Night owls-what do you do at park closing time?

[jenhelgren]

This will be our first trip with late day and evening touring plans and only 1 rope drop morning! In the past we have always done rope drop and were ready to leave before closing time or ASAP after fireworks! It seems so appealing to make a slow exit from the park and wait for the bus/boat traffic to slow down some but-what do you do? Do any of the stores or restaurants stay open past the official park closing time? We will be visiting all 4 parks so I am interested in experiences for each. Thanks in advance!!

 

[Chaitali]

One of the dessert parties at Magic Kingdom had an option that you would do desserts after the fireworks. That was fun. While everyone was rushing to get out of the park after the fireworks, we were escorted over to the dessert party area and got to enjoy some treats. I think the Frozen dessert party at Epcot has an after fireworks addition where you ride the frozen ride? I'm not sure about that one as I haven't done it.

Also, I think a lot of the stores stay open past the official closing time. We've definitely explored the Emporium on the way out of Magic Kingdom at times.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

In my everyday life I am a night owl but at Disney I am a "morning person" and I do RD.
I stay til close those and have been known to slowly wander towards the front to feel a bit more "alone" lol.
I also stop into stores.
Its better to linger a bit and then get right on a bus vs run for the buses and then just stand and wait.

 

[NYCANC]

We are a rope drop to close family. At MK- we spend the time after our last ride of the evening on Main Street shopping and taking pics while waiting for the Kiss Goodnight

 

[MemoryMakers]

In Epcot, we love getting the last possible dinner reservation wherever we want to eat. By the time we’re done, World Showcase is empty. We then purposely walk the “long way” out. Meaning if we ate at Le Cellier or Rose and Crown and are headed to the bus/monorail we walk towards France/Morocco.

 

[DisDreaming4116]

While all the parks have a cool feeling when hanging around after official park closing, my favorite has been Epcot. Like the PP, wherever you are in the World Showcase at park closing, walk the long way back towards Future World and seriously take your time. Each year, my daughters have a tradition of doing the splits or a cartwheel in each country. There is literally no one around and it's such a wonderful way to end the day.

 

[gharter]

At MK, stick around for the "Kiss Goodnight" on the castle.
EPCOT is our favorite to leave late. Grab something to drink before everything closes. After Illuminations, find a place to sit overlooking the lake, enjoy the view. As the crowd thins, you can slowly walk toward the gate. No hurry as there a huge crowds at the bus and monorail stations.

 

[Tiggerlover91]

In Epcot, we love getting the last possible dinner reservation wherever we want to eat. By the time we’re done, World Showcase is empty. We then purposely walk the “long way” out. Meaning if we ate at Le Cellier or Rose and Crown and are headed to the bus/monorail we walk towards France/Morocco.

While all the parks have a cool feeling when hanging around after official park closing, my favorite has been Epcot. Like the PP, wherever you are in the World Showcase at park closing, walk the long way back towards Future World and seriously take your time. Each year, my daughters have a tradition of doing the splits or a cartwheel in each country. There is literally no one around and it's such a wonderful way to end the day.

At MK, stick around for the "Kiss Goodnight" on the castle.
EPCOT is our favorite to leave late. Grab something to drink before everything closes. After Illuminations, find a place to sit overlooking the lake, enjoy the view. As the crowd thins, you can slowly walk toward the gate. No hurry as there a huge crowds at the bus and monorail stations.

I am SO excited to hear all the EPCOT advice! I planned on grabbing a meal for son and I at Liberty Inn before Illuminations started and just hang out in that general area somewhere. We're going to be doing the EMH evening so that should be interesting to see the World Showcases that late at night.

 

[jenhelgren]

At MK, stick around for the "Kiss Goodnight" on the castle.

I am intrigued What is the kiss goodnight? We have been in MK til close plenty of times so I either missed it or didn't know what to look for!

 

[Minsc]

What is the kiss goodnight? We have been in MK til close plenty of times so I either missed it or didn't know what to look for!

We always hang around for this, as well.

 

[shocker]

I am intrigued What is the kiss goodnight? We have been in MK til close plenty of times so I either missed it or didn't know what to look for!

Its a short little light show on the castle, maybe 5 min or less, the people around me asked what was going on, I said its the 'kiss goodnight ", aww

 

[cmwade77]

Wish that the parks stayed open about 3 hours longer, after all we are from the west coast and would love to stay on "California time" and have practically empty parks to ourselves at night.

 

[KidaniZen]

I am SO excited to hear all the EPCOT advice! I planned on grabbing a meal for son and I at Liberty Inn before Illuminations started and just hang out in that general area somewhere. We're going to be doing the EMH evening so that should be interesting to see the World Showcases that late at night.

Just be aware that many of the shops in the WS close at 9pm with the park even if it's EMH. We learned that the hard way a few trips ago, the WS is still the best late, regardless.

Have fun!

 

[Tiggerlover91]

Just be aware that many of the shops in the WS close at 9pm with the park even if it's EMH. We learned that the hard way a few trips ago, the WS is still the best late, regardless.

Have fun!

I'll remember! Thanks!

 

[GPC0321]

A lot of the time MK still has another hour or two until park close after the fireworks. There will be a mass exodus from the hub down Main St. anyway, a sea of humanity that I have no interest in getting swept up in. Last time I was there, we headed to Jungle Cruise. By the time that was over, we wandered back across the park to PeopleMover, and then we hopped on Buzz. We came out to Main St. hankering for a snack, so we got something from the Confectionery and walked out into the middle of Main St. with our treats just in time for the Kiss Goodnight. Magical.

At Epcot, I'm pretty sure my mom and I spent 45 minutes to an hour in Mousegears after IllumiNations. And we definitely weren't alone. The shops in World Showcase may close, but Mousegears will take your money well after official closing time!

 

[GADisneyDad14]

No, I’m not crying during the Kiss Goodnight, you’re crying during the Kiss Goodnight.

 

[Tiggerlover91]

No, I’m not crying during the Kiss Goodnight, you’re crying during the Kiss Goodnight.

 

[jenhelgren]

Thanks for enlightening me!!
We usually visit in the fall and the park closing time has always been the same time as fireworks unless it was an EMH evening.
Will the app actually show the restaurant closing times later than park closing or do we just wander until we find somewhere open to grab a snack and people watch?

 

[Kevin Allen]

Like PP's, we always walk the long way out of EPCOT, and then we be sure to find the fiber optic lights that are embedded in the ground around the walkways on either side of Spaceship Earth, just before you get right up on it. The last time we were visiting, we found another such display a little farther to the left (as you're heading towards the exit). There's something magical about watching the tired little kids giggle and squeal at the dancing lights under their feet.

If you wander and take your time on the way out, there's always something delightful you never noticed before!

 

[Babe the Blue Ox]

A lot of the time MK still has another hour or two until park close after the fireworks.

You can still do a lot after the fireworks show. On a recent visit, we found a 40 minute posted wait on Peter Pan. However, there were only about 10 guests in line and the wait was less than a minute,

Next up was 7DMT. Posted wait was 90 minutes with an actual wait of 10.

We finished the night with 4 rides on Space Mtn in 35 minutes.