Gotta love the Mickey pumpkins! When it was announced that Mickey’s Parties would be replaced this year with Disney After Hours events, a lot of people were upset. Many assumed that it was a money grab on Disney’s part, since Disney After Hours costs more than the parties did. I was recently talking to a friend about this, and I think that there’s more to it than that.
We’re living in uncertain times. Most COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted, but that does not mean that we are out of the woods. Last year when the parks reopened, all special ticketed events were canceled. Disney had started selling tickets for some, and that money had to be refunded. It was a mess on many levels.
Even with rising numbers, it is doubtful that Walt Disney World will shut down again. That doesn’t mean that things won’t change. It is possible that capacity could be reduced again. One of the main draws of the Disney After Hours events is that they are very low capacity. We don’t have to worry that an event will be canceled, because there is already a limited number of people in the park.
There are other factors that could play into the decision to hold Disney After Hours events instead of parties. As I mentioned not long ago, Walt Disney World is understaffed right now. An event with a limited number of guests that runs three or four hours will be much easier to staff than a seven hour, full capacity party.
Also, as of late there have been many complaints about the crowds. Since Disney After Hours events are limited capacity, they are a good way to see the Magic Kingdom with fewer guests. This could be Disney’s way to test the waters on bringing back Disney After Hours elsewhere. I hope so; it’s amazing how much you can do when the lines are so short.
As far as the money that Disney makes is concerned, I think they’ll make less on Disney After Hours. True, the tickets are expensive, but many more tickets are sold for Mickey’s Parties. Boo Bash tickets don’t cost twice as much as Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party tickets, but capacity at the Disney After Hours events is much less than half of the parties.
I’m looking forward to Disney Boo Bash After Hours. I bought my tickets the moment they were available, and I plan to do the same thing for Disney Very Merriest After Hours. If attending Boo Bash is important to you, you’d better buy tickets soon. Several dates are already sold out.