Extra Magic Hours

Lesley Sawhook ponders: to EMH or Not to EMH

- Lesley Sawhook, March 4, 2011

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As a Disney travel planner, I am always working on detailed itineraries for myself, my family, and friends and clients.

Our biggest debates are "should I take advantage of the early and late magic hours the parks are having?" and "should we spend the extra money on park hoppers?"

I'll tackle the first of those debates here for you today.

Happiest Tip: Know Thy Magic Hours

If you stay at a Walt Disney World Resort, at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resorts, at Shades of Green, or at the Hilton at Downtown Disney, you're eligible for Extra Magic Hours (EMH).

Disney schedules EMH at different times for different parks each week.

Early morning hours permit Disney World resort guests to enter a particular park one hour before it opens to the public. Evening magic hours let resort guests stay in a park for several hours after it closes to the public. To take advantage of either early or evening magic hours, all you need is a valid resort ID and theme park ticket.

Happiest Tip: Know Thyself in the Morning

If you're taking advantage of morning magic hours, your family should not mind getting up early (very early!) in the morning. For example, if the Magic Kingdom is scheduled to open at 8:00 A.M. for resort guests, then you should be there no later than 7:50 A.M. to take advantage of the full magic hour before Disney opens the park to the public. Remember, though, that not every ride and attraction will be available during magic hour.

It's no fun having to beg and plead with your exhausted children, teenagers, or adults to get out of bed early enough to make it to the park early.

Sound like your family? Then my advice is to skip the morning magic hour park and instead arrive later at a diffrent park where, typically, the crowds will be a bit lighter since many folks will be at the magic hour park.

Happiest Tip: Know Thyself at Night

If you're taking advantage of evening magic hours, your family should not mind staying up late - or visiting a park after dark! Again, bear in mind that not every ride or attraction will be open for evening magic hours, though usually you'll have a greater selection than you would during a morning magic hour.

Disney used to issue wrist bands to resort guests for evening magic hours, but now all you need is your valid resort ID.

Happiest Tip: Know Thy Magic Hours Attractions

Here is a list (subject to change!) of the attractions open during extra magic hours:

Magic Kingdom

• MORNINGS: Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, Cinderella's Golden Carousel, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, It's a Small World, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Mickey's PhilharMagic, Peter Pan's Flight, Space Mountain, Stitch's Great Escape, Tomorrowland Speedway
• EVENINGS: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, Cinderella's Golden Carousel, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, The Haunted Mansion, It's a Small World, The Magic Carpets of Aladdin, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Mickey's PhilharMagic, Peter Pan's Flight, Pirates of the Caribbean, Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Stitch's Great Escape, Tomorrowland Speedway

Epcot

• MORNINGS: Living with the Land, Mission: SPACE, Soarin', Spaceship Earth, Test Track
• EVENINGS: Living with the Land, Mission: SPACE, Soarin', Spaceship Earth, Test Track, Honey, I Shrunk the Audience, Journey Into Imagination with Figment, Gran Fiesta Tour (Mexico Pavilion), Maelstrom (Norway Pavilion), The American Adventure, O'Canada!, The Seas with Nemo & Friends

Disney's Hollywood Studios

• MORNINGS: Muppet Vision 3-D, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, Star Tours, Toy Story Mania, Tower of Terror
• EVENINGS: Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, Star Tours, Tower of Terror, Toy Story Mania, The Great Movie Ride, Voyage of The Little Mermaid

Disney's Animal Kingdom

• MORNINGS: Dinosaur, Expedition Everest, It's Tough to be a Bug, Kilimanjaro Safaris, Pangani Forest Exploration Trail
• EVENINGS: No longer offered

Water Parks

• MORNINGS / EVENINGS: All attractions operational

Happiest Tip: Know Thy Family

If you are like my family and don't think you will make it to the parks that early, or can keep the kids awake that late, then skipping extra magic hours completely is just fine.

Since I know what my family can handle, I look at the park hours before our trip and determine which parks will NOT be offering extra magic hours during our dates at Disney. We plan to hit those parks on the (valid) assumption that they'll be less crowded because of the many people who do take advantage of extra magic hours in other parks.

You know what's best for you and your family. Making your plans accordingly is the best way to have a MAGICAL Disney vacation!

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