Would you rather have to leave HS at 7 but deal with lower crowds? Or stay until 9 but have heavier crowds?
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I’d rather stay until 9 or 9:30. 
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If I’m going to stay till park close I will just make sure I give a wide berth around whenever Fantasmic is letting out. That’s what really makes it a zoo.
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One issue with this question is that the 9:00 pm vs 7:00 pm departure time is known whereas the crowd level is a prediction that may not prove accurate (unless you are talking about large predicted crowd differentials like Christmas/New Year time vs a much less busy time of year).
If we are talking something relatively close like 7:00 pm on a predicted 5 CL vs 9:00 pm on a predicted 7 CL, I’d take the 9:00 pm day.
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Lower crowds always wins for me. Heavier crowds would make me want to leave earlier anyhow!
But @davej makes a good point. How certain are the crowd differences? And how much lower?
HS always has the heaviest crowd levels it seems these days.
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Agree that CL are always a bit uncertain and my bias would that I would not want to miss Fantasmic, so I vote for the later opening time.
Another key consideration would be whether or not you’re getting LLMP/LLSP for must-do rides that usually have long wait times. If yes, I would ignore the CL and go for the longer day - with a good touring plan and LLMP/LLSP, you can easily do everything you want in HS regardless of the CL (I’ve had great HS days on CL10 days!) If not, CL could become more important.
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The question for me is around whether I could see Fantasmic. That would be my priority. I also prefer these days not to have to rope drop and I feel like I would be more pressed to do so on the shorter day.
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I’m always going to want the longer day. DHS always feels crowded and the lines are always long. I honestly don’t really notice the difference in crowd levels, especially if I’m buying LLMP unless the CL is 3 or lower.
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What is driving the 7:00 PM departure?
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Would you have Lightning Lanes or would it all be waiting in lines?
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This is so true. Ever since SW:GE opened it’s felt crowded when I’m there.
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Jollywood. From the way it looks, Fantasmic still happens those nights but party people could also attend.
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We would have LL!
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Going to a park on a party day is one of the only major cheat codes in life. The crowds are so much lower and you get so much done. Nighttime shows are not a priority for us though. We would rather crush it during the day, especially when we can take advantage of lower crowds. It’s amazing how many people avoid a park just because there are 2 less park hours.
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That’s true for MK during MNSSHP and MVMCP. Has there been a consensus reached as to whether to same “much lower crowds” applies to DHS on Jollywood days?
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I would think it is a lesser impact at HS.
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Worked for our party this past December
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I’ll let you dig through the data in Becky’s blogs. HS seems to not have nearly the same, or consistent, effect from JN nights.
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This for sure … resulting in lower confidence
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I’d stay until 9 but I’ve found that the crowds start thinning out after 8pm or so.
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