News Round Up 2021

[kaylaschaffer31]

Mears Transportation, which operates Magical Express, sent the following statement regarding the announcement.

"Walt Disney made us aware of their decision," Mears spokesperson Roger Chapin said. "While we are disappointed Disney will no longer offer this service, we intend to continue offering transportation services between the airport and all area theme parks and hotels to meet the demand of our visitors now and in the future."

 

[tlmadden73]

So .. does this (giving early access to all resort guests) mean the experiment with "Early Morning Magic" is going to be gone? Will people pay near $80+/person to come to the parks an hour early, get on a select few rides and have breakfast when they can just stay at a resort and get into the parks 30 minutes early at any resort, any day?

I mean .. I've been prepared since Day 1 to pay for a SWGE "Early Morning Magic" .. but I guess they are saving that perk for the hotel.

I would suspect that 'special' events like this will be potentially gone for a LONG time anyway due to lack of demand. I feel the special night and morning "events" were only popular because WDW had become so crowded over the last 5 years and that was a way to beat the crowds (on at least some rides).

 

[DizFanFamily]

I agree and I think it's financially driven. 30 minutes early entry is all about "bank for their buck" I think. Look at it this way... 30 mins early, every park, every day for resort guests. This costs Disney VERY little vs. the old EMHs system. BUT it gives resort guests HUGE priority to headliner attractions. IF you couldn't score a FP for 7DMT or FoP, the advice was go to that park super early on a non EMH day. Guess what... not an option under this system. This REALLY hurts off-site folks in that regard at a minimal cost to Disney.

EDIT: Saw my "bank for their buck" typo but I'm leaving it. I think it really hits the nail on the head...

This is very similar to what they offer at DLR. When you stay on property you get early admission to either CA or DL based on the day and only 1/2 the park would be open early, although at DLR I believe it was 1 hour (it has clearly been too long since I have visited). I have teenagers and we would knock out GOG and RSR multiple times before park opening. I would have loved it if they allowed you to chose which park you entered early. I think the opposite park was available to Harbor Blvd resort guests - but was always much more crowded. Of course, we are not in the eastern time zone, so early mornings are much more enjoyable for us in CA than FL (again with teenagers and a 2 hour time difference). None the less, we are looking forward to getting back to either park once schedules permit.

 

[BrianL]

Trying so hard to stay awake on the last night of an 8 night stay (they were often on Saturdays), but instead nodding off constantly on iasw and HM.

My favorite 1 AM memory at MK involves me riding The Little Mermaid with almost nobody else extept this one family with a very little girl. As I was getting on, they were coming to unload and the little girl was doing that big, full arm, little kid clap. She was just in heaven! The parents looked tired, but the CM asked if they wanted to stay on. They reluctantly agreed. As far as I know they are still on that ride, going around and around....

 

[Tom_E_D]

I must have missed it. Can someone please point to where they officially announced that Evening EMH are also going away?

TIA

In the article cited below, in the paragraph on Early Theme Park Entry, it says "Extra Magic Hours will not return."

https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2021/01/a-look-ahead-at-walt-disney-world-resort/

 

[scrappinginontario]

My favorite 1 AM memory at MK involves me riding The Little Mermaid with almost nobody else extept this one family with a very little girl. As I was getting on, they were coming to unload and the little girl was doing that big, full arm, little kid clap. She was just in heaven! The parents looked tired, but the CM asked if they wanted to stay on. They reluctantly agreed. As far as I know they are still on that ride, going around and around....

Fun!! We were APs when this ride was being built and had an evening of free access to the new Fantasyland before it was open to all guests. My DD was about 5 and we rode Voyage of the Little Mermaid 6 times in a row without getting off. And, every time my DD buried her face in my lap as soon as we neared Ursula!

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I must have missed it. Can someone please point to where they officially announced that Evening EMH are also going away?

TIA

Was just about to post what Tom_E_D posted:

• Early Theme Park Entry: We know how much guests enjoy extra park time, so coming later this year as part of our 50th anniversary celebration, Disney Resort hotel guests and guests of other select hotels will be able to enjoy more fun with 30-minute early entry to ANY theme park, EVERY day. It’ll be a great way to get a jump start on your Disney day, no matter the day! As a reminder, the Extra Magic Hours benefit was suspended when Walt Disney World Resort reopened last summer, and as we continue to manage attendance with health and safety top of mind, Extra Magic Hours will not return. The new early theme park entry benefit helps us better spread visitation across all four theme parks, while providing added flexibility by giving guests extra early park time on each day of their vacation and in the park of their choosing. Please note that guests need valid admission and a park reservation made via the Disney Park Pass system to enter a theme park.

If evening EMH was staying I don't feel like they would have said Extra Magic Hours will not return but rather specified morning EMH was not returning but in its place was this new 30 min early entry.

 

[BrianL]

Was just about to post what Tom_E_D posted:

• Early Theme Park Entry: We know how much guests enjoy extra park time, so coming later this year as part of our 50th anniversary celebration, Disney Resort hotel guests and guests of other select hotels will be able to enjoy more fun with 30-minute early entry to ANY theme park, EVERY day. It’ll be a great way to get a jump start on your Disney day, no matter the day! As a reminder, the Extra Magic Hours benefit was suspended when Walt Disney World Resort reopened last summer, and as we continue to manage attendance with health and safety top of mind, Extra Magic Hours will not return. The new early theme park entry benefit helps us better spread visitation across all four theme parks, while providing added flexibility by giving guests extra early park time on each day of their vacation and in the park of their choosing. Please note that guests need valid admission and a park reservation made via the Disney Park Pass system to enter a theme park.

If evening EMH was staying I don't feel like they would have said Extra Magic Hours will not return but rather specified morning EMH was not returning but in its place was this new 30 min early entry.

I actually don't even mind the standard 30 minute early entry to any park every day, but there should still be evening offerings as well, even if it rotated, etc. These things can change though - if traffic ramps back up, and I hope it does, then we could see the changes swing back toward what we are famillair with. At least extra hours is an easy thing for them to adjust.

 

[jlundeen]

I wonder what "later this year" means? Easter? Late Spring? Summer? Fall?

 

[scrappinginontario]

In the article cited below, in the paragraph on Early Theme Park Entry, it says "Extra Magic Hours will not return."

https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2021/01/a-look-ahead-at-walt-disney-world-resort/

Was just about to post what Tom_E_D posted:

• Early Theme Park Entry: We know how much guests enjoy extra park time, so coming later this year as part of our 50th anniversary celebration, Disney Resort hotel guests and guests of other select hotels will be able to enjoy more fun with 30-minute early entry to ANY theme park, EVERY day. It’ll be a great way to get a jump start on your Disney day, no matter the day! As a reminder, the Extra Magic Hours benefit was suspended when Walt Disney World Resort reopened last summer, and as we continue to manage attendance with health and safety top of mind, Extra Magic Hours will not return. The new early theme park entry benefit helps us better spread visitation across all four theme parks, while providing added flexibility by giving guests extra early park time on each day of their vacation and in the park of their choosing. Please note that guests need valid admission and a park reservation made via the Disney Park Pass system to enter a theme park.

If evening EMH was staying I don't feel like they would have said Extra Magic Hours will not return but rather specified morning EMH was not returning but in its place was this new 30 min early entry.

Thanks, I appreciate the information. While I agree with you in that it states, 'Extra Magic Hours will not return' I wondered if I had missed a specific location where it stated both morning and evening.

Based on reading above I interpret it as you do and feel it's both AM and PM EMH, at least right now. Just like @BrianL says, I hope evening EMH return in the future!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

So .. does this (giving early access to all resort guests) mean the experiment with "Early Morning Magic" is going to be gone? Will people pay near $80+/person to come to the parks an hour early, get on a select few rides and have breakfast when they can just stay at a resort and get into the parks 30 minutes early at any resort, any day?

I mean .. I've been prepared since Day 1 to pay for a SWGE "Early Morning Magic" .. but I guess they are saving that perk for the hotel.

I would suspect that 'special' events like this will be potentially gone for a LONG time anyway due to lack of demand. I feel the special night and morning "events" were only popular because WDW had become so crowded over the last 5 years and that was a way to beat the crowds (on at least some rides).

Most likely - UNLESS the Early Entry isn't good for every land? For example, what if it did not include Galaxy's Edge - but you could pay for Early Morning Magic for Galaxy's Edge and get 90 mins early there while other get 30 mins early for the rest of the park

More than likely though I woudl think this ends that, but instead we get a *lot* more paid evening hard ticket events

 

[dlavender]

Most likely - UNLESS the Early Entry isn't good for every land? For example, what if it did not include Galaxy's Edge - but you could pay for Early Morning Magic for Galaxy's Edge and get 90 mins early there while other get 30 mins early for the rest of the park

More than likely though I woudl think this ends that, but instead we get a *lot* more paid evening hard ticket events

The more I think about it, the more this does make sense for WDW.

Without staying on site, you can't even rope drop the new rides now.......(without already being behind the thousands of resort guests)...

 

[TheMaxRebo]

The more I think about it, the more this does make sense for WDW.

Without staying on site, you can't even rope drop the new rides now.......(without already being behind the thousands of resort guests)...

yup - and we've seen how quickly that line got really long for MMRR and I am sure will be the similar for Rat and then even more so for Tron and Guardains (when they open in 10 years)

 

[dlavender]

The more I think about it, the more this does make sense for WDW.

Without staying on site, you can't even rope drop the new rides now.......(without already being behind the thousands of resort guests)...

Also, now they don't have to dole out FP's to resort guests when Genie goes live. They've already given you the "free" perk of rope dropping that new ride. You don't want to get up early? The Genie, for 2 credits, will grant your Tron dream............

 

[tlmadden73]

Most likely - UNLESS the Early Entry isn't good for every land? For example, what if it did not include Galaxy's Edge - but you could pay for Early Morning Magic for Galaxy's Edge and get 90 mins early there while other get 30 mins early for the rest of the park

More than likely though I woudl think this ends that, but instead we get a *lot* more paid evening hard ticket events

Sure .. I can see Disney using this to have "two" admission times to WDW (once things are back to normal). Keep their normal hours pretty low (closing at 5-7 pm .. with the early morning perk for resort guests) and have paid night events (with early entry at 3-4:00 pm) for the late nights. So you either go to the park 9 am - 6 pm for regular admission or go 4:00 PM to 11:00 pm (or midnight) for a party price (probably around the same as regular permission).

Also, now they don't have to dole out FP's to resort guests when Genie goes live. They've already given you the "free" perk of rope dropping that new ride. You don't want to get up early? The Genie, for 2 credits, will grant your Tron dream............

Also a great point. This leans towards FP+ not coming back in its old form and being a strictly "paid" service. Since off-site guests cannot rope drop, a FP for the big rides will be in even higher demand than it used to be!

 

[dlavender]

Also a great point. This leans towards FP+ not coming back in its old form and being a strictly "paid" service. Since off-site guests cannot rope drop, a FP for the big rides will be in even higher demand than it used to be!

Now paying $15 per head per FP can be seen as a “savings”.

They’ll get the money one way or another....

 

[adam.adbe]

The more I think about it, the more this does make sense for WDW.

Without staying on site, you can't even rope drop the new rides now.......(without already being behind the thousands of resort guests)...

That's the Tokyo Disney experience. Guests at Disney resorts get to enter the parks 15 minutes early. It's literally a "first in line" experience for those attractions that often run wait times over multi-hours and distribute all FP allocations within minutes of park opening.

 

[Future_WorldPhonencian]

The daily early entry is a plus for me over magic hours. The last few years Magic Hours actually made the park in question more crowded and you would get the EMH surge There are sooo many Disney Hotels both on and offsite that got those perks, it wasn't really very exclusive. This will spread out the crowds evenly. For me it will also help planning. It was always a pain that EMH got announced after my FP and dining reservation window had passed. Now with park pass reservations it would be nearly impossible. I know people remember the "good ole days" of evening magic hours when you had a deserted park, but the last few years, I have noticed very little drop off in the crowding at those evening hours. I really hope this isnt the death Knell for free FP, but time will tell.

 

[adam.adbe]

Also a great point. This leans towards FP+ not coming back in its old form and being a strictly "paid" service. Since off-site guests cannot rope drop, a FP for the big rides will be in even higher demand than it used to be!

It remains to be seen how the Genie system works, but I wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't offer something more akin to Epcot's tiering, where your day plan contains a limited number of 'premier' attractions (three wishes?). Then Disney could quietly add a 'gold' lamp service alongside the basic 'brass' lamp, which unlocks just a little more magic, and so on.

 

[Future_WorldPhonencian]

Most likely - UNLESS the Early Entry isn't good for every land? For example, what if it did not include Galaxy's Edge - but you could pay for Early Morning Magic for Galaxy's Edge and get 90 mins early there while other get 30 mins early for the rest of the park

More than likely though I woudl think this ends that, but instead we get a *lot* more paid evening hard ticket events

If memory serves me right AM EMH didn't open every land in the parks. For instance Frontierland and Adventureland in MK. I can't remember at the other parks, things like Kali in AK and the Safari didnt always open early.