Disney Early Morning Magic - Details & Prices

[cdnSpinalTap]

EVERYTHING is for sale at Disney World these days. Seriously, it's a bit tacky.

Instead of calling it "Extra Morning Magic" they need to change the name to "Extra Hour Not That Magical" ...

So, since you have to also have a regular park ticket, depending on your length of ticket you will pay anywhere from $183 US for 1 day plus 1 extra hour and breakfast to $109 US for 10 day tickets plus 1 extra hour and breakfast. Keep adding $69 to that multi ticket if you want more "Extra Hour" mornings. Definitely doesn't sound all that magical to me.

I just picked out a couple of sample quotes above to illustrate my point...I can completely understand why people would be upset IF this messes up morning ADR....but, I am not sure why people are upset or disappointed that Disney is adding an additional service that they want to charge money for. Without sounding too harsh - if you don't want to use it, don't pay for it. I for one would evaluate my trip and determine if it is right for our family or not (the added cost, convenience, experience, etc). If it is not, we would move on to the next magical part of our trip.

We were in Disney World in January and had the same magical trip we have had for the previous 12 January's that we have gone. Were there cast members and other guests that could have been more polite? Certainly, but we don't let that bother us. Was there a difference in food quality or the amount of things we used to receive for "free" 12 years ago? Again, certainly. We just don't let that get us down. If it ever gets to a point where I evaluate the amount we spend against our experience and it does not equate, then it's time to move on to something else. The thing about Magic...you can't force it. Luckily for our family, it still just happens when we go there. I look at these additional offerings as additional opportunities to expand our experience. Again - only if we are willing to pay for them and they make sense to us. The floating cars at Disney Springs are a perfect example. I think it's a really cool offering, but for my family of 5 it would cost too much for us - so I don't do it. I'm happy for other people that can afford it and choose to do it.

The bottom line, Disney is in the business of making money - they can choose to do that in any legal way possible. The market ultimately determines if they will be successful or not. They are simply adding more supply to meet the growing demand. Who knows, maybe an offering like this will make the day less busy for the people that don't spend the money because a ton of people have already ridden the rides and paid more for it. Only time will tell.

 

[jknc]

I don't think this is an end to EMH.

A perk such which is so heavily marketed and suddenly removed would have Disney on the defense from the first lawyer ready to file a class action suit with all the guests impacted by the decision.

 

[anniemae]

I don't think EMH will end. I just wonder how this new experience will effect the PPO BOG folks. Will they be held back until official park opening? I can't see them allowing all the BOG folks to march down to 7DMT at 8:45, thus spoiling the special magic people's experience. I think this is another way of spreading out crowds.

It will be interesting to hear reports of how things work with folks who do this once this is live, how it effects BOG PPO people, as well as the after hours $150 for 3 additional hours. We have lots of work to do folks!! LOL!!

 

[MakiraMarlena]

I wonder if this will happen at all the parks?

If guests start booking breakfast at Akershus and then skipping it because all they wanted was early access to Frozen Ever After and the meet and greet, look for the "Olaf's Breakfast Party" coming to a park near you.

As of right now none of this signals an end to EMH. The night events have been scheduled on days where the park doesn't have EMH. When the dates come out for this one it will probably be the same. So you won't have to do this if you're staying onsite, you can get EMH on another morning.

A class action lawsuit regarding the removal of EMH (if it happened) would probably be dismissed, if any lawyer would take it on (lawyers like cases they have a chance of winning). Somewhere there is language regarding the ability of Disney to cancel, change or remove "perks" at any time without notice - which they can legally do even if the guests don't like it. The real remedy would be to cancel your reservation and stay someplace else.

 

[gsp4ever]

...I'm sure the average going to Disney, once in a lifetime trip goer, won't think about that.

Everything has its limit. Including the once in a lifetime guests. Many have a budget. Heck, many of the rabid DisFans have a budget. One good thing about all of these extra $$$ events is that they can begin to "separate the wheat from the chaff" thereby making people consider what is really worth their time and money. Many folks simply wouldn't tolerate (and pay $$$) the things Disney does from Walmart, Amazon, etc. With high prices can come high expectations.

Disney management shouldn't necessarily count on first timers, once in a lifetimers, one percenters, etc. to be fools with their money.

 

[JimmyV]

I'd be interested if it was Studios with TSM, Startours, and RnR. Would love to ride TSM over and over!

While I am never one to say that Disney won't do it at DHS (at the point in time when DHS gets its new name), the rides there are so long in duration that there is no way that you could do them "over and over" in an hour. You might be able to do each ride once, and even a few of them twice. But "over and over", I just don't see it.

How does this hurt rope droppers?

Well, right now, the very first person through the turnstile (assuming that they do not get passed on the say down Main Street), can be the very first person in line at PP or 7DMT, after accounting for the people who had PPO ADRs. With this new event in place, on the days when it takes place, the first person through the turnstile at 9:00 will arrive at PP or 7DMT and find a line comprised of people who paid money for early entry as well as all the people who had PPO ADRs. The latter group were precluded from getting in line prior to 9:00, but at the stroke of 9:00, they will be able to enter the line and the very first Rope Dropper will still be back at the barbershop, 5-7 minutes from joining the line. Think of it this way. Rope Droppers will be just like the "first" off site people to arrive on EMH days. They might be the first people to pass through the turnstiles at 9:00. But they are by no means the first people to get in line for the ride.

 

[Sevey13]

Disney is making too many money grabs.

I am a DVC member and all of the rumored changes have me rethinking my vacation dollars.
Disney after Dark
Disney Early Morning Magic
Resort fees
What's next?
"Did you actually want a bed in your room? - that will cost an additional $25.00 per night."

Come on Disney knock it off - you're ticking people off.
You are no longer the company whose theme parks I fell in love with in the 80's.
I probably spent more in the 80's because you were picking my pocket with a much lighter touch.
My wallet was out and open in those days - now I'm in sticker shock, with all the additional charges.

As a DVC member, how do any of the things you mention affect you? You are not forced to buy DAD or EMM, you won't pay resort fees (I think? You have your own dues, right?).

 

[Sevey13]

Why? Are they not going to be able to eat? Isn't that what an ADR is for? To eat

Agree. People complain when they find a loophole and then Disney closes it. There's something to be said for customer service and just rolling with it, as Disney is known for, but I agree whole heartedly.

 

[VillainFavs]

I don't think EMH will end. I just wonder how this new experience will effect the PPO BOG folks. Will they be held back until official park opening? I can't see them allowing all the BOG folks to march down to 7DMT at 8:45, thus spoiling the special magic people's experience. I think this is another way of spreading out crowds.

It will be interesting to hear reports of how things work with folks who do this once this is live, how it effects BOG PPO people, as well as the after hours $150 for 3 additional hours. We have lots of work to do folks!! LOL!!

I guarantee if you start hearing reports that BOG people are held back and not allowed the early access they've gotten used to, all those PPO BOG reservations will be cancelled! The place will become a ghost town! Let's face it. Most people aren't going in at that hour because they want to spend $25 on a donut! They're doing it for the empty park feel and the early access to 7DMT and Fantasyland. If you take those away, no one's going to be fighting for those early BOG spots.

 

[HopperFan]

Except 9-10 would still be a relatively good time for rides and now you've lost that time...granted, you weren't going to ride 7DMT with no wait then, but there are several other rides that would be good

Totally agree, so many will not be interested. But others will want the empty Main Street, that over and over on Mine Train, two more rides that have long standby lines and breakfast all by 10. I'm rarely in the park before 10 so this would be a bonus to me if I wanted it.

 

[decoy7375]

Wholeheartedly disagree.

By staying at any monorail resort, particularly those of us vets who have done so multiple times, absolutely know and understand the value and convenience in making front of the line for RD. That value has been completely negated by this event.

While I have not stayed at a monorail resort, I totally agree with this comment. My daughter and I needed to get up significantly earlier than the family getting on the resort monorail at the GF or walking over from the Contemporary in order to be ahead of the masses at rope drop. We happily did that for the MK. The benefit of rope drop on these days will have dropped significantly, especially if you are one who can't, personally, ride the coasters.

 

[recmouse]

It does not seem worth it if only 3 rides are open and you only get in an hour before opening to the public. I think Disney is losing their mind !

That's what I was thinking... I mean how many times do you really want to ride, Pooh, SDMT, and Peter Pan?

 

[IrishNYC]

I wonder if this will happen at all the parks?

Probably not. There isn't a mad dash/frenzy quite like that at the MK anywhere else.

It really sounds terrible. Disney has always been greedy over the years but at least they have been reasonable about it. These new events are unreasonably priced. Maybe they are storing up money for the next travel downturn?

If people will pay these prices - and they will!, then it's not unreasonable.

Wholeheartedly disagree.

By staying at any monorail resort, particularly those of us vets who have done so multiple times, absolutely know and understand the value and convenience in making front of the line for RD. That value has been completely negated by this event.

What does staying at a monorail resort have to do with making it to the front of the line for RD? Anyone who is willing to get up early enough can be at the front for RD. My sister stays at AoA and gets there. We stayed at CBR and were at MK turnstiles by 7:30. Nothing at all to do with monorail resorts.

 

[recmouse]

And... will the busses be running that early to get you there? That's always a challenge for Rope Drop some days.

 

[JimmyV]

I don't think EMH will end. I just wonder how this new experience will effect the PPO BOG folks. Will they be held back until official park opening? I can't see them allowing all the BOG folks to march down to 7DMT at 8:45, thus spoiling the special magic people's experience.

I can't see them doing anything other than marching the BoG folks over to 7DMT at 8:45-8:55. The special magic people's experience ends precisely at 9:00 (insofar as ride access is concerned). So the BoG people will be held back (probably by the bridge to the restaurant) and given their own, mini Rope Drop. When their rope drops at 9:00 (same as the one on Main Street), they will be allowed to go anywhere they want, and those who want to go to the 7DMT will easily beat the folks coming from Main Street. So there will still be an advantage to the ADR. It will put you behind the Magic People, and ahead of the "Regular People".

 

[jbish]

If I'm reading the comments correctly, people who previously gained an advantage over guests arriving at rope drop are now annoyed that other people will be gaining an advantage over them?

Did I miss anything?

No - you've got it correct. With as much pre-planning us "insiders" do, way in advance, springing this on us at this late date (I really feel for you people that are there on these "test dates" for DAH in April without knowing exactly how this will affect crowds) really puts our hard-worked plans in a quandary.

I have a BOG PPO ADR in June. I, personally, will not pay $69/$49 pp ($285) for my family of five for this new "event". If this Early Morning one happens on the day of my BOG ADR, then, yes, it WILL affect my plans - and yes, I WILL be annoyed.

But I can't make any changes yet to my plans because I don't know what the dates are. Perhaps they'll start in April/May like the evenings ones to start. When will they decide to move into June? Sometime mid-May? After I've had to make my FP+ plans and then try to rearrange them once the 30-day window opens up to everyone? (bye bye on-resort-perk-of-60-days-FP+-window) Will they start at one or two days per week in April/May? But then decide it's working so well they make it 3-5 days per week???

I'm getting even more annoyed writing this. LOL

 

[dkrauss]

This has probably been posted already but..............

Kenny's site says the exclusivity ends at 9am when the park opens to all.................

Doug

 

[IrishNYC]

I don't think EMH will end. I just wonder how this new experience will effect the PPO BOG folks. Will they be held back until official park opening? I can't see them allowing all the BOG folks to march down to 7DMT at 8:45, thus spoiling the special magic people's experience. I think this is another way of spreading out crowds.

It will be interesting to hear reports of how things work with folks who do this once this is live, how it effects BOG PPO people, as well as the after hours $150 for 3 additional hours. We have lots of work to do folks!! LOL!!

Since riding 7DMT was an unintended perk of early BOG, it's not "affecting" them at all. It was a bonus that some got, but no one was entitled to, and now some can pay for the privilege of.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

And... will the busses be running that early to get you there? That's always a challenge for Rope Drop some days.

So, they rent a car, or take a taxi or Uber. anybody who wants to be there early enough is going to find a way to make it happen, even if they are staying across town.

Being at a monorail resort doesn't mean you are going to be first in line for rope drop, nor does it amount to a guarantee by Disney that you will be first in line for rope drop. If one booked a monorail resort solely to be among the first at rope drop, and they now think that won't happen, they can always stay someplace else.

 

[decoy7375]

[QUOTE="What does staying at a monorail resort have to do with making it to the front of the line for RD? Anyone who is willing to get up early enough can be at the front for RD. My sister stays at AoA and gets there. We stayed at CBR and were at MK turnstiles by 7:30. Nothing at all to do with monorail resorts.[/QUOTE]

Staying at a monorail resort allows guests to leave their accommodations later in the morning. Coming from Pop or offsite we would need to be at the bus or in the car 2 hours plus before opening in order to be at the rope.

Paying to be on the monorail gains the family time, perhaps sleep and less stages to go through to actually be at the rope at opening. To get the rope from offsite we need to:
Navigate the traffic/lights on 192
Go through parking booth
Park in Preferred or non preferred parking
Walk or Tram to TTC
Take resort monorail to MK

While it doesn't seem like much on paper, all these steps take time and the later you leave in the morning....the longer each of those steps take to complete.