Extra Magic for all?

[JCrane]

Hi guys,

Forgive my naivity but can somebody please fill me in on Extra Magic Hours. I'm coming to Orlando, and Disney, in October but I won't be staying on site!

Are Extra Magic Hours exclusively for resort guests? If so, how do CM's enforce it or can you slip through the net providing you're still in the park on certain days? What goes on during these EMH's anyway? Are they worthwhile?

Just trying to piece together a bit of an itinirary prior to our vacation and would be great to have some extra time in each of the parks...although, not a deal-breaker!!

Please help this London guy out...

 

[peter11435]

EMH is only for resort guests. IN the mornings they will ask to see your room key. In the evenings they will not only ask to see your room key but they will swipe it through a handheld device to verify and give you a wristband.

During EMH it is just like the rest of the day. Although not all attractions are open.

 

[tigsmom]

As was stated prior, you need to be staying onsite to take part in the EMH. In the morning you cannot enter the parks unless you have a valid resort key and paid admission. For evening EMH they will scan your card and then issue a wristband. This wristband (which must be visable at all times) will allow you to ride the open attractions and see the shows. ANYONE can stay in the park after closing to enjoy the shopping and dining, but will not be allowed to use any of the rides or see the shows. There are CMs posted all around the parks checking for the proper color bands.

Some people do not like the EMH and would rather that E Ride Nights return...with E Ride Night you had to pay ($12) to stay in the parks and only 5,000 guests were allowed so they were less crowded. We tried the evening EMH last August and the parks were just as crowded, if not more so, than in the daytime. The lines for most rides were too long and we ended up leaving.

 

[wdwfreak05]

As was stated prior, you need to be staying onsite to take part in the EMH. In the morning you cannot enter the parks unless you have a valid resort key and paid admission. For evening EMH they will scan your card and then issue a wristband. This wristband (which must be visable at all times) will allow you to ride the open attractions and see the shows. ANYONE can stay in the park after closing to enjoy the shopping and dining, but will not be allowed to use any of the rides or see the shows. There are CMs posted all around the parks checking for the proper color bands.

Some people do not like the EMH and would rather that E Ride Nights return...with E Ride Night you had to pay ($12) to stay in the parks and only 5,000 guests were allowed so they were less crowded. We tried the evening EMH last August and the parks were just as crowded, if not more so, than in the daytime. The lines for most rides were too long and we ended up leaving.

I would MUCH rather have E-Ride nights return. To me it's pointless to even go to a park if it has EMH's that night.

My advice: on a day in which EPCOT was having EMH's I went to MGM Studios in the evening. The longest wait we had the entire night was 20 min to get on RNRC. ToT was literally a walk on and all other attractions were the same. Sure, the park closed at 10 that night but at least we got to go on A LOT of attractions in a short amount of time (unlike EMH's where you might get on 2 major attractions if you're lucky).

 

[ClemsonTigger]

I agree that in my experience the EMH's in the evenings are just as crowded...at least until much later at night.

If you can get up however, I feel the morning EMH does provide you with good access to rides for that hour and the first few hours of regular opening, even on the busiest days.

 

[Nemo14]

I miss E-ride nights too - we used to walk onto Splash mt again and again. I never understood why they limited it to MK though.