It’s a nightly occurrence.
People flock to Magic Kingdom each day for the nostalgic theming, parades, rides, and shows, and don’t leave until after dark — after the nightly fireworks show has ended. At this point, the park is about to close, so many park visitors then flock out of the parks to the monorail or the ferry. The end result is our own personal nightmare: unimaginable CROWDS!
Yep, each night, you can expect wait times for the buses, monorail, and ferry to get extremely backed up after the fireworks. In some cases, folks have waited in line for transportation for up to two or more hours. There’s actually a very simple solution to avoiding these crowds and the long wait in line: stay in Magic Kingdom!
Wouldn’t you much rather spend more time in the park while waiting for the thick crowds to disperse? You’d get back to your hotel around the same time, anyway.
The thing is, in most cases, you’ll be able to ride or experience an attraction as long as you’re in line before the park closes. So, if the park closes at 10PM, you could technically still ride by hopping in line at 9:50PM. Just remember to be nice to the Cast Members and avoid hopping in line with, like, 20 seconds to spare or something. It’s also good to keep in mind that some attractions will close the queue early if the location is understaffed, so this isn’t a strict rule of thumb.
If you aren’t able to jump in line for another ride, you could always visit the shops on Main Street, U.S.A. The shops and the Confectionery (which has Mobile Order!) stay open a bit later than park close so that guests can finish making their selections. Right after the fireworks is a great opportunity to grab some merch, a sweet treat, and then head to a chill place to relax and people-watch in the park before heading to the hotel.
If all else fails, you could simply walk around the park a few times and even interact with Cast Members! When the park is less busy, like right before park close, the Cast Members generally have less on their plate and are usually up for a chat with some guests to help the last few minutes of their shift go by much faster. Ask them for some fun facts about the attraction, ask where they’re from, or simply ask them how the evening went.
Trust us, spending time in the park totally beats waiting in a long line, especially when you’d be getting on the monorail, bus, or ferry around the same time anyway. Plus, you might make some memories you wouldn’t have been able to make otherwise.
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Looking for more fireworks tips? Click here!
What is typically your “last stop” in Magic Kingdom before heading in for the night? Make sure to let us know in the comments!
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