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

[Spacecow]

There have been a number of negative experience lately so I thought I would post our review from this morning. It was amazing! Started off well... we got to the park around 7:20 and were let into the park at 7:43. Grabbed photopass picture in front of the castle (no wait). Walked onto tea cups, walked onto Winnie the Pooh, did Peter Pan x2 and we didn’t have to walk through the standby line - went through fastpass line and then walked directly back in from the exit for the second ride. Then did all four princesses at the Princess Hall. Then rode SDMT three times in a row as walk on. That took us to 8:40 am. We could have done SDMT a couple more times but my son was hungry. We popped into Cosmic Rays just to grab some pastries and then lined up to rope drop Space Mountain. The cast members walked the line so you merge at the head of the main rope drop line, so if this is your plan your best bet for being close to the front is to be close to the cast member holding the line. We were within the first 30 people on Space Mountain and were on and off by 9:14. Walked on Buzz Lightyear and were back to a cosmic rays for a proper breakfast by 9:30 am. We scheduled our fast passes for 10, 11, and 12 and managed to grab a 4th by refreshing and modifying the second and third forwards after we completed the first. We left the park before 1 pm feeling like we got almost everything done. Going back tonight for the fireworks and have a FP for one of our outstanding rides. For us, this EMM was worth every penny.

Glad you had a good time! Your experience sounds similar to ours on 3/3, right down to riding mine train 3 times!
Rope dropping space, walking on to buzz, and then making it back to enjoy breakfast was a great way to start the official park hours

 

[DisneyJac]

Glad you had a good time! Your experience sounds similar to ours on 3/3, right down to riding mine train 3 times!
Rope dropping space, walking on to buzz, and then making it back to enjoy breakfast was a great way to start the official park hours

I read your review before we went, and I was inspired.

 

[mmouse50]

Sorry I just the post about checking for 9/17 - it would let me book it - so I guess they are just not having it on the 15th - messes up my plans because I am on a very short trip.

Edit - just tried to book the 17th - it let me go all the last time I tried to book but sine it was the day we leave I decided not to book it - fastforward 15 minutes changed my mind and decided we could do it so went to book the 17th - now it won’t let me book - it has a time but you cant click it

 

[Rachel GB]

Sorry I just the post about checking for 9/17 - it would let me book it - so I guess they are just not having it on the 15th - messes up my plans because I am on a very short trip.

Edit - just tried to book the 17th - it let me go all the last time I tried to book but sine it was the day we leave I decided not to book it - fastforward 15 minutes changed my mind and decided we could do it so went to book the 17th - now it won’t let me book - it has a time but you cant click it

Thank you for replying! That’s so strange! Definitely something odd going on with booking this event for September. Sorry that you weren’t able to book (guessing I won’t be, either, but my 180 is in a couple of days). Fingers crossed it’s resolved for both of us!

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Thank you for that information. Do you know approximately how far in advance guest relations would let me know it is cancelled?

It has only happened once in the history of MK EMM, or at least that has happened on a wide enough scale it got reported here. Here are the details from Page 1:

NOTE: Sunday 10/14/2018, Sunday 10/21/2018, Sunday 10/28/2018, Sunday 11/11/2018, and Sunday 11/25/2018 were originally released as bookable EMM dates. In late July 2018, Disney cancelled EMM for those dates and contacted guests who had booked to offer a refund or change dates. The reasons EMM was cancelled on those dates are unknown. At the time we suspected it would be due to changing park hours to 8am, but that never came to fruition.

 

[ArielSRL]

I've been reading the boards from years but usually don't post anything. DIS has always given me the best information for my trip planning.

I was wondering if you got tickets already for Labor Day. I originally planned to do EMM in Hollywood Studios but figured with GE opening that won't happen now. I've been looking daily for a week for the Fantasyland EMM and see no available for our Labor Day trip or any September date at this point but still see reservations for late August. Curious to see if they all sold out that fast or if Disney just hasn't loaded the reservations yet. Either way I will keep looking up till the end if it's already sold out for a drop.

Yes, I have 9/1 booked. I booked it fairly quickly after it was released...on a Friday...by the next day there was no more availability showing. Not sure if it sold out or they plan to cancel it.

 

[otten]

Well in all the years of going to Disney, since 2005, I have never complained to them about anything at all. Not once. Had no real need to. But if we end up going to this and I don't feel as though we got our moneys worth, I will very politely and professionally let them know that I am not happy and how I feel about the $340 I spent.

Why go into it with that attitude?

I will tell you this. I attended an EMM where there was a big problem, Mine Train and Pooh were down and it was back when there were just those two rides and Peter Pan. Guest recovery for that situation is to allow guests to use their wristbands as anytime fastpasses for the EMM rides until noon. I was also able to get two anytime FP. If that's not going to be sufficient guest recovery for you and you're already planning on how you're going to complain to Disney before there even is a problem I would honestly rethink going.

 

[SL6827]

Why go into it with that attitude?

I will tell you this. I attended an EMM where there was a big problem, Mine Train and Pooh were down and it was back when there were just those two rides and Peter Pan. Guest recovery for that situation is to allow guests to use their wristbands as anytime fastpasses for the EMM rides until noon. I was also able to get two anytime FP. If that's not going to be sufficient guest recovery for you and you're already planning on how you're going to complain to Disney before there even is a problem I would honestly rethink going.

I am not going to complain unless there is a problem, but yes anytime fast passes would suffice just fine. I would feel as though I got my money's worth.

 

[otten]

I am not going to complain unless there is a problem, but yes anytime fast passes would suffice just fine. I would feel as though I got my money's worth.

We had to change plans around to make it work which wasn't ideal but the use your wristband as a FP until noon was pretty cool. We ended up riding 8 times by noon.

 

[SL6827]

We had to change plans around to make it work which wasn't ideal but the use your wristband as a FP until noon was pretty cool. We ended up riding 8 times by noon.

Right, that would most certainly suffice. But I will admit, this post makes me feel a little more at ease.

 

[Tiggerlover91]

Well in all the years of going to Disney, since 2005, I have never complained to them about anything at all. Not once. Had no real need to. But if we end up going to this and I don't feel as though we got our moneys worth, I will very politely and professionally let them know that I am not happy and how I feel about the $340 I spent.

But unless it's something that happened in regards to them, shouldn't the person you complain to be yourself or family? It's YOUR choice to drop that money for EMM. You have to then say to yourself, I chose to pay this so I will deal with whatever happens when it happens....IF it happens.

 

[darly2004]

We went yesterday morning (3/17/19) and had a great time! We left our room at VGF a little after 7AM and got to the park at 7:20AM. We were actually the first 1/3 of the crowd. Got our bands without any issue. We were let in at 7:43 AM. We then stopped to take 2 pictures in front of the castle. We did Winnie the Pooh, meet the princesses (10 minutes), Peter Pan, It's A Small World, and the girls got to ride 7 Dwarfs four times! Everything was pretty much a walk on. Also, the carousel was running, so our little one went on that 2x while her sisters went on SDMT. We then got in line for Little Mermaid at 9:00AM with a 5 minute wait, Meet Ariel with 5-10 min wait, and Barnstormer with 10-15 min wait. We got to breakfast about 9:45AM and sat around until 10:30AM. They didn't really clear the cold items out until we left. The breakfast was not bad, but we never went to the previous EMM either. We are a party of 2 adults and 3 children with one being a 3 year old, so our walk time is probably on the slower side (if that helps anyone).

 

[Jocelynaus]

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[smallsy]

I didn’t realize September booking was being glitchy. I was able to book 9/3 but did so almost as soon as I could.

 

[SL6827]

We went yesterday morning (3/17/19) and had a great time! We left our room at VGF a little after 7AM and got to the park at 7:20AM. We were actually the first 1/3 of the crowd. Got our bands without any issue. We were let in at 7:43 AM. We then stopped to take 2 pictures in front of the castle. We did Winnie the Pooh, meet the princesses (10 minutes), Peter Pan, It's A Small World, and the girls got to ride 7 Dwarfs four times! Everything was pretty much a walk on. Also, the carousel was running, so our little one went on that 2x while her sisters went on SDMT. We then got in line for Little Mermaid at 9:00AM with a 5 minute wait, Meet Ariel with 5-10 min wait, and Barnstormer with 10-15 min wait. We got to breakfast about 9:45AM and sat around until 10:30AM. They didn't really clear the cold items out until we left. The breakfast was not bad, but we never went to the previous EMM either. We are a party of 2 adults and 3 children with one being a 3 year old, so our walk time is probably on the slower side (if that helps anyone).

Great! I am glad to hear positive reports on this.

 

[Brett Wyman]

I didn’t realize September booking was being glitchy. I was able to book 9/3 but did so almost as soon as I could.

Now Im super confused. I thought September was locked out for everyone even though blue.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Now Im super confused. I thought September was locked out for everyone even though blue.

No, it was bookable for a few days/weeks before things went screwy. A few on the thread have confirmed reservations for Sept dates.

 

[mmouse50]

I was wanting 9/15 but it is not blue but the 17th was. So after I was talking to a cast member about some other things I asked about the 15th. She said that no September dates are bookable. Not sure about that - I went ahead and booked the 17th even though I want the 15th. I will keep on checking for the 15th and see if it opens for me to book the date that I really wanted.

 

[Rachel GB]

The best I can gather from posts here and many (differing ) responses from Disney CMs is:
9/1 and 9/3 were released briefly (some people were able to book), and then it seems as if Disney then removed those dates from being bookable.
9/8 and 9/10 lit up blue on 180 days, but even right at the moment they lit up, nothing showed up for availability and Disney told me there was a ‘block’ placed on availability for those dates. Interestingly enough, some people who had those dates in their 180+10 were able to book briefly, but again, it appears as if Disney removed bookability for those dates, too. I was told the dates were NOT sold out, just not bookable.
9/15 never lit up. Today was my 180 and I was able to book 9/17 (yayyyyyyyy!), and the CM on the phone today said a couple hundred other people had booked that date, too.
Another person just posted they were also able to see AND book 9/24, but that 9/22 (like 9/15) never lit up/ turned blue.
If that doesn’t make you dizzy ...
I’m just hoping my date doesn’t get cancelled!

 

[Rachey_101]

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