Which day for MK during week of 8/26?

[Roybrown]

Hello everyone,

Long time Walt Disney World fan, but just found this message board. Hopefully I'm posting in the right spot.

Bringing the family to Orlando from August 24th to the 31st. We've been to Magic Kingdom a few times in the summer recently and I understand it will definitely be crowded. But I'm looking to see if there is a day that may be better or a day that I should definitely avoid. We will not be staying at a Disney hotel so no Extra Magic Hours. Here are the choices:

Monday 8/26 MK open 9 -10, Animal Kingdom has 8-9am EMH
Wednesday 8/28 MK open 9-10 with EMH from 10 - 12
Thursday 8/29 SW OPENING All parks will have EMH
MK is open 8am - 10 with EMH from 7-8am

I'm leaning towards the Monday since it will be farthest away from the Galaxy's Edge opening and no MK EMH that day. Or maybe it doesn't matter and the parks will be equally crowded?

Also, we go back to hotel for about 2 hours in the afternoon to recharge, so we stay pretty close to the closing time.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I would go Monday. That being said, on the day SWGE opened in DL, the rest of the park was, apparently, a ghost town. As an off-site guest, though, I would probably avoid EMH days. We've gone the last week of August for the past 9 years and it's not crowded. It's just really, really hot and, in our experience, they do limit ride capacities, so rides aren't necessarily walk-ons, but waits aren't terribly long. Our ability to get good 4th, 5th, 6th FP+ has been quite good though.

 

[TheOneWithTheTriplets]

MK AM EMH only includes Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. So, even as an off-site guest, you would be able to RD Frontierland or Adventureland without the onsite guests filling the line ahead of you.

Normally, I would absolutely avoid EMH days as an off-site guest, but the 8am open at MK on SWGE opening day is very tempting. You'd get an extra hour of cool(er) park time and perhaps crowds will be lower if everyone is at HS.

What are your MK priorities? If EMH weren't a consideration, what land would you want to RD?

 

[Roybrown]

Thanks for the advice! The Thursday is tempting with that 8am, but with the 3 kids that may not 100% happen. Maybe I'll look into how the California one went down with SW opening. For some reason I think there will be overflow crowds into the other parks. Anyone with a park hopper is probably going to leave Hollywood Studios after hitting Galaxy's Edge.

We've been lucky to visit a bit recently, so no major priorities. Would probably try to hit Jungle Cruise and Pirates at rope drop.

 

[TheOneWithTheTriplets]

Thanks for the advice! The Thursday is tempting with that 8am, but with the 3 kids that may not 100% happen. Maybe I'll look into how the California one went down with SW opening. For some reason I think there will be overflow crowds into the other parks. Anyone with a park hopper is probably going to leave Hollywood Studios after hitting Galaxy's Edge.

We've been lucky to visit a bit recently, so no major priorities. Would probably try to hit Jungle Cruise and Pirates at rope drop.

If you don't think you can make the 8am, then definitely do Monday the 26th. If you do go for the 29th, then JC and PotC would be a perfectly reasonable RD at 8am despite the EMH.

As to overflow crowds, the 29th is also F&W opening day at Epcot, so I would guess people finishing up at HS would likely hop there given the proximity.