Do I avoid the park with Extra Magic Hour?

[Lkem]

Is it better to avoid going to California Adventures during the "regular" opening, when there has already been Extra Magic Hour going on for the first hour? (We are not Disney Hotel guests). How crowded does Extra Magic Hour make the park?

I'm trying to figure out the best strategy for our trip next week. We have 5 day park hoppers, going Monday-Friday. But with CA having EMH on M, W, F...I'm thinking we should start off at DL on those day. Then use our MM on Tuesday and then start at CA on Thursday. But it seems weird starting off at CA only once the whole week....

 

[siskaren]

For WDW, it's always recommended to avoid the park with EMH if you're not eligible to take advantage of it, although I don't know if it makes as much of a difference with only 2 parks vs. 4.

 

[Skyegirl1999]

It matters less on the DCA side than the DL side because the DCA EMH are only for hotel guests and that's such a small pool that it doesn't make much difference. I DO usually avoid DL on MM mornings, but DCA just doesn't have the same feel.

So I'd probably start off at DCA twice if you enjoy Guardians, RSR, Soarin', etc... maybe Thursday and then you can decide if you want to start there again on Friday?

 

[Lkem]

It matters less on the DCA side than the DL side because the DCA EMH are only for hotel guests and that's such a small pool that it doesn't make much difference. I DO usually avoid DL on MM mornings, but DCA just doesn't have the same feel.

So I'd probably start off at DCA twice if you enjoy Guardians, RSR, Soarin', etc... maybe Thursday and then you can decide if you want to start there again on Friday?

Good to know! Thank you! Friday opens earlier at DL...so I think it'd be smarter for us to do our second CA day on Monday...but it's just so hard NOT to go to DL on our very first day there! LOL.

 

[Skyegirl1999]

Good to know! Thank you! Friday opens earlier at DL...so I think it'd be smarter for us to do our second CA day on Monday...but it's just so hard NOT to go to DL on our very first day there! LOL.

Oh, that does make sense with the different hours. Are you doing Maxpass?

 

[Lkem]

Oh, that does make sense with the different hours. Are you doing Maxpass?

No...it's just so pricey and we are a family of 6. I was thinking with 5 days though...we'd be fine having enough time to do everything! But I still need to figure out fast passes and when to get what!

 

[SteveMP]

I don't seem to notice much, we have been APs for years so rarely can use magic hours. Time of year and school schedules are the most boticable things. In some cases it may seem better as the people that had the magic hour have already ridden their top couple rides.

 

[HydroGuy]

Is it better to avoid going to California Adventures during the "regular" opening, when there has already been Extra Magic Hour going on for the first hour? (We are not Disney Hotel guests). How crowded does Extra Magic Hour make the park?

I'm trying to figure out the best strategy for our trip next week. We have 5 day park hoppers, going Monday-Friday. But with CA having EMH on M, W, F...I'm thinking we should start off at DL on those day. Then use our MM on Tuesday and then start at CA on Thursday. But it seems weird starting off at CA only once the whole week....

It only matters if you arrive at rope drop or within the first hour of opening. After that it does not matter.

If one must do DL on an EMH morning, then because only FantasyLand and Tommorrowland are open for EMH, it is best to "turn left" at park opening and visit Adventureland andf Frontierland where no lines have yet formed.

 

[az4boys]

It only matters if you arrive at rope drop or within the first hour of opening. After that it does not matter.

If one must do DL on an EMH morning, then because only FantasyLand and Tommorrowland are open for EMH, it is best to "turn left" at park opening and visit Adventureland andf Frontierland where no lines have yet formed.

I think this is good advice. All the lands to the left should be pretty light because all the early entry people are in Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. If you have 5 days at the parks, I would go with whatever park you want on the first day. For me, that is always Disneyland. There seems to be something magical about walking down Main Street the first time. There will be 4 more days to try and outsmart the crowds.

 

[Lkem]

It only matters if you arrive at rope drop or within the first hour of opening. After that it does not matter.

If one must do DL on an EMH morning, then because only FantasyLand and Tommorrowland are open for EMH, it is best to "turn left" at park opening and visit Adventureland andf Frontierland where no lines have yet formed.

Thank you! But what about California Adventure on an EMH morning?

 

[HydroGuy]

Thank you! But what about California Adventure on an EMH morning?

There are no shortcuts there as essentially the whole park is open. So try to avoid it if at all possible.

I guess the only silver lining at DCA is since all the major rides are open, the EMH guests are spread out further than at DL so maybe that means the queues at rope drop are not as bad? Plus, DL has not only EMH guests but also MM guests. DCA does not have MM. Only EMH. So there are more people at DL EMH/MM than at DCA EMH.



ETA: And, as I said in a PP here, after the first hour (maybe two) it no longer matters at either DL or DCA. It is only from regular opening rope drop through the first hour (or two) that it matters.

This is unlike WDW where it continues to matter all day and night.

 

[smartlabelprint]

With 5 days starting in which park doesn't matter ime. Just being therevat rope drop helps a lot. I'd start at DL Monday because you seem to want to. Then use your mm. After that you'll see what progress you've made at the parks and have a better idea what you'd like to do to smart the day the rest of the trip.

 

[cmpeter]

We were there earlier this week...we started at DL on Monday since there was no early entry there. Did DCA on Tue and DL on Wed (again to avoid early entry). I have an AP and was staying off property, so we avoided MM and EMH.