Extra magic hours- never again

[123SA]

Here now. Did extra magic hours at animal kingdom on Monday and today at Epcot

I will never do it again. It is not worth it at all. Waking up 75 minutes early, spending an hour baking in the sun smashed together with strangers, stampeding to attraction only to wait in a half hour line is not worth it. I got separated from my group so I didn't even ride. The crowd at Epcot this morning was huge.

I'll definitely stick with the theory to stay away from the extra magic hours park in the future.

 

[Shellyb84]

With it being the first day of F&W it's not surprising that Epcot is super crowded today.

We love morning EMH and typically get a lot done in that hour.

 

[ekendall2]

Shellyb84 nailed it.

 

[Robo]

Sorry that the OP had some bad luck.
We love AM EMH.

 

[123SA]

It's been a frustrating morning. We stood in a neat line at 852 for joy and sadness about 7th in line. The doors opened and people from everywhere ran in. (Literally. people ran to test track too. There is a half hearted verbal attempt to stop running but it doesn't seem to work). Now we are about 15th. So I was supposed to crowd the door as opposed to standing in line?

 

[Princess_Lisa]

At Epcot, there's really only 2 headliners (TT and Soarin') in the morning as the World Showcase doesn't open until 11 AM, so people probably aren't spreading out like they would at say Magic Kingdom.

 

[BrianL]

At Epcot, there's really only 2 headliners (TT and Soarin') in the morning as the World Showcase doesn't open until 11 AM, so people probably aren't spreading out like they would at say Magic Kingdom.

Frozen also opens when the park does, at 9, not 11. It helps split up the stampede.

To the OP, EMH can still be incredibly useful. AK has the new Avatar stuff right now, and as others have said, F&W starts today at Epcot, so that's a big draw.

 

[lovethattink]

Today will be a crowded day at Epcot, especially World Showcase from 11am on.

I love morning EMH, but everyone else in my family are night owls and park days don't start til after 10 for them. AK was very crowded during evening EMH for us. And waits were long. We used the time to walk around, check out the sites, take pictures, and eat at Satu'li.

 

[Princess_Lisa]

Frozen also opens when the park does, at 9, not 11. It helps split up the stampede.

To the OP, EMH can still be incredibly useful. AK has the new Avatar stuff right now, and as others have said, F&W starts today at Epcot, so that's a big draw.

Wish I had known that when I did EMH at Epcot. I thought it didn't open until 11 AM because it is in the World Showcase.

 

[BrianL]

Wish I had known that when I did EMH at Epcot. I thought it didn't open until 11 AM because it is in the World Showcase.

Yes, you can enter the WS as far as Norway on that side, and FEA is open, as is Akershus for those with breakfast reservations. You can also actually enter the WS from the other side too and go as far as France, because there is a place to get breakfast in France that opens early. This is more convenient from the International Gateway, and you can't proceed in that direction toward Norway and Frozen (you have to go back around the other way). Everything else in WS is closed until 11 AM.

 

[pitpat]

Have you done regular opening rope drops to compare it to?

 

[han22735]

We also love EMH in the am...Today is an exception for sure with the start of F&W

 

[Dan Murphy]

We skip magic hours, preferring regular park openings at the lower crowd parks. We try to avoid the high crowd, magic hours park/s.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

Sorry that the OP had some bad luck.
We love AM EMH.

We are the same way.

 

[Gentry2004]

Its really only beneficial at MK and AK. The other 2 not so much.

 

[scrapquitler]

I'm not a fan of morning EMH because well, we aren't morning people. However, I love late night EMH in MK. We make a point to always be at those because the later it gets, the less crowded it is and we can usually walk on most anything we want.

 

[ricosuave]

We only do PM EMH. Can't seem to wake up that early lol

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

I've never had a bad experience with AM EMH.
Absolutely love it!!!
Although I usually take advantage more at MK and HS.
At MK I can often do PP, IASW, Pooh, and Little Mermaid.
At HS I do RNRC and TOT twice each.
Epcot and AK I usually only get one attraction done in that hour.

 

[Robo]

The fact that there are so many guests (a majority, it seems) who simply will not get up early on vacation is the very reason
why AM EMH is one of THE most reliable perks at WDW.

The positive effects of having a much lower crowd for the hour of EMH... and the following first "regular" hour in the AM EMH park...
more than compensates (for us) for the increased crowds that may finally arrive after about 10AM.

At that point, if the AM EMH park gets too busy, we take a break and/or go elsewhere for lunch
or to another park, if we like.
Also, by evening, the park that hosted AM EMH that day will likely find lower crowds...
as those guests who arrived for the morning EMH have largely exited.

 

[Spencer Wright]

I am absolutely a morning person and get up naturally early even on vacation (5:00am-5:30 range). I am not normally a fan of morning EMH, however this year we went to a couple at AK. Due to the opening of Pandora, the rest of the park was deserted and we got on basically all major attractions (except Pandora)with practically no wait, and then had delicious lunch at Flame Tree.

However for the the parks, I think that morning EMH attracts crowds such that it is not worth the trouble. I am saying this as someone who naturally is up anyway.