AM EMH strategy

[Tod&CopperFan]

I am planning on doing a morning extra magic hour RD. I've never done this before. Suggestions on a good strategy/rides that are must do?

 

[Dan Murphy]

My strategy is to go to the lower crowd park/s.

 

[sharonabe]

I am planning on doing a morning extra magic hour RD. I've never done this before. Suggestions on a good strategy/rides that are must do?

Which park and how early is the EMH?

 

[Ismo]

Strategy would depend on the park. But I agree with Dan, go to the parks with the lowest crown levels, which would be the parks without EMH.

We avoid any park that has EMH in the morning.

If MK has EMH in the evening, we would do another park during the day, and then maybe head back there in the evening the to take advantage of the EMH. But I have always found the park with morning EMH tend to get busier a lot faster.

 

[Bete]

We like doing the morning extra hour. First, make sure you get there for the full hour. Enjoy whatever rides you like and head towards the back of the park. When the park opens to the public you have a good extra half hour before they reach the back of the park; so, you can enjoy a few rides before everyone reaches the back.

I would say up to about 11 am it's worth going to the extra magic hour park. After that use FP+ or leave the park for a break or park hop if you can do it to another park.

 

[Tod&CopperFan]

Which park and how early is the EMH?

Sorry, I should have given more details! I am referring to Magic Kingdom. We have park hoppers and have two other Magic Kingdom days scheduled, but I would like to do rope drop/AM EMH (at 8:00 am) on our first park day and then the plan is to hop to Epcot mid morning.

 

[W.E.D.]

We try to hit the rides that typically have the craziest lines. For example, last visit we did a.m. EMH at MK. We went straight to Peter Pan, then tried to get all the mountains in before 9a.m.

 

[Babe the Blue Ox]

We use a different strategy altogether. We find the morning EMH parks to be incredibly crowded by late morning/early afternoon. But those guests that got up really early will eventually tire out and the guests that arrived later will get frustrated and leave.

Because of this, we like to hop to the morning EMH park later in the evening as it is often the least crowded park for late night touring and multiple rerides on the headliners.

 

[Dan Murphy]

We try to hit the rides that typically have the craziest lines. For example, last visit we did a.m. EMH at MK. We went straight to Peter Pan, then tried to get all the mountains in before 9a.m.

Aren't Big Thunder Mountain and Splash Mountain closed until 9 (or regular opening time)?

 

[Tod&CopperFan]

Aren't Big Thunder Mountain and Splash Mountain closed until 9 (or regular opening time)?

This is the type of info I am trying to determine when I say "strategy". I have read conflicting info on what might be closed during AM EMH. I really want to do it, even though others are suggesting not to visit EMH parks because of crowds. I am generally following Easy WDW plans, but I want to do this particular EMH at MK because 1) it is our first park day, have to start at MK!. 2) We won't be able to RD MK on our other days due to breakfast ADR's at 'Ohana and 1900 PF, and I really want to experience RD! (never done it before, we are still newbies!). And again, we plan to park hop to EPCOT mid morning so I'm not so worried about the crowds.

 

[W.E.D.]

Aren't Big Thunder Mountain and Splash Mountain closed until 9 (or regular opening time)?

You know. That was close to five years ago. You might be correct. The more I think about it....yes. It just seemed that way because getting to Splash and BTMRR right around 9a.m. was magical in and of itself when we walked right on to them.
OP, I take it back. I think we did everything we could in Fantasyland during that first hour, since all those rides tend to have crazy queues later in the day.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Time to post my emh guidelines.

None of these are hard and fast. All are situational

1. If you don't want to read a bunch of rules, avoid emh parks entirely and stop reading right here.
2. If you are staying off site, avoid emh parks entirely. You can't take advantage of emh.
3. The emh decision is not independent of the decision to get hoppers. And if you're not getting hoppers, consider avoiding emh parks. If you get into a bad situation, you can't hop out of it.
4. During slack times of the year, you should consider emh. The hours are short, parks aren't crowded (10 extra percent of a low number is still a low number) and the extra time helps. You should consider this even if you don't have hoppers.
5. During the most crowded times of the year you should consider emh. All parks are packed. What's a few more and the extra hours help. Note that in the busiest time periods, closures apply.
6. If Disney drops a surprise emh on you within 2 weeks of your departure or worse, while you're down there, strongly consider avoiding that park that day if you can. Disney expects crowds. That's why they decided to put it in late. If you're stuck with those adrs that you just can't pass on, don't panic. Make yourself a good plan and you can still have some fun.

Morning emh
8. There is less time for the emh, but it starts from a zero line condition.
9. If you have hoppers and otherwise intend to go take a rest at the hotel and hop to another park, by all means consider morning emh. You lose nothing in the transfer (you were going to do it anyway) and you have extra time. I see no downside here.
10. If you intend to attend the emh and directly hop to another park, you're going to lose a lot of time in the transfer and your new park will not be at a zero line condition.
11. Don't go to a park that has a morning emh without attending the emh.

Evening emh.
11. In general, the later the emh, the less crowded it should be. The drawback is you are less likely to want to get up the next morning.
12. These do not start at a zero line condition. But they last longer.
13. Sometimes, you can hit a park with an evening emh early in the morning when it opens and hop out if need be. Also, early in the morning the day after a late evening emh was just held can be good too.

 

[sharonabe]

According to allearsnet.com, these are the attractions open during morning EMH:

Magic Kingdom:

Ariel's Grotto
Astro Orbiter
Barnstormer
Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin
Carousel of Progress
Enchanted Tales with Belle
Dumbo the Flying Elephant
"it's a small world"
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Mickey's PhilharMagic
Peter Pan's Flight
Prince Charming Regal Carrousel
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
Space Mountain
Tomorrowland Speedway
Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover

The parks guide you'll find in your resort will also have a list, so you can check it again before you head out on your first morning.

 

[soniam]

We always do AM EMH, especially at MK. Only Fantasyland and Tomorrowland are open. We save our FPs for Space Mountain, 7DMT, and Big Thunder and start them about 11am. During AM EMH, we usually do stuff like Pooh, Peter Pan, Speedway, Buzz, and Small World. We don't do Splash, but if you do, then do Space during EMH. We don't do Anna & Elsa, so not sure how to handle that. Right before the park opens, head to HM, JC, and POC.