I read somewhere about how when Star tours first opened in dl, the park stayed open for 60 hours straight, I would love to stay in the magic kingdom all night til sunrise, have they ever done this/will they ever?
-
The new WDWMAGIC iOS app is here!
Stay up to date with the latest Disney news, photos, and discussions right from your iPhone. The app is free to download and gives you quick access to news articles, forums, photo galleries, park hours, weather and Lightning Lane pricing. Learn More -
Welcome to the WDWMAGIC.COM Forums!
Please take a look around, and feel free to sign up and join the community.
Have any of the parks ever been open all night?
- Thread starter MickeyMind
- Start date
David S.
Member
I would love to know that myself! Being a night owl, I'd be so there!
On New Year's Eve the MK usually stays open until 2 AM, and is open for a rope drop at 7 AM the next day. When they have evening EMH in "high season", there are often only 4 hours of "closed" time between closing and the next day's rope drop. So even if that isn't an all-nighter, there are times when the park is open for around 40 hours in a 44 hour period!
The only all-nighter I've ever done was in a non-Disney park, from 6 PM - 7 AM on a Friday night in October, 2004, at Six Flags Over Georgia. This was a special event that I paid an upcharge to attend, as my season pass was only good from the 6 PM rope drop until 11 PM when the park "officially" closed. Since I love riding coasters at night, I had a blast, and the lines were short, too!
I lasted all the way until closing at 7 AM, and the next day, Saturday (ie 3 hours later!) I was there, bright and early, at rope drop for the regular 10 AM - 10 PM operating day (which was originally planned to be part of my trip before I knew about the all-nighter), and lasted for that entire 12 hour session, as well. So that was 25 hours in the park for me out of 28 (the 3 hours it was closed). Luckilly, my hotel was right next to the park and I was able to catch a short nap between closing and rope drop!
Every NYE for the last several years, I've lasted from opening to close in the MK, making that my longest continuous session in a park.
If the MK ever did the 60 hours straight like you are reffering to, I'd love to get there at rope drop and see how long I could last. I could probably stay in the park the entire time, but would need to take a few naps in the Hall of Presidents!
On New Year's Eve the MK usually stays open until 2 AM, and is open for a rope drop at 7 AM the next day. When they have evening EMH in "high season", there are often only 4 hours of "closed" time between closing and the next day's rope drop. So even if that isn't an all-nighter, there are times when the park is open for around 40 hours in a 44 hour period!
The only all-nighter I've ever done was in a non-Disney park, from 6 PM - 7 AM on a Friday night in October, 2004, at Six Flags Over Georgia. This was a special event that I paid an upcharge to attend, as my season pass was only good from the 6 PM rope drop until 11 PM when the park "officially" closed. Since I love riding coasters at night, I had a blast, and the lines were short, too!
I lasted all the way until closing at 7 AM, and the next day, Saturday (ie 3 hours later!) I was there, bright and early, at rope drop for the regular 10 AM - 10 PM operating day (which was originally planned to be part of my trip before I knew about the all-nighter), and lasted for that entire 12 hour session, as well. So that was 25 hours in the park for me out of 28 (the 3 hours it was closed). Luckilly, my hotel was right next to the park and I was able to catch a short nap between closing and rope drop!
Every NYE for the last several years, I've lasted from opening to close in the MK, making that my longest continuous session in a park.
If the MK ever did the 60 hours straight like you are reffering to, I'd love to get there at rope drop and see how long I could last. I could probably stay in the park the entire time, but would need to take a few naps in the Hall of Presidents!
jhastings74
Well-Known Member
That's a really interesting question! Sounds fun, too. But....
I'd be willing to bet that they would not want to lose the ticket sales from the day(s) they would continue to stay open from the people that came and stayed over from the first day.
And there are already some tired and rude people in the parks...I can't imagine what people would be like on hour 50, hopped up on Mickey Ice Cream bars and Turkey Legs...:lookaroun
I'd be willing to bet that they would not want to lose the ticket sales from the day(s) they would continue to stay open from the people that came and stayed over from the first day.
And there are already some tired and rude people in the parks...I can't imagine what people would be like on hour 50, hopped up on Mickey Ice Cream bars and Turkey Legs...:lookaroun
Pioneer Hall
Well-Known Member
Kevin Yee spoke about it in his article this past week. He mentioned how it was a special event that he went to for the opening of Star Tours.
David S.
Member
I do open to close, full days quite often, and never have glazed eyes, need to fall asleep, or look unhappy at the end of the day! In fact, I traditionally linger on Main Street for at least an hour (maybe more) after the official closing, enjoying ice cream or a popcorn, the Castle "Kiss Goodnight" presentation, the music loop, and just the overall Magical atmosphere. As long as I have between 6-8 hours of sleep the night before, I'm good! And once you get used to the 17 hour MK days during "high season", the more standard 12 hour days that are the longest session offered by most parks in the country seem like nothing!
It's just that my favorite time in the parks are the last few hours before closing, for the nightime magic, parades, fireworks, and late night walk-ons. But I ALSO LOVE the first few hours where you get the Welcome Show, the rope drop, and the excitement of seeing the park come to life and surfing a wave of walk-ons before it fills up.
And once I'm there, I NEVER want to leave! I can count the amount of times I've left a theme park before it closed on the fingers of one hand! Not just at WDW, but at ANY park. And that was usually for a really important reason where I knew beforehand I'd be leaving early, such as to watch a New Orleans Saints playoff game!
So if I don't want to miss the beginning or end of the day, that leaves just skipping the middle to take a nap. Except I'm so excited to be in the park, I never feel like I need one! So why leave PARADISE?!
Another thing is, I like every attraction in all 4 parks except Laugh Floor enough to do regularly, but if I only did partial days, I'd be tempted to always do my favorites, so my "second tier" of attractions that I have time for on full days would always get skipped. I notice this phenomenom whenever I park hop to the MK after a full day at AK and only have time for a few hours worth of attractions before closing. I always seem to gravitate towards the same favorites in these cases - the Fantasyland attractions, the coasters, Splash Mountain, the Country Bears, and a few others.
Full days allow me to experience a complete park, sequentially by land, and experience it like the true complete work of Art that it is! I liken it to listening to a complete album, as opposed to listening to highlights of it via favorite tracks.
PS. I'd LOVE to try the 48 hour marathon! Or at least a 24 hour one!