New Magic Kingdom Welcome Show & Main Street Opening UPDATE: Page 15 - Post #281

[thornton0511]

I'll be at WDW next week. On my birthday 3/11, MK opens at 8am (not EMH)
Wonder if I should plan to be there by 7am?

We will be there at the same time and reports have gone both ways. Unfortunately there have not been enough regular 8am openings since the change to know for sure what the normal procedure will be. Sometimes they have let everyone in at 7 and other times not until closer to 8. We are just going to plan on getting there at 7 and if held at the tunnels for an hour at least we will be at the front of the pack :/

 

[cubed]

How can I check if our April MK days will have the new 8am open? Right now it still shows 9am for 4/5 and EMH for 4/7 on Disney's website. We have an 8:05am BOG on 4/5 and will attempt RD on 4/7. Bad idea?

 

[MichelleWDWfan]

We will be there at the same time and reports have gone both ways. Unfortunately there have not been enough regular 8am openings since the change to know for sure what the normal procedure will be. Sometimes they have let everyone in at 7 and other times not until closer to 8. We are just going to plan on getting there at 7 and if held at the tunnels for an hour at least we will be at the front of the pack :/

Agree thornton0511 I'm going to plan to be there at 7am. Do say Hi if you see me! Won't be hard to miss.
I'll have my Tiara and Pink Birthday Sash on!

How can I check if our April MK days will have the new 8am open? Right now it still shows 9am for 4/5 and EMH for 4/7 on Disney's website. We have an 8:05am BOG on 4/5 and will attempt RD on 4/7. Bad idea?

cubed, Best just to keep checking hours on the Disney website. They could update them at any time. Not everyday will be an 8am opening, but there will be more as it gets closer to Easter.

 

[thornton0511]

Agree thornton0511 I'm going to plan to be there at 7am. Do say Hi if you see me! Won't be hard to miss.
I'll have my Tiara and Pink Birthday Sash on!

That's awesome lol I love it! Also wanted to mention that I did reach out to guest services about the 8am openings and what the procedure was supposed to be and Jonathan called me today. He said that with the 8am openings the plan was to let people in the park no later than 7:45 with the new welcome show starting at 7:55. He said while it is no guatenree that they will let people into main street before that, if the crowds to get in get quite congested they will go ahead and allow people in earlier. But not to assume that will happen. So it sounds like its best to assume we will be allowed in at 7:45 unless it's super crowded. While I am disappointed to not get to enjoy Main Street an hour early, we are getting an extra hour in the morning so hopefully people on spring break will want to sleep in a bit longer and we will just get an earlier jump in the day.

 

[Cumbley]

Can I ask those who have attended EMH since the new opening - does it still feel like a good idea? In the past we have done morning EMH and got loads done until 10ish when things stated to get busier. If everyone is going to already be in the park (although held at the hub) have you found it gets busier earlier? I hope this question makes sense !

 

[FigmentSpark]

Any news on if rope drop strategies are changing/evolving? At what time are people lining up at the hubs? Are there more people entering to relax and get ready than there were when people were held at the gate? What are the line ups like at security/tap stiles between 8 and 9?

 

[Ajsnana]

We did 2 8 am PPO breakfasts last week and one rope drop. For the breakfasts we arrived at the TTC around 7. One day we were there at 657 and no one was collecting money yet so we parked for free. We arrived at the main gates by 730 both days. We went in through the tapstiles and waited until about 745. One day was CP. We were done breakfast just after 9 so we missed rope drop. The other day was CRT. We were held waiting for 7dmt until 850 or 855. Then we were let on. We were at the back of the group and got off around 902. I don't see how you'd be able to do it twice unless you were on the first train. The line was huge by the time we were done. And people were still making their way in from the morning show.

For the morning we did the new rope drop, they let all the breakfast people in first and then us. I'd say about 5 mins later max. We were delayed on the monorail so we didn't get to the entrance until they were just letting people in. But outside of breakfast, very few people were there. We walked up main Street and took tons of photos. Most don't have crowds in them, especially when we got close to the castle. I'd say the crowd started to grow by 830. We moved to the front close to the left side entrance through the castle and went straight to PP after. We had to ditch the stroller so that probably cost us a few minutes in line. We were in and back out before 930. But I can't remember exactly how long we waited/walked there and through the line.

I hope this helps!

We have reservation at CP at 8:10. We haven't booked FP yet. If we don't have early FP should we cancel,our breakfast? Other option would be to have leisure breakfast then start in Adventure
And and Frontierland and save Fantasyland for our second day . Any thoughts?

 

[MudBud]

I would start in Adventure & Frontierland if you want to enjoy your time & see all the characters at Crystal Palace. I haven't been there with the new rope drop procedure so this is just an opinion.

 

[thornton0511]

At MK rope drop now for 8am opening. Got here at 7:15 and they held everyone at the tunnels until right at 7:45. No one was let in earlier. Crowds were all the way back behind security. A bit insane. Also when they "dropped the rope" they literally just let people run in. It was like a bull run and everyone literally sprinted to the castle. Totally insane.

 

[ArielSRL]

At MK rope drop now for 8am opening. Got here at 7:15 and they held everyone at the tunnels until right at 7:45. No one was let in earlier. Crowds were all the way back behind security. A bit insane. Also when they "dropped the rope" they literally just let people run in. It was like a bull run and everyone literally sprinted to the castle. Totally insane.

Thanks for the report! It does sound crazy!

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Also when they "dropped the rope" they literally just let people run in. It was like a bull run and everyone literally sprinted to the castle. Totally insane.

I'm having flashbacks from how they opened MK years ago... ridiculous...

 

[thornton0511]

It was not magical at all. We still managed to stay ahead of the crowds and walked on to 7DMT at 8am. Went straight to Pan afterward and waited 20 min and now at Space with 30min wait. Park has only been open for 45min and most fastpass is already limited for same day. Most rides we have passed from fantasyland tomorrowland have at least 30 min right now. Spring break so it was expected but I'm still a bit surprised by the amount of this many people before 9am. Rope drop and good strategy is a must!

 

[capegirl]

At MK rope drop now for 8am opening. Got here at 7:15 and they held everyone at the tunnels until right at 7:45. No one was let in earlier. Crowds were all the way back behind security. A bit insane. Also when they "dropped the rope" they literally just let people run in. It was like a bull run and everyone literally sprinted to the castle. Totally insane.

Oh my. If it's a 'running of the bulls' scene in March, I fear for July...yikes! Reminiscent of the pre FP+ days of running for a paper FP.

 

[hultrain]

I'm sure this has been answered, but it's such a long thread, I haven't found it:

How does this new procedure work when MK has a.m. EMH? Say the EMH starts at 8 with "regular" opening at 9. Do they let EMH people into the Hub even earlier? Or does everyone get let in at 7:45 or whatever and then the EMH people are let into Fantasyland and Tomorrowland at 8:00 while the non EMH people wait in the Hub?

 

[thornton0511]

Oh my. If it's a 'running of the bulls' scene in March, I fear for July...yikes! Reminiscent of the pre FP+ days of running for a paper FP.

Hopefully by then if they are still doing 8am openings they will notice it's better to just let people in an hour early like they are doing for 9am openings. As crowded as it is this week I was surprised to not see them using the new procedure by today

 

[cadd10]

Not sure if this is the right thread, but if anyone has any advice, I'll take it.

We have a split stay at the end of August (I know, things can and will change by then). We are staying on-site the first day and want to take advantage of EMH at MK. We have to activate our AP that morning. With the new opening procedure, the tapstiles open at 7:45 am and EMH starts at 8 am. I don't want to cut into the EMH time, but I am not sure if 15 minutes at City Hall Guest Services will be enough time. Do the Guest Service windows outside the gates open earlier? We will be up and ready to go!

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

I'm sure this has been answered, but it's such a long thread, I haven't found it:

How does this new procedure work when MK has a.m. EMH? Say the EMH starts at 8 with "regular" opening at 9. Do they let EMH people into the Hub even earlier? Or does everyone get let in at 7:45 or whatever and then the EMH people are let into Fantasyland and Tomorrowland at 8:00 while the non EMH people wait in the Hub?

Bump

 

[ddog171]

Looking to do the Merida meet and greet right after the welcome show, anyone know if the new opening show affects this, or is everyone heading to 7DMT?

 

[Andy S]

I'm sure this has been answered, but it's such a long thread, I haven't found it:

How does this new procedure work when MK has a.m. EMH? Say the EMH starts at 8 with "regular" opening at 9. Do they let EMH people into the Hub even earlier? Or does everyone get let in at 7:45 or whatever and then the EMH people are let into Fantasyland and Tomorrowland at 8:00 while the non EMH people wait in the Hub?

Same question. And, if the process is the latter (non EMH people have to wait in the Hub), what is the process for identifying who gets in and who doesn't?

 

[TheFloatingBear]

Waking this thread from it's nap to see if anyone was at MK for the 7am EMH yesterday - I think it was the first one since the new opening procedures and I was just curious how things went... I'm figuring that you get in maybe 5 minutes before 7am and then the opening show at 7:55? I'm traveling next week and hoping to do at least one...thanks!