Exiting the parks after a nightime event

[Stitchaholic84]

Not sure if this has been covered but just wanted to ask anyway.

I've noticed a few people have said that after say Illuminations, Wishes or Fantasmic, its better to hang back from the exit crowds a bit to take advantage of seeing the park in a different perspective when it's quiet and to get some good pictures.

While this really appeals to me, how long would it then take to get out the parks as I imagine there will be traffic jams with everyone trying to leave at the same time?
Usually we practically have to run once the shows finish so we dont get caught up in the crowds.
We wont be staying on property so its not just a case of jumping on a bus to get back to our accomodation.

Thanks

 

[DisneyJoe]

We wont be staying on property so its not just a case of jumping on a bus to get back to our accomodation.

If you are driving, you shouldn't have a problem.

If you are using a shuttle provided by an offsite property, I wouldn't wait around.

Onsite buses run 90 minutes or more past park closing, so there is plenty of time to linger if you are staying onsite.

 

[dreamfinder]

By hanging back, its a decent hang back. Not a 5 minute wait, but more like 30 minutes or longer. You would need to make sure that most people have had the chance to get to their cars, and then leave. If you are at the back of the park, it shouldn't be a huge deal, especially if you shop on your way out afterwards.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

I found that they tend to chase you out of the studios. Quite a few times I have had a lanyard wearing Gestapo type move me on when Ive been trying to take some photos, this despite the herd still being corralled at the turnstiles.

MK and Epcot are far more civilised.

 

[MansionGoer13z]

I found that they tend to chase you out of the studios. Quite a few times I have had a lanyard wearing Gestapo type move me on when Ive been trying to take some photos, this despite the herd still being corralled at the turnstiles.

MK and Epcot are far more civilised.

I wonder what they are hiding for them to chase you out in such a hurry.

 

[DisneyJoe]

I wonder what they are hiding for them to chase you out in such a hurry.

They are trying to close the park and get home. It's the end of their work day.

Either that or the park is being rented for a private event.

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

Your exit time (park to accomodation) will depend on what time of the year you visit Disney. If you're there at peak times then your exit time will be a lot slower than during the value seasons. Addiitionally, there is the wait for the tram to take you to the parking lot, then add on the queues of traffic as they head towards 192. If you're really unlucky, you'll hit the roads just as the other parks are throwing out as well

 

[disneygirl1]

We always try to hang back at night to avoid the crowds, I'd rather be roaming around a park then standing in a bus line. Depending on the park we are in we usually wait a 1/2 hour to an hour to leave.

 

[Walt Disney1955]

I wonder what they are hiding for them to chase you out in such a hurry.

True story here, when I went in 2009 my wife wanted to pick up some souvenirs for our niece and nephew. We watched Wishes at the end of the night and then slowly walked down Main Street. We entered one of the stores and it took forever for them to embroider a name on the mouse ears. There was a line up and they were busy. I sat outside for a while and just soaked up the atmosphere of people walking out of the park. Slowly it started to get secluded. I took some glimpses down Main Street to look at the Castle and I must have waited 60-70 minutes for the mouse ears to be done. But not one cast member asked me to leave when I was sitting outside. Not one. It was very liberating and I saw the park in a different way that I had never seen before.

 

[disney4life2008]

I found that they tend to chase you out of the studios. Quite a few times I have had a lanyard wearing Gestapo type move me on when Ive been trying to take some photos, this despite the herd still being corralled at the turnstiles.

MK and Epcot are far more civilised.

I concur with HS. It seems after Fantasmic the entire park is on lock down because they usher everyone to the turnstiles out. MK is no problem. I am never at AK at closing. Epcot, I have stayed for about 2 hours later. Epcot is the most pleasant. I like to sit on the bench in UK and listen to the music and eat my goodies from the day.

 

[Texas84]

Once we watched Illum from USA and we were able to get some great views looking back.

Mouse Gear at Epcot usually stays open late. You can definitely linger near there.

 

[DizneyPryncess]

I had a similar experience to Big Phil when exiting the Magic Kingdom last year (early May). After Wishes, we grabbed a bench and waited til the mob was mostly gone. Then we went into get some candy at the confectionary, and the line was huge. We souvenier shopped - again, the stores were still packed. We walked up toward the castle, and there was a photopass photographer taking night pictures of people in front of the castle, so we did that.

It had to be an hour and nobody ever asked us to leave - in fact, it was still pretty crowded in the Main Street stores when we did leave. We had absolutely no trouble getting out at that point, and we had driven our own car in. I've never hung around any other parks after close so I can't say how that would work out.

 

[blueboxdoctor]

They are trying to close the park and get home. It's the end of their work day.

Either that or the park is being rented for a private event.

they go through the park at night and basically clean it up (they do it for all of them I believe). That's why it always looks good in the morning. And if it's turning into a specific season they try to put the themes in. For instance, I was there at the end of the fall season going into the Christmas season so every day there would be less fall type decorations until one day there was a Christmas tree up. But usually it's just to maintain the park, replace dead flowers, and stuff like that.

 

[blueboxdoctor]

To answer the original question, the easiest park to wait in after the final show is the Magic Kingdom. They still have a well lit front part, and even the other parts are pretty decent. The stores on mainstreet remain open for a certain amount of time, so it is easy to hide in one while you wait. Epcot is difficult since the monorail and parking lot are so far from where you watch Illuminations at, and the whole park rushes there since everything is basically closed at that point.

I can honestly say, Hollywood Studios is always dreadful to leave, not to mention how rude people can be, but that is a different story.

Regardless, MK is easiest to wait for the crowds to leave, though idk how different it is if your in the parking lot.