Disney Announces Eliminating Magic Hours. Will Replace with 30 Minute Early Entrance to Parks

[BrianL]

I would be surprised if Disney doesn't start letting guests in an hour before open. They have shown that they are not afraid to open earlier than posted times and imagine trying to get everyone into the park in a half hour. Guest services will have a long line of people complaining that it took 20 minutes for them to get through the gates.

Yeah, I think a one hour early access at every park every day would be a pretty good perk. It could keep the EMH park from being more crowded too since it would be at all parks.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

It was just part of the picture I was painting of how I loved MK evenings. ...But it's definitely relevant and I hear your point about them being slow to bring evening hours back in current circumstances.

It's just that, as per usual, they haven't given any hint that the "benefit" (already very much paid for in day tickets and resort prices) might return at some point. I understand they don't want to commit themselves when so much is still unknown, but their recent history doesn't necessarily instil confidence regardless of that!

I hope you're right and that they do bring them back, the evening parade, outside of parties, too!

I am sure I will just come off pessimistic, but I wouldn't be surprised if included evening extra hours never come back. A reason they changed the wording to get rid of the term "Extra Magic Hours" (which could apply morning or evening ) and now have "Early Entry"

I think they see it now that instead of early at 1 park and late at 1 park each day you get early at every park every day, that is the automatic included "perk" now.

I do think they will bring back the paid evening events - and basically have them year round where sometimes they are Halloween/Holiday Parties and other times (and at the other parks) just regular after hours events.

What I could then see is them offering packages for staying onsite that include tickets to one or more of these paid events - so the cost is embedded in your package price or you get it as a bonus like free dining with an un-discounted room

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Yeah, I think a one hour early access at every park every day would be a pretty good perk. It could keep the EMH park from being more crowded too since it would be at all parks.

What I hope they at least do is start to scan tickets like at least 45 mins before park opening - even if the rides aren't fully starting until 30 mins before. I would hate if the don't even start scanning tickets until 30 mins before and then if you get there right at 30 mins before it could take 10 mins just to get through the line, and then you really only get 20 mins.

I hope they set it up so people get at least a legit 30 mins of early entry

 

[BarbLynnM]

Early morning hours don't help us personally. Speaking as an older couple, we're both 10 a.m. risers, don't get going until mid-day. I love the parks at night, and if they're still closing early by our arrival date in early June, it's going to be a big let down.

 

[Tink-osophy]

I am sure I will just come off pessimistic, but I wouldn't be surprised if included evening extra hours never come back. A reason they changed the wording to get rid of the term "Extra Magic Hours" (which could apply morning or evening ) and now have "Early Entry"

I think they see it now that instead of early at 1 park and late at 1 park each day you get early at every park every day, that is the automatic included "perk" now.

I do think they will bring back the paid evening events - and basically have them year round where sometimes they are Halloween/Holiday Parties and other times (and at the other parks) just regular after hours events.

What I could then see is them offering packages for staying onsite that include tickets to one or more of these paid events - so the cost is embedded in your package price or you get it as a bonus like free dining with an un-discounted room

I have to say I hope you're wrong!

Interesting last point you made, too. I could see that happening, but it stinks(!) ...as part of the whole offering fewer and fewer benefits for more and more money.

 

[Tom_E_D]

What I hope they at least do is start to scan tickets like at least 45 mins before park opening - even if the rides aren't fully starting until 30 mins before. I would hate if the don't even start scanning tickets until 30 mins before and then if you get there right at 30 mins before it could take 10 mins just to get through the line, and then you really only get 20 mins.

I hope they set it up so people get at least a legit 30 mins of early entry

Absolutely. Disney has a long history of letting people past the turnstiles and then holding them at the hub in MK, at the end of Hollywood Blvd. at HS, etc. until "opening" time. Since reopening, they let people go to their first ride and get in line even if the ride doesn't open until the official opening time. I would expect at least one of these two options, and wouldn't be surprised if a few select rides actually started running earlier.

 

[Farro]

What I hope they at least do is start to scan tickets like at least 45 mins before park opening - even if the rides aren't fully starting until 30 mins before. I would hate if the don't even start scanning tickets until 30 mins before and then if you get there right at 30 mins before it could take 10 mins just to get through the line, and then you really only get 20 mins.

I hope they set it up so people get at least a legit 30 mins of early entry

And after all that times passes, I'll still be in line at Starbucks on Main Street.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

And after all that times passes, I'll still be in line at Starbucks on Main Street.

But at least you will get your drink well before us off site peons

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I have to say I hope you're wrong!

Interesting last point you made, too. I could see that happening, but it stinks(!) ...as part of the whole offering fewer and fewer benefits for more and more money.

While it is a pessimistic outcome I think there are positive ways to look at it.

One could stay off property and then spend as much or little extra as they want for access to this

If they do include one (or more) with your onsite stay, then you would get more out of each one than the current evening EMHs and you can choose which park to use it at. And if you want one every night you could pay extra

Guess just more customization could be a positive at least for some travelers

 

[Grasshopper2016]

The one thing that would really irk me is if Disney "closes" early virtually every night and requires you to purchase an "After Hours" ticket just to be in the park during times that were often included in your normal ticket purchase only a few years ago --- and then sells so many "After Hours" tickets that the park is still crowded and the rides still have long lines. That would be the straw that breaks this particular camel's back.

 

[YesterDark]

The after hour tickets are way too expensive for me to ever consider for my family.

Though if they were offered as part of a package like hoppers and gave me access every night I may think about it. But definitely not for one offs where it would cost my family $500.

 

[Farro]

The one thing that would really irk me is if Disney "closes" early virtually every night and requires you to purchase an "After Hours" ticket just to be in the park during times that were often included in your normal ticket purchase only a few years ago --- and then sells so many "After Hours" tickets that the park is still crowded and the rides still have long lines. That would be the straw that breaks this particular camel's back.

The after dark ticketed events that had no parades, special characters, anything (unlike parties) - had very, very low crowds! Unlike free extra magic hours with low crowds, this actually makes Disney money.

I hope they offer it at each different park once a week. Then the other parks could stay open "normal" hours.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

The after hour tickets are way too expensive for me to ever consider for my family.

Though if they were offered as part of a package like hoppers and gave me access every night I may think about it. But definitely not for one offs where it would cost my family $500.

The math can work if you factor that in with staying on property or off - you could potentially save way more than $500 by staying off property and if the after hours events are kept to very low capacity like they have been in the past, you can get a ton done

We had done that one for the paid Extra Morning Magic at Fantasyland and got a ton done in that time (multiple rides on 7DMT, etc) and that had an included breakfast.

Definitely is expensive as an "add on" but if you view it more as a piece of a larger puzzle it can make sense

 

[New Mouse]

Everyone saying the evening extra magic hours made Disney no money. That is incorrect, those too were factored into the absurdly high room rates. They made Disney a pretty penny based off of how many people would just stay off site without perks lile emh and magical express, etc.

What they did do though was take away Disneys ability to sell after hours parties (without a theme) because hey, who wants to pay for emh when you can just go for free on select nights?

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Everyone saying the evening extra magic hours made Disney no money. That is incorrect, those too were factored into the absurdly high room rates. They made Disney a pretty penny based off of how many people would just stay off site without perks lile emh and magical express, etc.

What they did do though was take away Disneys ability to sell after hours parties (without a theme) because hey, who wants to pay for emh when you can just go for free on select nights?

well there was no direct money from them - it was a % of the cost of the room (and we have no idea if Disney saw that as 5% of the cost or 0.000001%)

But if they can charge the same for the rooms as now AND charge for more hard ticket events that is even better for Disney (and what is known in the industry as "pulling a Chapek"

 

[YesterDark]

The math can work if you factor that in with staying on property or off - you could potentially save way more than $500 by staying off property and if the after hours events are kept to very low capacity like they have been in the past, you can get a ton done

We had done that one for the paid Extra Morning Magic at Fantasyland and got a ton done in that time (multiple rides on 7DMT, etc) and that had an included breakfast.

Definitely is expensive as an "add on" but if you view it more as a piece of a larger puzzle it can make sense

True - and I remember you discussing this before. I don't know if I can stomach that price point when I'm already buying tickets. It's more of a principle thing but as a strategy, it's definitely a good way to use your savings.

I also don't believe the parks would be low capacity. They would probably be super packed.

 

[Farro]

True - and I remember you discussing this before. I don't know if I can stomach that price point when I'm already buying tickets. It's more of a principle thing but as a strategy, it's definitely a good way to use your savings.

I also don't believe the parks would be low capacity. They would probably be super packed.

They were never packed before. The parties had crowds (but I went and we had walk on rides, so...).

The regular after-dark were not crowded according to all reports.

 

[Grasshopper2016]

The regular after-dark were not crowded according to all reports.

That might be overstating it some. You can find the old threads on the TPAS board where people shared their reports from After Hours events. Usually, the events were not particularly crowded, and the lines were not very long. I myself went to several and was very pleased. But sometimes, Disney oversold them, and customers were extremely frustrated (understandably so, given the cost and the marketing message).

A few sample quotes from those threads:

At After Hours right now (2/17). It’s definitely more crowded than any other AH I have been to (January 2018, May 2019, Sept 2019). I’ve been in the Space Mountain line for 20 min already and we are still pretty far back.

I walked out of Space Mountain at 12:12! I took a picture when I walked in and it was 11:22 pm. So a 50 minute wait. Ugh.

This event is very disappointing after the other After Hours events. It's past midnight and there are still 30 minute waits across the park, the walkways are crowded and food lines are long and slow. It doesn't really feel less crowded than it did prior to the event.

We were there last night and it was not good. Crowded, waits everywhere and waits of 45 - 50 minutes on mine train and space mountain. Space was down over 30 min and big thunder down for 40ish minutes. I’m really not happy with the price I paid for my family of five to attend. We were tired and grumpy and just left the park at 12 without complaining. Feeling sorry I did that, it’s actually caused me a pretty poor nights sleep thinking about the waste of cash!

It was very crowded. There were no moments of the "empty park" feeling that we loved from last year. I had read previously that it was busier then normal after hours but wow - this was a lot more crowded!

 

[Farro]

That might be overstating it some. You can find the old threads on the TPAS board where people shared their reports from After Hours events. Usually, the events were not particularly crowded, and the lines were not very long. I myself went to several and was very pleased. But sometimes, Disney oversold them, and customers were extremely frustrated (understandably so, given the cost and the marketing message).

A few sample quotes from those threads:

Okay.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

True - and I remember you discussing this before. I don't know if I can stomach that price point when I'm already buying tickets. It's more of a principle thing but as a strategy, it's definitely a good way to use your savings.

I also don't believe the parks would be low capacity. They would probably be super packed.

yeah, my thought of making it work is with the assumption they would be rather low capacity so you could get on on that popular rides multiple times - and then could do the other rides during your normal park ticket day

My feels towards the Early Morning Magic being worth it are largely tied to being able to ride Mine train 3 times which would have each up about 5 hours of our regular park day

If they let them be very crowded then the cost / value probably doesn't work