Are AM EMH usually less busy than the evening EMH? We are coming from Arizona and will be there the week of Christmas (yes I know it is the most busy week of the year) because of the time difference it will be much easier for us to stay up late than get up to make 7:00 am EMH (these aren’t listed yet but going back for at least 5 years the hours have changed to be 7am EMH at all the parks so that’s what I’m tentatively planning for) Could we get as much accomplished by sleeping in and hitting later hours instead of the morning. We visit DLR quite often and the early hours are my favorite! But this is our first trip to WDW and wondering how the evening hours compare. TIA!
I’m sure others can chime in here, but in my experience, I have found that the morning EMHs are less crowded than the evening EMHs. I think there are a lot of people who don’t like to get up at the crack of dawn to get down to the parks on time.
Based on my experience, AM EMH is much better for short lines than PM EMH. That being said, one of my all time favorite things is PM EMH at EP; it’s a great time to enjoy WS with lower crowds and just take in the ambiance (and drinks). If MK happens to have EMH until 2 or 3 AM, then it definitely thins out after midnight. AK doesn’t do PM EMH, and in all honesty I’ve never done DHS PM EMH, although most reports I’ve read indicate that the wait times can still be pretty high.
On an only somewhat related note, if you love Fantasmic! at DL, you will likely be quite disappointed with the WDW version. I never miss it at DL; at WDW I think I’ve gone twice in the last 10 years…
It also depends on how late PM EMH is going. I much prefer the PM option. Firstly because its usually a lot cooler than during the heat of the day. I know it’s not a major issue in December but I think it’s fun to be at the parks when there is a chill in the air.
Also most kids won’t make it to the late EMH. I’m not anti-kid or anything but there is something to be said about the peace that you can find, even at Disney World, when there aren’t 40,000 screaming children around you. You aren’t dodging or getting run over by strollers either. When they go to 1 or 2am it’s really nice. Two years ago we went in December and even though we’d driven through the night for 18 hours and not been to sleep we ended up staying at at MK until 2am. Even though we were exhausted it’s still the most memorable night of our trip. Nearly every ride was a walk-on, even 7DMT which at that time was still very new was down to 20 mins waits. Then as we made our way out of an almost completely empty park we stopped to sit on a bench and watch the kiss goodnight.
We get up every day in real life at 5am for work. We don’t enjoy doing that on vacation more than a couple of our days there.
Thank you all! Pretty much what I thought I would hear. I have to admit some time without strollers around would be heaven! I’ve been playing around with plans all day and think I will try to do a little of both and make my kids happy with an extra sleep in day to boot! At DLR we go early, take a break then head back for evening. But when you are talking parks open until 2 or 3 am, there is no way I’m getting the family up again at 5 to make another early entry! LOL
How do you think the lines for FEA will be late in the night? It isn’t high enough on our list to use a FPP but was thinking maybe the lines die down when all the kids are in bed? Or is it even open during PM EMH?
I think they will still be long late at night, especially the week before Christmas. How about later starts the first couple of days while you adjust and see some late night entertainment, and then early starts for the end of your holiday.
Typically, any other week of the year except the week of Christmas the am EMH are going to have much shorter lines than the pm EMH. As I experienced this past August, many people will hop to the park that has pm EMH so the lines don’t really seem reduced at all. That being said, when I visited WDW over Christemas 2014, the pm EMH, especially at Magic Kingdom were amazing, they also were from 1 am - 3 am, but there just weren’t as many people in the parks. My companion and I only had a 5 minute wait to meet Anna and Elsa and the same for Rapunzel and Cinderella, this was after the lines being posted as 3 hours or longer during the day. 7DMT was still an hour wait, but it was much newer then, and I think they were having problems with the ride itself while we were in line for it. For that trip, we basically did our fp+ selections during the day and maybe one or two extra attractions, and got in most of our touring at night with pm EMH.
Thank you! This is what I wanted, someone that actually did it the week I’m going! I am moving some ADR’s around to give us at least one MK and one Epcot evening EMH day. With a sleep in day following. But will still have a morning one for each park as well.
You are very welcome! Glad I could help. Have a wonderful trip!