Evening extra hours at MK

[tigertirz]

Hi,

I will be making my first trip to Disney Apr 26-30. I'm in the process of planning out our days and I was wondering if anyone had any experience with crowd levels at MK during evening extra magic hours. As of now, the extra hours will be from 11pm-1am on Sunday Apr 27th. Should we avoid it or will it be slow? It's just myself and my husband. Thanks for any input!

 

[Robo]

Hi,

I will be making my first trip to Disney Apr 26-30. I'm in the process of planning out our days and I was wondering if anyone had any experience with crowd levels at MK during evening extra magic hours. As of now, the extra hours will be from 11pm-1am on Sunday Apr 27th. Should we avoid it or will it be slow? It's just myself and my husband. Thanks for any input!

When the hours are that late, go for it!


Never attending EMH's because they will be "too crowded or overly-stressful,"
is like never eating grapes because they will be "too sour."

CAN be that way.
Doesn't HAVE to be that way.

Each EMH experience can be different.

We always go to AM EMH (virtually every day of the trip
that we did not do a PM EMH late the night before)...
never ONCE regretted an AM EMH... they are amazingly
empty and easy to ride the open attractions.
If that park then starts to fill 2 to 3 hours later...
We're happy with "doing" that park for the day and we
can HOP elsewhere or do lunch and take a rest until
later.

PM EMH's are a mixed bag. I've been when they were
"packed"... but on other nights (sometimes within the
same trip), the crowds were basically so low that it
was like "free rides" on all the open attractions.

The rule seems to be, it is far easier for guests to
STAY UP at the end of the day, than it is for them to
GET UP at the start of the day.

Generally speaking:
Expect a PM EMH which begins before 10PM to be much busier than one that begins much later.
Expect the first hour of PM EMH to be busier than the last hour.

Those who have attended PM EMH's and say that "they
are too crowded" are right... but that may have been only on the nights
they have attended.
I can say from personal experience that EMH's CAN be
virtually empty, or overly full... or somewhere in-between for attendance,
often within the same week.

The crowd situation at PM EMH can change so much (either way,)
that saying it was "like X" on a given night, can have little relation
to another night in the same time-period. So, you
simply "won't know unless you go."
It's similar to saying
that you attended on a given night and it rained, so
guests should never go on that night because it will
probably be rainy.

But, it can all boil down to your particular timing.

If you just consider that EMH's are FREE to attend...
You might just take a chance.
If it's too busy, just people-watch... or hit the exit.
(Where ELSE are ya gonna go at 10pm, anyway?)

But, if its not busy... you'll be ALL SET for EXTRA FUN!

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[tigertirz]

I appreciate the detailed info. You're right, might as well go. We are staying at the Wilderness Lodge so it shouldn't be too much of a hassle. Thanks again!

 

[rebelbuddhist]

My wife and I always enjoy the evening EMH because they usually mean fewer strollers in the parks. Since I was once knocked to the ground by a double stroller pushed directly into me by a Dad who was yelling over his shoulder at his wife, we always love when the kiddies are back at the resort swimming or asleep. MK is great after 11 pm when the kids are few and far between!

 

[Networth]

Robo gave you great info. Just wanted to say don't know your group make up but if you can stay at MK between 11:45 ish and 1:00 am it's usually walk on everything really an amazing time to be in the park.

 

[frank430316]

One of our favorite times at the MK was during the 4th of July week, by the time we got off the plane & checked in, it was almost midnight. But MK was open till 3AM and we were 3 hours behind, so off we went. Everything was a walk on, and the park was so great in the cool evening with absolutely no crowds. On our last ride, IASM, we almost had to wake the cast member up, but did have the boat to ourselves.

 

[bbak3030]

Our favorite part of our last trip was MK til 1am! After around 10 everything was walk on. AMAZING!!!

 

[vicb]

Our favorite part of our last trip was MK til 1am! After around 10 everything was walk on. AMAZING!!!

This was our experience in Feb. 2010 and April 2012, loved eve emh at MK! First half hour was crowded but then people cleared out and we walked on everything and some things we rode multiple times ( a few rides they didn't make us get off BTM and Goofy). Had a decent experience at HS emh eves, TSM crowded but others not bad. On the flip side we did eve emh at Epcot Feb. 2010 and it was packed.

We are going in May but can't fly in until Mon so we miss MK eve emh this trip, bummer. We will attempt eve emh on our arrival day Mon at HS (has made FP+ already for TSM and ToT right before park closing) and last night Fri. at Epcot.

 

[WEDWDW]

Go for it!

I'll be there at that time also and am "HOPING" Seven Dwarfs Mine Train will be in Soft Openings by then and will be running during that PM EMH!

Here is an old MK PM EMH Times Guide(everything is subject to change).

 

[AthenaBolina]

Actually we bought park hoppers just so I could do an evening EMH lol. Our EMH will be May 25th and I'm totally looking forward to it. I think it's totally worth it. Our kids are 8-13 and won't tire out as easily as little ones. I can't wait!!

 

[tdosal]

Totally worth staying up for!!

 

[DisneyFansInNYC]

We always go to MK EMH. We are usually there presidents week when it is crowded and it is never crowded during EMH each time we were there. My kids kept going on SM several times. We also love Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin.... one night we went on 5 times in a row - no waiting at all. We love those hours. The latest we stayed was until 1:30am - we couldn't make it to 3am. Our youngest were young but they were troopers.

Enjoy!