EMH.... Gift or curse?

[SteelSonny]

Okay, so I think I've hashed out what makes the most sense for my family and my DD4. June 4th - June 8th.

Here's the plan:
Tue 4th: Epcot (EMH - Eve.)
Wed 5th: DHS (EMH - Morn.)
Thurs 6th: MK (EMH - Morn.)
Fri. 7th: MK (EMH - Eve.)

As you can see, what we want to do falls in line exactly with EMH and we're staying at AoA, so we can take advantage of them. However, when I check out easywdw, it lists EVERY one of these choices as the Least Recommended. Is this just because of increased crowds. Does this just mean for those that don't attend EMHs?

What do you guys think? Use 'em or avoid 'em?

 

[dchronister]

We went that week in 2011 and it is a very managable week. The EMH usually does make the park that is having the one to not visit that day and that is because they know everyone will be flooding to that park to make use of the EMH. The key to using EMH, IMO, is make sure you get there plenty early, if you arrive late to opening, that negates the advantage of EMH, and also if it is an evening EMH, don't do it unless you can stay until the very end. We love evening EMH and always go to them but we stay until the park closes and we is awesome, the last hour that the park is open during EMH is great, no lines, the park is so quite. Also, make sure that you don't plan an early EMH after a night of EMH, it is mighty tough to get up and go. On our first trip we tried to do it all, and we paid for it. My youngest was a little bear, we learned our lesson, slow and easy does it for us. But you actually going at a good time and their shouldn't be a problem, we thought that time of year was a very good time to go, crowds are very managable, regardless, have a good time.

 

[krayzmelmel]

We used eve emh at mk when we stayed at Pop Century a couple years ago... crowds were fine (although Peter Pan was still like a half hour wait)

What was frustrating was the bus lines back to the resort!! It took about 6 buses and the line queued until the back railing! I hope they've fixed that....

 

[MrsDrewsky]

I've only enjoyed EMH when we've had park hoppers. We will take advantage of the extra hours, but visit a different park during regular hours.

We went last June and the AM EMH were very manageable, but by the afternoon we were ready to go somewhere else.

 

[kapoof]

We do the early extra hours, I can't imagine being up at a park at midnight. Disney exhausts me. but we do love the early hours. Nothing beats opening a park.

 

[Tekneek]

If you are going to be at the entrance at least half an hour before morning EMH starts, and have a plan of attack that takes real advantage of that hour by doing things that back up later, then go for it. If you're going to be late to a morning EMH park, you should find a different one to go to. It will be abnormally crowded in the morning (and perhaps all day) and whatever advantage EMH offered would have been lost.

EMH evenings generally have a better pay off. However, the payoff is greater the later the park's regular hours are. People, even when able to use EMH, are less likely to be there doing it when you're pushing toward midnight. EMH at Epcot was better when they did 3 hours, but might still be good at 2 depending on what you want to do during that time.

 

[Turk February]

I think too much is made about the perils of EMH. Like it's been said, if you are there for rope drop for EMH, or if you stay late late late for the night ones, it is an advantage. I have never gone to EMH and regretted it.

 

[kangaroodle]

Nothing beats opening a park.

Except closing it! It is very magical to be walking down Main Street at 2am with not very many people around. Like others have said, if you do evening EMH, stay till the end!

We went to WDW last June during the same week that you are going. The crowds were very managable but it was very hot! My family (with teens) can usually go all day and we were losing steam by 4pm because of the heat. You might want to consider going to an early EMH park and then leaving around noon-1pm for a rest at your hotel.....then either head back to a different park in the evening, if you have hoppers, or the same park if you don't. We needed to save some cash last year and didn't get hoppers and we manged just fine. Gotta use those FPs though! Have fun!

 

[kapoof]

Except closing it! It is very magical to be walking down Main Street at 2am with not very many people around. Like others have said, if you do evening EMH, stay till the end!

We went to WDW last June during the same week that you are going. The crowds were very managable but it was very hot! My family (with teens) can usually go all day and we were losing steam by 4pm because of the heat. You might want to consider going to an early EMH park and then leaving around noon-1pm for a rest at your hotel.....then either head back to a different park in the evening, if you have hoppers, or the same park if you don't. We needed to save some cash last year and didn't get hoppers and we manged just fine. Gotta use those FPs though! Have fun!

we do go back to our pool/rooms for a break plus we always have park hoppers. i think we are late night wimps, but with ds older now next trip we are certainly going to try to stay out later. but we do love getting up early, getting breakfast and heading out to which ever park we chose to do that day. my favorite thing!

 

[ZephyrHawk]

We do the early extra hours, I can't imagine being up at a park at midnight. Disney exhausts me. but we do love the early hours. Nothing beats opening a park.

And see, we're just the opposite. We only do evening EMH. We sleep in, so we don't mind being up late and the park clears out late just like the low crowds for morning. I hope to never see a rope drop in my life!

 

[mommyrosa2]

Except closing it! It is very magical to be walking down Main Street at 2am with not very many people around. Like others have said, if you do evening EMH, stay till the end!

We went to WDW last June during the same week that you are going. The crowds were very managable but it was very hot! My family (with teens) can usually go all day and we were losing steam by 4pm because of the heat. You might want to consider going to an early EMH park and then leaving around noon-1pm for a rest at your hotel.....then either head back to a different park in the evening, if you have hoppers, or the same park if you don't. We needed to save some cash last year and didn't get hoppers and we manged just fine. Gotta use those FPs though! Have fun!

This is pretty much what we do on each and every trip and we LOVE it. We'll head to a park for early EMH, take advantage of the lighter crowds and ride our rides...by lunchtime, we leave, head back to our resort for some pool time and relax. Have a nice dinner somewhere and then head to a park with evening EMH (we always get hoppers) and stay till just about closing time. As you and others have said, there's nothing like being at MK late at night...it's like you have the park to yourself. OP: I think you have a great plan...enjoy your trip!

 

[jtowntoflorida]

I'd only do it if I had hoppers and could hop to a different park before/after the EMH. We have little kids who need a lot of sleep, so EMHs aren't attractive to us (require a too early start or a too late night), and we always avoid the parks with EMHs. We have been in parks on non-recommended days (by easywdw) and I can say that he is spot-on on his recommendations. The parks are much busier on EMH days, in my experience.

 

[SteelSonny]

Hmmm...so we're not going to have park hoppers and I don't imagine my DD4 would be able to utilize the evening EMH even with a nap. However, I'm all for attacking the EMH early. So which option sounds better?:

Option A
-Epcot on our arrival day (w EMH eve.) -- about 1 p.m. on
-DHS (w EMH morn.) Toy Story FP
-MK (w EMH morn.) Peter Pan FP
-MK (w EMH in evening) Pirates League Reservation (crowded)

or

Option B
- MK on arrival day - about 1 p.m. on
-DHS (w EMH morn.) Toy Story FP
-MK (w EMH morn.) Peter Pan FP
-More leisurely Epcot Day

 

[ghtx]

Hmmm...so we're not going to have park hoppers and I don't imagine my DD4 would be able to utilize the evening EMH even with a nap. However, I'm all for attacking the EMH early. So which option sounds better?:

Option A
-Epcot on our arrival day (w EMH eve.) -- about 1 p.m. on
-DHS (w EMH morn.) Toy Story FP
-MK (w EMH morn.) Peter Pan FP
-MK (w EMH in evening) Pirates League Reservation (crowded)

or

Option B
- MK on arrival day - about 1 p.m. on
-DHS (w EMH morn.) Toy Story FP
-MK (w EMH morn.) Peter Pan FP
-More leisurely Epcot Day

I agree that a 4-year-old probably wouldn't do great for PM EMH. So, option B.

 

[Cinderumbrella]

IMHO, you are asking for headaches by trying to do a PM EMH and then turning around to do an AM EMH the next day.

I vote for Option B since it seems to give you the best flexibility if you need to change your plans once onsite.

 

[2binak]

And see, we're just the opposite. We only do evening EMH. We sleep in, so we don't mind being up late and the park clears out late just like the low crowds for morning. I hope to never see a rope drop in my life!

We only do PM EMH too. Last year, we had a 9:10am ADR at Tusker House and were escorted around the rope drop. I stopped on the other side to take a picture and when Dh asked me what I was doing I said, "Taking a picture of rope drop because I'm pretty sure we won't be seeing this ever again!"

 

[mm1971]

Okay, so I think I've hashed out what makes the most sense for my family and my DD4. June 4th - June 8th.

Here's the plan:
Tue 4th: Epcot (EMH - Eve.)
Wed 5th: DHS (EMH - Morn.)
Thurs 6th: MK (EMH - Morn.)
Fri. 7th: MK (EMH - Eve.)

As you can see, what we want to do falls in line exactly with EMH and we're staying at AoA, so we can take advantage of them. However, when I check out easywdw, it lists EVERY one of these choices as the Least Recommended. Is this just because of increased crowds. Does this just mean for those that don't attend EMHs?

What do you guys think? Use 'em or avoid 'em?

We love the evening EMH. We stay until the end and just don't plan an early day the following day. It's awesome to be there with all the lights and very few people. Usually the last hour or two we can ride anything we want (remember Splash Mountain is no longer open during EMH, I believe) with very little to no line. I wish they would bring back night EMH to AK.

We didn't really find the parks to be that busier due to it being an EMH day. Just plan to use FP as much as possible and you'll be OK.

 

[JimmyV]

IMHO, you are asking for headaches by trying to do a PM EMH and then turning around to do an AM EMH the next day.

I vote for Option B since it seems to give you the best flexibility if you need to change your plans once onsite.

Everyone is different, but I have to chime in with agreement to this. I grew up going to WDW. Every year from 1972 forward. Knew all the tricks. Could go for hours on end. Then I got married and had a kid. Wife had only been once back in around '73 for a day trip to the MK. "Don't worry", says I. "I'll show you around". Well, in the middle of our first trip together, after leaving the MK around 1:30 back when they had E-Ticket Nights, we were at RD the next morning at DHS (when it was MGM). By lunch that day, she informed me that we were NEVER going to do that again. Closing down the park is fine. Arriving at a park at opening is fine. But if we do, then the late night has to be followed by an "off" day, or a day when we saunter in to World Showcase no earlier than 11:00; and if we do a RD, it has to be after an evening when we called it quits early, like we do when we go to AK and you are forced to make a short day of it. EMH can be a good thing, but only if you make use of them. So we either avoid them, or we use them judiciously, applying the rules set forth above without hitting them back to back, night to morning.

 

[SteelSonny]

Sounds good. If my wife and daughter want to get to bed early on the MK day with the EMH, I may have to just slip back over to the park at night and try to get on some of the "big kid" rides

 

[ghtx]

Sounds good. If my wife and daughter want to get to bed early on the MK day with the EMH, I may have to just slip back over to the park at night and try to get on some of the "big kid" rides

This is always my plan too, but I always end up being just as tired as the rest of my family is at the end of the day...