Animal Kingdom: To EMH or not to EMH?

[Laura's Dad]

We are planning a trip to WDW this May. We were originally planning to see the AK with Early Entry on a Saturday morning and then hop over to MGM for the evening during Star Wars Weekends. I read in the new version of the Unofficial Guide that it is best to avoid the AK on Saturday due to the much larger crowds that will be there due to the morning EMH. We have considered moving our AK to Wednesday and going back to the hotel to rest up before the Star Wars midnight show at AMC Pleasure Island 24. Can anyone compare the crowds on EMH day to a non-EMH day at the AK? Would the animals be any more active on the EMH day due to the earlier hour? Any help would be apppreciated.

 

[Stitch's Greatest Fa]

ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! Never again will I ever do EMH early entry. The park was packed out and we didn't get to do any extra rides because all the lines were so long - but hey this is only my experience, some people may have had a better time.

 

[Pixiedusttravel]

You would be better off avoiding EMH mornings at AK.

Although, I am wondering how the EMH evenings are going at AK. Has anyone been to experience this yet? How are the crowds?

 

[Razor Roman]

I've never been there for EMH at all, but I will say that EMH evenings are only rides, no Safari open. So if you like the rides it might be worth a try. I think the big attraction is still KIlamanjaro (until Everest opens) since when we get there at opening the entire crowd just pushed there!

 

[Fromeurope]

I have been to the EMH at night around the beginning of february this year.
The only thing we did was ITTBAB with a few other people. There wasn't much to do, but the park looked amazing. The tree of life is beautifully lighted in the dark. My DHB and I just strolled through the park and in Africa we were the only guests Nothing was open there. But I really thought it was quite an experience that night. First we had an early dinner at Boma and afterwards we went for a nightly walk through AK. We loved it, but I can imagine that if you want some action you don't want to go there

 

[EEyorelover22]

Do not do EMH mornings at AK. It's a nightmare!

 

[NCRedding]

We enjoyed our emh at AK in the evening in January. They ran Tarzan and Lion King with later shows. Then we were able to ride dinosaur over and over, with very wait. Dinoland was also open--and we love Primeval whirl, so for us it was very much worth it to do the evening EMH

 

[Luv4Disney]

I've never done EMH at AK and have never ever had a problem doing everything I wanted.

 

[MinnieM3]

Is KALI River open on evening EMH?

 

[Pixiedusttravel]

Kali River Rapids is not listed on the EMH list I'm looking at...

 

[marriedmarylander]

I have been debating over this as well. Currently we plan to do the morning EMH at AK despite the warnings (I posted about this one a while back). However, people seem to recommend the morning EMH at other parks (MK, MGM).

Is the AK morning packed because everyone they said to do the safari in the morning? Is it packed in May? I'm wondering if we get there at 8 will we just wait in lines the whole time and not even get on the safari until 9 anyway.

I've also heard it taking anywhere from 4 hours to 9 hours to go through the park....

I read the unofficial guide.. it seems to recommend going to a park the day after it's EMH. I was wondering if there was any experience going the day before EMH - maybe some people plan out to go to a park on EMH so the day before is not crowded?

These EMH I think are there to fool us I keep thinking I should include them in my vacation because they are an "extra". But then I think is it really worth it in general with mornings being crowded and lines long.

 

[Synonymous]

Is the AK morning packed because everyone they said to do the safari in the morning? Is it packed in May? I'm wondering if we get there at 8 will we just wait in lines the whole time and not even get on the safari until 9 anyway.

I don't think there's any need for EMH morning at AK. If you go on a regular day and get there early you won't have any problem doing everything you want to do.

With that said- if you get there at opening for EMH and go straight to the safari, you won't have any wait. How could you? Nobody will be in front of you. Just make sure you're at the gates before opening time.

 

[marriedmarylander]

With that said- if you get there at opening for EMH and go straight to the safari, you won't have any wait. How could you? Nobody will be in front of you. Just make sure you're at the gates before opening time.

Everyone else seems to think it's crowded and a bunch of people will be in line.

I'm also wondering with the Star Wars weekends at MGM during May will that draw people away from other parks? I'm not into Star Wars but it seems to be a big deal to some people (on TV people dressing up in costumes just to watch the movie)

 

[Synonymous]

Everyone else seems to think it's crowded and a bunch of people will be in line.

Here's what happens at opening at AK- gates open, everyone walks straight past the nice CMs standing there with little animals in cages, heads to the left, walking past all the bigger animals in little habitats, straight on to Africa, right through it to the Safari.

Now, I don't recommend this as best way to see AK or even to see the Safari. BUT, if you're concerned about lines (it DOES have FP, by the way, so there should be no reason to wait in line) all you have to do is make sure you get to the gates before opening. Even if it takes you a while to get through the gates (which it won't if you get there 1/2 hour or so before and are right at the front), if you head straight to Africa like everyone else there is no way you would have more than a 10 min wait for this ride. I doubt it would even be that much.

Even on an EMH, MOST people will not be there before the gates open. They'll wander in between 8:30 and 9:00 (or even later) and STILL head straight to the safari. Those people will wait in a long line. (And probably walk right past the FP machines either not knowing what they are or grumbling that they're not going to "pay extra" to use them.)

 

[mybgirl]

Here's what happens at opening at AK- gates open, everyone walks straight past the nice CMs standing there with little animals in cages, heads to the left, walking past all the bigger animals in little habitats, straight on to Africa, right through it to the Safari.

Now, I don't recommend this as best way to see AK or even to see the Safari. BUT, if you're concerned about lines (it DOES have FP, by the way, so there should be no reason to wait in line) all you have to do is make sure you get to the gates before opening. Even if it takes you a while to get through the gates (which it won't if you get there 1/2 hour or so before and are right at the front), if you head straight to Africa like everyone else there is no way you would have more than a 10 min wait for this ride. I doubt it would even be that much.

Even on an EMH, MOST people will not be there before the gates open. They'll wander in between 8:30 and 9:00 (or even later) and STILL head straight to the safari. Those people will wait in a long line. (And probably walk right past the FP machines either not knowing what they are or grumbling that they're not going to "pay extra" to use them.)

HAVE A GREAT DAY

MARY

 

[JKanownik]

I'm very interested in the answer to this. The question for onsite guests isn't "Is AK more crowded on a morning EMH day than a non-EMH day?", the real question is "Are wait times at AK on an EMH day demonstratively longer than on a non-EMH day such that they outweight the benefits of having an extra hour in the park?"

It would be nice if someone could say something like "on an EMH morning day at AK the wait for Dinosaur at around noon was X minutes. The next day at the same time the wait for Dinosaur was X minutes." I'm thinking that a 10 minute wait differential on the Safari, Dinosaur or Kali is enough evidence to say that the morning EMH is not worth it.

-Josh

 

[Synonymous]

the real question is "Are wait times at AK on an EMH day demonstratively longer than on a non-EMH day such that they outweight the benefits of having an extra hour in the park?"

Frankly, the benefit of that extra hour isn't much of a benefit. I love AK, but it has never taken us an entire day to go through the place. And I'm not one of those who hits the "E-Tickets" and leaves- we like to stop to play the drums, watch the dancers, shop, etc etc etc.

 

[marriedmarylander]

How are you suppose to get to the park 1/2 hour early if the buses dont' start leaving until 1/2 hour before park opens on emh morning?

 

[Synonymous]

My recollection is that they actually run earlier than that. If not, take the first bus, and you'll be fine.