Closing Time

[TabulaNinja]

We are visiting WDW in October, and we plan on getting hopper passes, and going to AK during the day, then going to Ohana then going to MK at night. That night MK closes at 8 with EMH til 11. We have heard that you can stay in the park if you don't do any rides. This sounds ideal because we want to take our time and just walk and shop.Also we will have friends who are Resort guests there for the EMH. So my question is, if the park "closes" at 8, how late can I get there with our normal hopper passes and still be admitted. If we get there at 7 will they turn us away? 7:30? All the way up to 8? I hope we don't spend TOO long at Ohana, but I don't want to rush through dinner.

Thanks!

 

[sxeensweet]

You can get in up until 7:59pm BUT if they notice you are not a resort guest at some point they might politely usher you to the front to leave. Yes they may not notice but you technically are not allowed to stay and they can usher you out. This is a resort guest perk only.

 

[Rob562]

You can get in up until 7:59pm BUT if they notice you are not a resort guest at some point they will politely usher you to the front to leave. Yes they may not notice but you technically are not allowed to stay and they can usher you out. This is a resort guest perk only.

Actually, they don't sweep the parks on EMH nights like they do for Halloween and Christmas Party nights. (Back when AK offered evening EMH I stayed after normal closing time despite not being a resort guest so that I could get a bunch of after-dark photos of the park) So as long as you don't try to get into any attractions, you won't be asked to leave until EMH is over and they start ushering everyone toward the exit.

And a note to the OP: Evening EMH is now only 2 hours (has been for a few years now), not 3. So if you're there on a night when MK closes at 8, EMH will only go until 10.

-Rob

 

[sxeensweet]

Actually, they don't sweep the parks on EMH nights like they do for Halloween and Christmas Party nights. (Back when AK offered evening EMH I stayed after normal closing time despite not being a resort guest so that I could get a bunch of after-dark photos of the park) So as long as you don't try to get into any attractions, you won't be asked to leave until EMH is over and they start ushering everyone toward the exit.

And a note to the OP: Evening EMH is now only 2 hours (has been for a few years now), not 3. So if you're there on a night when MK closes at 8, EMH will only go until 10.

-Rob

Yep true they don't usher out like the parties do I agree. I edited to say might as I should of said in my first post. They just have to make sure to enter before 8pm.
Just wanted them to know technically your not supposed to be there but they will not stop folks from spending more money. Haha!

 

[TabulaNinja]

I had heard that as long as you don't do attractions they are happy to let you stay and spend your money, and that is really all we would do. Shop Main Street and get us acclimated to the park before trying to get around it during the day with the crowds. I understand if they find out they will make us leave, and I understand that. I find it really odd that the parks close SO early. You would think they would be open til 10 or 11 for everyone. That day they are open til 9 with EMH till 11, i just rechecked

 

[sxeensweet]

I had heard that as long as you don't do attractions they are happy to let you stay and spend your money, and that is really all we would do. Shop Main Street and get us acclimated to the park before trying to get around it during the day with the crowds. I understand if they find out they will make us leave, and I understand that. I find it really odd that the parks close SO early. You would think they would be open til 10 or 11 for everyone. That day they are open til 9 with EMH till 11, i just rechecked

They really have no reason to make you leave if your not trying to ride rides as @Rob562 noted. We always stay on property so never have done it ourselves. The park hours in the "slower" months tend to be shorter as that's when we always go is Oct-Dec sometime every trip. The hours likely will get extended the closer it gets though as they usually do sometimes even the day of got extended when we were there.
Hope you have a wonderful trip!!

 

[Rob562]

I had heard that as long as you don't do attractions they are happy to let you stay and spend your money, and that is really all we would do. Shop Main Street and get us acclimated to the park before trying to get around it during the day with the crowds. I understand if they find out they will make us leave, and I understand that. I find it really odd that the parks close SO early. You would think they would be open til 10 or 11 for everyone. That day they are open til 9 with EMH till 11, i just rechecked

October hours are just coming out. They can (and probably will) be extended as the dates get closer and they can get a better idea of crowd levels.
It's easier to extend hours because it's busy than to shorten them because it's slow...

-Rob

 

[TabulaNinja]

October hours are just coming out. They can (and probably will) be extended as the dates get closer and they can get a better idea of crowd levels.
It's easier to extend hours because it's busy than to shorten them because it's slow...

-Rob

Good. I'm a night owl, and I'm without kids so later is better for me. Though I need to get ready for my ADR's in only 10 days!! Our dates are slow time of the year, so it wouldn't surprise me if they didn't extend them too much then.

 

[Rob562]

Good. I'm a night owl, and I'm without kids so later is better for me. Though I need to get ready for my ADR's in only 10 days!! Our dates are slow time of the year, so it wouldn't surprise me if they didn't extend them too much then.

I wouldn't be so certain. On our trip in late-October/early-November the MK was open until 10pm on all non-Party nights, and midnight on Saturday. (With evening EMH to 2am that night)

-Rob