No Extra Magic Hours Starting 1/1/16? Update: EMH to Continue

[disney4life2008]

So an extra 2 hours in the evening or an extra hour in the morning is the only reason you stay on property?

Is this a serious question? YES! I can complete nearly all of MK in that 2 hours; and morning hours at EP, AK, and HS are a life saver. So YES! If they eliminated EMHs - my business will go elsewhere. I always rent a car, and while reserving 60 days is great - 30 days has not caused me any problems. So I can stay at my timeshare for a quarter of what it costs to stay at disney.

 

[AEfx]

So an extra 2 hours in the evening or an extra hour in the morning is the only reason you stay on property?

Honestly? When I do stay on property anymore (not often) that is the deciding factor.

It's really the only significant benefit there is, to me. I refuse to be stuck on Disney property anymore without a vehicle, so I don't take those awful buses anymore. I can get myself from place to place so much more quickly and easily than Disney buses can take me - I am shocked now at how much of my day was waiting for freakin' buses - I can go anywhere else I want, I can actually go to the store around the corner and buy a Diet Pepsi, LOL. Or late at night I can run through any number of places to grab some hot food, instead of eating vending machine junk. Oh, and...Universal. (Plus, I haven't gotten sick once while at WDW since I stopped taking buses...)

So really, the "benefits" of on property, until this MM+ nonsense, was really just EMH to me. If you actually got to the park before morning EMH, you can do half a park while most guests are just walking in, then hit the road after lunch when it starts to get busy. And evening EMH - the parks are so much nicer after dark, heck, for years this was the only way to see AK in the dark. And by the last hour, everything is usually a walk-on, even at MK.

If they do away with EMH, I'll never have a reason to stay on property again - unless Disney reaches out and makes me a Disney Mom and gives it to me for free.

 

[Jon81uk]

Just quickly waded thru this thread (easier than one that gains 15 pages in a day), and wanted to add what I've been told.

EMH is going away. The ending of nights at DAK and then the cutting the evening hours from three to two were the first steps.

Now, when I was told this, I was told a lot of things. A lot of things about how NGE was going to revolutionize the theme park experience. How people were going to spend far less time in far fewer lines and, therefore, wouldn't need the extra time. How eventually resort guests would have more ''options'' (something I always took to mean purchasing an extra FP or two, although now I think the plan is to just give them one more as an incentive to pay Disney's crazy prices).

All of that hasn't ... well ... proven to be true.

Yet, I do believe that EMH will be gone completely within two years, and, perhaps, as soon as January of next year. So while I have nothing to confirm this, I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss it as having no merit either.

Would hope that if EMH do go they extend the regular hours, Magic Kingdom at around midnight is much quieter and easier to get on rides. So far all the new tech has done is spread crowds out, so Big Thunder might have a slightly shorter standby, but Pirates has a longer one. Whereas EMH which don't have FP active during them give much shorter standby lines anyway....

 

[MySmallWorldof4]

We use the EMH for MK in the morning and can get most rides that we want to go on in by 10am. So I would be upset if they actually go away. One of the reasons we want to stay on property is because of the EMH. I got a great deal for the Wyndham Bonnet Creek this July as a surprise birthday present for one of my kids. A 2 bedroom condo was less than half the price of an OKW villa. If they go away then that spacious condo with the great price may see more business from my family. No incentive to stay "on property" without them.

 

[Rinx]

I wouldn't mind if EMH went away as long as E-Ticket nights came back! By far a fantastic value compared to EMH and most times it was like having MK to yourself.

 

[mikenatcity1]

One of the things I miss when I go to Disneyland is the EMH- I very rarely get their Magic Morning Hour (and when I have, I was able to complete most things I wanted to in the sections opened).

If they would get rid of EMH I would have absolutely no insentive to staying on property (sorry, but booking fastpasses months out isn't enough). This would make me really sad. I love having the park with less people and able to do more.

 

[lentesta]

I'd be really surprised if Disney cut the EMHs. It's a big selling point.

 

[Kman101]

I wonder if they'll upcharge it. Spend even MORE to get more time in the parks.

I'm slightly surprised if this goes away but not totally. We've heard rumblings on here that they might go away. It shouldn't be that much of a surprise. I mean, as nice as they are, and they ARE nice and a benefit to staying on property, does the MK *really* need to be open until 2am? A lot of nights it regularly closes at Midnight. They could easily just extend it to 2am if they really needed to. And to be frank, if they do drop the EMH, they NEED to start extending the hours at the other parks. Epcot, at least World Showcase, NEEDS to stay open until 11PM. DHS can stay at 10PM for now. AK ... I'd guess at least 9PM would be a good start LOL

I liked them too for being able to do a lot without high crowds but I think all of the EMH's over the years has caused them to have less time to maintenance things. That and they're run on the cheap, but maybe this could help things get done when they aren't waiting until 3 in the morning to start? I know, wishful thinking. This seems to be so they don't have to pay employees to be there and operate rides. You know, because the most visited theme park destination is hurting for cash

 

[WDWVolFan]

I have been one of the ones to be part of the rumour. Let me say - if they take away EMHs - then my need to stay on property will be zero.

Meal Plan (the fact you don't have to pay for meals, not the quality per se) and Magic Kingdom traffic are enough for me to stay on property still...LOL

 

[HolleBolleGijs]

It seems like there's a realistic chance they will be gone soon, but I don't know if this calendar is any indication. It's not like they are missing from the calendar altogether. There's still a box for them; it just hasn't been filled in yet. Maybe it's just wishful thinking, but if they were cutting EMH altogether, maybe they wouldn't be listed on the calendar at all?

 

[azox]

Honestly? When I do stay on property anymore (not often) that is the deciding factor.

It's really the only significant benefit there is, to me. I refuse to be stuck on Disney property anymore without a vehicle, so I don't take those awful buses anymore. I can get myself from place to place so much more quickly and easily than Disney buses can take me - I am shocked now at how much of my day was waiting for freakin' buses - I can go anywhere else I want, I can actually go to the store around the corner and buy a Diet Pepsi, LOL. Or late at night I can run through any number of places to grab some hot food, instead of eating vending machine junk. Oh, and...Universal. (Plus, I haven't gotten sick once while at WDW since I stopped taking buses...)

So really, the "benefits" of on property, until this MM+ nonsense, was really just EMH to me. If you actually got to the park before morning EMH, you can do half a park while most guests are just walking in, then hit the road after lunch when it starts to get busy. And evening EMH - the parks are so much nicer after dark, heck, for years this was the only way to see AK in the dark. And by the last hour, everything is usually a walk-on, even at MK.

If they do away with EMH, I'll never have a reason to stay on property again - unless Disney reaches out and makes me a Disney Mom and gives it to me for free.

We are in the boat on this one as well. We stay just off property and get a rental vehicle and we are able to get from the house and into the parks and on rides faster than people that are on property. It's so much easier to drive vs take the buses from the resorts.

 

[ToTBellHop]

It seems like there's a realistic chance they will be gone soon, but I don't know if this calendar is any indication. It's not like they are missing from the calendar altogether. There's still a box for them; it just hasn't been filled in yet. Maybe it's just wishful thinking, but if they were cutting EMH altogether, maybe they wouldn't be listed on the calendar at all?

It's a document with typos. Reformatting the entire table to remove the EMH rows would be too much to ask.

 

[Texas84]

Our decision to stay on property has nothing to do with EMH. In fact we tend to avoid those days.

 

[worldfanatic]

As someone who ONLY stays on property, and avoids EMH mornings and nights like the plague.......this is very hopeful news. They are a pain to plan around. I really hope they're gone for good. This also could mean slightly longer regular hours on some days. Disney makes money when people are in the parks. Perhaps, however, not during EMH's.

 

[WDWHMHUNTER]

Honestly this would be a sick joke to take EMHs away , especially for us teachers in the Northeast who have summer vacation July and August. Everyone knows how busy it is those months and you also know what specific group takes over the parks in that time (ill give you a hint they come by the bus loads) when I'm there till 2 am or 3 am in MK I get alot done in those times and its peaceful at night so to even think about it going away would be a HUGE mistake on their part.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Just had a particular nasty thought here....

.... thankfully I have nothing to back this idea up. However. What with Disney's current upcharging, upselling, make everything cost extra mentality, what if they're going to make a move to bring back something similar to E-Ride nights? From their POV, why give those hours away for free?

Just a crazy thought that has nothing to support it.

 

[asianway]

Just had a particular nasty thought here....

.... thankfully I have nothing to back this idea up. However. What with Disney's current upcharging, upselling, make everything cost extra mentality, what if they're going to make a move to bring back something similar to E-Ride nights? From their POV, why give those hours away for free?

Just a crazy thought that has nothing to support it.

If they brought back entertainment with it, yes please. Anything to get the stale out

 

[Jon81uk]

Just had a particular nasty thought here....

.... thankfully I have nothing to back this idea up. However. What with Disney's current upcharging, upselling, make everything cost extra mentality, what if they're going to make a move to bring back something similar to E-Ride nights? From their POV, why give those hours away for free?

Just a crazy thought that has nothing to support it.

The cost of providing them is built into the room rate so they aren't really free?

 

[PhotoDave219]

If they brought back entertainment with it, yes please. Anything to get the stale out

Entertainment cuts into their profit margin.

Except when that entertainment is to visit Thailand with lady boys and drink Cobra Whiskey.


Edit: Blah, had to change the joke.....

 

[punkabella]

Just had a particular nasty thought here....

.... thankfully I have nothing to back this idea up. However. What with Disney's current upcharging, upselling, make everything cost extra mentality, what if they're going to make a move to bring back something similar to E-Ride nights? From their POV, why give those hours away for free?

Just a crazy thought that has nothing to support it.

Could I stay off the resort and still be able to add on the e-ride nights? If so, this would be a win in my book. I'm in the camp where I enjoy most of my "disney" time during the EMH at night. Best time to go to the parks. This would allow me to stay off resort for much cheaper, and still be able to get the good "nights" at the parks.