Park touring/ Evening EMH's.... now that you are DVC members.....

[edk35]

Do you tour the parks differently? Do you partake in the evening EMH's? There are a couple of threads about this on the Theme Park boards. However I almost feel that DVC folks probably do things a little different. At least we do now. We used to be the commando type...up early/hit rope drop and then out until park closing. NOW since we go in the summers mainly (kids schedules) we are out early still, but take a resort break after lunch until about 5 or so. Then go back out. HOWEVER......I am tempted to try some of these EMH evenings and SLEEP IN. I am a bit worried though. We have NEVER just left everything to the late afternoons or evenings. We have always followed Tour Guide Mike's best park days plan and this would be unchartered waters for us. So have any of you NON commando types not arrived at rope drop?? If so how late do you arrive at the parks and what time of year are we talking? I can see doing that in the least crowded months. I would love to hear your views on rope drop and EMH evenings. We tend to always SKIP morning EMH's. We go to another park that day that is not hosting an EMH morning.

 

[Granny]

We were the typical "park commandos" before joining DVC. We haven't been to a morning EMH since we joined DVC.

Part of it is the more relaxing accommodations (we always get at least a 1BR or larger villa). Part of it is we've been many times now and there is no desire to get up early and hit the parks.

But mostly the DVC ownership has changed us because we don't worry about missing something. We know we'll be back fairly soon. So there's no sense of urgency to "do everything" every trip. It keeps the vacations more relaxed and even keeps WDW fresher for us as there are some attractions we only see every few years.

We typically have vacationed during the summer and tend to get to the parks in the late morning. Using Fast Passes and evening EMH we are able to see most attractions that we want to see every trip.

 

[Connears]

We joined dvc in 1994 and I must say we did do morning emh when ds was younger for the ease(he is now 20). We go every xmas and sometimes again in summer. The last 4 xmas trips we did evening emh at epcot and did one morning emh at MK to do all the fantasy land rides for me and then leave around 11am. We agree with the leisurely start and the relaxing accomodations going hand-in-hand. We also stopped commando touring because we know we will be back soon. At xmas we try to do the favorites and the holiday stuff and if FP and wait times don't work out..we don't stress out.

Connears

 

[DonnaL]

Before buying DVC we visited WDW maybe once every five or six years, so felt the need to "do and see everything this trip because something might be gone or changed by next trip". So.......I definitely agree with Granny and Connears.....we no longer visit with that attitude since we know we'll be back again very soon........usually twice a year....sometimes three times. As a matter of fact, DH and I spent three days at AKV in May, 2009 and DIDN'T EVEN GO TO A PARK!! It was absolutely wonderful......sleeping in and then having a leisurely breakfast in our 1 bdrm.....then hanging out by the pool with
a good book and a few cocktails for a few hours......taking a refreshing afternoon nap and then getting ready for our dinner reservations......THE BEST PART..... we went to Vero Beach for three more days and DID THE SAME THING!!

 

[edk35]

Before buying DVC we visited WDW maybe once every five or six years, so felt the need to "do and see everything this trip because something might be gone or changed by next trip". So.......I definitely agree with Granny and Connears.....we no longer visit with that attitude since we know we'll be back again very soon........usually twice a year....sometimes three times. As a matter of fact, DH and I spent three days at AKV in May, 2009 and DIDN'T EVEN GO TO A PARK!! It was absolutely wonderful......sleeping in and then having a leisurely breakfast in our 1 bdrm.....then hanging out by the pool with
a good book and a few cocktails for a few hours......taking a refreshing afternoon nap and then getting ready for our dinner reservations......THE BEST PART..... we went to Vero Beach for three more days and DID THE SAME THING!!

Sounds great!!!

 

[Crystal_27]

We highly rely on TGM too, but the pace is a lot different now that we are DVC owners. It just feel less of a sense of urgency to try and do everything, and we have so much downtime built into our itineraries that doing Disney World is becoming an actual vacation (instead of being just exhausting). I'd say if you are tempted to do those evenings EMH and just sleep in the rest of the day, go for it! Happy planning!

 

[mom3sonstt]

We've been DVC members for over 10 years. In the beginning (and before we bought in) we were commando. Up for park opening especially if it was an early entry day. The first 4 days (or 3 before Animal Kingdom opened) we would hit a different park and go and go and go. On the 5th day (or 4th) we'd go to a water park - at opening - and stay there until mid afternoon then maybe go to downtown disney that night. The rest of the days were "do what we missed". Maybe skipping an early entry, but only if we were going to a different park - where we would still probably be there for opening. We were exhausted and crabby but we were doing it all . I think what finally slowed us down was the boys getting older (teenagers) - they didn't want to get up that early, they also didn't want to spend all of their time with us. At first we still got them up and we'd still go to the parks together, but we would let them go off and meet us later. Then my kidneys got worse and eventually I started dialysis. The first trip after that was miserable. I hadn't discovered the ECVs yet, but I took a cane - I got nothing done, was sore, tired and only enjoyed indoor air conditioned shows. And even then, I doubt I even noticed the shows because I was using all of my energy to soak up the air conditioning and re-charge. We let the boys go and do as they pleased. Late nights and early mornings were out because I had to be hooked up to my dialysis machine for 8 hours....so if we had ADRs for breakfast I had to make sure I was in the room the night before in plenty of time to get my dialysis done and still have time to get ready an get where we needed to be on time. The next trip I rented an ECV, we spent the first 4 days kind of with the boys - at least we all went to the same parks - we did a few things together, but after we'd hit each park once they did what they wanted. The last 2 trips (that the boys went on) we shared a room and met for a couple meals, but they were on their own. I haven't been to a park opening in maybe 3 years (which would cover about 6 trips). I have noticed that even the time we spend in the park we walk past more stuff than we stop at. Part of that is the last few trips we have taken in the summer (we used to go Sept/Oct) so the lines are longer. It is much easier for us to look at a long line and say that we will just catch that next time than to stand in line for an hour.
So, to answer your initial question - I don't think it was necessarily buying DVC that changed how we do parks, but I also think if we didn't have DVC we wouldn't have gone as often as we did. I think the fact that we are still going as often as we do now that traveling is more of a hassle (with my dialysis supplies) and with the boys being older (almost 17 - 21) is because we know what to expect when we get there, we know my supplies and my ECV will be there waiting for me, we know that the boys know their way around and know what they like and what they don't. If we were looking at taking everyone to a different vacation destination....well, we probably wouldn't go. The last non-Disney family trip we took was to Dollywood - and we had a good time - but that was 7 or 8 years ago.

 

[Inkmahm]

Do you tour the parks differently? Do you partake in the evening EMH's? There are a couple of threads about this on the Theme Park boards. However I almost feel that DVC folks probably do things a little different. At least we do now. We used to be the commando type...up early/hit rope drop and then out until park closing. NOW since we go in the summers mainly (kids schedules) we are out early still, but take a resort break after lunch until about 5 or so. Then go back out. HOWEVER......I am tempted to try some of these EMH evenings and SLEEP IN. I am a bit worried though. We have NEVER just left everything to the late afternoons or evenings. We have always followed Tour Guide Mike's best park days plan and this would be unchartered waters for us. So have any of you NON commando types not arrived at rope drop?? If so how late do you arrive at the parks and what time of year are we talking? I can see doing that in the least crowded months. I would love to hear your views on rope drop and EMH evenings. We tend to always SKIP morning EMH's. We go to another park that day that is not hosting an EMH morning.

We have always been commando type people, before we bought DVC and still after we bought DVC. We like to spend as much time in the parks as we can. What HAS changed though is that if we miss an attraction somewhere due to crowds or timing, it isn't a big deal. We know we'll be back in a few months anyway and can get to it then.

 

[bookwormde]

Before DVC (and mostly offsite) we would do EMH morning and go till we dropped and were done for the day, now we do EMH morning and once it gets crowded and hot (we visit in the summer) we go back to the resort to enjoy it, eat lunch (from the villa kitchen), explore, swim, and take a nap (sometimes several hours) and often each a light dinner (again in the villa) so we can do EMH evenings when it is cooler .

bookwormde

 

[Sandisw]

We still go in the mornings, take a break, and head back at night. But, we stopped doing EMH.

We now visit the parks the morning of or after the park has EMH at night. This way, we spend a few hours doing our favorites and go from there. We park hop so where we are in the AM is always different than the PM.

We typically stay until 1:00 or so and head back to swim and relax. We then decide what we will do for dinner (TS or CS) and head to the park depending on that.

There have been a few nights where we ended up staying until 3:00 pm or so and didn't end up back at the park.

As others have said, there is no sense of urgency if we don't get to see everything. We utilize FP as best we can and by the end of our yearly trip, we get to see pretty much everything we want at least once.

Now, last summer, my kids (21, 17, 14) did want to sleep in one morning while we were at VWL, so they did and I headed to MK by myself for opening at 8:00 am. I did all I wanted to do by myself (it was nice!!!) and was back to wake them up at 10:00 am! It worked out perfect for everyone!!!

 

[Connears]

Before DVC (and mostly offsite) we would do EMH morning and go till we dropped and were done for the day, now we do EMH morning and once it gets crowded and hot (we visit in the summer) we go back to the resort to enjoy it, eat lunch (from the villa kitchen), explore, swim, and take a nap (sometimes several hours) and often each a light dinner (again in the villa) so we can do EMH evenings when it is cooler .

bookwormde

How could you do EMH mornings if you were off-site? It is only for resort guests.

Connears

 

[bookwormde]

Sorry rope drop not EMH, (brain fade, offsite is a memory I have tried to forget about)

bookwormde

 

[edk35]

We still go in the mornings, take a break, and head back at night. But, we stopped doing EMH.

We now visit the parks the morning of or after the park has EMH at night. This way, we spend a few hours doing our favorites and go from there. We park hop so where we are in the AM is always different than the PM.

We typically stay until 1:00 or so and head back to swim and relax. We then decide what we will do for dinner (TS or CS) and head to the park depending on that.

There have been a few nights where we ended up staying until 3:00 pm or so and didn't end up back at the park.

As others have said, there is no sense of urgency if we don't get to see everything. We utilize FP as best we can and by the end of our yearly trip, we get to see pretty much everything we want at least once.

Now, last summer, my kids (21, 17, 14) did want to sleep in one morning while we were at VWL, so they did and I headed to MK by myself for opening at 8:00 am. I did all I wanted to do by myself (it was nice!!!) and was back to wake them up at 10:00 am! It worked out perfect for everyone!!!

So are you saying you go to park that had an Eve. EMH the next morning???? You don't go to morning EMH's either? Thanks

 

[ToddyLu]

DH and I do not have children, so there really is no reason to "have to" rush around. However, our first 4-5 trips we were commando. Last year was our first DVC trip in late Oct/early Nov. It was fabulous and we really relaxed, no commando any more. If we get it with a fast pass great if not, get it next year. Dh always has a free day by himself at AK to take pics to his heart's consent. I get to do something I want that day.

We always make time for evening EMH and AK, usually Wed. This coming Dec. we are arriving on a Wednesday for 9 nights. DH will spend his first evening at AK for evening EMH, MIL and I will do Hoop De Doo for the first time. We may meet up later at DTD or just head back tot he room. I think last year was the first year DH brought the laptop. He hopes to have his Ipad for the next one.. We had just bought our Iphones and he was in to the Disney Apps...we made sure the Wait TImes App was accurate (it was)....now we do silly stuff like that and spend more time just enjoying the surroundings.

One of the pleasures was seeing my MIL face when she walked in her SV studio for the first time....I loved giving her that experience.

 

[Sandisw]

So are you saying you go to park that had an Eve. EMH the next morning???? You don't go to morning EMH's either? Thanks

Yes! Last year, we went to MK two mornings in a row, the day they were having night EMH and the morning after night EMH.

We got all the big rides done and many of the small rides by 11:00 am (two hours!). We were there in mid August and we never waited more than 10 minutes for anything.

By 1:00 pm, the day they had night EMH, it was a different story as people were heading in who planned to stay late and wait times were a lot longer.

We find this strategy works for us. For the most part, we also avoid the EMH in the AM as well as I liked not having to get up and be somewhere by 8:00 am vs. being there by 9:00 am.

Of course, being DVC helps as we don't worry about what we do or do not get to, but last summer, we with strategy over a week, we got on everything, and all the big rides (including TSM) were done no less than 3 times!

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

This next trip will only be my 3rd trip to WDW (2nd as DVC member), but I've already found that I want to take it slower. We will be staying for 6 days/7 nights at AKV this fall, and here are my plans:

Sunday: Sunrise Safari/Epcot/Fantasmic (We will be up EARLY!!!! We usually have lots of energy the first day, so we plan to tackle a lot!)

Monday: DHS/Epcot (Again we will be up early, planning on making rope drop so we can do TSM.)

Tuesday: Sleep in! Either water park or Disney Quest.

Wednesday: Sleep in! Water park or Disney Quest.

Thursday: Sleep in! Boma for late breakfast, then MNSSHP until midnight!

Friday: Sleep in! AK for Evening EMH (We will probably get there around lunch so we can get FP for the safari.)

So as you can see, we are definitely taking the relaxed approach. After going to HHI, I have decided that's the kind of vacation I like! HHI is the best! But I enjoy WDW too. It's just hit me that I would enjoy it more if I slowed down.