Evening Extra Magic Hours Policy Change Effective 9/7/08: Updated with Report

[jonahbear2006]

I talked to a friend, a disney regular last night and she said, in june, she went to EMH and they didn't check anything, no bracelets no card, nothing. She said it seemed the park was no different than regular hours. hmmm. Sounds like they DO have a trick up their sleeve to me.

[Maleficent's Dad]

Just playing catch-up here...
I'm sure there will be problems when the "new system" is implemented, but as always in WDW, things will work themselves out.

But see, you aren't paying for the time in the park. You're paying for a roof over you head for the night. Anything else they offer is called a perk.

Point taken. However, Disney then needs to stop selling their rooms using this incentive as a "pitch" to their consumers. Disney advertises heavily that if you stay in one of their rooms you will have access to an EMH park every day of the week. They may pass it off as a "perk," but they sell it as a benefit for those staying on property. That's the difference.

And in most cases, the people off-property have to pay more than those who are on property. Disney rooms start at around $80-100 for the Value resorts. A lot of the ones off property costs anywhere from $120 and up.

Again, I gotta disagree with you here.
If you want "value accomodations" off property, you can go cheap - and I mean real cheap.
If you're willing to fork over $200 a night, you can get a pretty decent sized villa pretty close to WDW. Good luck getting OKW accomodations in a 2BR for that price!
Just so that you know, I do not stay off property - or at least I haven't in a long time - and we are DVC members to stay ON all the time.

Jessica - sorry to be argumentative! I normally find your posts full of greatly detailed information that is very helpful. I must, however, respectfully disagree with these two points you made!

Call me Pollyanna, but I'd so rather be pulling out my KTTW card to get on every ride during EMH, than to be pulling out my MetroCard to be getting on the subway for a commute into work or back home at night. Like they say... a bad day at Disney is still better than a good day at home!

The voice of reason!!!

Folks - let's not get nuts about this. You ARE, after all, in WDW!!! And if the new system is that bad, Disney will change things!!!

[Zone Stop]

I'm with Jessica, for different reasons. Really, which resorts, specifically?

[PittFan]

Making a child carry their room key or handing it to them before every ride will definitely increase the number of lost room keys IMO.

[big blue and hairy]

Making a child carry their room key or handing it to them before every ride will definitely increase the number of lost room keys IMO.

I don't remember who suggested it, but the lanyard and card holder is a great idea.

[danwiora]

why dont they just bring back E ride nights were they only sold a certain number of tickets i liked that better then emh anyways

[Speedy1998]

I like all of the points you make, and I agree with the majority that I don't think this is a good idea. However, If a family has Key to the World cards, how can they only bring one? Wouldn't they need to bring them all to get everyone through the turnstiles???????

Only if the tickets are on the KTTW. Many people buy thier tickets and their room separately. For example many times when I go, I buy my tickets at the Disney store, one at a time, over a 4 month period to spread the cost out a little.

[big blue and hairy]

Only if the tickets are on the KTTW. Many people buy thier tickets and their room separately. For example many times when I go, I buy my tickets at the Disney store, one at a time, over a 4 month period to spread the cost out a little.

Or if you're an annual pass holder...

[kellyisbusy]

I like the wrist band idea but I think they should make it available at the hotel you are staying at instead of at the gate. Or make some other entry type thing but you have to get it at your hotel or you don't get EMH.

[Vito]

Making a child carry their room key or handing it to them before every ride will definitely increase the number of lost room keys IMO.

I ask again, though, what do people do when they obtain fastpasses? How is that any different?

If a child isn't old enough to properly care for a KTTW, are they carrying their own park ticket and getting their own fastpasses?

And don't you have to take out a credit card, KTTW, or cash to buy things? Food? Drinks? Souveniers? To access the park when you enter?

I guess my point here is that when I go to a Disney park, I'm constantly having to take some card or another out of my pocket, and this doesn't seem any different to me. I've never lost a park ticket, credit card, or room key. Just make sure you put in securely away when you're done with it, is that really so hard? And if your child can't take care of their own, carry it for them and present it to the scanners when necessary

I generally carry a waistpack. They're so amazingly convenient. They don't get in the way on attractions, even ones with lap bars, and they can store a lot. I have one with a zippered pocket right in the front where I carry my park ticket, KTTW, and fastpasses. Unzip, use your card, put it back, zip it back up. Never had even a slight issue with losing a card, credit card, fastpass, room key, park ticket, etc.

I don't mean to sound like I'm denying that it's a bit of an inconvenience, or that someone is wrong for disliking this potential new system, but I just don't buy the fact that your KTTW is suddenly in serious jeopardy of now being lost just because you have to take it out for some rides during EMH.

[big blue and hairy]

I ask again, though, what do people do when they obtain fastpasses? How is that any different?

If a child isn't old enough to properly care for a KTTW, are they carrying their own park ticket and getting their own fastpasses? .....


I don't mean to sound like I'm denying that it's a bit of an inconvenience, or that someone is wrong for disliking this potential new system, but I just don't buy the fact that your KTTW is suddenly in serious jeopardy of now being lost just because you have to take it out for some rides during EMH.

And if the child isn't old enough Mom and Dad hold onto it until the last second. The same could be done with the KTTW. If it turns out to be a disaster, which somehow I doubt, Disney will retweak.

[IloveDisney71]

I was at Disney in Feb. when they were "testing" this new system and I hated the hassle of it enough to send Disney a letter. Here are the reasons this didn't work:
1st: We were not told about this new policy. We went around looking for the wristband lines (I've never minded standing in this line.) and even the CM's didn't seem to know what was going on.
2nd: We had children with us so of course we kept their cards for fear of them losing them. SO we had to pull everyone's cards out for each ride and collect them once we were in line.
3rd: We had to "show" our cards to the CM's who just barely glanced at them and as pointed out by previous posters, I could have been using a card from a previous visit and they never would have noticed. If the CM's had taken the time to carefully look over everyone's cards we would have been waiting in long lines to even get in the actual ride lines.
4th: Different colored cards wouldn't work since people arrive on different days and stay for different amounts of time. Are they going to make us go back to the front desk to get new colored cards during our stay if they decide to switch the colors during our stay?
5th: If Disney wants to implement this they should provide lanyards for the convience of the guests...but I guess we'll just have to buy them ourselves?!?

I would LOVE for Disney to go back to selling E-Ride Night Tickets. I didn't mind paying the extra money for those nights (I think it was $15 per person.). The parks were a lot LESS crowded than they are during EMH's.

[IloveDisney71]

And if the child isn't old enough Mom and Dad hold onto it until the last second. The same could be done with the KTTW. If it turns out to be a disaster, which somehow I doubt, Disney will retweak.

How many times does the average person get a fast pass ticket during an average day? My family always has one person take everyone's cards and get the fastpasses for everyone - it's easier for us.
With this new EMH policy each person has to show their cards for EVERY ride and when you have children with you (who could easily lose their cards) it turns into a hassle to have to pass out cards for every ride. I had to do this in February and it was a hassle.

[SteveL]

Perhaps they simply don't think that rigid enforcement of EMH is worth the extra expense of issuing wristbands.
If they have CMs making a cursory glance at the room keys this would probably deter most, but not all, guests from taking advantage of EMH when they aren't entitled to.
Most guests are probably honest, and for those that try to scam the system with old cards it would be quite embarrassing to be caught - like being caught taking money from the collection basket at church.

[big blue and hairy]

How many times does the average person get a fast pass ticket during an average day? My family always has one person take everyone's cards and get the fastpasses for everyone - it's easier for us.
With this new EMH policy each person has to show their cards for EVERY ride and when you have children with you (who could easily lose their cards) it turns into a hassle to have to pass out cards for every ride. I had to do this in February and it was a hassle.

I don't know about the average guest, but I get a lot of them. Actually, I'm not surprised you had a hassle in February. Disney was testing the system and hopefully you were part of the test that made them tweak. I'm not saying this will work perfectly, I'm just saying I hope Disney has worked out the kinks, with your help.

[Tekneek]

Fast pass argument doesn't work because CMs take those from you before the ride. Therefore there is no need for that ticket to make it through the ride to be shown at another attraction.

[Tekneek]

I would LOVE for Disney to go back to selling E-Ride Night Tickets. I didn't mind paying the extra money for those nights (I think it was $15 per person.). The parks were a lot LESS crowded than they are during EMH's.

Some of our best memories of the trips we made with our son (before the girls were born) are the E-ride nights. We would pretty much ride Big Thunder Mountain and Splash Mountain over and over until 3 AM...and on the way out he would fall asleep on my shoulders before we got past Cinderella's Castle.

[big blue and hairy]

Fast pass argument doesn't work because CMs take those from you before the ride. Therefore there is no need for that ticket to make it through the ride to be shown at another attraction.

Because it's taken out and put back at a different time, it doesn't compare??! You still have to collect the cards if everyone has them to get the fastpasses and give them all back. Or, the better idea, Mom or Dad takes them all out of the pouch, shows them and puts them back. How does that not compare?

[Zone Stop]

... and for those that try to scam the system with old cards it would be quite embarrassing to be caught ...

What a wonderful world it would be, where people who are willing to try and scam would be embarrassed, instead of belligerent.

[Figment78]

Because it's taken out and put back at a different time, it doesn't compare??! You still have to collect the cards if everyone has them to get the fastpasses and give them all back. Or, the better idea, Mom or Dad takes them all out of the pouch, shows them and puts them back. How does that not compare?

I believe there was some confusion as to what was being compared in the fastpass argument. It's not the fastpass ticket itself that is being compared to the cards for EMH rides. It's the cards being taken out and put back to get fastpasses and cards being taken out and put back to ride during EMH. In that sense, it is comparable.