Just how bad are the crowds for HEA?

[okienick]

We just got back from a trip last week and got to experience HEA crowds multiple times from various perspectives. The first was Sunday night when we were walking through trying to exit the park with a double stroller. I saw tons of good taped off areas that weren't even filled and it was under an hour until the show. At this point I considered cancelling our dessert party. The next night it was Wednesday and the wife and I went just for EMH. We had no interest in watching the show but we arrived right when it was starting and the crowds were insane. Thank goodness they now have walking areas that the CM's try to defend as best possible. I'm not sure we could even make it through the main street or hub areas without these areas carved out.

On Saturday night we had the dessert party and it was so worth it for the view alone. It had been raining on and off all day and into the evening but we got the the garden area, staked out a spot in the back against the railing and had no issues with the view. It was worth the premium to have that space available(even with everyone standing since the ground was wet). Outside the garden it was chaos. It was so nice not to have to spend a couple hours defending a prime spot.

I agree with this...the dessert party with plaza garden viewing is worth it to me just b/c when you stake the spot at the back against the railing, there is still open space in front of you and you are out of the crush of people outside the garden. And I don't like wasting time staking out a spot 2 hours before hand. I'll pay the premium to avoid that, as well.

 

[lolly2ga]

Our experience in December is one I’ll never repeat. I had a great view next to the Walt and Mickey statue but the crowd was awful. It was already crowded but in those last minutes before it started more people crammed in so that moving was impossible. To me it was so ‘unmagical’ that the show is designed with the main focus on the castle projections. And I actually was bored before it was over. My thought was that I can watch the movies at home - don’t need to do that at the castle. I never missed Wishes on our trips but I’ll gladly skip HEA next time around.

 

[North of Mouse]

I've seen some horror stories about how bad the crowds are now for Happily Ever After. That with the projections, getting a good spot is even more important, so crowds are worse than they were before for Wishes.

Any thoughts on this?

And just how bad is bad? I read some comments online that said they didn't even feel safe, the crowds were crushing and pushing so bad?

I don't find the crowds any worse than Wishes at all. They were very bad for Wishes and the same for HEA. We were there 3 weeks ago, and as usual, we just brave the crush as we love HEA with the castle projections. Takes our breath away! We've always watched front and mostly center - a little to either side does not matter.

We've seen it many times already and would not miss it for anything. We go 3-4 times during our trip. We just ignore the crowds and enjoy the show - one of the best things at Disney in our opinion! We also stay for the projection show that follows - the crowd thins out a lot by then.

 

[ArielDreams]

I am definitely not a complainer but yikes - HEA on our last trip was bad. We went at a lighter time of year (very last week of August) but it seemed like everyone in the world was there! Benefit of the doubt - 2 nights before was pretty rainy and then the night before was MNSSHP so it may have affected the crowds a bit more. It was hot and sweaty and we needed to camp out long before it started. We watched from the bridge to Tomorrowland which wasn’t so bad but is at a definite angle so you miss some projections.

I also am not someone who supports the whole Dessert Party thing (I think it’s a ripoff) BUT if I ever wanted to see HEA again, I would seriously consider it - that’s saying a lot! My last experience made me not want to experience MK at night for a loooong time.

 

[walker0829]

I also am not someone who supports the whole Dessert Party thing (I think it’s a ripoff) BUT if I ever wanted to see HEA again, I would seriously consider it - that’s saying a lot! My last experience made me not want to experience MK at night for a loooong time.

I have been against paying for premium experiences in the past and especially when they first rolled out things like this. I also know when to throw in the white flag and realize that I can choose to stake out a spot way early, defend it constantly and deal with the stress or I can just consider it part of my cost of doing Disney. Like super inflation!

 

[disneygirlsng]

I went last night. I found a spot right in the circle area of the hub, right in front of the fountain that's in front of the dessert party viewing area. I got there about 20 minutes before the show and everyone was sitting down, and remained seated until about 5 minutes before the show started. There was still plenty of room there when I got there. Even though I was by myself, a few smaller families probably could have fit in there up until probably 15 minutes before. At about 10 minutes before it started, forget it, everywhere around us was completely packed in. That spot ended up being absolutely amazing and I'll probably never watch it from anywhere else again. There's a small incline up to the rails, so everyone was able to see over the sea of people in front of us.

 

[sara_s]

I've tried doing HEA twice and felt like I didn't fully enjoy it as much as I wanted to, as I love the soundtrack.

First time was last June, we were running late from a California Grill reservation (I even contemplated not going), it was raining, and we got in right after it started and stood on Main Street with a somewhat blocked views (ponchos, umbrellas, etc). It started raining a bit heavier as the show went on, and we moved in closer as people bailed. Of course, Tink didn't fly because of the weather, and the rain stopped right after the show.

Last time was in November, and it was mass chaos trying to get a spot....I refused to be routed back to Main Street, and ended up adjacent to the Tomorrowland bridge. Blocked by trees the whole time.....which was annoying. What was more annoying was that while the walkway was clear, I leaned over the line just to get a view of anything, and the CM wouldn't leave me alone with the "PLEASE STEP BACK." Just felt like a damper on something I've really wanted to see twice now.

I think I want to try the dessert party next time, but DH would balk at the price point I bet. Or I need to stake out a spot an hour ahead (which seems useless since people cram in within the last minute before the show), but maybe the 3rd time will be the charm? I also wonder if the day of the week makes a difference - I'm a FL resident, so usually I'd be in the MK on Saturday night when I go for a weekend.

 

[zebrastreyepz]

The Hub is more than I can handle for HEA so I ponied up the money for the dessert party.

 

[AllThingsMickey4]

I know a lot of people think the dessert party is a waste of money, but it is the ONLY way I will watch HEA. The desserts are not worth it, but having enough room around me to physically move (heck, I could even do cartwheels) is worth the $59 or whatever it costs now. This is an awful picture quality wise, but was taken on April 30th from the Plaza Garden dessert party. It was like this all the way up and down Main Street. People would try to stop behind the Plaza Garden and CM's would direct them to keep moving, so some would squeeze in behind the ropes in front of people that had already been standing there.

 

[maryj11]

So basically, if you want to see the projections - pay for the dessert party, or camp out an hour or two in advance and be packed in like a sardine?

That pretty much sums it up. It is wall to wall people trying to see over or around each other. We have done the dessert party the past two times. I refuse to try to fight with a crowd to secure a spot again

 

[GADisneyDad14]

The desserts are not worth it, but having enough room around me to physically move (heck, I could even do cartwheels) is worth the $59 or whatever it costs now

$69 adults, $41 kids 3-9, starting 5/28.

 

[mshanson3121]

I know a lot of people think the dessert party is a waste of money, but it is the ONLY way I will watch HEA. The desserts are not worth it, but having enough room around me to physically move (heck, I could even do cartwheels) is worth the $59 or whatever it costs now. This is an awful picture quality wise, but was taken on April 30th from the Plaza Garden dessert party. It was like this all the way up and down Main Street. People would try to stop behind the Plaza Garden and CM's would direct them to keep moving, so some would squeeze in behind the ropes in front of people that had already been standing there.

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I hate SO bad that they took away the FP+ option for this. $200 to watch fireworks we've already paid $385 to see.

It was all well planned on Disney's part - create a new show that forces you to require a prime spot to see the full effect, and then take away the free option for that and charge an arm and a leg for it.

 

[MickeyWaffles]

When we saw HEA on the Tuesday of Labor Day week, the hub was insanely packed.
The park was not crowded that day, as Hurricane Irma was around the corner and people already had started moving their trips around. Pretty low crowd levels all day but HEA was a different story. Granted, many people may have been trying to get HEA in before leaving due to the hurricane. All I know is that I was blown away by how crowded HEA was that night.

It was more crowded than anytime I saw Wishes - even during spring breaks. The only other time we were packed in that tightly for MK fireworks was on a Dec. 30th trial run for NYE. I’m not kidding.

I can handle crowds really well but I was definitely surprised by how crazy it was after years of seeing Wishes.

 

[AllThingsMickey4]

I hate SO bad that they took away the FP+ option for this. $200 to watch fireworks we've already paid $385 to see.

It was all well planned on Disney's part - create a new show that forces you to require a prime spot to see the full effect, and then take away the free option for that and charge an arm and a leg for it.

Me too! We did the FP option once with Wishes and then they stopped it. I know it's probably not possible logistically, but I wish there was some way they could do a dining package for HEA. I'm not one of those people that can treat the DP as my dinner so it is a pretty hard blow when you pay for dinner AND the DP in one night. If we were more than a family of 2 I'm not sure I would pay it.

 

[AllThingsMickey4]

$69 adults, $41 kids 3-9, starting 5/28.

YIKES. Does the Plaza Garden one even sell out regularly? I know when we went 2 weeks ago I was still seeing availability up until a couple of days before. Did the Terrace one increase in price too???

 

[Ress76]

That's purely subjective, and also depends on time of year. I think it's a bit...OK, a lot...of melodrama when people say they don't feel safe. Yes, I respect everyone has their own opinions, but it's not some mad rush like the running of the bulls or a riot at a soccer match like you see on TV overseas. It's extremely crowded, but I don't think it's necessarily any more crowded now than it was when it was Wishes. Leaving is just the normal slow mass of movement that it always has been, with some people walking fast weaving through the crowd (and yes, that's been us). Personally, I don't find it a big deal at all.

I will wholeheartedly say I did not feel safe, and we found it significantly more crowded than nights we had seen Wishes. Being shoulder to shoulder with hundreds, thousands, of other people, while constantly being pushed forward by CMs to "make room" was uncomfortable, unpleasant, and definitely felt unsafe. Had I dropped anything, I honestly don't know that i had the room to even bend over and get it, and if we had little kids with us, we would have had to leave. We will never make an effort to watch HEA from anywhere near the hub again. I don't expect everybody to sit with a 3x3 foot perimeter of personal space, but our HEA experience was very unpleasant.

 

[mshanson3121]

Do they still have any special viewing sections for those in wheelchairs, and do those using the "stroller as wheelerchair" pass, get to use that section?

 

[slpeters]

I wouldn't say it felt unsafe (I'm 6'4' and a big guy) but there was absolutely nothing magical or even fun about it. We had the Dessert Party planned for the last night of our trip (projected CL 10) but we figured we would try to just get a spot earlier in the week (CL was projected at 5, I think it was 7--which was actually one of the lowest CLs we had). We arrived about a half hour before and found a spot but it was so crowded and just generally unpleasant. We couldn't really see much (6'4" remember) and it was just a continuous press of people. We ended up leaving about the time the show started and were mercifully able to make it to the edge of the throng before it ended. By contrast on our CL 10 day at the party we literally laid down in the grass and ate macaroons while we waited for the show, which we sat through with plenty of space around us and an amazing view. So long as the party is available I don't think we would ever try to watch HEA without the party again.

 

[umichigan10]

The issue you run into is there’s no parade to break up the crowds. When there was a parade at 9 and fireworks after, it would disperse the crowds a bit to reset for the fireworks and prevent that “crush” feeling.

Now with just HEA, people are camping out 2 hours before for the fireworks vs a parade which causes a big difference in crowd flow (packing the hub vs sidewalks throughout the park). It’s probably not ‘worse’ than wishes when you come down to it, but the guest distribution for the show is very out of whack because of the lack of parade and the projection aspect that requires you stand on Main Street

 

[mom2rtk]

The issue you run into is there’s no parade to break up the crowds. When there was a parade at 9 and fireworks after, it would disperse the crowds a bit to reset for the fireworks and prevent that “crush” feeling.

Now with just HEA, people are camping out 2 hours before for the fireworks vs a parade which causes a big difference in crowd flow (packing the hub vs sidewalks throughout the park). It’s probably not ‘worse’ than wishes when you come down to it, but the guest distribution for the show is very out of whack because of the lack of parade and the projection aspect that requires you stand on Main Street

Exactly that. And Disney should have anticipated this. But I'm sure they're saving substantial money not having a night parade for so long.