Morning extra magic hours

[MotherofLandon]

I am debating between doing HS and AK on the days they have extra magic hours in the morning or flipping them and avoiding emh. The hour for resort guest not the paid event. Our plan would be to stay at the park until 2ish. Do you do emh or avoid those parks. Are the added crowds later worth the shorter lines in the morning. We are going in July with 3 kids(4,8,16) and 4 adults.

 

[sharonabe]

I am debating between doing HS and AK on the days they have extra magic hours in the morning or flipping them and avoiding emh. The hour for resort guest not the paid event. Our plan would be to stay at the park until 2ish. Do you do emh or avoid those parks. Are the added crowds later worth the shorter lines in the morning. We are going in July with 3 kids(4,8,16) and 4 adults.

For those two parks, if you're wanting to do FoP and SDD, even with EMH, you'll want to be AT the park about an hour before posted EMH open. If you can get your crew up and out the door in time to do that, I'd do the EMH. If you want the extra hour of sleep, I'd avoid the EMH.

 

[Tiggerlover91]

I am debating between doing HS and AK on the days they have extra magic hours in the morning or flipping them and avoiding emh. The hour for resort guest not the paid event. Our plan would be to stay at the park until 2ish.

1)Do you do emh or
2) avoid those parks.
3) Are the added crowds later worth the shorter lines in the morning. We are going in July with 3 kids(4,8,16) and 4 adults.

1)yes
2) I do not
3) Absolutely! You'd be amazed the number of rides you can knock out before park open to other guests.

I'll be doing evening EMH on my June visit. I don't think HS or AK have one in the evening.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

Personally I actively try to seek out AM EMH.
I can get a lot done in that one extra hour and at AK and HS you could at least get in the headliner prior to park opening.
Admittedly I have not done FOP but I have done SDD during AM EMH and in that hour I did SDD, AS2, and TSM and then walked over to RNRC.
I know some people avoid but my thought is if you are staying onsite why not take advantage of what is supposed to be a "perk" of the premium you pay.

 

[MotherofLandon]

We would not be doing FoP. I am hoping to get a FP. If I can't we will skip it. AK would be more about lighter crowds and getting in more before temps rise. We would be trying to do as much as possible at toy story mania at HS.

 

[sharonabe]

We would not be doing FoP. I am hoping to get a FP. If I can't we will skip it. AK would be more about lighter crowds and getting in more before temps rise. We would be trying to do as much as possible at toy story mania at HS.

In this scenario, I would arrive at AK about 15 min before posted EMH time. The FoP crowd should already be in the park and you should be able to walk right through bag check and enter. You'll get a ton done at AK by doing the other attractions. Just be aware that the safari doesn't always open with EMH. Check with a CM before heading that way. Everest and the other EMH attractions should be up and going, though.

For HS, you'll want to be at the park EARLY to be in the front of the pack headed to TSL because that's where the majority will be going.

ETA: The advantage of EMH at HS is you will be done with TSL by the time offsite guests can enter and therefore be ready to hit the rest of the park and stay ahead of the crowds for the morning. If you don't do EMH, then you're competing with everyone for TSL and then the rest of the park all day long.

 

[Have3Kids&aHusband]

We did EMH for AK to do FOP. We got there about 25 minutes before EMH started and were let in to stand in line outside FOP. We stood in what seemed like a very, very long line. But once the ride officially opened for EMH we were in fairly quickly. Mostly just walking through the queue that we had missed with our FP. So in total only about a 35 minute wait including our time prior to the official EMH. Kids thought it was well worth waking up early to ride FOP again without a "long" wait.

 

[MaxSkywalker]

If you don't get there at 5:30am, can you still take advantage of some shorter lines? I don't know if I can get the kiddos up that early, so if we were to mosey in around 7 or so, is the only disadvantage that we have less time to do rides or will the lines already be long by then? There are so few rides at HS that I'll be pretty happy if we can just squeeze in the few they want to ride without having to wait too long, then maybe using a FP later that day and enjoying some shows and just taking in GE.

 

[mom2rose&john]

We had late morning FP to FOP on EMMH for AK. We arrived at 8am and did Dinasour (walk on), Everest 2x (walk on both times), Navi (it was a 20 min wait), Safari ride (used FP) both trails, Did our SW 24 hr check in, walked around taking in the views, took 4 photo pass pictures, ate at Satu'li Canteen all before riding FOP (fast pass was for 11:40-12:40) at 12:30. We dropped the Everest FP since we had already rode 2x and picked up a Nemo FP for the 2pm show and had amazing seats (and a little nap). I highly recommend EMMH!

 

[smallsy]

We had late morning FP to FOP on EMMH for AK. We arrived at 8am and did Dinasour (walk on), Everest 2x (walk on both times), Navi (it was a 20 min wait), Safari ride (used FP) both trails, Did our SW 24 hr check in, walked around taking in the views, took 4 photo pass pictures, ate at Satu'li Canteen all before riding FOP (fast pass was for 11:40-12:40) at 12:30. We dropped the Everest FP since we had already rode 2x and picked up a Nemo FP for the 2pm show and had amazing seats (and a little nap). I highly recommend EMMH!

That’s awesome! I would think a 7am EMH would be even better. We have a 11:20 FP for FOP and 9:10 Safari so we plan to do something similar where we can be done around 1-2pm

Did you have young kids in tow? I like the idea of being able to hit Navi before the crowds but don’t like the idea of having to trek across the park from Asia to pandora to do it. Wondering if maybe we can hit Navi first and then go to EE and dinoland with minimal waits...

 

[CapnJacksGirl]

Just be aware that the safari doesn't always open with EMH. Check with a CM before heading that way.

Anyone know how often it DOESN'T open with EMH? We are doing AK EMH on Monday 8/26 and had planned to RD FOP and then go to Safari right after. Alternatively, we'll go to Dinosaur, Primeval Whirl (if it's back open), and EE before going to Safari but that isn't my preferred direction.

 

[mom2rose&john]

That’s awesome! I would think a 7am EMH would be even better. We have a 11:20 FP for FOP and 9:10 Safari so we plan to do something similar where we can be done around 1-2pm

Did you have young kids in tow? I like the idea of being able to hit Navi before the crowds but don’t like the idea of having to trek across the park from Asia to pandora to do it. Wondering if maybe we can hit Navi first and then go to EE and dinoland with minimal waits...

Our kids are 14 and 15. We have done the same type of route when they were 7 and 8. I kept tabs on Navi, until 9:15 am the MDE (I checked 4 times) wait posted was 20-25 minutes. Around 10:30 am the wait time jumped to 45-60 minutes all day on 7-15-19.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Do you do emh or avoid those parks?
Are the added crowds later worth the shorter lines in the morning?

Some and some, to both questions.
the catch is that EMH is only worthwhile IF you are actually in the park for the EMH. If you miss the bus, oversleep, get stuck too long waiting for breakfast, or aren't actually in the parks for the EMH, then going to that park an hour late, then you actually suffer a penalty .

So much also depends on the weather. If cold or a downpour, it is sometimes better to skip EMH. If hot, it is good to be in the parks for EMH.

Also keep in mind....people tour in a pattern. The go to MK, then rotate through the other 4 parks. So the pattern you incur one day, might follow you all week. (i.e. the most crowded park). Chose carefully!

 

[sharonabe]

Anyone know how often it DOESN'T open with EMH? We are doing AK EMH on Monday 8/26 and had planned to RD FOP and then go to Safari right after. Alternatively, we'll go to Dinosaur, Primeval Whirl (if it's back open), and EE before going to Safari but that isn't my preferred direction.

First, just want to be sure that you know "rope drop FoP" means you're at the park 45 min to an hour before said rope drop. Even on EMH days, they are opening early and directing people over to Pandora well before the stated opening time.

If you're doing FoP first, then you'll know whether Safari is open or not by the time you get off. Check the app or ask a CM. Oh, and the back way from Pandora over to Africa may not be open when you finish FoP and you'll have to go back to the "hub" of AK, so you'll have more CMs to ask just to be sure of which way you need to go from there.

 

[CapnJacksGirl]

First, just want to be sure that you know "rope drop FoP" means you're at the park 45 min to an hour before said rope drop. Even on EMH days, they are opening early and directing people over to Pandora well before the stated opening time.

If you're doing FoP first, then you'll know whether Safari is open or not by the time you get off. Check the app or ask a CM. Oh, and the back way from Pandora over to Africa may not be open when you finish FoP and you'll have to go back to the "hub" of AK, so you'll have more CMs to ask just to be sure of which way you need to go from there.

Thanks for the info. Yes, we were planning to be at AK at least an hour before the scheduled EMH time. Good to know the back way to Africa isn't always open. I would have assumed it would be so thanks for that!