Inquiry About MK Evening EMH

[JustAKid]

I am wondering if anyone can tell me a little bit about Magic Kingdom on Evening EMH days. We will be there in late April and do not have hoppers. This park is not recommended on any of the crowd websites for the day I'm thinking, and the level is estimated to be a 4. Due to us being from the west coast and this being our first day in the parks, despite it being not recommended, we thought we would take advantage of being able to stay up late even with the kids.

My questions are as follow:

1. Will there be a significant difference in crowds during the day than if it were a "regular" day? Or will most guests arrive later so they can stay later?

2. What can I expect for crowds/wait times during the EMH? Will they decrease significantly from the day?

3. Will all areas of the park remain open during EMH?

4. Is it a good idea to skip the parade and fireworks on this day in favor of rides so as to try and beat some of the EMH crowd?

5. If the answer to question 4 is yes, what area(s) is best to do so that we do not have to be in the crowded areas near the evening shows?

6. Will characters stay out later for EMH?

7. Can I book FP+ for EMH times?

The Princess M&Gs are a high priority for us (3 girls, what can I say?!), as well as the 7DMT so I'm wondering if it would be possible/good idea to leave these things until either the fireworks/parade time or during EMH.

Any other information you can offer that I should know about Evening EMH in Magic Kingdom would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much for your time and any guidance you can offer.

 

[mesaboy2]

I'll answer #7: no FPs during EMH. For FP questions, you may find the green link in my signature helpful.

 

[Shelbizzles]

I can help a little bit with #6
When we were there on September 26th. MK was open till 1am.
And I got to meet ariel and Anna/Elsa
At about 11:45pm and 12:02am. According to the time stamps on my photo pass lol
So I know they were out late. And barely any lines for them. It took us about 12 minutes from start to finish to meet Anna and Elsa

 

[JustAKid]

I can help a little bit with #6
When we were there on September 26th. MK was open till 1am.
And I got to meet ariel and Anna/Elsa
At about 11:45pm and 12:02am. According to the time stamps on my photo pass lol
So I know they were out late. And barely any lines for them. It took us about 12 minutes from start to finish to meet Anna and Elsa

Yes! This is what I want to hear. I would like to not use a FP+ on characters if at all possible, so this is music to my ears.

 

[Shelbizzles]

Yes! This is what I want to hear. I would like to not use a FP+ on characters if at all possible, so this is music to my ears.

It was awesome! we could have just gotten extremely lucky. But I think it's an excellent time to try it if you didn't get a FP for it.

 

[JustAKid]

I'm just giving this a little bump in hopes that someone else might chime in about any of my other questions.

 

[Cando86]

1. Will there be a significant difference in crowds during the day than if it were a "regular" day? Or will most guests arrive later so they can stay later?

I have to say yes - from both personal experience and according to various crowd calendars. I've personally witnessed an increase in crowds on EMH days as I think some people go to the designated EMH park because they feel they're following Disney's recommendations. I don't think most guests arrive later; maybe later as in not rope drop but the issue is that if you go for an evening EMH day make SURE you stay for all of the EMH hours otherwise, IMO, it isn't worth it as you're just dealing with the higher crowds that are there for them. Does that make sense?

2. What can I expect for crowds/wait times during the EMH? Will they decrease significantly from the day?

During the actual EMH times, crowds will start to decrease as the night goes on. However, this also depends on the time of year you're going. In January, for example which is a "slower" time, the parks close earlier so EMH begin and end earlier too. For example, MK might close at 9 which means EMH are "only" until 11 and a lot of people can stay up until then anyway. If you're going during a busier time, say when MK normal hours are until midnight and the EMH are until 2am then you will definitely see a significant decrease in crowds.

3. Will all areas of the park remain open during EMH?

I'm fairly certain for evening EMH all the lands stay open, maybe with a few ride exceptions. This website (I hope it's okay if I post it - if not, feel free to remove!) lists all the open attractions for evening EMH: http://touringplans.com/magic-kingdom/attractions/evening-extra-magic-hours

I know you're not specifically asking about morning EMH but I do know only Fantasyland and Tomorrowland are open for those.

7. Can I book FP+ for EMH times?

Unfortunately, no.

I couldn't answer some of the questions with full certainty so I skipped them. I hope all of that makes sense! It can be really confusing figuring out how to tour the parks let alone understanding how crowds and wait times are during EMH!

 

[JustAKid]

Thanks for your expertise to all who have replied. I appreciate it!