Deluxe late hours thread

[DisneyFive]

Interesting, so if they keep this same date spacing for the extended evening hours, it looks like there are only two nights where you can benefit from this in a typical 7 night trip. Better than nothing but so limited versus previous EMH options for all onsite guests.

Dan

 

[JakeAZ]

Interesting, so if they keep this same date spacing for the extended evening hours, it looks like there are only two nights where you can benefit from this in a typical 7 night trip. Better than nothing but so limited versus previous EMH options for all onsite guests.

Dan

It really is just "throw them some scraps so they shut up about diminished on-site benefits"

Nothing for those who book Thursday - Sunday (when pricing is higher). No MK for those who book Thursday - Tuesday (when pricing is higher). No extra access to HS and AK.

It's really disappointing.

All premier guests at Universal get the EXACT same benefits, regardless of the days of their stay.

 

[Dakota731]

How does this week? How do they kick people out at night that aren’t deluxe? Seems like it would be a nightmare to enforce

 

[JakeAZ]

How does this week? How do they kick people out at night that aren’t deluxe? Seems like it would be a nightmare to enforce

Magic band scan or card scan to prove you are Deluxe. Other guests can stay in park and hangout / shop, but won’t be able to ride.

 

[CarolynFH]

How does this week? How do they kick people out at night that aren’t deluxe? Seems like it would be a nightmare to enforce

In the past when evening EMH were for all resort guests, they didn’t kick anyone out. They just scanned MBs or tickets at ride entries and didn’t allow offsite guests to enter the queues.

 

[Dakota731]

Ok thanks! I wasn’t sure if they cleared parks and then allowed deluxe patrons to come back in or how it worked. So it’s more of a ride perk then or is it the same for restaurant entry?

 

[CarolynFH]

Ok thanks! I wasn’t sure if they cleared parks and then allowed deluxe patrons to come back in or how it worked. So it’s more of a ride perk then or is it the same for restaurant entry?

If the restaurants are open, they usually don’t let noneligible guests in after official close, but a lot of restaurants don’t actually stay open - their last ADR times are before official close. Extra hours are mostly a ride perk.

 

[js]

Interesting, so if they keep this same date spacing for the extended evening hours, it looks like there are only two nights where you can benefit from this in a typical 7 night trip. Better than nothing but so limited versus previous EMH options for all onsite guests.

Dan

Two nights for me with a 9 night stay from November 11-20.
I may take advantage of the November 15 Epcot since we are staying at BWVs but really I expected a little more, at least one more night. However, we never took advantage of the EMHs in the evening since we are RD, get everything done, hang out and go back to resort for relaxing and a nice dinner, even when the kids were little (they are adults now) but being that I can walk to Epcot, I may give it a try and just book a dinner for 7/7:30 pm and then hang the rest of the night there.

 

[gharter]

Interesting, so if they keep this same date spacing for the extended evening hours, it looks like there are only two nights where you can benefit from this in a typical 7 night trip. Better than nothing but so limited versus previous EMH options for all onsite guests.

Dan

Very true. It doesn't live up to the original hype when it was announced.
Also not sure how much of an advantage it will be getting in a park 30 minutes early.

 

[kevind2112]

I wonder how they will handle Christmas week. I know in the past when we've gone that week, the parks have pretty late hours, specifically MK. I wonder if for that week they don't run Deluxe Late Hours, or if they are still going to "enforce" it....

We'll be there again this Christmas week. I'm hoping we have access to late hours, as those are usually the best hours to be there during the week!

 

[cakebaker]

Ok thanks! I wasn’t sure if they cleared parks and then allowed deluxe patrons to come back in or how it worked. So it’s more of a ride perk then or is it the same for restaurant entry?

Very true. It doesn't live up to the original hype when it was announced.
Also not sure how much of an advantage it will be getting in a park 30 minutes early.

Because they're doing the 30 minutes every day, at every park, it will reduce the number going in each park. 30 minutes will at least get you 1 headliner and in line for another- and when some of them are going to be IA$, that's a money saver for sure!

 

[DisneyFive]

Because they're doing the 30 minutes every day, at every park, it will reduce the number going in each park. 30 minutes will at least get you 1 headliner and in line for another- and when some of them are going to be IA$, that's a money saver for sure!

I agree that the 30 minute early entry, every park every day, is a real benefit especially for the IA$. I just can't stand the thought of having to get up early each day to take advantage of it.

It's very much like what we had to do late July/early August this year. (I remember you were there the same time) Since everything was standby, rope drop was essential to getting one or two headliners in with low wait. The drawback was the exhaustion of getting up so early every day, ON VACATION. I sound like a broken record, but to me that was the real advantage FP+ had over G+, which was the ability to pre-book your first three attractions for later in the morning. That way you could choose to rope drop if you chose and take advantage of low crowds early, or sleep in if needed knowing you have low wait headliners waiting for you.

Dan

 

[cakebaker]

It's very much like what we had to do late July/early August this year. (I remember you were there the same time) Since everything was standby, rope drop was essential to getting one or two headliners in with low wait. The drawback was the exhaustion of getting up so early every day, ON VACATION. I sound like a broken record, but to me that was the real advantage FP+ had over G+, which was the ability to pre-book your first three attractions for later in the morning. That way you could choose to rope drop if you chose and take advantage of low crowds early, or sleep in if needed knowing you have low wait headliners waiting for you.

We were there, yes. I'm right there with you on having to get up early every morning- I don't mind being there at park opening, but to be there earlier and have to rush to headliners is not how we like to do the parks. Unfortunately, our old way of touring won't work anymore.

We do stay deluxe though and I'm hoping to knock most of the headliners out at the MK and Epcot during the evening hours. At least we'll only have to deal with HS and AK with early entry. What I'm not doing is paying $15-$25 to ride a single ride. It's not that we can't afford it, but my brain explodes at the idea of spending more than $100 for us all to ride 1 thing. It's just not happening.

 

[JakeAZ]

I just can't stand the thought of having to get up early each day to take advantage of it

100% agree. I find no joy in getting myself (and my two kids) up super early to ride roller coasters first thing in the morning. We will happily close a park down each night though!

 

[JakeAZ]

but my brain explodes at the idea of spending more than $100 for us all to ride 1 thing

$100 for one ride and you could still end up waiting 20/30 minutes in the "lightning lane" on a crowded day. Oh, and that one ride will be over in about 5 minutes....

There's going to be a lot of buyers remorse going on.

 

[maryj11]

100% agree. I find no joy in getting myself (and my two kids) up super early to ride roller coasters first thing in the morning. We will happily close a park down each night though!

I agree too! My brain is not even ready for intense rides first thing in the morning .

 

[phoenixconfidential]

We don't go to disney often and i booked the Dolphin specifically for the EMH. I view it as a way to bake in less rush into our vacation. These parks will be available late to us so we can either go early, back to the room for a nap and back to enjoy EMH OR take a lazy relaxed approach to the day and not arrive until later since we'll be able to enjoy late into the evening.

 

[JakeAZ]

We don't go to disney often and i booked the Dolphin specifically for the EMH. I view it as a way to bake in less rush into our vacation. These parks will be available late to us so we can either go early, back to the room for a nap and back to enjoy EMH OR take a lazy relaxed approach to the day and not arrive until later since we'll be able to enjoy late into the evening.

Just make sure your stay encompasses a Monday and Wednesday (subject to change, of course).

 

[GBRforWDW]

$100 for one ride and you could still end up waiting 20/30 minutes in the "lightning lane" on a crowded day. Oh, and that one ride will be over in about 5 minutes....

There's going to be a lot of buyers remorse going on.

Whats the longest anyone waited for Fastpass+? I was on 7dmt in 10 minutes with FP+ next to a 3 hour standby line.

I seriously doubt you're standing 20-30 minutes in the lightning lane. They're going to have limited time slots like with Fastpass, maybe even less, to actually entice people to buy. Word gets out you're waiting more than 5-10 minutes, people won't be paying.

 

[gharter]

Does anyone know why AK and HS were excluded?

I suspect AK wasn't added as the animals are put back in pens at night. they also may have a lot of maintenance to do over night.
No good reason HS wasn't unless they do something with the Star Wars Resort in the park at night, but haven't seen that in their itinerary.
In the end, I think Disney saw this as a token attempt to get more people to stay at the deluxe resorts.