AK with 7am EMH

[Eccle]

I've just seen the hous have changed for our AK day next week, moving the EMH from 8am to 7am. This has thrown my carefully laid plans!

I was planning to get there just before 8, do Dinosaur, Primeval Whirl and EE during the EMH whilst hopefully everyone was in Pandora. Then at 9 do Kali River, and the Maharajah trail, we have a Mickey and Minnie FP at 9.40, and then I thought we could go to Rafikis before our Safari FP at 11.35 and FoP at 12.55.

Should I still get there just before 8 and hope the standby queues aren't too bad for the first three rides by then? Or try and make 7, in which case we're going to end up with a gap (and I'm not sure I fancy a water ride at 8am!)

 

[Robo]

Arrive well before 7AM... and don't ride Kali so early (if at all, if its a chilly day.)

 

[Eccle]

Thank you, so you think well before 7 is necessary even not going to Pandora at that point? I'm worried that we'll get through Dinosaur, Primeval Whirl and EE and be stuck without much to do until our first fastpass and the temperature rising a bit!

I imagine queues for Kali don't tend to build until later morning when it's warmer?

 

[MainMom]

Can you modify your FP’s at all? Probably not FOP, but the other 2? Maybe head to the Safari after your first 3 rides then some trails? How about FOTLK?

 

[Bete]

You can do Tough to be a Bug and Festival of the Lion King and Nemo when you can fit it in.

 

[Eccle]

Can you modify your FP’s at all? Probably not FOP, but the other 2? Maybe head to the Safari after your first 3 rides then some trails? How about FOTLK?

Unfortunately not, there's no availability for any of them at other times. However I've just realised Safari doesn't open until 8, so maybe we could aim to go there after the first 3 rides, do the Gorilla Trail then head back to Kali around 9.
I was planning to do FOTLK another day when we are going in for the later afternoon/evening, but if we did Safari early we could do FOTLK before FoP.
I'm just hoping we're still jet lagged enough on Monday to be up early for a 7am opening! (we're British and arrive on Saturday!)

 

[Eccle]

You can do Tough to be a Bug and Festival of the Lion King and Nemo when you can fit it in.

Nemo is shut unfortunately, I have never done Tough to be a Bug as I'm not a big creepy crawlie fan but maybe I should be brave!

 

[hart6066]

Would you have an interest in doing FOP? We did 2 7am openings during Christmas (worst crowds) and had a very pleasant experience doing FOP at RD at 7am. Just wasn't sure if you didn't want to do FOP?

 

[Eccle]

Would you have an interest in doing FOP? We did 2 7am openings during Christmas (worst crowds) and had a very pleasant experience doing FOP at RD at 7am. Just wasn't sure if you didn't want to do FOP?

We've got FOP fast passes for lunch time, so I was trying to stay out of the Pandora crowds first thing as my youngest is 2 and in a stroller. How early did you get there for the 7am RD? It could be tempting as it seems likely we will want to do it more than once based on what I've read, but I'm not sure everyone else will thank me for dragging them out even earlier!

 

[hart6066]

If you have a stroller and are happy doing it only once, maybe skip the crowds--a stroller would complicate things. The first day we got there as they were opening the park (so maybe 6:45 or so) so we weren't at the beginning of the rope as they walk you to Pandora. The second day I was out at the bus stop at 5:45am and the bus rolled up! So our family and one other were on the bus going to DAK well before 6am and so we were literally at the front of the rope walk to Pandora--just luck on that. I will say, despite the crowds, the look of Pandora as dawn was breaking and the lighting from the park was amazing--really felt like stepping into another world!

 

[Eccle]

Thank you, the Dawn breaking sounds amazing! On balance it's probably more sensible for us just to use the FP later, but I'll see what time we make it there on the day!

 

[WaterLinds]

We've got FOP fast passes for lunch time, so I was trying to stay out of the Pandora crowds first thing as my youngest is 2 and in a stroller. How early did you get there for the 7am RD? It could be tempting as it seems likely we will want to do it more than once based on what I've read, but I'm not sure everyone else will thank me for dragging them out even earlier!

Oh hey, not only are we going the same day, but will also have our two year old in a stroller!

We are currently planning to RD Epcot on Sunday (I think that's still a 9 am opening at least?) and do EMM at MK on Tuesday, so 7 am on Monday just seems like too many early mornings. The kids will probably be awake, but the grandparents might not!

I don't want to move all our FP, especially given that nearly everything at AK seems fully booked already, so I think we will just show up around 8 and see what we can do. it's probably too much to hope for that the late nature of the hour change will keep crowds down first thing...but hopefully we can get a few things done besides our FP.

 

[subtchr]

I would get there before 7 and do Na'vi first. Our 2 year old granddaughter loved it, so much we did it twice, with no wait at 7:45 on an 8:00 opening day (no EMH).

 

[chloelovesdisney]

That is just too early for me

 

[Eccle]

Oh hey, not only are we going the same day, but will also have our two year old in a stroller!

We are currently planning to RD Epcot on Sunday (I think that's still a 9 am opening at least?) and do EMM at MK on Tuesday, so 7 am on Monday just seems like too many early mornings. The kids will probably be awake, but the grandparents might not!

I don't want to move all our FP, especially given that nearly everything at AK seems fully booked already, so I think we will just show up around 8 and see what we can do. it's probably too much to hope for that the late nature of the hour change will keep crowds down first thing...but hopefully we can get a few things done besides our FP.

I'll be the one with the cute looking toddler most likely having a tantrum!

I haven't seen any recent hour changes other than AK, we're planning HS and MK on Sunday. I don't blame you not wanting another very early start, hopefully 7 is too early for lots of people and it will not be too busy by 8. I'd like to try and make 7, but it may not happen!

I would get there before 7 and do Na'vi first. Our 2 year old granddaughter loved it, so much we did it twice, with no wait at 7:45 on an 8:00 opening day (no EMH).

If we make it that early I might try heading for Na'vi, it's another one I have a FP for another day so it's not critical to do on Monday. Good to know your granddaughter loved it, hopefully my little one will too

That is just too early for me

It is for me too really! I'm not sure I would have planned AK on Monday if I knew it would be a 7am opening!

 

[Robo]

but I'll see what time we make it there on the day!

That is just too early for me

It is for me too really! I'm not sure I would have planned AK on Monday if I knew it would be a 7am opening!

Being "too early" is exactly the point.
If guests can make the effort to arrive "too early" they will be rewarded with smaller crowds.

If the timing will be a hardship, then the "too early" will not be something they can take advantage of.

 

[WaterLinds]

I'll be the one with the cute looking toddler most likely having a tantrum!

I haven't seen any recent hour changes other than AK, we're planning HS and MK on Sunday. I don't blame you not wanting another very early start, hopefully 7 is too early for lots of people and it will not be too busy by 8. I'd like to try and make 7, but it may not happen!


If we make it that early I might try heading for Na'vi, it's another one I have a FP for another day so it's not critical to do on Monday. Good to know your granddaughter loved it, hopefully my little one will too


It is for me too really! I'm not sure I would have planned AK on Monday if I knew it would be a 7am opening!

FWIW (and maybe that's not much in the current hard to predict crowd era), I noticed that TP still has low wait times for pretty much everything before 9 am despite the hour change. I put an 8 am arrival for us and it is predicting 13 minute standby wait for Na'vi--it would be great if it's true, we could do that, then do our FOP FP and then leave Pandora for the day (well, I want to do lunch at Satu'li, so we'll head back for that). I think if everyone in our party is up to it we'll aim for a 7:30-ish arrival and hopefully be ahead of the 8 am RD crowds in Pandora.

Looks like the weather forecast is improving, too. Might even be warm enough for morning rides on Kali! (At least for my Canadian family. My southern stepmom might opt out.)

Hoping we both have a great time.

 

[WaterLinds]

Follow up post with a possibly silly question...if we do arrive after EMH starts but before General rope drop, will we have difficulty getting in? I imagine there will be lines at the tapstyles of people waiting for rope drop--will it be hard for us to navigate around them to get in as late arriving EMH guests?

 

[Robo]

if we do arrive after EMH starts but before General rope drop, will we have difficulty getting in?

Not enough to worry about.

 

[Eccle]

FWIW (and maybe that's not much in the current hard to predict crowd era), I noticed that TP still has low wait times for pretty much everything before 9 am despite the hour change. I put an 8 am arrival for us and it is predicting 13 minute standby wait for Na'vi--it would be great if it's true, we could do that, then do our FOP FP and then leave Pandora for the day (well, I want to do lunch at Satu'li, so we'll head back for that). I think if everyone in our party is up to it we'll aim for a 7:30-ish arrival and hopefully be ahead of the 8 am RD crowds in Pandora.

Looks like the weather forecast is improving, too. Might even be warm enough for morning rides on Kali! (At least for my Canadian family. My southern stepmom might opt out.)

Hoping we both have a great time.

I was wondering if at least the non Pandora rides would stay quiet. There's a 7am EMH on Saturday, but I can't keep an eye on wait times then to give me an idea as I'll be on a plane!
If it was just my own family I would be confident I'd get us all there for 7, but we're with friends too so I can't force them out of the door in the same way.
It is sounding like it might be warm enough for Kali in the morning, we're British so the weather sounds hot to me!

Hope you have a great trip too