News Disney Villains After Hours coming to the Magic Kingdom

[ImperfectPixie]

They won’t be closing any earlier than last year which also had after hours events. Magic kingdoms summer hours are 10 pm close with the occasional 11 pm close thrown in.

Yep. Remember when EMH meant you could be in the parks until 1am? I love the villains, but these paid events that cut park hours are getting to be beyond ridiculous.

 

[JustInTime]

It’s more than the Halloween party! With way less. Weird.

 

[DisneyOutsider]

Yep. Remember when EMH meant you could be in the parks until 1am? I love the villains, but these paid events that cut park hours are getting to be beyond ridiculous.

Adding to the frustration is the fact that the EMH experience stinks now. EMH now just means extra crowds at the park both before and after EMH begins. It's become a warning flag for which park to avoid for us.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Intentionally make the parks so crowded that people will pay extra for not having to deal with it.

Bingo.

How exactly is WDW making the parks more crowded intentionally?

 

[WDF]

How exactly is WDW making the parks more crowded intentionally?

Shortening the operating hours doesn't help.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Maybe Marni can confirm, but I've been noticing less and less night time extra magic hours, being replaced by special ticketed events. If that's accurate, you can bet evening extra magic hours are on the way out for good.

The second week in July (which is typical for the whole Summer):

• Sun: DHS Morning EMH: 8-9a
• Mon: DAK Morning EMH: 8-9a
• Tue: Ep Evening EMH: 9-11p
• Wed: MK Evening EMH: 10p-12p
• Thu: Ep Morning EMH: 8-9A
• Fri: MK Morning EMH: 8-9a
• Sat: DAK Morning EMH: 8-9a

Note that times can change since they typically expand hours when they know that there will be big crowds.

My problem is that they're promoting these events as "low wait times" for popular rides. Even the MGM DVC event this past week had huge lines.

I believe only the After Hours events are officially advertised as very limited availability and short wait times.

The holiday parties may mention limited attendance, but they certainly don't advertise short wait times for the rides. You're there primarily for the party events.

I'm not sure if the DVC event was actually advertised as 'low wait times.' You have a link for that?

 

[Kevin_W]

Actually, EMH were only on Sunday night in June of 2014 at Magic Kingdom. Early morning EMH was on Thursday at 8am.

Right, and EMH had already been reduced from 3 hrs to 2. (MK used to have 6 hrs of evening EMH per week instead of 2.) My point was just that regular hours were until midnight back then,

 

[Missing20K]

Shortening the operating hours doesn't help.

Nor does less hourly capacity.

 

[monothingie]

They are treading very closely to making it more reasonable to purchase only hard ticket events in lieu of regular admission. If you go with the metric of "number of attractions experienced per dollar spent" it may already be there depending on the crowd at any particular event.

How exactly is WDW making the parks more crowded intentionally?

MK was routinely opened later than 10PM or (9PM in August) throughout the summer. During the 11PM or later closes there were at least 2 night time parades which created a ton of capacity. Along with the extend evening EMH, etc.

 

[HauntedPirate]

How exactly is WDW making the parks more crowded intentionally?

Manipulating staffing levels to increase wait times. Removing high-capacity attractions and replacing them with lower-capacity ones (not the greatest example, I admit, because they are adding Tron at MK, I just won't forgive them for ripping out UoE and GMR). Pricing tickets to spread the peaks out so the parks are more crowded on a consistent basis and eliminate "slow times".

 

[Kman101]

Remember when E ride night was $12?


$$$$$$$$$$ grab

lol, of course it's a cash grab

After Hours isn't going anywhere lol

Now they'll just do themed nights and bump the price up

 

[mikejs78]

Maybe Marni can confirm, but I've been noticing less and less night time extra magic hours, being replaced by special ticketed events. If that's accurate, you can bet evening extra magic hours are on the way out for good.

My problem is that they're promoting these events as "low wait times" for popular rides. Even the MGM DVC event this past week had huge lines.

Well i can tell you for at least that last 3 years summer hour close times for Magic Kingdom have been 10 pm or 11 pm on most nights. And evening Extra Magic Hour only takes place once a week.

EMHs were cut back a few years ago. DAH events have only been around during the summer last year and now this year. EMHs have not been cut back to add these events.

Frankly it seems like they are at least adding value in exchange for the price hike. At least they're adding more than a cupcake....

 

[wannabeBelle]

If Bernie Briquette and Brimstone aren't playing, I wouldn't be interested!!!
Marie

 

[Kman101]

Sounds an awful lot like the frog in a pot of water. Drop it in a pot of boiling water and it tries to jump out. Put it in a pot and then slowly turn up the heat...

"But guests WANT this, our surveys have said so!"

If guests didn't want it, nights wouldn't sell out ...

 

[peoplemover]

I see it as a value add. I certainly don’t want to spend a whole day at MK in the summer, but I wouldn’t mind paying slightly more for 7p to 1a access and still be able to get everything done in less time. It’s good to have options one way or the other for people who may not have a whole day to spend in a park.

 

[monothingie]

If guests didn't want it, nights wouldn't sell out ...

With the exception of a handful of DAK AH events (That took place during spring break or holiday weekends), there have not been routine sell outs.

 

[WDF]

I see it as a value add. I certainly don’t want to spend a whole day at MK in the summer, but I wouldn’t mind paying slightly more for 7p to 1a access and still be able to get everything done in less time. It’s good to have options one way or the other for people who may not have a whole day to spend in a park.

Many people don't spend a whole day there, but like to spend the evening there and they evening hours keep getting shortened or eliminated in the case of all the added party dates. Passholders are paying more for fewer available hours to use their passes.

 

[monothingie]

I would be curious to know if people who attend these events purchase it as a standalone with no other form of admission into the park, or buy it in addition to whatever existing tickets they have (AP, etc). I’ve gone to two of these and I’m an AP holder

 

[eliza61nyc]

With the exception of a handful of DAK AH events (That took place during spring break or holiday weekends), there have not been routine sell outs.

which goes back to if you don't want it, don't pay for it. money grab or not, one would think that enough people are buying to make it worthwhile.
I hardly believe Disney is holding all this after hours events for a few hundred folks.

 

[SoupBone]

They are treading very closely to making it more reasonable to purchase only hard ticket events in lieu of regular admission. If you go with the metric of "number of attractions experienced per dollar spent" it may already be there depending on the crowd at any particular event.

My wife made this exact comment. Why not just get a ticket for the event, skip the daytime hassle, and enjoy the most popular rides? Sure you miss some rides, but you get to ride the most popular ones.