Do you take advantage of Extra Magic Hours or AVOID?

[pennypinching4disney]

Planning for my trip that starts on Saturday. . . Thought I had it all figured out until I started reading about avoiding parks with EMH. What do you do? I have a just turned 5 yr old. Should I spring for the park hopper or stick with regular tickets?

 

[partypa]

We plan our whole trip around taking advantage of Evening Extra Magic Hours. The Parks are more Magical Night

 

[vettegirl]

We sometimes do, just depends on how we feel.

 

[Snappy in OK]

We returned at the end of October, and we took advantage of evening EMH on a couple different nights - with DD4 & DS6 - and it was fabulous!! It was so nice to walk on to various rides that normally have an average of an hour wait. EMH at MK was until 1 am one night - and we stayed until 1 am. We did the same thing on different nights at Epcot & DHS, and again at MK. We are planning on taking advantage of evening EMH again on future trips.

We did not have park hoppers. I don't think the parks were any busier than other days of our trip. The one thing I would suggest is to make sure the following morning is open to sleep in!

Have a great time!

 

[Blackbeltdisneygirl]

I agree with the other posters! We don't do every EMH, but we certainly take in a few. My family is on a homeschool schedule with late nights spent training at the karate studio, so we don't get up early. We have never done an early morning EMH, and have only ever made it to two rope drops. We are sleepy heads! My point is that we love late night EMH's. There's a certain ambiance at Disney in the late night hours. We love it. Of course we try and go to the park later the day of an EMH, or we'll go take a midafternoon break/naptime. We also will sleep in a little the next day. I liked MK the first time we went, but didn't really love it until we did some late night EMH's there in May. There's nothing like strolling through MK from ride to ride with virtually no lines. We never buy hoppers. We feel it would be too exhausting to keep changing parks, but to each their own. On the other hand, even though we take advantage of EMH's, we also use them on certain days to decide where we should avoid going. If I want a low crowd day, I will pick the park without an EMH, and a low crowd level to chill through the park. I can't wait to do MK late again!

 

[katiemely]

We didn't do park hoppers the first time but we did them this last time. It's really a personal thing. With a little one you will probably spend a lot of time at MK. We liked it this last time because AK usually closes early so we would head to another park after it closed (usually Epcot )

 

[Southernmiss]

Our family loves evening extra magic hours. We have never made it to a earl morning emh rope drop although we were close once at Animal Kingdom.

Our first Disney trip was Thanksgiving week 2007 when DD was 5 almost 6. It was magical! We went to each evening extra magic hour that week and as the evenings went on felt like we had the parks to ourselves (we stayed till closing--3 a.m. one night at MK).

Our first night ever at Disney was a MVMCP and I was spoiled. We stayed until closing that night and it felt like we were the last ones in the park and should lock the gates.

Our kids rode Expedition Everest 11 times at AK the night it was open to 11 p.m. Not often they do EMH that late at AK.

We have beautiful pictures of DD dancing carefree under the Sorcerer's Hat at DHS at closing after seeing the Osborne Lights. She looks like the only one on the street.

We are commando type Disers and do get hoppers and do stay on site--spoiled, spoiled, spoiled!

 

[LoveKermit]

We always do hoppers.

When DD was a baby we did morning EMH as we were up anyway. Now, we have no desire to get to a park at 8 AM. We don't do night hours. We may when she's older and stay at the resort or another park and head in for dinner.

My non-EMH advice is to go to a park the morning AFTER Evening EMH. We do this for MK. Two Augusts now the MK was open until 2 or 3 AM. The park is dead until at least noon the following day. We've gotten Fantasyland done by 10 after being there for 9 AM RD. We're done with the first go-round just after lunch. Back to hotel in the afternoon and then MK or another park at night.

That just works better for us. We like the change in scenery as far as park hopping goes.

 

[Tori 2001]

Avoid. Too much of a mad dash for a few rides... missing all the magic.

Usually hit the non extra-magic parks on any given day, since the crowds will be lower there. After closing go to DD.

Guess were just hopelessly relaxed travelers.

 

[krb2g]

We often enjoy evening EMHs. But we have hoppers, so we don't have to stay at the EMH park all day....

 

[willowsnn3]

We pretty much plan our days around EMH. Morning EMH is great for doing the rides and then getting a fastpass for the rides that have longer lines later in the day. Same for evening hours at MK especially. But we have AP's so we can come and go as we please.

 

[sjt22]

I have also read about avoiding parks with EMH but I think its aimed at people coming from outside the park.

Say MK has morning EMH then you are best to avoid this park on that morning if you can not use EMH as at rope drop it will already be full of guests staying on disney property. ( or at least thats they way I read it )

So I plan on using the EMH

 

[MamaJessie]

I used EMH when on property and used it as a guide to avoid when off site this last trip. I did not notice a huge difference crowd wise and I really missed those EMH.

 

[MamaJessie]

I have also read about avoiding parks with EMH but I think its aimed at people coming from outside the park.

Say MK has morning EMH then you are best to avoid this park on that morning if you can not use EMH as at rope drop it will already be full of guests staying on disney property. ( or at least thats they way I read it )

So I plan on using the EMH

I find it fascinating that you posted this in the future

 

[jeepwreck]

to be able to use EMH all you need is to be staying on property right?, becasue we are and i would like to take advantage a few nights of EMHs

 

[FloridaDreaming]

To PP, yes, EMHs are for Disney Resort guests only.

We always get hoppers. We usually avoid parks with EMH, at least during the daytime. If we're feeling up to it, we'll hit up the evening EMH.

 

[jeepwreck]

ok thanks just wanted to make sure..

 

[xipetotec]

Planning for my trip that starts on Saturday. . . Thought I had it all figured out until I started reading about avoiding parks with EMH. What do you do? I have a just turned 5 yr old. Should I spring for the park hopper or stick with regular tickets?

We avoid EARLY EMH because crowds get huge afterwards. But *ALWAYS* attend EVENING EMH cause the parks are just SO amazing at night ( Plus, since it's EMH, the parks empty out really well by then ). Add to that the fact that we go in March, so park hours are often not very late, the evening EMH allow us to really experience the parks at night.

 

[dgundry]

We try to always take advantage of EMH mornings especially at MK, HS and EP. You can hit at least three of the most popular attractions before that first hour is out and get FP's if you want to do them again. In order to take full advantage of this, you have to be there for rope drop. If you stroll in 30 minutes after the park opens for EMH, you've wasted the opportunity.

I also agree with a PP to schedule the next day's park where there was EMH evenings the night before.

 

[supernova]

The only EMH I ever bother with are the morning hours at Epcot. Otherwise, I avoid them.