Disney After Hours for non-DAH Guests...

[GeneralTso]

My strategy was to book FP for the few hours prior to official start of DAH. We rode 7DMT, Big Thunder and Peter Pan before the event started. We knew to avoid the big rides right before official start time because of non-event folks who jump in line for their last ride before they have to leave, plus the ticket holders. After an hour or so in, we literally walked on....ZERO wait for anything. Nothing. Just in and out and rode 7DMT as much as we wanted (4x) and anything else. It was the best time ever. Totally takes the pressure off any other park days at Magic Kingdom.

 

[Searc]

What I have a problem with on evening special events are the day crowds hanging in the parks after the events start and the jammed lines for the first hour from day people jumping in line right at closing. They’re fully entitled to get in line, just like those paying for the event get to come in early. It all evens out. Disney is much better at clearing day guests at paid events, but do little about it during EMH’s.

As others have said, those entering early for the event aren’t jumping into long lines for the headliners. Why would they when they can ride them during the event with little to no wait - we don’t even attempt a headliner until the day crowd has run through the lines. Lines always swell close to closing when the closing time is relatively early. It’s not DAH guests causing it, it’s day guests.

Day guests can stay for EMH, but they can't ride rides. They are allowed to $tay to $hop and eat. (Yes, the dollars are deliberate.)

 

[cakebaker]

Day guests can stay for EMH, but they can't ride rides. They are allowed to $tay to $hop and eat. (Yes, the dollars are deliberate.)

Right, so they make the shops and walkways crowded. They also ride when the CM’s aren’t vigilant. I can't tell you the number of times we were never checked.

 

[Gehrig1B]

Right, so they make the shops and walkways crowded. They also ride when the CM’s aren’t vigilant. I can't tell you the number of times we were never checked.

I can tell you there are so few people at DAH we were definitely checked by CMs before entering every ride/attraction. This may not happen during EMH but it does during DAH.

 

[cakebaker]

I can tell you there are so few people at DAH we were definitely checked by CMs before entering every ride/attraction. This may not happen during EMH but it does during DAH.

I agree, they are much better at the paid special events.

 

[KNovacovschi]

Thanks everyone for the additional info. I can say that the posted wait time at Space was 15min at 8:15. We were wrapping up at Frontier. It was 8:30 by the time we pushed through BIG crowds mainly headed into the park (which seemed weird) to get to Tomorrowland. By the time we reached Space, the posted wait time was 50 minutes and it took us every bit of 40 to get through. We could tell that the majority of people around us were all there for the special event and they were riding standby, which they are allowed to do.

Look, it just seems crummy to me. That sort of influx doesn’t happen on a regular night. We’ve always had success then hitting headliners with minimal to no wait. I guess the word to the wise is to simply avoid DAH if you’re not going to buy the event and you want to shut down the park.

I can see your concern but what about the flip side. People pay for DAH yet day guests are allowed to get in line right up until close and aren't required to leave the line until they've ridden it. How is that any different, it diminishes the cost of the ticket for the DAH holder who now loses out on time because of day guests. It works both ways.

 

[epcotty]

Thanks everyone for the additional info. I can say that the posted wait time at Space was 15min at 8:15. We were wrapping up at Frontier. It was 8:30 by the time we pushed through BIG crowds mainly headed into the park (which seemed weird) to get to Tomorrowland. By the time we reached Space, the posted wait time was 50 minutes and it took us every bit of 40 to get through. We could tell that the majority of people around us were all there for the special event and they were riding standby, which they are allowed to do.

Look, it just seems crummy to me. That sort of influx doesn’t happen on a regular night. We’ve always had success then hitting headliners with minimal to no wait. I guess the word to the wise is to simply avoid DAH if you’re not going to buy the event and you want to shut down the park.

This really is terrible. They should never let them in early in that case. It's different with the Halloween/Christmas parties as it's obvious that it's a party night from what time the park closes and it's commonly known that partygoers go in at 4pm. This event is nowhere near as commonly known about, is not obvious from closing times, and people don't expect them to be showing up early. Disney's greed is getting the better of them. So many things to watch out for when trying to get the value you should get for your overpriced tickets

 

[eliseisawkward]

This really is terrible. They should never let them in early in that case. It's different with the Halloween/Christmas parties as it's obvious that it's a party night from what time the park closes and it's commonly known that partygoers go in at 4pm. This event is nowhere near as commonly known about, is not obvious from closing times, and people don't expect them to be showing up early. Disney's greed is getting the better of them. So many things to watch out for when trying to get the value you should get for your overpriced tickets

As discussed earlier in this thread, the DAH tickets are limited in quantity and it is unlikely the small number of “extra” guests had anything to do with the increased wait times just before close. It is very likely that day guests were hopping into line just before close (just like OP) and that is what caused the wait time to increase just before close.

 

[Jennasis]

There are so few people in attendance on a DAH night (even a sold out one) that there is no way they made any significant impact on the standby wait time for any ride. What you saw was likely all regular park guests jumping in line at park close for one last ride. The crowds were people coming to watch the fireworks. Posted waits are always inflated at park close even if the waits aren't long (to "scare" people into not riding and leaving).

I am by NO MEANS a proponent of these pay-to-play events (DAH), but this was not the cause of your issues.

 

[senadler]

Just trying to walk from Frontierland to Tomorrowland at 8:20 was INSANE because people were pouring into the park.

I attended that night and actually arrived right around 8:30. It was definitely not DAH crowds you were fighting. We had a hard time getting from the entrance and down Main Street heading in due to the crowds exiting after HEA. There was no line to check in and very few people entering.