Best Days / worst days...

[lisaross]

OK i'm trying to figure out what days to go where at the end of Aug/beginning Sept. I have the unofficial guide 2006 and on the web site they changed the days for which parks etc.

The crowd level this time seems to be about a 6. Knowing that, i wanted to visit AK on a Monday when it has the extra morning hours - do you think the park will be that much more crowed because of this?

thanx,

also what other site shows which days to do which park?

lisa

 

[dizenthusiast]

Personally, I think you'll have better results avoiding ANY park on its EMH day. Especially at AK, besides the "trails," the only attractions open during the morning EMH are the Safari ride and ITTBAB, and presumably Expedition Everest will be open by then too. This forces the entire EMH crowd to focus on just those handful of attractions, so if you rush you could probably get onto EE or the Safari first thing without too much wait, but you'd be looking at a decent wait after that, and would be fighting higher crowds the rest of the day too due to the EMH.

I'd rather go on a non-EMH day when the overall crowds are lower, and are spread out over more attractions. Just my opinion...

 

[stm61]

we were there last Sept 9-17th. We usually did the parks the day after EMH. That said, the crowds that wk were so low it really didn't make a difference, everything was pretty much a walk on. We did no morning EMH and all of the evening ones. The only day we saw lines was Sat the 17th at MK. That was the day we left so I can't say how the other parks were.

 

[Hopefully]

I agree, I would avoid the EMH at the AK. Any park with morning EMH becomes more crowded as the day goes on.
Touringplans.com is the web site for the Unofficial Guide. They do update their crowd levels throughout the year, so the web site would reflect their current expectations more accurately than the written guide.

 

[wasabi girl]

I agree! I was there in Dec and it seemed that if I went to any park during it EMH it was so much more crowded than the others...I think the best day to go to any park is the day after its EMH...

 

[lentesta]

Hi Lisa,

The reason we don't recommend AK on EMH days is that there are relatively few attractions at that park open early, and they're generally not able to handle the same volume of guests as rides at other parks. Whereas morning EMH at the Magic Kingdom reduces your waits in line, for example, you may end up waiting longer at the AK overall on morning EMH days. Best case, it's break-even or some very minor savings...possibly not enough to get out of bed early for. Let me know if that doesn't make any sense.

Thanks!

Len Testa

 

[kirbsam]

i have always taken advantage of am emh at ak, and have never been disappointed. i would go on ee, and then get a fast pass for ee...go on the safari, ittbab, back to ee...and then dinosaur...you will be able to get much done in that first hour. i guess i am in the minority on this one. never miss am emh in any park.

 

[Got Quattro?]

Do not bother with the guide books crowd recomendations. It makes very little noticable difference.

Disney has a full time marketting staff to make sure that every day is a level 10 every day.

 

[dis-happy]

Well, I for one will say that the UG plans have worked out great for me....

One more testimony re. AK and EMH. Last Jan when morning EMH was Sat., we went there. It was quite crowded! Especially since we were able to compare this to the crowd level at AK 2 days earlier, when we found it to be empty. DH couldn't join us that day so we went back with him on the only day we could.

Long live the UG!

 

[J and R's mom]

I have the unofficial guide 2006 and on the web site they changed the days for which parks etc...

Can I get that website link from you? I, too, am wondering if my days have changed any. I have the 2005 guide but will be going back next month and was wondering what changes they made for 2006.

 

[arizonacolbys]

We generally do the EMH mornings for every park throughout our trip. AK is a good one to hit early in the morning - the animals are much more active first thing in the morning, before it gets too hot & they disappear to nap in the shade somewhere. We've even seen them feeding the tigers on the Asian trail during an early morning at AK.

 

[ACrider]

I've been checking the park schedules to figure out our itinerary and it occured to me I may have have misinterpreted the EMH hours. We are staying off site so won't be using the EMH hours, so I am scheduling "around" them.

My confusion is this.... WDW website says for instance MK is open depending on the day, 9a-7p or 9a-9p or 9a-10p. on a 9a-10p day, they also have evening EMH hours, which means they are open 3 hours later, yes? Do does that mean that the general public has to leave at 7p and just the EMH folks can be there 7p-10p, or does that mean the general public can be there till 10p and EMH folks can stay till 1am?

amanda

 

[lentesta]

Hi Amanda,

During evening EMHs, off-site guests can stay in the parks, too, but they can't ride the rides. Disney resort guests will need to pick up a wristband in the park, starting 2 hours before the park closes. Wearing the wristband will allow entry on to the rides. There are usually a couple of locations in each park where these wristbands are distributed.

J and R's mom, the website is always the most up-to-date.

Hope this helps!

 

[J and R's mom]

....J and R's mom, the website is always the most up-to-date...

I found the website. For anyone else who may be interested in checking on their dates click here and scroll all the way down the page until you find your dates.

 

[ACrider]

I am still confused. So if the WDW website says the MK park is open till 10pm on a Monday and it is an EMH evening (which means 3 extra ride hours for onsite guests, yes?) does this mean the general public can't ride rides after 7 pm, though they can stay in the park till 10pm?

It would seem to me that either way, off-site folks should head in the morning after to a park that had an EMH night the night before, as the on-site folks are either sleeping in or heading somewhere different since they may have had their fill. yes?

 

[J and R's mom]

I am still confused. So if the WDW website says the MK park is open till 10pm on a Monday and it is an EMH evening (which means 3 extra ride hours for onsite guests, yes?) does this mean the general public can't ride rides after 7 pm, though they can stay in the park till 10pm?

If the posted park hours say that the park is open until 10pm, then the EMH will start at 10:00pm. In other words, non-WDW resort guests (the general public) will be able to ride rides until 10:00pm.

 

[ACrider]

what is the crowd level expectation 4/30-5/6 time of year, if you don't mind me asking?

 

[RobInBigKC]

what is the crowd level expectation 4/30-5/6 time of year, if you don't mind me asking?

Date -- Crowd Level
4/30/06 -- 7
5/1/06 -- 7
5/2/06 -- 6
5/3/06 -- 6
5/4/06 -- 7
5/5/06 -- 6
5/6/06 -- 6

-- Rob

 

[J and R's mom]

what is the crowd level expectation 4/30-5/6 time of year, if you don't mind me asking?

RobInBigKC answered your question for the dates you listed. However, if you'd like to check on any other dates click here and scroll down until you see the dates you're interested in.

Hope this helps. Have a wonderful trip.

 

[ACrider]

Thanks for the info! That website is very useful too. I've been spending a few days reading and getting our itinerary set up (very addictive - somehow it is 3 am in the morning before one knows it!!) and am feeling a little more comfortable now. With a combination of considering EMH hours and "high attendance" days and other tidbits, here is what I've come up with for our schedule. Any comments/suggestions? Now to work on the finer details....

Friday, April 28, 2006 Fly In 9p
Saturday, April 29, 2006 MK-am
Chef Mickeys
EP-pm & Illum.
Sunday, April 30, 2006 MK-am
MGM-pm
Monday, May 01, 2006 MK-am
MK-pm & Spectro
Tuesday, May 02, 2006 MGM-am+
Hoopdee-pm
Wednesday, May 03, 2006 EP-am
MK-pm & Wishes
Thursday, May 04, 2006 AK-am-pm
EP-pm & Illum
Friday, May 05, 2006 MK-am
MGM- Sci FI diner/pm
Saturday, May 06, 2006 Resort time (outta passes!)
Fly home (3pm)