Evening EMH - how is it being enforced?

[vicb]

Do you already have to be in the park to take advantage of evening EMH? My husband and I are staying in the Epcot resort area this August, and we were hoping to stay at Magic Kingdom until 9:00 and then take the monorail back to Epcot to grab a drink and walk back to our resort. Epcot closes at 9:00 but has EMH until 11:00. Will they let us in after 9:00? Thanks.

Just wanted to be sure you knew you will need park hoppers to do this plan. Pretty sure you knew that already but might be beneficial news to others who plan to be in one park during the day then go to a different park for eve. emh.... still need hoppers. And yes they will let you in after park closing but be prepared to show hotel card (D/S) or Magic Band.

 

[Stefecatzz]

The first week of June at DHS it was hit or miss at the evening EMH. At Toy Story they did scan the bands. At Star Tours they just asked what hotel you were at and waved you through. A member of a group that went through ahead of me asked another member, "Why did you say we were at Coronado Springs?" It was clear they were off site people, and at least one of them knew how to play the system.

That being said, it was very quiet at DHS during EMH. Some of the streets were literally empty. We waited about 15 minutes for TSM and everything else was a walk on.

How was the 2nd showing of Fantasmic (if you saw it)? Do they have CMs scanning bands at the entrance?

 

[asmit4]

Anyone know at roughly full capacity- how many 'onsite guests' there often are? How many rooms does DW have for onsite?

 

[andyman8]

Anyone know at roughly full capacity- how many 'onsite guests' there often are? How many rooms does DW have for onsite?

There are roughly 30,405 hotel rooms onsite at WDW including the S&D (31,219 when you include the DTD Hilton). Because there are many rooms with 4 people in them and others with just 1 or 2, we'll use the average of 3 people per room for these comparisons.

In total, at full capacity (which basically never happens), that would be 93,657 guests potentially eligible for EMH. Considering Disney Resorts tend to average roughly 80% occupancy (give or take a few percents, some years it's higher, other year's it lower; I want to say it was 79% in 2013), that would mean that, on average, there are roughly 74,925 guests eligible for EMH at any park. Now, of course, not all of them will use it. In fact, older surveys (circa 2007) seem to indicate that only about 45% of Disney Resort Hotel guests will actually utilize PMEMH in particular, which is about 33,716 or so. Of course, a lot of assumptions were made in these calculations.

In short, expect lesser waits than during regular hours but generally higher than those during MNSSHP and MVMCP.

 

[poooh]

One time we were about to get on line for TOT during evening EMH and this father and daughter zoomed past us without getting any band or anything scanned. I told the CM and she just said 'Oh we got someone in their party'. They didn't. I know they didn't because neither of them were wearing bands and I was standing right there. We got in line behind them and suddenly the mother and other daughter cut us to be with them like 10 minutes later. No one had bands or anything. I know I should trust the CM but she seemed very stressed and overwhelmed. And I know it's not a big deal but it does tick me off because we pay for EMH.

 

[DebbieB]

Yes, this happened to us at one ride, BUT we did have to show a magic band or hotel ID. So still only people with magic bands or IDs could get on the rides. I doubt there are that many people staying offsite bringing old magic bands on any given night to worry about.

I think it's enforced just fine. For the EMH we experienced this last weekend, I felt like we were the only ones in the park.

Offsite can now buy magic bands, so they do need to be scanned for verification.

 

[Disney_Princess83]

One time we were about to get on line for TOT during evening EMH and this father and daughter zoomed past us without getting any band or anything scanned. I told the CM and she just said 'Oh we got someone in their party'. They didn't. I know they didn't because neither of them were wearing bands and I was standing right there. We got in line behind them and suddenly the mother and other daughter cut us to be with them like 10 minutes later. No one had bands or anything. I know I should trust the CM but she seemed very stressed and overwhelmed. And I know it's not a big deal but it does tick me off because we pay for EMH.

Keep in mind that the DTD Hilton doesn't give out Magic Bands and their guests are eligible to use EMH. I'm not sure when this was but for a long time, The Swan and Dolphin wasn't giving out Magic Bands either but they are eligible for EMH too. We have Bands but only because we are AP Holders but we often stay at the Hilton ot Swan

 

[omurice]

Some attractions the handheld scanner almost never works because the wifi is spotty in the parks, but I'm not telling which ones...

 

[poooh]

Keep in mind that the DTD Hilton doesn't give out Magic Bands and their guests are eligible to use EMH. I'm not sure when this was but for a long time, The Swan and Dolphin wasn't giving out Magic Bands either but they are eligible for EMH too. We have Bands but only because we are AP Holders but we often stay at the Hilton ot Swan

In an earlier post you said "Hotel Key Cards from the Swan and Dolphin or DTD Hilton are accepted as both these hotels offer EM access." I didn't make myself clear enough when I said "bands or anything." By anything I mean bands, hotel cards, anything that could possibly be scanned. The both of them pushed between my sister and I and ran up. One CM tried to stop them but ended up letting them go. That's when I asked the CM scanning my band about it. When we got up there we were right behind them. It was clear that it was just them. No one else from their 'party' was there yet. Not until 10 minutes later when they brought the other half of their family up.

Even if they were staying on property, it doesn't really make sense for them to push past people and ignore a CM. Maybe they didn't understand what was going on (still doesn't excuse the cutting) but there was an obvious line waiting to be scanned. I would have bet money that they were not staying at any resort that included EMH with the way they barreled through.

 

[Disney_Princess83]

No, it sounds like they could have been doing the wrong thing. We have just held up our room keys for the Hilton and been waved through but we still have to show something.

In an earlier post you said "Hotel Key Cards from the Swan and Dolphin or DTD Hilton are accepted as both these hotels offer EM access." I didn't make myself clear enough when I said "bands or anything." By anything I mean bands, hotel cards, anything that could possibly be scanned. The both of them pushed between my sister and I and ran up. One CM tried to stop them but ended up letting them go. That's when I asked the CM scanning my band about it. When we got up there we were right behind them. It was clear that it was just them. No one else from their 'party' was there yet. Not until 10 minutes later when they brought the other half of their family up.

Even if they were staying on property, it doesn't really make sense for them to push past people and ignore a CM. Maybe they didn't understand what was going on (still doesn't excuse the cutting) but there was an obvious line waiting to be scanned. I would have bet money that they were not staying at any resort that included EMH with the way they barreled through.

 

[Robo]

How was the 2nd showing of Fantasmic (if you saw it)? Do they have CMs scanning bands at the entrance?

Any second (or third) showing of Fantasmic!, even on a PM EMH night, is open to ALL guests, not just those staying at a WDW resort.

So no "scanning" is needed or done.

 

[Stefecatzz]

Any second (or third) showing of Fantasmic!, even on a PM EMH night, is open to ALL guests, not just those staying at a WDW resort.

So no "scanning" is needed or done.

Thanks!

 

[FINFAN]

we have never done a late EMH on check out day. Technically on-site privileges end at midnight which is when MK's start on our check out day. Will our MB still shoe us as resort guests or no?

 

[Tybalt]

Thanks for your answers guys! Totally helps with my planning.

 

[Disney_Princess83]

we have never done a late EMH on check out day. Technically on-site privileges end at midnight which is when MK's start on our check out day. Will our MB still shoe us as resort guests or no?

You have access to EMH on your check out day as well so you'll be fine