Ugggg! Disney Switched EMH Days

[crazycatlady]

I pick parks based on whether they are an EMH park on some days and whether they are NOT an EMH day on others. It depends if we want an early morning.

 

[MinnieSweetheart]

It does stink and if it stands Disney will definitely be hearing from me. I have gone several times in June and never has the park closed at 10pm. Also, how can April and May be open until 11pm or 12am but the summer only open until 10pm. Doesn't make any sense.

Yes, we are toying with the idea of going in August, but since we usually go in the fall/winter, we are really antsy of the heat. We will NOT be going if they don't extend the hours. I'm hoping to find out soon.

 

[MinnieSweetheart]

I'm glad I don't pick parks based on EMH.

But that's how easyWDW does it and we have learned in the past few weeks that he has an ORACLE for predicting and is NEVER wrong....

To clarify, I think it is definitely a good strategy and I wonder if you tried it, you would see a difference. We go a lot during 4-5 crowd levels, but we have noticed that going on EMH days definitely makes a big difference when the crowds are lower. The other parks feel EMPTY. YMMV

OP I can sympathize with you. I think it's very frustrating when you have a set touring plan and you have to reorganize everything including ADRs that can be hard to get. You had a good strategy that many would recommend.

 

[Delirium]

We all tour differently. Last minute changes will impact some. It won't impact others. However, it is impossible to ignore the fact that it's a little bit hypocritical on Disney's part when they make changes like this. The structure of their business virtually forces the customer to plan ahead (FP+, ADR, etc.). It's simply pulling the rug out from under the customer when they make changes like this.

 

[Tarheel girl 1975]

The solution to this is simple: Don't plan around EMH and do assume the park will close at 10.

If you end up with bonus hours, awesome. But don't count on them, don't plan on them, don't work under the assumption they are coming. And if you don't see value in 9-10, then don't go. But WDW is going to shuffle EMHs around, and they're going to be quiet about extended hours, too, until they make a real call on DAH, and I don't think they've made that yet, no matter how unsuccessful it's seemed so far.

Crowd calendars have been wrong, park hours are subject to change and a whole lot of Disney scheduling is in flux these days. You've got EMMs and DAHs to consider, too. So plan around what you know, not what you expect.

As far as I can tell, nobody's ADRs are affected, just their presumptive plans. And there's one thing that's become apparent to me this year is that presumptive planning doesn't work at WDW nearly as well as it used to, so it might be best to plan around what you KNOW will happen -- plan for 9-10, and adjust from that on the fly. I think anything else is a recipe for going crazy.

Most people are either trying to attend or avoid EMH, so I don't find this advice very practical. And I've seen how the DIS responds to someone who complains about how busy the park was because it an EMH morning, but they got there at 9 because they were staying offsite. People weren't very sympathetic.

If Disney wants everyone to plan their trips so far in advance than it should give them the information to do it. If they can't, then maybe they should rethink their timeframes; 180 days for ADRs and 60 days for FP is pretty arbitrary.

 

[leeserw]

What is the Dibbs? I want a notification if EMH change for our June trip. I didn't know they would do this. We have planned our entire trip around EMH. This is frustrating to hear.

 

[whiporee]

Most people are either trying to attend or avoid EMH, so I don't find this advice very practical. And I've seen how the DIS responds to someone who complains about how busy the park was because it an EMH morning, but they got there at 9 because they were staying offsite. People weren't very sympathetic.

If Disney wants everyone to plan their trips so far in advance than it should give them the information to do it. If they can't, then maybe they should rethink their timeframes; 180 days for ADRs and 60 days for FP is pretty arbitrary.

What should they be? When should you be reserving things? That's what I don't get about the complaints about Disney forcing you to plan -- how far out should ADRs and FPs be? 14 days? The day of -- can you imagine people giving up a park day to try to get a reservation somewhere? Talk about angry.

I wasn't trying to be flippant to the OP; I was just saying that if you make your plans based on EMHs, there's a good chance Disney will mess up your plans. They change EMHs all the time. They clearly state they will change their hours. They always have and they always will. So it makes more sense to plan for what is virtually assured -- park hours of 9-10 -- than to try and plan around assumptions that may or may not turn out to be wrong.

 

[crazycatlady]

What is the Dibbs? I want a notification if EMH change for our June trip. I didn't know they would do this. We have planned our entire trip around EMH. This is frustrating to hear.

The Dibb is a website and one of the services that you can sign up for is to be notified by e-mail if the park hours change for your vacation time period.

 

[Tarheel girl 1975]

What should they be? When should you be reserving things? That's what I don't get about the complaints about Disney forcing you to plan -- how far out should ADRs and FPs be? 14 days? The day of -- can you imagine people giving up a park day to try to get a reservation somewhere? Talk about angry.

I wasn't trying to be flippant to the OP; I was just saying that if you make your plans based on EMHs, there's a good chance Disney will mess up your plans. They change EMHs all the time. They clearly state they will change their hours. They always have and they always will. So it makes more sense to plan for what is virtually assured -- park hours of 9-10 -- than to try and plan around assumptions that may or may not turn out to be wrong.

The reservation dates are arbitrary. I don't know why they settled on 180 days for ADRs. At Disneyland you make them at 60 days. I don't see any complaining on that forum. As for FP, I would prefer not to have to make advance reservations at all. I didn't think the legacy FP system was broken. I don't see why it would make any less sense to make FP choices at 14 days for onsite/7 days for offsite after hours have been finalized.

 

[smallworld101]

AK hours have not returned to earlier closings. AK is open until 11pm from Memorial weekend until July 2nd(right now) which is what they released last weekend. I am sure the rest of the summer will have extended hours whenever Disney gets around to updating the calendar.

I have an August trip - hoping they update sooner than later, I'm hoping for extended hours/late hours at AK for sure. Wonder how soon they will update the hours for August? By end of May? End of June? I book my FP end of June.

 

[whiporee]

I don't see why it would make any less sense to make FP choices at 14 days for onsite/7 days for offsite after hours have been finalized.

Because then you'd be past the free cancellation window. If you can't get what you want, at the current plan you still have the chance for resort guests to cancel without penalty -- so if your reason for going was 7DMT and Chef Mickey's, and you were unable to get those reservations and fast passes, you can cancel without costing yourself money. if they made the window shorter, they'd be set up for all levels of complaints about people not getting what they want. Now they at least have the chance to guarantee, and if they can't guarantee, they have the chance to bail.

 

[ArielSRL]

Pure speculation - but possibly setting it up for FEA to open on 6/5. The rest of June EMH for Epcot and HS haven't changed - at least not yet.

I was wondering the same thing....

On another note - we are 1 month out from June 1st and they still haven't updated the park hours for MK & HS. I have been going to WDW and planning trips for almost 20 years and this has been by far the hardest trip to plan for.

I'm not even a regular (I've gone 14 times in my 42 yrs) and totally agree. It's obvious this is a very "in flux" time to be going to Disney. I've never planned a trip as much as this particular Disney trip and they just seem to be making it all the more difficult!

 

[mousefan73]

Because then you'd be past the free cancellation window. If you can't get what you want, at the current plan you still have the chance for resort guests to cancel without penalty -- so if your reason for going was 7DMT and Chef Mickey's, and you were unable to get those reservations and fast passes, you can cancel without costing yourself money. if they made the window shorter, they'd be set up for all levels of complaints about people not getting what they want. Now they at least have the chance to guarantee, and if they can't guarantee, they have the chance to bail.

I see it this way. Let those who payed and are going access only. What other business, resirt, vacation type place allows random reservations. Found it always odd one can book a park restaurant without officially having tickets. Highly doubt some one invests 1000s on a vacation and would cancel for lack of one ride.

 

[twinprincesses09]

I noticed the change the other day too. We were avoiding HS on June 5, because of the EMH since I knew we wouldn't be able to get there until late morning (we have a late night planned the night before). However, June 5 is really the day that we wanted to visit HS since it would work best with our schedule. But I'm worried that all the people who planned to take advantage of EMH will still visit on the 5th as it's hard to change plans much at this point, and crowds will still be larger than on a non-EMH day.

 

[BrittyRo]

I still don't understand 180+10 for ADR. They should just make everything 60 days prior and be done with it (FP and ADR). You can plan everything together and book everything together. By 60 days out the park hours are (USUALLY) set [They should be set in stone at 60 days as well] and you would know. That's it; my plan is set. [I mean who knows where they want to eat SIX MONTHS in advance.

 

[Lesverts]

I completely agree that it should be 60 days for ADRs. 180 is just so ridiculous.

I am waiting for June's hours to be updated because I really want extended hours for Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. We are have extended hours for when I am there. But really want to be able to stay in the MK until midnight/1am because it is so magically at those late hours.

 

[Lucius Best]

I wasn't trying to be flippant to the OP; I was just saying that if you make your plans based on EMHs, there's a good chance Disney will mess up your plans. They change EMHs all the time. They clearly state they will change their hours. They always have and they always will. So it makes more sense to plan for what is virtually assured -- park hours of 9-10 -- than to try and plan around assumptions that may or may not turn out to be wrong.

It hasn't been my experience that "they always have and they always will" change park hours and EMHs. Over years of past trips, I only experienced park hours sometimes being extended (park staying open an hour later). Disney never guaranteed their hours, but they used to be reliable, and I was able to count on Disney's published schedule when making my plans 180 or 60 days out. Maybe I was lucky. But EMHs being moved and hours being changed seems to be happening more frequently recently. And with After Hours events and paid morning events popping up, nowadays guests have to deal with a moving target when making their plans.

Maybe Disney can add the following to their FP+ marketing:
Secure your FP+ choices 60 or more days ahead!
There's a good chance Disney will mess up your plans!

 

[DVC4US]

Pure speculation - but possibly setting it up for FEA to open on 6/5. The rest of June EMH for Epcot and HS haven't changed - at least not yet.

I know, quoting myself...

Here's another thought - 6/5 is the day the new Star Wars FW are suppose to debut at HS. Maybe Disney changed the morning EMH to help alleviate some of the crowds for that day.

 

[gmboy95]

Heads up to people with early June vacations.....I got a notification from the Dibb that my Disney Studios AM EMH day on June 5th has been swapped out with Epcot and is now on June 9th instead. In the days of paper FPs, this wouldn't bother me nearly as much, but I picked all of my FP+s based on being in those parks on the original EMH days. It really irritates me that we need plan our ADRs and FPs so far in advance(yes, I know we don't NEED to) and then Disney switches something as important to planning as EMH days. Thanks, Disney!

I think this is the main reason why these "paid" events annoy me....because EMH is for all intent and purposes one of the reasons we buy the annual passes and stay on property

 

[mom2rtk]

I know, quoting myself...

Here's another thought - 6/5 is the day the new Star Wars FW are suppose to debut at HS. Maybe Disney changed the morning EMH to help alleviate some of the crowds for that day.

I think that makes a lot more sense. I just don't see them issuing FPs in the MK, after delaying doing so to get it right, then moving A/E before the 11th now.

That said, if they want to be a vacation destination allowing you to "lock in" various piece of your trip as early as 180 days out, they need to 1) get their act together and be ready 180 days out or 2) move the dates all closer to a time frame they can be sure of.