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

[disney4life2008]

And when the Meal plan goes away (which it will)???? EMH is the ONLY reason we have ever stayed onsite. We will have no need to if they eliminate this.

I agree lol. And lets be clear - more like "the free meal plan" - that really is a benefit. However, I do not do any meal plans its a waste. While I appreciate Magical Express - the transportation coming from the parks is tragic. In the amount of time I wait for a bus I could have got my car and went to McDonalds and back in my room (tested and confirmed last month). The increase of FP+ options is confusing at best - the categories presents limitations and excluding MK - I can fly though the other 3 parks without it with excellent planning.

 

[PhotoDave219]

There has been a meal plan since at least 1997 if not before. It is not going anywhere.

Hold up. You yourself in another thread said the Dining Plan came about in 2005.

That's what everyone universally seems to cite, that the Disney Dining Plan started in 2005 as a component of the Magic Your Way ticketing.

 

[DrewmanS]

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

Do we know this to be true? With all of the tracking Disney can now do of guests, I would imagine they now know exactly what percentage of on-site guests actually take advantage on EMH. How many rides, how much food or merchandise purchased. It's then pretty easy to do a cost benefit analysis of keeping the parks open.

As people have pointed out, EMH is a marketing tool. So one would think that perhaps it will be replaced with some other program. Perhaps extended hours for all, but only resort guests get extended hour fast passes. This would retain a perk for resort guests, but also allow for the costs of extended hours to be spread over more guests with more opportunity to spend money on food and merchandise. Or how about EMH everyday. No need for a schedule, parks soft open and close to resort guests and hour early and an hour late. Select rides begin operation early or continue running late on a revolving schedule.

While I have enjoyed EMH on occasion, I have found it frustrating to try to plan visits to specific parks based on EMH. If we are at MK late for fireworks, I really don't want to go to a park early the next morning. The day we arrive, there is never a park with extended hours that night. Etc.

So, if the program goes away without any replacement presumably to save costs, then hopefully it will reduce the annual inflation of prices. If it impacts the amount of resort guests, it just means there might be more promotional discounts and more availability. So a possible lose - win situation.

If it gets replaced with a new program that lets resort guests enjoy extended hour benefits on a more flexible schedule, then win-win.

 

[Cletus]

There has been a meal plan since at least 1997 if not before. It is not going anywhere.

Perhaps I should have phrased it like this..."when the FREE meal plan goes away???" Which it will.

 

[punkabella]

If it gets replaced with a new program that lets resort guests enjoy extended hour benefits on a more flexible schedule, then win-win.

I believe they said the the MyMagic+ makes a WDW trip more flexible.. I don't think WDW knows what flexible really means.

 

[DisneyJoe]

Hold up. You yourself in another thread said the Dining Plan came about in 2005.

That's what everyone universally seems to cite, that the Disney Dining Plan started in 2005 as a component of the Magic Your Way ticketing.

The MAGIC YOUR WAY dining plan started in 2005, along with MYW Tickets and MYW Free Dining. There were different dining plans before the MYW plans. Magical Express began in 2005 too.

Silver, Gold, Platinum Dream Maker add-on plans, and they used Wishes that you'd pay for and trade in for meals. I also remember using a Food and Fun plan.

http://www.kingdom-travel.com/Walt_Disney_World_Planning/Disney_Dream_Maker_Package.shtml

 

[SDisney90]

I do love staying on property and EMH plays a part in that decision. I highly enjoy going to the parks early (snap some crowd less shots, few rides) and the same in the evening : IE riding RnRC 9 times in a row with no wait.

Hope it doesn't happen but in that note anyone know any good near by resorts?

(Jk probably will stay on property)

 

[PhotoDave219]

The MAGIC YOUR WAY dining plan started in 2005, along with MYW Tickets and MYW Free Dining. There were different dining plans before the MYW plans.

Go on..... what were they? Google isn't cooperating.

 

[ford91exploder]

It's certainly possible that it'll happen. But I would think even @ford91exploder could wait until it's actually known to choose his invectives.

Considering Hilton already noted before their booking window opened that the last day EMH would be available to THEIR guests was 12/31/2015, I think it highly likely that this will INDEED happen and multiple insiders have noted this year that EMH is likely to be eliminated, If you had not noticed EMH has been cut way back this year compared to 2014.

My invectives are directed against the very IDEA of eliminating EMH which was probably the last REAL perk for the average guest staying onsite as Disney transportation continues to degrade and spending an extra 500 bucks for a rental on a 2 week trip adds a LOT of flexibility.

 

[Mouse_Trap]

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

You do know that the 'free dining isn't actually free?

They offer it in the slower weeks to maintain occupancy levels without having to cut prices.
It's more like an all-inclusive hotel, in that the food is factored into the price of the room......plus you're paying a huge premium for a Disney room.

Still, such offers do trick many people....just like certain stores offering huge discounts and offers - in reality the goods the sell were never meant to be the full price they claim.


[ UOTE="PhotoDave219, post: 6749823, member: 7112"]Hold up. You yourself in another thread said the Dining Plan came about in 2005.

That's what everyone universally seems to cite, that the Disney Dining Plan started in 2005 as a component of the Magic Your Way ticketing.[/QUOTE]

I don't recall any dining plans back in 1997. I could well be wrong, but as it wasn't first trip it kind of stands out from the rest.

 

[Tigger1988]

Go on..... what were they? Google isn't cooperating.

Food and Fun is the most notable. We used that one in the early 1990s.

Proof, our card from a 1994 trip. @DisneyJoe

 

[DisneyJoe]

Perhaps I should have phrased it like this..."when the FREE meal plan goes away???" Which it will.

Possibly, or it will change into something else. For

Go on..... what were they? Google isn't cooperating.

I added more to my post.

Before Magic Your Way were Dream Maker packages, with Silver, Gold and Platinum add-ons. Many clients would get the Silver add-on to get 2 meals per night's stay; the "Wishes" could also be traded in for recreation if they wanted.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Possibly, or it will change into something else. For

I added more to my post.

Before Magic Your Way were Dream Maker packages, with Silver, Gold and Platinum add-ons. Many clients would get the Silver add-on to get 2 meals per night's stay; the "Wishes" could also be traded in for recreation if they wanted.

THanks, now I know what to google.

 

[doctornick]

Do we know this to be true? With all of the tracking Disney can now do of guests, I would imagine they now know exactly what percentage of on-site guests actually take advantage on EMH. How many rides, how much food or merchandise purchased. It's then pretty easy to do a cost benefit analysis of keeping the parks open.

But whether or not EMH are utilized by guests, the mere fact that they exist inspires people to book on property. I don't think it's unreasonable to suggest that if they got rid of EMH that on property resort booking would suffer.

It would be more likely IMHO for Disney to scale back on EMH (reduce the evening hours to 1 hour, get rid of either evening or morning hours, reduce the number of days a week that have EMH, etc.) than get rid of them entirely. As long as something still exists to be able to market the EMH to encourage on property stays (and DVC sales).

 

[PhotoDave219]

Perhaps I should have phrased it like this..."when the FREE meal plan goes away???" Which it will.

And it should.... Last September's free dining plan had zero impact on attendance. (The October& November periods had some impact.)

 

[CaptainAmerica]

A business without a soul.

What do you think a soul is?

 

[Makamah]

While I hope it's not true this does sound like disney is cutting EMH and possibly bringing back enights. Didn't they just send out a survey on the ticket tiering and ask if you would be willing to pay more for guarenteed lower crowds. Isn't that what enights was

Unfortunately given disney prices enights won't be $15 like they were but more like $50. Not sure if I'd jump at spending another $200 for my family of 4 for 2-3 more hours

 

[CaptainAmerica]

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.

E-Ride night was awesome. I don't know what people are talking about when it comes to being able to "do so much" during evening extra magic hours. In my recent experience, evening extra magic hours have been just as crowded as the rest of the park day. E-ride night was so limited, it was really a benefit worth paying for.

 

[Seth7721]

Interesting if true. When WDW started their post 9/11 cutbacks, removing "Early Entry" was the one that actually hurt them with resort bookings, and at the time was generally accepted as a "mistake" When they brought it back, it was in an even bigger form than it had been (evening + morning, instead of just morning). But it's another decade I suppose.

Why did Disney start cutting back after 9/11? I also saw after 9/11 Disney removed the remainder of the webcast cameras, but I think the reason for that was obvious.

 

[PhotoDave219]

E-Ride night was awesome. I don't know what people are talking about when it comes to being able to "do so much" during evening extra magic hours. In my recent experience, evening extra magic hours have been just as crowded as the rest of the park day. E-ride night was so limited, it was really a benefit worth paying for.

Oh I loved it.

I just don't see Disney doing a "limited" anything.