EE-do it or avoid it??

[pattybe]

My hubby and I (no kids) are staying onsite. I have read many strategy theads. Do we use EE and then run to another park, use EE and stay, or use the day after EE strategy? I read that the day after EE is the least crowded. We are foing at the end of the month, so I know crowds will not be a huge factor, but???

 

[puffkin]

I would use the day after EE strategy since you have no kids.

However, definitely use the EE for MK if you want to do Fantasyland. You should be able to see all of Fantasyland before it gets mobbed with kiddies.

Also, since park hours are shorter, EE will give you an extra hour in the parks, so it may be worth it. You can always do EE and then hop to the park that had EE the day before if it gets too crowded.

Just stay flexible and do whatever suits your family the best!

 

[tjkraz]

This is entirely my personal opinion, but I would choose whatever option suits your normal schedule and/or your desired vacation schedule. Since this is a non-peak time, you really shouldn't have many problems with crowds whether you use EE or not. So don't kill yourselves to get to the EE park before the ribbon drops.

I have a 2yo son who normally wakes around 8am each day. I personally wouldn't dream of waking him earlier just to make EE.

If you and your hubby are early risers and could make EE with no problem, then go for it. But if you normally sleep in or want to sleep in on your vacation, go for it. After all, it IS a VACATION.

 

[TexasAggie]

We agree with tjkraz. We live in the Central time zone, so being at the park entrance at 8 am is the same for our bodies as being there for 7 am. That means getting up earlier than we do for work/school, and it's not a vacation to us. So we have always avoided the EE park that day and have not had problems enjoying things after sleeping "late"! So you need to go by what is comfortable and vacation like for YOU.

 

[Ballybunion3]

No question for us: use the EE to your advantage! I would do the EE, get in as much as I can/want at that park, then split around noon for a nice break/lunch. Then go to a non-EE park for the afternoon/early evening.

Hey, an awful lot of people were complaining about WDW taking away EE - now that it's back, why not use it? Don't cost nuthin. (answer may be sleep, but hey, up & at 'em, you're on a Disney vacation!)

 

[Synonymous]

tjkraz is absolutely right- you aren't going to have any problem with crowds. SO, don't worry about EE unless you want to use it to squeeze an extra hour into your day.

 

[TiggMan]

DW and I also go with no kids. I agree with tjkraz - it is a vacation. For us, we are early risers, so taking advantage of EE was great for us. Our strategy was to go in each park and do those attractions which normally get crowded fast, then we kick back and just enjoy the rest of the day in the park going wherever we want at our own pace. We really think EE is great to use at AK, since the animals are active early as they are fed.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do and remember, enjoy the magic!

 

[followme2disney]

My opinion would always be to use EE. I find Disney vacations, even at off season, to be very un-relaxing. The only way that I truly enjoy my days is to get up early, do all that I want to do around the parks, and then usually by 11am I am heading back to the resort to relax while everyone else is in the park. I am not an early riser regularly, but this really works well for me in Disney. Plus there is nothing like being one of the first ones into the park with very few other people around you. It is very beautiful and serene.

 

[The Sybah Shelstah]

I think I will take advantage of EE. Maybe not every single day- but atleast one day at each park. And let me just say I'm NOT an early morning person at all... I'm very much a night owl.
However, I also know that I had the best time at MK when I went back after the family was snug asleep in bed from about 9pm to mid. I imagine that the extra hour in the morning where there aren't as many people there would be similar to that- so it would be worth it for me.
I figured on the days I took advantage of EE I would just make sure I got to bed early (for me anyway LOL) the night before and then do EE and maybe a few more hours at that park. If I see it's getting busy (which it might not be to ME considering I'm going last part of Jan and the only other time I've gone was Christmas-NYE last year so to ME anything less than shoulder to shoulder contact kind of 'crowded' is not going to feel "busy" to me- yanno?) then I will go to another park for awhile. I will probably take midday breaks to go back to the hotel or use late lunch reservations or check out resorts/etc. I would go back later in the evening but the parks close too early for that. So I would probably go back early evenings or go to epcot in the evenings and then later hours spent at resort and/or DD or PI.

That's pretty much how I plan on taking advantage of EE. It's got to be better than what I did last month- which was get up at the crack of dawn staying off-site and rush up there with 3 young children in our family of 5 and go in when they open with the millions (haha- almost!) of others doing the same thing during the holidays. It's gotta be better to go earlier than non-resort guests can and also during the less busy time of the year. I'm hoping so anyway. Plus it's just ME. It will be a whole lot less "stuff" to pack and take with for the day.

 

[TreeOfLife]

We ALWAYS rise and shine for EE mornings and find that pretty much by 10:30 AM, we've tackled the most crowded rides until we were sick of them for that day!
It was much more pleasant then to head back for a little nap or rest later on.

Even with kids, EE mornings are so very well worth the early rise!