To EMH or not to EMH....

[laura428]

That REALLY does seem to be the question when it comes to figuring out my Christmas park schedule. We've always been rope drop people, but realized with our last trip that FP+ makes it so that you don't HAVE to get to the parks at rope drop. I mean, you still can, of course, if you want to tour commando-style, but you can still do plenty by arriving a wee bit after park open, following your strategically planned FP+ schedule.

But here's my question about rope drop: we've always enjoyed relatively light crowds at rope drop, especially on EMH, even at high crowd times, so my inclination is to follow touringplans.com's recommendations (as we've always done) and go for EMH park days. However, after reading the logic on the easywdw.com site, about how every other resort guest has access to those same EMH and so, in theory, those parks with EMH could be crazy crowded and should be avoided, it has me second-guessing my strategy.

SO... do you guys tend to head to the parks scheduled for EMH (especially early morning)? Or do you run run run as fast as you can?

 

[Robo]

Never attending EMH's because they will be "too crowded or overly-stressful,"
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.

We 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...
We're 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.

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.

Generally speaking:
Expect a PM EMH which begins before 10PM to be much busier than one that begins much later.
Expect the first hour of PM EMH to be busier than the last hour.

Those who have attended PM EMH's and say that "they
are too crowded" are right... but that may have been only on the nights
they have attended.
I can say from personal experience that EMH's CAN be
virtually empty, or overly full... or somewhere in-between for attendance,
often within the same week.

The crowd situation at PM EMH can change so much (either way,)
that saying it was "like X" on a given night, can have little relation
to another night in the same time-period. So, you
simply "won't know unless you go."
It's 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.

But, it can all boil down to your particular timing.

If you just consider that EMH's are FREE to attend...
You might just take a chance.
If it's too busy, just people-watch... or hit the exit.
(Where ELSE are ya gonna go at 10pm, anyway?)

But, if its not busy... you'll be ALL SET for EXTRA FUN!

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[laura428]

Robo, THANK YOU!!! This is totally how we feel. We're honestly not late-night Disney folks. DH and I tend to tire out just as quickly as the kiddos do at the end of the day, and turn in when they do so that we're ready to hit the parks nice and early in the morning. We've never had a bad early EMH experience, but I was beginning to wonder if maybe that had changed with FP+...?

 

[Jakespadaro]

I personally think the EMHs in the morning are riddiculous. I don't even go to the parks before 10-11. I prefer the later EMH

 

[Robo]

I personally think the EMHs in the morning are riddiculous. I don't even go to the parks before 10-11. I prefer the later EMH

This is why the AM EMH are such a sure-bet positive for those who get up early and go.

Most guests simply will not get up early, so that extra hour of low-crowd time virtually always pays big dividends!



to posting on the DISboards, Jakespadaro!