Happily Ever After is magnificent! Leaving after it’s over; not so much… Happily Ever After is the beloved nighttime fireworks show at the Magic Kingdom. It is extremely popular, so popular that it ended and then Disney brought it back! Thousands of people gather on Main Street, U.S.A. each evening to end a magical day with a magical show. Many of those thousands of people will then leave the park, causing a huge backup and lots of confusion. It helps to have an exit strategy for leaving the Magic Kingdom.
My first idea is to not leave when Happily Ever After is over. Get in line for one more ride, or do a little bit of shopping on Main Street, U.S.A. Take a few pictures in front of Cinderella Castle. Hang back for a while until the crowd clears out. It will be less confusing when you do leave the Magic Kingdom.
If you’re taking a Disney bus back to your hotel, know where you will go to meet your bus. You can find that information where you arrive, there should be a sign with all the details. Be patient if taking a bus, because you won’t be the only one.
Those who aren’t taking a bus will usually need to decide between the monorail or the ferry. I find the ferry is usually a better option at the end of the night. It carries so many people! I know that the monorail is iconic, but if you’re just trying to get out of the park the ferry might be a better option.
There is another choice, but it won’t work for everyone. You can walk from the Magic Kingdom to Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort. The walking path is very nice, especially after the sun has gone down. Once you’re at Disney’s Grand Floridian, you can catch the monorail. You can instead walk from the Magic Kingdom to Disney’s Contemporary Resort and get on the monorail there. That’s a shorter walk.
What I normally do is walk to Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort. I’ll then stop in Gasparilla Island Grill and ask for a cup of ice water. Then I’ll continue walking to Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, and finally from there I’ll walk to the Transportation & Ticket Center. I’m a walker anyway, so I don’t mind the extra steps. We’ve timed it where my daughter and I both walked, while my husband took the end of the night monorail. We arrived at the TT&C a few minutes before he did. That was before the current construction at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. It might take a little longer now.
If you really want to avoid the end of the night crowd, leave the Magic Kingdom before the fireworks. Watch them instead from the Transportation & Ticket Center, and then head directly to your car. You’ll be on your way well in advance of the crowd.
If you don’t have an exit strategy, please be patient. Respect Cast Members. There isn’t really much they can do besides direct people and try to keep the traffic moving. This isn’t something that Disney can easily fix. Know that it will happen, and then it won’t take you by surprise.