MK/Fantasyland “Early Morning Magic” (EMM) FAQ & Discussion

[PineappleDaisy]

Juventus: We are planning to do the same (RD Frontierland) this summer for our first EMM... ever!
I'm not sure where to wait, which path to follow, etc. I would imagine the path near HM would be the best way to go?

 

[DeniseR]

So, just starting to plan for September trip. What's the difference in EMM and EMH? Are the EMM days different days than the EMH days?

 

[cakebaker]

So, just starting to plan for September trip. What's the difference in EMM and EMH? Are the EMM days different days than the EMH days?

EMH is for resort guests only (mostly) and there is no charge. EMM is slightly longer, includes breakfast and costs extra. There are fewer rides open for EMM as well, although the MK has expanded theirs. They are not offered on the same days.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

So, just starting to plan for September trip. What's the difference in EMM and EMH? Are the EMM days different days than the EMH days?

From Post #1:

EMM vs EMH – A Quick Clarification
Although similar acronyms, Early Morning Magic (EMM) is NOT the same as Extra Magic Hours (EMH). A quick explanation:

• Early Morning Magic (EMM), the subject of this thread, is a separately ticketed up-charge (aka, paid) event that allows pre-park opening access to select Fantasyland attractions and includes breakfast.
• Extra Magic Hours (EMH) are the long-standing Disney-offered benefit where certain parks have extra hours available to WDW resort and otherwise eligible guests. This thread is NOT about EMH.

The MK EMM schedule is a bit eratic, but when it's offered it's generally select Sundays and Tuesdays.

MK 'usually' has one morning EMH day per week, and it's usually Friday AM. Morning EMHs are 1 hour prior to regular park opening. You can check EMHs on the park calendar here: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/en_CA/calendars/month/

 

[DeniseR]

From Post #1:

EMM vs EMH – A Quick Clarification
Although similar acronyms, Early Morning Magic (EMM) is NOT the same as Extra Magic Hours (EMH). A quick explanation:

• Early Morning Magic (EMM), the subject of this thread, is a separately ticketed up-charge (aka, paid) event that allows pre-park opening access to select Fantasyland attractions and includes breakfast.
• Extra Magic Hours (EMH) are the long-standing Disney-offered benefit where certain parks have extra hours available to WDW resort and otherwise eligible guests. This thread is NOT about EMH.

The MK EMM schedule is a bit eradit, but when it's offered it's generally select Sundays and Tuesdays.

MK 'usually' has one morning EMH day per week, and it's usually Friday AM. Morning EMHs are 1 hour prior to regular park opening. You can check EMHs on the park calendar here: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/en_CA/calendars/month/

Thanks! I figured the difference just couldn't figure out if they are usually different days or not. And since our trip is more than 180 days I guess I have to wait until they announce that week right? So I guess if I want to at this point in the planning GUARANTEE early entry to MK on a specific day, EMM would be the way to do that?

 

[ColoradoMom12]

I figured the difference just couldn't figure out if they are usually different days or not.

They’re on different days. Sometimes it helps with my planning to know when EMH is offered. If it’s offered both Tuesday and Sunday, I’ll do it one of the days day and make the other another MK morning. That we we know we know for sure what time MK will open and park hours won’t get changed at the last minute! Of course this strategy is only really useful when Disney releases EMM dates several months out.

And answer your other question, yes, the only way to guarantee early entry into MK (Fantasyland, at least. All guests are allowed into the MK and held at the castle/Main St until park opening) would be to plan EMM that morning. You could do an 8:00 breakfast at BOG on a non-EMM day, but there’s always a chance Disney will revise the park hours and either decide to offer EMH that morning or open the park at 8:00.

 

[Lsdolphin]

We were allowed to remain on PP for 3 rides last summer during EMM since there was no real line people were just walking right on...is that still the case or has EMM become more crowded....

 

[KittyHulk13]

How have the lines for breakfast been lately? Do they have more than one bay open? If we show up at 9:45 should we expect a long wait for a plate?

 

[orangecuse]

So is this feasible?

Ride Pooh, Under the Sea, Mad Hatter until 8:30

Ride PP x2, and Small world
Be ready to go at HM at 9
Dumbo after
Breakfast by 9:40ish

Should we move from the first set to the second earlier? Do we have time for HM AND Dumbo before breakfast?

(No 7 dwarves for us)

 

[Hezzy04]

So is this feasible?

Ride Pooh, Under the Sea, Mad Hatter until 8:30

Ride PP x2, and Small world
Be ready to go at HM at 9
Dumbo after
Breakfast by 9:40ish

Should we move from the first set to the second earlier? Do we have time for HM AND Dumbo before breakfast?

(No 7 dwarves for us)

I’d say you for sure have time for that!

 

[bebec22]

I'm trying to book this event online for July. My DD will be 3 next month. When I add her it is still showing her as age 2 and not having me pay for her. She will obviously need a ticket. Is this something I need to call about? Do you think I'm safe waiting until March 19 (the day she turns 3) to book this? Her age/birthday is correct in MDE. I figured it would know that she'd be 3 in July.

 

[Dracarys]

I'm trying to book this event online for July. My DD will be 3 next month. When I add her it is still showing her as age 2 and not having me pay for her. She will obviously need a ticket. Is this something I need to call about? Do you think I'm safe waiting until March 19 (the day she turns 3) to book this? Her age/birthday is correct in MDE. I figured it would know that she'd be 3 in July.

You can book it with her being “2”. Then after she turns three call and the CM can help you get her as a paying ticket. I had this same issue last year. I booked before my 2 yo turned 3. After he was 3, I called and had it fixed no problem. I didn’t want to take the chance that they wouldn’t let him in because he wasn’t a paying child even though it was the system’s fault.

 

[mmastro719]

Dates added for the last week of August in case anyone was waiting on that.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Dates added for the last week of August in case anyone was waiting on that.

Thank you. Yes, MK EMM is currently in a rolling 180-day pattern of adding dates. I have a +10 window for a reservation right now and can also see 8/27, 9/1, & 9/3 as bookable dates. FYI for the Labor Day folks!

 

[Jdogbeanie]

Thanks- was able to book the last week in August via a phone this am

 

[SL6827]

Very disappointing to hear about the downgrade in the breakfast, but that doesn't surprise me with how popular the event has become.

 

[friendoffigment]

has anyone did the breakfast first then the attractions. how do you feel it worked out. Talking MK EMM

 

[sheila14]

I did this back in 2017 and I enjoyed the offerings at Pinocchio Village. I went back a few times to grab something small after every couple rides. I did enjoy having the quiet in the park, but for only 1 hour and 15 minutes, it felt like a rush. The other part I did not appreciate at all was the other guests being allowed in at 8:30 and walking around crowding the hub area. If we are going to pay extra money for an hour or so to have some "quiet time" in the park, at least hold guests back where they cannot crowd us over.

 

[Brett Wyman]

Did this on Tuesday the 26th. Had a great time. I never had the breakfast at Pinocchio's before this but the Cosmic Ray's breakfast is of a WAY lower quality than the one at the HS EMM at Backlot Express(and formerly ABC Commissary). It wasn't why we spent the money so we ate our hospital eggs and bacon and moved on!

I can say that MK EMM is great bang for the buck. DO NOT be the person/family that runs straight for 7DMT at 7:45am unless you want to lose 15-20 minutes of your precious hour and 15 minutes of EMM. Go knock out all the other rides you want to do first. IMO skip Small World altogether. it can be done later in the day with little to no wait and it's a long ride and again eats into your precious paid time. I recommend going back to 7DMT around 8:20. By that time we had ridden the Teacups x2, Pooh, Peter Pan, Carousel (another skip IMO but my daughter wouldn't here of it!)and Small World. We then proceeded to ride 7DMT x 6 as a complete walk on. We asked for row one every time. We stopped at 8:40 and went over and rode Ariel with our last 10 minutes or so. THis could have easily been another 4 rides on 7DMT if we wanted. We basically destroyed Fantasyland in 1 and 15 minutes time. With that much of the park already under your belt for the day and zero FPs used, it makes for a very easy rest of the day even when crowds are high(and I would say they were a 6-7 most days this week).

Then we almost got run over by the 7DMT RDers on our way to Rays for the "breakfast".

 

[aimes0105]

We did MK EMM on Tuesday, 2/26 and overall really enjoyed it. A run down...

Bus from Dolphin arrived at 6:59, I had seen one arriving at 6:36 when we were still working on getting out of the room and decided we could get the next one. In between those buses it said "times unavailable" and I got worried that we should have rushed for the 6:36 but about two minutes before the bus arrived the app updated to the expected arrival time. When it pulled up it said the destination was HS but that didn't make sense to me so I walked up and asked and sure enough, it was supposed to say MK and we hopped on.

Arrived at the park about 7:15, got our wristbands and headed to join the group at the left side tunnel under the train tracks.

Let into the park at 7:40 and walked slowly but without stopping up Main St, turning right and entering through the Tomorrowland side toward the Tea Cups. There were people holding signs and it was very clear where to go for EMM vs. PPO breakfasts.

Tea Cups 7:48 - 7:51
Carousel 7:55-7:58 (The two year old was not going to skip this once he saw it and the 7 year old really wanted a ride too)
Met Elena 8:03 (timestamp on PP)
Met Cinderella 8:05 (timestamp on PP)
Met Rapunzel 8:09 (same)
Met Tiana 8:10
8:15 SDMT- wait at this point was about 8 minutes
Rode Peter Pan 8:25 - 8:28
SDMT- 8:30 - 8:36 (waited about 2 minutes this time)
Swapped 2 year old who rode the carousel very happily about five times during EMM
SDMT 8:38-8:42 (practically a walk on)
Small World 8:48-9:04

Headed to Dumbo which had a MUCH longer line than I would have anticipated ended up taking from 9:10-9:40 to wait and ride, there was only one side operating and we should have just moved on to something else with a short wait when we realized it was going to take awhile but the kids wanted to ride so we stayed.

At 9:45 the breakfast was really chaotic. There were using Bays 2 and 3 and there were lines five people deep in each aisle. They had plates ready but were holding for pancakes which meant when pancakes were finally ready the rest of the items were cold. Some people opted to take plates without the pancakes but most people needed them for their kids. By 10 the lines were completely gone but they were still serving people who walked up for at least a little bit. They also continued to replenish the fruit and pastries at 10. I grabbed a plate from the cold buffet at 10:10 and had plenty of options still. They were also walking around with trays of juice until about then too. I also noticed if you wanted just beverages the far right line at Bay 3 was allowing people to come up and someone would call out every few minutes asking if there was anyone who only needed beverages to come over there. We enjoyed the options on the cold buffet quite a bit and in retrospect wished we hadn't bothered with waiting for the hot food which was not terribly good except for the potatoes and bacon, we thought.

All in all this was a really enjoyable way to get our priorities accomplished in Fantasyland. We opted to wait until later in the day for the Little Mermaid ride since we were coming back for an Ariel meet FP and that line isn't typically too long. This ended up being a mistake as the ride was down for several hours in the middle of the day and we ended up skipping it altogether but no way to have anticipated that of course. Small World certainly does eat into a lot of time but it was a priority for my kids so we just did it at the end when everything else we wanted to do was accomplished.