Expedition Everest at park opening (regular and EMH) - is it running "early"?

[PinkMagnolia]

I have two mornings planned at AK, one is regular (9:00 AM open) and the other is EMH (8:00 AM open). As they let guests in earlier to ride FOP and Navi, I'm wondering if Expedition Everest (or any other ride) is open before the rest of the park.

I recall when we Rope Dropped AK last year, we rode Navi, then waited at the Starbucks for 9:00 AM to be let into Africa to ride KS. Is it the same for EE? Do they make you wait?

On our 9:00 open day, we'd like to do:
1. EE (once or twice)
2. KS

On the 8:00 AM EMH day, I was thinking:
1. Navi
2. EE
3. DinoSAUR (is this even open during EMH now?)

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I can't comment on EMH, but we did EE at RD last August and they held us at a rope until 9 am. They were not running it early. We were in a very small group and managed to ride it three times with no wait. We could have ridden it again, but I couldn't take it anymore!

 

[Miggie]

We were there last week and most of my party rope dropped Everest. They held them until 9 am, but kind of inched them towards the ride (utilizing several different roped off sections). They were able to easily get 3 rides with no wait (many of the trains were half empty), and could have probably gotten one or two more rides in with little to no wait.

 

[Davkind76]

when we were there in Aug last year, EMH was only for Pandora

 

[cakebaker]

when we were there in Aug last year, EMH was only for Pandora

Everest is open during EMH as well as other rides.

• Avatar Flight of Passage
• DINOSAUR
• Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain
• Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail (subject to availability)
• It's Tough to be a Bug!
• Kilimanjaro Safaris (subject to availability)
• Na'vi River Journey
• Primeval Whirl
• TriceraTop Spin

 

[ShadeDK]

I've rope dropped AK many times over the last couple of years - although Pandora has been up and running early (anywhere from 15-45 minutes before official open) each visit, I've always been held at the bridges to the other lands (Africa, Asia and Dino - I've tried them all for early starts) until official opening time. So, no, I would not expect EE to start running early.

I have been able to do EE and Dino during EMH (it might seem like they're closed - but mostly because 95% of the crowd will be over in Pandora). I'll usually end up riding EE 4-5 times in a row because it's hard to pass up an easy walk-on and that 5 minute standby sign - the lines don't usually start to build on that side of the park until the end of the first hour after opening.

If you time it right with RD and EMH, it's possible to ride just about everything in the park during the first 2 hours.

 

[PinkMagnolia]

I've rope dropped AK many times over the last couple of years - although Pandora has been up and running early (anywhere from 15-45 minutes before official open) each visit, I've always been held at the bridges to the other lands (Africa, Asia and Dino - I've tried them all for early starts) until official opening time. So, no, I would not expect EE to start running early.

I have been able to do EE and Dino during EMH (it might seem like they're closed - but mostly because 95% of the crowd will be over in Pandora). I'll usually end up riding EE 4-5 times in a row because it's hard to pass up an easy walk-on and that 5 minute standby sign - the lines don't usually start to build on that side of the park until the end of the first hour after opening.

If you time it right with RD and EMH, it's possible to ride just about everything in the park during the first 2 hours.

Thanks to everyone for your replies. I think I'm going to tweak things a little bit and do the following

9:00 AM open:
1. Navi
2. Kilimanjaro Safaris (9:00 AM)

8:00 AM EMH
1. Expedition Everest (three or four times)
2. DinoSAUR (by about 9:00 AM)

@ShadeDK - do you think on that 9:00 AM day, I could do Navi, EE then head over to KS with minimal waits? I don't want to find myself in a long wait for KS - I'm looking at Thurs Aug 22.

 

[The Foolish Mortal]

I can't comment on EMH, but we did EE at RD last August and they held us at a rope until 9 am. They were not running it early. We were in a very small group and managed to ride it three times with no wait. We could have ridden it again, but I couldn't take it anymore!

This is my experience as well also during EMH. My partner is a huge fan of EE. She rode it five times (and me twice) in just over an hour during the EMH

 

[gharter]

At AK RD, you can enter Pandora early, and they open that area early.
I have not seen any of the other lands open early. Instead you are held at the Oasis until the normal park opening time.
However, EE at RD is not crowded. We have ridden it multiple times in a row at RD.

 

[ShadeDK]

@ShadeDK - do you think on that 9:00 AM day, I could do Navi, EE then head over to KS with minimal waits? I don't want to find myself in a long wait for KS - I'm looking at Thurs Aug 22.

Nothing is ever completely certain, but I think that plan will be fine on the 9AM day. In fact, I did it something similar during my last stay (Navi at RD, Dinosaur, and EE (3x) before hitting KS). As I recall, I was at KS around 9:35 and it was less than a 5 minute wait.

 

[Will Robertson]

when we were there in Aug last year, EMH was only for Pandora

Same for us as well

 

[Anthony1971]

Years past.... EE was open for EMH they may have changed it to just Pandora to accommodate the crowds. The best thing to do is see the list of open rides the day before or when you get to Disney ask the hotel someone will know...

 

[lisa cameron]

Anyone else experience the walkway closed betweenDinosaur land and EE during EMH? In 2018, we RD and then Tough to Be a bug before the official 8:00am start of EMH when we then did all of everything in Dinosaur land before going to EE.
However, this year, we attempted the same flow but after we finished Dinosaur Land and tried to walk to EE, a cast member was telling everyone they had to walk all the way around, back through Oasis, which by that point was starting to get congested. By the time we marched all the way around to EE by 8:40, there was a 25 a 25 min wait. You could see another cast member blocking the walk way to Dinosaur land from there as well. Such a waste of time, I don’t understand the point. The walkways are so crowded the way it is at AK. Honing it was a fluke?

 

[GoofyCoaster]

Have rope dropped both standard 9am opening and 8am EMH at AK mulriple times in the past year. The masses go to Pandora so most everywhere else is pleasantly uncrowded for first 30-45 minutes.

Rope drop crowd for DinoLand is held before the bridge, near Flame Tree BBQ.
Rope drop crowd for EE/ Asia is held before the bridge past Tough to be a Bug, near the Adventurers Outpost for the character meet.

CMs have dropped the rope at DinoLand and Asia maybe 5-10 minutes early.
Dinosaur ride has been down or opened late EVERY time I tried. Maybe I just got unlucky, but I don’t waste those precious rope drop minutes there anymore.
Safari was not open during EMH when I was there. Again, maybe just unlucky.
EE has worked well at rope drop every time.

 

[Mark Hammond]

Anyone else experience the walkway closed betweenDinosaur land and EE during EMH? In 2018, we RD and then Tough to Be a bug before the official 8:00am start of EMH when we then did all of everything in Dinosaur land before going to EE.
However, this year, we attempted the same flow but after we finished Dinosaur Land and tried to walk to EE, a cast member was telling everyone they had to walk all the way around, back through Oasis, which by that point was starting to get congested. By the time we marched all the way around to EE by 8:40, there was a 25 a 25 min wait. You could see another cast member blocking the walk way to Dinosaur land from there as well. Such a waste of time, I don’t understand the point. The walkways are so crowded the way it is at AK. Honing it was a fluke?

This is not what I was wanting to hear! I’m planning on RD’ing Everest, and then taking that path down to Dinoland for DinoSAUR & Primevel Whirl.

Would the CM’s at Discovery Island know whether the Asia-Dinoland path is open?

 

[lisa cameron]

This is not what I was wanting to hear! I’m planning on RD’ing Everest, and then taking that path down to Dinoland for DinoSAUR & Primevel Whirl.

Would the CM’s at Discovery Island know whether the Asia-Dinoland path is open?

Well, that was definitely not an option on Monday, April 1st. Would love to hear other’s experience. I don’t understand the point of Disney blocking this walkway; only resulted in
irritated people and congested walkways.