Early Entry Gone?!?!

[jennypenny]

We used it every day. We are early risers with small children. We do the EE/lunch/nap or swim/back to park thing every day.

I understand they needed to cut back. But why eliminate EE altogether? I never thought it had much of a benefit at Epcot because of the staggered schedule there anyway (except maybe test track). Disney studios was also questionable. Why not just have it at MK a couple of times per week? Or just for fantasy land? I don't think EE every day is a necessity (even though I loved it) but is needed at MK at least on weekends.

 

[lodgelady]

I wouldn't care if there was no EE anywhere but MK. My little ones are up at 7AM and ready to go when we are at Disney.

 

[Granny]

Originally posted by ford family
[BTo continue your allegory, there is an old joke here in the UK about the once famous and well supported football club that was suffering poor attendances. A prospective fan phones up to ask what time the game starts and is asked "what time can you get here?".[/B]

LOL.....very funny!

 

[JWimberley]

Well with over one hundred votes in on the poll it seems to be a very even split over how many of us used early entry.

I agree with everyone that has mentioned that it is most useful at Magic Kingdom. I didn't find it at all useful at Epcot and only marginally so at MGM (except when they opened Aerosmith early!)

I am curious about those that do not go to the parks until later in the day. What time to you normally arrive and do you stay until closing? Our method (two adults, no children) has always been EE on whatever park was active then jump to a different park after opening, head back to the resort for lunch and a nap for Tanya and a couple of hours of Disney Quest for me. Back to the parks around 3pm, stay until they throw us out and then hurry over to Pleasure Island for the Improv shows and some dancing and do it all again the next day!

What about you? How do you structure a day without using EE?

Joshua

 

[CaptainMidnight]

For those of you who never use EE and like to sleep to noon...God bless you, every single one. And thanks to those who like to point out that you are on vacation.....didn't know that, figured you were at WDW as punishment.

Ouch!

You Ohioans seem to let them fly now and then.....

I want my EE back!!!!!

 

[dianeschlicht]

I just re-read this post and had another thought about what loss of EE will mean to a WDW vacation. All the tips in the "unnofficial Guide" will be out the window since it is based on attendance at particular parks based on where EE was for a given day. Maybe it will even out the attendance at all parks a little.

 

[johninlagrange]

My family has always used the early entry days. We start in the early entry park and transfer
over to a less crowded park in the afternoon. You do not have to be a commando to enjoy
the uncrowded entrances, as well as the small lines at the attractions. I have 4 small
children, and we can get a lot done in an hour or so.

EARLY ENTRY WILL BE SORELY MISSED. WE WILL HAVE TO RECONSIDER THE COST
BENEFITS FOR STAYING ON SITE.

 

[sumessefui]

We have not used EE since we joined the DVC, except to make sure we do not visit the park with EE. We find that knowing we will keep comming back and having our own "home" in WDW makes us more relaxed than before. No need to get out so housekeeping can come in.
I can understand the importance of EE to those with early rising children, and hope when attendence picks up it will be reinstated. Since the MK is the most popular park, maybe if enough people asked (squeaky wheel), it might be reinstated there.

 

[mickey7861]

What about you? How do you structure a day without using EE?

My family consists of myself, DH, DS 18,and DD 16. We usually wake up around 9-10 and have breakfast before heading out. Somedays we will head to a park and return to the room around 2-3. We rest, swim, cool off, snack. Then around 5-6 we'll get ready and head out again for dinner and parks. We then stay until closing (e-night if available). Somedays we hang at the resort in the morning then head out to park hop after lunch around 3 and stay out for the night. Somedays we just rent boats, swim and resort hop rather than going to any park. Of course we are basically 4 adults and we don't have to visit everything on every trip. My DD and I do still like to visit Fantasyland but we usually do it right before closing to avoid lines. We go during the summer for 2-3 weeks and then in April for 1 week so there's plenty of WDW time. We have been touring WDW since 1985 but never really did EE, my kids were always late sleepers, lucky for me since I am too.

 

[raidermatt]

What about you? How do you structure a day without using EE?

Our recent trips were to WDW for 9 days 9/00, and DLResort for 5 days 8/01.

DS turned 2 on the first trip, and was almost 3 for the second. We were with another couple who had no children, and 1-4 friends, depending on the day.

Most of the days were park days. We would all meet pretty consistently at 10:00am, maybe 10:30, then head to a park. (walk at DLResort, bus at WDW). We always choose a non-EE park due to the fact that they become very crowded by 11:00 or so. We hit an attraction, maybe two. Then, eat lunch, and hit more attractions. We usually have dinner in the parks, and stay until closing. DL was the exception one night, since it closes so late and we had been up early for our flight that day.

DS took naps about 1/2 the time.

We don't leave the parks mid-day because we don't like wasting the travel time.

We know ahead of time what we consider a must-do that day, and plan 2-3 attractions ahead. We mainly just go with what works for that day. Some days are hotter than others, and if we need to get inside, we hit an indoor attraction.

We take a leisurely pace, yet we seem to have time to get everything in.

A big key is that we generally don't go out after our dinner in the parks, which means we get our 8 hours of sleep most nights. On non-park days, we play golf, see Cirque, go to DD, etc, but we still get our sleep.

All that said, I realize that just because our style is what we want, it doesn't mean its what everyone wants. But somebody asked, and I just wanted to point out it is possible...