to WDW until 2021, so we really want to make the most of this trip! I really appreciate everyone taking the time to post reviews so we can adjust strategies/expectations accordingly! We leave tomorrow for our trip! WOOHOO!

 

[provoaggie]

Just tried to change one of our 8pm fast passes for two of my nieces for August 8 and there are no fast passes available for anything in MK after 6pm. I never tried this during regular DAH last year. Does anyone know if this is the norm because it’s so close or another indicator of a really busy night?

When we did our fast passes 30 days out we were only able to get 2. We couldn't find a 3rd one available for the night. I checked back several times and never did find a 3rd one.

 

[alex9179]

I'm still excited to go

Me too. My kids (15, 14, 11) know nothing about my plans, so late night will seem special to them no matter what. Also, they won't care if the little kid rides are the low wait ones. They'll be entertained and all the treats will thrill them. I swear, they'd ride Barnstormer for an hour and be happy! My 15 y/o's favorite is CoP and her least is Splash, to give you an idea.
But, yes. It's good to understand how the evenings have turned out, so I'm not frustrated. We'll use FP from entry (630ish) to party time. I'll look for Maleficent a couple of times, at least, in case she has trouble at some point in the night. I think we'll have a great a time if we aren't rained out!

 

[alex9179]

Just tried to change one of our 8pm fast passes for two of my nieces for August 8 and there are no fast passes available for anything in MK after 6pm. I never tried this during regular DAH last year. Does anyone know if this is the norm because it’s so close or another indicator of a really busy night?

Something's up. There's a bunch available on 8/1 in the evening. SDMT is the only one that isn't.

Edit: Is the system recognizing that you're using the VAH ticket? It sounds like you may have FPs scheduled before 6pm and it's assigning a regular park ticket to that day. Why that would matter, I don't know.