MK EMH mornings: how is "regular" opening handled?

[hoopics]

Sorry if this is well covered, but couldn't find details. We're going to Magic Kingdom this Friday, which is going to be a 10/10 crowd day with morning extra magic hours from 7 to 8 AM and general opening at 8 AM. We are staying off resort, so don't qualify for EMH. I know we can get the park on the monorail before 8 AM, and I know there's no second welcome show, but then what? At what time can we get through the tip stiles? How do they distinguish between resort guests and non-resort guests? Where exactly does the queue (if any) for off-resort guests form while EMH is going on?

We went yesterday for rope drop and had a great day -- they let us into the park at 7:45 despite an announced 8 AM opening, and had done three rides by 8. We don't want to miss a minute of our potential park access on Friday, but at the same time if the answer is the tipstiles won't let us in until 8 AM sharp I'll just as happily sleep the extra 20 minutes. Thanks for any details!

 

[mom2rtk]

I think if they let regular guests in early on an early entry morning they would have a lot of unhappy early entry guests.

 

[hoopics]

Yes, fair enough, but that's not the gist of my question. If I get to the tipstiles at 8, do I find a massive holding pen with people who've been there since 7? I'm trying to understand the logistics. Just like getting through the tipstiles at 7:20 for an 8 AM rope drop made good sense, when should I get to them for an 8 AM regular opening on a 7 AM EMH morning to get myself into the park at the first time possible, and where in the opening area should I plan to go?

 

[HM]

I would time it so you get there just before 8am, so that when it's time to let offsite guests in at 8, you are there. You'll likely enter sometime after 8 depending on the crowds and how many 'turnstiles' are open.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

They may let you in, but they won't let you on any rides before park opening.

 

[mom2rtk]

They may let you in, but they won't let you on any rides before park opening.

They don't check wristbands at the rides in the morning. That's why it's highly unlikely they will be let in early.

 

[CAS239]

I would avoid EMH morning parks if you're not on site. But if you can't avoid it then if regular open is at 8am, I'd get there about 7:30. Yes you'll be waiting with a bunch of other guests waiting for 8am. Also highly unlikely they'll let offsite guests in prior to 8am..so you'll be waiting with everyone else at the turnstiles. Resort guests will usually enter on the far left

 

[Tess]

Just curious. . .when did they begin to allow people who were from off-site to get beyond TTC before opening? While I haven't been to an early entry for quite some time (at least on purpose), the last time I stayed in the MK area, we had to show proof of resort occupancy to get to the monorails. Off-site guests were being held behind the gates at TTC and could not access monorails or ferries to MK until opening or just before, i.e., the time it would take for the transportation to arrive from TTC to MK. When we were at AK (by accident) not that long ago, guests who had MBs and didn't scan as resort guests, were not allowed through the tapstiles.

Have things changed from these procedures?

 

[Robo]

Just curious. . .when did they begin to allow people who were from off-site to get beyond TTC before opening? While I haven't been to an early entry for quite some time (at least on purpose), the last time I stayed in the MK area, we had to show proof of resort occupancy to get to the monorails. Off-site guests were being held behind the gates at TTC and could not access monorails or ferries to MK until opening or just before, i.e., the time it would take for the transportation to arrive from TTC to MK. When we were at AK (by accident) not that long ago, guests who had MBs and didn't scan as resort guests, were not allowed through the tapstiles.

Have things changed from these procedures?

Not under "normal" circumstances..

 

[hoopics]

On our Wednesday visit which was not an EMH morning, there was zero effort made to hold guests at the TTR. On Friday morning, which was a 7 AM EMH, we arrived to the TTR at 6:45 and they were asking for proof of resort status. We said we had an ADR and they let us right through (without checking our confirmation). When we got to MK at 7:02, we asked for the ADR line and they said there wasn't one, and the park was "open to everyone because it was spring break." We tapped our cards at a middle turnstile and walked right in. It empowered us to skip the ADR completely and get some extra rides in. Totally worth it!