Possible Change to Evening EMH Policy

[mousefan1972]

From Allearsnet.com:

Extra Magic Hours are available to Disney Resort guests at select theme parks on select days. When resort guests enter the park for evening Extra Magic Hours, they go to a designated location for a wrist band. This easily identifies them as a resort guest to Cast Members
One of the difficulties, especially for the evening Extra Magic Hour, has been clearing the park of non-resort guests. Walt Disney World will test a new procedure from February 24 - 29, 2008. Each Disney Resort Guest will need to carry (and show) their valid Disney Resort Key to the World Card for access to the theme parks for evening Extra Magic Hours. Wristbands will not be issued. Be sure to have your Resort ID available as you enter any attractions

 

[Scar]

Interesting. Not certain what was so hard about the wristbands. Seems to me checking if someone has a wristband is easier for a CM at an attraction than seeing if they have a valid resort ID.

IMHO, it will slow down the attraction lines to have to check the valid resort IDs vs. just seeing if someone has a wristband.

Wonder if this is a cost cutting move to not have to staff the wristband distributors?

 

[LudwigVonDrake]

They're better off doing the wristbands. Makes things easier for guests and cast :shrug:

 

[bluejayx]

that not going to make harder for the cast members at the rides without wristbands, and when the park closed on emh at least at the mk, you alway had to have a resort card to get back in to the park.
but oh well

 

[cpeterstx]

From Allearsnet.com:

Extra Magic Hoursare available to Disney Resort guests at select theme parks on select days. When resort guests enter the park for evening Extra Magic Hours, they go to a designated location for a wrist band. This easily identifies them as a resort guest to Cast Members.
One of the difficulties, especially for the evening Extra Magic Hour, has been clearing the park of non-resort guests. Walt Disney World will test a new procedure from February 24 - 29, 2008. Each Disney Resort Guest will need to carry (and show) their valid Disney Resort Key to the World Card for access to the theme parks for evening Extra Magic Hours. Wristbands will not be issued. Be sure to have your Resort ID available as you enter any attractions.

Let me translate:

In an effort to stop purchasing these wrist bands from China (now with even MORE lead paint!), we want you to dig out your rook key and show it to us.

Seriously, not that big of a deal in the grands scheme of things.

 

[Disneykidder]

Nah, not that big of a deal to whip out a room key but it can get annoying, especially if you are traveling with kids and need to hold their cards, as well. What if they are now lost? Having to put them away, take them out...not everyone has pockets. Wristbands were so easy to see on the wrist. I agree something else should be done, but not this.

 

[mousefan1972]

Nah, not that big of a deal to whip out a room key but it can get annoying, especially if you are traveling with kids and need to hold their cards, as well. What if they are now lost? Having to put them away, take them out...not everyone has pockets. Wristbands were so easy to see on the wrist. I agree something else should be done, but not this.

That was my thought when I read it, too. We carry our kids' room keys for them (ages 4 and 2) and the thought of showing them at every attraction makes me very wary of possibly losing one or both. Also, how does not using wristbands help clear non-resort guests out of the parks?

 

[RNRguy]

yeah its convent to just show your wristband, and even more it make you one fo the elite. bc at Mgm, (hollywood studios) we got asked by other guesat what the wrist bands were for!

 

[marni1971]

Weird... holding an arm up was a lot quicker than finding and showing (and not loosing) a room key.

Thumbs down.

 

[HinunterZuNich]

I'm going to guess that each room card will be valid for four(?) people???

...but then this would open up the idea that if each person does end up having a resort room card, that they could in reality EACH bring in people.

Ugh, I'm confusing myself

 

[Sam02]

I would guess that by the "(and show)" part of the announcement that instead of carrying your KTTW in a pocket or purse then you might need to wear it around your neck. That way it is always on display and CM's won't need to stop you and ask to see your wrist. If this is the case it might actually be easier on the CM's and guests if the proof of resort stay is easily visible.

 

[Karolena]

I think this is just going to make it more complicated. Besides, the wristbands are like free souveniers and are great for scrapbooks.

But if people are buying them, which is just crazy, I sort of understand what's going on.

 

[WDWRLD]

Do What???? Who ever thought this one up will not be the employee of the month. The fact that instead of just holding up your wrist now a CM will have to look at the small printed date in the dark on each and every key to the world. What does this have to do with clearing the park?

 

[ClemsonTigger]

????????????????????????????????

How is that going to get day guests OUT of the park?
We all have tons of old keys...it will be easy for anyone to carry that around, they won't be able to scan or visually check dates.

As has been said, what is easier than asking you to hold up your hand? Easy to do in line, on walkways, on the parade route.

At least it is a week test and not necessarily implemented.

 

[imamouse]

I would guess that by the "(and show)" part of the announcement that instead of carrying your KTTW in a pocket or purse then you might need to wear it around your neck. That way it is always on display and CM's won't need to stop you and ask to see your wrist. If this is the case it might actually be easier on the CM's and guests if the proof of resort stay is easily visible.

I had the same thought - wear a lanyard with a clear plastic pocket for your room key, AP, etc. Spotting the dates could be dicey in the dark and could slow things down a bit. It will be interesting to learn how successful the test was (or not).

 

[cemeb4dk]

I agree with all said above.

But if I understand EMH, you usually have to get your wristband by 7 or so ( or a specific cut off time) Correct?

But now without needing the band you can go an hour before the EMH ends and get in because you will just need your room card. So in other words you can wrap up at DHS and shoot over to the MK and get in.

 

[BillyBuff]

Not a Big Deal

Not really a problem. It's just like whipping out the card for a Fast Pass....

Plus sometimes it's hard to find the CMs that are distributing the wristbands. :shrug:

 

[cabihler]

okay i know i will get a lot of grief about this

but in many ways i wish they would go back to the OLD way of doing the EVENING extra magic hours when you had to pay $10 per person. i say this for several reasons:

1) i am sure that in the ever creative minds of disney resort beancounters that they have already figured in the extra cost of keeping the park for that evening open and that cost has been added into the room price that everyone pays regardless of the fact that you may or may not avail yourself of EMH... so perhaps disney could announce they are going back to the old system and thus reducing the cost of the room to reflect that --- YEA RIGHT

2) it use to be so GREAT the evening EMH when you could go from ride to ride or go back on and off the same ride many MANY times in a row without having to wait in a long line and paying that extra amount was well worth it.

look we are going back in June and we plan events around the EMH knowing that A LOT of resort guests are going to be there too. when you are in a 40 minute line even during EMH for Space Mountain then TOO many people are in the park. i recall under the old system that my daughter and i once rode on space mountain 13 times in a row and we were able to do that because we got off of the ride and tehn there was no line as we RAN back up. and then we went over to ride thunder mountain and splash mountain after that... you can't do that today. YES it was an extra cost and yes we did not like having to pay it BACK THEN but in hindsight we really got a lot for our extra money on the rides.

 

[hrcollectibles]

From Allearsnet.com:

Extra Magic Hours are available to Disney Resort guests at select theme parks on select days. When resort guests enter the park for evening Extra Magic Hours, they go to a designated location for a wrist band. This easily identifies them as a resort guest to Cast Members.
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]One of the difficulties, especially for the evening Extra Magic Hour, has been clearing the park of non-resort guests. Walt Disney World will test a new procedure from February 24 - 29, 2008. Each Disney Resort Guest will need to carry (and show) their valid Disney Resort Key to the World Card for access to the theme parks for evening Extra Magic Hours. Wristbands will not be issued. Be sure to have your Resort ID available as you enter any attractions


HOw would this stop someone that has an extra room key?

 

[lpet11984]

I'm with you, ClemsonTigger....I don't understand how *not* having the wristbands will help get day guests out...I understand that guests without a KttW wouldn't be able to ride without showing, but that doesn't necessarily get people out of the park...at least with a wrist band, you could spot the people who had them. :shrug: