Avoiding EMH parks

[gacallaghan]

Hi all,

I will be travelling to the world solo and staying onsite for 7 days in Jan 2011.

My question is that considering I will be able to ride solo on a few of the most popular rides and that the crowd levels are usually lower in January, is it worth avoiding the EMH parks?

My thought process is that these parks will be busier on EMH days but I that I probably won’t need the EMH for the above reasons so I would be better avoiding them on these days. I hope this makes sense!

Any thoughts on whether this is a good tactic or not?

 

[jpolak]

We always avoid the PM emh. In fact which ever park had PM emh we go to the following morning. The AM one is worth it if you can get there for the start, otherwise we avoid it also.

 

[Robo]

to the DISboards, gacallaghan!

Happy that you're planning to visit the states soon!

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Never attending EMH's because they will be too crowded
is like never eating grapes because they will be too sour.

CAN be that way.
Doesn't HAVE to be that way.

Each EMH experience can be different.

We always go to AM EMH (virtually every day of the trip
that we did not do a PM EMH late the night before)...
never ONCE regretted an AM EMH... they are amazingly
empty and easy to ride the open attractions.
If that park THEN starts to fill 2 to 3 hours later...
We're happy with "doing" that park for the day and we
can HOP elsewhere or do lunch and take a rest until
later.

PM EMH's are a mixed bag. I've been when they were
PACKED... but on other nights (sometimes within the
same trip), the crowds were basically so low that it
was like "free rides" on all the open attractions.

Generally speaking:
Expect a PM EMH which BEGINS before 10PM to be much busier than one that BEGINS much later.
Expect the FIRST 90 min. of PM EMH to be much busier than the LAST 90 min. of PM EMH.

Those who have attended PM EMH's and say that "they
are TOO CROWDED" are right... but ONLY for the nights
they may have attended.
I can say, from personal experience, that they CAN be
EMPTY, or FULL or somewhere IN-BETWEEN for attendance,
often within the same week.

We went to PM EMH at AK on a Wed night and PM EMH at MK
on a Sun night (early Spring visit.)
The EMH's were so EMPTY that we could have
stayed on many attractions and ridden around and around.
This included Splash, BTM, and Pirates (and many more) at
MK, and Exp. Everest, Kali, and Dinosaur at AK. And
the crowds during the DAY at these parks were very
LARGE... within the first hour of EMH, they simply
"evaporated."

But, it can change so much (either way), that saying
it was "like X" on a given night, can be meaningless
on another night in the same time-period. So, you
simply don't KNOW unless you go.
It's similar to saying
that you attended on a given night and it rained, so
guests should never go on that night because it will
probably be rainy.

The rule seems to be, it is far easier for guests to
STAY UP at the end of the day, than it is for them to
GET UP at the start of the day.

And, considering that EMH's are FREE to attend...
if it's too busy, just people-watch... or hit the exit.
(Where ELSE are ya gonna go at 10pm, anyway?)

But, if its not busy... you're ALL SET for EXTRA FUN!

In January, all the more reason to at least TRY the evening EMH.
Shorter regular hours and fewer guests, overall.

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[jpolak]

As usual Robo makes many great points. In hindsight, we usually avoid PM emhs because we have little kids, we do go to those parks the following mornings.

 

[kaligal]

Even when staying in WDW hotels, I avoid the EMHs for the most part.

If it happens to work out that I can hit a morning one, I will, but then I will be in a different park in the afternoon.

But I pretty much avoid them.

 

[Nadjalu]

We love the evening EMHs. As Robo said it can be crowded or not crowded. Jan. is a lower crowd season anyway so they shouldn't be bad.

I say if you want to go...go and enjoy. You may not get alot done, but then again you may.

 

[joe1946]

I will be able to ride solo on a few of the most popular rides

There aren't that many rides that have single rider lines. EE, TT, RnR -- I think that's it.

 

[BridgetBordeaux]

Get the park hopper option on your ticket.

Hit the a.m. EMH park and then hop to the "best park".

This is the strategy we use thorughout the year.

We go to bed early and get up early unless we decide to catch a fireworks show.

 

[Karpkg]

Heck, you're going alone and in January.

I say, do whatever you want. In my opinion, the fact it's January means it'll be low crowds, there won't be much of a difference. Check the solo trip reports, you'll see those that go have the choice to zig whenever a crowd zags, they can stay longer in the park without dealing with the heat so can take in the sights, if early enough can also still take in the Christmas decorations.

Have fun! We've gone as a family in September and have done a combination of EMH and not and have enjoyed the parks but the heat and humidity is crazy. You'll be in a better frame of mind without the heat, humidity, and crowds so IMHO enjoy a park without worrying if it's EMH or not.

Sometimes if you're alone you want a little crowd just to enjoy the atmosphere!

 

[DisDayz]

We do many of the morning EMH's but we always hop to a different park by early afternoon. The crowds usually start to pick up in the late morning and they are usually heavier than on other days.

We do an occassional EMH evening but it is usually for the atmosphere.