EMH - Visit that Park or Avoid? - End of January Trip

[Mouse13]

Please forgive me if this info is posted somewhere else. I'm very familiar with DLR but a total newbie to WDW. DH and I will be arriving at WDW on January 29 and visiting the parks 1/30 through 2/4. We do not have park hoppers but will have access to EMH. I've read that EMH can make a park more crowded as the day goes on. Given the time of year we are visiting, should we visit whichever park has EMH each day or avoid that park? Thanks for sharing all your Disney expertise! We are super excited about our trip!!

 

[mom2rtk]

Wrong board.

 

[Mouse13]

The bit about EMH making a park crowded all day is more of a WDW phenomenon. At DLR, the parks are so close together that it's pretty fluid, moving from one park to the other throughout the day.

We always start off at the EMH park to make full use of that perk. Sometimes we stay if it's convenient, sometimes we head to the other park just after the rope drop crowds clear through the turnstiles. I generally plan our DL days for the days I expect to be less crowded (but frequently start those days with an EMH hour in DCA.

Thanks, mom2rtk. Sorry if my post was confusing - We'll be visiting WDW in January.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Please forgive me if this info is posted somewhere else. I'm very familiar with DLR but a total newbie to WDW. DH and I will be arriving on January 29 and visiting the parks 1/30 through 2/4. We do not have park hoppers but will have access to EMH. I've read that EMH can make a park more crowded as the day goes on. Given the time of year we are visiting, should we visit whichever park has EMH each day or avoid that park? Thanks for sharing all your Disney expertise! We are super excited about our trip!!

When I first started going to WDW I used EasyWDW’s park recommendations (which they don’t publish any more)... a foundation to their methodology was to avoid parks with EMHs.

Several years later I still pretty much (usually) follow that concept when mapping out park days.

Do I know if I’ve avoided bigger crowds by doing so? Who knows... probably not to a measurable scale. I wouldn’t really know as I honestly have rather limited experience actually going to a park with EMHs that day.

But, I still mostly do it more as a way to start to structure a plan as opposed to a crowd avoidance technique (it’s always some shade of crowded). It gives me a place to start.

Lots of ways to go about park planning for different touring styles, but that’s what works for us.

 

[mom2rtk]

Oops, sorry. For some reason I thought we were on the DL board. I'll delete my post so I don't confuse anyone.

ETA: It was the California Screamin in your signature. Great ear shot! Wish I could try that still.

 

[mom2rtk]

Generally my philosophy at WDW is to do the EMH park only if you are certain your family can make it there in time to enjoy the entire EMH. If you know your family is hard to get up and out and you might only get there half way through, for instance, definitely pick a park without the EMH that day.

 

[NH-to-FL]

DH and I will be arriving at WDW on January 29 and visiting the parks 1/30 through 2/4. We do not have park hoppers but will have access to EMH. I've read that EMH can make a park more crowded as the day goes on. Given the time of year we are visiting, should we visit whichever park has EMH each day or avoid that park? Thanks for sharing all your Disney expertise! We are super excited about our trip!!

When DW and I stayed on site we planned our park visits around morning EMH. We could get a lot done in that first hour and continuing in the next couple of hours before the "we are on vacation, we are sleeping in" crowds grew. Once the crowds grew we would head back to the resort for a break. We were early to bed, early to rise morning people so we didn't take much advantage of evening EMH. If you are used to staying up later then the evening EMHs are very useful. If you are on site and have access to the EMH perk I suggest exploring both the morning and evening opportunities and decide which works best for you.

You are visiting during a relatively lower crowd week so I don't think that crowds will be that much of a challenge no matter what strategy you chose.
Wishing you a visit!

 

[Mouse13]

I appreciate all of your perspectives. We are early morning folks but will also be an hour behind due to the time zone change. I guess we just need to decide on a strategy and then go with it. After all, it is Disney and it will be magical.