The EMH Debate.

[jeffdalon]

Okay, I think it's time to hash this out. I've been lingering for awhile on the boards and the opinions about EMH hours are often very passionate on both sides. Some insist that avoiding a park on the day it has EMH is the only way to go. Others swear by EMH and are there for the early rope drop whenever they stay on property.

I'm about to commit to parks and restaurants for an August trip and one part of my brain wants to show up at every EMH morning and enjoy the first four hours or so in the park and then eat lunch and go to the room and crash for a couple of hours in air conditioning after a dip in the CBR pool.

With park hopper passes, we can then hit a non EMH park for the second half of the day. while the crowds are over at the EMH park. Is this a good plan? Would we be happier not even going to the EMH park and sleeping in instead?

Who is for EMH all the way? Do you feel that you get more done even though those parks are more crowded?

Who avoids EMH parks at all costs? Do you hit the park the morning after their EMH evening hours?

Let's get this decided! Jump in and let me know what you think I should do. Thanks for any and all feedback.

 

[Praying Colonel]

Okay, I think it's time to hash this out. I've been lingering for awhile on the boards and the opinions about EMH hours are often very passionate on both sides. Some insist that avoiding a park on the day it has EMH is the only way to go. Others swear by EMH and are there for the early rope drop whenever they stay on property.

I'm about to commit to parks and restaurants for an August trip and one part of my brain wants to show up at every EMH morning and enjoy the first four hours or so in the park and then eat lunch and go to the room and crash for a couple of hours in air conditioning after a dip in the CBR pool.

With park hopper passes, we can then hit a non EMH park for the second half of the day. while the crowds are over at the EMH park. Is this a good plan? Would we be happier not even going to the EMH park and sleeping in instead?

Who is for EMH all the way? Do you feel that you get more done even though those parks are more crowded?

Who avoids EMH parks at all costs? Do you hit the park the morning after their EMH evening hours?

Let's get this decided! Jump in and let me know what you think I should do. Thanks for any and all feedback.

Initially, we just blindly followed the UG advice and avoided EMHs. Then on 1 trip we tried them. We just didn't like them very well at all. So having tried both ways, we now avoid them. We usually go to a park the day after it has an evening EMH--smaller crowds, generally.

Other folks will follow behind me here and say they love them. You'll never get it hashed out because everybody has their personal preferences. The only thing to do is try both ways for yourself and see what works for you.

 

[Dan Murphy]

I typically avoid them. I prefer a relaxing vacation as opposed to a commando one. I typically follow TGM's best park/s-best days/nights plan and that will most often direct away from the crowded parks. I can go to the low crowd park/s of the day and night and not have to greet the sun, or the still pre-dawn darkness, in the AM to beat the hordes that EMH attracts. I prefer a relaxing trip, though I do know others prefer the other.

 

[bsbrady]

I just got back from a trip at the world. I always love EMH. For example, I got to Magic Kingdom for EMH AM, which was 8am. I rode BTMRR, Peter Pan, Philharmagic, Winnie the Pooh, Haunted Mansion & Buzz Light year all by 9:15. Then I rode Pirates, jungle cruise, country bears and carousel of progress by 10:30. And this was all done with Space mountain closed. Its great to finish all of these by 10:30 and then you can stroll around and head back to the resort or have lunch.

Evening is a little different, the first hour or so of EMH Pm is still crowded. After illuminations on Friday the wait for test track was 60 minutes. But if you arrive at the park 45 to 60 minutes after the regular park closing time, the crowds are much less, usually walk on.

I have read all the arguments on both subjects, but the math is simple, ONLY resort guests, which means less people.

 

[srwarden1928]

We avoid the EMH because we do NOT hop. If you can hop out of the AM EMH park or hop into the PM EMH park then they could be good. For non hoppers like us we prefer to avoid the middle of the day crowd in the EMH park and just hit rope drop in another recommended park.

 

[pavil]

We can never get up early enough for Morning EMH, but use the Nighttime EMH all the time. It never seems really busy. I have always wanted to try the morning EHM, maybe next trip........

 

[g-dad66]

With park hopper passes, we can then hit a non EMH park for the second half of the day. while the crowds are over at the EMH park. Is this a good plan?

I think most people would agree that EMH work out well IF you have hopper passes.

 

[jeffdalon]

Yep, I'm going to look at the morning EMH parks and make lunch reservations there. Then, I'll skip off to the hotel for some pool time and a nap while the guests in the parks roast in the August heat and humidity and get all tuckered out.

Just when they are hitting the end of their day and the kids are melting down, the DH and I will swoop in for some late afternoon rides, a dinner reservation at a non-EMH park, and some enjoy some fireworks over a nice desert.

I am so excited to make the reservations and set the plan in motion so I can forget about it and enjoy a relaxing vacation with the meal reservations made for the right park on the right day.

I'm new to the DIS boards and podcast and I must say that everyone is so welcoming and helpful! Thanks everyone!

 

[Laura727]

We avoid EMH as well but do rope drop at a UG recommended park. This worked like a charm - just got back from a 4/21 to 4/28 trip. At MK on 4/28, we were able to get FP for Buzz, do Speedway, Pooh, Snow White and Peter Pan by 9:25 - we were out of there by noon having done the above plus HM, Tom Sawyer's Island (for paint brushes), Big Thunder, Pirates and Buzz - all of these are listed in the order that we did them.

If you can hop, then you'll be fine no matter what you choose since you will have options.

 

[Robo]

Never attending EMH's because they will be too crowded
is like never eating grapes because they will be too sour.

CAN be that way.
Doesn't HAVE to be that way.

Each EMH experience can be different.

I always go to AM EMH (virtually every day of the trip
that we did not do a PM EMH late the night before)...
never ONCE regretted an AM EMH... they are amazingly
empty and easy to ride the open attractions.
If that park THEN starts to fill 2 to 3 hours later...
Were happy with "doing" that park for the day and we
can HOP elsewhere or do lunch and take a rest until
later.

PM EMH's are a mixed bag. I've been when they were
PACKED... but on other nights (sometimes within the
same trip), the crowds were basically so low that it
was like "free rides" on all the open attractions.

Those who have attended PM EMH's and say that "they
are TOO CROWDED" are right... but ONLY for the nights
they may have attended.
I can say, from personal experience, that they CAN be
EMPTY, or FULL or somewhere IN-BETWEEN for attendance,
often within the same week.

We went to PM EMH at AK on a Wed night and PM EMH at MK
on a Sun night (early Spring visit.)
The EMH's were so EMPTY that we could have
stayed on many attractions and ridden around and around.
This included Splash, BTM, and Pirates (and many more) at
MK, and Exp. Everest, Kali, and Dinosaur at AK. And
the crowds during the DAY at these parks were very
LARGE... within the first hour of EMH, they simply
"evaporated."

But, it can change so much (either way), that saying
it was "like X" on a given night, can be meaningless
on another night in the same time-period. So, you
simply don't KNOW unless you go. Its similar to saying
that you attended on a given night and it rained, so
guests should never go on that night because it will
probably be rainy.

The rule seems to be, it is far easier for guests to
STAY UP at the end of the day, than it is for them to
GET UP at the start of the day.

But, considering EMH's are FREE to attend... if its
busy, just people-watch or hit the exit (where ELSE
are ya gonna go at 10pm, anyway?)
But if its not busy... you're ALL SET for EXTRA FUN!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[december14disney]

Never attending EMH's because they will be too crowded
is like never eating grapes because they will be too sour.

CAN be that way.
Doesn't HAVE to be that way.

Each EMH experience can be different.

I always go to AM EMH (virtually every day of the trip
that we did not do a PM EMH late the night before)...
never ONCE regretted an AM EMH... they are amazingly
empty and easy to ride the open attractions.
If that park THEN starts to fill 2 to 3 hours later...
Were happy with "doing" that park for the day and we
can HOP elsewhere or do lunch and take a rest until
later.

PM EMH's are a mixed bag. I've been when they were
PACKED... but on other nights (sometimes within the
same trip), the crowds were basically so low that it
was like "free rides" on all the open attractions.

Those who have attended PM EMH's and say that "they
are TOO CROWDED" are right... but ONLY for the nights
they may have attended.
I can say, from personal experience, that they CAN be
EMPTY, or FULL or somewhere IN-BETWEEN for attendance,
often within the same week.

We went to PM EMH at AK on a Wed night and PM EMH at MK
on a Sun night (early Spring visit.)
The EMH's were so EMPTY that we could have
stayed on many attractions and ridden around and around.
This included Splash, BTM, and Pirates (and many more) at
MK, and Exp. Everest, Kali, and Dinosaur at AK. And
the crowds during the DAY at these parks were very
LARGE... within the first hour of EMH, they simply
"evaporated."

But, it can change so much (either way), that saying
it was "like X" on a given night, can be meaningless
on another night in the same time-period. So, you
simply don't KNOW unless you go. Its similar to saying
that you attended on a given night and it rained, so
guests should never go on that night because it will
probably be rainy.

The rule seems to be, it is far easier for guests to
STAY UP at the end of the day, than it is for them to
GET UP at the start of the day.

But, considering EMH's are FREE to attend... if its
busy, just people-watch or hit the exit (where ELSE
are ya gonna go at 10pm, anyway?)
But if its not busy... you're ALL SET for EXTRA FUN!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

We went to evening AK EMH on 4/23. The park was so empty it was almost creepy. There were times I really thought the park was closed and we were the only people there. The ONLY people in the park were in Asia around EE and even so it was walk on for EE. We rode so many times in a row I got sick to my stomach!
My point-AK is a gorgeous evening EMH park. A MUST DO at least once!

 

[torsie24]

Robo wins for best answer yet again!!

We'll have hoppers (and a 5 hours time difference that'll be waking us up at 5am for the first few days) on our trip, so will be doing a lot of am EMHs and rope drops. I don't plan on staying in the EMH parks much beyond 11.

I am also goig to plan our firework viewing night around pm EMH so we don't have to rush out with everyone else for the busses. But again, those nights we will just arrive for the shows and not much else.

 

[december14disney]

Ohhh one more thing! We did the last two safaris and the animals were out like MAD. They were getting really close which we found out from our backstage safari was because they wanted to be let in their night pens. It was nuts because the male lion was out pacing looking like he was getting ready to roar! Soooo recommend evening EMH at AK!

 

[goofy4tink]

I've done it both ways. Last week my dd and I headed over to MK to do the morning EMHs. To our dismay, Haunted Mansion was having tech difficulties, as was Dumbo and Peter Pan's Flight. We did manage to do BTMRR and some other stuff though.
I actually prefer the evening EMHs now. I like to sleep a bit while on vacation. I've been to WDW enough times that the sense of urgency isn't there anymore.
Yes, the evening EMHs can get crowded..especially if there are non-resort guests ambling around. And it kind of a pain to have to show your room key at each attraction. But, after about an hour, it isn't an issue anymore.

We are headed down in August. Will we do EMHs? I'm sure we'll do the evening ones simply to cut down on the mid-afternoon time in the parks..it's just too darn hot then. Instead, we'll hang at the pool, relax and return to a park for dinner and late night fun.
In the morning, I usually head to the park that had EMHs the night before if I wasn't at the EMHs that night. A lot fewer people at that park in the morning.

 

[brockash]

Okay, here's what we do. As far as EMH's in the am, we only get up early for MK. Personally, I think it's worth it, and it's the only park our family will get up early for. The rest of the parks, we get there at rope drop, but not before and we don't go to them on EMH's am.

For PM EMH's, again we always do it for MK, and we usually do it for DHS (seems when we're there, on EMH's pm there are 2 Fantasmic's.) I wouldn't mind doing EMH pm for Epcot, we just never have, and AK is only a 3/4 day park for us anyways so there's no need.

I should also add, that we're not a big "park hopping" kind of family. Once we're in a park, we almost always stay in that park.

 

[Debbie-TN]

I usually plan our days "for" EMH. I love to be at the parks late at night, especially since it's cooler. I haven't found them to be any more crowded than usual. I love to go early for MK and AK because they're empty. Maybe it's just the times of the year that we go. If people want to avoid them, that's OK by me, it's just that many less people in the parks.

 

[BostonRob]

I typically avoid them. I prefer a relaxing vacation as opposed to a commando one. I typically follow TGM's best park/s-best days/nights plan and that will most often direct away from the crowded parks. I can go to the low crowd park/s of the day and night and not have to greet the sun, or the still pre-dawn darkness, in the AM to beat the hordes that EMH attracts. I prefer a relaxing trip, though I do know others prefer the other.

I'd like to add that early risers aren't necessarily commandos. If the kids are gonna be up at 6:30 AM anyway, why not hit the EMH? It can actually make for a more relaxing day - if it takes less time to do a bunch of things you want to do, you can spend even more time in the pool, or just wandering around.

 

[Robo]

I'd like to add that early risers aren't necessarily commandos.

Absolutely.

We don't necessarily have be in "full tilt commando mode" to attend AM EMH.

We love to attend because (once the rope is dropped and guests disperse into the park,) it offers the RELAXING and unique feeling (at certain parks) of being the "only guests" in that part of the park.

We have, many times, been able to ride, say, Peter Pan without being next to anyone else in neighboring pirate ships... and been able to just "ride around again" without leaving our ship, as there is nobody else waiting to board when we "fly" out of the darkness.

Try that later during the day.

 

[DaveStroem]

We are not hopping next trip so we are not planning on EMHs. I find that you can get just as much done from RD for a EMH or a non EMH park. So while you gain a hour of park time you lose an hour of sleep. Now the MK night time EMH was great. DHS on the other hand was a zoo.

 

[trainingupmy4princes]

I think if you're going to be up anyway and you can hop away if it gets crowded then the AM EMH's are good as I would prefer to be in the parks earlier when it's less hot and out of there by noon when it starts really getting hot. We have done the MK EMH AM and love it. We can get soo much done in FL. We also enjoyed the PM EMH at MK as once we took our preschooler on the Barnstormer like 4 times in a row (it was the only rollercoaster he was tall enogh to ride). Now I know DH said the area around Space MT was crowded so I guess it depends on what areas you're around to miss the crowds. I know at the Epcot PM EMH I took the preschooler and walked on the Imagination ride, Maelstrom, and the Mexico boat ride while DH with the older boys waited in a long line for Test Track. Mission Space was only a 5 min wait when we were heading out as well.