Since I will be alone in WDW in January- I won't be in any hurry to fight the closing time bus rush. I am wondering what happens in Epcot & MK at closing time, how much time do you actually have to leave ?
Printable View
Since I will be alone in WDW in January- I won't be in any hurry to fight the closing time bus rush. I am wondering what happens in Epcot & MK at closing time, how much time do you actually have to leave ?
They start clearing the park in sections. You'll find you can't go in a particular direction as a cast member will be standing in the pathway directing you another way (always closer to the exit, of course). I'm not sure exactly how long it takes to completely clear the park but I'm sure it does take a while.
Stores are open one hour after closing...we've been the last people waiting for a bus...literally, it was spooky at EPCOT...strange in fact.
You don't have to rush out of the parks. We've been one of the last people in Epcot (due to a late ADR) and MK (just moving slowly) and both times we didn't have any issues.
But, at both parks, we got the feeling that it was time to leave. There were CM's around, no one bothered us, but there was no doubt either that the park was closed and we needed to be heading towards the exit.
Good question, as I am doing the solo thing in 3 weeks....
I have a follow up question....When do the kiosks stop serving? How long before closing time? It would be nice to find a place to kick back, relax and sip on a Grand Marnier Slushy or a nice German Bier or a Margarita from Mexico or even just a Diet Coke (blecccchhhh!!!! LOL) while waiting for the crowds to dwindle.
One year I was solo and staying at Boardwalk. After Illuminations, I decided to see how long until I got kicked out so I plopped myself on a bench and waited... and waited... and waited...
I was there for almost 2 hours. CM's were cleaning up and moving stuff all around me and it was like I was invisable. I finally gave up and left.
I have been in the tequila bar after Illuminations. I think they stay open untill 10:30 but that could have changed.Quote:
Originally Posted by PopPhan
Six years ago, before kids, DH and I walk away from the exit when Illuminations was over, wandering WS, enjoying pretty much having it to ourselves. No one asked us to move on, and once we'd made the loop, we left.
Three years ago, we tried the same thing, and by the we got back to the plaza, it was clear (without rudeness) that we should be moving out. Still, we were in the park over an hour after closing.
I love this comment!Quote:
Originally Posted by Scar
I've often read you have approximately two hours after park closing to get transportation back to your resort. I'm sure there are exceptions to even this guideline. I'm sometimes amazed at how accommodating CMs are for us fanatics. :-)
I have always heard that they wouldn't kick you out, however if you had the time, I wonder at what point someone will actually ask you to leave?? I'd like to try that sometime !!!!:thumbsup:
We mustn't lose sight of the fact that cast members are real people with lives, who just wanna go home after a long, tiring day of work, though.
Amen.Quote:
Originally Posted by EJS-Houston
Yes but the park is never empty.
by the closing time arrives the park has substantial numbers of night shift staff doing upkeep and such
Agree. If you've ever worked retail or a customer service related job, you know how true this is. Personally, I would feel bad sitting around for no reason other than to see how long it would take to be asked to leave. There are other things you can go do or walk around your resort hotel. They pay these CMs too little for things like this, sorry. I've been the girl working at Toys R Us cleaning up all the stuff you pulled off the shelf and left on the floor while you still are browsing around 45 minutes after the store closed. For $7 an hour and 10 hours on my feet, and interrupted lunch break. I don't do it now but I never forgot.Quote:
Originally Posted by EJS-Houston
There's actually more Cast Members working overnight in the parks than there are during "normal operating hours" :)Quote:
Originally Posted by mechanic
Landscaping, maintenance, painting, replacing lighting, audio, show rehearsals, parade rehearsals, custodial cleaning up, etc....
If you ever stay late after park closing at MK, you'll get to see - and hear - the Kiss Goodnight (basically, a short "Thank you for visiting the Magic Kingdom" message and a light show on the Castle).
At EPCOT, you can stay and see the Inferno barge burn-off, where they, well, burn off the excess propane from Illuminations. Last time we saw it, they made a park-wide announcement about it, so as not to frighten people, I guess, into thinking that something just *blew up*...
Can't wait!
My guess is that those CM's working around me as I wait to see when I get "booted" are on shift anyway. I'm sure Disney is not going to pay overtime to "baby sit" me. I would never want to irritate or cause someone ill, yet I'm curious to see whether or not they'd ask me to "work my way to the front". I'd never do it in real life, as I have WAY better things to do than sit for that, however in this pretend, talk about, happy virtual Disney, a mind does wonder. :cool:
We left EPCOT so late one night, that as we went out the gate, I said: there is our car.
This was in the mid 80s.
We did mk in april. Emh I think it was 2am close.
We headed to back of park rode everything we could until the rides started closing. Finished on big thunder.
whole different feeling that late in the parks. We really enjoy it. Worked our way to mainstreet saw Casey's was still serving. Grabbed some late snacks and sat down just watching. Probably close to an hour. So maybe close to 3 we left. Still a few people milling around. I'm a night shift worker so my whole family kind of takes on my schedule when they are not in school.
Bad part is I've never made it to a rope drop. Lol.