New Magic Kingdom Welcome Show & Main Street Opening UPDATE: Page 15 - Post #281

[ArielSRL]

So if the park opens for EMH Guest at 8, you can get into Main Street at 7?

This past Friday it was around 7:45 for EMH guests, along with PPO guests.

 

[JohnDaleswife]

Oh, so it won't be opening that much earlier then? So we won't be able to get at least 30 minutes on Main Street to just shop and look before the park opens?

 

[ArielSRL]

Oh, so it won't be opening that much earlier then? So we won't be able to get at least 30 minutes on Main Street to just shop and look before the park opens?

Based on this past Friday, no one is let in any earlier than 7:45. All other guests are let in at 8 (but held on Main Street). I don't know if the shops open at 7:45 on EMH days or still at 8. I didn't ask that. Basically I plan to do the Main Street meandering on our 2 non-EMH days at MK. On the EMH day we will go straight for the rope at Fantasyland. We plan to hit PP as soon as we are able.

 

[JohnDaleswife]

Well now that is disappointing.

 

[AngiTN]

Oh, so it won't be opening that much earlier then? So we won't be able to get at least 30 minutes on Main Street to just shop and look before the park opens?

No, EHM is not just a regular opening done early. You can't view it like they moved park opening from 9:00 to 8:00 for resorts guests. It's limited things offered early. A big difference. The entire park isn't open for EMH, only select things.

 

[CookieGVB]

This past Friday, we were allowed to start scanning our bands to get past the tapstiles around 7:20. Guest services didn't open until 7:30, so anyone with ticket issues or looking to get a stroller, locker, ecv, etc had to wait until then. 7:45 we were allowed into the park, but only were able to stand at ropes by Tomorrowland or Fantasyland to the right of the castle. I didn't see them scanning anyone's bands to see if they were resort guests or not. Our bands weren't scanned at all. There was a ridiculous amount of people waiting for SDMT by the time we got there - it was at 40 minutes wait within 5-10 minutes of opening. We weren't heading there, so NBD for us...it was quite the sight to see the line going back towards the teacups

 

[bubblebrown]

Just wanted to share my experience with the new morning show/earlier opening time. My family was in the Magic Kingdom this past Thursday (1/12) which had a 9 opening. We caught the 6:45 bus out of Art of Animation (which was way too early but my girls and I were overanxious and super excited!). Security was a breeze and we were waiting in line by 7:07. The pre-open breakfast ADR folks were let in around 7:40 and not even 10 minutes after that the rest of us (maybe 20 in line) were let in. We were able to walk at a slow pace down Main Street and grab some treats and coffee. By 7:54 we were sitting at a Plaza Restaurant table (with one other family) and enjoying our treats and some breakfast items I had brought from the hotel. That morning they were filming a segment for the Ant and Deck show (an English show) so instead of getting castle photos with no people we instead got to watch Mickey and friends perform for the show (they had brought in three boat loads of people as extras, so an empty castle shot was impossible). I had had a pre-open BOG ADR before the new welcoming show was announced but decided to cancel it since I was able to snag a FP for 7 DMT and I knew my girls (5 and 8) would love to see all the characters to start their day. According to touringplans.com this was a level 6 day in the parks. If I had not gotten the FP for 7DMT I would have kept my bfast ADR and tried to either ride that right away and/or head to Peter Pan to start a magical day.

 

[AngiTN]

This past Friday, we were allowed to start scanning our bands to get past the tapstiles around 7:20. Guest services didn't open until 7:30, so anyone with ticket issues or looking to get a stroller, locker, ecv, etc had to wait until then. 7:45 we were allowed into the park, but only were able to stand at ropes by Tomorrowland or Fantasyland to the right of the castle. I didn't see them scanning anyone's bands to see if they were resort guests or not. Our bands weren't scanned at all. There was a ridiculous amount of people waiting for SDMT by the time we got there - it was at 40 minutes wait within 5-10 minutes of opening. We weren't heading there, so NBD for us...it was quite the sight to see the line going back towards the teacups

There is always a ridiculous amount of people heading to 7DMT at park opening, EMH or regular, doesn't matter. 40 min wait at opening is normal also. I believe reports are bands are scanned when you are ready to ride, like at evening EMH

 

[JohnDaleswife]

This past Friday, we were allowed to start scanning our bands to get past the tapstiles around 7:20. Guest services didn't open until 7:30, so anyone with ticket issues or looking to get a stroller, locker, ecv, etc had to wait until then. 7:45 we were allowed into the park, but only were able to stand at ropes by Tomorrowland or Fantasyland to the right of the castle. I didn't see them scanning anyone's bands to see if they were resort guests or not. Our bands weren't scanned at all. There was a ridiculous amount of people waiting for SDMT by the time we got there - it was at 40 minutes wait within 5-10 minutes of opening. We weren't heading there, so NBD for us...it was quite the sight to see the line going back towards the teacups

So you were allowed to wonder around Main Street around 7:30 that morning?

 

[CookieGVB]

Nope - we went to ride Pooh - nobody scanned

 

[AngiTN]

Nope - we went to ride Pooh - nobody scanned

Do we know for sure that non Resorts guests got in at the turnstiles that early?

 

[CookieGVB]

There is always a ridiculous amount of people heading to 7DMT at park opening, EMH or regular, doesn't matter. 40 min wait at opening is normal also. I believe reports are bands are scanned when you are ready to ride, like at evening EMH

So you were allowed to wonder around Main Street around 7:30 that morning?

No - only 7:45. Very short time between going into the park and the rope opening to Tomorrowland and Fantasyland

 

[JohnDaleswife]

No - only 7:45. Very short time between going into the park and the rope opening to Tomorrowland and Fantasyland

Oh, ok. Well it is just not going to work out in our favor then.

 

[CookieGVB]

Do we know for sure that non Resorts guests got in at the turnstiles that early?

Nope - I'm just saying we weren't scanned other than at the entrance. If they're letting everyone in at 8:00 on non early entry days, it doesn't make sense that they'd hold them back. Basically, unless they change the time they're letting people in, the only time you'll be able to enjoy extra time to stroll around would be on a regular park entry day

 

[AngiTN]

Nope - I'm just saying we weren't scanned other than at the entrance. If they're letting everyone in at 8:00 on non early entry days, it doesn't make sense that they'd hold them back. Basically, unless they change the time they're letting people in, the only time you'll be able to enjoy extra time to stroll around would be on a regular park entry day

I need to find the other reviews from last Friday. They didn't seem to match yours. Somewhere I read they were not allowing non-resort guests to ride somehow, but I'll have to read back and find it. Because as you experience it, there was no EMH, it just opened at 8:00 for everyone

 

[CookieGVB]

I need to find the other reviews from last Friday. They didn't seem to match yours. Somewhere I read they were not allowing non-resort guests to ride somehow, but I'll have to read back and find it. Because as you experience it, there was no EMH, it just opened at 8:00 for everyone

This was our experience. Maybe because we weren't heading to any of the big headliners in the park, but we rode on a couple of rides in Fantasyland and met Ariel before 9:00 - all without anyone scanning our bands. I've also read that Enchanted Tales with Belle is part of EMH, but we waited for a few minutes because the line didn't open until 9:00. Obviously, YMMV. Just telling everyone what happened to us - what we saw and experienced.

 

[ArielSRL]

Do we know for sure that non Resorts guests got in at the turnstiles that early?

@cakebaker wrote about their experiences earlier in the thread and mentioned ONLY resort guest (and PPO) were allowed thru tapstiles at 7:45. Non-resort were held. So maybe that's why they didn't check bands? Just a guess, though.

 

[FigmentSpark]

And info about the wait at the Space Mountain hub arm, versus the 7DMT? When do the lines start building?

 

[prmatz]

For a 9:00 park opening, is there any real difference between a 8:00 and 8:35 BOG reservation? Will you be allowed into the park and restaurant at the same time? Or will they hold you at the BOG entrance until closer to the actual resie time? May impact our ability to see the show...

 

[AngiTN]

For a 9:00 park opening, is there any real difference between a 8:00 and 8:35 BOG reservation? Will you be allowed into the park and restaurant at the same time? Or will they hold you at the BOG entrance until closer to the actual resie time? May impact our ability to see the show...

No, no difference. You get in at the same time with either one