AK Morning EMH advice....

[CapnJacksGirl]

Hello! We have been once-a-year visitors to WDW for a decade now but have generally not used EMHs, aside from a grown-ups night out MK EMH once a while back.

We are thinking about doing Morning EMH at AK on Saturday 8/31 and I'm wondering if frequent EMH users could help me with a guess on crowdedness. I probably wouldn't worry about it much at all if it weren't a Saturday. Honestly, I have no experience to go on!

We're fine with getting there plenty early and waiting for RD. I'm guessing our hope is to join the stampede to FoP and then maybe do Safari and Dinosaur then hop over to Epcot for a few F&W snacks for lunch. Any advice is appreciated! Thanks!

 

[Suejacken]

Hello! We have been once-a-year visitors to WDW for a decade now but have generally not used EMHs, aside from a grown-ups night out MK EMH once a while back.

We are thinking about doing Morning EMH at AK on Saturday 8/31 and I'm wondering if frequent EMH users could help me with a guess on crowdedness. I probably wouldn't worry about it much at all if it weren't a Saturday. Honestly, I have no experience to go on!

We're fine with getting there plenty early and waiting for RD. I'm guessing our hope is to join the stampede to FoP and then maybe do Safari and Dinosaur then hop over to Epcot for a few F&W snacks for lunch. Any advice is appreciated! Thanks!

I’m planning on doing the EMH when I go in June. My current plan is to go Navi River ride then over to the Dinoland area. I’m hoping we can get several of those rides done without fast passes. My group will have several age groups so there are things to do for everyone. Then I hope to do the first Lion King show at 10am before our breakfast at Tusker House at 10:40 then use whatever fast passes I am able to get when my window opens. Good luck

 

[Sara_H]

In order to rope drop FoP you will definitely need to be there at least an hour early and be prepared to run with the masses. Note that they often open the Pandora area even before EMH. However since the day you are planning is opening day of SWGE this might lessen the crowds at AK just a bit. Even if SWGE does help the crowds I would imagine you still need to be there at least an hour early. When we did EMH at AK we had a later fastpass for FoP so we walked right onto Na'vi because everybody else went to FoP. We were able to walk around Pandora a little, then head to Dinosaur and ride twice and rode Primeval Whirl and the other ride in that area a few times, all before the park technically opened.

 

[shocker]

I haven't looked at the schedule for that day, but let's say regular opening is at 9 & EMH starts at 8. You'll need to be at security just before 7. Tapping in around 7, stay to the left after you enter, they will scan you again to confirm you are allowed to use EMH. Then on to Pandora. You'll be held at a rope drop till around 7:30. Just follow the masses while they 'line load' the snake lines leading into the mountain. Line will build on the sidewalk, but no worries, if you were in the crowd prior to RD, you're positioned well. Usually during AM EMH, once inside the mountain, you will skip most of the wait areas, will not go into the 'lab', & be shunted into the FP line. If you were in the RD crowd you can expect to be off FOP right around 8, good plan to then go to Safaris. As others mentioned SW opening may help.

 

[disneyfan150]

My experience is based on March and mid June of 2018. We went twice for AK EMH. We actually arrived at the parking lot around a hour and a half before RD. We were first held at the ticket window and were maybe 6 families back. We were first at the tapstiles. We went on FOP, then EE X3, Triceratops Spin, and then Dinosaur. The EE line was practically a walk on the 1st time. The other two times were maybe 5 minutes. Both TS and Dino were both a walk on. Then we had FPs for Safari.

Based on what you mentioned and my experience, you should have great luck with your plan as long as the rides are all working.

Have a great trip!

 

[Kbosch]

Sorry for jumping on this thread but I had a similar question. If we were to get to the park at 8 when EMH starts, what are the lines like? We would probably be trying to do Kilimanjaro first.

Is it not worth going if you're not there an hour early?

 

[soniam]

One thing that may influence this is SWGE opening. It will have just opened for your trip. It may cause less crowds at AK; however, I wouldn't be willing to make that bet. I would get there an hour to an hour and a half before the park opens at least.

 

[Laura's Dad]

One thing that may influence this is SWGE opening. It will have just opened for your trip. It may cause less crowds at AK; however, I wouldn't be willing to make that bet. I would get there an hour to an hour and a half before the park opens at least.

We got there at 1.5 hours before and were fifth at our turnstile. We entered, had our Magic Bands scanned, and walked (some ran) to the bridge at Pandora. We then had cast members walk us to FOP and we had very little wait. We then did Navi River with no wait, went on an early Safari, and had FPs for all the other major rides. We had to get up early, but took a break after lunch and came back for Rivers of Light. We are near senior citizens and we agreed that our plan work out well.

 

[billlaurie]

I’m planning on doing the EMH when I go in June. My current plan is to go Navi River ride then over to the Dinoland area. I’m hoping we can get several of those rides done without fast passes. My group will have several age groups so there are things to do for everyone. Then I hope to do the first Lion King show at 10am before our breakfast at Tusker House at 10:40 then use whatever fast passes I am able to get when my window opens. Good luck

We have the same plan although we are going to try get Its tough to be a bug in between Navi and Dinosaur and then will head up to EE for our 10 ish FP. Hoping to get all that in with the EMH and will save FOP for our 3 ish FP and again right before closing time if we want to hit it again.

 

[at227]

I've done this multiple times on Saturdays. The most crowded was in March 2018. We took an uber from the beach club at 545 for a 7am emh opening. We ended up being the second people in line at FOP. For an 8am emh opening in January 2019 (weekday) we left the hotel via uber at 615 and were again the second people on the line for fop. Both times we did the navi river journey right after fop followed by safari, EE, and dinosaur all within an hour of emh opening and all with no wait. Hope this helps!

 

[gharter]

I haven't looked at the schedule for that day, but let's say regular opening is at 9 & EMH starts at 8. You'll need to be at security just before 7. Tapping in around 7, stay to the left after you enter, they will scan you again to confirm you are allowed to use EMH. Then on to Pandora. You'll be held at a rope drop till around 7:30. Just follow the masses while they 'line load' the snake lines leading into the mountain. Line will build on the sidewalk, but no worries, if you were in the crowd prior to RD, you're positioned well. Usually during AM EMH, once inside the mountain, you will skip most of the wait areas, will not go into the 'lab', & be shunted into the FP line. If you were in the RD crowd you can expect to be off FOP right around 8, good plan to then go to Safaris. As others mentioned SW opening may help.

That was my one disappointment of doing FoP at RD was skipping the lab. I love that area. You don't even really get a good look at the avatar. I understand skipping a lot of the wondering around the lines, but going through the lab would have been nice.