Guesstimate on # of people at EMH

[Mendelson]

So I was just ballparking some numbers here, thinking about the discussion on to-EMH-or-to-not.

By my quick count, there are about 30,000 rooms on WDW property, eligible for EMH. Let's say they run on average at 85 percent capacity (I'm just guessing here) - that leaves 25,500 rooms occupied, with an average number of people per room at 4. (??)

So there are 102,000 people on any given day who may or may not take advantage of morning EMH, in this example. Let's say that 30 percent do - That's 30,600 people who may be there for that extra hour. The average daily attendance at MK is 46,500 people (based on the reported number of 17 million over a full year). Could it be that well over half the total number of guests that day are coming in for the am EMH at MK? This seems high...maybe my 30 percent estimate is off?

Even if only half of them make it there for rope drop, that's still 15,000 people flooding into the park with you at the same time.

I have no strong feelings one way or the other but we avoided am EMH this year simply because we were getting enough done between 9-12 every day and didn't need the extra hour (and extra crowds). But any thoughts on this guesstimate?

[BMan62]

First off, I believe your average of 4 per room is off the mark. That would mean that every Value Resort room is at capacity, as well as the rooms in (I believe) 3 of the 4 Moderate Resorts.

Even given your 85% of room capacity, this brings your number down to 76,500. Morning EMH is the lesser used perk, so take 25% rather than 30% (which I believe to be high, BTW) and that takes the number down to 19,125. Of those, only about 10%, or approx. 2000, will concern themselves with being in line at rope drop. Going in Value season, I have never seen 2000 people at any park at rope drop.

Of course, this is my opinion only, and as such should be taken with a large grain of salt.

[Mendelson]

That seems like a more reasonable number, in relation to what I've seen, that is.

Think 4 per room is high? I almost said 3, but we almost always go as a party of three and I feel like we're smaller than many families/groups we encounter. Maybe 3.5 is better.

[SBETigg]

Your estimate could be off. I've been researching the Downtown Disney non-Disney owned hotels and I was surprised to find that a few of them advertise that they take part in EMH. Plus, now that they supposedly check tickets at rides vs giving bracelets at entrance, it is possible that more non-Disney guests get away with staying in park through part of EMH. So I think your estimate is low. I've found evening EMH to start out very crowded and only thin out much later in the evening. As far as the actual numbers, I have no idea. But morning EMH is supposedly much more efficient and far less crowded.

[Mendelson]

And now maybe I'm low....hmm. Ya know, I didn't even count the DTD non-Disney hotels in that 30,000 number, because I wasn't sure if they participated in EMH or not.

[Mousemates]

I thought the hilton was the only DTD hotel to participate in EMH.