PM EMH drops from THREE Hours to TWO Hours

[Jennasis]

Sounds like more XPAss prep? Glad it won't affect our trip this September, but it is a bit disappointing. Will have to see how it plays out.

 

[baler31]

Maybe Disney is preparing people for when they take EMH away entirely. Maybe this is more build-up to xPass.

We have a winner. I always believd they were slowly taking EMH away. June 2011- no more characters at PM EMH and now an hour shorter. Looks like a plan to discontinue or reconfigure.

 

[Tarheel girl 1975]

Since this discussion started there have been a few new discussions about how much trouble people are having getting the rooms they want on dates they want (like the one Karantan just posted). I wonder if we will eventually see EMH go down to just one hour, since this change to two hours doesn't seem like it will get rid of all these complaints about hotels being so full.

This person was trying to reserve DVC rooms with rented points. This has nothing to do with how full the resorts are for cash paying guests, especially guests willing to pay rack rates. With discounts, I can still book a standard room at AKL for less than $200 dollars a night for the middles of September.

 

[Colleen27]

I wonder who actually survive all 3 hours. Maybe during slow times when park closes early, but during busy times like summer, not so much. Maybe they figured that running parks extra hour for few survivors just not worth it. I will not miss it.

Parents of teens, that's who! I'd have a revolt on my hands if I insisted on rope drop more than once or twice a trip, but we do evening EMH until the end, whether that is midnight or 3am.

I agree that last hour is most valuable at the slower times of year because without it there is absolutely nothing to do at WDW after 9-10pm, particularly in the winter when the weather isn't generally suitable for a late-night swim.

 

[ChipnDalebowl]

PM extra magic hours go waaay too late in the night for me anyway. Who wants to stay in MK till about 2 or 3am and then get up for another day at 7am? You gotta be nuts to be trying schedules like that in the Florida heat.

 

[Cafeen]

PM extra magic hours go waaay too late in the night for me anyway. Who wants to stay in MK till about 2 or 3am and then get up for another day at 7am? You gotta be nuts to be trying schedules like that in the Florida heat.

As has been mentioned, this totally depends on when you go. When I'm there, MK is open until 8 or 9pm on regular nights and DHS looks like it's closing at 8pm more often than not. So, while the 3 hours making it last until 3am does seem like it's overly too late (not for me so much, but in general), 11pm-12am really isn't too bad.

We'll have to see how it turns out, and how they spin it, but to me it just looks like the whittling down of guest satisfaction solely for the bottom line. I may join the club of the Igor tickers at this point (and previously, I hadn't really cared either way). Though, I do fear what will follow...

Also, if it has relation to XPass (and EMH in general), that'd be one more thing they use to give everyone for free (or rather, included within their admission/lodging) and now charge extra for, without removing the cost buried within the previous departments. (There goes that cynicism again...)

 

[Robo]

PM extra magic hours go waaay too late in the night for me anyway. Who wants to stay in MK till about 2 or 3am and then get up for another day at 7am? You gotta be nuts to be trying schedules like that in the Florida heat.

The "nuts" factor would be staying in the parks in the heat of the afternoon.

We would go back to the room and nap for those hottest hours, and use the late and early EMH to be in the parks
when they experience the coolest temperatures of the day.

 

[TLSnell1981]

Parents of teens, that's who! I'd have a revolt on my hands if I insisted on rope drop more than once or twice a trip, but we do evening EMH until the end, whether that is midnight or 3am.
.

We're NOT morning people and are fans of the late nights.

The "nuts" factor would be staying in the parks in the heat of the afternoon.

We would go back to the room and nap for those hottest hours, and use the late and early EMH to be in the parks
when they experience the coolest temperatures of the day.

 

[mom2rtk]

The "nuts" factor would be staying in the parks in the heat of the afternoon.

Absolutely!

Hey, does this mean they can put back the extra monorail time? After all, that whole deal was based on how late it had to be in operation on those REALLY late PM EMH nights......

 

[baler31]

Absolutely!

Hey, does this mean they can put back the extra monorail time? After all, that whole deal was based on how late it had to be in operation on those REALLY late PM EMH nights......

 

[larryz]

WARNING: BASELESS SPECULATION AHEAD

Maybe this is build up to EMH being a XPass entitlement. Since Disney has tested fastpass parade and firework viewing spots (and I believe at least one interview with somebody who's working on xPass they said as much) I don't think it's too far out there to make the EMH something you have to spend an entitlement on. 1 EMH morning or evening for 1 entitlement. So while the decrease in evening EMH length at this point will increase crowds, if they did implement this I would wager that the crowd levels would fall to around E-Ride nights levels. (Most people preferring to have a reserved ride time during the day instead of going into the night. No data to support this; it's just a hunch.)

Also, this isn't as crazy as it sounds. Disneyland used to, I don't know if they still do, include with some tickets a single use EMH perk so there is precedent for this.

Correct. They already limit EMH (Magic Morning Hours) at DLR/DCA...

 

[famsen]

The "nuts" factor would be staying in the parks in the heat of the afternoon.

We would go back to the room and nap for those hottest hours, and use the late and early EMH to be in the parks
when they experience the coolest temperatures of the day.

THIS ^

 

[Elmo007]

Maybe the next cut will be to eliminate food from the Free Dining Offer. Just Bread and Water. Although in proper spirit since beverage choice is somewhat limited, they will allow the refillable mugs to be used at any resort or park

After that impose a penalty for failure to use a fastpass in the alloted time window. For example if you fail to use your pass, you have to wait an additional penalty hour before you can get a new pass because since you wasted the first, there is ne reason to let you have a second one right away to waste again

 

[disneymom06]

This sucks.

PM EMH was a significant factor in our choice to stay onsite vs. offsite for our upcoming August trip. We routinely close down whatever park is open latest.

It's also what got us to add Park Hopping. When we stay offsite, we just go to whatever park had EMH the day before, and do one park a day. But on an onsite trip with evening EMH available to us, we go to a less-crowded park earlier in the day, and hop for the EMH hours.

I have a feeling future trips will see us staying offsite, with Disney losing revenue from us both on a room and on hoppers.

Same here. Just did offsite and added 2 days onsite just for the EMH. While onsite was preferred, the cost was significant and frankly without the EMH would not be worth it. We do close out the 3 hr EMH and not because that is our purpose but we just started at SM and did every ride on our walk around the park. We ended at Buzz and closed the ride at 2AM. It was great and very nice for the summer. Without those perks, onsite losses with our family.

 

[Robo]

Rough numbers:

MK, Ep, DHS, DAK hours open per week ***
including 1-hour AM EMH x5 (MK x1, Ep x1, DHS x1, DAK x2)
including 3-hour PM EMH x4 (MK x2, Ep x1, DHS x1, DAK x0)
= 350 Theme Park hours open weekly, AVERAGE

Cut 4 hours per week of PM EMH (MK x2, Ep x1, DHS x1, DAK x0)
= 346 Theme Park hours open weekly, AVERAGE

Result:
Save 4 hours out of 350 in on-line CM wages (some in overtime) per week, across the board.

That is a rough wages savings of ONE-point-one percent. (.011) or (1.1%)

Is this the kind of powerful cost-cutting that will "make or break" the bottom line for Disney Parks?



*** Open hours per week (average)
MK = 101
Ep = 92
DHS = 92
DAK = 65


Do any of you "numbers people" out there (you know who you are) want to take a crack at this?

I'd like you to double-check my math.

(PERCENTAGE has since been corrected)

.

 

[Quin]

Robo, you edited/deleted as I started to respond.

It's more than just the CMs out front, though, isn't it? You'll have to add in the extra hour for backstage CMs who are there during an EMH, plus an hour less for all the transportation workers.

And I would expect there are additional costs associated with operating the attractions that are at least reduced when the park is closed - less electricity and water, etc.

And even a fraction of a percentage is touted as a major savings by bean counters, and presented as such to shareholders. Because the true bottom line is that Disney is a publicly traded company and as such it's primary goal is required to be maximization of shareholder value/return on investment, not providing magic to guests. Sad but true.

 

[Robo]

1- Robo, you edited/deleted as I started to respond.

2- It's more than just the CMs out front, though, isn't it? You'll have to add in the extra hour for backstage CMs who are there during an EMH, plus an hour less for all the transportation workers.

1- It's back.
2- These are PERCENTAGE numbers, so if you add the kind of things you're
asking about, then do THAT math, the end percentage result will stay pretty much the same.

 

[Robo]

And even a fraction of a percentage is touted as a major savings by bean counters, and presented as such to shareholders.

I don't agree with your premise, there.

 

[Robo]

Bumping because, well...

-i dont read every single post and thread on here so didnt know it was old news...

Don't feel bad, it is new for me...

 

[mesaboy2]

Rough numbers:

MK, Ep, DHS, DAK hours open per week ***
including 1-hour AM EMH x5 (MK x1, Ep x1, DHS x1, DAK x2)
including 3-hour PM EMH x4 (MK x2, Ep x1, DHS x1, DAK x0)
= 350 Theme Park hours open weekly, AVERAGE

Cut 4 hours per week of PM EMH (MK x2, Ep x1, DHS x1, DAK x0)
= 346 Theme Park hours open weekly, AVERAGE

Result:
Save 4 hours out of 350 in on-line CM wages (some in overtime) per week, across the board.

That is a rough wages savings of ONE TENTH of one percent. (.011 %)

Is this the kind of powerful cost-cutting that will "make or break" the bottom line for Disney Parks?



*** Open hours per week (average)
MK = 101
Ep = 92
DHS = 92
DAK = 65

Do any of you "numbers people" out there (you know who you are) want to take a crack at this?

I'd like you to double-check my math.


.

I'll assume your figures in red are correct. If so, the actual number saved is 1.1% and not "one-tenth of one percent". An order of magnitude difference, but it still does not impress me as huge. (I hope that wasn't snippy.... )

Robo, you edited/deleted as I started to respond.

It's more than just the CMs out front, though, isn't it? You'll have to add in the extra hour for backstage CMs who are there during an EMH, plus an hour less for all the transportation workers.

And I would expect there are additional costs associated with operating the attractions that are at least reduced when the park is closed - less electricity and water, etc.

And even a fraction of a percentage is touted as a major savings by bean counters, and presented as such to shareholders. Because the true bottom line is that Disney is a publicly traded company and as such it's primary goal is required to be maximization of shareholder value/return on investment, not providing magic to guests. Sad but true.

Good point, but it's difficult for any of us to know many facts on this datapoint, unless we were to pro-rate those hours like we did for the CMs. I don't have a warm-fuzzy that would be particularly accurate.