After Hours strategies...are any even needed?

[connorlevismom]

A lot also depends on favorites and what you want to do multiple times. I've done DAH at MK twice and would love to do it again on my trip in March, but none is scheduled. But... there is one at AK, so planning on that.
For MK, I started with FP+ from 7p-9p and hit things that I knew took up a little more time... such as Jungle Cruise, Pirates and Splash and didn't care to do more than once. Then start DAH with Big Thunder 3 times during the fireworks. Let the crowds empty out and started my way clockwise..... Haunted Mansion, then to Fantasyland, but skipping Dumbo etc, and over to Tomorrowland. Hitting some things twice others just once. Did not hit Space Mtn, it's just not a favorite of mine. Then circle back to Haunted Mansion and back to Thunder Mtn..... always end my nights at MK with Thunder!! Last year I rode that 6 times the night of DAH!!

Now for AK, it might depend on what time Rivers of Light shows..... so I may mix it up a bit..... but.... I figure on starting with Dinosaur and then head back to Rivers and Everest. Everest is a favorite so multiple rides on that. Then head towards Pandora for Navi and FOP. Depending on the time.... maybe stopping at Bugs and Awakenings before Pandora. And then possibly head back to Everest for the last ride of the night!!

I booked AH at MK in March and it looked like they had 1 per week all month.

 

[Matt961]

Thinking about doing this on our next trip. Currently we have 6 day tickets but we’re only planning to use 5 days(only a few more $ to get 6 days ticket plus the $30 gift card offer). This day was going to be a free day to go to Disney springs. Would it be a good idea to use that “extra” ticket to get in a little earlier? Park is open until 8pm.

 

[cindyfan]

I booked AH at MK in March and it looked like they had 1 per week all month.

Yes, you are correct. However I arrive on a Wed. and leave Monday morning. So, none scheduled for when I am there.
There is a Villains AH but I am not interested in that..... those are more crowded and more expensive, so not worth it for me.

 

[YawningDodo]

Now that I'm booked for an MK AH, I've been thinking about strategy more than I was for AK--there are so few rides at AK that it seems really straightforward to do them all multiple times. Different story at MK. I've got dinner scheduled for 5:10 and AH starts at 8:00, so I expect to have about an hour of regular park time--I'll probably spend that time doing attractions that tend not to have long lines anyway and/or take a long time. I keep thinking about things like...well, I love It's a Small World, but it's a ten minute ride not counting the queue, and I've never been unable to get on it with a reasonable wait time at least once per trip before now. So I may skip that during AH, or maybe do it just once. I've got two other partial days at MK, which I'll use to soak in the atmosphere and do anything I missed during AH. Figure AH is all about the rides (and the ice cream).

 

[Disneyfan754321]

Yes... we do there are a few things we want to do that are not open, so we go to them i in the two hours we get in the park before the party starts.
After the party starts just pick where you want to go first and its carefree ... its awesome

 

[connorlevismom]

Yes, you are correct. However I arrive on a Wed. and leave Monday morning. So, none scheduled for when I am there.
There is a Villains AH but I am not interested in that..... those are more crowded and more expensive, so not worth it for me.

Oh that is a bummer!

 

[Albee]

So we will be on our first trip as DVC members in Feb., I am wondering Would it be better to do the Villian After Hours or just the Magic Kingdom After Hours? Last year when we went we did Magic Kingdom AH and Animal King. AH. Animal Kingdom AH did not go as well as Magic Kingdom AH. So I am also wondering if they have improved the experience for the Animal Kingdom After Hours? Last year 2 of the main rides were broke down and Flight of Passage were letting people get in line up until park closed, not walking in actually in line. So this backed it up for an hour into the After Hours. Then when it cleared out the ride broke. The treats and pop were in poor locations and people were having a hard time to locate them. So this makes us a little apprehensive to do the after hours at Animal Kingdom again? So am wondering if they have improved the experience more like Magic Kingdom. Magic Kingdom was FABULOUS last year. Looking for up to date info, thanks : ) We did fast passes on Saturday, so excited!!!

 

[Unvoiced_Apollo]

So we will be on our first trip as DVC members in Feb., I am wondering Would it be better to do the Villian After Hours or just the Magic Kingdom After Hours? Last year when we went we did Magic Kingdom AH and Animal King. AH. Animal Kingdom AH did not go as well as Magic Kingdom AH. So I am also wondering if they have improved the experience for the Animal Kingdom After Hours? Last year 2 of the main rides were broke down and Flight of Passage were letting people get in line up until park closed, not walking in actually in line. So this backed it up for an hour into the After Hours. Then when it cleared out the ride broke. The treats and pop were in poor locations and people were having a hard time to locate them. So this makes us a little apprehensive to do the after hours at Animal Kingdom again? So am wondering if they have improved the experience more like Magic Kingdom. Magic Kingdom was FABULOUS last year. Looking for up to date info, thanks : ) We did fast passes on Saturday, so excited!!!

For AK AH, they have about a Half Hour between park close and start of AK After Hours. I attended one back in February I found the snack stations form complimentary popcorn, drinks, and ice cream pretty easily. Went from Everest to Pandora to give the FoP line a chance to die down a bit. Standby usually still held to about half an hour (but considering FoP's average wait time is around 3 hours or so, not bad IMO). Ended up riding each ride twice except NRJ, which I opted to do once but even with the half hour wait, you could probably squeeze in a 3rd on FoP.

 

[Katie1174]

We are planning on going to DAH at MK during our February trip. Since it sounds like boats and monorails aren't running then, does anyone know, given the above situation, what the bus route will be from MK to the GF at that time? Would it most likely be a shared route with Poly and CR somehow? Has anyone done this or know how long it takes? Also, does the bus only run at the end of the night, or all throughout the night?

thanks

We did MK AH this year and we stayed at the Grand Floridian. The bus ran to CR first, then Poly, then lastly GF but it went really quickly. We felt we didnt have too long of a time before we were back in our room and it gave us time to calm our minds down from the excitement of the event so we could sleep right away. By the time the driver got to the GF, there were only 2 other people besides us.

 

[Albee]

I read Beachyrocks entry of the monorail and boats are not running in February. Where did you find this information? As we are staying at the Poly and Boulder Ridge, so this will affect us.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

I read Beachyrocks entry of the monorail and boats are not running in February. Where did you find this information? As we are staying at the Poly and Boulder Ridge, so this will affect us.

For MK Disney After Hours, typically it is bus only transportation to resorts after the event. Poly and GF usually share, CR, WL, and FW usually share. But there have been times where all five are combined.

For MK Villains After Hours, this summer they kept normal monorail and resort boat options open for the MK resorts.