The 'non-EMH' strategy - does it apply?

[mickeyfan0805]

As a WDW vet, we have often found that we are best to plan to avoid the EMH parks as opposed to utilizing the hours. While there is a brief time of slightly lower crowds, in general these seem to draw in a higher population overall that we have found best to avoid. I'm wondering if the same is true for DL.

We will be there June 15, 16 and 17, and we will be staying offsite. Our only option would be MM on June 16, and I'm expecting it would likely be as early as 7a. So, would you do MM on 6/16 and then move over to DCA after the first hour or two? Or, would you avoid MM altogether, do DCA on 6/16 and then rope drop DL on one or both of the other days?

 

[agamble]

EMH/MM doesn't have the same issues that it does at WDW and it is easy to hop. A 7AM MM is very nice. The park will be nice from 7 to 9 and then see an increase. You could go to DL at 7 and do some fantasy land or Tomorrowland rides in that first hour and then hop to DCA if you wanted to be there at opening.

 

[mom2rtk]

The parks are so close together it's almost like one big park. Sure, it's nice to rope drop the park that hasn't been open for an hour already. But the crowds are very fluid, but crowds over the course of the day aren't impacted at all by which park had EMH that day.

I would always choose the day with the earliest MM. Since it's harder to be up and out on time, there are less people.

 

[disneylover102]

I would definitely do MM. This sounds like a good plan, but I would definitely go over to DCA relatively early.

 

[katyringo]

Use the MM and then hop if you feel
Crowds are big. The MM allows you to use maxpass for the other park during MM.

For example during Christmas week on a capacity day we used our Disneyland magic morning- road star tours and buzz with no wait, played in fantasy land, took pictures with the castle, and booked a fastpass for radiator springs with a return time of 830, so around regular opening time we were hopping over to DCA with a cars fastpass already lined up.

 

[sherilaine]

Maxpass has changed the game quite a bit I guess - as I recall during MM you cannot pull fastpasses until regular park opening but now when you are in DL during MM you can pull FPs for both parks even when DCA is not yet open?

 

[DizneyMommy]

Like has been said, MM doesn’t have the same huge impact as it does at WDW. There just aren’t multiple other options for people like at WDW, and I think way less people actually have the perk compared with the sheer volume of on property resorts at WDW. I would use it!

 

[katyringo]

Maxpass has changed the game quite a bit I guess - as I recall during MM you cannot pull fastpasses until regular park opening but now when you are in DL during MM you can pull FPs for both parks even when DCA is not yet open?

Yes. If you have a park hopper you can pull fastpass using maxpass for DCA during MM even if DCA isn’t open yet.

 

[sherilaine]

Yes. If you have a park hopper you can pull fastpass using maxpass for DCA during MM even if DCA isn’t open yet.

That is wonderful!! I am really excited to try MaxPass!

 

[mort1331]

well that might be a game changer for us to pull the plug on MaxPass. For 4 of us for 5 days i wasnt sure about the extra cost. But to be able to pull on opposite parks before they open. That is an added bonus.
Am I right that there is an early entry everymorning for those staying onsite. We are staying at the GCH for the time.

 

[sherilaine]

well that might be a game changer for us to pull the plug on MaxPass. For 4 of us for 5 days i wasnt sure about the extra cost. But to be able to pull on opposite parks before they open. That is an added bonus.
Am I right that there is an early entry everymorning for those staying onsite. We are staying at the GCH for the time.

If you are staying onsite then you get early entry every park morning - either at DL on Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday or DCA on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Enjoy!!

 

[agamble]

well that might be a game changer for us to pull the plug on MaxPass. For 4 of us for 5 days i wasnt sure about the extra cost. But to be able to pull on opposite parks before they open. That is an added bonus.
Am I right that there is an early entry everymorning for those staying onsite. We are staying at the GCH for the time.

You can always add Max Pass one day at a time as you feel you need it.

 

[mickeyfan0805]

Yes. If you have a park hopper you can pull fastpass using maxpass for DCA during MM even if DCA isn’t open yet.

Thanks - this is probably a key note for us as well. Our MM will be on day 2 of 3. So, we can open DCA on Friday and see what happens through the day, then on Saturday, get up early for MM (7a is like 9a in the Midwest, so we should be able to manage), do some key rides and use MP for a couple key rides at DCA if we need/want to.

Thanks for the responses everyone!