No more Extra Magic Hours?

[Yungbuck73]

From WDWMAGIC.com

Extra Magic Hours not included on provisional operating hours schedule for 2016
Could Extra Magic Hours be about to be discontinued? The provisional operating hours schedule that is distributed to travel agents ahead of their publication on the official Walt Disney World website certainly hints at that.

Although provisional and therefore not confirmed, the travel agent operating hours schedule does not list any Extra Magic Hours for any parks from January 1 2016 onwards. Historically, the provisional hours do include Extra Magic Hours, although times and entertainment line-ups listed do frequently get updated.

Also adding weight to the possibility of changes coming to EMH is a note on the Downtown Disney Hilton website, which states Extra Magic Hours is 'a magical guest benefit for stays through to December 31 2015.'

Of course, it could simply be a matter of the EMH schedule being finalized, or a number of other reasons for the hours not yet being included.

Extra Magic Hours were introduced in 2004 to give Walt Disney World Resort guests time in the parks before or after offsite guests were admitted. For many years, EMH has been heavily promoted as a significant benefit to staying a Walt Disney World Resort hotel.

Extra Magic Hours offerings have been gradually scaled back in recent years. Disney's Animal Kingdom removed evening Extra Magic Hours back in February 2011, the water park Extra Magic Hours were remove in the summer of 2013, and all parks offering evening Extra Magic Hours reduced those from 3 hours to 2 hours in January 2013.

As always, until confirmed, the removal of Extra Magic Hours should be treated as speculation, and we will continue to monitor the situation for any updates.

Not that we use them that much, but is a nice perk of staying on property

[MNNHFLTX]

I would be surprised if they got rid of EMH entirely, although they might revamp it. It is an effective way of funneling guests into a particular park when another park might be more crowded.

As far as the statement by the Downtown Disney Hilton, could it be that they might restrict EMH to onsite Disney Resort guests and not the DD Hotels? Or maybe it's just that they haven't updated their website.

[Yungbuck73]

I just saw and thought i would throw it up for discussion

[John]

Just can't see this perk going away for onsite guests - but honestly, with all that's been happening lately, who knows....

[DizneyFreak2002]

The plan was (maybe still is) to get rid of EMH once the whole NextGen thing was online... Not saying EMH being left off January's schedule is this... But that was the plan at one point... I believe I and a few others brought this up here when discussing the MyTragic Plus nonsense and NextGen...

I just wouldn't read too much into this at the moment though... Let's see July and August when February comes out, if January changes... If not, then I'd say it may be a good possibility they are going to be implementing the no more EMH plan...

[1DisneyNut]

I wouldn't be surprised if they rolled it into a tiered ticketing system to get more money out of guests. You want EMH?.....Well that is only available to onsite guests who buy the "Platinum" ticket or whatever stupid moniker they might would put on it.

[joonyer]

It'll start off as free for Deluxe resort guests, and then an increasing premium for Moderates and even more for Values. With the Magic Bands, it'll be easy to monitor and control different levels of access.

[EeyoresBestFriend]

It'll start off as free for Deluxe resort guests, and then an increasing premium for Moderates and even more for Values. With the Magic Bands, it'll be easy to monitor and control different levels of access.

That makes a freaky amount of sense as to why they wanted, so badly, to go to a Magicband system.

Things that make you go 'hmmmmm' . . .

[goofy for pluto]

It'll start off as free for Deluxe resort guests, and then an increasing premium for Moderates and even more for Values. With the Magic Bands, it'll be easy to monitor and control different levels of access.

If this happens..Will DVC members be included? I can only imagine how upset a guest would be after paying $2000 a night to stay in a Bora Bora Bungalow then finding out they have no concierge privileges and no EMH.

[joonyer]

If this happens..Will DVC members be included? I can only imagine how upset a guest would be after paying $2000 a night to stay in a Bora Bora Bungalow then finding out they have no concierge privileges and no EMH.

Who knows? I was only speculating. But I would imagine they would be more likely to include EMH and other perks to the resort guests who are spending the most $$$.

[honeybear]

I would actually hate to see them phase out the EMH! They come in handy when you are trying to see as much as possible in one trip!

[SurferStitch]

EMH, especially evening EMH, is just crazy crowded anymore. We don't even attend them anymore, and avoid those parks like the plague. It's a perk that isn't really a perk anymore.

I wouldn't be all that against a tiered ticketing system where deluxe, mod or value resort guests get different EMH priviledges. Actually, I'd love for Disney to go back to the E Nights. Those were fantastic, and part of the reason for it was you paid to attend. I would gladly pay to have a park with much lower attendance late at night.

[AgentC]

Could they be thinking of using FP+ instead? I know when it first started there was talk about different tiers so a deluxe guest gets a certain number, a mod gets a little less , a value gets less and the day passer stays with 3.

[magicofdisney]

I wouldn't be surprised if they rolled it into a tiered ticketing system to get more money out of guests. You want EMH?.....Well that is only available to onsite guests who buy the "Platinum" ticket or whatever stupid moniker they might would put on it.

This makes so much sense to me regarding the proposed tiered ticket system. Platinum buyers receive EMH...

[magicofdisney]

EMH, especially evening EMH, is just crazy crowded anymore. We don't even attend them anymore, and avoid those parks like the plague. It's a perk that isn't really a perk anymore.

I wouldn't be all that against a tiered ticketing system where deluxe, mod or value resort guests get different EMH priviledges. Actually, I'd love for Disney to go back to the E Nights. Those were fantastic, and part of the reason for it was you paid to attend. I would gladly pay to have a park with much lower attendance late at night.

Same with us. For the last several years I've planned my schedule by avoiding parks with EMH.

With the ridiculous attendance now being reported for hard ticket events, do you suppose an E Night would be much better (if they ever brought that option back)?

[DizneyFreak2002]

Some are saying EMH is coming back and they are only working out the schedule...

Also, as some of you stated you don't like EMH, some are saying staying open later is down on the list of guest satisfaction (talking about EMH), and some inside the company are pushing for its demise, and instead replacing it with more FP+ options for resort guests... Also, they may just replace EMH with a schedule with a later closing time for all guests in the park, not just resort guests...

So take that as you wish... Just don't count on EMH being around much longer... And it may wind up being for the better...

[SurferStitch]

Same with us. For the last several years I've planned my schedule by avoiding parks with EMH.

With the ridiculous attendance now being reported for hard ticket events, do you suppose an E Night would be much better (if they ever brought that option back)?

Good point.

[Goes4FastPass]

Simply put, the Disney Corporation will do what's best for the stockholders.

Remember when they tried replacing EMH with the "Character Caravan"? Instead of EMH, a bus carry characters visited WDW resorts on a which day is it schedule. They introduced it with some jazz about, "Our guests tell us they want more time with the characters...". It flopped and EMH returned.

But if now, resorts are booked up, parks are well attended and DVC units sell as fast as they are built, WDW will have no reason to continue EMH.

Is anyone reading this who regularly stays at WDW willing to say, "If there is no EMH I will start staying off property."?

I actually would not mind the return of E Ride Nights IF it was reasonably priced.

[DizneyFreak2002]

Crisis adverted... EMH are back on the schedule...

[azcavalier]

Is anyone reading this who regularly stays at WDW willing to say, "If there is no EMH I will start staying off property."?

Actually, even though DizneyFreak reported that EMH is back on the schedule, if they were to do away with it, I think that I would stay off property more. It's just cheaper. And the last two years with us having annual passes and getting free parking, it would be even less incentive to stay off-property.

While I do love the on property hotels, for half the price I can stay at Downtown Disney at a partner hotel.

[goofy for pluto]

Surfer Stitch: I'd love for Disney to go back to the E Nights. Those were fantastic, and part of the reason for it was you paid to attend. I would gladly pay to have a park with much lower attendance late at night.

I can easily imagine them asking a guest to buy an extra ticket to stay in the park until "closing". They already do this with all of the evening events they have now, but I can't imaging them actually capping the number of guests to whom they would sell tickets. I don't think it would be much different than it is now, you would just be paying extra for the experience.

[texas211]

And to keep EMH hours for certain guests only, your magic band will shock the stuff right out of you, until you leave.

Hmm, maybe they could use that for line jumpers too.

[Speedy1998]

Actually, even though DizneyFreak reported that EMH is back on the schedule, if they were to do away with it, I think that I would stay off property more. It's just cheaper. And the last two years with us having annual passes and getting free parking, it would be even less incentive to stay off-property.

While I do love the on property hotels, for half the price I can stay at Downtown Disney at a partner hotel.

I started staying off property 3 years ago, for 2 reasons. 1) I could get a 3 bed room 3 bath town home for less than the cost of 2 rooms at a value resort (we usually travel with a party of 6). 2) We avoid the park with EMH, as they are usually busier than the other parks. I have found this to especially be true in the evening, when people who plan on taking advantage of EMH, park hope to the park with evening EMH.

[CanadaLovesDisney]

The extra evening hours were the best when they went to 3am! You could get on any ride you wanted! We aren't morning people so we really enjoy the late nights. Magic kingdom closing at 9pm or 10pm is brutal. Animal Kingdom closing at 5pm and Hollywood Studios sometimes at 7pm? Far too early IMO!