Extra Magic Hours...morning or evening better?

[davper]

I am staying in the park and can take advantage of EMH. I also have the Park Hopper option.

From what I have read here, the park with the evening hours gets a heavier crowd. So does that mean the morning hour park is a better choice?

What would be a better plan of attack considering crowds:
A. Go to the park with the Morning EMH and stay there all day?
B. Go to both parks with EMH and take a break early afternoon?
C. Sleep late and go to the evening EMH park?
D. None of the above, here is a better option?

I am going 9/21 to 9/30 and I am told crowds are about medium level for this time of year. Maybe this means it won't matter what I choose?

:shrug::shrug::shrug::shrug::shrug::shrug::shrug::shrug::shrug::shrug::shrug:

 

[Charlie Brown]

We had good luck going in the morning. Maybe take a break in the afternoon or go to another park when it gets crowded. The evenings are really cool because there are all the lights and it just looks so cool.

 

[Charlie Brown]

And I forgot to say is that if you do the extra magic hours in the morning the only bad thing is that you'll miss the opening ceremonies to the park and I've heard they're fun to go to but they attract a lot of people there. I think that would be the only bad thing. It's also nice and cool in the morning.

 

[sweetale]

In my personal experience, I have found the morning EMH to be much less crowded and hectic, with shorter wait times. That said, I HATE waking up early in the morning and I find that if I am waking up at 6am to spend the entire day walking around, I am VERY crabby by 3pm (even with the wonder drug "caffeine" ). Here is my suggestion:
For parks like MK and Epcot, with more rides and attractions to experience, take advantage of morning EMH and if necessary, go back to your hotel room and chill in the afternoon.
For parks like AK and MGM ("hollywood studios"), evening EMH would work well and sleep in that morning. Either way, I've been to WDW in late September and we didn't even bother with EMH. There were never any waits longer than 10 minutes save for Soarin, ToT, RNRC, and Test Track. And that's easy enough to get around with fastpasses. You should be golden!:wave:

 

[DABIGCHEEZ]

My experience is AM EMHs are less crowded the PM. Although I don't think it will be that crowded when you are going. Just a heads up though AK evening EMH.. All animal exhibits and KS are closed, also not all shows are on during evening EMH at AK.
Again from my experience, we get to the park at regular opening and found the lines to be almost noexistent. EE-10 min, Splash and BTMR-5 mins, TOT-5 mins. Pick your favorite rides and head to them right at opening.

 

[SchultzFamily]

We have never had a problem with either mornings or evenings...we go to both every year. We went on Splash Mountain three or four times in a row last year and walked right onto Pirates, Space Mountain, etc. in the evening. We have always been able to do almost every ride that we cared about in the morning in that one hour time frame.

 

[bluefaery]

And I forgot to say is that if you do the extra magic hours in the morning the only bad thing is that you'll miss the opening ceremonies to the park and I've heard they're fun to go to but they attract a lot of people there. I think that would be the only bad thing. It's also nice and cool in the morning.

Or if you wanted to see them just go the place where the ceremonies are and just wait around. I don't see the problem with that.

 

[frankd1962]

PM EMH at Epcot seems less crowded after Illuminations and I had a nice leisurly stroll around the Lagoon.

I like doing both and will try to do fit in one or both for a park during a trip. Though the last one I spent a whole day at a Park using the EMH AM for breakfast ADRs at AK and MK. And late night at Epcot.

 

[redfive13]

EMH n the morning seem to be less crowded, but there's nothing like being in the parks at night...

Overall... I say night.

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

Only one thing I'd take into consideration - not everyone has the Hopper Option. So folks without Hoppers go to the morning EMH park and stay all day OR go to the evening EMH park all day and stay for EMH - thus making the parks busier.

On the other hand, knowing they can't Hop, they may avoid both parks.

There really isnt a formula for this to work out whats best

 

[I-4Warrior]

It's always better for me at night. We're already at the park and we get to experience the entire allowable emh. It's tough enough for us to get to the parks at regular opening, nevermind getting up even earlier to get there for early emh. I need my sleep or I'll be too physically trashed to put in a full day at the park.

 

[4parks1world]

to me there is not enough to do in the mornings.. it seems like the am hours is just to get some guests in the parks before opening to avoid the crush of the other guests coming in:brick: pm to me is better

 

[BeanSz]

We have luck with both. Really depends on the time of the year. IF you go over Christmas or July 4th week, parks are crowded all the time. We have been going in September, and EMH you usually walk right on, especially in the later in the evening. The first time we did EMH at MK, we felt like it was our personal park. Again, it depends on the time of year, if it is a relatively slow time of the year, then you will have better luck with EMH, if busy time of the year, then expect some crowds. We generally do evening EMH as I think it allows us to have more nap and pool time in the afternoon, avoid a mad rush out after whatever evening fireworks event, and enjoy some of our favorite attractions. If you have young children and are going while Disney is offering Magical Beginning (usually Sept/Oct), I highly recommend you do the Fantasy Land Early Open only for pre-school aged children. Was the highlight of our trip last year. Not crowded. Most of the characters were out. My son got lots of direct interaction with them. Played for 20 minutes by himself with Tigger and Piglet in Pooh's Play Spot, then rode Carousel with Goofy. Played ball with Mickey, and Follow the leader with Peter Pan. Awesome experience.

 

[Purple413]

I agree that it depends on the time of year. When EMH first started way back, the PM hours were awesome because you could get right on all of the rides, but now it seems like the PM hours are MORE crowded than the rest of the day! I never miss AM EMH - it's great to hit your favorite rides before it gets too crowded and too hot - and you can get first dibs on fastpasses once they open the machines.

The past 3 years, I have only traveled to WDW in the summer months, so off season it may be different.

 

[Pioneer Hall]

My advice is to go to the park that has the Early Hours for 2 hours or so. Then switch over to another park for a while. Take a break mid-day and then go over to the park with evening EMH. Evening hours are usually pretty crowded so you might not get a lot done but it is nice to just get some extra night time hours in the park.

Another thing to do not go for evening EMH and then go there the next morning. Since most of the resort guests will have been there the night before, I usually notice slightly lighter crowds until later in the day.

 

[Jellyfish]

Both were really good, but mornings tended to be quieter than the evenings

 

[tunaman68]

Always be at the parks when they open to avoid the crowds in general. The morning hours are definately slower, but there aren't too many areas open (esp at MK), but you can do fantasyland and then be at the rope drop to go over and ride Splash/Big Thunder. Then when that park starts filling up, hop to another park, or take a break and then hop in the afternoon.

We found Evening MH to be much more crowded. The one night we tried them at MK, there was a longer wait for Space Mountain at 11:00 pm then there had been at 10 in the morning!! MGM's evening hours were pretty cool, not as crowded there, but everyone was trying to ride RRC and TOT, so it was pretty thick at that end of the park.

We used tourguidemike to help plan our last trip, and found his "which day least crowded mornings/evenings" to be VERY accurate and helpfull.

I think you are going at a great time of year, so you won't be as likely to run in to summer crowds.

Have Fun!!!!

 

[sweetale]

Another thing to consider is that in the evening EMH, you can't use fastpass and there are less rides open. Thus, people are congested in certain areas and are forced to wait in the stand-by lines. At evening EMH at the MK, we saw lines for Peter Pan that were (no joke) almost 2 hours long!! Most of those were families with smaller children, who will be leaving the park before the EMH was finished, but still...that is a long time to wait. We just strolled around the park and enjoyed the nighttime setting.

 

[ClemsonTigger]

I always prefer Mornings. We have had success with them even on the busiest times of the year. with that said, on the time of year that you are going, with the exception of possibly Friday and Saturday, evenings will not be particularly crowded either.

 

[davper]

Thank you all