Extra Magic Hours ---- Avoid or Rush?

[rutgers1]

The Unofficial Guide tells you to avoid parks with EMH's, but I don't quite see the logic in that, at least not for the late nights when they are open.

I understand that if you are someone who spends the entire day at a park, it is best to avoid the one with EMH's, as that park will be the busiest during the peak times. However, as someone who only goes to that park for the last few hours before closing, does the "avoid that park" recommendation still hold true?

When we last went to Magic Kingdom, we went on a EMH night. I think it was open until midnight that night. The last hour or two was incredible - hardly anyone there in some parts of the park. Is that the exception or the rule?

 

[Sandy321]

I've read reports that the late late emh can be wonderful (some times have emh going until 3AM!!) but they also say that its really crowded for WISHES - so with everything - its Disney and you have to tour with what works with your family!! I know the teenagers will not be getting up for ropedrop - but by golly they will be staying up till 3AM!!

anytime you have a plan I think it works for you - go for it!

 

[rutgers1]

My wife still talk about the time we went on our honeymoon. Magic Kingdom was open late, and there was a point where the park was so empty that we thought hat, perhaps, it had closed and left us inside. We were walking down this one path and it was nearly pitch black in that area and we couldn't hear much in the way of crowd noise. We were actually scared, lol.

 

[philatiger]

We always take advantage of the EMH, they can be great for getting on some of the big rides. The fast passes start back up for the late hours as soon as the EMH start. So get in line about 10 minutes early and you should have no problem if there is a ride you really want to get on. We have been so many times that we know how to work the parks by using the EMH and the fast passes that we never wait in lines.

Chuck

 

[Piecey]

We'll definitely be using them- I always have.

But I don't go during truly busy times of the year and this year, with baby, I'm hoping to have the extended hours to spend more times in the park with a break in the afternoon back at the hotel.

 

[AnnaLeeB]

The Magic Kingdom had EMH until 3:00 AM on a couple of nights when we were at WDW and I was very tempted to go because we are normally such night owls. But I decided to stick with the advice of the Unofficial Guide to skip them because it would have interfered with our plan to be at the park at rope drop the next morning. Not everything is open during EMH and most of the food stands are closed. By going at rope drop with a touring plan, we waited no more than ten minutes for rides during Easter break and had access to a fully opened park -- it just seemed a far better value for our time there.

 

[rkwctw]

We always use the morning EMH's and very rarely wait for over 10 minutes for a ride during the first 2-3 hours. We have done a couple of the evening EMH's and the later it got the more people would clear out. I wonder how the evening emh is working without the armbands? Is it any better or worse?

 

[dancin Disney style]

If you have park hoppers you should go to morning EMH. Be sure to be there before it opens and then stay until about 10am (depending on the time of year you are there). Then hop to a non EMH park for the rest of your day.

 

[MelanieC]

We don't do EMHs - we like to do normal rope drop at 9am and stick with that one park till it closes. Call us crazy, it works for us. We don't do afternoon breaks either. We tend to go back to the hotel after dinner, but the past few years now that the kids are older we do tend to do MK much later now. We've been known to stay till 11pm or Midnight these days.

 

[cattycat]

We *do* have teens, so likely will take advantage of the evening EMHs too. There are two nights at the MK on our upcoming trip.

What time should we show up at MK? Before the parade? (We will likely skip parade/fireworks if it means shorter lines at the rides).

 

[marivaid]

When we last went to Magic Kingdom, we went on a EMH night. I think it was open until midnight that night. The last hour or two was incredible - hardly anyone there in some parts of the park. Is that the exception or the rule?

It's what we've always experienced, and we go during peak seasons.

 

[landshark]

My wife still talk about the time we went on our honeymoon. Magic Kingdom was open late, and there was a point where the park was so empty that we thought hat, perhaps, it had closed and left us inside. We were walking down this one path and it was nearly pitch black in that area and we couldn't hear much in the way of crowd noise. We were actually scared, lol.

Haha, I felt the same way when we did the night EMH at MK last summer. Yes, it was still a bit crowded the first hour or so into it, but the park seemed to clear out fast and some areas barely had anybody in them. Rode BTMR like 2-3 more times; practically just walked right up to it each time and easily could have asked a CM if it would've been OK to just stay on. I think the only rides we really had to wait for were Peter Pan and Space Mountain--even then those waits were only like 20 minutes.

 

[vettegirl]

We do both the morning and evening EMH's. I figure we are paying for it staying on property we should use it.

 

[tofubeast]

We did evening EMH at MK a week ago.. it was open till 3am. We took a nap in the evening and headed to MK around 11pm or so. We walked on everything in Adventureland and Fantasyland with no wait. Rode multiple times on Buzz and walked right on the Speedway. In the 2-3am hour, we rode Big Thunder a few times..no wait. We then did Splash and got to go on back to back with out every having to get off.

We also did an evening EMH where it was opened till 3am in July 07, while it was just a dash more crowded that time, we were able to ride everything.

I highly recommend taking a nap in the evening and doing the EMH when it is opened till late.. ie 2 or 3am.

 

[DisneyAlly]

We have a few pre-teens and teens during our Easter trip that are night owls. Stayed at MK till 3am closing. Like some other poster said, the first hour was busy, but the last hour was awesome! With the exception of Space Mountain, every thing else was pretty much a walk on or < 5 minutes wait.

Frontierland and Adventureland were so deserted that it was eerie walking by Haunted Mansion. We did all the rides we wanted in Fantasyland, including Dumbo . In fact, it was so empty, they were allowing single riders on Dumbo. Never had the elephant all to myself that in all my 10 years of visiting MK

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

When it comes to the Extra Magic Hours my family and I like to do them in the mornings, because we can get a head start on the popular attractions with little or no waiting. Plus if we want to ride them a 2nd time we can either line up again in a short line or get a Fast Pass which would be for an earlier return time.