So, tell me about being escorted out after dinner...

[Cree629]

We have a 6:35pm BOG ADR on a MVMCP night. We will not have party tickets. As I understand it, we will be "escorted" out of the park after we eat. Was hoping somebody could tell me how this goes. Are there a bunch of CM's waiting outside the restaurant to take each individual family to the gate, or are we told to wait until there are other diners ready to exit? Are the escorts pleasant, or do they make you feel kind of like you're doing something wrong by being there (DD8 is a huge rule follower and I think she will be kind of nervous if she feels like we are breaking a rule)? Will we go straight down Main St, or a back way so we won't see any of the parade/etc?

Just curious about how this has gone for others! Thanks!

 

[schoen]

I am interested in this too. We have an ADR for 6:50 on a party night, but no tickets. I am curious to see how this process will work.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1) After dinner, a CM will PERSONALLY escort you out of the park.
. . . no stopping for shopping
. . . no stopping for parade viewing
. . . no stopping for rides/attractions
. . . no stopping for talks with friends
2) The CM's are polite, but are firm that you exit directly and quickly.
3) The CM's are very diligent about making sure you leave the park right after dinner.
4) The CM escorts have let up a little.
. . . Dinner guests used to be chained complete with ankle balls, and lead out in single file.
. . . Now, the handcuffs and cattle prod serves the purpose well.

 

[LisaCM614]

We were told to wait in the courtyard before the bridge after our dinner. A CM with a Mickey Ghost on a stick came and got us. We were walked to the tomorrowland side of the castle, down by the rose garden and onto the sidewalk on Main Street USA. She walked slowly, chatted with us, laughed at my kids jokes and kept counting heads. We were a cooperative group but the other folks who were supposed to be with us ducked out. She noticed right away and was on her walkie talkie letting them know and where the people disappeared. So stupid. Why would people do that? People trying to get something for free. Snarl. Anyway.... She walked us to the front gates through the train station and waited until we were at the exit before she left. That is exactly how it happened for us on a MNSSHP night after our BOG ADR.
Hope that helps.

 

[Narnian_Princess]

DH and I were escorted from BOG earlier this month. There were several CMs waiting outside to escort diners, so we didn't have to wait for anyone else to make a larger group. Our CM was very friendly and chatted with us the whole way out to the train station. We definitely did not feel unwanted or like rule breakers-- however, it was her first escort and she accidentally took us on a restricted route that did not make the CM monitoring the area happy at all. She explained and we backtracked and all was well. That definitely won't happen with an experienced escort, though.

 

[laceyinwonderland]

YayyY!!!! So happy to read everyone's great experiences! Ive been wondering how this would go for us too! Only we will be at CRT instead of BOG.

 

[tinkerbelle8878]

This is something that has always irked me. If party guests are allowed in early, infringing on park time for people paying for the full day(who are majorly shortchanged), I don't see why an all clear of no party guests by 8 couldn't be in effect. The 'escorting out'..seems like overkill. Why not then 'escort in' party guests as early as 4 but they must stay coralled to a certain area? Make it fair and equitable all around.

 

[aaarcher86]

This is something that has always irked me. If party guests are allowed in early, infringing on park time for people paying for the full day(who are majorly shortchanged), I don't see why an all clear of no party guests by 8 couldn't be in effect. The 'escorting out'..seems like overkill. Why not then 'escort in' party guests as early as 4 but they must stay coralled to a certain area? Make it fair and equitable all around.

Doesn't bother me. The park closes at 7pm so I'd expect to be out or escorted anytime after that. They let people in early to help control the crowds. No one wants to be caught in the masses going in and coming out all at once at 7pm.

 

[MinnieM21]

After we left BOG, they asked to see our wristbands and we told them we were leaving. A CM with a ghost mickey on a stick who walked 5 million miles an hour (my poor mom asked him to slow down but he kept on going! lol) walked with us until Cinderella's castle. He wouldn't talk with us, it was kind of awkward. Then he let us walk to the exit by ourselves.

 

[LisaCM614]

This is something that has always irked me. If party guests are allowed in early, infringing on park time for people paying for the full day(who are majorly shortchanged), I don't see why an all clear of no party guests by 8 couldn't be in effect. The 'escorting out'..seems like overkill. Why not then 'escort in' party guests as early as 4 but they must stay coralled to a certain area? Make it fair and equitable all around.

uh you can always go another day when there isn't a party?

We love going on party days - the park is so empty we get to experience so many attractions before noon.

Or I love going to a party at 4pm, experience the non party attractions before 7 and then spend your time doing things special to the party.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

This is something that has always irked me. If party guests are allowed in early, infringing on park time for people paying for the full day(who are majorly shortchanged), I don't see why an all clear of no party guests by 8 couldn't be in effect. The 'escorting out'..seems like overkill. Why not then 'escort in' party guests as early as 4 but they must stay coralled to a certain area? Make it fair and equitable all around.

They used to do this...

They CLEARED the park and the party guests were kept in Tomorrowland until they had cleared the park.

But Disney decided that it made more sense to make sure they could get as many folks in there at once as possible.. A few more $$$ for the mouse.

And as for "escorting" If they didn't some of the day guests would NOT leave. I sat near them the last party I went to (right after the end of clearing the park) They sat and watched the parade while laughing at the "Suckers who paid extra for this"

I am not going to be a sucker The escorting is not enough as it only gets those who are at restaurants and there are "escapees" as was pointed out. Until they have an effective way of only allowing those who pay to stay I won't be back.

 

[Planogirl]

Rusty...

I wonder if the ghost on a stick indicates the guide CM's? I see this mentioned more than once.

 

[Masonmj84]

To get a good approximation of the experience, watch from about 1:41 of this clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNMtHosai08

 

[starousse]

This is something that has always irked me. If party guests are allowed in early, infringing on park time for people paying for the full day(who are majorly shortchanged), I don't see why an all clear of no party guests by 8 couldn't be in effect. The 'escorting out'..seems like overkill. Why not then 'escort in' party guests as early as 4 but they must stay coralled to a certain area? Make it fair and equitable all around.

I'm with you on this one. I always thought the whole "escorting" out thing was overkill. If I paid for a park ticket and then spent $200 bucks on a meal at BOG, I'd be annoyed to get escorted out as soon as I hit the exit. For the extra couple of hundred people that would be dining at a sitdown meal during or after party hours, I simply think CM's checking bracelets at ride entrances or at free hot chocolate counter is sufficient enough. If they didn't spend the $$ on the party ticket, they shouldn't be allowed to get on shorter ride lines or get free snacks. But to say they can't go shopping on Main Street or catch a glimpse of a parade is silly IMO.

 

[laceyinwonderland]

I'm with you on this one. I always thought the whole "escorting" out thing was overkill. If I paid for a park ticket and then spent $200 bucks on a meal at BOG, I'd be annoyed to get escorted out as soon as I hit the exit. For the extra couple of hundred people that would be dining at a sitdown meal during or after party hours, I simply think CM's checking bracelets at ride entrances or at free hot chocolate counter is sufficient enough. If they didn't spend the $$ on the party ticket, they shouldn't be allowed to get on shorter ride lines or get free snacks. But to say they can't go shopping on Main Street or catch a glimpse of a parade is silly IMO.

Not to start a debate, but look at it another way. And this is coming from someone who has never been to one of the parties, but would one day like too... that money that you pay for the party ticket is for the whole experience. Not just the rides and snacks. Your paying extra for things like a less crowded sidewalk to see the parade. So people with out tickets even hanging around are a problem IMO. It just worked out that we have plans for lunch at BOG(fp) and dinner at CRT on the same day, which I thought would be cool (2 castles in 1 day), but it happened to be a party night that I dont have tickets for. So we will finish our meal, and get out of dodge happily!

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

I'm with you on this one. I always thought the whole "escorting" out thing was overkill. If I paid for a park ticket and then spent $200 bucks on a meal at BOG, I'd be annoyed to get escorted out as soon as I hit the exit. For the extra couple of hundred people that would be dining at a sitdown meal during or after party hours, I simply think CM's checking bracelets at ride entrances or at free hot chocolate counter is sufficient enough. If they didn't spend the $$ on the party ticket, they shouldn't be allowed to get on shorter ride lines or get free snacks. But to say they can't go shopping on Main Street or catch a glimpse of a parade is silly IMO.

The parade is one of the big draws for this event.. so you should get it for free just because you creatively planned a meal for the right time?

See why I won't go, the "they didn't mean I had to pay for a special event" mentality because "I spend a lot of money at Disney" Of course those families who were there spent the same $200 and didn't get food, but ... you paid for the party by getting food

 

[wiigirl]

To get a good approximation of the experience, watch from about 1:41 of this clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNMtHosai08

 

[Autumnslight]

This is something that has always irked me. If party guests are allowed in early, infringing on park time for people paying for the full day(who are majorly shortchanged), I don't see why an all clear of no party guests by 8 couldn't be in effect. The 'escorting out'..seems like overkill. Why not then 'escort in' party guests as early as 4 but they must stay coralled to a certain area? Make it fair and equitable all around.

Saying day guests are majorly shortchanged on party days doesn't make sense to me. The admission price for the park is the same whether the park is open until 7pm, 9pm, 11pm, 1am, etc. at different points during the year, even during the spring and summer, when there are no special events or parties several times a week. The operating hours are clearly stated and available for every day on the Disney website and elsewhere. On party days, Magic Kingdom is open until 7pm. That's a full day of admission. In the middle of July, a full day of admission might be until midnight. Same price. That's just the way it goes.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

Rusty... I wonder if the ghost on a stick indicates the guide CM's? I see this mentioned more than once.

There has been discussion about this.
. . . some believe this is the "guide stick" so you can follow him/her in crowds
. . . others believe this is what you become if you DON'T follow him/her

 

[starousse]

The parade is one of the big draws for this event.. so you should get it for free just because you creatively planned a meal for the right time?

See why I won't go, the "they didn't mean I had to pay for a special event" mentality because "I spend a lot of money at Disney" Of course those families who were there spent the same $200 and didn't get food, but ... you paid for the party by getting food

Not looking to argue, but I think you're making more out of this than need be. The majority of friends I know, including my own family who have attended the Halloween and Christmas parties many times, didn't do so to see a 20 minute parade, but did so to have an easier time getting on rides, experience a less crowded atmosphere, to go trick or treating, take pictures with and greet characters and to get the free cookies and treats.

I'm not saying that because I spent money to have a nice dinner in the park that I'm entitled to all of that, because I'm not. However, I don't feel like I should be escorted to the front gate like I'm being ejected from the park after my meal. If I try to get on Space Mountain, tell me to get off, plain and simple. If I go try to get a free hot chocolate, tell me no. If I wanna stop into a store to buy a sweatshirt or an ice cream cone afterwards why shouldn't I?