Skip EMH

[sk!mom]

We just got home last night. We avoided EMH parks but had great luck with getting to non-EMH parks at 9:00. Last Friday we rode everything in Fantasyland except Philharmagic from 9:00 - 10:00. We got a fastpass for Philharmagic before our 10:10 Cindy's breakfast.

Our experience at the other parks was the same.

 

[sharonk]

I just posted about what a waste EMH was! We were at WDW from June 4 - 9 and the EMH parks were packed...even during the first hour!

For me, EMH is one of the main reasons I stay on-site so I was really disappointed...it's not really a benefit anymore!

Sharon

 

[bigbabyblues]

Thank you for posting your experiences, DH has decided that we should use EMH EVERY day of our 8-day trip, and I don't really want to. I thought we'd do each park the day before or the day after EE, except MK, we'll do that EE one time.

Steph

 

[TinkerGal]

We only used one day of EMH and that was at MK. Coincidently that was also the only park that we didn't get to ride all the rides we planned. We walked through the ticket gate right as the countdown was finishing, stopped for maps and quick br break, headed up mainstreet for pic ops in front of the castle, and into Tomorrowland. The lines were already long! FP for Space Mtn wasn't available until 10-11, so we rode Buzz first then did standby for Space Mtn. From there, went to Adventureland. It was already after 9. Walked right onto POTC. JungleCruise wasn't open til 10. From there, went to Frontierland where Splash Mtn FP was 10:30-11:30 so we did standby for BTRR - 30 min line. We had 11:10 PS for Chef Mickey's so we left via RR around 10 and rode the monorail. We returned later in the afternoon, after a swimbreak, to try to catch rides we missed.
MGM we went later in the morning... left POR at 10am. We rode RnR, TOT, Great Movie Ride, One Man's Dream, Little Mermaid, Backlot Tour, met Lilo & Stitch and a few other characters, and lunched all before 5!
Epcot we arrived at reg opening time, met the characters twice, did the major rides and walked 1/2 of WS before leaving at 4pm.
AK we again went later in the am, around 11. Did the safari, FP kali river rapids, standby for primeval whirl, lunched and did LionKing when the rain hit at 3.
We went with the flow of things, stopping when we needed a break, for character greets, and pic ops. Sure we didn't see everything but nobody was stressed either! Except for MK

 

[MELSMICE]

Originally posted by bigbabyblues
Thank you for posting your experiences, DH has decided that we should use EMH EVERY day of our 8-day trip, and I don't really want to. I thought we'd do each park the day before or the day after EE, except MK, we'll do that EE one time.

Wow - good luck. 8 days in a row of parks - early or not, I'd be exhausted. You might want to plan a pool day somewhere in there!!!

 

[Aisling]

I don't understand. I've never done EMH, but I thought it would be less people bexcause it's only resort people allowed. On regular opening days, you have the resort people AND the off-site people there at opening.

Can someone explain this to me?

 

[TinkerGal]

Originally posted by Aisling
I don't understand. I've never done EMH, but I thought it would be less people bexcause it's only resort people allowed. On regular opening days, you have the resort people AND the off-site people there at opening.

Can someone explain this to me?

EMH is one hour early entry for resort guests only. Because there's already a lot of people there, at the scheduled opening other guests then come increasing the mobs so that by noon there's hardly room to breathe!
On regular days, most resort guests are at the EMH parks so ideally the other parks shouldn't be as crowded.
It's really a hit or miss as far as crowds are concerned but your best bet is to avoid the parks on EMH days.

 

[Aisling]

On regular days, most resort guests are at the EMH parks so ideally the other parks shouldn't be as crowded.

Now I understand! Thanks!

 

[GarrettJD]

We just got back too. The only park we used EMH for was the Animal Kingdom (twice) and that worked well for us because the safari is better the earlier you go (cooler temps so the animals are more active.) We toured from 8am til about 11 or 12, then left the park for our break, returning to another park at 2 or 3.

Last year, we did EMH at MGM, and it was an overcrowded nightmare. The next day we did MGM again in the morning, and the crowds were gone. This year, we went to MGM our first full day (Wednesday), left Pop Century on a bus at 8:20 and we were the only two people on the bus. There were hordes of people in the Epcot bus queue (the EMH park) though, which seems silly because you negate the advantage of EMH by getting there late.

 

[rrpesek]

I know this has been asked at least a million times, but what is the EMH schedule for the different parks. We leave on Sunday and even though we are staying onsite, I still want to avoid the EMH park of the day.

Thanks for the help!

 

[MELSMICE]

Originally posted by rrpesek
I know this has been asked at least a million times, but what is the EMH schedule for the different parks. We leave on Sunday and even though we are staying onsite, I still want to avoid the EMH park of the day.

Upon checking in you'll get a packet. One of the information sheets in the packet will give you the EMH parks during your stay.

If we decide to do a park early in the day, we usually avoid EMH as well.

 

[dgaston]

I had a chance to compare regular opening and EMH at MK on two mornings over our April trip. I was at the turnstiles prior to the opening each day. I headed to Tomorrowland, and on the non EMH day was out of Space (with my FP for 10:05 second ride) by 25 after, and had time to ride Buzz twice and the TTA before my FP came due. On the EMH morning it took until 40 after to get off Space. I really am not going to get up for that extra hour anymore unless I have some little ones with me who want to ride Dumbo!