MK/Fantasyland “Early Morning Magic” (EMM) (Thread Now Closed, See New MK EMM FAQ Thread)

[goofygal531]

Want to say thank you to all who have posted for EMM tips, we have bought our tickets for Feb 4, our first park day. We are thinking about heading over to meet the princesses right at park opening, since we have 2 LOs with us (including a 6yo big time princess fan) and then eat breakfast. Anyone have experiences for when the princesses come out and success at seeing them right away? Ideally, we will see both sets, but would e satisfied with one if that is what works out, so we are sure to get to breakfast by 9:30 or 9:45 (may also have hangry kids at that point). If required, I may run over to grab a muffin to hold them over before we have our full meal.

We have FP for Splash at 11 and BTMRR at 12:15. Hoping we will all go on (3yo is pretty tall), but are mentally prepared for rider swap if he isn't according to their measurements or just isn't up for the thrills (we will see how 7DMT works out and decide from there).

Any issues you see with this strategy? Am I forgetting some aspect of EMM that will throw this for a loop?

We're there on the same day! Super Bowl Sunday! I'll be with the 14 year old who will ride Peter Pan until they throw him off!

 

[GADisneyDad14]

We're there on the same day! Super Bowl Sunday! I'll be with the 14 year old who will ride Peter Pan until they throw him off!

I've always heard Super Bowl Sunday is a great day to go to MK, especially that night!

Have fun!

 

[goofygal531]

I've always heard Super Bowl Sunday is a great day to go to MK, especially that night!

Have fun!

Thank you. My son's birthday falls around Super Bowl Sunday every year. We usually make a family party out of it. This year he asked for a special WDW trip for just he and I. He doesn't know we're attending this, I plan to surprise him that morning.

With an early morning, I don't know if I'll be able to make it to the fireworks. I might need a nap in carousel of progress

 

[GADisneyDad14]

I might need a nap in carousel of progress

Blasphemy!!!

Country Bears maybe, but not COP!

 

[goofygal531]

Blasphemy!!!

Country Bears maybe, but not COP!

It's my son's favorite. He will have me watching that show several times that day!

 

[BradChristian]

Thanks for this thread! The website says tickets are non-refundable, but when you read the terms... it does say 24 hour cancelation! Allowed me to go ahead and purchase me EMM for Sunday April 29th!

 

[SarahC97]

Thanks for this thread! The website says tickets are non-refundable, but when you read the terms... it does say 24 hour cancelation! Allowed me to go ahead and purchase me EMM for Sunday April 29th!

When I called and made reservations the CM on the phone did confirm that you can cancel in advance and get a full refund! That makes me feel better too!

 

[nicolispicoli]

Ok, dumb question... 2/20 is a Tuesday. You say Saturday above. I assume you meant Tuesday? I'd expect relatively light traffic that early, generally speaking. You plan sounds pretty legit to me (good luck, that's a large crew!).

Totally not dumb, I have no idea why I wrote Saturday. It is in fact a Tuesday, lol. And thank you, I figured it was probably okay, but you never know!

 

[WaterLinds]

So happy to find this thread! We just booked EMM for February 13. This trip is feeling very disorganized and unplanned to me with a few weeks to go--we decided late that we would bring the kids to meet up with the grandparents at WDW, and then only this week snagged a room at POFQ after planning to stay offsite. So we missed out on our 60 day FP window and are just generally struggling to put plans together. I might go spread my angst all over the boards for the next few weeks...

But as for EMM, I'm super excited about this experience! Trying to decide if we'll be better off taking the bus from POFQ or driving? We may be struggling to get the whole group organized and out the door early so whatever will be most efficient.

I'm using the touring plans site right now and it's suggesting SM and then BTMR at rope drop, and then we were going to go eat around 9:45. The 2 year old won't be able to ride 7DMT and may want to eat earlier, so we may split up a bit and have an early eating shift too, and then someone can do some fantasyland rides with him while others take the big kid to SM...first time doing the park with both kids, so still figuring out how to juggle that. Fortunately I think some of the adults with our group will enjoy having a reason to skip the thrill rides!

 

[GADisneyDad14]

So happy to find this thread! We just booked EMM for February 13. This trip is feeling very disorganized and unplanned to me with a few weeks to go--we decided late that we would bring the kids to meet up with the grandparents at WDW, and then only this week snagged a room at POFQ after planning to stay offsite. So we missed out on our 60 day FP window and are just generally struggling to put plans together. I might go spread my angst all over the boards for the next few weeks...

But as for EMM, I'm super excited about this experience! Trying to decide if we'll be better off taking the bus from POFQ or driving? We may be struggling to get the whole group organized and out the door early so whatever will be most efficient.

I'm using the touring plans site right now and it's suggesting SM and then BTMR at rope drop, and then we were going to go eat around 9:45. The 2 year old won't be able to ride 7DMT and may want to eat earlier, so we may split up a bit and have an early eating shift too, and then someone can do some fantasyland rides with him while others take the big kid to SM...first time doing the park with both kids, so still figuring out how to juggle that. Fortunately I think some of the adults with our group will enjoy having a reason to skip the thrill rides!

"Feeling very disorganized and unplanned" - I often have this feeling about 30 days out. Sometimes it's because it really is, sometimes it's because I'm overthinking things. I know it's hard, but I wouldn't worry too much - it'll all work itself out.

My kids are 7 and 3 so I've done the figuring out how to juggle/manage WDW with one, then two, and at different ages. No right answers.... we just do the best we can to get by!

I've done a few EMMs and our preferred option after 9AM is BTMR, then HM, then eat. We've done BTMR, Splash, HM, then eat but that had us walking in to eat right at 10AM and was way too close for my comfort. Splash takes forever (and you may get really wet)!

Good luck with your final planning and I hope you have a great trip! If you think about it, come back and let us know how it goes.

 

[WaterLinds]

"Feeling very disorganized and unplanned" - I often have this feeling about 30 days out. Sometimes it's because it really is, sometimes it's because I'm overthinking things. I know it's hard, but I wouldn't worry too much - it'll all work itself out.

My kids are 7 and 3 so I've done the figuring out how to juggle/manage WDW with one, then two, and at different ages. No right answers.... we just do the best we can to get by!

I've done a few EMMs and our preferred option after 9AM is BTMR, then HM, then eat. We've done BTMR, Splash, HM, then eat but that had us walking in to eat right at 10AM and was way too close for my comfort. Splash takes forever (and you may get really wet)!

Good luck with your final planning and I hope you have a great trip! If you think about it, come back and let us know how it goes.

Thanks! It's already looking a lot better this morning. my main regret is not having our resort booked early enough to get a FP for FOP at Animal Kingdom. The big kid really wants to do it, but none of us are up for standing in line forever...and given that we're doing EMM I'm not sure we're up for the EMH rope drop the day before--2 early mornings in a row on vacation may not work.

The good news is we know we'll be back in a year or two, so there will be other chances to do whatever we miss this time!

My boys are 6.5 and 2.5 (last time we went I was pregnant with the young one and the now big kid was too short for most stuff, so we just skipped all the thrill rides), so if I have more questions as I'm planning I might hit you up given your experience with that age gap! Thanks again.

 

[DizzyDis]

We're there on the same day! Super Bowl Sunday! I'll be with the 14 year old who will ride Peter Pan until they throw him off!

Yay!! We are from Canada and have to be honest, football does not factor prominently (read: at all) into our lives... It was actually well after we booked before we realised it was Super Bowl Sunday! I will be the one trying to squeeze the joy out of every second with a 6-yo princess (likely wearing a Cinderella dress) and 3-yo boy who gets seriously hangry and DH who doesn't do well with stress or many people Yet when I suggest a girls only trip he hated the idea of missing out...

Hope you have a fabulous time, we are hoping to see if leaving by about 2 to go back for a rest at the hotel works out and we make it back for fireworks, else just calling it quits early (refer to earlier family entourage ) But a nap on the train could work...

 

[REEREEG]

P

Yay!! We are from Canada and have to be honest, football does not factor prominently (read: at all) into our lives... It was actually well after we booked before we realised it was Super Bowl Sunday! I will be the one trying to squeeze the joy out of every second with a 6-yo princess (likely wearing a Cinderella dress) and 3-yo boy who gets seriously hangry and DH who doesn't do well with stress or many people Yet when I suggest a girls only trip he hated the idea of missing out...

Hope you have a fabulous time, we are hoping to see if leaving by about 2 to go back for a rest at the hotel works out and we make it back for fireworks, else just calling it quits early (refer to earlier family entourage ) But a nap on the train could work...

if you want to make it back for fireworks, it might help to leave earlier...

 

[diswedwish]

My 3 year old son and I did EMM on 1/9 and had a blast! We checked in around 7:35 and were let into the park slightly past 7:45. We got one ride in on Mine Train and it went down. WtP was down also for most of the hour. We checked with the CM at Pinocchio’s and were told that we could use our wristbands to go thru the FP line at all 3 attractions until noon. We rode PP about 5 times, carousel once, then stopped for breakfast. Was crowded probably because most things were down. Mine Train was running again around 9:45/10. No problems using the wristband for FP. We ended up riding WTP twice and Mine Train about 7 times. I was bummed at first, but it ended up working out just fine.

 

[mekay1012]

Are they not doing early morning magic on Tuesdays during the summer? I was really hoping to do this on July 16. I just checked availability and they haven't opened any July dates, but it looks like it isn't available on Tuesdays in June.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

My 3 year old son and I did EMM on 1/9 and had a blast! We checked in around 7:35 and were let into the park slightly past 7:45. We got one ride in on Mine Train and it went down. WtP was down also for most of the hour. We checked with the CM at Pinocchio’s and were told that we could use our wristbands to go thru the FP line at all 3 attractions until noon. We rode PP about 5 times, carousel once, then stopped for breakfast. Was crowded probably because most things were down. Mine Train was running again around 9:45/10. No problems using the wristband for FP. We ended up riding WTP twice and Mine Train about 7 times. I was bummed at first, but it ended up working out just fine.

Thanks for the review. There was another thread about how that particular EMM turned into a bit of a mess with two rides down. Glad you found a way to make the most of it, despite the curve ball.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Are they not doing early morning magic on Tuesdays during the summer? I was really hoping to do this on July 16. I just checked availability and they haven't opened any July dates, but it looks like it isn't available on Tuesdays in June.

They had recently been in a pattern of adding EMM dates at the 180 day mark. The last date posted was Sunday, 6/24, and we've been waiting on the dates to "pick up again" after a break around the 7/4 week.

Two things are possible, either there aren't going to be many/any July EMM dates... or we're in a period where dates aren't going to be made available at the 180 day mark. Unfortunately there's nothing consistent with how Disney manages EMM dates.

I do keep Post #2 current and check for dates every day, so it will be noted here when/if new dates are added.

Hope that helps.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Don't want to contribute to unwarranted speculation, but I guess I will.

I was just looking at the Magic Kingdom "Hours" on this page: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/en_CA/destinations/magic-kingdom/

It shows "Ticketed Event: 7:45AM-9AM" for Sunday 7/1, Sunday 7/8, and Tuesday 7/10. Hours are not posted past Saturday 7/14 at the moment (which is 180 days from today, FWIW).

While not 100%, in the past the "Ticketed Event" note has been an early indicator that EMM is likely to be offered on those dates.

Obviously take that with a massive grain of salt, but something to keep on eye on.

 

[Ferrentinos]

losing hope that anyone will cancel for Feb 4... we are so mad at ourselves for missing out on booking it... if there happens to be anyone out there who plans to cancel, please let me know!

 

[GADisneyDad14]

losing hope that anyone will cancel for Feb 4... we are so mad at ourselves for missing out on booking it... if there happens to be anyone out there who plans to cancel, please let me know!

Hey @Ferrentinos

Remember, there's a 1 day cancellation policy on EMM, so keep looking! Maybe something will pop up. Good luck.