**Disney After Hours-Hollywood Studios** FAQ & Discussion Thread

[Ginamom]

I have a question about arrival time for DAH, We currently have FPP for FOP from 5:00-6:00 (I am not giving these up and have not had luck modifying for our party of 8!).

We will go to AK then head over to HS. But it looks like all the shows (Frozen, Beauty,,) will be over kinda early.

So, is there any reason to rush to get there? We could stay at AK until 7:00 then hop over to HS.

Imagine we are in the park by 8:00. Event begins at 9:30. What would we be able to do in that awkward time?

Trying to finalize our plans! This day has me stumped. I was happy to get FOP at anytime but then Disney added HS DAH and we were happy to add that to our plans but that messed with our FPP times.

(Not sure where will eat yet. Original plan was to eat at Animal Kingdom Lodge)

Sorry this is all over the place....

 

[cakebaker]

I have a question about arrival time for DAH, We currently have FPP for FOP from 5:00-6:00 (I am not giving these up and have not had luck modifying for our party of 8!).

We will go to AK then head over to HS. But it looks like all the shows (Frozen, Beauty,,) will be over kinda early.

So, is there any reason to rush to get there? We could stay at AK until 7:00 then hop over to HS.

Imagine we are in the park by 8:00. Event begins at 9:30. What would we be able to do in that awkward time?

Trying to finalize our plans! This day has me stumped. I was happy to get FOP at anytime but then Disney added HS DAH and we were happy to add that to our plans but that messed with our FPP times.

(Not sure where will eat yet. Original plan was to eat at Animal Kingdom Lodge)

Sorry this is all over the place....

Our date is May 4 and we're watching Fantasmic before DAH. Show time is 9 so we'll be out very close to the time the party starts. Depends on your date as to show time, but it's a possibility to look at.

 

[Angie Osterbrock]

Please email them about your experience. If they don't get complaints about crowd levels with these events, they have no reason to be cautious about over selling them. We have this scheduled and I don't expect no waits, but I will certainly complain about waits longer than 15-20 minutes. I don't get in lines longer than 30 on a regular park ticket. I certainly don't expect to do that on an event I paid a lot of money for.

I plan to we had a couple other issues throughout our trip so have a list. This was our 5th trip and the 1st trip we had more than one let down\issue, which I hated most because it was my DN 1st visit and my SIL first extended trip and stay on property. Just FYI and it may be better when you go but SDD was a posted wait time of 30-40 minutes all night and we waited 25. The line for Jessie and Woodie was at least 15-20 people\groups deep. Even the food carts were a little crazy and at one point the CM's were just laying the drinks and ice cream out on top for people to grab and we ended up with warm soda that went into the trash and my DD ice cream was so soft she took a bite and it ended up on the ground. Had to go back and asked if we could have one out of the cooler. This was the cart towards SDD.

 

[Unca’ Donald]

I have a question about arrival time for DAH, We currently have FPP for FOP from 5:00-6:00 (I am not giving these up and have not had luck modifying for our party of 8!).

We will go to AK then head over to HS. But it looks like all the shows (Frozen, Beauty,,) will be over kinda early.

So, is there any reason to rush to get there? We could stay at AK until 7:00 then hop over to HS.

Imagine we are in the park by 8:00. Event begins at 9:30. What would we be able to do in that awkward time?

Trying to finalize our plans! This day has me stumped. I was happy to get FOP at anytime but then Disney added HS DAH and we were happy to add that to our plans but that messed with our FPP times.

(Not sure where will eat yet. Original plan was to eat at Animal Kingdom Lodge)

Sorry this is all over the place....

I would say there’s no need for you to rush to get there. You can get into the park a couple of hours before the event starts, but most of the attractions that won’t be available during the event would end before you can even enter the park at 7:00. You’re pretty much looking at Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy and whatever fireworks and/or projection shows they end up showing on whichever night you go.

 

[Angie Osterbrock]

Back from tonight’s event. Wow, it was quite different from January! No “empty park” feeling in the non-TSL areas like last time. I’m not sure if it’s because it’s spring break, tonight sold out or if they’re maybe selling more tickets now (?) but it was wayyy more crowded than it was in January.

Was it a lot less crowded than normal? Yes. Did we still get a lot done and have fun? Yes. Would I pay for this again if the crowds were the same? No. That’s factoring in the AP discount too. The thing that upset me was SDD. We went up to it several times and the wait was 40 minutes. That isn’t cutting it when my son has significant sensory issues in lines and (unless I missed something) they don’t let you use a DAS for after hours. If they are going to keep these kind of numbers for events, they need to make sure disability accommodations are available.

Total ride count once after hours started: Star Tours (x1), ToT (x2) Olaf meet, Buzz meet, Midway Mania (x1), AS2 (x1). Nothing aside from Star Tours was a walk-on. The 2nd time we rode ToT the line was only 5 min & the first time was ~15ish. Midway was only 5 min too. Again-we had fun, I just wouldn’t pay for this again with that many people in attendance.

We where there as well and Amen you said it. We ended up waiting 25 minutes for SDD and the character lines were way to long except Buzz. Like you said we had fun but very disappointed overall and had we had known the crowds would be at that level. We wouldn't have attended.

 

[Corwin]

Please tell me what you think of this (probably overambitious) plan for May 17, 2019:

We are scheduled to be in AK for the day, with a dinner reservation at Tiffins at 6:30 p.m. We should be done with dinner by 8:00 p.m. I hoped to see Pandora as it got dark, and then maybe see Rivers of Light at 9:00 p.m.

We'd then leave AK and take an Uber or Minnie Van to HS for the DAH event (which I just got tickets for).

If we see ROL, we'll probably be at the AK front gate by 9:30 p.m., and hopefully at HS by 10:00 p.m. We'd then have 2-1/2 hours for DAH (which runs from 9:30 p.m. until 12:30 a.m. that night).

Or maybe that is an unrealistic plan and we should skip Rivers of Light. If we do that, we could leave AK by 9:00 p.m. and get to HS by 9:30 p.m.

Any thoughts? I'm thinking that ROL may not be feasible now that I have purchased the DAH-HS tickets. Thanks!

 

[disneydad23]

Please tell me what you think of this (probably overambitious) plan for May 17, 2019:

We are scheduled to be in AK for the day, with a dinner reservation at Tiffins at 6:30 p.m. We should be done with dinner by 8:00 p.m. I hoped to see Pandora as it got dark, and then maybe see Rivers of Light at 9:00 p.m.

We'd then leave AK and take an Uber or Minnie Van to HS for the DAH event (which I just got tickets for).

If we see ROL, we'll probably be at the AK front gate by 9:30 p.m., and hopefully at HS by 10:00 p.m. We'd then have 2-1/2 hours for DAH (which runs from 9:30 p.m. until 12:30 a.m. that night).

Or maybe that is an unrealistic plan and we should skip Rivers of Light. If we do that, we could leave AK by 9:00 p.m. and get to HS by 9:30 p.m.

Any thoughts? I'm thinking that ROL may not be feasible now that I have purchased the DAH-HS tickets. Thanks!

I would personally skip rivers of light. Honestly, I don’t think you would really get to start going until 9:45. Head over to HS and get an early start, maybe a firework show there.

 

[Iowamomof4]

@Corwin Another thing to consider is the traffic, both vehicle and foot. Trying to leave AK after ROL will be a challenge and then will there even be Minnie Vans or Ubers available since you'll be competing with everyone else trying to leave AK at the same time? Then, arriving at DHS between 9:45-10:00, there will be a fair bit of vehicle traffic flowing out. I don't think that has as much of an impact as it used to, so I don't know if that's anything you need to consider or not, but it would be a cause of concern if I were in your shoes.

 

[Editoria]

(note: If you’re a TL;DR type, move along. I’m overly thorough.)

Had a delightful time at my April 6 DAH (my first at any park), and am still hopped up on ice cream as I write this in the weehours of April 7. I worried for nothing over my own questions prior to the event: My Florida-resident Weekday Select AP let me in, no parking fees and no hassles.

I got my wristband when the line started moving about 6:39 p.m. The cast member scanned my printout of the eTicket and gave me a temporary hardstock card for the evening. I wore my AP Magicband, so I did not try to use the temp card to link photos or do anything else.

Nearby thunderstorms and onsite light rain delayed the Movie Magic show, but the cast members were quick to communicate the changes in plans: the Star Wars-themed light show and fireworks would follow with minimal delay, and began just after 9 p.m. I decided to stay in place for that, and did not get to TSL until about 9:25. Even with the rest of the post-fireworks DAH crowd, SDD was listed at a 20-minute wait.

There were lines for photo ops, and I grew hangry as I searched TSL in vain for the treat carts, having skipped dinner. Had to walk back toward the rest of the park to find the ice cream/soft drink and popcorn stands.

In case anyone else is a planner, here’s a list of free snacks available during After Hours at DHS on my night:

popcorn either in open-topped cardboard containers, grab-and-go boxes or, if you have your own souvenir shape (alien, Pluto, etc.) at least one stand filled those up. I did not think to ask for nutrition information, but the box I had was buttered (oiled?) and salted (and fresh and tasty!)

frozen strawberry juice bars (I do not eat strawberries, so I did not see the nutrition info on these)

Nestle Mickey’s Premium Ice Cream Bar: vanilla ice cream with chocolate coating; normally $5.39, judging from one sign I saw; 310 calories, 180 from fat, 30g carbohydrates (2g of that fiber), 3g protein

Nestle Mickey’s Premium Ice Cream Sandwich: cookies ‘n cream flavor; also retails at $5.39; 270 calories, 110 from fat, 37g carbs again with 2g fiber, 4g protein

Soft drinks: 16-ounce plastic bottled of Dasani water, Coke, Diet Coke or Sprite.

Thanks to Disney magic (the cast at one cart gave special tribute to cast member Clayton for restocking everything promptly), the treats never run out. So no worries about stuffing a Mickey bar in your back pocket to enjoy as you exit the park. I might have seen a man loading up with half a dozen boxes of popcorn as I left, but I did not stop to ask.

April 6 was not sold out: Signs advertising tickets available were still up when I arrived after 6 p.m. The persistent light rain might have deterred crowds, but SDD and everything else ran like clockwork.

All elevators and both sides worked on ToT — I even got to ride my second time all by myself. Yes, I will likely purchase a print of that ride photo. That experience, and the cheerful and always-friendly cast members, made my night magical.

 

[Ginamom]

I would say there’s no need for you to rush to get there. You can get into the park a couple of hours before the event starts, but most of the attractions that won’t be available during the event would end before you can even enter the park at 7:00. You’re pretty much looking at Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy and whatever fireworks and/or projection shows they end up showing on whichever night you go.

Thanks...that is what I was afraid of! I hate the schedule at HS. I really wanted to see all the shows this year but can't make it happen!! And the Baseline Tap House closes at 8:30!!

So, we will go to AK for our FPP and maybe counter service dinner then head to HS!

 

[Ginamom]

Our date is May 4 and we're watching Fantasmic before DAH. Show time is 9 so we'll be out very close to the time the party starts. Depends on your date as to show time, but it's a possibility to look at.

Thanks! I think Fantasmic sounds like a great idea! We will still go to AK to use FPP then try to get to HS in time for 9:00 show!

 

[cakebaker]

Thanks! I think Fantasmic sounds like a great idea! We will still go to AK to use FPP then try to get to HS in time for 9:00 show!

I suggest trying for a SDFP for it. They are pretty easy to get last minute.

 

[eagle1992]

We did this last night (wife and two kids). We had been in the park from around 11am. We had FP+ for TSM, ST, and RNR. Son and I did RNR twice as my wife and daughter didn’t want to do it. We also did Frozen, Cars, Indiana Jones, and Muppets. We had a lunch fantasmic dining package and had planned to see the show before starting DAH but there were thunderstorms in the area and they decided to show a three minute water show instead. Allegedly we can go back again in the next five days and still get the same seating but we have no plans to be back at HS in the evening in our trip plans to make it fit so not much I think we can do about that.

We weren’t the most efficient with our park hopping thru the night but we were able to do everything we wanted to do. For the 9-12 timeframe we did attractions in this order:

TOT
RNR
RNR
TOT
AS
SDD
TSM
Buzz
Mickie and Minnie
SDD
TSM
TOT

To recap:
TOT x3
RNR x2
SDD x2
TSM x2
ST x1
AS x1
Buzz x1
Mickey/Minnie x1

Everything was a walk on except for SDD and most of the character greetings. SDD was our longest wait the first time at a 20 minute posted wait and it was exactly that from entering to exiting. Second time around it was 10 minutes.

Popcorn, sodas, and ice cream were a plenty.
Surprisingly, the attraction with the longest wait for most of the night was Chewbacca at 25 minutes. Even the lines for most of the other characters were long save for the two we did and Olaf I believe. Go figure.

All in all we pretty much did everything we wanted to do and then some. For a single day at HS given the limited number of attractions this was well worth the money in my opinion.

 

[PatMcDuck]

Is anyone else going May 1, the Studios anniversary day? They say there will be some sort of extras during the After Hours event.

We want to go to park in the morning, to see the ceremony and get the usually offered buttons. Then back in, late afternoon into the evening After Hours event.

 

[GoofyDad_4427]

Please tell me what you think of this (probably overambitious) plan for May 17, 2019:

We are scheduled to be in AK for the day, with a dinner reservation at Tiffins at 6:30 p.m. We should be done with dinner by 8:00 p.m. I hoped to see Pandora as it got dark, and then maybe see Rivers of Light at 9:00 p.m.

We'd then leave AK and take an Uber or Minnie Van to HS for the DAH event (which I just got tickets for).

If we see ROL, we'll probably be at the AK front gate by 9:30 p.m., and hopefully at HS by 10:00 p.m. We'd then have 2-1/2 hours for DAH (which runs from 9:30 p.m. until 12:30 a.m. that night).

Or maybe that is an unrealistic plan and we should skip Rivers of Light. If we do that, we could leave AK by 9:00 p.m. and get to HS by 9:30 p.m.

Any thoughts? I'm thinking that ROL may not be feasible now that I have purchased the DAH-HS tickets. Thanks!

We are also planning to be at AK this day and do the HS DAH event. We have a FoP fastpass that starts at 7:50pm. Our plan is to ride that and then get an Uber over to DHS for the party.

 

[buteraa]

Any thoughts on when they might announce more dates for the fall? We will be there 9-27 through 10-5.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Any thoughts on when they might announce more dates for the fall? We will be there 9-27 through 10-5.

My guess is that DHS will not have DAH-type events for the foreseeable future once SWGE opens. Again, totally a guess, but I’m thinking longer park hours and wanting to get a feel for crowd levels/how the park operates means a low probability of DAH in the near term.

I’m sure there will be something at some point to monetize the hysteria with SWGE though.

 

[otten]

Is anyone else going May 1, the Studios anniversary day? They say there will be some sort of extras during the After Hours event.

We want to go to park in the morning, to see the ceremony and get the usually offered buttons. Then back in, late afternoon into the evening After Hours event.

We're going May 1. We have a PPO at H & V to meet the Disney jr characters and get that out of the way. Hoping to get into the first Jedi Training show also. We'll spend the morning doing the things we want to see that aren't open during AH (BatB, Dis Jr dance party and Jedi Training) and using our Slink FP then lunch at Sci Fi before going back to the resort. We'll head back to the park for the Star Wars dessert party and after hours.

 

[bare necessities]

Does anyone have any ideas if they will be extending dates into July and August. I don't want to make other plans only to have this open up and miss out. TIA.

 

[JeninTexas]

Does anyone have any ideas if they will be extending dates into July and August. I don't want to make other plans only to have this open up and miss out. TIA.

No one knows for sure, but there are plenty of us on here hoping dates will be added for July/August. This is the best place to find out if new dates become available.