MGM in the evening?

[barb3779]

I've noticed that the UG says that Dis studios/MGM crowds thin significantly after 3:30 or 4 pm. Has anyone noticed this? We're going in July, could our MGM day be one when we could sleep late (for once) and maybe go around 2 or 3 and see most of the attractions and stay thru Fantasmic? Or are we just setting ourselves up for dealing with more crowds than we would have if we'd started touring at park opening? Thanks to everybody for their input!!

 

[HunnyPots]

We spent two days at MGM last June and never noticed a signifigant drop from the daytime to evening crowds. The one thing I did notice was that the crowds SEEMED to thin out when guests start lining up for Fantasmic; they are still there, just waiting for the show. If you are not planning to see Fantasmic that is a great time to ride TOT and RNR with little wait. At least, it worked for us.

 

[barb3779]

bump

 

[2ndstar to the right]

Keep in mind that some of the shows at MGM may have their last performance a couple of hours before the park closes. So you might not be able to do everything late in the day...

 

[jcemom]

Originally posted by 2ndstar to the right
Keep in mind that some of the shows at MGM may have their last performance a couple of hours before the park closes. So you might not be able to do everything late in the day...

I agree. You may want to check out Steve Soares site if you haven't already. He lists all the entertainment schedules for each park. It may change slightly before you go, but it will give you a general idea anyway of the showtimes of the things you're interested in seeing.

 

[barb3779]

bump

 

[RamseyTrio]

We went last May at about noon when DS finished up his pirate cruise at GF. Anyway, we stayed until the park closed and the crowds sure did drop by late afternoon. When we got there RnRC was an 1:30 min wait but after an early 4:30 dinner we just walked on - 4 times! ToT, same thing. All of the crowds were busy waiting for Fantasmic I guess. Whatever the reason I was thrilled

 

[SBarrett]

barb3779,

You're going during busy season, and MGM will probably remain crowded all day, except during Fantasmic (as others have suggested). One way to deal with busy times is to go to MGM on a non early-entry day; the crowds should be a bit lighter. I like to get to MGM at park opening, enjoy the major attractions, and concentrate on shows and tours in the afternoon. A good way to handle Fantasmic is to reserve a dinner-Fantasmic package at one of the MGM restaurants. You can mosey into Fantasmic to your assigned seating area without a long wait. Or go to the second show if there are two; the second Fantasmic is always less crowded. Then enjoy attractions during the first show.

Steven Barrett, author of "The Hassle-Free Walt Disney World Vacation" and the "Hidden Mickeys" book, both books published by The Intrepid Traveler Publishers

 

[keriannhoward]

I was just there over the weekend. Friday night we went over to MGM because TOT at night is the best!!! We got there at 8 pm and the standby waits for TOT and RNR were over an hour each STILL. We went and grabbed dinner and at 9 pm (park closing at 10) we waited 25 min for RNR and about 15 for TOT.

That might not seem like a long time to most other people, but since I almost always go off peak season, I don't like to wait more than 30 min in any line.

 

[RyMickey]

We tend to always go during the summer, and we've had a different experience than some other posters.

Once the sun starts to go down (around 7:00ish), we tend to notice that the attractions do clear out. We've walked onto MuppetVision3D, Star Tours, Great Movie Ride, Sounds Dangerous, and often caught shows of Indy and Little Mermaid without any problems.

However, lines are almost always long for TOT and RNRC. That being said, if there are two Fantasmics the night you're going, the park really seems to empty out around 8:00 even for TOT and RNRC. We've always felt like we've had the park to ourselves if this is the case. Then, we go to the second Fantasmic only about 30 minutes prior to the show (this second show is significantly less crowded being that it usually starts at 10:30).

One thing to remember, though, like a previous poster said, the shows don't play all through the night, so you may miss Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Beauty and the Beast, Indy, or Little Mermaid.

Now that I've bounced back and forth in my opinion, I would say that it would probably be enough time if there was a second Fantasmic; if there's only one, I wouldn't do it (then again, MGM is our family's favorite park, so we're kinda biased).

RyMickey

 

[barb3779]

Thanks so much for the responses! Would anyone know how many nights a week Fantasmic would be put on twice?

 

[Disneyfreaknjw]

what does bump mean?

 

[debkorb1]

When a new post is added to a thread, the topic will go back to the top of the board. By typing in 'bump' you are are sending the discussion back to the top so other people will see it. It is usually done by somebody who wants the original question answered!

 

[RyMickey]

Would anyone know how many nights a week Fantasmic would be put on twice?

It all depends on how busy the park will be when you're going. Supposedly, this summer is going to be crowded based on pre-bookings at Disney hotels. That being said, I'm sure someone here knows of some website with the "historical" Fantasmic times. If I remember correctly, it wasn't every night of the week. MGM would just stay open late one or two nights a week.

RyMickey