Do You Use Extra Magic Hours?

[PIRATEGIRL007]

We do morning EMH's and then hop away to another park.

We rarely do pm EMH's and find the only ones that have a significant decrease in crowd levels are the MK ones that extend past midnight. So we will head to the MK around 11pm and wait out the crowds. The later in the am hours the EMH is the less crowded it becomes.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

We always try to visit the parks when they are having AM Extra Magic Hour.

 

[ilovethisplace]

We find morning EMH is the single best time to get on as many rides as possible in a short period of time. If we get there at the start of EMH we can typically ride all of the FL rides and move on before the regular crowd shuffles in. It has been the only time to walk-on Peter Pan that I've ever seen. We've done Evening EMH but by that time of day we're usually tired and cranky and just want to go to bed or possibly in the pool depending on the time of year. If you're not doing EMH I find that the day after evening EMH is the best day to visit each park.

 

[Disneyfreak616]

When I go to WDW, I use EMHs EVERY DAY. They are a great way to find some fun time in the park, especially when the lines may be shorter. Also, if you have a dinner reservation, you won't have to worry about missing out on park time, because you can just go later.

 

[mmay60046]

I suppose I'm in the minority but I avoid the parks with EMH, especially evening EMH, because they are usually extra crowded on those days. It isn't worth it to me to spend extra hours in the park if you have to spend more time dealing with bigger crowds and waiting in longer lines.

 

[Nermel9]

I love evening EMH's! Sometimes we will do mornings, but I'm all about evening magic hours, I don't understand that whole "avoid EMH parks" thing...then again, I don't go during busy times!

 

[Albytaps]

I plan on doing moring EMH's this trip although I've never have before. Night time EMH's are awesome. MK is the best.

 

[McFlea]

I suppose I'm in the minority but I avoid the parks with EMH, especially evening EMH, because they are usually extra crowded on those days. It isn't worth it to me to spend extra hours in the park if you have to spend more time dealing with bigger crowds and waiting in longer lines.

I'm right there in the "minority" with you - I avoid EMH days too. We go at busy times (Presidents week for this next trip) and don't have park hoppers, so we find that visiting the park that just had EMH yesterday, or will tomorrow, is a strategy that works for us.

 

[mmay60046]

I'm right there in the "minority" with you - I avoid EMH days too. We go at busy times (Presidents week for this next trip) and don't have park hoppers, so we find that visiting the park that just had EMH yesterday, or will tomorrow, is a strategy that works for us.

We usually go during non busy times like late September or early May, but even then the difference in crowd size throughout the entire day is obvious when you go to a park with EMH compared to what it is on days when a different park has EMH.

But we also usually stay at the Boardwalk and are quite happy spending late evenings there.

 

[CapeCodMouse]

We are eve EMH people! I think it is really dependent on a lot of things - age of the kids, whether your morning or night people, touring strategies, etc. We are definitely go with the flow type of people, completely non-commando style. We are NOT NOT NOT morning people. My DS (9) and I like to get up late, casual breakfast, and then stay up in whatever park is open the latest. There is something special about being in the parks late at night after others have pooped out and left to go home. We love it.

 

[hill6]

Epcot EMH were great when we were there during Christmas. It made the wait times a lot more bearable.

Planning on doing EMH (night) at Magic Kingdom when we go next month.

 

[kaligal]

On occasion I will use a morning EMH if that park happens to be having them the day I schedule us there...but it is rare and not something I try to plan around (too hard.)

I get as much done in the less crowded, non-EMH park as I do in the more crowded EMH park. And I get an extra hour to do with as I please, too.

I avoid evening EMHs. They're just too busy for my taste.

 

[poeticdiabetic]

We normally only do evening EMHs. I absolutely LOVE AK at night. It's my favorite evening park.

But I go indiscriminately to all of the parks at night.

The only time I go to the morning EMHs is on the very first day. See, we normally drive in from Atlanta so we may get there around 7AM or so. We will go check-in and head for the parks that morning.

One of my favorite things is to get out of the car, check-in, brush our teeth, walk around the little store inside the resort, and stand up to wait for the bus. For me, that means that I will not drive anywhere again until we leave WDW.

 

[Moms]

We always INTEND to but our park choice for each day is generally dictated by our ADRs and our firm NO MK ON MONDAYS ... EVER rule and they never seem to coincide with EMH ... morning or evening. We did consider doing Epcots evening EMH on our trip in September but by the time we finished dinner at Boma we were full (delightfully, I might add) and ready for bed! I'm not as young as I used to be!

 

[Coach81]

We are followers of TGM... so we NEVER do EMH...

 

[SDSorority]

We do sometimes... mostly if it's at Epcot because we it so much!!

 

[BarbieGal457]

I always use the night EMH for EPCOT & Magic Kingdom, since they are my two favorites and I can never get enough. There's also just something so magical about being there so late. Some of my best memories are from shopping on Main Street at 2 or 3am without a care in the world! I find I rarely if ever use EMH at AK or DHS since to me, they're half-day parks. AK I will wander around more than DHS, but I don't think we've ever utilized the EMH option at either.

 

[bookworm75]

That way it will be even less crowded when we go in the morning! We are morning people. I don't like to be, but it's so ingrained in us now that there's no changing it. DH and I both have to be at work at 7:30 am, so everyone is up and moving by 6:00 am on a regular basis. My kids are small enough that they are in their routine and still wake up at 6:00 am on weekends and vacations.

This trip we are going with family members who are not on any type of routine. Last trip with them we couldn't get to the park until 11:00 am or later, and my DD was ready for lunch and a nap at that point. We learned our lesson, and this trip we will get out of the room and use EMH, and they can meet us whenever.

That being said, MK is the only park we plan to use morning EMH for this trip. In the past we've used them at AK because we usually do half day there and then hop somewhere else. This trip, no hoppers, so no need to hurry and get there.

 

[Magalex]

Usually we visit WDW in June & past trips our DS was young so we did the morning hours or did opposite parks due to crowds. In June 2009 we visit the evening hours at MK on our last night of vacation & loved it. Our next trip is next month with no park hoppers & our DS is now 10. So to get as much time at the parks in we are using the EMH evenings at the parks. Plus I love the park lights in the evening

 

[Dan Murphy]

Do You Use Extra Magic Hours?....

I use emh mostly as a guide as to what parks not to visit. I prefer vacation vs mission.