Magic Kingdom to test earlier closing on Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party event nights

flynnibus

Premium Member
The comparison isn't really week. Fall use to be a slow time for Disney to, until they increased the popularity with the after hours Halloween/Christmas party's. Universal is now trying to do the same thing. Also as far as I am aware only Magic Kingdom is offering regular after hours events. Hollywood Studios does Galactic nights 1 night a year, so that isn't really a valid point.

1 night now... and the topic is about the EXPANSION of the events... so is it far fetched to think that 'its only 1 night' is a concept that is soon to leave?

And as to 'used to be a slow time... until the parties' this is circular logic. The growth in attendance is not due to the parties... its due to the combined push of Disney through multiple pieces to fill out ALL its non-peak seasons. Which is why the spring and January are up, not just fall. From races, numerous events, pricing changes, promotions, etc. The parties are capitalizing on the 'premium service offering' model the company is leveraging across the board.

And... UNI's Holloween Event PRE-DATES the MK hard-ticket event..UNI is no where near Disney in terms of working on filling out it's non-peak stuff.. it's focusing on length of stay and keeping people at UNI. UNI is not simply shadowing Disney's changes here.

The 'its only one night' argument is one that is putting your head in the sand about the trends.
 

nbdysreal

Well-Known Member
DHS. My point was to illustrate that the defense that "MK is only one of the four parks" is weak because it assumes its the only park that does this.. which is something Disney has already shown is not an absolute... and two.. the other parks do not provide a similar alternative for activities at that time of day (or scale).

Truth is MK is the biggest and most complete attraction on property... especially after 8pm. Taking that out of the rotation is not losing 1/4th of the options... its much much bigger.
All fair points, but the party aren't "exclusive" to one group. Anyone who wants to purchase that ticket can, as long as they haven't hit capacity. The events add entertainment and experiences that normal days don't. The park is open until midnight during this too, nullifying the concern of capacity across the parks being lower after 6pm. Also, they have increased hours at Animal Kingdom, allowing capacity to be spread a little more. It would appear that your issue is more that you can't enter with a mult-day/ap ticket, as opposed to going to the magic kingdom that night. Most parties are slightly cheaper than a 1 day MK ticket, if someone can only go for 1 day. With how often these sellout, it appears you are in the minority of people. You have valid points to an extent, I just don't see it as doom-and-gloom as you are implying it to be. I've been there on property during multiple party nights, with and without infants in the family, and it has never been an issue to do something that night.
 

flynnibus

Premium Member
All fair points, but the party aren't "exclusive" to one group. Anyone who wants to purchase that ticket can, as long as they haven't hit capacity. The events add entertainment and experiences that normal days don't. The park is open until midnight during this too, nullifying the concern of capacity across the parks being lower after 6pm. Also, they have increased hours at Animal Kingdom, allowing capacity to be spread a little more. It would appear that your issue is more that you can't enter with a mult-day/ap ticket, as opposed to going to the magic kingdom that night. Most parties are slightly cheaper than a 1 day MK ticket, if someone can only go for 1 day. With how often these sellout, it appears you are in the minority of people. You have valid points to an extent, I just don't see it as doom-and-gloom as you are implying it to be. I've been there on property during multiple party nights, with and without infants in the family, and it has never been an issue to do something that night.

"The events add entertainment and experiences that normal days don't."
Yes, and at the same time blocking out normally reachable experiences.

"The park is open until midnight during this too, nullifying the concern of capacity across the parks being lower after 6pm."
Huh? The point was telling people to just goto another park still has negative consequences because the biggest park on property just got taken out of circulation... meaning a ton of people are doing the same thing.

"With how often these sellout, it appears you are in the minority of people"
No, it just means many just grin and bear it... the intertia hasn't ran out yet.. or many write it off.

"Most parties are slightly cheaper than a 1 day MK ticket, if someone can only go for 1 day"
If you are on a multi-day ticket (as most vacationers are)... the argument of 'the ticket is slightly cheaper than a 1 day ticket' is meaningless. One... you aren't paying 1 day ticket prices per day... two, you're saying don't use an admission for that day (meaning, stay out of all parks) or face you have to pay again.

The excuses of "why this isn't a big deal" simply don't hold water. They do have significant impacts... the question is only if you are willing to accept them. The problem is many do, then try to act like those impacts don't really exist.. that's denial.
 

nbdysreal

Well-Known Member
Let's try this a different way... when tickets are bought, chances are you know of operating hours. It's obviously impacting you and some more than me and others. There is no denial on my part. Agree to disagree.
 

flynnibus

Premium Member
Let's try this a different way... when tickets are bought, chances are you know of operating hours. It's obviously impacting you and some more than me and others. There is no denial on my part. Agree to disagree.

Or put another way... for nearly 1/4 of the year.. if you visit WDW for a week, the MK is going to be operating at reduced hours due to hard ticket events... that if you want to participate in, you need to pay more. That's the whole point.

Arguments like "well you knew that" or "just goto another park" - do not change that nor reduce the impact of it. The expansion of the parties increases the impact of this. The expansion of more ticketed events further increases the impact of this business practice on people who were already paying through the nose to visit WDW. The fact UNI does events too doesn't change the impact of this.

Hence... retort is weak.
 

21stamps

Well-Known Member
What happens when there start to be hard-ticket events popping up at the other parks? It's not hard to envision, given the relentless focus on increasing revenue.

We’re on our way to MVMCP in the next half hour or so. If there would have been a hard ticket event at HS, we would have gladly reversed our order of parks today and done that instead!

Ran out of time at HS.. not able to meet BB8.
I don’t know how people claim to do “everything” at HS in a few hours time.
 

discos

Well-Known Member
We’re on our way to MVMCP in the next half hour or so. If there would have been a hard ticket event at HS, we would have gladly reversed our order of parks today and done that instead!

Ran out of time at HS.. not able to meet BB8.
I don’t know how people claim to do “everything” at HS in a few hours time.
People who claim to do "everything" at DHS just do the select few things they wanna do. For a first timer at the park, so someone who wants to soak up and see almost every attraction (like myself) you definitely need the whole day at the park.
 

IanDLBZF

Well-Known Member
We are currently at MK for the party and it was amazing not having to fight the masses leaving at 7pm. Along with the new bag check location, getting in for the party was seamless! Short lines and since the park closed at 6 vs 7, there wasn't a hoard of people mobbing the entrance. I hope this test proves successful and the 6pm closing carries over to ALL party nights next year.
Hopefully it does, maybe it will carry over to next year's MNSSHP!
 

ford91exploder

Resident Curmudgeon
That is what happens when you are a slave to Wall Street, all publicly traded companies have to perform Quarter over Quarter, Year over Year. That is just the nature of the business they are in.

No the MSV theory is about value extraction not value creation and its the brainchild of convicted fraudster Michael Milliken aka 'The Junk Bond King'.
 

matt9112

Well-Known Member
We’re on our way to MVMCP in the next half hour or so. If there would have been a hard ticket event at HS, we would have gladly reversed our order of parks today and done that instead!

Ran out of time at HS.. not able to meet BB8.
I don’t know how people claim to do “everything” at HS in a few hours time.

I don't count meet and greets.....because I don't like waiting for them. all real shows and ridess by 1pm is easy if you fp smart.
 

King Panda 77

Thank you sir. You were an inspiration.
Premium Member
What a vague way of putting it. Per week. Bizarre. Anyways....

Here is some fun facts for you. I went back to 2002, 15 years, made sense as a random yet roundish number...

2002 - 12
2004 - 12
2006 - 18
2008 - 18
2010 - 19
2014 - 19
2016 - 21
2017 - 21

So, not that consistent. Unless you meant consistently increasing.
Are there not now less total hard ticketed party nights through the year. Pirates and princesses ran from Jan-June. That ended in 2011.
 

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