Disney EMH and us off-siters

[jeff968]

I see Disney has this new EMH (Extended magic Hours) program where you can stay at the park for extended hours. I just read about it, maybe it has been around for a while???, but it looks like (if I read it right) that it is only available to guests staying on Disney property, not us off-siters. Is that the way you understand it?

 

[carmie3377]

I see Disney has this new EMH (Extended magic Hours) program where you can stay at the park for extended hours. I just read about it, maybe it has been around for a while???, but it looks like (if I read it right) that it is only available to guests staying on Disney property, not us off-siters. Is that the way you understand it?

I don't know how long it's been around, but I know for the last 4 years it has. Anyway, yes, it's only for guests staying on property. That's just one of the perks they offer to encourage people to say on property.

 

[ntsammy5]

It's been going on for years - under different names - I vaguely remember it in 1995. They issue wrist bands to identify resort guests - although evidently they are changing that part. You have to show your resort IDs to take advantage of it.

Everyone has different ideas about EMH - some avoid parks on the day of EMH because of crowds, but I like the evening EMH. Everyone has a different opinion!

 

[jeff968]

I'm curious how it works and how they get us off-siters out. We are going to visit AK next year which closes at 6. If I have dinner reservations at 6 how will they get me out?

 

[zalansky]

They won't make you leave, but you won't be riding any rides unless you have a room key for a WDW resort!

About the new policy and no wristbands, I think its a good idea. What was stopping a WDW guest from letting an off-site friend use their room key to get a wristband? Now, every person will have to show a room key. Its not perfect, but its much better.

 

[dzorn]

They won't make you leave, but you won't be riding any rides unless you have a room key for a WDW resort!

About the new policy and no wristbands, I think its a good idea. What was stopping a WDW guest from letting an off-site friend use their room key to get a wristband? Now, every person will have to show a room key. Its not perfect, but its much better.

Well every time we have gotten a wrist band they have scanned it before giving them out. On at least one occasion a person ( not with us) was turned away because it had already been scanned.

Denise in MI

 

[spiceycat]

I'm curious how it works and how they get us off-siters out. We are going to visit AK next year which closes at 6. If I have dinner reservations at 6 how will they get me out?

not sure with the new plan.

but the old plan - unless you had the wrist band you were not allowed in the rides or shows.

some think it will be like MVMCP - where they definitely empty the park - before they start the stuff.

don't know going shortly and will say so.

happen to love EMH - I am allergic to the sun. So get there early with EHM (one hour before park opens) and then later do the EMH (3 hours after the park closes).

with it the earlier plans it was generally just MK - and not all the rides.

now it is most of the rides - yes including Dumbo for the younger crowds - not quite as busy during the day. this thing can be 2 hours during the day - but at night it is mostly 45 minutes or less.

 

[sympatico]

not sure with the new plan.

but the old plan - unless you had the wrist band you were not allowed in the rides or shows.

some think it will be like MVMCP - where they definitely empty the park - before they start the stuff.

don't know going shortly and will say so.

happen to love EMH - I am allergic to the sun. So get there early with EHM (one hour before park opens) and then later do the EMH (3 hours after the park closes).

with it the earlier plans it was generally just MK - and not all the rides.

now it is most of the rides - yes including Dumbo for the younger crowds - not quite as busy during the day. this thing can be 2 hours during the day - but at night it is mostly 45 minutes or less.

They didn't empty the park last year when we went to MVMCP. We went at around 4:30. There was still others there after the party began. They couldn't ride anything because they didn't have a bracelet.

 

[spiceycat]

that a surprise - because though they definitely closed the parks.

know one year they make everyone with tickets (wrist bands) stay in tomorrowland - while they got everyone else out of the park.

hey if WDW is no longer emptying the parks - can I stay for the fireworks and the parade - the MNSSHP parade is actually pretty fun.

 

[CarolA]

that a surprise - because though they definitely closed the parks.

know one year they make everyone with tickets (wrist bands) stay in tomorrowland - while they got everyone else out of the park.

hey if WDW is no longer emptying the parks - can I stay for the fireworks and the parade - the MNSSHP parade is actually pretty fun.

Yes, you can and this is EXACTLY why I quit going to the parties. Sorry, but why should I pay while others go for free! IMHO the crowd situation got MUCH worse when they quit evne ATTEMPTING to empty the parks.

 

[sympatico]

They were passing out wrist bands to those that had party tickets and already in the park. Others that didn't left voluntarily. We went early enough to watch the regular Wishes which was at 6:30 the saw the Christmas Wishes at 9:30. People were just walking around normally and no one was herded to Tomorrowland. The only thing you need to show your wrist band for was the rides. The fireworks, shows and parades were there for anyone to see.
It doesn't seem fair to those that paid extra for the party tickets.

 

[Brian Noble]

Back to the original question:

If there is an EMH you really want to attend, you can by booking a "throw-away" room for the night before or of the extra-hours you'd like to attend. For example, in the "typical" EMH schedule, you could book a room for a Sunday night and have access to the MK's evening EMH on Sunday, AK's morning on Monday, and Studios' evening on Monday.

Doing this one or twice in a longer trip staying in an offsite condo can often be less expensive than staying in a Moderate for your entire trip---even accounting for rental car, parking, and gas.

I've never done it, but I've yet to attend an EMH staying onsite either. Perhaps this year will finally be the year.

 

[ntsammy5]

I never attend morning EMH - I've never even been to the fabled rope drop, but I LOVE evening EMH - it's a blast to be in the parks after midnight, especially MK & Epcot.

 

[catne]

when DD & BFF went to Pirates & Princess Party at MK in May 2008, the official closing time of MK that night was 7:00, and DD said they were telling people with tickets they had to get wristbands or leave. They did not let people stay and shop/eat. They were turning people away at the gates who did not have the P & PP ticket. There were lots of extra CM's on duty and they were "herding" not ticket-holders out of the park.

I agree with previous poster's comment that they should clear the park...those tickets for the special parties are darn expensive. People who did not pay should not get the advantages.

 

[madelyn]

Our experience with evening hours (we did not go to morning extra hours) this past July varied. Some parks were not picky (especially very late-like half way through the magic hour time period) and I think at Epcot, I just had to flash one of our room cards. I did not have all of them together and they didn't seem to care. They had run out of wrist bands and told us that if asked, just to show our room keys. Most everyone we saw on the rides had wrist bands so I felt a little odd even though we have every right to be at the extra hours. One night at Magic Kingdom they were particular and wanted to see all the room keys (although they did not actually count them out but wanted both my husband and myself to pull all that we had out). I was waiting for part of our group to return from riding the Haunted Mansion and I saw one operator call over someone that had the wrong color wrist band. She called someone on the phone and ended up letting her go on the ride. So can you book a Fort Wilderness campsite (and not actually stay there) to get extra magic hour benefits?

 

[spiceycat]

So can you book a Fort Wilderness campsite (and not actually stay there) to get extra magic hour benefits?

yes you can.

but book Pop for those times - like the swimming pool better than FW. (besides Pop is only a few dollars more than FW)

generally book Pop for sun - so sun and mon have the EMH hours.

generally do stay at Pop - love the food court, swimming pools and atmosphere.

 

[madelyn]

Thanks - I guess POP during non-peak times during the year is more affordable and close to the cost of a non-discounted campsite that I thought was around $50. For this past July I was pricing either two value rooms (I think the total was around $250/nt for both rooms w/tax) or close to $300 per night for a Fort Wilderness home and for that cost (over $3K for our 12 nights) I could not justify the cost and made plans to stay off-site. Thankfully an Interval trade came though and my sister bought into AKV so we used her developer points to extend our stay at Saratoga Springs and we were spoiled and didn't have to move off-site.