FP and EMH (evening)

[ChimCher-ee]

OK, so until now I've been a what-me-go-to-the-parks-late-at-night-no-way wimp, preferring to make rope drop and be "home" by supper. But even old dogs can learn new tricks and I'm about to change my style this summer. The first, solo, trip, I'm going to try rope drop (I'm not giving that up yet), go back to the resort midday, and return to close down the park of the day that night. The other trip will be with DD13, and here's where it gets tricky. But I need advice that will apply to both.

DD's rope drop days are OVER. Done and done, so we're going to arrive close to noon (augh) and stay through closing, including EMH evening hours. We really want to ride several rides -- JC, BTMRR, 7DMT, ToT -- in the dark. Do I need to get fast passes for these rides after fireworks etc., or do these rides really become "walk-ons"? And if I do, will MDE let me schedule them for EMH time periods (when maybe EMH hasn't been determined 60 days out)?

Please help me create a new (for me) touring style!

 

[Minsc]

When are you going? The only real potential problem with your strategy is that EMH nights are pretty popular. That is why we usually rope drop and the hop in the early afternoon to an non-EMH park. That being said, we've done what you are suggesting. Scheduling late FP's is the only way you are going to be guaranteed to ride those. Otherwise, that is likely too many rides to roll the dice on people cutting out early. If we've used our FP's mid to late afternoon, and no more are available for the popular rides, we try to pick one or two that we want to focus on. I've seen very few nights that the park empties out to that extent, except maybe party nights, and even then, only the last hour or so.

I'm not saying it won't work, but experience tells me you could end up in line for 7DMT and find you've run out of time to get all the way over to BTMRR and get on that. Pick one definite and one maybe, and your chance of success goes up significantly.

 

[hakepb]

No FP+ during EMH

Regular guests can enter standby lines until the second that the park "closes" so lines do not become instant walk-on, but they do move better.

I've never noticed 7DMT to be great the 1st hour of EMH, but it gets better the 2nd hour.

ToT (and RnR) are great during F! (If there's a late one)
I think it's best to get into the FEA line before Illuminations ends.

 

[WEDWDW]

No FP+ available during PM EMH.

None of those rides will be walk-ons.

In the "old days" when PM EMH was THREE hours the last hour was AWESOME,but with only 2 hours now,the lines never really get super short.

 

[hakepb]

Also, they rarely change the wait time boards during EMH, so you kinda need to visually guess the wait times.

 

[ChimCher-ee]

When are you going? The only real potential problem with your strategy is that EMH nights are pretty popular. That is why we usually rope drop and the hop in the early afternoon to an non-EMH park. That being said, we've done what you are suggesting. Scheduling late FP's is the only way you are going to be guaranteed to ride those. Otherwise, that is likely too many rides to roll the dice on people cutting out early. If we've used our FP's mid to late afternoon, and no more are available for the popular rides, we try to pick one or two that we want to focus on. I've seen very few nights that the park empties out to that extent, except maybe party nights, and even then, only the last hour or so.

I'm not saying it won't work, but experience tells me you could end up in line for 7DMT and find you've run out of time to get all the way over to BTMRR and get on that. Pick one definite and one maybe, and your chance of success goes up significantly.

Good to know -- thank you! I'm going in July, but I'll be able to work more in because of rope drop. DD and I go the second half of August, which is supposed to be lighter but still crowded. We will be at MK two nights, so I can split the 4 after-dark rides into pairs that are close and maybe even use 2 FPs so we have something to ride in the afternoons.

 

[ChimCher-ee]

No FP+ during EMH ...

I've never noticed 7DMT to be great the 1st hour of EMH, but it gets better the 2nd hour.

ToT (and RnR) are great during F! (If there's a late one).

I can see that I'm going to have to give up some peace of mind to make the switch away from using rope drop. At least I wont waste my time planning FPs that I won't be able to make when my window opens up! Thanks for the tip about ToT, too. We can do that and then get down to find what spots might be left to see the fireworks, before F! lets out.

 

[Minsc]

Although you won't be able to make FP's during EMH, if your goal is to ride these at night, you can still make them later in the evening before EMH. If EMH goes from 10pm to 12pm, for example, make your FP's in the 8pm - 10pm range. Then, if you get lucky with crowds, you might get another shot during EMH.