Staying Offsite Should We Avoid Park with EMH?

[Emme]

Does anyone attemp to visit a park with EMH while staying offsite at the time the park opens to the public? Is the park so packed by say 9:00 if the EMH was at 8? We HAVE always avoided EMH parks while staying offsite but we just have a quick trip trip March 16-21 and wanted to attend MK one of the days it has EMH! Should we just switch days?

Any help would be so aprecciated. Thanks!

 

[DaveStroem]

Staying Offsite Should We Avoid Park with EMH?
YES

 

[Emme]

uhmmm ok, thanks

 

[DaveStroem]

Morning EMH at MK have an extra whamy for those that are not there for the EMH. Guests are held at the TTC and not allowed to go to the gate till opening. This means that the resort guests have an extra 15 minutes before offsite guests can get to attractions.

 

[Dipstick]

Yeah it has been said to avoid the parks with EMH as they become more crowded than usual.

Enjoy your stay!

 

[gardener14]

Morning EMH at MK have an extra whamy for those that are not there for the EMH. Guests are held at the TTC and not allowed to go to the gate till opening. This means that the resort guests have an extra 15 minutes before offsite guests can get to attractions.

Is this really true? I have never heard this before. Could someone else confirm if this is regular procedure?

 

[poohbear7]

Yes it is true. The boats at the TTC and the monorail won't run for non resort guests till regular opening time. At early entry they ask to see your resort key before you go through the turn stills. If you are not a resort guest they will hold you back till regular opening time.

 

[dougsmom98]

Absolutely avoid the morning EMH day. We went one time on a morning EMH day and we were off site and it was the most depressing thing ever. We are used to getting to the parks at opening and walking onto things for the first hour or two. There were long waits for everything by the time we got in there.

 

[molarman]

Is this really true? I have never heard this before. Could someone else confirm if this is regular procedure?

Yes, we experienced this in November. When we arrived at the TTC, they asked to see our resort ID before allowing us to pass on to the Monorail or Ferry. Since we didn't have a resort ID, we were told we couldn't board the Monorail or Ferry and we were held at the gates just behind the ticket booths!

A different day later, we had planned to have breakfast at the Polynesian an hour before EMH hours began. We walked to the Poly, had a quick breakfast, and were able to board the Monorail along with other resort guests. No request to see a resort ID from that point on, and we went through the turnstiles for EMH. That wasn't our intention, as we figured we'd be held at the turnstiles or on Main Street rope drop.

They check the resort IDs at the TTC as that weeds out all of the off-park guests when the MK opens for Extra Magic Hours. This way, they don't have to check the resort IDs at the turnstiles as only guests arriving from resorts are allowed to get to the turnstiles. It speeds up the turnstiles, while all off-park guests are fuming back at the TTC!

As far as avoiding the EMH park, as long as you have park-hopper option, you can enjoy the park early, and hop to another park when the MK gets packed! If you don't have park-hopper, I would avoid the EMH park.

 

[chris1gill]

Staying Offsite Should We Avoid Park with EMH?
YES

BINGO!!!

Actually, you want to start out at the park that had the late hours the night before... means everybody was there and won't be there at rope drop!

 

[srwarden1928]

Last year during spring break/Easter, when they had MK EMH every day, we were allowed IN THE PARK without resort ID. We were staying at Regal Sun. We waited at rope drop headed toward Frontierland, because I thought we would have to show resort ID to ride in Tomorrowland/Fantasyland. But we were in the park by 7:40 or 7:45. I was the first person on Splash Mountain that morning.

 

[btcrane]

we just have a quick trip trip March 16-21 and wanted to attend MK one of the days it has EMH! Should we just switch days?

Could you possibly visit a day when there are no mornng EMH? If so, I would recommend it. If not, and the day of morning EMH is the ONLY day you can visit MK, then do it. Just go with no expectations. Ride what you can, and don't sweat the small stuff. Enjoy all of the magic of MK that's there whether or not you ride a single ride.

 

[hotdogmj71]

BINGO!!!

Actually, you want to start out at the park that had the late hours the night before... means everybody was there and won't be there at rope drop!

Shhhh! JK, that's what we do.

 

[ScotnSteph]

Yes. We usually stay off site and avoid EMH days like the plague.

 

[CLR4321]

Honestly, I am staying on property but am not getting a park hopper pass. We are going to skip out on EMH and not go to the EMH park due to them being more crowded on those days. The extra time spent in lines in the middle of the day would end up exceeding the EMH time, plus my DS will probably not be up for evening EMH, and me and my boyfriend won't want to be up for the morning EMH. In your case being off property....definitely skip the EMH parks on those days!