PM EMH drops from THREE Hours to TWO Hours

[mom2rtk]

This can't be related to FastPass+. I've been repeatedly assured everything about it is going to be "fabulous".

Definitely bum news, but thanks for relaying.

OK, I'm late to this.......... but

 

[mom2rtk]

It's called a cost-benefit analysis. .

But a cost benefit analysis probably only includes the number of guests in the park during that last hour as compared to the cost of keeping the park open that hour.

They probably failed to factor in the cost of losing on-site bookings as people see the value of that diminished.......... and the cost of them needing to add more discounts to keep those rooms filled.

I'm pretty surprised by this in light of the additional rooms they now must keep filled.

I'm also surprised by it in light of the Fantasyland Expansion opening soon. Everything they have done lately seems to be about crowd control and the managing of more bodies in the panks as they anticipate the huge influx of people the want to show up once the new things open.

Cutting back on EMH just seems to be going the opposite direction.

 

[Cinderumbrella]

I know they are saying these cutbacks begin in 2013, but to me it appears that they have already begun -technically. Typically, in August the MK would remain open until 11PM most nights with the usual cut to 10PM later in the month(after say the 24th or so). With Friday being the usual PM EMH night, staying open until 2AM. This year, they are still "offering" the 3 hour EMH but closing at 10PM -thus reducing the EMH to 2-hours ...closing at 1PM.

YUP!!! The whole summer has been like this, compared to last summer and the summer before.

And like many PPs have stated, it isn't just this that is making me , its the accumulation of so many other cutbacks, all piling together that is doing it. (ie AP rates being late and usually the same as the GP, just with less selection; reducing monorail hours; increased ticket prices and eliminating the child's AP discount; shorter park hours in general etc; the decline of Disney food quality/variety while increasing the pricing, and we haven't used DDP in years etc.)

We have been AP holders since 2009. Mine expires in a couple of months. For 2013 we had planned on a June trip and a November trip, thus purchasing new APs. For the first time, I am seriously considering not renewing and just going to WDW once next year and then probably turning into the every 2-3 year visitor that Disney seems to be going after. I am taking off the rose colored glasses when viewing the House of Mouse and I am not liking what I see.

To the PP who posted the guest services email address, thank you!! I will also send and email voicing my displeasure in all of these changes.

Will it make a difference? Maybe, maybe not. But it will make me feel better that I did SOMETHING other than a meaningless (albeit therapeutic ) complaint on a message board.

 

[mom2rtk]

This bites...even though I would love to see them eliminate EMHs altogether and bring back E-Ride Nights. Best $10 I ever spent at WDW.

And you really think if they brought them back they'd be $10? Not on a BET!

That's very true. But, a lot of people don't like to rent cars and drive in unknown areas. And then you have PI...Disney went and killed that pretty effectively. Now, if we don't want to rent cars, we are stuck there, onsite. I think we may actually start seeing more people renting cars to head out and do other stuff. City Walk is getting more and more appealing. Maybe a few nights at US/IoA vs those few nights at WDW.

Ahhh..... but the entire Magical Express deal was to get people to stop renting cars so they could capture all of the guest's vacation dollars. Once you get a car, why NOT consider staying offsite? Or at least eating offsite? Heck, if I have a car, maybe I'll check out Universal..... or Sea World........ it's just a huge slippery slope they seem to be flirting with lately.

Somehow I do not see $10 E Ticket night returning. Maybe $30-$50 Eticket night. No way would I pay that. Now $10 was a bargain.

Bingo. Not a chance on Earth they'd do it for $10 again.

I am confident that Disney knows what % of WDW resort guests actually use the third hour and as others have stated this is clearly a cost benefit analysis. If only a few percentage of the WDW resort guests are using the last hour then as a business I would pull back and use my money for other areas such as next-gen infrastructure, fantasyland expansion, etc.
Also for those guests that are shouting they will stay off site now due to this, I am sure Disney has a long term plan, including preferred x-pass for resort guests which will make you reconsider saying off-site.

But they have no way of knowing how many people choose to stay on-site in the first place because of this perk.

We're planning a trip to FL next June for a week on Sanibel Island. It's not a Disney trip, but I was just telling a friend yesterday we might get a deluxe room on a MK EMH night just to stop in for one late night fix of the magic. Add at least 3 tickets to the price of that deluxe room. Oh, and if we're that close, we'd probably have breakfast at Chef Mickey before leaving the next day...... add $200 for that........ and we're close to $1K for that one night. Take away 1/3 of the real reason I'm going (late night EMH) and I might have to do my OWN cost/benefit analysis........

I was so mad when they stopped the character interactions during EMH and now they are shortening the time I go in April and August when there are two Magic Kingdom evening EMH nights but now there looks like there will only be one Like all the rest here, not happy that it is more money and less for it

You know, I actually posted last year on that EMH character thread that if traffic goes down in the parks during EMH as a result, they'd use that as justification to try to phase them out. This seems like the next step. Now take away the best hour of the EMH and even more people will stop using them....... eventually they just have to go away. And it's not Disney's fault. Demand just wasn't there......

I dont understand why guests that have been multiple times still use EMH.
During value season, when FL kids , parents are still at work/school. They only parks that are full are the EMH. The other parks are WAY WAY less crowded. You can just about walk onto every ride. Yes you have less hrs in the park but you can do so much more by not going to a EMH park.

Honestly, we only travel in the off season. And even with good park planning, the days with walk-on rides are few and far between. Disney is one step ahead, offering free dining during these times to be sure and still fill the parks. I think all it has done is shift traffic from higher crowd times to the previously low crowd times.

 

[andyman8]

Thanks for the insightful post.

Just curious, though-- when you say that the MK is open until 10pm on Jan 20th, do you mean that it is open that late with or without the EMH hours? I have only seen the typical 8pm closing time for that day on Jan 2013 calendars so far, so assume that the 10pm closing time you mentioned includes the two additional EMH hours. Just wanted to make sure, though, since I would LOVE to be wrong and hear that it closes at 12am instead.

I used the historical "extended hours." I probably should not have said that is is "currently scheduled" because it's not, but chances are these hours will be the final ones.

Thanks for reading! It's those small things in life that make my day.

 

[hakepb]

Gotta agree! I remember a few years ago AP discounts always came out before the GP ones. Now we are the very last to get discounts, discounts are not near as much and frequently are about the same as some of the GP deals, and only get what's left over as far as resorts. I know alot of resorts (especially standard rooms) were not included in this last batch of AP discounts. Disney just does not seem to appreciate their loyal customers like they used to. I know for the first time in over eight years, I am not planning on renewing my AP this next year. I'll keep my upcoming trips for early Sept and Oct/Nov, but only because my current AP doesnt expire until Nov 26th. I usually go to WDW for nine days 4-6 times every single year, but right now after my Nov trip I have no idea when I'll be going back. Normally I'd be planning a trip for early Dec and another one for the first week of May, but I think I'll be looking into other places to vacation. I work for a state hospital so get tons of vacation, comp, and holiday time. Depending on the year I have spent 36-54 days at WDW every single year for the last 8-9 years (but never less than 36 days). I'll now be spending those days elsewhere. Disney prices keep going up, but they keep making cuts.

FWIW, when I compare perk lists, I feel Disney likes me a lot more as an AP holder than a DVC member.

 

[DebbieB]

FWIW, when I compare perk lists, I feel Disney likes me a lot more as an AP holder than a DVC member.

But being a DVC member gets you $149 off that AP for each member of your immediate family living at your address. Did you factor that in?

 

[Robo]

But being a DVC member gets you $149 off that AP.

At what expense per year, for how many years?

 

[DebbieB]

At what expense per year, for how many years?

Do you mean as a dues chargeback? I don't think there is one.

 

[Robo]

Do you mean as a dues chargeback?

Nope.

 

[stitchrulz]

Honestly, we only travel in the off season. And even with good park planning, the days with walk-on rides are few and far between. Disney is one step ahead, offering free dining during these times to be sure and still fill the parks. I think all it has done is shift traffic from higher crowd times to the previously low crowd times.

Yes, we'd always go in September (once in Nov.). My DH and I started going to Disney with our honeymoon in '95. During those heady, early years of our Disney addiction, I seem to recall that MK was only open late with fireworks during our stay on the Sunday night we'd arrive. We'd be sure to be on the landing at the Contemporary (before they put the seating there) to watch them. The rest of the stay, MK closed at 7:00 p.m., I believe, so we ended every night at Epcot. Even with those tight hours, we were able to do everything at a nice pace, reasonable crowds and wait times, and I'll bet Disney was still turning a nice profit. But, they've figured they can offer "free" dining (which served to further decline the food quality), lure huge tour groups, etc., so now there are lower-crowd times, but not anywhere like previous years. I think the choice has been made for quantity over quality. BTW, they had a Fall Fantasy package at that time that included free daily breakfast (you could even do character ones each day, if you liked!), a small room discount and a coupon book.

We still arrive on Sunday, so we always take advantage of those MK EMH's (and spend money in the park). I guarantee we won't be wasting a ticket day to hit the parks after arrival without the EMH's. And, that doesn't mean we'll add a day on the other end. That means one less day in the parks.

And, it is the small touches that mean so much to those of us here. To us, Disney is so much more than a theme park, but to those who are clearly Disney's new target market, it is "just" a nice vacation destination to check off their list, etc.

We're still debating this year's trip, but we've already discussed that if we go, we must approach it with a different mind-set and stop expecting a Disney that is no more. A Disney trip is a lot of work, and unfortunately for us, at this point, it's almost not worth the trouble. Trust me, once you get out of the habit of going every year, it's not so hard to imagine not going, if that makes sense.

 

[mariamouse]

I used the historical "extended hours." I probably should not have said that is is "currently scheduled" because it's not, but chances are these hours will be the final ones.

Thanks for reading! It's those small things in life that make my day.

Thank you for the clarification. And thank YOU for making blog posts like this one available to your fellow Disney fanatics!

Or, after this EMH announcement, your former fellow Disney fanatics...

ETA- I just called Disney for park hours and did confirm that MK hours have indeed been extended to 10pm on the 20th, so midnight with EMH. Thanks for the heads up!

 

[Colleen27]

I dont understand why guests that have been multiple times still use EMH.
During value season, when FL kids , parents are still at work/school. They only parks that are full are the EMH. The other parks are WAY WAY less crowded. You can just about walk onto every ride. Yes you have less hrs in the park but you can do so much more by not going to a EMH park.

I haven't seen the parks that empty in years. I think the last trip where we actually walked on any popular rides (other than after 1am in the MK on EMH nights) was January '08. January of this year was shockingly crowded - TSM Fps gone by 10:30, hour long lines for the safari and Everest, heck there was one day where we actually waited 15 minutes for the Mexico boat ride! The only time we walked on anything more than an isolated unpopular or high capacity ride here and there was during the post-midnight MK EMH, and even then you have to get well past 1am and usually closer to 2 before the lines at the mountains shrink.

 

[rgf207]

Just another reason why we are going less often. Instead of once per year we are now going once every 3 years. Less service for more money means I take my business elsewhere

 

[disEAR]

Not really sure how this will play into our trip. We're going in January to run the Goofy and will be there a little over a week. Overall we plan on being very leisurely this trip. We usually take advantage of morning emh, but that's not to say we haven't enjoyed those late nights in the parks too. This does kind of suck...

 

[hakepb]

At what expense per year, for how many years?

Yes, but any discount can be removed at any time for DVC members.
At one time they switched from park tickets to AP, and the could change back.

But yes, right now the AP discount is great when we can use it.

 

[larryz]

FWIW, when I compare perk lists, I feel Disney likes me a lot more as an AP holder than a DVC member.

1) they already have your lodging money, plus your annual "dues;" however, you must be enticed to keep renewing your AP

2) If you're past year 7 in your contract, and you've been going every year, you're essentially a "freeloader" now -- they're not making money off your lodging bill anymore. There's no $$$ incentive to incentivate you. And apparently, DVCers and Frequent Mousers don't spend enough to rate additional consideration.

 

[Disneyfreak44]

I am definitely disappointed in this change. I find the 1st hour is always supercrowded and really only find a benefit in the last 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

I agree with that!

 

[rgf207]

1) they already have your lodging money, plus your annual "dues;" however, you must be enticed to keep renewing your AP

2) If you're past year 7 in your contract, and you've been going every year, you're essentially a "freeloader" now -- they're not making money off your lodging bill anymore. There's no $$$ incentive to incentivate you. And apparently, DVCers and Frequent Mousers don't spend enough to rate additional consideration.

Very well said

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

With the number of on-site hotel rooms increasing, you'd think they would want to increase EMH, not decrease.

Any chance they could be increasing the number of evening EMH per week or maybe have it at multiple parks each night?

This is what I'd like to see! 2 hours I can live with, but how about 3 nights a week for MK! Especially with the new fantasyland opening. It's going to be a nightmare.