Extra Magic Hours & Crowds - Go or Avoid?

[TigersLions]

I'm beginning to wonder if planning to go to the parks on their extra magic hour days is worth it. I like less crowds. What is your opinion? Or, is there a strategy where maybe you just go during the extra magic hour time and not for the whole day. I have the Park Hopper. Thanks!!

 

[FLchick415]

If the EMH is in the morning, I'd go to that park and get as much done as you can until the crowds start rolling in. Then hop (if you can) to a park that's more recommended for the day. If the EMH is in the evening, start your day at a recommended park, and end at the park w/ EMH.

 

[Dan Murphy]

I'm beginning to wonder if planning to go to the parks on their extra magic hour days is worth it. I like less crowds. What is your opinion? Or, is there a strategy where maybe you just go during the extra magic hour time and not for the whole day. Thanks!!

Welcome to the dis, TL.

I like less crowds also and therefore go to the low crowd park/s, which is/are not the emh parks. I'm on a vacation, not a mission.

 

[Hootch]

had PHs and would usually go to the EMH park until about lunchtime. We would go to another park that evening after a break.

If we did not have park hoppers, I would look for a park that had an EMH the day before.

 

[linskypens]

If you cant be there before EMH starts, then dont go to an EMH.
If you can go on time, then go and take advantage, stay till noon or so, then get out.

 

[ktlm]

Do you have hoppers? We are not early morning people- rope drop is as early as we are going to get, so we don't usually go to the park with morning EMH. The EMH parks are typically more crowded. We like to go somewhere else during the day and then hop over for EMH evenings. If you are early risers that morning EMH hour does give some good time with shorter ride lines, but the park will be more crowded once the regular crowd comes in too.

 

[TigersLions]

Do you have hoppers? We are not early morning people- rope drop is as early as we are going to get, so we don't usually go to the park with morning EMH. The EMH parks are typically more crowded. We like to go somewhere else during the day and then hop over for EMH evenings. If you are early risers that morning EMH hour does give some good time with shorter ride lines, but the park will be more crowded once the regular crowd comes in too.

Yes - Park Hopper. Thanks for the advice everyone!!!!

 

[Jkarrows]

Having attended both extra morning and evening hours I have found the evening ones to be a waste of time if it's just for one hour as the disney crew members still let people on the rides who are not entitled to be in the park for the extra hours as it saves them a lot of confrontational guests.

It's different for the extra morning hours as unless your entitled to the extra morning hours you can not get in the park so personally I would only go for the extra morning hours to make the most of shorter ques for rides and less people in the park.

Just what I have experienced.

 

[PaulaVonSchweetz]

Having attended both extra morning and evening hours I have found the evening ones to be a waste of time if it's just for one hour as the disney crew members still let people on the rides who are not entitled to be in the park for the extra hours as it saves them a lot of confrontational guests.

It's different for the extra morning hours as unless your entitled to the extra morning hours you can not get in the park so personally I would only go for the extra morning hours to make the most of shorter ques for rides and less people in the park.

Just what I have experienced.

I agree. We always do morning hours over evening. You can get a ton in before lunch time.

 

[FLchick415]

Having attended both extra morning and evening hours I have found the evening ones to be a waste of time if it's just for one hour as the disney crew members still let people on the rides who are not entitled to be in the park for the extra hours as it saves them a lot of confrontational guests.

It's different for the extra morning hours as unless your entitled to the extra morning hours you can not get in the park so personally I would only go for the extra morning hours to make the most of shorter ques for rides and less people in the park.

Just what I have experienced.

Are they still doing this now even with the MagicBands and all that? Because it was my understanding that they were scanning bands at the entrance to the EMH rides, and only those that had a resort stay were allowed on.

 

[heidijanesmith]

I'm beginning to wonder if planning to go to the parks on their extra magic hour days is worth it. I like less crowds. What is your opinion? Or, is there a strategy where maybe you just go during the extra magic hour time and not for the whole day. I have the Park Hopper. Thanks!!

We like AM EMH for MK, DS and EPCOT....not AK. I got advice from easywdw that AK's morning EMH's is not a good idea and I agree. The extra people AM EMH brings is not worth getting to Everest early. We avoid am EMH at AK.

We like PM EMH for MK as there are lots of rides open and the later you stay the less the crowds are. At 1AM Space Mountain wait was 10min, at 2AM we walked on.

We go to a park at rope drop or early entry and stay until we are tired, then back to the hotel for a swim/break and then to a different non-emh AM park for night time touring.

 

[P00H1010]

We are not rope drop people and we park hop constantly during our trips.
So our strategy is to avoid making our first park of the day the park that had the AM EMHs. Since we do not get up early by time we would get to the park EMHs would be over and lines would be "long". We will park hop to that park later in the day if we want to but try to avoid it until about dinner hour. We ALWAYS do the PM EMHs during our trips. We have found them to be generally less crowded and enjoyable.

 

[SnowBelleAlice]

Avoid! We don't hop.
Easywdw. com

 

[gibsontrio]

Are they still doing this now even with the MagicBands and all that? Because it was my understanding that they were scanning bands at the entrance to the EMH rides, and only those that had a resort stay were allowed on.

Probably not, Shade of Green guests also get EMH, but not mb's . We use our resort key as proof

 

[LucyBC80]

One thing to consider is that if you decide to to Morning EMH be there at least 15 minutes before they open the park for resort guests. No use in going to EMH if you plan to arrive half hour into it.

We're doing two morning EMH, one in MK and the other at AK and our plan is to be there at least 7:30AM so we can be at the front of the line and get as much done as possible in that first hour.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

I don't do morning EMH, ever, but then I am not too concerned about which park had morning EMH.

I will do evening EMH at MK, especially if that means there will be access until midnight or later. After Wishes is over the crowds go waaay down. If there is a second MSEP, the crowds become almost nonexistent after it ends.

If you're going to attend a morning EMH, then maybe it's best to park hop once the park opens to everybody and the crowds get bigger.