UNCgolf
Well-Known Member
Exactly. There will be a lot of people who are unable to make it there in the 30 minute window when using Disney transportation (and even when not). And Disney transport is the main perk of staying on-site.
-
Welcome to the WDWMAGIC.COM Forums!
Please take a look around, and feel free to sign up and join the community.
News Early Theme Park Entry and Extended Evening Hours coming for resort guests
- Thread starter DCBaker
- Start date
Exactly. There will be a lot of people who are unable to make it there in the 30 minute window when using Disney transportation (and even when not). And Disney transport is the main perk of staying on-site.
mightynine
Well-Known Member
It's somewhat funny that based on previous trips, we'd probably get more use of early entry out of EMH, as we traditionally visited the parks in order of when they opened (MK, Epcot, DHS, AK) with the final day usually a mix of Epcot and MK. EMH usually never lined up well with that and we weren't going to break our backs trying to fit things in.
Still, a half-hour is weak. One hour would be ideal.
Chappie is probably salivating at the idea of loads of After Hours upcharges. Probably wondering if he can get away with making the fireworks shows exclusive to them too.
Still, a half-hour is weak. One hour would be ideal.
Chappie is probably salivating at the idea of loads of After Hours upcharges. Probably wondering if he can get away with making the fireworks shows exclusive to them too.
PolynesianPrincess
Well-Known Member
It's simple to check resort guests versus non-resort guests. A simple scan of the magic band will do it. That's how they did it during EMH previous so it's not like they wouldn't use that same system again.
Disney Glimpses
Well-Known Member
Except they were lax on that system and will be even more lax on this one as 30 minutes goes by quite quickly. It will almost certainly be a thing they just don't expect people to come who aren't resort guests. Can't see them denying entry to a family and ask them to wait 15 minutes. It would sound so silly because it is.
doctornick
Well-Known Member
No matter what the opening time is, this is an "issue".
Reality has been, in my experience, that they start running the buses and other transportation well in advance for the official time. I think like an hour before the official park opening (someone can easily correct me). The issue tends to be that guests don't anticipate how long it will take to get to the park and leave their rooms too late to be at the gate at the intended time. I mean, you can't leave your room at 8:20 AM and expect to be making rope drop at 8:30 AM.
But I think if people are at the bus stations at (say) 45 minutes before the opening time for the EMH, they'll be in line at the park turnstile when the line starts letting people in. Transportation will be available and running early enough.
GoofGoof
Premium Member
With EMHs only select rides were open, not everything. I imagine it will be the same, although maybe since it’s only 30 mins Theu will just open everything.
BoarderPhreak
Well-Known Member
I would expect the same rides that open for EMH to be running under this new "perk" (that is to say - not all). If they weren't open, what would be the point of getting in early... Being first in line? That doesn't make any sense. Though I suppose nothing would surprise me at this point.
UNCgolf
Well-Known Member
The other problem, though, is that everyone at the resort (at least that care about taking advantage of the 30 minutes) will all be out there waiting for buses at roughly the same time. With such a short window, it's possible and even likely that some people will miss out because there won't be room on the buses for everyone trying to get there.
That ties in to the other issue with this "benefit", though -- it's going to require anyone who wants to take advantage to be up and ready to go at 7-7:30 every morning, if not earlier, depending on what time the park actually opens. With the old EMH, people could use the night time hours instead if that was their preference.
GoofGoof
Premium Member
With morning hours at least it’s spread to 4 parks now. Under legacy EMHs everyone participating was getting on 1 bus instead of spread among 4. Should be an improvement there.
I don’t disagree on the night hours vs morning. Some people prefer night and some morning. Most people with young kids didn’t take advantage of the night hours, especially at busy times of year and we know that’s a prime demographic.
Shouldigo12
Well-Known Member
This is my feeling too. The benefits (early access to every park and not just one, being able to possibly get a few rides in before the lines) even out the cons (shorter time, only good for morning people, easy to miss because of the short window) and vice versa. Most resort guests will probably consider this s small boon (those who are morning people, people who want more flexibility in which park they choose for the day) or a slightly inferior version of EMH (people who made full use of the EMH, people who hate getting up early on vacation). For everybody but resort guests, this is much worse news. I can't imagine locals are thrilled to hear they now have 0 chance of rope dropping the biggest attractions.
doctornick
Well-Known Member
but even the people who use this perk won’t necessarily do it every day if there vacation. Some people might only do 2 or 3 or 4 days out of their 5 or 7 or 10 day vacation. And with four parks every day the people will be spread out among 4 buses not just one.
and if demand outstrips bus capacity then Disney can always add more buses to that time.
SpectroMagician
Well-Known Member
INCREDIBLY short sighted of Disney to do this. Not everyone wants to be up early with a bunch of kids. Adults liked the later hours.
This along with the Magical express changes make it so there is essentially zero benefit for staying at a Disney hotel anymore.
This along with the Magical express changes make it so there is essentially zero benefit for staying at a Disney hotel anymore.
Basically Disney have taken away as much as they can to save as much money as possible and devalue the guest experience, but kept just that tiny amount in there designed in just a way that makes it impossible to hit a headliner attraction without any wait if you stay off-site. Add this to the extra days you get to book fastpass if staying onsite ( if it comes back ) and you have a perfect trap basically forcing people on-site u less they want to wait hours. From a business POV it is absolute genius, but it's just yet another nail in the coffin for the Disney park experience and company we all feel in love with.
Chapek and his team should be concentrating on becoming again the Disney that created the reputation that they are currently ruining.
Chapek and his team should be concentrating on becoming again the Disney that created the reputation that they are currently ruining.
GoofGoof
Premium Member
If you go to the parks at open, this is actually a positive move. I agree that if you have no intention of doing that then it provides no benefit other than maybe the bus will be less crowded later when you get on
. Assuming FP comes back you still get 30 extra days to book FP reservations along with the 30 mins each morning of extra time and of course free transportation to/from the parks. It’s not a great list but not nothing either. I liked DME but it had some drawbacks. I loved the luggage handling part of the service. Checking your bags at the airport and knowing they would be at your room after checkin was a real nice perk. I also liked the airline bag checkin at the resort for the return flight. Very convenient to check the luggage and know you wouldn’t need to worry about it until you got to your home airport. What I didn’t like was how early they picked me up on the way home. If I rented a car or took an Uber I could leave much later. I also wasn’t a huge fan of multiple stops.
I definitely think removing DME is a loss but I also remember back to the days when it didn’t exist and it wasn’t a big deal. I think the service only started sometime in the early 2000s so 30+ years without it and we all got by. Of course prices were lower then too. I do wonder if they will ramp back up their own paid Uber service or if Disney will just wash their hands of it completely. I wouldn’t be shocked to see a shuttle bus service continue with just a fee billed by a third party where Disney would just get a kickback or commission for directing you to the 3rd party for booking.
Cousin Huet
Well-Known Member
This is lame. 30mins is silly and could be ate up just in moving through the lines to get in, down the street and the line/ride on the first attraction you hit. Disney is always cutting back on experience and increasing price. I can’t believe they still find stuff to cut.
TrainsOfDisney
Well-Known Member
Remember when EMH was 3 hours?
They may as well say “resort guests get exclusive early access to the Joffreys kiosk”
Cousin Huet
Well-Known Member
We will be paying to use on-site transportation soon. “Do you have your ‘Disney Magical Transit Card’ on you today? Get him! He’s a farebeating, turnstile jumper!”
TrainsOfDisney
Well-Known Member
You actually might be right... they are having cm’s scan tickets at bus stops for park hopping currently. Didn’t think that could be a test for more of that.