"Disney Early Morning Magic - Fantasyland" Anyone know?

[peter11435]

I appreciate the optimism and plan to check daily up till our arrival (except when we're on the ship--no way am paying for extra data/cell service ), however, given the insane popularity of this ride...we've never ridden it and would like to ride it at least once. We can then decide if we'll put it in the category of PPF and ride only when we can get a FP or when standby line is under a certain wait-time

I just checked and I can currently get SDMT for 30,29,28,27, and 26 days from today. For a party of 4. 25 days out was booked but I didn't check any after that. So I think you have a very good chance. I've gotten mine train fastpasses day of before too. It is rare though.

 

[NelleBelle]

Yay! Thank you for checking on that

 

[Baloo62]

I appreciate the optimism and plan to check daily up till our arrival (except when we're on the ship--no way am paying for extra data/cell service ), however, given the insane popularity of this ride...we've never ridden it and would like to ride it at least once. We can then decide if we'll put it in the category of PPF and ride only when we can get a FP or when standby line is under a certain wait-time

I don't think you will have a problem, either. We have stayed off property since 2011, even though we had always been die-hard resort guests. Our children got to the ages that everyone needed their own private space and bathrooms. We just came back from our 6th stay at Windsor Hills Resort through All Star Vacation Homes. It is literally a five minute drive to the property. For $205 (during peak time!) we get three bedrooms, three baths, a washer-dryer, private pool, and full kitchen. I couldn't get two Value rooms at Disney for that - even during the slowest times of the year. In any event, we were able to get FP's for SDMT on three separate days with no problem at all. You should be good. Enjoy your trip!!!

 

[NelleBelle]

Thanks! It makes me feel even better about our decision to stay off-property at Wyndham Bonnet Creek. I'll definitely make sure I'm up early as soon as my window opens up (hate west coast time zone )

 

[BrerJon]

This was exactly what we were planning to do (and have done in the past)! We are staying off-property and know we are not going to be getting a FP for 7DMT, so our plan was to book an early-morning breakfast and be done before rope-drop, ready to get in line as soon as we could. But now with this ticketed event (and NO WAY are we paying for this)...I guess we I can just plan on spending most of my morning in the stand-by line

Don't worry too much about the mine train, the line in the morning is unlikely to be more than 60 minutes and for the first time ride there's plenty to look at in the queue to make the time fly. Also, unless you have small kids it's a one-and-done you're unlikely to want to repeat, so shouldn't take too much out of your day.

 

[NelleBelle]

Also, unless you have small kids it's a one-and-done you're unlikely to want to repeat, so shouldn't take too much out of your day.

LOL--I figured that we had to ride it at least once but that it likely is something we won't have to repeat. And like you mentioned, as 1st-time riders, I'm sure the queue has interesting things to see (my favorite queue in the parks is EE).

 

[Michele Clauser]

cant beat an early morning appointment with Pooh.

I am trying with a pre-park opening BOG breakfast.

 

[Michele Clauser]

The earliest BOG Breakfast I could get was 8:30 so we will be getting in a little before park open but I like those before park open ADRs too for the very same reason.

** update I have managed to sneak into BOG a tiny bit earlier ...now have 8:10 ADR...still searching for that 8:00am ADR but 8:10 will do for now. Think we can still slip onto 7 Dwarves Mine train? Only worried as we have the Disney family Magic Tour set for 10am.

 

[Brad Bishop]

I just checked and I can currently get SDMT for 30,29,28,27, and 26 days from today. For a party of 4. 25 days out was booked but I didn't check any after that. So I think you have a very good chance. I've gotten mine train fastpasses day of before too. It is rare though.

The funny thing is that they've setup a system where, though you may not be there, you're basically waiting in line for 25+ days.

 

[COProgressFan]

Thanks! It makes me feel even better about our decision to stay off-property at Wyndham Bonnet Creek. I'll definitely make sure I'm up early as soon as my window opens up (hate west coast time zone )

You'll love Wyndham Bonnet Creek. Great resort, and the price and location cannot be beat. Really centrally located right in the middle of Disney property, without actually being on Disney property. We never had any issues with getting Fastpasses either at 30 days out. Didn't always get the days/times we'd prefer (mainly for the Mine Train) but it all worked out.

 

[BernardandBianca]

It bothers a lot of us that the most popular tourist destination on the face of the earth, whose attendance is at record levels, can't seem to make ends meet (yeah right) while the financial bar is being constantly raised for going there and having anything close to the experience we used to get for considerably less money and aggravation. It's sad to see. But of course, charging more for less is the new American Corporate way. And it's disgusting.

I agree with most of your post, but the most popular tourist destination is arguably in Japan. Tokyo DL is the second most attended park in the world (TEA figures) and TDS is number four. The MK is number one, but next is Epcot at sixth a good 3 million less than TDS.

 

[Tuvalu]

** update I have managed to sneak into BOG a tiny bit earlier ...now have 8:10 ADR...still searching for that 8:00am ADR but 8:10 will do for now. Think we can still slip onto 7 Dwarves Mine train? Only worried as we have the Disney family Magic Tour set for 10am.

Save yourself the stress of ADR stalking and keep your 8:10. All guests with pre-park opening ADRs are let in at 7:45. When you arrive at MK, go to the turnstiles on the far left and once you are through, enter the breakfast ADR line. There are CMs with IPads who will scan your MagicBand to verify your reservation. If you happen to arrive at BOG prior to 8:10, check in anyway as you won't have to wait (ours was for 8:20 and we were seated at our table at 8:05.) 7DMT usually begins operating at 8:40-45, so if you don't linger over breakfast too long you should get in a ride before opening time guests arrive.

 

[PinnySmart]

You realize if this removes EMH, that it does affect people? I'd rather have the two FP entitlements, personally- but others might have preferred EMH. So why discount their concerns?

Not taking EMH into account- do you realize that a reduction in park hours does affect not only the park where hours are reduced, but the other parks as well where crowds are redirected?

And lastly- while just a dessert party or breakfast party in and of itself is no big deal, the writing is on the wall for downward trends all over the place. Even a Disney lover such as me can see the writing all over the wall. Your blind loyalty and strong defending of Disney in every single thread and every single action is starting to become very obnoxious. We don't even know what this event is, and yet you're already defending it. Disney isn't infallible.

This is probably the most hypocritical post I have ever read.

 

[JohnByers]

$69/person extra for a few hours. Yep, I won't be spending that money any time soon. The evening parties MNSSHP is one that is worth it as its a fun party but EMM hours, yeah not so much worth it IMO

 

[PinnySmart]

Keep the parks open for hours appropriate to crowds, keep the parks maintained, serve good and adequate food for the prices, change out the trash, adequately staff your parks and resorts. Build new rides sporadically and update nighttime entertainment at least on a 10-year rotation.

You know, the standards they had the first three decades.

I'm tired of defenders having inane comments like yours. Even the owner of this website, who has long remained rational and avoided sensationalizing news has become critical of the management of parks and resorts lately.

Did you visit during the 80's. The food was carnival fare at best and I remember a lot of overflowing trash cans.

 

[jaklgreen]

First the evening event and now this. See I told you they are seeing how many people are willing to pay for extra magic hours. I would not be surprised if they start charging everyone(not a large amount of money) for the extra magic hours. By putting it into a "resort fee" to get more money for these things.

 

[Brad Bishop]

Did you visit during the 80's. The food was carnival fare at best and I remember a lot of overflowing trash cans.

I can attest to the food being horrible in the 1980s. It's one change I've really appreciated. I can have a good meal in the parks now. Before it was crap food and I'd almost always get a bit ill from it to the point where I just had a rule to not ever eat in a theme/amusement park. I still won't eat inside a Six Flags.

The downside of this is that while I did enjoy it for years, the price has moved from, "Ok, it's expensive but you're sort of a captive audience.. I get it," to, "Now it's just stupid expensive and the food nor the service really get anywhere near the price being asked." So I'm back to my, "Don't eat inside WDW"-mode.

 

[mwlillie]

So, we have Disney's #2 resign, Iger's Tenure of Terror to end in 2018, Singapore Disney way over budget and cast member per guest service and support ratio decreases, food quality reductions, resort fees and other additional cost items multiplying like bacteria across the kingdom.

Putting my executive hat on and considering that most of Disney senior management have the ability to realistically project revenues over an 18 to 24-month period, I have to consider that all of these profit increasing schemes is all designed to increase the bonus checks of the executive staff. This becomes more likely a scenario that when Iger leaves you can bet his replacement, which is looking more and more like being filled from outside the company, will bring his or her own staff in.

The other less likely consideration is that by increasing gross revenue and margin profit Disney can sell underperforming, or projected to underperform, assets like ESPN at a significantly higher price. A corporate example would be a company like SanDisk being purchased for three times their 2013 market value because they increased revenue and margin with the same strategy as Disney during 2014 and 2015. A purchase of ESPN just before Iger leaves would probably put 100 million or more in his pocket.

 

[BernardandBianca]

I can attest to the food being horrible in the 1980s. It's one change I've really appreciated. I can have a good meal in the parks now. Before it was crap food and I'd almost always get a bit ill from it to the point where I just had a rule to not ever eat in a theme/amusement park. I still won't eat inside a Six Flags.

The downside of this is that while I did enjoy it for years, the price has moved from, "Ok, it's expensive but you're sort of a captive audience.. I get it," to, "Now it's just stupid expensive and the food nor the service really get anywhere near the price being asked." So I'm back to my, "Don't eat inside WDW"-mode.

As with a lot of things, taste is in the eye (mouth?) of the beholder. We spent the 80's going to WDW using the Gold Key plan; basically everything was prepaid, and every meal was at a :cloth napkin" restaurant. The food ranged from very good to excellent, and the only complaint we had was that every meal was too much to eat. (By the end of the vacation, we wanted to skip meals because we were eating too much.) So your memory of the food was horrible; mine was the exact opposite - great.

 

[Brad Bishop]

As with a lot of things, taste is in the eye (mouth?) of the beholder. We spent the 80's going to WDW using the Gold Key plan; basically everything was prepaid, and every meal was at a :cloth napkin" restaurant. The food ranged from very good to excellent, and the only complaint we had was that every meal was too much to eat. (By the end of the vacation, we wanted to skip meals because we were eating too much.) So your memory of the food was horrible; mine was the exact opposite - great.

To be fair I was in my teens in the 1980s (late teens towards the end) and would have been eating at the cheaper places.