EMH Strategy - How to Choose Which Park

[CodeGoddess]

We are going to WDW the last week of February 2016 with a small group of adults staying at the CBR. When I look for crowd calendars for that week they show some crowding and of course the parks with the worse crowding are the ones with EMH each day. https://www.undercovertourist.com/orlando/crowd-calendar/february-2016/

So I see three strategies for choosing to use/not use EMH.

1. Go to non-EMH parks - Less crowding so shorter hours will even out.
2. Go to EMH park - The extra hours will even out the over crowding.
3. Start out at non-EMH park, have dinner and go over to EMH park for remainder of night.

How far off am I? Are any of these strategies valid?

 

[Robo]

4. Start with AM EMH park, then hop to non-EMH park about 11:30.

 

[Accident]

5. If the crowd meter is below 7, you're over planning.
6. Go to the park you want knowing that by lunch you may need a plan b that may or may not include returning to plan A near fireworks time.

 

[CodeGoddess]

4. Start with AM EMH park, then hop to non-EMH park about 11:30.

Are EMH parks quieter in the mornings?

 

[IrishNYC]

Are EMH parks quieter in the mornings?

Yes. For one, people don't like to get up early on vacation. Secondly, only resort guests will be in the park, making the overall experience much less crowded than evening EMH where non-resort guests are still in the park, just not allowed on rides.

 

[Alesia]

Are EMH parks quieter in the mornings?

Yes, but they are much busier than the other parks by noon.

 

[CodeGoddess]

5. If the crowd meter is below 7, you're over planning.

Oh.... yea it's listed as a 3. I'm not sure how crowded that is. Back when we use to go we would go in January and there were not a lot of lines. How does a 3 compare?

 

[Dan Murphy]

We like to do number 3. Prefer lower crowds, get more done while relaxed....it's a vacation, not a mission.

 

[CodeGoddess]

We like to do number 3. Prefer lower crowds, get more done while relaxed....it's a vacation, not a mission.

So on the more popular rides (RnR, TT, SP, etc), how long were your waits and did EMH effect it much?

 

[nilla]

Worth noting is that not all attractions are open during Extra Magic Hours. All of Frontierland was still closed when we hit morning EMHs in June.

 

[myrheille]

If you can get to Morning EMH parks by 7:20, you'll have a lot of success, provided you leave around lunch time. And the Evening MK EMH are worth a try! But yes, with a 3 in crowd levels, you should be fine anyway

 

[Accident]

Oh.... yea it's listed as a 3. I'm not sure how crowded that is. Back when we use to go we would go in January and there were not a lot of lines. How does a 3 compare?

The popular rides will always have a line but the rest of the park will be how you remember it or less.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

If on site, I use EMH and then I bail or chill when it gets swamped. Chill means slowing down and "smelling the roses" so to speak. Bail means leave or park hop.

If off site, I try to avoid. I don't like arriving at "open" so far behind thousands of people already in ahead of me.

I don't find the quieter per se. It is less busy. But by 9am Fantasyland is hopping and it is time to try another land.