Strategy for DHS Extra Extra Magic Hours (6-9am Sept 1- Nov 2)

[TigerlilyAJ]

Does anyone here read Disney Tourist Blog or otherwise keep track of what has been happening so far in DL? The reports are that it's all been very reasonable, probably underwhelming to Disney execs. We'll see if it picks up this weekend, but it hasn't been a huge influx now that reservations are no longer required. I'm hoping that with a September opening (lowest WDW month of the year) and all those extra hours, it could reasonable at DHS, too.

 

[dmask]

I was just looking at the wait time at DL...I should have booked a trip. WDW in September here’s hoping for similar experience. We have made it through the Thanksgiving, Christmas and NYE crowds so expecting the worst and hoping for the not so worst.

 

[Cinderella94]

I know this works in DL but I am not understanding the VQ and how it actually works, just read about people wanting it. Would I need VQ if I plan on being at the parks for opening at 4:15 am? Thanks so much!

That is my plan as well. Get there obscenely early in hopes of avoiding the virtual queue. I doubt at that hour we'd end up in the queue. When is your trip? I'm not going until the end of October and plan on reading every report I can find of how it's going before that.

 

[Davey Jones II]

Is it possible for the entire park to reach capacity with EEMH? What's the total number of resort guests approximately, compared to park capacity?

Possible, but unlikely. Islands of Adventure didn`t close for capacity when the Hagrid coaster had ten hour wait times.

 

[Davey Jones II]

Does anyone here read Disney Tourist Blog or otherwise keep track of what has been happening so far in DL? The reports are that it's all been very reasonable, probably underwhelming to Disney execs. We'll see if it picks up this weekend, but it hasn't been a huge influx now that reservations are no longer required. I'm hoping that with a September opening (lowest WDW month of the year) and all those extra hours, it could reasonable at DHS, too.

A lot of Disneyland annual pass holders are blocked out right now. The real test occurs when they get unblocked...

 

[Jnjtrio]

Okay all hoping you can help me plan best course of action. We are traveling Sep 3-10, first park day is the 4th. Seeing the early morning start of 6am, our thought is to make the Studios our first park of the trip. No fast passes between 6am-9am, so I was thinking of doing no fast passes in this park and saving them for Epcot in the evening. We are 5 adults traveling together we are all over 50 with one over 70.

Does this seem like a good course of action?

 

[lvcourtneyy]

Okay all hoping you can help me plan best course of action. We are traveling Sep 3-10, first park day is the 4th. Seeing the early morning start of 6am, our thought is to make the Studios our first park of the trip. No fast passes between 6am-9am, so I was thinking of doing no fast passes in this park and saving them for Epcot in the evening. We are 5 adults traveling together we are all over 50 with one over 70.

Does this seem like a good course of action?

That's my plan for October- get to HS early, get out early, go back to the resort and nap then go to Epcot in the afternoon and use our FPs there.

 

[evlaina]

Okay all hoping you can help me plan best course of action. We are traveling Sep 3-10, first park day is the 4th. Seeing the early morning start of 6am, our thought is to make the Studios our first park of the trip. No fast passes between 6am-9am, so I was thinking of doing no fast passes in this park and saving them for Epcot in the evening. We are 5 adults traveling together we are all over 50 with one over 70.

Does this seem like a good course of action?

Same here - our second day is HS in the morning and Epcot in the evening. I'm saving my FP for Epcot.

 

[js]

Okay all hoping you can help me plan best course of action. We are traveling Sep 3-10, first park day is the 4th. Seeing the early morning start of 6am, our thought is to make the Studios our first park of the trip. No fast passes between 6am-9am, so I was thinking of doing no fast passes in this park and saving them for Epcot in the evening. We are 5 adults traveling together we are all over 50 with one over 70.

Does this seem like a good course of action?

Same here - our second day is HS in the morning and Epcot in the evening. I'm saving my FP for Epcot.

I'll be at MGM bright and early (well, it will still be dark out) on September 11 and plan on being out of the park by 9/10 am and heading back to GFVs to rest and also using our FPs for Epcot that evening. I'll be there almost same time as you jnjtrio, September 4-14.

See you on Main Street!

 

[JessiMommy]

We have a trip planned for September 1-7. (Booked way before they announced SWGE.) We love SW but don't see ourselves waking up super early to see it all. My concern is... do we even bother planning a HS day? Do I even bother getting any FP's? I'm thinking by the time we would want to arrive, somewhere between 8-9 am, all the other attractions will be slammed with guests who arrived at 6 or earlier to see SWGE. My gut says don't even plan a HS day, don't book any FP's at that park and then if we decide to deviate from that we can just wing it. Honestly the only attractions we've been doing at HS in the past year are SDD, ST, RNRC & TOT. We will survive if we have to skip them this trip. (Even if TOT is my all time fav!) Thoughts on this?

 

[mousefan73]

so I just checked resort avail. from the 29 Aug-04 Sept. almost everything is avail. even ASMU, ASMO and Pop, Pop even has standard rooms. so it does make you wonder how the crowds will be..

 

[yulilin3]

so I just checked resort avail. from the 29 Aug-04 Sept. almost everything is avail. even ASMU, ASMO and Pop, Pop even has standard rooms. so it does make you wonder how the crowds will be..

Remember it's not all about the on site guest, there are many off site, vacation homes and locals who are also planning on going.
I do hope that the crowds are on the lower side but don't put your guard down based on on site availability

 

[Dawn Peterson]

We have a trip planned for September 1-7. (Booked way before they announced SWGE.) We love SW but don't see ourselves waking up super early to see it all. My concern is... do we even bother planning a HS day? Do I even bother getting any FP's? I'm thinking by the time we would want to arrive, somewhere between 8-9 am, all the other attractions will be slammed with guests who arrived at 6 or earlier to see SWGE. My gut says don't even plan a HS day, don't book any FP's at that park and then if we decide to deviate from that we can just wing it. Honestly the only attractions we've been doing at HS in the past year are SDD, ST, RNRC & TOT. We will survive if we have to skip them this trip. (Even if TOT is my all time fav!) Thoughts on this?

I think that sounds good. I change my mind all the time but my current plan is to do SWGE in the morning and save my fast passes and ADR for another park for the evening. I think an early morning deserves a nap

 

[mousefan73]

Remember it's not all about the on site guest, there are many off site, vacation homes and locals who are also planning on going.
I do hope that the crowds are on the lower side but don't put your guard down based on on site availability

but for the xtra magic hours this might be good right? as only resort and good neighbor get in early.

 

[yulilin3]

but for the xtra magic hours this might be good right? as only resort and good neighbor get in early.

correct and also add the DS resorts that get the same benefits. I got confused in which thread I was posting

 

[RJstanis]

I may be in the minority, but I would much rather be in the VQ group if they have one early on. That way I could do other rides/things in HS with what will probably be the lowest time of crowds in those lands, then still be able to hit SWGE after accomplishing alot of the other rides in the park, especially with all the Tier 1 FP restrictions. Those lines should only grow as the hours go on, so being able to knock all of those out early and then still be able to access the SWGE later on seems like a better plan to me? I always enjoy zigging while others are zagging though lol.

 

[Dawn Peterson]

I may be in the minority, but I would much rather be in the VQ group if they have one early on. That way I could do other rides/things in HS with what will probably be the lowest time of crowds in those lands, then still be able to hit SWGE after accomplishing alot of the other rides in the park, especially with all the Tier 1 FP restrictions. Those lines should only grow as the hours go on, so being able to knock all of those out early and then still be able to access the SWGE later on seems like a better plan to me? I always enjoy zigging while others are zagging though lol.

I’m considering this option more and more. I have noticed that if I’m not front of the pack for rope dropping certain rides I may as well hang back.

 

[DazzleT]

I’m considering this option more and more. I have noticed that if I’m not front of the pack for rope dropping certain rides I may as well hang back.

I would like to do that but without knowing how busy the Star Wars land will be, I am worried that if I want to go, I need to be there at 6am. There is an unrelated Christmas event that first fills up the line and then hands out passes for every half hour for the rest of the day. Within an hour, all the passes for the entire day are gone. I worry that this is what will happen here- by like 9:30am the park has committed to all the people who will get to go all day. If I was picking a time, I would love to do night at Star Wars land but without more details, I am planning on 6 am.

 

[Dawn Peterson]

I would like to do that but without knowing how busy the Star Wars land will be, I am worried that if I want to go, I need to be there at 6am. There is an unrelated Christmas event that first fills up the line and then hands out passes for every half hour for the rest of the day. Within an hour, all the passes for the entire day are gone. I worry that this is what will happen here- by like 9:30am the park has committed to all the people who will get to go all day. If I was picking a time, I would love to do night at Star Wars land but without more details, I am planning on 6 am.

I have the same worry. It sounds like as long as I am up and at the parks I can get into that virtual queue. I am not positive and I’m not sure how HS will handle it or if they will do the virtual queue but I have learned that I hate the crowds at rope drop. So if there is an alternate option I am all about it. My youngest was nearly trampled last year at SDD rope drop. And it wasn’t even opening month so I can’t imagine SWGE.

 

[NashvilleMama]

We're booked for a short 2 days of park hopping Sept 27-28, just me and my two daughters (9 and 11). Assuming DHS crowds will be lower on Friday than Saturday due to schools, I had planned to do EEMH Friday morning, do a lunch ADR, hotel rest, then park hop to AK since I care more about FP at AK and figure we can get away without them at DHS.

BUT we fly in Thursday night, landing 9:15pm. Reading through this thread has given me anxiety about just how early we'd have to arrive to benefit from EEMH on Friday - knowing from landing and using magical express transportation to Art of Animation and when we'll realistically get to bed. AH! The girls...and me...probably won't make it in one piece if I then have to wake them up at 4-4:30am EST (we're on central.)

Alt plan: MK opens at a reasonable 7am on Friday for EMH. We'd do EEMH at DHS on Saturday.

Alt alt plan: Change our flights to arrive earlier on Thursday, but not ideal as they'd miss more school (and me work) and the flights are much more expensive.

WWYD?