Is SWGE impacting your trip? Discuss your plans here!

[DisneyQueen1320]

So this was done to encourage offsite guests to come to the first 3 days of opening? I don’t get it.

I think it just gives offsite guests a chance. They have the extra magic hours every morning, it’s normally only a couple of days a week. You never know, they might offer night extra magic hours to onsite guests.

 

[Llama mama]

It’s really not unfair, offsite guest only get 3 days. It’s a huge disadvantage the rest of the time for offsite guests. Onsite guest will have a three hour advantage, the lines will be crazy long by time the park opens to all guest.

I wonder if they did it this way to discourage camping out. By opening to resort guests only for the first three hours of everyday September and October may end up reducing camping and increase their room bookings.

 

[DisneyQueen1320]

I wonder if they did it this way to discourage camping out. By opening to resort guests only for the first three hours of everyday September and October may end up reducing camping and increase their room bookings.

You make an excellent point, with the extra three hours, it gives onsite guests such an advantage. It’s a great incentive to book and stay onsite.

 

[alicecooper]

You are allowed to use emh on your check in and check out dates. And before this DHS only had emh in the mornings on Sunday’s.

True. But for us the logistics don't really work. Packing 4 suitcases, getting 2 kids out of bed at 3am to be at the park for 5am on the last day of our 'holiday' to hopefully maybe get in.
If we didn't have to pack up it might have been possible.

 

[DizzyDis]

You make an excellent point, with the extra three hours, it gives onsite guests such an advantage. It’s a great incentive to book and stay onsite.

Agreed! We are planning offsite to take my MIL for her first ever trip to Florida in November. Have booked a 3bdrm nearby so everyone (MIL, 2 kids, DH and I) have a bit more personal space. But now very concerned about it, missing both 3 hrs of EEMH, and the 60 day FP window.

Debating booking one night onsite to get access for at least a couple days, or reducing days at WDW, likely skipping DHS entirely, and doing a couple days at Universal instead. Need to think that through...

 

[yulilin3]

I wonder if they will have separate lines for entering if guests are not interested in SW. I don’t see how they will not reach park capacity everyday with the following SW has. Other threads keep mentioning they are keeping crowds low in GE so really long lines but the rest of the park should be pretty enjoyable. Curious to how will they separate the guests ? Or if they even will?

this is easily done, they could split Hollywood Blvd. In half, and have it patrolled by CMs. The left half goes over to Grand Av/SWGE, the right half can go to the rest of the park. They do this now during EMH in the morning where they hold all non resort guests on Hollywood Blvd, while resort guest walk on the left side of the sidewalk to get into the park's attractions

 

[yulilin3]

I think a couple of things for Disney's decision to keep the first 3 days non EMH and no advantage to on site guests
1. They are expecting most of the true SW fans to go to DL
2. We have 34 resorts here, providing EMH for those first 3 days would increase the lines exponentially at 9am for non resort guests
3. Giving everyone a level guest experience, allowing the SW fans that couldn't make it to DL the opportunity to be here for opening day and experiencing it on a level field
4. Getting the SW fans to experience the land for 3 days end then providing a better guest experience for resort guests for their EMH. Hard SW will want to be here on opening day, they will get their experience (3 days worth if needed) and then they will leave the park for resort guests to enjoy on their EEMH
These are just guesses, I was obviously not in any meeting. From a local POV I think it's great, I will be there bright and early (midnight) to line up with all other SW fans and experience opening day as a community.
I did have a resort reservation for opening day but seeing as it is not an advantage I was able to move it to Sept. for EEMH I plan to be there, the latest by 3am

 

[Tiggerlover91]

We are onsite 29th Aug - 1 Sept at WDW. We find very unfair that there are no extra magic hours for resort guests 29-31 August for GE.
We can't even use the extra magic hours on the 1 September as we are checking out that day.
I have sent a complaint email and if anyone out there is in the same boat if they could also send a complaint maybe they might do something about it. Worth a shot. thanks

So your trip dates are 29 Aug to 1 Sept? 4 days correct? You had this trip booked when....before or after the announcement was made? I'm not being snippy, I'm just making sure I understand everything that has you upset. You booked onsite, knowing the perk for onsite guests would be there. Yes only an hour early, but still a perk nonetheless. Then Disney makes the announcement and because your trip is only 4 days and unfortunately right at the time it's a level playing field for all....you get no EMH entry for 3 days? Is there no way to move your trip? No you shouldn't have to, but I'm only asking because maybe if you can slip in BEFORE SWGE, you'll get the EMH back that you so desire. I can understand you emailing Disney about being unhappy with their plan, but this is probably something they've had in motion since SWGE was on the drawing board. They simply waited till the announcement came of when it was going to open to decide let's do the super early opening the first 3 days of the new land. Offsite guests are going to be running onsite probably within only a couple of weeks of the opening. That extra 3 hours is going to make it SUPER nuts for offsite guests to avoid standby lines that will probably reach 3 and 4, maybe even 5 hours! For TWO months Disney is going to allow EVERY park, except EPCOT (and this I don't understand, so if someone knows better than me, help a girl out), to have extra magic hours EVERY day of the week! Technically....it's THREE months of EMH EVERYDAY. From 1Sept to 2Nov. If my son and I could move our trip to those dates, I would in a skinny minute, but being as I'm a teacher, and he's going into middle school....summer months just work better for us. I'm sorry your trip fell right at the opening of SWGE, but even more sorry, it's only 4 days and you can't compensate because of that.

 

[Banana22]

We booked a week long trip for the last full week in September, purposely hoping to visit before SWGE opened. With the addition of Extra Extra Magic Hours to handle the park attendance, I'm thinking we should cancel and re-book in early 2020. I don't want to feel compelled to be at the park at 6 am with a 7 and 4 yr old in order to get a few rides to work around the crowds.

Is this an overreaction or are others thinking about changing plans as well ?

 

[Klayfish]

Personally, I think it's an overreaction. However, it's purely a judgment call. I would never cancel a trip simply because a new ride or land is opening. I wouldn't feel compelled to be at the park at 6am... I'd try my best for a FP+, and if not, then so be it.

 

[quandrea]

I don’t believe in changing plans or putting things off in life. You have the trip planned and the opportunity to go—go.

 

[Peppeperoni]

I don’t believe in changing plans or putting things off in life. You have the trip planned and the opportunity to go—go.

^^^ 100% this. Just go! Life’s short. It’s going to busy and crazy no matter when you go! Just go and enjoy it

 

[pigletto]

We had a trip booked for last spring break. Halfway through the planning life blew up unexpectedly and we shelved the whole thing. A good portion was booked and paid for so we are hoping to make it happen this Fall to use the tickets and not lose offsite condo portion . We have enough airmiles for flight and car rental etc but I’m having a hard time pulling the trigger
Long story short, I’m in the same boat. When I see them adding EMH for three parks every day, I know they are preparing for record crowds.
This won’t just be some land opening .. this is going to be a significant increase in crowds and I think it will be unlike anything we’ve experienced in all our trips. We purposely avoid Easter and Christmas time etc, so choosing to go AND be offsite during this time is dicey. If we don’t, we lose the 50% of the condo we had booked , our tickets expire ( could be upgraded...but expensively ) so we would like to go now.
I think we will and it will definitely be with the attitude of being grateful to be there and make the most of it. But we won’t be back for a good long while and it’s hard to swallow that our last trip for a long time will be so crazy busy.

 

[gharter]

I don't think we will really have an idea of the impact of SWGE until it opens at DL.
And that will still be different than WDW.
While not happy about the timing, we are keeping are trip in October. we only have 1 day at HS, and if the crowds are terrible there, we can cut that day short.

 

[Mzpalmtree]

Think of how many things could happen between now and 2020 to make you want to put off that trip. 3-4 months ago no one had a clue SWGE would even be effecting trips scheduled in August/September. Plus RoR could open in December and you could be in the same boat in early 2020. With your current situation you do have some “unknowns” but you also have a lot of “knowns” such as EEMH. Plan as best as you can and pay attention to the reports of others after the opening. I say go!

 

[Pucks104]

I am a hair’s breadth from cancelling our September trip. It’s just not turning out to be the trip we had envisioned.

 

[Mambo Junkie]

I was like you but now I'm excited, mostly because DH is excited. I like Star Wars, but I'm not a big fan like so many. It might be different if I had the grandkids with me (6 & 8) as far as being hesitant about crowds. It's just what you're comfortable with. You know the kids and what they're capable of. I am also waiting to see what happens at WDW in early September.Or, I'm hoping they come up with a paid event, which I would happily pay for.

 

[sponica]

The plus is that I think MOST of the EEMH crowd will be headed to GE, but by late September we'll have an idea of what the flow has been like, so you can better plan.

 

[Moliphino]

I don't think it's crazy. We're also booked for the last week of September (booked expecting low crowds ), but not really able to reschedule. The EMH announcement just gave me more anxiety about crowd levels.

 

[Mambo Junkie]

Our vacation starts 9/20 so it doesn't give us much planing time, but every little bit helps!