DHS/Toy Story Land "Early Morning Magic" (EMM) FAQ & Discussion

[WDW1970]

We went on 5.22 and glad we did it since we were only in the park until until 1 pm. They dropped the rope at 7:35 (we were near front) which seemed strange since it was supposed to start at 7:30. 5 minutes is not a big deal but could tell it was irritating guests. Not sure how folks get on SDD 3+ times as we did SDD 1x, TMM 3x and saucers 1x. We went directly to each ride quickly. SDD first (third train). After first ride line was at 20 minutes and then shot up to 35 minutes. While SDD was a fun ride, it really isn’t worth waiting that long (totally blown away that people actually wait 3 hours for this thing - it is a little better than 7DMT so I will give it that). We love TMM but the issue with that ride is it takes longer to get throught the Que and exit than the ride itself (there was no line but they required us to get off and go through line each time). We did not get this ticket for the food so anything we got was a bonus. The pastries and fruit were good on the contenental portion but the entries are definitely a head scratcher (which we knew going in). We ordered several of them to just try and the only one that was decent to us was the chicken and donuts. Not sure why they do not have a “typical” style entre such as Mickey waffles, scrambled eggs/bacon/sausage. From what I have seen the breakfast at MK EMM would be a much better option. Overall it was a good experience and allowed us to get in pretty much the whole park by 1 pm. It was worth it to us but make sure your expectations are realistic and you will not be dissapointed!

 

[GADisneyDad14]

(I wrote this before the PP posted, so another 7:35pm report to add to the mix)

In re-reading the three 5/22 event reviews, it is worth noting there are at least two anomalies that are not really normal situations that in all likelihood impacted the morning. Two DISers reported the land opening late - one said 7:45, another said 7:35. Let's ignore which one is right and just agree it seems the land opened well late. IMO those minutes are precious in spreading around the crowd and creating a better flow into the land. So, strike 1.

The second was one report of only 2 Slinkies on the track. If that is true and if this occurred for the entire morning, that would absolutely lead to poor results.

The guest count at this thing has always been at a number where a delay here or a mechanical problem there is going to cause issues. Whether that means the event is 'oversold' to begin with is debatable/subjective. It probably is from that perspective. This has never been a few hundred people event - it’s very well attended.

Reports on all of these upcharge threads ebb and flow over time..... I see all of them whipsaw back and forth between jubilation/the best event ever and pitchforks. It’s the inevitable flow of a message board.

I'm more of a body of work person myself. There are tons of reviews on Post #3, the majority of which enjoyed the EMM experience. Does everyone? Absolutely not. Do bad things happen operationally at times? Yup.

If weeks go by and multiple repeat reviews indicate some material change, then OK - I take notice. Granted that doesn't help guests impacted right now or excuse a poor experience on any given day - but for those with longer term planning horizons watching threads like this over the long term can help paint a clearer picture of trends... or if Disney has decided to bludgeon this event for the last three months of its existence (which just doesn’t seem all that likely).

 

[garada3]

Do the people from EMM leave at the end of the event, or will they still be in the park / on the rides when regular guests enter at rope drop? I'll be at DHS on a day that has EMM before regular opening, and I'm just trying to estimate my schedule, depending on whether or not there will be extra people already in line for SDD when the rope drop group enters.

They usually go eat breakfast when the park opens, and it's supposed to be a small number of people that it really doesn't impact the crowds for the day.

With the most recent reviews and the multiple waves of ticket sales for upcoming EMMs, does/will this hold true?

If waits for SDD are long for the entire EMM then the front of the rope drop arrivals will be joining an already long line.

What were the lines like for TSMM at the end of the EMM on 5/22?

 

[snoopy352]

We love TMM but the issue with that ride is it takes longer to get throught the Que and exit than the ride itself (there was no line but they required us to get off and go through line each time).

Major bummer as a PP had said they let them stay on the ride until others were in line. They either changed the policy or experiences vary by CM. I do think it would help the experience a great deal if the CM's were trained to be more customer-friendly in situations like these (upcharge events; letting riders stay on the ride with literally no one waiting in line, etc.).

 

[DisneyFamilyof4!]

(I wrote this before the PP posted, so another 7:35pm report to add to the mix)

In re-reading the three 5/22 event reviews, it is worth noting there are at least two anomalies that are not really normal situations that in all likelihood impacted the morning. Two DISers reported the land opening late - one said 7:45, another said 7:35. Let's ignore which one is right and just agree it seems the land opened well late. IMO those minutes are precious in spreading around the crowd and creating a better flow into the land. So, strike 1.

The second was one report of only 2 Slinkies on the track. If that is true and if this occurred for the entire morning, that would absolutely lead to poor results.

The guest count at this thing has always been at a number where a delay here or a mechanical problem there is going to cause issues. Whether that means the event is 'oversold' to begin with is debatable/subjective. It probably is from that perspective. This has never been a few hundred people event - it’s very well attended.

Reports on all of these upcharge threads ebb and flow over time..... I see all of them whipsaw back and forth between jubilation/the best event ever and pitchforks. It’s the inevitable flow of a message board.

I'm more of a body of work person myself. There are tons of reviews on Post #3, the majority of which enjoyed the EMM experience. Does everyone? Absolutely not. Do bad things happen operationally at times? Yup.

If weeks go by and multiple repeat reviews indicate some material change, then OK - I take notice. Granted that doesn't help guests impacted right now or excuse a poor experience on any given day - but for those with longer term planning horizons watching threads like this over the long term can help paint a clearer picture of trends... or if Disney has decided to bludgeon this event for the last three months of its existence (which just doesn’t seem all that likely).

I was the person who wrote 7:45, but 7:35 was probably more accurate. Just felt like 7:45 with 2 little ones in tow.

I think if I wasn’t following this thread for so long, I would have honestly loved the event because we rode all three Toy Story rides before the park opened. However, because I read so many others amazing experiences, I was hoping to get AT LEAST 2 rounds on each ride. ‍ We didn’t even get to walk around and enjoy the details of the land because we were rushing before the rope drop crowds came in. I think our family will just stick to the Christmas and Halloween parties. We always have an amazing time at those. This was the first time ever that Disney did not meet expectations for us. I think it was an operational issue though. I only saw 2 slinky cars running.

 

[WDW1970]

With the most recent reviews and the multiple waves of ticket sales for upcoming EMMs, does/will this hold true?

If waits for SDD are long for the entire EMM then the front of the rope drop arrivals will be joining an already long line.

What were the lines like for TSMM at the end of the EMM on 5/22?

There was no wait for TSMM at end of EMM on 5.22. Just the long walk to get back on.

 

[SaintsManiac]

(I wrote this before the PP posted, so another 7:35pm report to add to the mix)

In re-reading the three 5/22 event reviews, it is worth noting there are at least two anomalies that are not really normal situations that in all likelihood impacted the morning. Two DISers reported the land opening late - one said 7:45, another said 7:35. Let's ignore which one is right and just agree it seems the land opened well late. IMO those minutes are precious in spreading around the crowd and creating a better flow into the land. So, strike 1.

The second was one report of only 2 Slinkies on the track. If that is true and if this occurred for the entire morning, that would absolutely lead to poor results.

The guest count at this thing has always been at a number where a delay here or a mechanical problem there is going to cause issues. Whether that means the event is 'oversold' to begin with is debatable/subjective. It probably is from that perspective. This has never been a few hundred people event - it’s very well attended.

Reports on all of these upcharge threads ebb and flow over time..... I see all of them whipsaw back and forth between jubilation/the best event ever and pitchforks. It’s the inevitable flow of a message board.

I'm more of a body of work person myself. There are tons of reviews on Post #3, the majority of which enjoyed the EMM experience. Does everyone? Absolutely not. Do bad things happen operationally at times? Yup.

If weeks go by and multiple repeat reviews indicate some material change, then OK - I take notice. Granted that doesn't help guests impacted right now or excuse a poor experience on any given day - but for those with longer term planning horizons watching threads like this over the long term can help paint a clearer picture of trends... or if Disney has decided to bludgeon this event for the last three months of its existence (which just doesn’t seem all that likely).

I have booked this event twice and canceled both times. I am in the unique situation of having done the Passholder event in TSL back in September. I know that nothing will compare to it, so I was always a little wary on doing this. Luckily, DAH will be available, so we can spend the time we want in TSL.

We thought we would prefer EMM to DAH, but apparently my travel group are vampires now and my husband said he'd rather pay for 3 hours instead of 1.5. ToT is his favorite ride, so I get his point.

It's really annoying to see how different this event can be from day to day. The lack of consistency devalues it.

 

[Dbktmc]

WWe love TMM but the issue with that ride is it takes longer to get throught the Que and exit than the ride itself (there was no line but they required us to get off and go through line each time)

This is unbelievable to me. For such a short event you would think that if there wasn't someone in line you would be allowed to stay on. And, if you have to exit, you should be able to go through the fast pass line. I'm starting to be really happy that we picked DAH at the MK instead of EMM at HS.

 

[Lop460]

I’m starting to debate whether I should cancel my reservation for the second week in June. With a family of five this may be too much for what you get, especially since only two of us will be the only ones who eat anything.

 

[Rangers67]

We were there this morning and I was not very happy. We rode TSM once, AS2 once and Slinky only twice. Both times the wait was right at 30-35 minutes (I timed it). And that was at the end of the event. They let us in late but did seem to hold the rope drop crowds back because they didn't enter the land until 9:05. If they hadn't, we would have only gotten one ride. Slinky didn't seem to be down because we could hear it early on. I'm not sure how many trains they usually run. There seemed to be two running today. The youngest in our group was 15 so no strollers or little ones. It did feel like there were too many people, but maybe my expectations were too high. My mood might improve once I've had a nap.

I recommend an email to guest services. I sent one with feedback on our experience at the beginning of May. I asked for nothing but they offered some compensation which was very fair and appreciated.

 

[123SA]

Breakfast Question:

My family plans to head to TOT at rope drop to ride standby, then RNRC standby. (Aug 14).

With TOT at reduced capacity, I think this means getting to breakfast by 10am is not guaranteed.

However, I do not ride RNRC. Can I go to the breakfast and gather up food for 5 people, sit at a table and wait for them to arrive? If they arrive at 10:10, I know they won't be able to get more food, but can they enter the restaurant and eat what I got for them?

 

[disneyworldsk]

Do the opposite. The minute the EMM starts everyone wants to rush to SDD so you have a 15 minute wait for the first 30 minutes or so. On a normal day thats an amazing wait time but these are expensive minutes and should be maximized. Do the other rides a couple times or a M&G (warning the Woody/Jessie line is long the ENTIRE time) and hit SDD after 30-45 minutes has passed. You'll be riding it over and over with 2-5 minute wait.

I disagree . I did emm in november and was glad we ran to sdd first. first time in the land first time on sdd. After that the ride was down the rest of the event. I was so happy we got to ride it at least once. I wouldn't chance waiting only to find out it's down.

 

[disneyworldsk]

going in mid to late august. did emm once in november and sdd was down so we loved the land being quiet but didn't enjoy waking up so early or finding out the ride was down. there is an emm being offered in my vacation week times and i have one guest coming who hasn't seen the land yet and it's hot in august and the land is super hot in the day. should i do emm again?! it would be for four people, 3 of which have done emm and the fourth new guest is not an early morning riser. there are no dah hs being offered that week. they are all big breakfast eaters. help deciding please.

 

[beesly]

going in mid to late august. did emm once in november and sdd was down so we loved the land being quiet but didn't enjoy waking up so early or finding out the ride was down. there is an emm being offered in my vacation week times and i have one guest coming who hasn't seen the land yet and it's hot in august and the land is super hot in the day. should i do emm again?! it would be for four people, 3 of which have done emm and the fourth new guest is not an early morning riser. there are no dah hs being offered that week. they are all big breakfast eaters. help deciding please.

Can you ask the fourth new guest if EMM is something he or she is interested in trying? If not - then going off of your statement that the person isn’t an early riser, I’d lean towards seeing the land another way - trying for a later morning FP or going after dark, trying the standby line at closing. Also, did the three people who have done EMM enjoy the breakfast? Does the fourth person know what the menu is like? I’d consider whether this breakfast would be satisfying to people who are normally “big breakfast eaters.” Will they be able to fill up on the buffet, or will you end up spending more money on more food after you leave the event?

 

[jhoannam]

going in mid to late august. did emm once in november and sdd was down so we loved the land being quiet but didn't enjoy waking up so early or finding out the ride was down. there is an emm being offered in my vacation week times and i have one guest coming who hasn't seen the land yet and it's hot in august and the land is super hot in the day. should i do emm again?! it would be for four people, 3 of which have done emm and the fourth new guest is not an early morning riser. there are no dah hs being offered that week. they are all big breakfast eaters. help deciding please.

I think it would be worth it for the 4th person to do it, but what’s their opinion on being out the door at 6:30am?

I’ve read that you can order multiple plates, everyone should be satisfied with the food.

 

[dachsie]

Breakfast Question:

My family plans to head to TOT at rope drop to ride standby, then RNRC standby. (Aug 14).

With TOT at reduced capacity, I think this means getting to breakfast by 10am is not guaranteed.

However, I do not ride RNRC. Can I go to the breakfast and gather up food for 5 people, sit at a table and wait for them to arrive? If they arrive at 10:10, I know they won't be able to get more food, but can they enter the restaurant and eat what I got for them?

I see no reason why not. The pastry bar may be picked up so be sure t get any of that and drinks when you do it

 

[NJlauren]

I have this booked, and I'm debating if I should keep it or not. For a few reason, my kids proved on my last vacation (not WDW) that they sleep in, first time ever.... so is it going to be impossible to get there on time?

Assuming we get there on time will I get what I want done, goal meet Woody and Jesse, meet Buzz, ride SDD x2(once for each parent), ride TSMM x2, ride AS x1.

2 adults 5 year old and 13 month old.

Thoughts?

 

[dachsie]

I have this booked, and I'm debating if I should keep it or not. For a few reason, my kids proved on my last vacation (not WDW) that they sleep in, first time ever.... so is it going to be impossible to get there on time?

Assuming we get there on time will I get what I want done, goal meet Woody and Jesse, meet Buzz, ride SDD x2(once for each parent), ride TSMM x2, ride AS x1.

2 adults 5 year old and 13 month old.

Thoughts?

Depending on what time they let you in the land, if before 7:30 go straight to AS2 and then get in line for Woody/Jesse. If right at 7:30, go straight there. Then do all your rides and catch Buzz on the way out

 

[cheshiregoofy22]

Wondering how today’s EMM went and if the 7:00 A.M. EMH at AK may have drawn a few folks in that direction who might have purchased this? We’re booked for May 29th but there are no A.M. EMH at other parks that day. Wishing for that crystal ball....haha.

 

[dachsie]

I am wondering too. I went ahead and purchased for Aug 5. Am hoping I don't regret it