7am AK EMH Questions/Itinerary Critique

[Laura's Dad]

We are planning on visiting the AK on a Saturday when morning EMH start at 7 am. We are staying at Coronado Springs and we will have a car at our disposal. I have a couple of questions that I need help with:

1. Would it be easier to drive to the AK or take the bus? What time will the buses be running?
2. Will Kilimanjaro Safaris be open at EMH opening or will it open later?

Right now we are planning on going to the Navi boat ride at park opening and then going over to Africa to do the Safaris. We have later FPs for Dinosaur, Expedition Everest, and Flight of Passage. We are then doing a Tusker House lunch with the Rivers of Light Dining Package and are then going back to the hotel for a rest. We are coming back around 5 to do some shows and see the AK after dark (we have never done this) Does this sound reasonable even though it is supposed to be a 7 level crowd? Any help would be appreciated

 

[sharonabe]

We are planning on visiting the AK on a Saturday when morning EMH start at 7 am. We are staying at Coronado Springs and we will have a car at our disposal. I have a couple of questions that I need help with:

1. Would it be easier to drive to the AK or take the bus? What time will the buses be running?
2. Will Kilimanjaro Safaris be open at EMH opening or will it open later?

Right now we are planning on going to the Navi boat ride at park opening and then going over to Africa to do the Safaris. We have later FPs for Dinosaur, Expedition Everest, and Flight of Passage. We are then doing a Tusker House lunch with the Rivers of Light Dining Package and are then going back to the hotel for a rest. We are coming back around 5 to do some shows and see the AK after dark (we have never done this) Does this sound reasonable even though it is supposed to be a 7 level crowd? Any help would be appreciated

I would drive. It's much less stressful than waiting at the bus stop waiting for that bus to arrive in time for you to get to EMH.

As to Safari, sometimes it is and sometimes it isn't, and I don't know that there is anyway to know beforehand.

 

[Day-Day]

I agree with above post; I prefer driving for park opening at AK.

If it is not too late and it wouldn't result in too much walking around the park for you, I suggest riding Dinosaur or Expedition Everest during EMH after the Navi River Boat ride. I would try to change one of those FPs to a Safari FP; maybe try to ride Safari 45 minutes to an hour before the scheduled Tusker House lunch. Not knowing what time Safari will open is a real pain.

 

[Laura's Dad]

I agree with above post; I prefer driving for park opening at AK.

If it is not too late and it wouldn't result in too much walking around the park for you, I suggest riding Dinosaur or Expedition Everest during EMH after the Navi River Boat ride. I would try to change one of those FPs to a Safari FP; maybe try to ride Safari 45 minutes to an hour before the scheduled Tusker House lunch. Not knowing what time Safari will open is a real pain.

I thought about that but there are not any more morning KS FPs left. I might keep trying. We really like the Gorilla Falls and Majaraja Jungle trails and were thinking about doing one after the Safaris and one after EE in order to utilize time/distance.

 

[Elsaspiritanimal]

Most likely KS will not open until 8, but good plan to go over there right after NRJ if it does! If it's closed for EMH, agreed ride a few other rides (maybe EE a few times!) then try and walk over to KS about 10 minutes before 8. That way you will still beat all of the other non-EMH rope droppers and have minimal wait. We did 7am EMH last month were off NRJ by 7:20 after doing FOP RD first, so you should have plenty of time if you are not squeezing FOP in there too.

 

[Laura's Dad]

Most likely KS will not open until 8, but good plan to go over there right after NRJ if it does! If it's closed for EMH, agreed ride a few other rides (maybe EE a few times!) then try and walk over to KS about 10 minutes before 8. That way you will still beat all of the other non-EMH rope droppers and have minimal wait. We did 7am EMH last month were off NRJ by 7:20 after doing FOP RD first, so you should have plenty of time if you are not squeezing FOP in there too.

Just curious. How early were you at the park to Rope Drop FOP? We are still considering doing this. We are, however, about 60 and not in the greatest shape. My wife really wants to ride this twice, but we are concerned about the earliness of the hour and the hordes running there for rope drop.

 

[Elsaspiritanimal]

Just curious. How early were you at the park to Rope Drop FOP? We are still considering doing this. We are, however, about 60 and not in the greatest shape. My wife really wants to ride this twice, but we are concerned about the earliness of the hour and the hordes running there for rope drop.

We took an Uber from our resort to ensure we arrived by 6:05. Bag check opened around 6:15. After that make sure you are to the right side of the lines at the turnstiles - around 6:30 they opened more lines to the right so you can get to the front more quickly. After we got through the turnstiles and resort check for EMH we walked with a purpose but didn't run. I'd say we were in the first 100 people to ride and were off FOP by 7:10 and walking over to NRJ. NRJ was literally walk on after that and super quick. Not going to lie it was early and people are crazy around you but for the most part people ran around us and not into us, and once we got to the rope at the edge of Pandora the cast member was able to control the pace and keep people walking.

 

[Laura's Dad]

Thanks a bunch. We are still trying to decide about getting up that early. I don't have a problem with it but my wife is not a morning person. She is motivated to ride FOP twice though and I think that this would be the best way,

 

[soniam]

You want to be at AK at least an hour before park opening to do FOP at rope drop without a huge wait in line. The trails probably won't be open during AM EMH. Driving to AK for rope drop used to be hit or miss before Pandora, because they didn't always have the parking lot open until the park opened. However, since Pandora, the lot is open very early, so I would drive. We did it for AM EMH last summer and in March without any issues.