Getting people out before a hard ticket event like MVMCP

[pajammies]

So a simple question, and I might feel dumb, but how do they get everyone out?
I'm reading that the park closes at 7:00 and that the party starts at 7:00.
How does that work? What keeps people from just hanging out?

 

[Hakunamatata]

People who don't have a ticket/band for the event are not let in or on attractions (or in stores I believe) and at some point are corralled toward the exit.

 

[pajammies]

Oh, so there is an extra wrist band that you wear? Because I was thinking, how can they tell the people apart?
I suspect a few still manage to stay during the party then, no?
They wouldn't be able to go on rides but if they stay and just watch the fireworks it seems some could sneak by through the throngs of people.

 

[JasonDeyoung]

Oh, so there is an extra wrist band that you where? Because I was thinking, how can they tell the people apart?
I suspect a few still manage to stay during the party then, no?
They wouldn't be able to go on rides but if they stay and just watch the fireworks it seems some could sneak by through the throngs of people.

Some do get away with staying in the park but as said above with out the party wrist band they'll not be able to access anything and will be shown to the exit.

 

[sxeensweet]

Oh, so there is an extra wrist band that you wear? Because I was thinking, how can they tell the people apart?
I suspect a few still manage to stay during the party then, no?
They wouldn't be able to go on rides but if they stay and just watch the fireworks it seems some could sneak by through the throngs of people.

Yes there is a special wristband you have to wear for the parties. They give you one at the entrance when you arrive or if you were there all day you go to the front and get one. Also they can read your magic band if you have one to see if you had a party ticket for that night or not. Like others said they do not allow you to get on any rides if you do not have the special wristband on etc.

 

[Tinkerbella16]

The CM's are really good at checking for wrist bands at every point. People who don't have a wrist band will be nicely escorted to the exit of the park. Even people who have dinner ADR's that will run past 7pm, once they are done, they will be sent to the exit right after. But there are CM's everywhere checking for wrist bands and they do a really great job at getting everyone out who did not pay for the event.

 

[LAKid53]

As everyone else said, you will receive a special wrist band when you enter the MK. When I attended last year, the CMs wandered through the crowd waiting for the parade, asking everyone to hold up their wrists which they then ran a special flashlight over to make sure you were wearing a band - a legitimate band because I am sure there are folks who save a band from a previous party and put it on. I noticed that the bands from the MNSSHP parties I attended in 2013 and 2014 were exactly the same and since the one from 2013 was loose enough on my wrist to slide off, I could have cheated and worn it again for 2014 and not needed a ticket, as long as I arrived before 7:00 PM.

And if you attempt to purchase merchandise after the start of the party (I'm sure the CMs have some grace period for those in line at 7:00 PM) and don't have a band indicating you purchased a ticket for that night's party, the CM will politely inform you that you cannot purchase said merchandise and that you need to exit the park since a special ticketed event is going on, as one very polite CM told a very confused customer the evening I attended.

I don't know why Disney doesn't use that public address system they have to make a couple of announcements starting at 6:30PM. What if you are in line waiting for a ride and by the time you get to the loading area it's after 7:00 PM? While I think most folks know that during September-October (and November 1st this year) and November-just before Christmas there are special ticketed parties, what about a newbie? Who may not be as diligent as the rest of us in planning....

The first MNSSHP I attended I arrived just before 6:00 and was surprised to not hear any announcements. "Ladies and Gentlemen. Tonight the Magic Kingdom will be hosting Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party at 7:00PM. The Magic Kingdom will be closing tonight at 7:00 PM to guests who have not purchased a ticket for tonight's party. If you would like to stay and have some scarrrry fun with Mickey and Friends, we still have tickets available for purchase at Guest Services." [envision mad rush to GS, lol] Announcement at 6:45: "Ladies and Gentlemen. We remind you that the Magic Kingdom will be closing tonight at 7:00PM and only those guests who have purchased a ticket to attend tonight's party will be allowed in the Magic Kingdom after 7:00PM. There is still time to purchase a ticket for tonight's party at Guest Services." [now major panic at Guest Services]. Announcement at 6:55PM: "Ladies and Gentlemen. The Magic Kingdom will be closing in 5 minutes. Only those guests who have purchased tickets to tonight's Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party will be allowed to remain in the Magic Kingdom after 7:00PM. If you do not have a ticket for tonight's party, please start heading for the exits. If you have a ticket but have not yet received your wrist band, please see any Cast Member at the exits to get your wrist band." [CMs at the exit now panic] Announcement at 7:00PM: "Ladies and Gentlemen. The Magic Kingdom is now closed to any guest who does not have a ticket to attend tonight's party. If you've not yet exited the park, please do so now because if we catch you, Disney Security will throw your *** out. We've made 3 announcements telling you to leave. If you purchased a park hopper, you can go to any of the other 3 parks. Have a Magical Evening."

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

pubic address system

That's an interesting way of updating people

 

[LAKid53]

That's an interesting way of updating people

Well, if they can use it to announce 20 times that Wishes will be starting in just a few minutes, then why not for telling people to get their butts out of the park, unless you've paid $70 for the ticket event. Just saying.

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

Just saying.

You've missed the point - it's the spelling of what you originally wrote, not the method that you were referring to.

 

[LAKid53]

You've missed the point - it's the spelling of what you originally wrote, not the method that you were referring to.

Oh, holy *****!!!! I didn't see that - way too early for me to be posting, obviously. Time to edit.

Thanks for the catch. And my apologies to everyone. really need a spelling/grammer checker

 

[DisneyRoy]

When we were there this past December, there were several announcements stating the start of the party and the upcoming closure of the park. IIRC the announcements started at 6:00 and stated pretty much what you said. The park is closing but tickets are still available.

 

[LAKid53]

When we were there this past December, there were several announcements stating the start of the party and the upcoming closure of the park. IIRC the announcements started at 6:00 and stated pretty much what you said. The park is closing but tickets are still available.

Interesting. I've attend 3 MNSSHP and 1 MVMCP over the past two years, usually arriving before 6:00PM and haven't heard an announcement. Perhaps in addition to not being able to type (or proofread), I'm now going deaf? Or cannot remember anything. Oh, no, I'm going blind, deaf and senile!

I was surprised that upon entering the MK (before 6:00PM) for MVMCP last year that the CMs at the entrance with the wrist bands DIDN'T ask to see your ticket to the party - they just assumed that everyone walking up and sticking out their wrist had a ticket. Bad assumption. If I've entered before the park closed at 7:00PM, I've always been asked for my ticket or paper confirmation of purchase (and they looked at the back of the ticket to check the date) before being given a wrist band.

 

[Tuvalu]

@LAKid53 this:

When we were there this past December, there were several announcements stating the start of the party and the upcoming closure of the park. IIRC the announcements started at 6:00 and stated pretty much what you said. The park is closing but tickets are still available.

We have also been in the park on MNSSHP and MVMCP nights and had the same experience as @DisneyRoy .

 

[LAKid53]

@LAKid53 this:


We have also been in the park on MNSSHP and MVMCP nights and had the same experience as @DisneyRoy .

I guess I need to pay attention next time I attend, lol. I honestly don't remember hearing any announcements - perhaps I was too focused on getting my LE magic band from each party and trying to figure out from the map where (1) to get candy or (2) a cup of hot chocolate and a cookie.

This year's party is going to be fun since both my daughter and her fiancé will be coming (I've always gone solo) - and he is psyched about attending his 1st Disney Halloween party. His favorite ride is Haunted Mansion and he loved the video of the Villains parade from last year's party. Both have already decided on their costumes and are starting to make them. And it's only May....

 

[dreamfinder]

So a simple question, and I might feel dumb, but how do they get everyone out?
I'm reading that the park closes at 7:00 and that the party starts at 7:00.
How does that work? What keeps people from just hanging out?

Pretty much the same way they close the parks each night. CMs start at the individual rides, back corners of the parks, etc and start checking wrist bands. If you don't have a wrist band they don't let you past them, and will slowly herd you to the gates. As they clear out sections of the park, the CMs join together and keep herding everyone out. By the time they hit main street there is a solid mass of CMs 2-3 deep that crosses the entire street. If you have a wristband you can walk past them, otherwise they won't let you through.

 

[Rob562]

I've only ever heard the announcements on Main Street and in the Hub, not in the rest of the park.
Another item of note is that at 7pm they close the doors to all of the shops on the East (Tomorrowland) side of Main Street. Non-party Guests exiting aren't given access to that side of the street, speeding up the clearing of the park.

Of course I kinda preferred the old way of how they handled the switch from regular day into the Party... The Party didn't actually start until 8pm, and ran 8p-1a. At closing time they blocked off the entrances to all attractions and all Hub bridges became one-way out. Entering Party guests were directed toward Tomorrowland where all attractions were open to wristbanded Guests only. Once Fantasyland was clear of day guests, they allowed Party guests to proceed there via the walkway from Tomorrowland, and then at 8pm (or if the park was clear before then) they opened everything up to Party guests.

I've never worked in the parks, but to me this sounds like an easier job from a staffing and crowd-control point. Of course it also required staffing the park an hour later on those nights, so some finance person probably decided the 7pm-12am model was cheaper.

-Rob