Animal Kingdom EMH, but the rides don't start until 9am?

[Ecomommy09]

We are going to AK 12/2 which is an EMH day for resort guests (8am opening and 9am for everyone else). I had fully been planning to take advantage of EMH as we are early morning people, but I ran into a puzzle when making my touring plan. Repeatedly, TP tried to make me do NAVI first (I have a fastpass for the afternoon) and wouldn't let me schedule Safari for 8am. I have NO desire to race with everyone else into Pandora. My daughter is in a wheelchair. My kids are too small to ride FOP. We already have a FP and I plan to visit there and eat dinner.

I finally realized it's because TP says that Safari won't open until 9am, even with the 8am open. It also says the Maharajah Jungle Trail won't open until 10am.

I'm clearly completely new to WDW. Is this true? Are the only things open at 8am Pandora and Dinoland?

 

[yulilin3]

You can go to the official wdw site and see operating times . Safari is open during emh but the small tails don't open until later. Here's the link https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/attractions/animal-kingdom/#

 

[Ecomommy09]

You can go to the official wdw site and see operating times . Safari is open during emh but the small tails don't open until later. Here's the link https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/attractions/animal-kingdom/#

Well that's fascinating. I wish it was easier to find all this stuff. It appears TP is incorrect that I cannot go there first. I may just ignore them and try to run back to Safari. Thanks!

 

[yulilin3]

Well that's fascinating. I wish it was easier to find all this stuff. It appears TP is incorrect that I cannot go there first. I may just ignore them and try to run back to Safari. Thanks!

The official site is pretty easy to navigate, you can put in your date and see all operating times.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

It might be because sometimes the Safari isn’t open for EMH. It appears on your date that it is open per the WDW website, so I’d just ignore/override what TP is saying.

 

[DVCkidsMOM]

What I would do in your shoes is to wait for the herd to stampede to Pandora's FoP while you hang back. When the stampede clears, walk at a comfortable pace with DD in chair toward NRJ. There shouldn't be much of a crowd or line at NRJ and you should be able to experience it in relative peace and calm before the same hoards that created the FoP stampede finish their hike, preshow, and ride at FoP. When you are finished with NRJ (which I hope you get to ride multiple times in a row even though you have later FPs) then head toward the Safari. I wouldn't count on it opening early, but you can always ask a CM to check for you while you are waiting for the rope drop FoP stampede to pass.

 

[figmentfinesse]

The safari often isn’t open until after EMH. You don’t need to run to Na’vi River!! You can walk at your own pace and still get there with little to no line. Everyone goes to FOP anyways!

 

[Ecomommy09]

What I would do in your shoes is to wait for the herd to stampede to Pandora's FoP while you hang back. When the stampede clears, walk at a comfortable pace with DD in chair toward NRJ. There shouldn't be much of a crowd or line at NRJ and you should be able to experience it in relative peace and calm before the same hoards that created the FoP stampede finish their hike, preshow, and ride at FoP. When you are finished with NRJ (which I hope you get to ride multiple times in a row even though you have later FPs) then head toward the Safari. I wouldn't count on it opening early, but you can always ask a CM to check for you while you are waiting for the rope drop FoP stampede to pass.

Thanks so much for the suggestion. I don’t have a FP for Everest (as the girls can’t ride), so I think we will just wander back there and ride on rider swap

 

[gharter]

What I would do in your shoes is to wait for the herd to stampede to Pandora's FoP while you hang back. When the stampede clears, walk at a comfortable pace with DD in chair toward NRJ. There shouldn't be much of a crowd or line at NRJ and you should be able to experience it in relative peace and calm before the same hoards that created the FoP stampede finish their hike, preshow, and ride at FoP. When you are finished with NRJ (which I hope you get to ride multiple times in a row even though you have later FPs) then head toward the Safari. I wouldn't count on it opening early, but you can always ask a CM to check for you while you are waiting for the rope drop FoP stampede to pass.

Agree. At RP, walking slowly, Navi is walk on.
Last EMH, we did Navi, Dinosaur, EE 3 times before 9 am. Were in line for Safari before 9 with very little line.