Review of DAK After Hours
So, I just attended the first DAKAH (it was coincidentally held during the week I had planned to visit long ago).
It was delightful.
First, the mechanics.
The experience:
I had dinner at Tiffins around 4 PM. Went to Bug's Life to watch people get traumatized for life. Then wen to RoL at 7:30, which was the second show (remember when RoL was just 3 times a week and now it's twice a night?). This second show had about two empty sections.
We sauntered back toward the gate to find the place to get the AH wristband and found a stand near the shop near the Tree of Life. There was a big standee that said "TICKETS". Tickets to what? Good question. Who knows. Went to the register and saw the CM with the wristbands, so, we figured this was the place and it was.
The whole goal of course was to ride FoP as many times as we could. We enjoyed Pandora at night for a bit. Found a secret place to rub a tree to elicit some lights and a noise (other than the big pod at the entrance). Went to FoP and there was a line with about 80 people waiting at the FP entrance. At exactly 8:30, they let us in.
There was some people from the day in the last switchback room and in the queue outside the theaters. That annoyed me... when you pay a hundred bucks for a promised experience, you expect the experience you were promised... (almost) no lines. But they treated us as FPers and we we in the first pre-show 17 minutes after they let us in.
FoP was as awesome as ever.
When we got off of FoP, we circled around and got back on. This time the day-ticket people were gone and we literally walked onto FoP.
We went around again, and not only was it a walk-on, but the CM let us choose what level and what spots we wanted. That long set of four lines leading to the pre-show? Empty. The pre-show? Anywhere from two to six people each time. We almost had a whole theater to ourselves.
We went through 7 times in a row taking 15-20 minutes to cycle. Wish they had a backstage cut through since it almost took as much time to walk all the way out and all the way back in each time. At the MK's after hours, they let us stay on Buzz Lightyear without getting off several times in a row. Would be nice for some shortcuts for this, too.
Apparently, yes, there was an additional RoL (which we didn't go to). Attractions Magazine has a tweet showing the theater nearly empty.
A CM said they only sold about 1-2 thousand tickets and it was supposed to be around 5 thousand ticket limit (they didn't seem to solid on the numbers, though).
Both this after hours and MK's AH had the same odd interaction with the CMs staffing the free treats: they were practically begging us to take extra. I mean, that's nice of them, but, you can't exactly take backpacks full of frozen treats home with you. (It seams the MK's AH was also not sold out (rainy) and so, they had way too much inventory on hand.)
Review
Loved it. I finally got my fill of FoP. Don't think I'll feel the need to grab a FP for each day of future trips as I've been doing. Both this AF and MK's AF was a pleasure to walk around an almost empty park. So nice and relaxing. Perfect for night owls. This is especially after experience the Halloween and Christmas parties at MK that were way too crowded. Until WDW announces that there going to be lowering the attendance cap on those parties... I don't think I'll do them anymore. The After Hours are all the party I need.
So, I just attended the first DAKAH (it was coincidentally held during the week I had planned to visit long ago).
It was delightful.
First, the mechanics.
- For $125 ($95 for AP), you get three "after hours."
- For DAK this meant that the second and last general audience RoL was at 7:30 PM. The park officially closed at 8:00 PM. The After Hours event began at 8:30 and ended at 11:30 PM.
- Like the After Hours event at MK, you get 'free' Mickey Bars (and a few other frozen treats) and popcorn and plastic bottled soft drinks or water. As much as you want.
- Unlike the After Hours event at MK, there were a few food quick service places (at MK, there is no place to buy food during AH).
- For what was included, see this tweet from Attractions Magazine:
The experience:
I had dinner at Tiffins around 4 PM. Went to Bug's Life to watch people get traumatized for life. Then wen to RoL at 7:30, which was the second show (remember when RoL was just 3 times a week and now it's twice a night?). This second show had about two empty sections.
We sauntered back toward the gate to find the place to get the AH wristband and found a stand near the shop near the Tree of Life. There was a big standee that said "TICKETS". Tickets to what? Good question. Who knows. Went to the register and saw the CM with the wristbands, so, we figured this was the place and it was.
The whole goal of course was to ride FoP as many times as we could. We enjoyed Pandora at night for a bit. Found a secret place to rub a tree to elicit some lights and a noise (other than the big pod at the entrance). Went to FoP and there was a line with about 80 people waiting at the FP entrance. At exactly 8:30, they let us in.
There was some people from the day in the last switchback room and in the queue outside the theaters. That annoyed me... when you pay a hundred bucks for a promised experience, you expect the experience you were promised... (almost) no lines. But they treated us as FPers and we we in the first pre-show 17 minutes after they let us in.
FoP was as awesome as ever.
When we got off of FoP, we circled around and got back on. This time the day-ticket people were gone and we literally walked onto FoP.
We went around again, and not only was it a walk-on, but the CM let us choose what level and what spots we wanted. That long set of four lines leading to the pre-show? Empty. The pre-show? Anywhere from two to six people each time. We almost had a whole theater to ourselves.
We went through 7 times in a row taking 15-20 minutes to cycle. Wish they had a backstage cut through since it almost took as much time to walk all the way out and all the way back in each time. At the MK's after hours, they let us stay on Buzz Lightyear without getting off several times in a row. Would be nice for some shortcuts for this, too.
Apparently, yes, there was an additional RoL (which we didn't go to). Attractions Magazine has a tweet showing the theater nearly empty.
A CM said they only sold about 1-2 thousand tickets and it was supposed to be around 5 thousand ticket limit (they didn't seem to solid on the numbers, though).
Both this after hours and MK's AH had the same odd interaction with the CMs staffing the free treats: they were practically begging us to take extra. I mean, that's nice of them, but, you can't exactly take backpacks full of frozen treats home with you. (It seams the MK's AH was also not sold out (rainy) and so, they had way too much inventory on hand.)
Review
Loved it. I finally got my fill of FoP. Don't think I'll feel the need to grab a FP for each day of future trips as I've been doing. Both this AF and MK's AF was a pleasure to walk around an almost empty park. So nice and relaxing. Perfect for night owls. This is especially after experience the Halloween and Christmas parties at MK that were way too crowded. Until WDW announces that there going to be lowering the attendance cap on those parties... I don't think I'll do them anymore. The After Hours are all the party I need.