# DHS/Toy Story Land "Early Morning Magic" (EMM) FAQ & Discussion



## GADisneyDad14

*DHS/Toy Story Land Early Morning Magic ("EMM") FAQs & Discussion*​

*Quick Links*
Current/Historic Date Information
DISer Event Review Post Links

​

*EMM vs EMH – A Quick Clarification*

Although similar acronyms, *Early Morning Magic (EMM) is NOT the same as Extra Magic Hours (EMH).*
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 Toy Story Land attractions and 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. EMM in no way impacts MK EMHs.
*
What is DHS / Toy Story Land EMM?*

You can read the full event description and details from Disney here:  https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/early-morning-magic-toy-story-land/

In short, EMM is...

A separately ticketed pre-park opening event which allows unlimited access to select Toy Story Land from *7:30AM-8:45AM.  (Note, it is 8:45AM, NOT 9AM!  Expect the rope drop crowd to arrive any time after 8:45AM)*
Open rides include:
*Slinky Dog Dash*
*Alien Swirling Saucers*
*Toy Story Mania!*

Character meets include: 
*Buzz *
*Woody and Jessie*

The event includes a breakfast served at *ABC Commissary* through *10:00AM.   *_*Note:  Effective 2/6/2019, the breakfast location moved to the Backlot Express.  *_


*When Is EMM Offered?*

So far, it has been scheduled on select Mondays, Wednesdays and some Fridays.
*See Post #2 for a list of past and current EMM dates.*

*How Much Does EMM Cost?*

Adults:       $79 per person, plus tax
Ages 3-9:   $69 per person, plus tax
Full cost is due at the time of booking
There are no AP, DVC, or other discounts available for EMM
Note, for reference, MK's version of EMM was $69 adult/$59 ages 3-9 from 2016-Nov 2018 and is changing to $79 / $69 12/2/2018, so both EMM events will be the same cost.  
DISers report that you are able to pay for EMM via Disney gift card by calling 

*Do I Need DHS Park Tickets To Experience EMM? *

Yes, you must have an EMM reservation *AND* valid DHS park admission.
Your MagicBand (or other ticket media) will be scanned at the tapstyles before entering the park that morning.

*What Is The EMM Cancellation Policy?*

There is a 1 day cancellation policy for EMM.
The full price will be forfeited if a guest cancels within 1 day or no shows for the reservation.
*Note: There is language on Disney's EMM page that says "tickets are nonrefundable" - this is NOT accurate. If you go through the booking process and read the actual terms/conditions, it notes the 1 day cancellation policy.*
*
How Do I Book EMM?*

Online:  https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/early-morning-magic-toy-story-land/
Phone: 407-827-7350

*What's Up with the 7AM & 7:30AM Reservation Times?  *

Disney is doing something different with reservation slots for DHS/TSL EMM compared to MK EMM.
For most dates, Disney has first been making a 7:30AM time slot available to book.  
When/if the 7:30AM slot sells out or gets close to selling out, Disney has been adding a 7:00AM time slot for booking.  
Most (but not all) dates so far have ultimately had "both" time slots bookable.  
To date, there is NO difference in how Disney handles 7AM or 7:30AM reservations at the event - everyone is treated the same.
It appears this is a "slow loading" technique to encourage a more gradual arrival of guests vs all at once. 
Note!  Disney's website contains the following language:  _"Guests with a 7:30 AM reservation will first enjoy Toy Story Land followed by breakfast, served until 10:00 AM. Based on capacity, we may make other reservation times available, with breakfast preceding the park experience for these Guests."_
Again, in practice, anyone can arrive early and eat before the event and anyone can eat up until 10am - there has been absolutely no difference in how 7AM and 7:30AM reservations are treated so far.  


*How Does It Work When I Arrive / Event Logistics? *

These details can vary by a few minutes on any given day, but generally speaking:
6:45-6:50'ish - they'll let you in the front park gate
Breakfast is available at this point if so inclined
7:10-7:25'ish - they'll let you past the Chinese Theater and head towards TSL


*How Do I Get to DHS So Early in the Morning via WDW Transportation?*

Guests have been let in for breakfast as early as approx 6:45AM and the land has been opening for everyone around 7:10-20AM based on recent reports).  For most folks, this makes for an early morning and raises many questions about transportation options. 
Disney has a big fat disclaimer on the DHS EMM "Know Before You Go" info: 
_If using Walt Disney World transportation, be sure to confirm schedules as reservation times may be outside of regular transit operating hours. Please allow up to 1.5 hours to get to your destination when traveling within Walt Disney World property._

Generally speaking, your options are going to be as follows:
*Drive Yourself* - if you have a vehicle.
*Resort Bus* - these generally start running 6/6:30AMish every day of the year BUT buses that early can be infrequent.  During your stay, you can check the My Disney Experience app for current bus wait times or check electronic boards at the bus stop. 
*Minnie Van* - Minnie Vans start running at 6:30AM.  Availability at that hour may may be a concern. 
*Uber / Lyft / Taxi* - Generally speaking availability should be good even at the early hour. 
For some large parties and/or specific car seat needs, pre-arranging transportation through a company like *Mears *may be preferable:  http://www.mearstransportation.com
*As with most "Getting From Point A to B" discussions regarding WDW, I recommend having a good handle on your options and to stay flexible that morning based on conditions.  Having a Plan A, B, and C when it comes to early morning travel is usually a good plan as is building in more time than you think you may need.... just in case!* 


*Does EMM Impact Crowds for Non-EMM Rope Drop Guests?*

The short answer is no, there is no material impact on normal rope drop procedures on an EMM morning vs non-EMM morning.  
The guest count for EMM is too small relative to the overall park guest count to have any impact, plus the large majority of EMM guests will have had their fill of TSL and at rope drop will be heading out to do other park rides or eat breakfast.  
Rope drop guests should expect to arrive in TSL approx 8:45/8:50'ish, which is approximately the same as a non-EMM day.  
Non-EMM guests may see some impact on Woodie/Jessie (and to a lesser extent) Buzz character waits as some EMM guests wait until the end to meet characters and these are slow moving lines.  

*Event Handout*
Thanks to @Where'sPiglet? for the pic!


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## GADisneyDad14

*DHS EMM Past & Current Dates*​
*Dates Posted/Made Available for Booking Notes*:
_Sept-Dec 2018 dates were posted 8/22/2018
Jan 2019 dates were posted 9/24/2018
Feb and March 2019 were posted 10/6/2018
11/19, 11/21, 12/24 & 12/31 2018 & 1/2 2019 were posted 10/19/2018
11/5/2018 was posted 10/25/2018
November 2018 Fridays were posted 11/5/2018
April 2019 dates were posted 12/18/2018
March 2019 Fridays were posted 2/8/2019
May 2019 was posted 2/8/2019
June-August 2019 dates were posted 2/24/2019 _


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## GADisneyDad14

*Links to DISer Event Review Posts*
​@Trinity88 - 8/26/2019

@BlueLion - 8/14/2019
@Figment1990 - 8/14/2019

@123SA - 8/7/2019

@Coach Holden - 8/5/2019
@Boardgaming - 8/5/2019
@dachsie - 8/5/2019
@ambellina - 8/5/2019
@JeninTexas - 8/5/2019

@Figment Mom - 7/29/2019
@ColoradoMom12 - 7/29/2019
@hvanes - 7/29/2019
@mmackeymouse - 7/29/2019

@ThePearlOfTheGrotto - 7/22/2019

@PrincessP - 7/17/2019

@Candycane83 - 7/15/2019
@disneymagicgirl - 7/15/2019
@sgirardots - 7/15/2019
@MudQueen22 - 7/15/2019

@Nicoleam123 - 7/10/2019

@tiffyms02 - 7/3/2019

@beourguest2009 - 7/1/2019
@PrincessArlena'sDad - 7/1/2019
@Suejacken - 7/1/2019
@WRLeGrand - 7/1/2019

@Wolfli - 6/26/2019

@huckabear - 6/24/2019

@sequoia 14 - 6/17/2019
@tarak - 6/17/2019
@kwiatamanda - 6/17/2019
@Di$neyCPA - 6/17/2019
@GPirate - 6/17/2019
@ekendall2 - 6/17/2019

@Shadet - 6/12/2019
@mekay1012 - 6/12/2019
@snoopboop - 6/12/2019
@Jessirip - 6/12/2019
@magickingdomprincess - 6/12/2019

@Kmc330 - 6/10/2019
@Lop460 - 6/10/2019
@MeeskaMooska13 - 6/10/2019

@ml sumner - 6/5/2019
@princessebird - 6/5/2019
@Katrina Y - 6/5/2019
@Mac30188 - 6/5/2019

@Doberge - 6/3/2019
@Dracarys - 6/3/2019
@snoopy352 - 6/3/2019
@CaleCakes - 6/3/2019
@Chiasgirl - 6/3/2019

@cheshiregoofy22 - 5/29/2019
@pookie73 - 5/29/2019

@Ben Linus - 5/27/2019
@mykidsmom - 5/27/2019
@Smrtalec33 - 5/27/2019
@SBWB48 - 5/27/2019
@bperk3 - 5/27/2019

@DisneyFamilyof4! - 5/22/2019
@Graciegirl5 - 5/22/2019
@CarlyMur09 - 5/22/2019
@WDW1970 - 5/22/2019

@firsttimemom - 5/20/2019
@Madame - 5/20/2019

@SinCityMMAFan - 5/13/2019

@louey - 5/8/2019
@dachsie - 5/8/2019

@RachaelA - 5/6/2019
@aebeauregard - 5/6/2019

@Mermaidtails1323 - 4/30/2019

@Woody412 - 4/24/2019

@TammyLynn33 - 4/21/2019

@exnihilio13 - 4/?/2019

@JerseyTraveler - 4/10/2019
@cincystamper - 4/10/2019 & Part 2

@BWVPam - 4/4/2019

@Mrjoshua - 4/3/2019

@ccw - 4/1/2019
@Where'sPiglet? - 4/1/2019

@MaggieBags - 3/27/2019
@michelepa - 3/27/2019
@Dr Gunnie - 3/27/2019

@WhitneyMB - 3/25/2019

@Herbst20 - 3/20/2019

@mydisneyanytime - 3/18/2019
@TISHLOVESDISNEY - 3/18/2019
@CoCoMo - 3/18/2019

@WaterLinds - 3/15/2019 & Full Review Here
@disneymagicgirl - 3/15/2019

@spamuel - 3/11/2019
@Branderson610 - 3/11/2019

@3darlings - 3/8/2019

@CAStevens218 - 3/6/2019
@MonaMN - 3/6/2019
@disneymagic246 - 3/6/2019

@pal6860 - 3/4/2019
@DWFamilyof6 - 3/4/2019
@Dmwc484 - 3/4/2019

@Lease257 - 2/25/2019
@aimes0105 - 2/25/2019
@minnie-may - 2/25/2019

@iujen94 - 2/20/2019
@acgardne - 2/20/2019
@Ermise - 2/20/2019

[SIZE=3]@Ils[/SIZE] - 2/18/2019
@Avery&Todd - 2/18/2019 & Here

@Eeyore's the Best - 2/13/2019
@Stasieki - 2/13/2019
@mlnbabies - 2/13/2019

@kerepka625 - 2/11/2019
@RedK - 2/11/2019

@JediMom43014 - 2/6/2019
@bosspringsteen - 2/6/2019
@Rachel GB - 2/6/2019

_Note: Starting 2/6/2019, the breakfast location was moved from ABC Commissary to Backlot Express.  _

@Maine Disney First Timer - 2/4/2019

@DisneyDogFan - 1/30/2019
@rxbeth - 1/30/2019
@TreeFalls - 1/30/2019
@jsmla - 1/30/2019 & Part 2/URL]
@Apopper74 - 1/28/2019
@JessM - 1/28/2019
@Lisa F - 1/23/2019
@Eeyore54 fred - 1/21/2019
@DisHeels - 1/21/2019
@alrushton - 1/21/2019
@Grasshopper2016 - 1/21/2019
@ems58 - 1/21-2019
@Sheree - 1/14/2019
@ilanakan - 1/7/2019
@czmom - 1/2/2019
@Taka - 1/2/2019
@fumipappa - 1/2/2019
@ninafeliz - 1/2/2019
@GADisneyDad14 - 12/31/2018 & Bigger Report with Photos Here
@poohey - 12/31/2018
@frisbeego - 12/24/2018
@Jasperann - 12/24/2018
@djc9699 12/17/2018
@KCF1216 - 12/14/2018
@Ek0804 - 12/14/2018
@PatrickN24 - 12/12/2018
@sapphirerose915 - 12/10/2018
@Ariel620 - 12/10/2018
@MagicalMawMaw - 12/10/2018
@Temp77 - 12/7/2018
@AllThingsMickey4 - 12/5/2018 & 12/5/2018
@dachsie - 12/5/2018
@OhhBother - 12/5/2018
@mrsxsparrow  - 12/5/2018
@StacyStrong - 12/5/2018
@mwheatley - 12/3/2018
@duck524 - 12/3/2018
@Mrjoshua - 12/3/2018
@Eve & Wall-e - 12/3/2018
@BissyBobbitiBoo - 11/30/2018
@Brett Wyman - 11/28/2018
@Kdp2 - 11/28/2018
@Babs1975 - 11/28/2018
@EmCredible - 11/28/2018 & 11/28/2018
@kniquy - 11/28/2018
@jennab - 11/26/2018
@scjo68 - 11/23/2018
@princesswahooey - 11/21/2018
@abs1978 - 11/21/2018
@kittylady1972 - 11/19/2018
@summerskye - 11/19/2018
@ColoradoMom12 - 11/19/2018
@Nferk - 11/14/2018 (very detailed time stamps)
@AdandO - 11/14/2018
@MKTokyo - 11/12/2018
@tracee22 - 11/7/2018
@TinkSassy - 11/7/2018
@DisneyToddlers - 11/7/2018
@suzymouse724 - 11/7/2018
@disneyworldsk - 11/5/2018
@jennc27 - 10/31/2018
@aliceinvunderland - 10/31/2018
@aviva5675 - 10/31/2018
@CinderellaDream - 10/29/2018
@ninafeliz - 10/29/2018
@MattH - 10/29/2018
@Stephie16343 - 10/24/2018
@KrazeeK120 - 10/22/2018
@gracielou - 10/22/2018
@MalamuteMom - 10/22/2018
@AAhawk - 10/22/2018
@MelOhioDis - 10/17/2018
@QueenHeather - 10/17/2018
@VTHappyGirl - 10/17/2018
@CarolynFH - 10/15/2018
@gatechfan99 - 10/15/2018
@Planner2012 - 10/15/2018
@Disney & ME - 10/10/2018
_Note:  10/8/2018 was Columbus Day, a holiday for many folks.  _
@kat_lh - 10/8/2018
@kat_lh - 10/8/2018 - Food Comments
@GADisneyDad14 - 10/8/2018
@GADisneyDad14 - 10/8/2018 - Add'l Comments
@Tigger in a kilt - 10/8/2018
@jwolfpack - 10/8/2018
@GADisneyDad14 - 10/8/2018 - Full Thoughts & Pics (2 posts)
@cdurham1 - 10/8/2018
@kat_lh - 10/8/2018 - Full Review & Pics
@SuJo - 10/8/2018
@Staceycs - 10/3/2018
@pangyal - 10/3/2018
@Disneyd923 - 10/1/2018
@TinkerBeth18 - 10/1/2018
@Mrs. P. Charming - 10/1/2018
_Note:  The first two events below did not feature the "dual reservation times."_
@mrocco90 - 9/24/2018
@luvdisney73 - 9/24/2018
@minniemousepancake - 9/24/2018
@VAtink - 9/17/2018
@VAtink - 9/17/2018 - Pics
@Tinkerbell8956 - 9/17/2018
@Tinkerbell8956 - 9/17/2018 - Food Pics/URL
*Jedi Training Sign-Up Experiences*​
@Dracarys on 6/3/2019 said:  *For anyone else who has been wondering about Jedi Training with EMM. We did 6/3 EMM and left around 8:45 to sign up for JT. We made it over there about 8:50 and only waited 15 min to sign up. 9:40 and 11am were full, but we had our pick of the rest. We went with 1:40, which ended up being cancelled due to lightning in the area. They do try to do something special for the kids since they won’t get to fight anyone. They did a photo op with Darth Vader inside Star Tours and let the kids/parents ride Star Tours immediately after. They also still gave the Jedi Training pin.  *

@Maine Disney First Timer on 2/4/2019 said: *We left and went straight to jedi signups and were in line by 8:58. We waited 38 min to sign up for jedi training.   Around 1pm was the earliest available. We chose 3:00 bc of our fp schedule. Had to be there by 2:30.*
@TreeFalls on 1/30/2019 said:  *We did Jedi training sign ups right after, it took about 15 minutes, only the very first show was full by the time we signed up. Then we rode Star Tours and ate second breakfast.*
@TinkerBeth18 on 10/1/2018 said:  *Went immediately at 8:45 to sign up for Jedi training and had to wait 30 minutes. The earliest time they had available was 11:40.*
@pangyal on 10/3/2018 said:  *We asked about signups for Jedi Training and were told that nobody would be stationed until PPO breakfast time started (8am). We decided not to leave toy story land just to sign up when we had such little time there anyway.*
@Taka on 1/2/2019 said:  *When leaving TSL around 8:45, mass crowd came into TSL.  After TSL, we signed up JEDI training. It was 30mins wait. And all slots were still opened except first two shows.*


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## JackOfHearts

It is bookable now for December.


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## Staceycs

This has made me VERY happy!

Edited to say that I was just able to complete the booking process for Wed October 3rd. Can't wait!!


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## wrestler72

Just booked for the 24th of October. Had to change a couple of other things but I am sure it will be worth it.


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## MickeyMinnieMom

Boo. Nothing listed over W&D weekend.


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## GADisneyDad14

I was just able to book as well, Post #1 has been updated!


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## Mrs Cuddlecakes

Thank you for posting this!  Just booked 10/15.


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## teamharrisdisney

Just booked for 10/29!  Really excited to try both EMM's this trip!


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## DizMinMouse

Thank you soooooo much for posting all this information! We are now booked for 9/17/2018!!


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## MIAMouseketeer

YAY! But looks like Disney is totally skimping on the breakfast with this one. Contintental?  One of the reasons we find value in the EMM at MK is because the breakfast is so hearty and we use it as a brunch without eating another meal until dinner. We will still totally do this at least once, but it may not be the value that the one at MK is. Although it does seem like they will have the characters out, which is a huge bonus over MK.


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## dachsie

MIAMouseketeer said:


> YAY! But looks like Disney is totally skimping on the breakfast with this one. Contintental?  One of the reasons we find value in the EMM at MK is because the breakfast is so hearty and we use it as a brunch without eating another meal until dinner. We will still totally do this at least once, but it may not be the value that the one at MK is. Although it does seem like they will have the characters out, which is a huge bonus over MK.


It says you get a choice of a main dish like fried chicken with a cronut


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## Mrs~Incredible

Interesting. Costs more than EMM at fantasyland and can’t wait to hear a review on the breakfast offerings.

I’m sure it will be super fun for the rides.  Just wish it was the same price and a similar menu. My kid is a pretty good eater, but not sure she would like avocado toast or chicken for breakfast.

Although I think breakfast at these things is just icing on the cake, the rides are the main event.


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## Mrs~Incredible

Mrs~Incredible said:


> Interesting. Costs more than EMM at fantasyland and can’t wait to hear a review on the breakfast offerings.
> 
> I’m sure it will be super fun for the rides.  Just wish it was the same price and a similar menu. My kid is a pretty good eater, but not sure she would like avocado toast or chicken for breakfast.
> 
> Although I think breakfast at these things is just icing on the cake, the rides are the main event.


Ha! Just saw i cross posted with some friends up above!


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## MickeyMinnieMom

Mrs~Incredible said:


> Interesting. Costs more than EMM at fantasyland


Can’t wait to see what EMM at Galaxy’s Edge will cost... ...


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## Pdollar88

Sounds awesome! I might try it if it’s offered at a later trip. Eager to hear about the buffet!


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## GADisneyDad14

MickeyMinnieMom said:


> Can’t wait to see what EMM at Galaxy’s Edge will cost... ...



Already saving.


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## ENJDisneyFan

Avocado toast or fried chicken?  Very interesting entree choices...


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## Nixon128

Thanks so much! On the link, it says nonrefundable, but in guest policies it states there is a 1 day cancellation policy. This is probably true considering EMM is refundable at MK, right? A little bit on the fence about booking unless there is a cancellation policy. Thanks!


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## IceQueen182

Very exciting!  I just booked for 11-26.  Interesting that it starts at 7:30 versus 7:45 in MK.  It's also notably pricier.  I paid $272 for 4 of us for EMM in MK.  But I paid $315 for EMM in HS - despite what looks like a weaker breakfast offering.


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## GADisneyDad14

ENJDisneyFan said:


> Avocado toast or fried chicken?  Very interesting entree choices...



My thought exactly as well.


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## IceQueen182

Nixon128 said:


> Thanks so much! On the link, it says nonrefundable, but in guest policies it states there is a 1 day cancellation policy. This is probably true considering EMM is refundable at MK, right? A little bit on the fence about booking unless there is a cancellation policy. Thanks!



Here's what my confirmation email said: 
"There is a 1 day cancellation policy. Full price will be charged / forfeited if Guest cancels within 1 day or no shows for the reservation."


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## straychicken

We booked for October 3rd.  But I will be looking at reviews of the events in September to decide if it’s worth it.  That’s a lot of $$$.   

I am guessing they will allow Jedi Training sign ups as you head in?


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## KrazeeK120

Holy cow you guys, today was my 60 days. So I did all my Fastpasses and was lamenting not getting SDD for the time I wanted. Then I came on the boards and saw this! I had to flip my Epcot day in order to do this EMM, and had to flip to a day with EMH, but we will make it work. It’s been a crazy hour, but I’m getting our plans revamped. If only this had been announced yesterday, lol.


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## kcpinwdw

Staceycs said:


> I was just able to complete the booking process for Wed October 3rd.



Me too!  See ya there!


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## Elle23

This happens on our Epcot day. 

Would it be weird to do this and then hop to Epcot for the rest of the day? I really don’t want to have to switch days since I have all of my ADRs set.

Of course, I have the JBJB dessert party that evening, so I guess I’d be hopping back and forth. 

Or I could just be a normal person and switch park days.


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## sjberg79

Wow, thanks for posting! This is pricey and the food sounds weak compared to the MK EMM but still glad they are offering it. I booked for 12/10.


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## SaintsManiac

Looking forward to reviews on this. I would be interested in booking it for March if it continues.


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## mi*vida*loca

On the fence about this. The only day we could do it would be November 7 which is also our Epcot day. It wouldn't be too bad for us since we are staying at BWV. I would just hop over to Epcot a bit later in the morning. I just don't know if it's worth it for us. We are doing 10 days in the parks and I don't think we will have a problem getting FP+ for all of the toy story rides on separate days. Decisions, decisions!!!


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## RKS03

No season pass or DVC discounts I’m assuming right?

Do these things book quickly (ie day or two?)


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## GADisneyDad14

RKS03 said:


> No season pass or DVC discounts I’m assuming right?
> 
> Do these things book quickly (ie day or two?)



No discounts have ever been offered on the MK EMM, so I’m assuming it will be the same here.

Since this is the first series of HS/TSL EMM dates and it includes a hot new land with hard to get FPs (mainly SDD)... my assumption is this could be popular/fill fast... especially during the busy fall season.

What will be interesting to me is to see capacity/guest count for this.


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## anomamatt

I never got to do DHS EMM the last go-around, so I am SO excited about TSL EMM.  I booked 10/15 and I have MK FL EMM booked on 10/16.  Awesome-ness.

While the breakfast choices sound strange, I imagine they will have some less-strange choices as well.  I would do it without breakfast, so it's not a deal breaker for me, but looking forward to reviews!


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## jennab

IceQueen182 said:


> Very exciting!  I just booked for 11-26.  Interesting that it starts at 7:30 versus 7:45 in MK.  It's also notably pricier.  I paid $272 for 4 of us for EMM in MK.  But I paid $315 for EMM in HS - despite what looks like a weaker breakfast offering.



Same date here!  I noticed this one says 7:30-8:45am.  Doesn't the MK one say 7:45-9am?  SO then really it's the same amount of time.  Yeah saw this one was $10 more pp too...  Curious about the breakfast and where it will be


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## RKS03

I’ve never done an early morning magic experience before.  How are lines? Can you ride each ride more than once?


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## StacyStrong

Agh. Don't know if I should do this or jingle Bell jingle bam dessert party. 

Im also doing MVMCP. I don't think I can justify three extras!


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## GADisneyDad14

RKS03 said:


> I’ve never done an early morning magic experience before.  How are lines? Can you ride each ride more than once?



Since this HS/Toy Story Land EMM is new, no one knows.  Disney is using phrases such as “ride popular attractions with little wait time” in their website write-up.  

For MK/Fantasyland....

PP: Consistent walk on
WtP:  Consistent walk on
7DMT: 0-10ish min wait (obviously the much larger draw in that event, with the longer wait being at the beginning when everyone floods that ride first)

I’ll be very curious to see what the guest count will be like at this new event.


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## mi*vida*loca

StacyStrong said:


> Agh. Don't know if I should do this or jingle Bell jingle bam dessert party.
> 
> Im also doing MVMCP. I don't think I can justify three extras!



Same boat. We are doing MVMCP and HEA dessert party. I would like to do JBJB dessert party and TSL EMM but I don't know if I can justify all of these extras. I still have to purchase memory maker too!


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## jwolfpack

I booked, but this comment on the Disney website has me nervous:

The number of Guests admitted to these events is limited. In addition, all reservations are non-refundable, non-transferrable and are only valid for admission during the special event date and hours.
My confirmation e-mail says:

- There is a 1 day cancellation policy. Full price will be charged / forfeited if Guest cancels within 1 day or no shows for the reservation.

What do y'all think??? I'm 90% sure I'm doing it, but I'm having to shuffle lots of plans around to do so. I sincerely hope that I can cancel if need be.


----------



## RKS03

This will be the first morning after we arrive at BWV.  Anyone know how far It is to the park from there?

Trying to figure out how difficult this would be with 4 and 1 year old so early.   Although I’m thinking it may be easier than waiting in lines later.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

jwolfpack said:


> I booked, but this comment on the Disney website has me nervous:
> 
> The number of Guests admitted to these events is limited. In addition, all reservations are non-refundable, non-transferrable and are only valid for admission during the special event date and hours.
> My confirmation e-mail says:
> 
> - There is a 1 day cancellation policy. Full price will be charged / forfeited if Guest cancels within 1 day or no shows for the reservation.
> 
> What do y'all think??? I'm 90% sure I'm doing it, but I'm having to shuffle lots of plans around to do so. I sincerely hope that I can cancel if need be.



The same (or similar) language is on the MK/Fantasyland version of EMM - the website and confirmation e-mail conflict with each other.  For that event, the 1-day cancellation policy is the real answer.  Appears the same will be for this EMM as well.


----------



## anomamatt

jwolfpack said:


> I booked, but this comment on the Disney website has me nervous:
> 
> The number of Guests admitted to these events is limited. In addition, all reservations are non-refundable, non-transferrable and are only valid for admission during the special event date and hours.
> My confirmation e-mail says:
> 
> - There is a 1 day cancellation policy. Full price will be charged / forfeited if Guest cancels within 1 day or no shows for the reservation.
> 
> What do y'all think??? I'm 90% sure I'm doing it, but I'm having to shuffle lots of plans around to do so. I sincerely hope that I can cancel if need be.



It has always said this for the MK EMM and I had to cancel that once -- and got a refund with no problem.


----------



## StacyStrong

I'm not interested in Aliens, so I guess the question is if they two rides make this worth it to me. I wish I knew if I was able to get a FP for SDD. 

I know people are saying the confirmation email says they can cancel, but that's a lot of money for me to put out if I end up not being able to cancel.


----------



## CinderellaDream

And this is why I love Disboards! Had no idea about this event but just reserved 10/29 and can't wait to tell my girls they can ride SDD multiple times!  It is also perfect timing because my FP day is Friday and I was worried with only a 4 day trip that I might not get FP for SDD or AS2.


----------



## im4pacers1

I booked but I need to run it by hubby. He might not be happy about waking up so early so hopefully we can get a refund if he vetoes.


----------



## tlmadden73

Tempting, but I don't think it would work with my young family yet -- I can't imagine getting a 2 and 6 yo (and the grandparents) to the park BEFORE 7:30 AM to take advantage of this.

Plus it feels like the breakfast would just eat into the time you would need to ride the rides and meet the characters.


----------



## IceQueen182

RKS03 said:


> This will be the first morning after we arrive at BWV.  Anyone know how far It is to the park from there?
> 
> Trying to figure out how difficult this would be with 4 and 1 year old so early.   Although I’m thinking it may be easier than waiting in lines later.



It will be a very easy walk from BWV!  I'd say about a 10 minute walk along the path to Hollywood Studios, which we find to be a very pleasant walk.  If your kids are anything like mine, they'll be up early and raring to go.  We'll be getting to EMM in HS from the Poly this time- I envy your easy "commute"!


----------



## RachaelA

Booked it on Halloween morning


----------



## RKS03

IceQueen182 said:


> It will be a very easy walk from BWV!  I'd say about a 10 minute walk along the path to Hollywood Studios, which we find to be a very pleasant walk.  If your kids are anything like mine, they'll be up early and raring to go.  We'll be getting to EMM in HS from the Poly this time- I envy your easy "commute"!



Thanks! I think you’re right that we’ll be up earlier than planned anyway. This looks awesome.


----------



## IceQueen182

jennab said:


> Same date here!  I noticed this one says 7:30-8:45am.  Doesn't the MK one say 7:45-9am?  SO then really it's the same amount of time.  Yeah saw this one was $10 more pp too...  Curious about the breakfast and where it will be



Good point about the end time!  I wonder why this one is an earlier start/end time.  Hopefully it means we have 15 minutes to line up for other rides before the park opens at 9.


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## LMO429

Just booked this! Thank you!


----------



## KrazeeK120

tlmadden73 said:


> Tempting, but I don't think it would work with my young family yet -- I can't imagine getting a 2 and 6 yo (and the grandparents) to the park BEFORE 7:30 AM to take advantage of this.
> 
> Plus it feels like the breakfast would just eat into the time you would need to ride the rides and meet the characters.



You must be one of those lucky people whose toddler isn’t up at 6 AM daily!

I booked both EMMs because I know my kid will be up anyway...might as well go do something!


----------



## tlmadden73

KrazeeK120 said:


> You must be one of those lucky people whose toddler isn’t up at 6 AM daily!
> 
> I booked both EMMs because I know my kid will be up anyway...might as well go do something!


LOL .. my kids always seem to sleep "in" to around 7ish ... we are lucky indeed. (but this was after suffering through years of waking up every night in the middle)


----------



## GillianP1301

I'm excited to see this added to the calendar, just a bit bummed that it misses our trip by 2 weeks. When they did the EMM at DHS a few years back, I loved it. It was TSMM, Buzz & Woody M&G and I think Star Tours? I can't even remember the other attractions because my son and I spent most of the time riding TSMM over and over again without having to even get off and reload, it was amazing. It seems a no brainer to me to start this up again in that park with TSL, I'm sure it will be a huge hit!


----------



## HopperFan

*I did the first DHS EMM and LOVED it! * I've done MK EMM and not a fan.

When I did DHS it was TSMM, StarTours,  Olaf, Mickey & Minnie, Woody & Buzz.  WHY did I like it?  No long lines for TSMM and able to do it over and over.  We only did ST once I think.  We met all the characters, it was our first time for Olaf and for that Mickey & Minnie. We had skipped M&M before due to long lines.  We were no longer able to meet Buzz & Woody there (we loved them together) because of the long lines and chaos in that building making it very hard on DS1.  The breakfast was WONDERFUL with top quality food and was levels above what we were offered at MK. For that EMM I asked questions and was told that it was put on by Disney Events, the ones who do private & corporate events, and did Club Villain.  (Was told MK EMM is done by BOG)  The French Toast was SO GOOD ... and they told me that is offered at NO Disney locations, it's only for private events.  The staff was outstanding, they served folks, helped them to their table and being in Commissary it felt a bit nicer and less hectic.  Of course where it is and who cooks can change for this event.

I absolutely will book ....... for Slinky Dog, to not wait outside for those character lines and for the breakfast.  Alien and TSSM will be nice pluses to the whole thing.  But I have no trip booked that crosses path with these dates.  I might just wait for reviews to see if it's like the old one.


----------



## HopperFan

GillianP1301 said:


> I'm excited to see this added to the calendar, just a bit bummed that it misses our trip by 2 weeks. When they did the EMM at DHS a few years back, I loved it. It was TSMM, Buzz & Woody M&G and I think Star Tours? I can't even remember the other attractions because my son and I spent most of the time riding TSMM over and over again without having to even get off and reload, it was amazing. It seems a no brainer to me to start this up again in that park with TSL, I'm sure it will be a huge hit!



This is what they had ...

Beginning August 1, a select number of guests can experience Disney Early Morning Magic at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Beginning at 7:45 a.m., guests can enter the park and experience Star Tours – The Adventures Continue, Toy Story Mania!, Pixar Place character greetings (with Woody and Buzz), and Mickey and Minnie on Commissary Lane and Olaf at Celebrity Spotlight. Guests can also partake in an all-you-care-to-enjoy breakfast at ABC Commissary from 8-10 a.m.


----------



## cdurham1

I booked this morning for October 8th.  I am anxious for reports from the first one.

We booked simply because it seems to be the most reasonable way to do Toy Story Land without fastpasses without crazy waits.

Already booked FEA dessert party the night before.  Not sure how my DD7 will do being amped up on sugar Monday night late, not getting enough sleep, and then getting to HS at 7:30am.  I guess we have to make some sacrifices for SDD.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

One interesting note on the confirmation e-mail:

*Guests will check-in at the main entrance of Disney's Hollywood Studios starting at 7am and receive a wristband for event identification*

For reference, the MK/Fantasyland EMM confirmation e-mail has a 7:30am check-in time and a 7:45am event start time (which is the time they let you in the front gate).


----------



## StacyStrong

I've been texting with my friend all morning about the pros and cons between this and JBJB. We just cannot make a decision!


----------



## MIAMouseketeer

For me, I would choose EMM. We've watched JBJB with no problem without the dessert party.


----------



## SaintsManiac

StacyStrong said:


> I've been texting with my friend all morning about the pros and cons between this and JBJB. We just cannot make a decision!





The party is fun and festive, but I would pick EMM over it. You get much more out of it, IMO.


----------



## Dean1953

I’ll be at BLT from October 25 through 30, so Oct 29 is the only day that myself and son could go.  We are going to MNSSHP on October 25 and 29 and will probably stay both nights until midnight, getting to bed no earlier than 12:30.  Getting up at 6 to take a bus over to HS to get there close to 7 would be possible for me but it would be a hard sell for my 10 year old son.  I’ll wait several weeks before making my final decision but will treat my 60 day FP window that starts this Sunday like we will not be going.  On a side note, going to the booking site, I saw no place to use Disney gift cards.  Maybe, they will take them over the phone. If I’m allowed two different forms of purchase, I’d use my Disney visa redemption card that has $50 on it and a gift card purchased from Target at 5% off.  It’s too bad that Disney can’t do a couple of these promotions late at night.  I just checked to move my MNSSHP from October 28 to 26.  That’s doeable but I can’t change my October 26th reservation to see return to sleep hallow to October 27 or 28.  I’ll have to keep my original plan for Hollywood Studios and FP selection.  My son thinks that 7 dwarfs mine train is too short, so one or two times on slickly dog should be enough.


----------



## ninafeliz

I booked this, but unfortunately it is only offered on our arrival day and departure day for our short trip in October, so there's a very good change I'll have to cancel .  To keep it we would have to change our return flights which either means paying around $300 more for the 4 of us or getting back to Pittsburgh at 11 PM with a 2 hr drive and school/work the next morning.  Plus getting up at the crack of dawn, packing up, checking out, and doing RAC on our departure day.  At least we are booked SW so changing is an option, but it might have been better if it wasn't...  Just so people know, I assumed that the one day cancellation policy would be the correct one, since the wording is the same as for the MK EMM, and it is.  On my reservations page the reservation shows up, and the cancel reservation option is there and clickable.  Just like the return of DAH this summer, I was so happy to see it offered and then so sad to see it didn't quite work with our planned trip!  Why can't this stuff be out there more ahead of time!!!!  Then we could possibly have adjusted dates.


----------



## jennab

GADisneyDad14 said:


> One interesting note on the confirmation e-mail:
> 
> *Guests will check-in at the main entrance of Disney's Hollywood Studios starting at 7am and receive a wristband for event identification*
> 
> For reference, the MK/Fantasyland EMM confirmation e-mail has a 7:30am check-in time and a 7:45am event start time (which is the time they let you in the front gate).



Interesting.  This is one reason I hate calling to book, I never get the confirmation email!  Grrrr


----------



## Arazia

They don't have it on the day we were planning on going due to that day being EMH at Hollywood Studios.
Which is a shame, as it would have been a good option.

We're too far down the line to swap park days so we'll just have to deal with it as-is.


----------



## Tracilyn

Just booked for October 31st! So thankful for these boards!


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## stink

I booked  today. Very pleased they added character meets. But  I am also very leery of the main dish breakfast choices not big on  Fried Chicken for breakfast or Avocado Toast,  hoping there is a third or fourth choice, maybe scrambled eggs & toast  or pancakes/waffles, at least some other main dish choice.  

The breakfast served at MK Early Morning Magic is wonderful, would like to see something similar for DHS Early Morning Magic.


----------



## Alison S

I like the idea of their food offerings!

I think we'll skip it.  Our HS day is already a crowd level of 2 and we're doing MVMCP the night before!  The website says to allow 1.5 hours for disney transportation to get you there, so I'm thinking walking or driving/ubering is the best option.


----------



## sasmom

tlmadden73 said:


> Tempting, but I don't think it would work with my young family yet -- I can't imagine getting a 2 and 6 yo (and the grandparents) to the park BEFORE 7:30 AM to take advantage of this.
> 
> *Plus it feels like the breakfast would just eat into the time you would need to ride the rides and meet the characters*




The breakfast runs until 10, so one option is to ride rides and meet characters until 9 or whenever they let everyone else into TSL, then have breakfast.  Or ride rides outside of TSL until 9:30-9:45, then have breakfast.


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## sasmom

I booked for 11/7, the only day available during or next trip.  Also doing MK EMM on 11/6.  Can’t wait!


----------



## cdurham1

Elle23 said:


> This happens on our Epcot day.
> 
> Would it be weird to do this and then hop to Epcot for the rest of the day? I really don’t want to have to switch days since I have all of my ADRs set.
> 
> Of course, I have the JBJB dessert party that evening, so I guess I’d be hopping back and forth.
> 
> Or I could just be a normal person and switch park days.



I would probably switch just because I have a soft rule for myself of only hopping once a day.  But if you don't mind wasting some time waiting for transportation, etc., it isn't the end of the world.


----------



## ENJDisneyFan

I would really love to do this but there is a 0% chance I could get my kids (or DH) up and ready that early.  I wish they would do a nighttime "after hours" version!


----------



## shairpdrh

Well this just switched up my plans for 9/17! I think it will be worth it. Now I don't have to crazily look for SDD FP after not getting them at 60 days (but I probably still will).


----------



## GADisneyDad14

ENJDisneyFan said:


> I would really love to do this but there is a 0% chance I could get my kids (or DH) up and ready that early.  I wish they would do a nighttime "after hours" version!



With beverages.


----------



## disneyworldsk

@StacyStrong and @sasmom: okay, we're on the same path here. I have mvmcp booked 11/8 and emm 11/6.  DH said no to jbjb (we did hea one), I think he felt that we don't drink alcohol and are not huge dessert eaters we shouldn't do another one not worth it. But he said yes to this even though we are doing emm 11/6 in mk! that's three this vacay for november! oy. And no to fried chicken. And my DH no way will do sdd more then once or emm at mk 7dmt more then once. Once for him is enough! and truly I think that's the same for the rest of us (me and teen son, maybe him twice, that's it). I think he just likes the idea of being in a land in quieter peaceful feeling? Idk. I'll book it 11/7 and make sure it's okay I don't think he understands people do these events to repeatedly go on big rides! hahaha! He doesn't realize people do this and that's what you pay for! He would never do it repeatedly without hurling. And re. fp for tot and rockin'we don't go on those either!! so for us it's not an opportunity to grab on those rides. on the fence , help.


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## ENJDisneyFan

GADisneyDad14 said:


> With beverages.


I like the way you think


----------



## StacyStrong

I think we will end up doing 12/5 or 12/10 if we do it.  Likely 12/5 because 12/10 is our departure day. 12/6 is MVMCP though. 

Someone please post if they encounter an issue with booking a particular date because it's sold out!


----------



## BekaM

Gaahh I booked a PPO ADR at H&V on 9/17 with the intention of rushing over to Toy Story Land to ride SDD but now I have no idea how this will affect us. Has anyone else had PPO ADRs during EMM?


----------



## Soccer Princess

Do the EMM tickets need to be purchased on the same Disney account as your park passes? I have the park passes (and room reservation) on my account, but my mom is planning on purchasing these extra tickets on hers? Does it matter as long we have the confirmation number?


----------



## Ariel620

Thanks for posting!  We are booked for 12/10!


----------



## RachaelA

Someone going to the earliest dates report back if possible please about if they let you sign up for Jedi Training at like 7:30.


----------



## ENJDisneyFan

BekaM said:


> Gaahh I booked a PPO ADR at H&V on 9/17 with the intention of rushing over to Toy Story Land to ride SDD but now I have no idea how this will affect us. Has anyone else had PPO ADRs during EMM?


Unless you want to really rush through a (very expensive) breakfast at H&V, it won't give you any advantage for TSL, in fact it will put you behind the crowds.  At MK, PPO people on EMM days are typically held in the line at SDMT until right when the park opens.  So no early rides, but still an advantage over the rope drop crowds.


----------



## StacyStrong

The more I think about it, the more we might do JBJB. This sounds great, but we have a trip planned in December 2018, April 2019, and likely during fall in 2019. We have never done all the Christmas stuff so we may make that our focus this trip especially since we don't know when our next holiday trip will be.

We will have plenty of opportunities to experience SDD and have ridden TSM countless times.

Who know - if this is still offered next year, maybe we will take advantage of it then.

We are going to sleep on it for a couple days though. Disney keeps offering so much! It's impossible to do everything during one trip. Something has to give.

Edit- I also really want to see TSL at night. Especially during the holidays! So JBJB gives us the perfect opportunity to run over there.


----------



## BekaM

ENJDisneyFan said:


> Unless you want to really rush through a (very expensive) breakfast at H&V, it won't give you any advantage for TSL, in fact it will put you behind the crowds.  At MK, PPO people on EMM days are typically held in the line at SDMT until right when the park opens.  So no early rides, but still an advantage over the rope drop crowds.



Thanks for the info! We have impatient toddlers who are fast eaters, and the hubs and I don't do second plates. We typically get out of a buffet in less than an hour as long as the characters come around quickly, but that's just us. Our res is right at 8, so based on previous PPO ADRs, I thought we might be just STEPS ahead of rope droppers. We have only done H&V for lunch before. Is breakfast there typically longer than say, Crystal Palace?


----------



## RachaelA

BekaM said:


> Thanks for the info! We have impatient toddlers who are fast eaters, and the hubs and I don't do second plates. We typically get out of a buffet in less than an hour as long as the characters come around quickly, but that's just us. Our res is right at 8, so based on previous PPO ADRs, I thought we might be just STEPS ahead of rope droppers. We have only done H&V for lunch before. Is breakfast there typically longer than say, Crystal Palace?


We always end up waiting forever at H&V for one character. It’s crazy that it’s happened to us like 4 times.


----------



## BekaM

RachaelA said:


> We always end up waiting forever at H&V for one character. It’s crazy that it’s happened to us like 4 times.


Huge bummer.  My 4yo LOVES character breakfasts, and is incredibly excited about this one. I won't be changing our plans for EMM but it's good to know what to expect. 

Now are EMM days typically more crowded for the rest of the day, like EMH days?

I guess no matter what, it's better than being at work.


----------



## jennab

BekaM said:


> Huge bummer.  My 4yo LOVES character breakfasts, and is incredibly excited about this one. I won't be changing our plans for EMM but it's good to know what to expect.
> 
> Now are EMM days typically more crowded for the rest of the day, like EMH days?
> 
> I guess no matter what, it's better than being at work.



I have no first hand experience, but have heard no it won't be more crowded because the EMM people are so few.  Also, they will be out of TSL by the time the park opens anyway so really shouldn't affect that section...


----------



## tlmadden73

I may be interested to do this (in lieu of an ADR), but to do this now, I would have to swap at least two of my park days, preventing me from getting the ADRs for those days (no availability for pretty much any restaurant at any parks (at a decent time).

So just debating if the fun of having those ADRs (like Tusker House or Crystal Palace) is worth losing for an early morning TSL adventure on a Monday or Wednesday.

I like the concept of just doing Toy Story Land all "at once" without worrying about Fast Passes, wait time, etc.

Also, not sure if doing that would make DHS a half day .. doing the 3 big attractions there before 9:00 AM would leave the rest of the day pretty open if you had Fast Passes for Star Tours, Tower of Terror and/or Rock n Roller coaster. With all the Christmas shows later this year, I was planning on staying late to DHS that day anyway...  so not sure if I need the time savings.


----------



## jwolfpack

I'm booked for 10/8. My ADR's and FP's are already set (and not seeing much room to change given Columbus week crowds), so we'll be doing HS EMM, then park hopping over to MK to carry on with our existing plans. My goal is to leave HS by 10:00 am.

Hoping to catch RNR on standby as we leave the park, but worried about swimming upstream against rope drop crowd as we head that way (either from Toy Story Land or from breakfast) around 9:00. Haven't rope dropped HS in a while, so I'm not up to date on where they're holding crowds. Anyone have thoughts on feasibility of this? Breakfast location will determine if we do RNR first or eat first once the park opens to the public.


----------



## jennab

tlmadden73 said:


> I may be interested to do this (in lieu of an ADR), but to do this now, I would have to swap at least two of my park days, preventing me from getting the ADRs for those days (no availability for pretty much any restaurant at any parks (at a decent time).
> 
> So just debating if the fun of having those ADRs (like Tusker House or Crystal Palace) is worth losing for an early morning TSL adventure on a Monday or Wednesday.
> 
> I like the concept of just doing Toy Story Land all "at once" without worrying about Fast Passes, wait time, etc.
> 
> Also, not sure if doing that would make DHS a half day .. doing the 3 big attractions there before 9:00 AM would leave the rest of the day pretty open if you had Fast Passes for Star Tours, Tower of Terror and/or Rock n Roller coaster. With all the Christmas shows later this year, I was planning on staying late to DHS that day anyway...  so not sure if I need the time savings.



If it was me, and I wanted to go, but was debating on switching things I would book now, then attempt to find different ADRs on the other switched days.  If that makes sense.  You hopefully can find some ADRs between now and when you go for the ones you have to switch.  People drop ADR's all the time.  Probably the closer you get to your trip the easier it will be to find them.  BUT if you book now at least you have it while you search.  Worst case it doesn't work out and you can't get the ADR's you can just cancel the EMM and keep what you already had....  Although you would run into FP issues if you are switching park days so you would have to take chances there I guess.


----------



## HopperFan

BekaM said:


> Gaahh I booked a PPO ADR at H&V on 9/17 with the intention of rushing over to Toy Story Land to ride SDD but now I have no idea how this will affect us. Has anyone else had PPO ADRs during EMM?





ENJDisneyFan said:


> Unless you want to really rush through a (very expensive) breakfast at H&V, it won't give you any advantage for TSL, in fact it will put you behind the crowds.  At MK, PPO people on EMM days are typically held in the line at SDMT until right when the park opens.  So no early rides, but still an advantage over the rope drop crowds.



I would also note that the PPO in MK that gives folks an advantage, BOG, is IN the land. Likely no one without an EMM wristband will be able to enter TSL so rope drop and PPO will all be standing there together until they open land.


----------



## TinkSassy

Just booked mine for 11/7 - this is a short trip so I didn't think I'd get FPs for anything in TSL.  Hope this is worth it!  My cheap trip keeps getting more expensive - EMM, HEA Dessert Party, MVMCP, I think I need to stop now.  Glad I'm flying on points!


----------



## JK World

Just booked for 10/29!  This trip is just me and my son (who will be almost 4).  I'm splurging on anything that will make our experience more enjoyable, since there's not another adult to help with things like holding spots for parades and such.  So we're doing this, MNSSHP, and the MK parade dining package.  I was going to do the Fantasmic lunch, but now I can just use a FP for it instead.  Really looking forward to this trip, and timing was perfect since I don't do FP until next week!


----------



## MIAMouseketeer

sasmom said:


> The breakfast runs until 10, so one option is to ride rides and meet characters until 9 or whenever they let everyone else into TSL, then have breakfast.  Or ride rides outside of TSL until 9:30-9:45, then have breakfast.



That is what we do for MK EMM, we eat around 9:45a after riding something at park open. Works out great.



shairpdrh said:


> Well this just switched up my plans for 9/17! I think it will be worth it. Now I don't have to crazily look for SDD FP after not getting them at 60 days (but I probably still will).



YAY! Report back on how it is!



Soccer Princess said:


> Do the EMM tickets need to be purchased on the same Disney account as your park passes? I have the park passes (and room reservation) on my account, but my mom is planning on purchasing these extra tickets on hers? Does it matter as long we have the confirmation number?



They will scan your magic band so it should be on the same account as your tickets.


----------



## Harlaxton

So much fun, but with the fact that I'm dragging an 8, 6, and 4 year old to EMM at MK followed by the MNSSHP that same evening on 10/30, pretty sure getting them up early on 10/31 to do EMM the day after a 15 hour MK marathon would be agony come the early afternoon hours.  Nice try Disney, you almost took more money from me...


----------



## OhhBother

We just booked for 9/17! It's my husband's 50th birthday, and I can't imagine a better place to turn 50 than playing in Toy Story Land.


----------



## DisneyToddlers

I was just about to book this for 11/7 (was planning HS for that day anyway), but I checked my Touring plans crowd level prediction, and it is a 1/10. The rides in Toy Story Land are the main ones we want to do there. My kids don't want to do the big rides at all, or the shows. My fast pass window does not open for another 10 days or so.... Decisions, Decisions! Any thoughts on the Touring Plan accuracy? If it's truly a 1/10, I don't know if this is worth it?


----------



## Alison S

DisneyToddlers said:


> I was just about to book this for 11/7 (was planning HS for that day anyway), but I checked my Touring plans crowd level prediction, and it is a 1/10. The rides in Toy Story Land are the main ones we want to do there. My kids don't want to do the big rides at all, or the shows. My fast pass window does not open for another 10 days or so.... Decisions, Decisions! Any thoughts on the Touring Plan accuracy? If it's truly a 1/10, I don't know if this is worth it?



Same here, and I also think that if we've done all of TSL, what is there to do with the rest of the day?  We'll be done with the park by 10, lol!


----------



## JK World

Alison S said:


> Same here, and I also think that if we've done all of TSL, what is there to do with the rest of the day?  We'll be done with the park by 10, lol!


With a preschooler, there's not much else. We are stretching the day until lunch, then going to the hotel to swim and relax until dinner. We're only going back for Fantasmic.


----------



## im4pacers1

Interesting that TP has HS as a 1/10 on 11/7. I haven’t renewed my membership yet so hadn’t seen crowd level predictions. I assumed since it was Jersey Week all of the parks would be packed.  I’m doing tge EMM mainly for the characters. I am not a fan of waiting in line for M&G’s. We are planning to do HS for 2 days. I may be able to fit HS into one day if it’s 1/10 and we do the EMM.


----------



## disneyworldsk

I would love for emm in mk to have characters too. and a 1/10?! jersey week? must be a glitch. no way. I will be there then and have been for many years. not a one out of ten. something doesn't sound right. 
can someone recommend what to do in that gap time in between rd and breakfast that is not tower or rockin?


----------



## RachaelA

I really doubt it’s 1/10 on 11/7. We left in 2016 right as the jersey week crowds were arriving and the parks were not 1/10 levels.


----------



## patty57

Just booked Dec. 5th.  Can't wait to try SDD!


----------



## MIAMouseketeer

JK World said:


> With a preschooler, there's not much else. We are stretching the day until lunch, then going to the hotel to swim and relax until dinner. We're only going back for Fantasmic.


My preschooler LOVES all the shows, Frozen, Muppet Vision, Beauty & the Beast. We usually have to pick and choose. Doing this event will allow us to do more until lunch.


----------



## StacyStrong

disneyworldsk said:


> I would love for emm in mk to have characters too. and a 1/10?! jersey week? must be a glitch. no way. I will be there then and have been for many years. not a one out of ten. something doesn't sound right.
> can someone recommend what to do in that gap time in between rd and breakfast that is not tower or rockin?


Star tours


----------



## pangyal

Just booked for 12/10 with the intent of waiting to see whether we also get an advantage for Jedi Training signups. If so, this event will be even more valuable. And yeah,  est believe this is a dry run for the upcharge events they are planning for GE when it opens!


----------



## akemom

Considering booking this on 9/17 but we have tickets for MNSSHP the night before so I’m not sure it’s a good idea to drag my 6 year old out of bed that early after a late night!


----------



## Ashley Marie

So sad it's not being offered in early September. 

...But hopeful it's not being offered because crowd predictions are very low and they didn't think it'd sell well those first two weeks.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Ashley Marie said:


> So sad it's not being offered in early September.
> 
> ...But hopeful it's not being offered because crowd predictions are very low and they didn't think it'd sell well those first two weeks.



Yeah, I get the no Wednesday dates in Sept since they are already scheduled for the AP Passholder Play thing.   That would leave Monday 9/3 (Labor Day) and Monday 9/10.  I get not having one on Labor Day, would have maybe thought you'd see this 9/10 but I'm sure there's some reason they didn't do one then.


----------



## Steven G

I would have done this, but Monday is AK day, and Wednesday is Epcot day, oh well.  I have too many reservations already.  I was seriously considering park hopping on those days, but it means losing either Tusker house or ohana, so nope!

Too bad no Tuesday or Friday when I will be at HS


----------



## KrazeeK120

MIAMouseketeer said:


> My preschooler LOVES all the shows, Frozen, Muppet Vision, Beauty & the Beast. We usually have to pick and choose. Doing this event will allow us to do more until lunch.



My toddler-almost-preschooler hasn’t been to DHS yet (we skipped it last trip), but I’m happy for the EMH event as it will allow us more time to do these shows. Also, he absolutely adores characters and really wants to meet Olaf and Chewie, so we will be able to more easily fit those in as well. Oh and my husband has asked to see Indiana Jones (he loves that show), so I guess I’ll allow that one. (LOL)


----------



## DisneyToddlers

Alison S said:


> Same here, and I also think that if we've done all of TSL, what is there to do with the rest of the day?  We'll be done with the park by 10, lol!


I know! We went in February and there just wasn't enough for my family to do at HS. The kids won't do the big rides with me. That 1/10 sounds too good to be true.


----------



## DisneyToddlers

im4pacers1 said:


> Interesting that TP has HS as a 1/10 on 11/7. I haven’t renewed my membership yet so hadn’t seen crowd level predictions. I assumed since it was Jersey Week all of the parks would be packed.  I’m doing tge EMM mainly for the characters. I am not a fan of waiting in line for M&G’s. We are planning to do HS for 2 days. I may be able to fit HS into one day if it’s 1/10 and we do the EMM.


It sounds too good to be true, right? It was slightly higher, but they emailed me a few weeks ago and changed crowd predictions for a few of the days of my trip.


----------



## DisneyToddlers

disneyworldsk said:


> I would love for emm in mk to have characters too. and a 1/10?! jersey week? must be a glitch. no way. I will be there then and have been for many years. not a one out of ten. something doesn't sound right.
> can someone recommend what to do in that gap time in between rd and breakfast that is not tower or rockin?


I know, the 1/10 sounds too good to be true. They actually emailed me to say they lowered that day ( and a few others).


----------



## Araminta18

Thought about booking 9/17, as we were already planning to do HS that morning, but the breakfast sounds "meh", and mostly we have MNSSHP the night before and i don't really wanna do a late night and then an early morning the next day.  And a bit of not wanting to go to the first one and be the guinea pig!    Excited to hear how it is though!


----------



## anpeck

Elle23 said:


> This happens on our Epcot day.
> 
> Would it be weird to do this and then hop to Epcot for the rest of the day? I really don’t want to have to switch days since I have all of my ADRs set.
> 
> Of course, I have the JBJB dessert party that evening, so I guess I’d be hopping back and forth.
> 
> Or I could just be a normal person and switch park days.



We’ll be hopping to EPCOT after the EMM on 10/1  we have all our FPs booked so I don’t want to change park days. Our first FP is for Frozen from 9:30-10:30 so I figure we’ll do EMM, eat around 9:00 and head to EPCOT around 9:45.


----------



## PetePanMan

boy, that's a lot of $ for a few rides and what sounds like a so-so B-fast (maybe it will be better than I think).  I would only consider if we had only one day for DHS.


----------



## jbhodj

Oh decisions decisions decisions. Our original plan was HS on Dec 16 w/Fantasmic Dinner Pkg but now if I want this I have to move our HS date to Dec 17 which is our desert party night at MK. That may work out since we can make it a short day at HS with afternoon break then to MK. Only problem now is my plan had AK as well on 17th with TH breakfast. Hmmm.


----------



## OldSchoolReasons

Ah this that's thrown a spanner in the works!

Our HS day was meant to be a Monday and we have a Sci-fi reservation in the afternoon. Should we swap our park day and try and get the reservation again?

There is no way I'm paying for EMM.

Our fastpass day is tomorrow so need to decide fast!


----------



## Tinkerbell8956

akemom said:


> Considering booking this on 9/17 but we have tickets for MNSSHP the night before so I’m not sure it’s a good idea to drag my 6 year old out of bed that early after a late night!


We are doing this! MNSSHP on 9-16 and doing EMM on 9-17. We are staying at the Dolphin, so it won’t take us forever to get over to Hollywood Studios in the morning. We don’t have our 5 year old with us through, this is a quick adults only trip. If we had our daughter, we wouldn’t do it. She wouldn’t be able to handle the lack of sleep.


----------



## KrazeeK120

OldSchoolReasons said:


> Ah this that's thrown a spanner in the works!
> 
> Our HS day was meant to be a Monday and we have a Sci-fi reservation in the afternoon. Should we swap our park day and try and get the reservation again?
> 
> There is no way I'm paying for EMM.
> 
> Our fastpass day is tomorrow so need to decide fast!



Why would you need to swap your Park day if you’re not doing EMM?


----------



## ssphillips

Nixon128 said:


> Thanks so much! On the link, it says nonrefundable, but in guest policies it states there is a 1 day cancellation policy. This is probably true considering EMM is refundable at MK, right? A little bit on the fence about booking unless there is a cancellation policy. Thanks!



Booked 10/29, and my email says 1-day cancellation policy.


----------



## ssphillips

Elle23 said:


> This happens on our Epcot day.
> 
> Would it be weird to do this and then hop to Epcot for the rest of the day? I really don’t want to have to switch days since I have all of my ADRs set.
> 
> Of course, I have the JBJB dessert party that evening, so I guess I’d be hopping back and forth.
> 
> Or I could just be a normal person and switch park days.



We are hopping to Epcot after this, then coming back to HS for fireworks, etc

Easy to hop b/n EP & HS since they’re so close


----------



## sasmom

disneyworldsk said:


> @StacyStrong and @sasmom: okay, we're on the same path here. I have mvmcp booked 11/8 and emm 11/6.  DH said no to jbjb (we did hea one), I think he felt that we don't drink alcohol and are not huge dessert eaters we shouldn't do another one not worth it. But he said yes to this even though we are doing emm 11/6 in mk! that's three this vacay for november! oy. And no to fried chicken. And my DH no way will do sdd more then once or emm at mk 7dmt more then once. Once for him is enough! and truly I think that's the same for the rest of us (me and teen son, maybe him twice, that's it). I think he just likes the idea of being in a land in quieter peaceful feeling? Idk. I'll book it 11/7 and make sure it's okay I don't think he understands people do these events to repeatedly go on big rides! hahaha! He doesn't realize people do this and that's what you pay for! He would never do it repeatedly without hurling. And re. fp for tot and rockin'we don't go on those either!! so for us it's not an opportunity to grab on those rides. on the fence , help.



We are also going to the 11/8 MVMCP!  I was tempted by the JBJB dessert party but decided against it in part to justify adding another EMM.  I find more value in 1 hour of rides/characters with low crowds vs. desserts and a prime fireworks viewing spot.  We had luck last year finding a spot for the Star Wars fireworks pretty close to showtime - not as good as the dessert party location of course, but good enough.  I had booked the Holiday Wishes dessert party for 11/8 but cancelled it for the same reasons.  3 of our party will be thrilled to ride 7DMT and SDD as many times as possible.  DD7 says she is going to ride them this time, but was too scared on our last trip, so if she backs out we will just take turns taking her on Peter Pan/Pooh/TSM/AS2.


----------



## OldSchoolReasons

KrazeeK120 said:


> Why would you need to swap your Park day if you’re not doing EMM?


Won't it be crazy busier? Or is it exclusive enough not to not impact on overall crowd levels?


----------



## Hezzy04

Wonder if I’m the future the dates will
Roll out with more notice. Would be nice to know if it’s offered by the 180 day mark!!


----------



## KrazeeK120

OldSchoolReasons said:


> Won't it be crazy busier? Or is it exclusive enough not to not impact on overall crowd levels?



The MK one doesn’t affect crowd levels, so I thought this one wouldn’t either.


----------



## sasmom

DisneyToddlers said:


> I was just about to book this for 11/7 (was planning HS for that day anyway), but I checked my Touring plans crowd level prediction, and it is a 1/10. The rides in Toy Story Land are the main ones we want to do there. My kids don't want to do the big rides at all, or the shows. My fast pass window does not open for another 10 days or so.... Decisions, Decisions! Any thoughts on the Touring Plan accuracy? If it's truly a 1/10, I don't know if this is worth it?



I agree that 1/10 crowd level is hard to believe.  I will be there that week too, so I hope it turns out to be accurate, but I’m skeptical.  However, even with relatively low crowds, isn’t there pretty much always a long line for SDD?  We want to ride SDD several times and that doesn’t seem possible without EMM, even on a low crowds day.


----------



## OldSchoolReasons

KrazeeK120 said:


> The MK one doesn’t affect crowd levels, so I thought this one wouldn’t either.


Oh lovely! I think because it got announced so close to my fastpass window I panicked a bit. *breathes deeply*


----------



## buzzrelly

I just booked this for Wednesday 10/17  

I am slightly worried that it falls the day after our MNSSHP night, but I think we'll be ok since it's the beginning of our vacation and we should still have lots of energy! 

We were planning on spending the day at EPCOT so I guess we'll just hop over there afterwards


----------



## buzzrelly

akemom said:


> Considering booking this on 9/17 but we have tickets for MNSSHP the night before so I’m not sure it’s a good idea to drag my 6 year old out of bed that early after a late night!



We are going on 10/17, the morning after we do MNSSHP on 10/16. But we are two adults so hopefully there won't be any whining!



Steven G said:


> I would have done this, but Monday is AK day, and Wednesday is Epcot day, oh well.  I have too many reservations already.  I was seriously considering park hopping on those days, but it means losing either Tusker house or ohana, so nope!
> 
> Too bad no Tuesday or Friday when I will be at HS



We just booked this for our EPCOT day. It actually works perfectly since it's so easy to get to EPCOT from DHS. We'll head over there after breakfast. Our first FP at EPCOT is at 1:55pm.


----------



## buzzrelly

Does anyone have a guess where the breakfast buffet will be?


----------



## SaintsManiac

Hezzy04 said:


> Wonder if I’m the future the dates will
> Roll out with more notice. Would be nice to know if it’s offered by the 180 day mark!!





I'd love to know this, too. I have a 4 day trip in March and would love to have my ducks in a row!


----------



## MIAMouseketeer

buzzrelly said:


> Does anyone have a guess where the breakfast buffet will be?


My guess is ABC Commissary, but that is just a guess.

I'm hopeful the breakfast selections are better than advertised. I'm not picky, just eggs and bacon!


----------



## buzzrelly

MIAMouseketeer said:


> My guess is ABC Commissary, but that is just a guess.
> 
> I'm hopeful the breakfast selections are better than advertised. I'm not picky, just eggs and bacon!



I would prefer some eggs too. I know DH will be happy they are serving fried chicken since he only gets that when we head south. The MK EMM breakfast was really good, I hope it's more like that.


----------



## AAhawk

anpeck said:


> We’ll be hopping to EPCOT after the EMM on 10/1  we have all our FPs booked so I don’t want to change park days. Our first FP is for Frozen from 9:30-10:30 so I figure we’ll do EMM, eat around 9:00 and head to EPCOT around 9:45.


We are doing something similar but probably won't hop to Epcot until around 1130 or so with early afternoon Epcot Fp.

Any ideas on rope drop after EMM? I'm thinking a couple rides on Star Tours as we have littles who don't want to do RNRC. Then have breakfast around 930-940


----------



## anpeck

AAhawk said:


> We are doing something similar but probably won't hop to Epcot until around 1130 or so with early afternoon Epcot Fp.
> 
> Any ideas on rope drop after EMM? I'm thinking a couple rides on Star Tours as we have littles who don't want to do RNRC. Then have breakfast around 930-940



That sounds like a good plan! My DS was slightly over 38” in May when we were down so I’m not sure if he’ll hit 40” by October or not. We’re extremely limited in what we can do at DHS right now but if he was tall enough we’d probably head to ToT. Star Tours makes me queasy, I don’t do well on those types of rides lol but my DH would probably take him. We haven’t been going to HS much the past few years just because of how limited we are but DS is super excited to ride SDD, so I’m hoping he’ll get his fix during the EMM because I only got 2 FP for it on other days.


----------



## jennab

AAhawk said:


> We are doing something similar but probably won't hop to Epcot until around 1130 or so with early afternoon Epcot Fp.
> 
> Any ideas on rope drop after EMM? I'm thinking a couple rides on Star Tours as we have littles who don't want to do RNRC. Then have breakfast around 930-940



Yeah I'm thinking ToT or Star Tours too at rope drop should be pretty easy (and Jedi sign up depending on when that can be done).  What time do Character meets usually open?  Can probably get to those early too then!


----------



## balty74

Booked for 11/7! It was already our planned HS day and I love the idea of really taking the time to explore on our first time in Toy Story Land! 

I think our plan for rope drop will be Jedi Training sign up (DS is 9 so will likely be the last year he wants to do it) and hopefully a few trips on Star Tours. Figure the non-EMM rope droppers will be headed to Toy Story Land so Star Tours should be pretty empty. Think I'll save my fast passes for Epcot that evening.


----------



## jwolfpack

I am curious where the non-EMM rope drop crowd will be positioned and where we will have access to be at rope drop. I'd love to go get a quick ride in at RNR before heading to breakfast, but I worry we will be swimming upstream and end up behind a huge non-EMM rope drop crowd.


----------



## jenjersnap

Going to be a 9/17 guinea pig! I just couldn’t resist booking it. I had to re-arrange two days so lost our favorite RRC FP. Thinking we will hustle over to it to ride SB at regular rope drop and then come back to breakfast. Any flaws with that plan?


----------



## M SH

jwolfpack said:


> I am curious where the non-EMM rope drop crowd will be positioned and where we will have access to be at rope drop. I'd love to go get a quick ride in at RNR before heading to breakfast, but I worry we will be swimming upstream and end up behind a huge non-EMM rope drop crowd.



Yes so many questions that we can only speculate on now. need a few instances and experiences shared before planning rope drop after 9, best time to hit breakfast, EMM crowd level, how many rides in TSL can you squeeze in before rope drop crowd gets loose, etc.


----------



## Mrs Cuddlecakes

I'm also hoping they allow early Jedi Training registration with this.  Looks like that was the process when EMM was previously offered in HS.  Fingers crossed it will be that way this time as well.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

M SH said:


> Yes so many questions that we can only speculate on now. need a few instances and experiences shared before planning rope drop after 9, best time to hit breakfast, EMM crowd level, how many rides in TSL can you squeeze in before rope drop crowd gets loose, etc.



I think the upcoming AP “Passholder Play Time” (first date is 9/4) will give us a good glimpse of how they handle rope drop with an AM PPO event.  That event has scheduled windows 7-8 and 8-9am.  Might give us some clues as to how EMM mornings will be handled.


----------



## kat_lh

I couldn't resist and booked this!  Certainly hoping they add in early JTA sign ups as well.


----------



## Lalalyn

Too much $$$ for my family of five when only 3/5 will want to ride SDD. 

But, it has me worried about going to HS on a Monday with the plan to rope drop SDD. I’m assuming we won’t be able to get a FP+ that early in our trip (60+2). 

Will be very curious to hear what this does to the morning wait times on SDD.


----------



## anomamatt

Lalalyn said:


> But, it has me worried about going to HS on a Monday with the plan to rope drop SDD..



We're expecting it to be between 200-400 guests (assuming its similar to MK EMM) with early access that will have likely had their fill of SDD by park open...  I doubt it makes any noticeable impact at all to SDD waits.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

anomamatt said:


> We're expecting it to be between 200-400 guests (assuming its similar to MK EMM) with early access that will have likely had their fill of SDD by park open...  I doubt it makes any noticeable impact at all to SDD waits.



I'm sort of curious about this... To me, TSL, and these three rides in particular, seems like it could hold a higher capacity than MK EMM.  The layout of the land/rides, the fact all three will be popular (vs MK which is really just 1.5, IMHO).  Seems like it could "absorb" more people and still provide a reasonable experience.  

Obviously all speculation!  

I did just do a breeze through the dates.... none are fully booked yet.


----------



## Erik the Red

SDD is the only really draw to this and that is definitely not worth $80 a person IMO.   

The other rides are easy FP and if you're going to be at HS that early for EMM anyway you could put yourself at prime rope drop position for SDD.

Besides, the toy story land rides are soooooo much better at night.


----------



## anomamatt

GADisneyDad14 said:


> I'm sort of curious about this... To me, TSL, and these three rides in particular, seems like it could hold a higher capacity than MK EMM.  The layout of the land/rides, the fact all three will be popular (vs MK which is really just 1.5, IMHO).  Seems like it could "absorb" more people and still provide a reasonable experience.



Yeah, my one fear is they increase the number of tickets sold.  That's the only thing that would make me stop jumping for joy I get to do this in October...



> I did just do a breeze through the dates.... none are fully booked yet.



So did I.  Haha.  What is wrong with us?  ;-). I checked for 10 people...  all still available for a party of 10.


----------



## akemom

Tinkerbell8956 said:


> We are doing this! MNSSHP on 9-16 and doing EMM on 9-17. We are staying at the Dolphin, so it won’t take us forever to get over to Hollywood Studios in the morning. We don’t have our 5 year old with us through, this is a quick adults only trip. If we had our daughter, we wouldn’t do it. She wouldn’t be able to handle the lack of sleep.


I’m hoping she will make it until midnight at the party, I just think she would be tired and grouchy and then we would be both miserable! It seems like so much fun and to knock out all 3 TSL rides and a meet and greet that is a must do for us would be worth the money! Too bad we only have a short trip and only one date for MNSSHP.


----------



## akemom

buzzrelly said:


> We are going on 10/17, the morning after we do MNSSHP on 10/16. But we are two adults so hopefully there won't be any whining!
> 
> 
> 
> We just booked this for our EPCOT day. It actually works perfectly since it's so easy to get to EPCOT from DHS. We'll head over there after breakfast. Our first FP at EPCOT is at 1:55pm.


I would totally do if it was just adults! I just don’t think my 6 year old could handle staying up to midnight (or even past that by the time we made it back to POR)and be happy about getting up early the next morning. We are also planning on hopping back and forth between Epcot & DHS that day too, what do you find to be the easiest or fastest way to get between the two parks? It’s our first time hopping straight from one park to another


----------



## Haley R

Will this make a noticeable impact on crowds in the morning for those of us who aren't doing EMM? We are going 10/29 as our HS day and I might show up a bit later than RD if crowds will be worse.


----------



## buzzrelly

akemom said:


> what do you find to be the easiest or fastest way to get between the two parks?



Easiest and fastest in this case are two different things.

The easiest way to get back and forth is the nice, relaxing Friendship Boat. But since you have to actually wait for the boat and it makes a few stops in between the parks, the fastest way is probably by walking.

I've done both and they are both enjoyable at times. If it's later in the day, or later in the trip and I want to save myself some steps, I would wait for the boat. I also take the boat when I'm with my dear mom. DH and I are going alone in October and we will likely walk.


----------



## ENJDisneyFan

Haley R said:


> Will this make a noticeable impact on crowds in the morning for those of us who aren't doing EMM? We are going 10/29 as our HS day and I might show up a bit later than RD if crowds will be worse.


Assuming it works like MK EMM then no, it won’t have any impact on RD crowds.


----------



## Haley R

ENJDisneyFan said:


> Assuming it works like MK EMM then no, it won’t have any impact on RD crowds.


Okay thanks! I just made my FPS this morning and got everything we wanted anyway so it’s all good.


----------



## KrazeeK120

Erik the Red said:


> SDD is the only really draw to this and that is definitely not worth $80 a person IMO.
> 
> The other rides are easy FP and if you're going to be at HS that early for EMM anyway you could put yourself at prime rope drop position for SDD.
> 
> Besides, the toy story land rides are soooooo much better at night.



And see, I’m the opposite. It’s worth it for my family. I have a 2 year old...I was planning to do TSMM, AS2, and the character meet anyway. Being able to do these with minimal wait will be nice. I think he is tall enough for SDD, so we will also be able to do that with minimal wait if he wants to ride. And if he doesn’t want to, my husband and I can both take a turn. Having a breakfast is nice for us too. We don’t stay in the parks late...the kid just doesn’t last that long yet.

This event will definitely have different “worth” to different families.


----------



## Harlaxton

Apologies for what could be a stupid question.  But with a 1-day cancellation policy, does that mean I can still cancel the day before the event and get a full refund, or would it have to be 2 days before?  I.E. - if event is on 10/29, would I need to cancel by 10/27 or could I still cancel on 10/28 for refund?


----------



## MIAMouseketeer

KrazeeK120 said:


> And see, I’m the opposite. It’s worth it for my family. I have a 2 year old...I was planning to do TSMM, AS2, and the character meet anyway. Being able to do these with minimal wait will be nice. I think he is tall enough for SDD, so we will also be able to do that with minimal wait if he wants to ride. And if he doesn’t want to, my husband and I can both take a turn. Having a breakfast is nice for us too. We don’t stay in the parks late...the kid just doesn’t last that long yet.
> 
> This event will definitely have different “worth” to different families.


Us too! We've done the Magic Kingdom one 3xs. We love being able to ride multiple times. And when we do Rider Switch for Mine Train, one of us just takes my son on Winnie the Pooh again. It allows us to not be running from place to place to place first thing in the morning and enjoy getting some nice pictures. This one having the character meets available makes it very valuable. It took us about an hour to get through both character meets last week first thing in the morning.

It's funny because I belong to a Facebook group and I'm the only one who seems to think it's worth it. Everyone saying, oh but the lines are less than an hour anyway....15 minutes in line with a 2 year old is too long. So I will gladly pay this to make everything a walk on.


----------



## KrazeeK120

MIAMouseketeer said:


> It's funny because I belong to a Facebook group and I'm the only one who seems to think it's worth it. Everyone saying, oh but the lines are less than an hour anyway....15 minutes in line with a 2 year old is too long. So I will gladly pay this to make everything a walk on.



Truer words have never been spoken. Anything I can do to avoid lines, I do!


----------



## shairpdrh

KrazeeK120 said:


> And see, I’m the opposite. It’s worth it for my family. I have a 2 year old...I was planning to do TSMM, AS2, and the character meet anyway. Being able to do these with minimal wait will be nice. I think he is tall enough for SDD, so we will also be able to do that with minimal wait if he wants to ride. And if he doesn’t want to, my husband and I can both take a turn. Having a breakfast is nice for us too. We don’t stay in the parks late...the kid just doesn’t last that long yet.
> 
> This event will definitely have different “worth” to different families.





MIAMouseketeer said:


> It's funny because I belong to a Facebook group and I'm the only one who seems to think it's worth it. Everyone saying, oh but the lines are less than an hour anyway....15 minutes in line with a 2 year old is too long. So I will gladly pay this to make everything a walk on.



Same here! Our 2 yo DD is tall enough but not ready for SDD, but will love the other two! I am planning to split the time between family time, my SDD time, and my DH's SDD time with the other parent repeating TSMM and AS2 as many times as possible! Worth it as long as the breakfast is edible.


----------



## M SH

TBH I wouldn't do this if SDD is not in my plans to do.
same day fastpasses are very common for TSMM and AS2 (multiple times), so not really worth the money IMO.
same applies to MK EMM if 7dmt is not something i want to do.


----------



## KrazeeK120

shairpdrh said:


> Same here! Our 2 yo DD is tall enough but not ready for SDD, but will love the other two! I am planning to split the time between family time, my SDD time, and my DH's SDD time with the other parent repeating TSMM and AS2 as many times as possible! Worth it as long as the breakfast is edible.



Hi there! Just curious, how do you know your daughter isn’t ready for SDD? I’m debating what to do with my son. If he says he doesn’t want to ride, that’s fine. If he says he does, I’m not sure whether or not to let him. I’ve shown him videos and he says he wants to ride, but I’m not sure whether or not that will change when he actually sees it.


----------



## kat_lh

My just turned 4 year old has recently become obsessed with Toy Story. I got great FP for SDD but this is going to be so worth it for our family. I hope the character M&G are awesome because that’s a great benefit. And if they throw in JTA signups - so worth it. We would spend about half the cost of EMM on a PPO breakfast at H&V to get JTA early so from a Disney financial standpoint (lol) this makes sense for us.


----------



## VAtink

Oh my goodness, just found out about this and miraculously it fit perfectly into our schedule!  Booked for 9/17!


----------



## shairpdrh

KrazeeK120 said:


> Hi there! Just curious, how do you know your daughter isn’t ready for SDD? I’m debating what to do with my son. If he says he doesn’t want to ride, that’s fine. If he says he does, I’m not sure whether or not to let him. I’ve shown him videos and he says he wants to ride, but I’m not sure whether or not that will change when he actually sees it.



I wouldn't say I know for sure, but I am guessing it won't happen this trip. She is a cautious kid and she was ok on Barnstormer last December (at 23 months), but didn't want to go again when we asked that day and others. Based on that and what I have read, I think we will try SDMT next. I think she would be more excited with the dark ride section in the middle and not feeling like it is as high. We may give SDD a try, but will see what she says. So tough with somewhat tall kiddos, I think. I should try videos. Has your sone done similar rides before?


----------



## KrazeeK120

shairpdrh said:


> I wouldn't say I know for sure, but I am guessing it won't happen this trip. She is a cautious kid and she was ok on Barnstormer last December (at 23 months), but didn't want to go again when we asked that day and others. Based on that and what I have read, I think we will try SDMT next. I think she would be more excited with the dark ride section in the middle and not feeling like it is as high. We may give SDD a try, but will see what she says. So tough with somewhat tall kiddos, I think. I should try videos. Has your sone done similar rides before?



He hasn’t, which is what makes it a little hard to tell what he will think. The last time we went, he was 18 months and there’s a big difference between an 18 month old and a kid who is days away from turning 3. I’d planned to try the Mine Train first, but this DHS EMM is on the first day of our trip. I guess if he says he wants to ride and ends up hating it, it’ll be over fast?!?!


----------



## RachaelA

My 4 year old is toy story obsessed and talked about SDD daily. TSMM is her favorite ride (we haven’t been since TsL opened). EMM is absolutely worth it for our first family of 4 because I know my kids will want to ride everything multiple times and as much as possible possible.


----------



## tammyisabelle

kat_lh said:


> My just turned 4 year old has recently become obsessed with Toy Story. I got great FP for SDD but this is going to be so worth it for our family. I hope the character M&G are awesome because that’s a great benefit. And if they throw in JTA signups - so worth it. We would spend about half the cost of EMM on a PPO breakfast at H&V to get JTA early so from a Disney financial standpoint (lol) this makes sense for us.




Totally wondering about JTA too. I’m all anxious about getting a spot for both this and SDD, so if this would get both taken care of would be fantastic. I’d love to sign up before heading to TSL so I can fully enjoy without worrying about signing up.


----------



## PleasejointheFarque

Just booked it for 9/17 as well....and the one in fantasyland the week earlier........so looking forward to them both.....roll on September!


----------



## djc9699

We are booked for Dec 19th. I asked my daughter (15 when we go) if she would be able to be up to going to the park that early. She said "mom, it's Disney! Not school. I'm going to be up."


----------



## StacyStrong

Booked 12/5 this morning!!


----------



## kmc8826

Just booked our family of 5 plus grandparents this morning for 10/24. We did the HS EMM in October 2016 (when they had it last) and it was definitely worth it. For this with a new land I feel good about it...just ignoring how much it adds up to be for 7 people!


----------



## Mambo Junkie

Ha! Just booked 10/31 AND doing MNSSHP the same night. I plan to go to this event, maybe grab another ride or 2, then go chill out and be at MK around 3. No morning plans for 11/1 (Ivy Trellis appts at 2 PM) then Park Fare dinner then MK evening, so we can rest/sleep in in the morning.

ETA; Expensive, but allows us to focus on AK fps and we can get back over one night for the rest. Totally clears out 1 whole park day.


----------



## jennc27

I booked this for Oct 31 and MNSSHP that night.  Super excited.   This will help in looking FOP & SDMT when my FP open!


----------



## Mambo Junkie

jennc27 said:


> I booked this for Oct 31 and MNSSHP that night.  Super excited.   This will help in looking FOP & SDMT when my FP open!


Haha, maybe that's their goal with the spotty MDE efficiently! Worried about only being able to get a couple of fps before the site goes down again takes the worry away by having this ADR. Also have an EMM for MK. Super excited for Halloween as well. Originally I had not planned to use a park ticket for this day but this changes all that, so now I will get into MK earlier. That helps with the early M&Gs.


----------



## masylimed

Just booked 10/31 for my DH and I. Works out great for us. We are only at the parks for3 days and was pretty sure that we probably wouldn't get any FP for the new rides. Still a splurge but not so hateful since there's only two of us. Leaves more time for F&W


----------



## PrincessDuck

Just booked 9/17 for my family of 4.  Hubby is not totally sold yet.  We are hoping to do the DVC party a few nights later, but I am afraid that signups for that will be crazy.  We have also booked the After Hours at MK for that week!  We are letting our AP's expire and taking a break from WDW for a little while (planning a trip to Aulani). So, I am splurging on a few things for this trip.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

masylimed said:


> Leaves more time for F&W



Best rationale/justification mentioned on this thread so far!


----------



## shairpdrh

PrincessDuck said:


> Just booked 9/17 for my family of 4.  Hubby is not totally sold yet.  We are hoping to do the DVC party a few nights later, but I am afraid that signups for that will be crazy.  We have also booked the After Hours at MK for that week!  We are letting our AP's expire and taking a break from WDW for a little while (planning a trip to Aulani). So, I am splurging on a few things for this trip.



We feel the same way about the DVC event. Hope we get tickets, but this gives us another option. I try not to think of the fact that we moved our trip to accommodate the party. I’ll be glad when we can know for sure after Thursday.


----------



## sapphirerose915

Booked for 12/12!!! Me, DH, and 2 yo DS who is Buzz and Woody OBSESSED!!! This is worth the cost for the no wait meet and greet alone!! Getting to ride both TSMM and *** w/o FP is perfect.. and if DH and I can do ride swap for SDD it's a win win.. we have an ADR at GF at 11 so the breakfast is not important.. we might split something if it looks appetizing... cannot wait to hear the reviews!!


----------



## Steven G

I managed to find a way to book this, but it meant losing ohana breakfast, and having to get to Epcot afterwards.

What is the best, ie quickest, way to get to Epcot from HS around 845am?  Would Minnie van be quickest?  I know there’s some variables based on timing of boat or bus.

 Can you schedule a Minnie van a few minutes before you need it?


----------



## ninafeliz

Well, I just changed our return flight on Oct 29th from 11:45 AM to 8:05 PM so we can attend this event that AM!  Despite the fact that we will have to get up and do RAC prior to getting to DHS by 7:00 AM, we have a 2 hr drive from the airport to our house that night, and I work the next morning!  I think it's crazy, and I am going to be so tired the next day, but it stunk to have missed it by a few hours.  On our last trip we left a week before TSL opened, and our kids were bummed, so now they are really excited that they get to ride all 3 rides without much wait (we certainly hope it ends up like the MK one is now).  If only they hadn't cancelled the MK one for that Sunday, we could have done them both, plus MNSSHP, F&W, and the Epcot AP event all in a 5 night trip.  We're still packing a lot in this trip, unlike our typical resort heavy longer trips.


----------



## MIAMouseketeer

sapphirerose915 said:


> Booked for 12/12!!! Me, DH, and 2 yo DS who is Buzz and Woody OBSESSED!!! This is worth the cost for the no wait meet and greet alone!! Getting to ride both TSMM and *** w/o FP is perfect.. and if DH and I can do ride swap for SDD it's a win win.. we have an ADR at GF at 11 so the breakfast is not important.. we might split something if it looks appetizing... cannot wait to hear the reviews!!


That’s our date too! See you there!


----------



## MIAMouseketeer

Steven G said:


> I managed to find a way to book this, but it meant losing ohana breakfast, and having to get to Epcot afterwards.
> 
> What is the best, ie quickest, way to get to Epcot from HS around 845am?  Would Minnie van be quickest?  I know there’s some variables based on timing of boat or bus.
> 
> Can you schedule a Minnie van a few minutes before you need it?


Personally I would walk it, after that a Minnie Van. You could request it when you know you are headed out. It will wait 5 minutes for you. But where it picks you up know is quite a walk because of all of the construction


----------



## ddog171

Really want to do this, as we will be at the park on the day it is offered in December.  However, we would have to cancel our Hollywood and vine PPO.  My daughter is a huge Vampirina fan, and they just recently announced her as one of the characters at the H and V Breakfast.  They say she is going to join all the rest of the characters in the courtyard this fall, but don’t want to miss out meeting her, as she would be a big hit with the daughter.


----------



## MIAMouseketeer

ddog171 said:


> Really want to do this, as we will be at the park on the day it is offered in December.  However, we would have to cancel our Hollywood and vine PPO.  My daughter is a huge Vampirina fan, and they just recently announced her as one of the characters at the H and V Breakfast.  They say she is going to join all the rest of the characters in the courtyard this fall, but don’t want to miss out meeting her, as she would be a big hit with the daughter.


Once she’s at the breakfast, she will replaced Jake in the courtyard and will be at the new Disney Jr Dance Party once it opens. The first should happen by December. I’m hoping the second does too.


----------



## sapphirerose915

MIAMouseketeer said:


> That’s our date too! See you there!



Yayyy! you are the one that talked me into it!! So funny it's the same day! Cannot wait!!!! Are you doing MVMCP too?? I'm debating for the 9th!


----------



## MIAMouseketeer

sapphirerose915 said:


> Yayyy! you are the one that talked me into it!! So funny it's the same day! Cannot wait!!!! Are you doing MVMCP too?? I'm debating for the 9th!


We are considering it, but we went to the first MNSSHP and was extremely disappointed. It was so crowded, it was impossible to do any of the party stuff without standing in long lines. We are APs, so for us to buy tickets, we want to do the party stuff. We ended up riding rides to salvage the night. I'm going to wait for reports of the first parties to decide if we go or not. But if we do, it will be the last night of our trip which is 12/16.


----------



## maiapapaya

Based on the number of dates this is offered through December and the popularity of the TS rides, just wondering if others agree that it is a good bet WDW will continue with more dates for 2019? Hoping for early March.


----------



## djc9699

I still wonder why they have not offered this for AK yet.


----------



## M SH

djc9699 said:


> I still wonder why they have not offered this for AK yet.



I doubt anyone will find it worthwhile in AK.
A Pandora EMM? with the time it takes to get to FOP show room and go through everything, you might squeeze two FOP in the hour before the crowds are in.

Same applies with Safari, takes too long. Other rides do not have long waits like 7dMT,PP in MK and TSL in DHS to warrant EMM.

So I don't see anything worth doing for EMM in AK, and probably Disney knows that.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

maiapapaya said:


> Based on the number of dates this is offered through December and the popularity of the TS rides, just wondering if others agree that it is a good bet WDW will continue with more dates for 2019? Hoping for early March.



Baring the event being an absolute failure (overcrowding, bad reviews, etc) or it creating negative park opening logistics, my guess is you’ll see it continue.  MK EMM was first introduced with a few months of dates... then later added on... and added on... and 2.5 years later, still going.....  

Obviously that all assumes they get the numbers that make sense for Disney.


----------



## maiapapaya

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Baring the event being an absolute failure (overcrowding, bad reviews, etc) or it creating negative park opening logistics, my guess is you’ll see it continue.  MK EMM was first introduced with a few months of dates... then later added on... and added on... and 2.5 years later, still going.....
> 
> Obviously that all assumes they get the numbers that make sense for Disney.



That's what I'm hoping!  Anxious for the first reviews.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

FWIW....Just did a quick run through the available dates as I was curious about sell-out status since this has been available for around a week.  May be interesting for those that follow such things...

Mon 10/8 - could only book for max 4 party size (note, this is Columbus Day)
Mon 10/29 - sold out
Wed 11/7 - sold out (note, Jersey Week)
Mon 11/26 - sold out (note, Monday after Thanksgiving week)

All other dates were available when searching for a party of 10.

ETA:  Since people can cancel reservations with a refund up to a day before, the above data can change at any time...so just think of this as a snapshot at the moment.


----------



## MIAMouseketeer

GADisneyDad14 said:


> FWIW....Just did a quick run through the available dates as I was curious about sell-out status since this has been available for around a week.  May be interesting for those that follow such things...
> 
> Mon 10/8 - could only book for max 4 party size (note, this is Columbus Day)
> Mon 10/29 - sold out
> Wed 11/7 - sold out (note, Jersey Week)
> Mon 11/26 - sold out (note, Monday after Thanksgiving week)
> 
> All other dates were available when searching for a party of 10.


Interesting. I know the MK dates didn’t sellout at first, but the popularity has definitely increased and I think most sell out now. I figured this one may take time to pick up speed, but it looks like it’s already popular


----------



## JK World

We're in on 10/29, so hopefully "sold out" is still a great experience!


----------



## ninafeliz

I have a reservation for our family on 10/29, and this morning while I was checking a few things on the Disney site I put our date in just for the heck of it, since GADisneyDad14 said it was sold out and I was curious.  When I searched for a party of 4, there was room for 4 and it gave me a choice of 7:00 AM or 7:30 AM!  I clicked on 7:00 to see what would happen, and just got the warning that I had a reservation already scheduled in that time period, so i selected keep that reservation and didn't go further. Bt I wasn't sure why the 2 times, and I've never seen that before.  I then checked 10/24, and it just came back with the typical 7:30 time slot.  Wonder what's up with that?  Glitch?  I didn't check any other dates.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

ninafeliz said:


> I have a reservation for our family on 10/29, and this morning while I was checking a few things on the Disney site I put our date in just for the heck of it, since GADisneyDad14 said it was sold out and I was curious.  When I searched for a party of 4, there was room for 4 and it gave me a choice of 7:00 AM or 7:30 AM!  I clicked on 7:00 to see what would happen, and just got the warning that I had a reservation already scheduled in that time period, so i selected keep that reservation and didn't go further. Bt I wasn't sure why the 2 times, and I've never seen that before.  I then checked 10/24, and it just came back with the typical 7:30 time slot.  Wonder what's up with that?  Glitch?  I didn't check any other dates.



Interesting, I now see two time slots available on 10/29 (and 11/26 also)... both 7am and 7:30am.

I was wondering why this sentence in bold was included on Disney's website in the event description:

Guests with a 7:30 AM reservation will begin in Toy Story Land and breakfast will be available from 8:30 AM to 10:00 AM. *Other reservation times may be available based on capacity.*
I guess maybe they intend to add times/capacity when needed?  Wonder what they have in mind here.


----------



## ninafeliz

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Interesting, I see two time slots available on 10/29 (and 11/26 also)... both 7am and 7:30am.
> 
> I was wondering why this sentence in bold was included on Disney's website in the event description:
> 
> Guests with a 7:30 AM reservation will begin in Toy Story Land and breakfast will be available from 8:30 AM to 10:00 AM. *Other reservation times may be available based on capacity.*
> I guess maybe they intend to add times/capacity when needed?  Wonder what they have in mind here.



I'm wondering also.  I guess time will tell, but honestly I'll be annoyed if they tinker with it and add something that diminishes the benefit or increases the crowds beyond what it can handle.  the MK EMM has been so great, mainly due to the low numbers allowed.  We changed flights to attend this, if it turns out to be a mess or too crowded to be enjoyable I won't be a happy camper.  Sometimes things just have to be limited, and if you miss out on booking you miss out, and keep trying or plan further ahead next time .  I've missed out on my fair share of things by procrastinating, or just not checking my email or the disboards soon enough.   But I know it's too soon to complain, don't beat me up, just speculating and still hoping it's a great morning!


----------



## MsPoppinsTX

I just booked this morning for 11/7 at the 7am slot (the price tag is hard to swallow but hoping it's worth it).  I had been checking for a few days for openings but nothing until this morning a 7am slot opened. I'll be curious to see how this works if there are 2 different time slots (7:00 and 7:30am).  Does that mean the 7:00 people can get in and ride rides before the 7:30am people who likely made their reservations earlier than I did?


----------



## GADisneyDad14

MsPoppinsTX said:


> I just booked this morning for 11/7 at the 7am slot (the price tag is hard to swallow but hoping it's worth it).  I had been checking for a few days for openings but nothing until this morning a 7am slot opened. I'll be curious to see how this works if there are 2 different time slots (7:00 and 7:30am).  *Does that mean the 7:00 people can get in and ride rides before the 7:30am people who likely made their reservations earlier than I did?*



I am curious to know what Disney is up to as well.


----------



## SaintsManiac

I'm so confused by this time stuff!!


----------



## RachaelA

We are 10/29 at 7:30 and I’m going to be crazy annoyed if they had a huge other group of people and let them in a half hour earlier then us.


----------



## ninafeliz

RachaelA said:


> We are 10/29 at 7:30 and I’m going to be crazy annoyed if they had a huge other group of people and let them in a half hour earlier then us.



Same here - surely they wouldn't do that???    I just can't figure out what they have in mind!


----------



## GADisneyDad14

My thought from the beginning is that DHS EMM has the ‘potential’ to handle more guests than MK EMM.  Between the whole land and three popular rides (one of which is a longish ride with a really long queue) plus a character M&G, I bet they can get higher numbers in and still have a (hopefully) quality experience. 

Just my guess though! 

FWIW, I booked a 7am time slot and the “check-in time” noted on the confirmation e-mail is 7am, which is the same as when booking the 7:30am time slot. 

Curious and curiouser!


----------



## MickeyMinnieMom

GADisneyDad14 said:


> My thought from the beginning is that DHS EMM has the ‘potential’ to handle more guests than MK EMM.  Between the whole land and three popular rides (one of which is a longish ride with a really long queue) plus a charachter M&G, I bet they can get higher numbers in and still have a (hopefully) quality experience.
> 
> Just my guess though!
> 
> FWIW, I booked a 7am time slot and the “check-in time” noted on the confirmation e-mail is 7am, which is the same as when booking the 7:30am time slot.
> 
> Curious and curiouser!


Agreed wrt the rides... it just feels like a really tight space, I think — not a lot of walking around room IMO, which might affect how that aspect feels. But if the ride waits are still low enough, that would be good enough for me!


----------



## jennab

I booked the day it came out for 11/26 and my time in MDE says 7:30am. Now I didn't get a confirmation email since I had to call and book (to pay with a gift card) so ???  It would be weird for them to do a 7 and the 7:30?


----------



## jennab

I also think the phone person told me that you are supposed to arrive 15min early so maybe that's why they've changed it to 7am so people check in early?  Just a thought.  I also noticed that 11/26 has openings again and shows both 7am and 7:30am?


----------



## jodybird511

My confirmation email also says to check-in at 7 for a 7:30 time slot.


----------



## sapphirerose915

My date for 12/12 only shows 730 still.. I'm interested to see how this plays out


----------



## Elsaspiritanimal

12/10 still only shows 7:30 as well. I wonder if they are anticipating higher crowds on a couple of days and will start the event earlier to allow for crowd control? And then in true Disney IT fashion just really making a good showing on the website updates?


----------



## Disneyfan_UK

I’ve emailed about 11/7 as I’d probably swap to the 7.00 if there is a difference.

It doesn’t really make sense though, there would either have to be 2 wristbands with different colours to indicate who can ride when or everyone in at 7am is getting more value for money.

I think it will just be all from 7 to be honest, it could just be for the popular dates rather than changing something in the system to increase capacity, it’s easier to add the second time.


----------



## jennab

Disneyfan_UK said:


> I’ve emailed about 11/7 as I’d probably swap to the 7.00 if there is a difference.
> 
> It doesn’t really make sense though, there would either have to be 2 wristbands with different colours to indicate who can ride when or everyone in at 7am is getting more value for money.
> 
> I think it will just be all from 7 to be honest, it could just be for the popular dates rather than changing something in the system to increase capacity, it’s easier to add the second time.



Yes, I'm wondering if I should call or email to try and get mine switched to the 7am slot too, or if it won't matter?  Who did you email?


----------



## djc9699

sapphirerose915 said:


> My date for 12/12 only shows 730 still.. I'm interested to see how this plays out


I checked my date 12-19 too. It still only shows 7:30.


----------



## KrazeeK120

I checked my date, 10/22, and it still only shows 7:30.


----------



## ninafeliz

I’m thinking that it’s the dates that had previously shown as sold out that now have the two time options showing...


----------



## GADisneyDad14

ninafeliz said:


> I’m thinking that it’s the dates that had previously shown as sold out that now have the two time options showing...



Yup.


----------



## CinderellaDream

So I know phone CMs are notorious for bad information, but I just spent 15 minutes talking with one who said the two time slots were for the "management of the flow of people" into the land since 10/29 was expected to be busier than other dates.  She even said that people with a 7 am reservation would be allowed in earlier than 7:30 am and that me, with my 7:30 am reservation, would have to wait to get in.  I incredulously asked, "So they get 30 more minutes to ride rides at the same price point?"  To which she replied yes!  Hopefully she is just misinformed or this sounds like a cluster waiting to happen!


----------



## KrazeeK120

CinderellaDream said:


> So I know phone CMs are notorious for bad information, but I just spent 15 minutes talking with one who said the two time slots were for the "management of the flow of people" into the land since 10/29 was expected to be busier than other dates.  She even said that people with a 7 am reservation would be allowed in earlier than 7:30 am and that me, with my 7:30 am reservation, would have to wait to get in.  I incredulously asked, "So they get 30 more minutes to ride rides at the same price point?"  To which she replied yes!  Hopefully she is just misinformed or this sounds like a cluster waiting to happen!



That sounds crazy. I hope that CM is misinformed, which wouldn’t surprise me.


----------



## Disneyfan_UK

jennab said:


> Yes, I'm wondering if I should call or email to try and get mine switched to the 7am slot too, or if it won't matter?  Who did you email?



I just went to the Disney website and clicked contact us then I could choose to email and select what it was about (I chose dining).

I would like to think it won’t be a problem anyway but I’d rather get in contact now than worry nearer the time!


----------



## StacyStrong

Does the email confirmation for the 7am time slot have a different end time?


----------



## GADisneyDad14

StacyStrong said:


> Does the email confirmation for the 7am time slot have a different end time?



No.


----------



## StacyStrong




----------



## StacyStrong

So far there’s only one time slot for me, but I’ll rage hard if my date changes and Disney makes it so 7am gets more for the same price AFTER I already booked.


----------



## ninafeliz

CinderellaDream said:


> So I know phone CMs are notorious for bad information, but I just spent 15 minutes talking with one who said the two time slots were for the "management of the flow of people" into the land since 10/29 was expected to be busier than other dates.  She even said that people with a 7 am reservation would be allowed in earlier than 7:30 am and that me, with my 7:30 am reservation, would have to wait to get in.  I incredulously asked, "So they get 30 more minutes to ride rides at the same price point?"  To which she replied yes!  Hopefully she is just misinformed or this sounds like a cluster waiting to happen!



I certainly hope this is not correct, as it just doesn't make any sense!  To have the people who book later, after it initially "sold out" get more time than those who booked early?  I'm tempted to send an email now, but maybe I should wait until I see how this shakes out.  I kind of figure that I wouldn't be able to trust the answer I got, anyway .  I'm glad 10/29 is a long way off, so plenty of time to get it sorted out.


----------



## MNDisneyMommy

I thought this was worth it to have that very low crowd experience - to spend all the time we want with the characters without feeling rushed and let my kids ride SDD over and over.  If it's going to be pretty crowded, I will probably cancel.  I expected the crowd level of the MK EMM, not some glorified extra magic hours with a bunch of people (which I could get for free!).

I hope for some good reports from the mid-Sept folks to help us all make up our minds with our later dates!


----------



## M SH

I think this is just an IT workaround for the dates that were full to accommodate more reservations. 
So worst case is that no one cancels, and that EMM day will be overcrowded as two sets of EMMs are being let in. 

My guess is the web programmer didn't want to increase the capacity for all days (the 7:30 slot), so on the days that were full, they just added another slot (7AM) with the same capacity or maybe less as the 7:30 one. If you see 2 slots on your days, my guess is to expect heavier crowds. I don't think it has anything to do with who is coming in earlier or not. If that was the case, Disney would have to create a new EMM page for the description of the 7 AM slot.


----------



## jennab

M SH said:


> I think this is just an IT workaround for the dates that were full to accommodate more reservations.
> So worst case is that no one cancels, and that EMM day will be overcrowded as two sets of EMMs are being let in.
> 
> My guess is the web programmer didn't want to increase the capacity for all days (the 7:30 slot), so on the days that were full, they just added another slot (7AM) with the same capacity or maybe less as the 7:30 one. If you see 2 slots on your days, my guess is to expect heavier crowds. I don't think it has anything to do with who is coming in earlier or not. If that was the case, Disney would have to create a new EMM page for the description of the 7 AM slot.



This is what I don't want!  I have never done the MK EMM but the best draw is being able to ride over and over.  If this one is crowded that will suck and I will be mad!!!  I did call and have my reservation modified to the 7am option just to be safe.  Although it was also showing 7am and 7:30am available for 11/26 which was previously not showing anything?


----------



## M SH

jennab said:


> Although it was also showing 7am and 7:30am available for 11/26 which was previously not showing anything?



yea so this confirms my thought. since you moved yours, and others probably did too, now 7:30 AM slots opened up in addition to the newly added 7AM.
hopefully the original number of reservation was not large so it won't be overcrowded for you, but please let us know your experience


----------



## jennab

M SH said:


> yea so this confirms my thought. since you moved yours, and others probably did too, now 7:30 AM slots opened up in addition to the newly added 7AM.
> hopefully the original number of reservation was not large so it won't be overcrowded for you, but please let us know your experience



Could be but I think all the previous "sold out" dates are showing both times.  I doubt that many people called to change their time from 7:30 to 7


----------



## M SH

jennab said:


> Could be but I think all the previous "sold out" dates are showing both times.  I doubt that many people called to change their time from 7:30 to 7



It only takes one person per date to change to show that, so totally possible. Or even the original capacity was also increased.
Either way it’s all about increasing capacity.


----------



## jennab

M SH said:


> It only takes one person per date to change to show that, so totally possible. Or even the original capacity was also increased.
> Either way it’s all about increasing capacity.



BOOO!!!  Guess we will have to wait and see how the reports are once it starts!


----------



## ninafeliz

I suspect it all does stem from an alternative method to allow booking for increased capacity, but it does seem odd to me that 10/29 went from sold out to showing availability for 4 at both 7:00 and 7:30 this am.  I would have expected only 7:00, particularly immediately after they added/changed it.  I can’t see any way this is GOOD for those of use booked on these days, but I’m hoping it doesn’t turn out to be bad/negative.


----------



## kat_lh

The 10/8 day appears to be sold out but there is no 7am option showing, just fyi


----------



## kstruchen

Ah. Is this why TP is showing HS as 10/10 crowds on Monday Feb 25th?? I couldn't figure out HS would be this busy... when the other crowd calendars have it as much much less crowded. We don't plan to attend this event, assuming it's extended into February of 2019.... Should I choose another park for this day, or do you think HS won't be as bad as TP is making it out to be?  I've never been to HS before (well, not since it was MGM!) and not sure what to do.


----------



## Babs1975

Deleted


----------



## Babs1975

kstruchen said:


> Ah. Is this why TP is showing HS as 10/10 crowds on Monday Feb 25th?? I couldn't figure out HS would be this busy... when the other crowd calendars have it as much much less crowded. We don't plan to attend this event, assuming it's extended into February of 2019.... Should I choose another park for this day, or do you think HS won't be as bad as TP is making it out to be?  I've never been to HS before (well, not since it was MGM!) and not sure what to do.


No. This is not the reason. EMM should not impact crowd levels at all. At MK it has only been 200 people. We are not sure how many this one will be, but it won't be enough to make a difference. Hoping it is similar to the MK one...time will tell.


----------



## wendamjb

I just booked 7:30 for December 3 for 5 ppl. I’m a little apprehensive now, with the price tag, but I’m hoping it all turns out beautifully!


----------



## GADisneyDad14

GADisneyDad14 said:


> FWIW....Just did a quick run through the available dates as I was curious about sell-out status since this has been available for around a week.  May be interesting for those that follow such things...
> 
> Mon 10/8 - could only book for max 4 party size (note, this is Columbus Day)
> Mon 10/29 - sold out
> Wed 11/7 - sold out (note, Jersey Week)
> Mon 11/26 - sold out (note, Monday after Thanksgiving week)
> 
> All other dates were available when searching for a party of 10.
> 
> ETA:  Since people can cancel reservations with a refund up to a day before, the above data can change at any time...so just think of this as a snapshot at the moment.



Was curious to see what shows up online now vs the results from a few days ago (quoted above).  At the time of that search, none of the new 7am time slots showed up.  Here's the current status:

Mon 10/8 - No spots available (it only shows a 7:30am time slot this date)
Mon 10/29 - 7:00 am time available to book, 7:30 am is not
Wed 11/7 - 7:00 am time available to book, 7:30 am is not
Mon 11/26 - both 7:00 am and 7:30 am time slots available to book (7:30am only 6 spots available)

All other dates remain available with only the 7:30am time slot showing. 

I guess Disney was serious in their "Know Before You Go" text where it says "Guests with a 7:30 AM reservation will begin in Toy Story Land and breakfast will be available from 8:30 AM to 10:00 AM. Other reservation times may be available based on capacity."

Maybe this is some kind of slow loading/spread the crowd technique?  Curious to see what they have in mind.


----------



## KrazeeK120

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Was curious to see what shows up online now vs the results from a few days ago (quoted above).  At the time of that search, none of the new 7am time slots showed up.  Here's the current status:
> 
> Mon 10/8 - No spots available (it only shows a 7:30am time slot this date)
> Mon 10/29 - 7:00 am time available to book, 7:30 am is not
> Wed 11/7 - 7:00 am time available to book, 7:30 am is not
> Mon 11/26 - both 7:00 am and 7:30 am time slots available to book (7:30am only 6 spots available)
> 
> All other dates remain available with only the 7:30am time slot showing.
> 
> I guess Disney was serious in their "Know Before You Go" text where it says "Guests with a 7:30 AM reservation will begin in Toy Story Land and breakfast will be available from 8:30 AM to 10:00 AM. Other reservation times may be available based on capacity."
> 
> Maybe this is some kind of slow loading/spread the crowd technique?  Curious to see what they have in mind.



Thanks for researching this! Very interesting information. I’m going to remain optomistic about this event until I have a concrete reason not to be. I’m looking forward to reading reviews in a few weeks when the event begins.

What is a “Know Before You Go” text? I like to think that I’ve thoroughly researched Disney World up, down, and backwards, but that one has me stumped. I’ve never heard of it before.


----------



## kat_lh

KrazeeK120 said:


> Thanks for researching this! Very interesting information. I’m going to remain optomistic about this event until I have a concrete reason not to be. I’m looking forward to reading reviews in a few weeks when the event begins.
> 
> What is a “Know Before You Go” text? I like to think that I’ve thoroughly researched Disney World up, down, and backwards, but that one has me stumped. I’ve never heard of it before.


It's the text in the "know before you go" section of the website - not an actual text from Disney


----------



## GADisneyDad14

KrazeeK120 said:


> Thanks for researching this! Very interesting information. I’m going to remain optomistic about this event until I have a concrete reason not to be. I’m looking forward to reading reviews in a few weeks when the event begins.
> 
> What is a “Know Before You Go” text? I like to think that I’ve thoroughly researched Disney World up, down, and backwards, but that one has me stumped. I’ve never heard of it before.



It's just the section on Disney's website for this event:  https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/en_CA/dining/early-morning-magic-toy-story-land/

Third "bold" section down.  Make sure to click "Read More."  

As for DHS EMM, my guess is it'll be loads of fun.  Maybe not 10 rides on SDD like you can with 7DMT (total speculation on my part!), but still a great opportunity for a unique park experience along with breakfast.


----------



## jwolfpack

Given the wording about 7:30 reservations in Know Before you Go, I am wondering if guests with 7:00 reservations will eat first...


----------



## KrazeeK120

GADisneyDad14 said:


> It's just the section on Disney's website for this event:  https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/en_CA/dining/early-morning-magic-toy-story-land/
> 
> Third "bold" section down.  Make sure to click "Read More."
> 
> As for DHS EMM, my guess is it'll be loads of fun.  Maybe not 10 rides on SDD like you can with 7DMT (total speculation on my part!), but still a great opportunity for a unique park experience along with breakfast.



Ohhhh ok. I read the email confirmation I got, but not the website. My date still just has the 7:30 option.

Honestly, I’ll be happy if I get to do each ride once and the meet and greet. With a nearly 3 year old, SDD is actually not our top priority. I think he’s tall enough, but I’m not sure whether or not he will want to ride. I had been trying to figure out how to do the meet and greet, TSMM, and AS2 with minimal wait and for DH and I to ride SDD (with or without the kid), and this seems to fit the bill no matter what.


----------



## MIAMouseketeer

jwolfpack said:


> Given the wording about 7:30 reservations in Know Before you Go, I am wondering if guests with 7:00 reservations will eat first...


That's my thought. Given that the restaurant is outside of the land, they are expecting people to come after the ride time. Not like MK where it's in the middle of everything


----------



## disneyworldsk

maybe they will tell the 7 a.m. people to eat at a different time slot? i'm so frustrated after listening to pete's review of halloween party. i have mvmcp and this emm.  i'm considering canceling mvmcp after his rant about crowds because xmas first night whihc i have booked will probably be similar to pete's halloween experience. now emm i have to worry about too?! i don't want to spend money on crowds. not sure what to do now about both.


----------



## 3Anderboys

I'm highly annoyed about this whole 10/29 thing. Why are they expecting this particular day to be so crowded? ugh. we booked the day it released-party of 6. 7am is available. 7:30 is not. what is the difference?


----------



## Liz Z

My 60 day windowed opened a few days ago and SDD was already gone..  And Avatar only had 3 evening slots for Monday with Sunday already gone. I couldn't believe how fast they were gone when the 60 day window just opened up.

  We booked the 10/29 EMM as soon as i saw it was available for booking.

  My DH is coming so he wanted to make sure he could ride the new attractions.  So when i went into Touringplans fastpass availability Sunday Avatar only had a few evening slots on Monday the 29. So i grabbed a fastpass for that evening.

  I had already booked Toystory EMM when it opened up for that Monday as well.  Touring plans had SDD  showing Distribution done for Sunday the 28 and Monday the 29th. 

Epcot was our scheduled day so that's not happening.  And now we have to split our day and get to AK for the evening

Now im curious about the 7/ 7:30am times.  My confirmation is for 7:30am. 
Are people suggesting we call and change our time to 7am or just leave it alone???


Such craziness!!

Liz


----------



## KrazeeK120

Liz Z said:


> My 60 day windowed opened a few days ago and SDD was already gone..  And Avatar only had 3 evening slots for Monday with Sunday already gone. I couldn't believe how fast they were gone when the 60 day window just opened up.



People with trips starting earlier than yours may have already booked those days. How far into your trip were you looking? I’ll be there the week before you and got FoP at 60+3 with no problem, and an evening time for SDD at 60+4 (that I subsequently dumped because I bought this EMM).


----------



## RachaelA

I’m seriously so annoyed by all this now. Why are they adding more? 

I might email that higher up guy (why can’t I remember his name? Lol) whose office always responds quickly to emails.


----------



## jennab

I would really like to know why they added the earlier time slot too!


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Obviously personal, but I wouldn't be too worried about whatever is up with the 7 or 7:30 time slot thing.  Unless you have the first 1 or 2 EMM dates booked (and therefore are the guinea pigs), there will be plenty of time for DISer and blogger reviews to start coming in and we can all make more educated assessments if this event works for your particular touring needs/style.


----------



## 3Anderboys

Just called about switching to 7 vs. 7:30. Spoke with the nicest IT guy randomly bc the nice, but not knowledgeable CM thought there was a MDE issue. He gave me a lot of the menu. Forgive me I was dictating it into a text quickly so I omitted some things I'm sure and made some mistake as well. He just fired it off and I didn't want to ask him to repeat it! 
Menu: fruit, yogurt, pastries, cereals, juices, coffee and teas
mexican street corn chilaquiles
fried chicken cronut bowl with sweet potato barrels something about cinnamon sugar and a maple glaze
avocado toast with greens topped with eggs

**They also told me-he transferred me to a special events/events only coordinator to look into the booking-they have added 7 am slots to 3 dates currently-one is mine 10/29. There are zero restrictions. If you have the 7 am slot you are simply allowed in 30 minutes earlier with access to rides. Mind is blown. seriously. I asked if there were any restrictions, catches, anything noted she said none. She even called the night supervisor for that particular dept and he concurred. Hopefully, I'm not being Disney'ed and it's all correct. We switched to 7. It was relayed to her this is to stagger guest experience and make it run smoothly. Take this as you will. also, apparently you should call the late night crew. This is more information than anyone at Disney has ever shared with me!


----------



## 3Anderboys

3Anderboys said:


> Just called about switching to 7 vs. 7:30. Spoke with the nicest IT guy randomly bc the nice, but not knowledgeable CM thought there was a MDE issue. He gave me a lot of the menu. Forgive me I was dictating it into a text quickly so I omitted some things I'm sure and made some mistake as well. He just fired it off and I didn't want to ask him to repeat it!
> Menu: fruit, yogurt, pastries, cereals, juices, coffee and teas
> mexican street corn chilaquiles
> fried chicken cronut bowl with sweet potato barrels
> avocado toast with greens topped with eggs
> 
> **They also told me-he transferred me to a special events/events only coordinator to look into the booking-they have added 7 am slots to 3 dates currently-one is mine 10/29. There are zero restrictions. If you have the 7 am slot you are simply allowed in 30 minutes earlier with access to rides. Mind is blown. seriously. I asked if there were any restrictions, catches, anything noted she said none. She even called the night supervisor for that particular dept and he concurred. Hopefully, I'm not being Disney'ed and it's all correct. We switched to 7. It was relayed to her this is to stagger guest experience and make it run smoothly. Take this as you will. also, apparently you should call the late night crew. This is more information than anyone at Disney has ever shared with me!


this was last night! didn't post until this morning. I called at 9:45 and spent 45 minutes on the phone.


----------



## KCSherri

3Anderboys said:


> There are zero restrictions. If you have the 7 am slot you are simply allowed in 30 minutes earlier with access to rides. Mind is blown. seriously.



WOW. 

So, for the same price - I can get an extra 30 minutes??? While waving to all of the poor unfortunate souls who reserved the 7:30 time?? Crazy.

Sucks to be everyone who bought the 7:30 am and don’t know about this - so far, my date only shows 7:30, but if it switches to multiple times, you’d better believe I’m switching over to the 7:00 am slot. 

It does make me wonder just how many tickets to this event they are selling, because they’ve never done this for the EMM at Magic Kingdom. Just how many guests are coming, where they have to “stagger” the entrance??


----------



## KrazeeK120

3Anderboys said:


> **They also told me-he transferred me to a special events/events only coordinator to look into the booking-they have added 7 am slots to 3 dates currently-one is mine 10/29. There are zero restrictions. If you have the 7 am slot you are simply allowed in 30 minutes earlier with access to rides. Mind is blown. seriously. I asked if there were any restrictions, catches, anything noted she said none. She even called the night supervisor for that particular dept and he concurred. Hopefully, I'm not being Disney'ed and it's all correct. We switched to 7. It was relayed to her this is to stagger guest experience and make it run smoothly. Take this as you will. also, apparently you should call the late night crew. This is more information than anyone at Disney has ever shared with me!



There’s no way it’s going to run smoothly if this is actually the case. I imagine the 7:30 people will be livid when they realize that people (many of whom probably booked later than they did) are getting 30 extra minutes for the same price.

I’m still very skeptical that this is how it will actually work. Time will tell, I guess.


----------



## 3Anderboys

KCSherri said:


> WOW.
> 
> So, for the same price - I can get an extra 30 minutes??? While waving to all of the poor unfortunate souls who reserved the 7:30 time?? Crazy.
> 
> Sucks to be everyone who bought the 7:30 am and don’t know about this - so far, my date only shows 7:30, but if it switches to multiple times, you’d better believe I’m switching over to the 7:00 am slot.
> 
> It does make me wonder just how many tickets to this event they are selling, because they’ve never done this for the EMM at Magic Kingdom. Just how many guests are coming, where they have to “stagger” the entrance??


I agree. I spoke with a friend who is doing 11/26. Her day has two as well. She changed. I don't understand how they can justify this unless they assume it won't get out bc it's small. That was my first question as well-are the numbers significantly larger than the EMM at MK. They said no. Similar to previous DHS EMM. I was lost. It's a lot of money for people to wait. She assured me no one would stand in line to ride. We shall see.


----------



## jwolfpack

If they're not changing the order (breakfast first instead of ride first) for the 7:00 reservations, I would guess that it'll run like a typical PPO reservation. They stagger the times, but actually seat...or in this case admit...anyone with a ticket for either time as they arrive.


----------



## 3Anderboys

KrazeeK120 said:


> There’s no way it’s going to run smoothly if this is actually the case. I imagine the 7:30 people will be livid when they realize that people (many of whom probably booked later than they did) are getting 30 extra minutes for the same price.
> 
> I’m still very skeptical that this is how it will actually work. Time will tell, I guess.


agree! I asked this as well. She said nothing. I don't blame her. She nervously laughed.


----------



## 3Anderboys

si





jwolfpack said:


> If they're not changing the order (breakfast first instead of ride first) for the 7:00 reservations, I would guess that it'll run like a typical PPO reservation. They stagger the times, but actually seat...or in this case admit...anyone with a ticket for either time as they arrive.


my understanding. This is what they made it sound like. Zero  restrictions. Not forced to eat at 7, but access to rides. So much like having an 8 vs 8:30 at BOG or similar. She did make it clear 7:30 will not be allowed 7 am access!


----------



## KrazeeK120

Forgive me for not scrolling back through the thread, but does anyone know offhand which dates have 2 times so far? I know 10/29 is one.


----------



## StacyStrong

That's really annoying. 

But I do LOVE chillaquilles and elotes.


----------



## jwolfpack

3Anderboys said:


> si
> my understanding. This is what they made it sound like. Zero  restrictions. Not forced to eat at 7, but access to rides. So much like having an 8 vs 8:30 at BOG or similar.



To clarify, I meant that I think people with 7:30 reservations will be allowed to enter with the people with 7:00 reservations. Similar to what they do at BOG or Garden Grill - 8:45 reservations are admitted (and often seated) at the same time as people with 8:00 reservations.

Pure speculation on my part.


----------



## RachaelA

None of the early dates have the 7am timeslot though right?


----------



## ninafeliz

3Anderboys said:


> Just called about switching to 7 vs. 7:30. Spoke with the nicest IT guy randomly bc the nice, but not knowledgeable CM thought there was a MDE issue. He gave me a lot of the menu. Forgive me I was dictating it into a text quickly so I omitted some things I'm sure and made some mistake as well. He just fired it off and I didn't want to ask him to repeat it!
> Menu: fruit, yogurt, pastries, cereals, juices, coffee and teas
> mexican street corn chilaquiles
> fried chicken cronut bowl with sweet potato barrels something about cinnamon sugar and a maple glaze
> avocado toast with greens topped with eggs
> 
> **They also told me-he transferred me to a special events/events only coordinator to look into the booking-they have added 7 am slots to 3 dates currently-one is mine 10/29. There are zero restrictions. If you have the 7 am slot you are simply allowed in 30 minutes earlier with access to rides. Mind is blown. seriously. I asked if there were any restrictions, catches, anything noted she said none. She even called the night supervisor for that particular dept and he concurred. Hopefully, I'm not being Disney'ed and it's all correct. We switched to 7. It was relayed to her this is to stagger guest experience and make it run smoothly. Take this as you will. also, apparently you should call the late night crew. This is more information than anyone at Disney has ever shared with me!



This is CRAZY!  So crazy that I can't imagine this is actually how its going to work!  Just to be clear, I'm not doubting that you are telling us what you were told, I'm doubting that this is correct info.  I'm going to be LIVID if I find out that people who booked after I did, after it technically sold out and slots were added, get 30 MORE minutes - and to add insult to injury - for the SAME price?  It seems so ridiculous I can't imagine they would think that is an appropriate idea!?

I would just change to the 7:00 time to cover the bases, but with our plans that day getting there 30 min earlier would be very, very difficult.  I was already stressing about how to get up and ready, get our bags to RAC, and get there by 7:00 AM from the AKL (while keeping in mind that we have a late flight that day and a 2 hr drive home and won't be home until after MN that night), so to move that up 30 min is next to impossible.

Maybe the early people end 30 min earlier also, and go to breakfast then, so it staggers breakfast by 30 min?

I'm going to hang back and see how this plays out, but if it does turn out to be the case the 7:00 time slot just gets 30 min more time for the same price, while also making those mornings busier, I'm going to be emailing and letting them know what I think of things.  I'm not dropping the event, because this is our chance to see TSL without waiting in stand by lines, and I'm still hoping it will be enough like the MK EMM or the pervious DHS EMM that it will be a great event!

When is the first morning with 2 time slots?  Selfishly hoping it's way before 10/29 so we can see what happens, but sorry for those people if it is 

ETA - crap - I just checked a previous post and as of now 10/29 is the first one!  Awesome (insert sarcasm here)!


----------



## 3Anderboys

KrazeeK120 said:


> Forgive me for not scrolling back through the thread, but does anyone know offhand which dates have 2 times so far? I know 10/29 is one.


I believe 10/29, 11/26, and 12/7


----------



## 3Anderboys

jwolfpack said:


> To clarify, I meant that I think people with 7:30 reservations will be allowed to enter with the people with 7:00 reservations. Similar to what they do at BOG or Garden Grill - 8:45 reservations are admitted (and often seated) at the same time as people with 8:00 reservations.
> 
> Pure speculation on my part.


Totally agree with you. She emphatically said that  this wasn't the case. I still don't trust them not to do it.



ninafeliz said:


> This is CRAZY!  So crazy that I can't imagine this is actually how its going to work!  Just to be clear, I'm not doubting that you are telling us what you were told, I'm doubting that this is correct info.  I'm going to be LIVID if I find out that people who booked after I did, after it technically sold out and slots were added, get 30 MORE minutes - and to add insult to injury - for the SAME price?  It seems so ridiculous I can't imagine they would think that is an appropriate idea!?
> 
> I would just change to the 7:00 time to cover the bases, but with our plans that day getting there 30 min earlier would be very, very difficult.  I was already stressing about how to get up and ready, get our bags to RAC, and get there by 7:00 AM from the AKL (while keeping in mind that we have a late flight that day and a 2 hr drive home and won't be home until after MN that night), so to move that up 30 min is next to impossible.
> 
> Maybe the early people end 30 min earlier also, and go to breakfast then, so it staggers breakfast by 30 min?
> 
> I'm going to hang back and see how this plays out, but if it does turn out to be the case the 7:00 time slot just gets 30 min more time for the same price, while also making those mornings busier, I'm going to be emailing and letting them know what I think of things.  I'm not dropping the event, because this is our chance to see TSL without waiting in stand by lines, and I'm still hoping it will be enough like the MK EMM or the pervious DHS EMM that it will be a great event!
> 
> When is the first morning with 2 time slots?  Selfishly hoping it's way before 10/29 so we can see what happens, but sorry for those people if it is
> 
> ETA - crap - I just checked a previous post and as of now 10/29 is the first one!  Awesome (insert sarcasm here)!


ha! it is 10/29 my day!!! send help! I totally agree. I changed to 7 to cover our butts. I asked all the questions and they said over and over 7 am gets 30 extra minutes still ends at 9 and doesn't have to eat first or end early for breakfast. They still have announced the QS location but do have a menu. Go figure. I never act a fool at Disney bc well it's not worth it, but this will make me crazy mad if they aren't being completely honest.


----------



## StacyStrong

3Anderboys said:


> I believe 10/29, 11/26, and 12/7


12/7 isn't a bookable date.

I'm going to be obsessively checking to see if 12/5 adds two times now. Ugh.


----------



## anomamatt

Oh WDW.  The tricksy games you play...

I'll keep an eye on 10/14.  Right now I can still book up to 14 people for that date.  If it sells out and they open 7am spots, I'll move my reservation to 7am.  

Assuming the information on 7 vs 7:30 is correct, it's pretty crazy they are going to handle it this way.  Even for WDW, this is abnormal.


----------



## Babs1975

This whole 7am vs 7:30am EMM is just a hot mess. After reading all these reports and conversations with CM's....I am just shocked. There is no reason to add a 7am time slot unless you are adding more people to the event and going above your previously set limit. This can't be a good thing. Now I feel as though I have to watch my date like a hawk, not even knowing what it really means to go to two time slots! Are they going to add a 7am time slot to every date that sells out?? Frustrating.


----------



## jwolfpack

Babs1975 said:


> This whole 7am vs 7:30am EMM is just a hot mess. After reading all these reports and conversations with CM's....I am just shocked. There is no reason to add a 7am time slot unless you are adding more people to the event and going above your previously set limit. This can't be a good thing. Now I feel as though I have to watch my date like a hawk, not even knowing what it really means to go to two time slots! Are they going to add a 7am time slot to every date that sells out?? Frustrating.


10/8 (the date I am going) is sold out and they have not opened 7:00 reservations. I am so confused!


----------



## StacyStrong

If they don't add times as more dates sell out, I kind of wonder if these are trial runs for something they have in mind in the future.


----------



## jenjersnap

jwolfpack said:


> If they're not changing the order (breakfast first instead of ride first) for the 7:00 reservations, I would guess that it'll run like a typical PPO reservation. They stagger the times, but actually seat...or in this case admit...anyone with a ticket for either time as they arrive.



This is my suspicion as well. Not willing to bet on it though, so would still move to the earlier one if it gets offered for the first date.


----------



## disneyworldsk

this is a joke.  better business bureau should be called if this is the case. scam.


----------



## GoldenOwner

I currently have reservations for both 11/26 (7:30 for now, but planning to call to switch to 7) and 11/28. Do we think 11/26 will be a lot busier than 11/28? I can make either work, but if they will be about the same, I'd rather do 11/26.


----------



## disneyworldsk

just got off the phone to switch to 7 am on 11/7 from my 7:30 og time slot. dining cm had no idea what i was saying until she looked it up. then was shocked. she had no idea what was going on. however, it said to arrive still at 7 a.m. but my appt. time for the event is 7 a.m. and it should have said earlier to get there. i have a feeling i will be there early and they will just hold everyone 7 or 7:30 for same time and it's a glitch to hold more people in the computer. then i'll be the screwed one for arriving now super early.  Now, I also have pay an uber to be there before 7 am from coronado, right?


----------



## jenjersnap

I am curious how breakfast is going to work. Sounds like main entrees may not be buffet by the wording of “bowl”.


----------



## MIAMouseketeer

jenjersnap said:


> I am curious how breakfast is going to work. Sounds like main entrees may not be buffet by the wording of “bowl”.


Me too. I am gluten free as well, so if they are pre-made, I wonder how they will handle me? The EMM in MK always takes great care of me, but there are plenty of options on the buffet so I don't have to worry.


----------



## Disneyfan_UK

So in response to my email asking to change to the earlier time slot I was told to call. I gave the Dining reservation team a call and explained I wanted to be on the 7.00 booking and was told there was only one slot (at 7.30), I explained I’d seen it online and she checked another system but confirmed there was only the one.

I’ve replied via email now. I wish this was clearer!


----------



## Liz Z

3Anderboys said:


> Just called about switching to 7 vs. 7:30. Spoke with the nicest IT guy randomly bc the nice, but not knowledgeable CM thought there was a MDE issue. He gave me a lot of the menu. Forgive me I was dictating it into a text quickly so I omitted some things I'm sure and made some mistake as well. He just fired it off and I didn't want to ask him to repeat it!
> Menu: fruit, yogurt, pastries, cereals, juices, coffee and teas
> mexican street corn chilaquiles
> fried chicken cronut bowl with sweet potato barrels something about cinnamon sugar and a maple glaze
> avocado toast with greens topped with eggs
> 
> **They also told me-he transferred me to a special events/events only coordinator to look into the booking-they have added 7 am slots to 3 dates currently-one is mine 10/29. There are zero restrictions. If you have the 7 am slot you are simply allowed in 30 minutes earlier with access to rides. Mind is blown. seriously. I asked if there were any restrictions, catches, anything noted she said none. She even called the night supervisor for that particular dept and he concurred. Hopefully, I'm not being Disney'ed and it's all correct. We switched to 7. It was relayed to her this is to stagger guest experience and make it run smoothly. Take this as you will. also, apparently you should call the late night crew. This is more information than anyone at Disney has ever shared with me!



Ok so what number do we all call to switch PLZ


----------



## jennab

I think maybe they are doing staggered rules but will allow everyone in at 7am. I bet half the people wouldn’t even know and would just show up at 7:30. Maybe that is what Disney hopes?  It’s going to be interesting. I’m really curious how it will all work.


----------



## Liz Z

Just called Dining events and was on hold for 13 minutes then the automated system said to press 1 if we'd like to do a survey of our conversation  I never spoke to anyone  UGH Disney you make things so difficult!!

So now im on hold for regular dining reservations.  im just not happy about this.  i booked this event as soon as it opened cuz i knew SDD would be difficult.  Now theyre letting in people 1/2 earlier AFTER we booked.   And for the same price they're getting a half hour more.  This really needs to be addressed. 

im really curious what they have to say.  

Liz


----------



## Liz Z

The rep im talking with said they let in as many people they can hold for toy story land which is 30,000

OMG can Disney not train their reps with the correct info.  i heard they let in between 200 and 400 people.

She has me on hold while she connects to guest services UGH!!!  Its so frustrating!

Long story short~~ the rep was able to switch us to the 7am slot.  apparently since we're checking out of our 1 night stay on that date 10/29(heading to our timeshare after) she had to cancel our original reservation in order to book the 7am. She couldnt just modify it.  so i had her first book the 7am then once that was confirmed she went back in and canceled the 7:30 ressie.  

Now to get up at 5:30am

Liz


----------



## StacyStrong

Liz Z said:


> The rep im talking with said they let in as many people they can hold for toy story land which is 30,000
> 
> OMG can Disney not train their reps with the correct info.  i heard they let in between 200 and 400 people.
> 
> She has me on hold while she connects to guest services UGH!!!  Its so frustrating!



Loooool. Maybe she is thinking EMH not EMM. That's...just wrong.


----------



## 3Anderboys

StacyStrong said:


> 12/7 isn't a bookable date.
> 
> I'm going to be obsessively checking to see if 12/5 adds two times now. Ugh.


typo meant 11/7


----------



## 3Anderboys

jwolfpack said:


> 10/8 (the date I am going) is sold out and they have not opened 7:00 reservations. I am so confused!


agree. why?? it's a  hot mess. 10/8 IMO is a busier time of the month than 10/29. who knows. so lost. they are a mess with this event.


----------



## 3Anderboys

Liz Z said:


> Just called Dining events and was on hold for 13 minutes then the automated system said to press 1 if we'd like to do a survey of our conversation  I never spoke to anyone  UGH Disney you make things so difficult!!
> 
> So now im on hold for regular dining reservations.  im just not happy about this.  i booked this event as soon as it opened cuz i knew SDD would be difficult.  Now theyre letting in people 1/2 earlier AFTER we booked.   And for the same price they're getting a half hour more.  This really needs to be addressed.
> 
> im really curious what they have to say.
> 
> Liz


this is exactlly why I switched. I asked 3x, so you're telling me people get in 30 minutes earlier, no extra cost, no restrictions, no first seating for breakfast, nothing?  I couldn't believe it. I'm shocked. I'm also now 7am.


----------



## StacyStrong

@Liz Z  did they say anything to you about the time difference?


----------



## Liz Z

^^ Not really. I don't think she knew much of anything. 

She thought 30,000 people would be at this eventI had to fill her about the 2 time slots

Liz


----------



## KrazeeK120

Liz Z said:


> The rep im talking with said they let in as many people they can hold for toy story land which is 30,000



Holy cow, there better not be 30,000 people there!

(Although there’s no way I believe that one, given that a few dates have already sold out. I can’t imagine that 30,000 people have already bought tickets for any particular date.)


----------



## JK World

We're going 10/29 and like many here we booked 7:30am the first day it was available. Just called and switched to 7am, just to be safe. It's our first park day of the trip, so we'll deal with the earlier wake up (although time change is not in our favor, lol). Crazy what they are doing with this, how does a company this successful not think these things through better before launching them...


----------



## aliceinvunderland

Any idea why 10/29 is going to be so crowded? We will be there on 10/31 (already booked EMM at HS) and it’s predicted to be a crowd level 1. ‍


----------



## GADisneyDad14

GADisneyDad14 said:


> FWIW....Just did a quick run through the available dates as I was curious about sell-out status since this has been available for around a week.  May be interesting for those that follow such things...
> 
> Mon 10/8 - could only book for max 4 party size (note, this is Columbus Day)
> Mon 10/29 - sold out
> Wed 11/7 - sold out (note, Jersey Week)
> Mon 11/26 - sold out (note, Monday after Thanksgiving week)
> 
> All other dates were available when searching for a party of 10.
> 
> ETA:  Since people can cancel reservations with a refund up to a day before, the above data can change at any time...so just think of this as a snapshot at the moment.





GADisneyDad14 said:


> Was curious to see what shows up online now vs the results from a few days ago (quoted above).  At the time of that search, none of the new 7am time slots showed up.  Here's the current status:
> 
> Mon 10/8 - No spots available (it only shows a 7:30am time slot this date)
> Mon 10/29 - 7:00 am time available to book, 7:30 am is not
> Wed 11/7 - 7:00 am time available to book, 7:30 am is not
> Mon 11/26 - both 7:00 am and 7:30 am time slots available to book (7:30am only 6 spots available)
> 
> All other dates remain available with only the 7:30am time slot showing.




Just took a spin through dates... building on the data quoted from my two posts above earlier in the week.  Obviously to be treated as a moment in time snapshot since this stuff can change quickly.  10/29, 11/7, and 11/26 still appear to be the only dates with two time slots.  Several other dates are now sold out or close.  

9/17 - No spots available; only 7:30am time showing
9/24 - No spots available; only 7:30am time showing
10/8 - No spots available; only 7:30am time showing
10/29 - 7:30 am (3 spots) and 7:00 am available
11/7 - 7:30am (11 spots) and 7:00 am available
11/12 - 1 spot available; only 7:30am time showing
11/26 - 7:30 am and 7:00 am available
11/28 - 5 spots available; only 7:30am time showing

All other dates have more than 5 party size availability and only the 7:30am time slot shows up.

FWIW!


----------



## disneyworldsk

and if i'm coming from coronado, how do i get there for a 7 a.m. time slot? and also they didn't give another confirmation email when i switched to the 7 a.m. so i have no idea what time to even show up earlier for it. does anyone know?


----------



## KrazeeK120

disneyworldsk said:


> and if i'm coming from coronado, how do i get there for a 7 a.m. time slot? and also they didn't give another confirmation email when i switched to the 7 a.m. so i have no idea what time to even show up earlier for it. does anyone know?



You’ll need to either drive yourself or take a taxi/Uber.

Sorry, I don’t know the answer to the second part of your question.


----------



## jennab

disneyworldsk said:


> and if i'm coming from coronado, how do i get there for a 7 a.m. time slot? and also they didn't give another confirmation email when i switched to the 7 a.m. so i have no idea what time to even show up earlier for it. does anyone know?



I didn’t get a confirmation email either (never do when booking on phone). I assume show up at 7am. That is what it shows on MDE anyway!


----------



## NiceOneSimba

Any idea if this is going to be offered in 2019 at all, and when your best guess is that those days might open up? Hoping to book for our February trip!


----------



## TinkSassy

I'm on 11/7 - debating on whether to move it to 7am or just cancel it.  I was booking this for a low stress way to see the land SO if this is not going to eliminate lines like it does at MK or going to be stressful - I will choose to save the money and go on Thursday when I can RD for free.

Assuming the earlier time will require a Uber or Taxi expense as well.


----------



## disneyworldsk

TinkSassy, same here for 11/7 . waiting on reports and reviews before cancelling though.


----------



## M SH

TinkSassy said:


> I'm on 11/7 - debating on whether to move it to 7am or just cancel it.  I was booking this for a low stress way to see the land SO if this is not going to eliminate lines like it does at MK or going to be stressful - I will choose to save the money and go on Thursday when I can RD for free.
> 
> Assuming the earlier time will require a Uber or Taxi expense as well.



I would say to just leave it be for now till you get some reports about the days before. You can always cancel a few days before.


----------



## kat_lh

Are they still opening up earlier than posted times like they were doing after TSL opened? There's a video posted in a facebook group that shows a line for SDD on EMH and it's a little bit insane.


----------



## pangyal

kat_lh said:


> Are they still opening up earlier than posted times like they were doing after TSL opened? There's a video posted in a facebook group that shows a line for SDD on EMH and it's a little bit insane.


I can’t imagine they would open TSL early on an EMM day. There would be complete anarchy from the people who had purchased tickets that guararantee exclusivity until 9am. It’s the same with the EMM at MK. Even the BOG people have to wait until the last EMM ride has finished after park open.


----------



## Babs1975

pangyal said:


> I can’t imagine they would open TSL early on an EMM day. There would be complete anarchy from the people who had purchased tickets that guararantee exclusivity until 9am. It’s the same with the EMM at MK. Even the BOG people have to wait until the last EMM ride has finished after park open.


But the EMM only goes til 8:45, right? So I'm thinking that's when our exclusivity ends and they'll start bringing in the regular rope drop crowd then. But before 8:45, no.


----------



## kat_lh

pangyal said:


> I can’t imagine they would open TSL early on an EMM day. There would be complete anarchy from the people who had purchased tickets that guararantee exclusivity until 9am. It’s the same with the EMM at MK. Even the BOG people have to wait until the last EMM ride has finished after park open.


Not EMM, EMH


----------



## GADisneyDad14

kat_lh said:


> Are they still opening up earlier than posted times like they were doing after TSL opened? There's a video posted in a facebook group that shows a line for SDD on EMH and it's a little bit insane.



I think they still are....BUT that’s all about to change this month with the AP TSL Passholder Playtime events and first two EMMs.  With some exceptions, most days this month have an early event planned.

Edit to clarify....none of what I just said impacts EMH mornings.


----------



## KrazeeK120

kat_lh said:


> Not EMM, EMH



Just as an FYI, this thread is discussing EMM. A question regarding EMH may merit its own thread.


----------



## MKTokyo

I don't think the 7:00 AM/7:30 AM split means anything. I remember booking a dessert party for my family & noticing that there were two timeslots available - 8:00 PM & 8:20 PM, I think. Everyone went in at the same time.

We're going 11/12  I hope it turns out to be a wonderful event!


----------



## Babs1975

MKTokyo said:


> I don't think the 7:00 AM/7:30 AM split means anything. I remember booking a dessert party for my family & noticing that there were two timeslots available - 8:00 PM & 8:20 PM, I think. Everyone went in at the same time.
> 
> We're going 11/12  I hope it turns out to be a wonderful event!


I think it could mean more people...higher capacity for the day though. Why else would there be a few days with the two times? They've never done that at MK. When it's sold out, it's sold out. Makes me a bit nervous.


----------



## jennab

MKTokyo said:


> I don't think the 7:00 AM/7:30 AM split means anything. I remember booking a dessert party for my family & noticing that there were two timeslots available - 8:00 PM & 8:20 PM, I think. Everyone went in at the same time.
> 
> We're going 11/12  I hope it turns out to be a wonderful event!



I agree but it’s odd the description says from 7:30-8:45 so why then add a 7am?  Are they planning to just start letting people in early at 7?  I mean I’m all for that if so!  Haha


----------



## GADisneyDad14

FWIW (repeat...FWIW)....the confirmation e-mail for both the 7am and 7:30am reservations says the same thing:  "Guests will check-in at the main entrance of Disney's Hollywood Studios starting at 7am and receive a wristband for event identification"


----------



## kat_lh

KrazeeK120 said:


> Just as an FYI, this thread is discussing EMM. A question regarding EMH may merit its own thread.



I realize that.  It's just that if they've been letting people in early to TSL regardless of posted opening times, that could certainly effect crowd levels as people start to think what is normal.  As all of this around EMM is speculation since no one has actually done it yet, it's just a thought of what it might be like to actually get into TSL for this specific event.


----------



## KrazeeK120

kat_lh said:


> I realize that.  It's just that if they've been letting people in early to TSL regardless of posted opening times, that could certainly effect crowd levels as people start to think what is normal.  As all of this around EMM is speculation since no one has actually done it yet, it's just a thought of what it might be like to actually get into TSL for this specific event.



Oh, I see. I’d be surprised if they let people in earlier than EMM is over.


----------



## kat_lh

KrazeeK120 said:


> Oh, I see. I’d be surprised if they let people in earlier than EMM is over.



Oh I don't think that would happen!  I'm just thinking, when you go to MK for EMM, you know you don't get into the park until 7:45 - then you have to go back past the castle and into Fantasyland.  It's a small number of folks so I don't think there's a lot of throwing elbows with the PPO folks, LOL

But if you've got people lining up for early admittance into TSL because it's what's been expected, plus PPO guests and however many people are getting into TSL EMM, you could look at a serious crowd you'd have to make your way through before you could even access the rides.  

Of course, who knows how any of this is actually going to play out until the very first one of these (and the next few.) I'm just going on and preparing the family that we're going to be at HS pretty darn early!


----------



## KrazeeK120

kat_lh said:


> Oh I don't think that would happen!  I'm just thinking, when you go to MK for EMM, you know you don't get into the park until 7:45 - then you have to go back past the castle and into Fantasyland.  It's a small number of folks so I don't think there's a lot of throwing elbows with the PPO folks, LOL
> 
> But if you've got people lining up for early admittance into TSL because it's what's been expected, plus PPO guests and however many people are getting into TSL EMM, you could look at a serious crowd you'd have to make your way through before you could even access the rides.
> 
> Of course, who knows how any of this is actually going to play out until the very first one of these (and the next few.) I'm just going on and preparing the family that we're going to be at HS pretty darn early!



When I did EMM at MK, they let the PPO and EMM people in just ahead of everyone else. Granted, that was last May, so I’m not sure what they’re doing now. But if they’ve kept that procedure (and use the same procedure for DHS), it shouldn’t be a problem, regardless of how many others are there.


----------



## Babs1975

KrazeeK120 said:


> When I did EMM at MK, they let the PPO and EMM people in just ahead of everyone else. Granted, that was last May, so I’m not sure what they’re doing now. But if they’ve kept that procedure (and use the same procedure for DHS), it shouldn’t be a problem, regardless of how many others are there.


Remember no show to see early at HS though. They shouldn't be letting people in amytime near the EMM or PPO crowd. It should work how it use to at MK before they let people up Main St early.


----------



## KrazeeK120

Babs1975 said:


> Remember no show to see early at HS though. They shouldn't be letting people in amytime near the EMM or PPO crowd. It should work how it use to at MK before they let people up Main St early.



That’s kind of what I was thinking. I wasn’t sure how opening at DHS works these days...we’ve skipped that park on our last few trips and haven’t been there in over 4 years! When we visited last year, we were held inside the park prior to rope drop at both Epcot and AK despite there not being an opening show, and I wasn’t sure if there was an area inside DHS where folks are held prior to rope drop like there is at those 2 parks.


----------



## MIAMouseketeer

KrazeeK120 said:


> That’s kind of what I was thinking. I wasn’t sure how opening at DHS works these days...we’ve skipped that park on our last few trips and haven’t been there in over 4 years! When we visited last year, we were held inside the park prior to rope drop at both Epcot and AK despite there not being an opening show, and I wasn’t sure if there was an area inside DHS where folks are held prior to rope drop like there is at those 2 parks.


It’s the same. The hold everyone at the middle and then walk with a rope to the various areas.


----------



## StacyStrong

The AP event gives me some hope for EMM running smoothly.


----------



## sapphirerose915

I switched my date from 12/12 to 12/10... I decided to do MVMCP on 12/11 and I do not foresee us getting up at 6 am the day after the party!!


----------



## 3Anderboys

aliceinvunderland said:


> Any idea why 10/29 is going to be so crowded? We will be there on 10/31 (already booked EMM at HS) and it’s predicted to be a crowd level 1. ‍


no no and no! 10.29 is an expected high date. It's insane.


----------



## 3Anderboys

KrazeeK120 said:


> You’ll need to either drive yourself or take a taxi/Uber.
> 
> Sorry, I don’t know the answer to the second part of your question.


they told me by 6:45.


----------



## 3Anderboys

jennab said:


> I agree but it’s odd the description says from 7:30-8:45 so why then add a 7am?  Are they planning to just start letting people in early at 7?  I mean I’m all for that if so!  Haha


I was told to show up by 6:45 to be let into TSL at 7 am.


----------



## KrazeeK120

3Anderboys said:


> I was told to show up by 6:45 to be let into TSL at 7 am.



Who told you this information?


----------



## Keith Gentry

I don't know if it has been mentioned yet, but there is now a 7 o'clock reservation available on October 8th. I just moved my reservation from 7:30 to 7 just to be safe.


----------



## jennab

Keith Gentry said:


> I don't know if it has been mentioned yet, but there is now a 7 o'clock reservation available on October 8th. I just moved my reservation from 7:30 to 7 just to be safe.



Well guess this means we won't have to wait until 10/29 (which was the previous first date with two times) to see what's going on.  Wonder if they will be adding the 7am to all of the dates that fill up


----------



## 3Anderboys

3Anderboys said:


> I was told to show up by 6:45 to be let into TSL at 7 am.


The events booking rep I was transferred to from IT. She wasn’t a general phone CM. She was in a different Dept that works with speciality events like this.


----------



## jwolfpack

Keith Gentry said:


> I don't know if it has been mentioned yet, but there is now a 7 o'clock reservation available on October 8th. I just moved my reservation from 7:30 to 7 just to be safe.


Thank you for the heads up. Doing this same for 10/8. UGH.


----------



## jwolfpack

FYI - My reservation confirmations for both the 7:00 reservation and 7:30 reservations both include this: 

-Guests will check-in at the main entrance of Disney's Hollywood Studios starting at 7am and receive a wristband for event identification

I think they'll let everyone in together.


----------



## jennab

jwolfpack said:


> FYI - My reservation confirmations for both the 7:00 reservation and 7:30 reservations both include this:
> 
> -Guests will check-in at the main entrance of Disney's Hollywood Studios starting at 7am and receive a wristband for event identification
> 
> I think they'll let everyone in together.



It will be confusing though for those who booked at 7:30am and were told to arrive 15min early!  They won't know they can get in at 7am!  I booked via phone so no confirmation and was just read the script for the booking which says be there 15min early.  Good thing I follow along in these groups too


----------



## KrazeeK120

3Anderboys said:


> The events booking rep I was transferred to from IT. She wasn’t a general phone CM. She was in a different Dept that works with speciality events like this.



Interesting. That’s different than the verbiage on the confirmation email. Typical Disney.


----------



## kat_lh

Keith Gentry said:


> I don't know if it has been mentioned yet, but there is now a 7 o'clock reservation available on October 8th. I just moved my reservation from 7:30 to 7 just to be safe.


Just switched ours as well


----------



## ninafeliz

I'm just not sure what to do.  We are booked for 7:30 on 10/29.  So far I've just kept the 7:30, because I just can't bring myself to believe that even Disney could take an event, add later spots to said event, and then make those later spots BETTER than the original ones.  Plus I am currently in the camp that thinks they will just let everyone in together, like they seem to be doing for the AP mornings.  But then I think, well if that's the case just move it to 7:00 since we'll have to be there at the same time anyway.  But as soon as I decide on that I remember that 7:30 is the original time, and I'm back to the thought that no way could they not have the original time either the same or better than the add on, so what if changing is to something worse... and so it goes... on and on.... why can't anything just be simple booking with Disney??

I thought I had read that the confirmations are the same for the 7 and 7:30, which is why I think everyone will go in together.  Are they the same, and anyone have any reason to think differently?


----------



## kat_lh

ninafeliz said:


> I'm just not sure what to do.  We are booked for 7:30 on 10/29.  So far I've just kept the 7:30, because I just can't bring myself to believe that even Disney could take an event, add later spots to said event, and then make those later spots BETTER than the original ones.  Plus I am currently in the camp that thinks they will just let everyone in together, like they seem to be doing for the AP mornings.  But then I think, well if that's the case just move it to 7:00 since we'll have to be there at the same time anyway.  But as soon as I decide on that I remember that 7:30 is the original time, and I'm back to the thought that no way could they not have the original time either the same or better than the add on, so what if changing is to something worse... and so it goes... on and on.... why can't anything just be simple booking with Disney??
> 
> I thought I had read that the confirmations are the same for the 7 and 7:30, which is why I think everyone will go in together.  Are they the same, and anyone have any reason to think differently?


Yes the confirmations are the same


----------



## jwolfpack

ninafeliz said:


> I'm just not sure what to do.  We are booked for 7:30 on 10/29.  So far I've just kept the 7:30, because I just can't bring myself to believe that even Disney could take an event, add later spots to said event, and then make those later spots BETTER than the original ones.  Plus I am currently in the camp that thinks they will just let everyone in together, like they seem to be doing for the AP mornings.  But then I think, well if that's the case just move it to 7:00 since we'll have to be there at the same time anyway.  But as soon as I decide on that I remember that 7:30 is the original time, and I'm back to the thought that no way could they not have the original time either the same or better than the add on, so what if changing is to something worse... and so it goes... on and on.... why can't anything just be simple booking with Disney??
> 
> I thought I had read that the confirmations are the same for the 7 and 7:30, which is why I think everyone will go in together.  Are they the same, and anyone have any reason to think differently?



The confirmation e-mails are EXACTLY the same. 

I think they'll let everyone in together, but I understand the constant second guessing. I currently have reservations for both 7:00 and 7:30 on 10/8...because I can't decide if it matters!!


----------



## ninafeliz

jwolfpack said:


> The confirmation e-mails are EXACTLY the same.
> 
> I think they'll let everyone in together, but I understand the constant second guessing. I currently have reservations for both 7:00 and 7:30 on 10/8...because I can't decide if it matters!!



How do you have reservations for both times on the same day?  When I even look to check availability on my day it warns me that I have a conflicting dining reservation and asks if I want to cancel that one to book another.  I'm always afraid of a screw up with that, so if I change to 7:00, which I'm not planning on doing (at least at this exact moment!), I'll probably call in.  

I wish I were staying CL this trip, I would see if DSS has any info or could get any further info.  I doubt they could, but it would be another avenue to try - you could possibly get a DSS CM who would go out of their way to figure it out (maybe, possibly...)  Has anyone staying CL tried this?


----------



## jwolfpack

ninafeliz said:


> How do you have reservations for both times on the same day?  When I even look to check availability on my day it warns me that I have a conflicting dining reservation and asks if I want to cancel that one to book another.  I'm always afraid of a screw up with that, so if I change to 7:00, which I'm not planning on doing (at least at this exact moment!), I'll probably call in.
> 
> I wish I were staying CL this trip, I would see if DSS has any info or could get any further info.  I doubt they could, but it would be another avenue to try - you could possibly get a DSS CM who would go out of their way to figure it out (maybe, possibly...)  Has anyone staying CL tried this?



For some reason (can't explain it), when I do reservations through Safari on my phone (not in the app), it doesn't make me cancel existing overlapping reservations. On my computer browser and in the app, I get the message you referred to.


----------



## ninafeliz

jwolfpack said:


> For some reason (can't explain it), when I do reservations through Safari on my phone (not in the app), it doesn't make me cancel existing overlapping reservations. On my computer browser and in the app, I get the message you referred to.



Interesting, and bonus for you!  Except for having to remember to cancel more things or end up with pretty big fees   I'll have to try safari on my phone, I tend to not use my phone for stuff like that, seems glitchy with disney, but I'll try sometime for research


----------



## GADisneyDad14

I switched too.


----------



## ninafeliz

GADisneyDad14 said:


> I switched too.



to 7:00 from 7:30?  What was your line of reasoning?


----------



## GADisneyDad14

ninafeliz said:


> to 7:00 from 7:30?  What was your line of reasoning?



From 7:30am to 7am. 

Pure speculation of course (because we're DISers and that's what we do best!) is that this is some kind of slow loading/crowd spreading technique and they'll let everyone in at the same time.   But we're early birds so I'll take the early reservation just in case!  

I do think this is ultimately going to be a higher guest count event than MK EMM... or at least that's my suspicion.


----------



## GoldenOwner

ninafeliz said:


> How do you have reservations for both times on the same day?  When I even look to check availability on my day it warns me that I have a conflicting dining reservation and asks if I want to cancel that one to book another.  I'm always afraid of a screw up with that, so if I change to 7:00, which I'm not planning on doing (at least at this exact moment!), I'll probably call in.
> 
> I wish I were staying CL this trip, I would see if DSS has any info or could get any further info.  I doubt they could, but it would be another avenue to try - you could possibly get a DSS CM who would go out of their way to figure it out (maybe, possibly...)  Has anyone staying CL tried this?



I have 7:30 and 7:00 booked for 11/26. I had made the 7:30 like normal online and called for the other - no issues with the CM and both show up on MDE. I kept both because I was worried that one would be "better" than the other.


----------



## ninafeliz

GoldenOwner said:


> I have 7:30 and 7:00 booked for 11/26. I had made the 7:30 like normal online and called for the other - no issues with the CM and both show up on MDE. I kept both because I was worried that one would be "better" than the other.



You have to decide which one to officially keep prior to the cancellation period though, right?  Or am I misunderstanding?  Because if you keep them both you'll be essentially paying double for every person (which clearly isn't your plan!).


----------



## ninafeliz

GADisneyDad14 said:


> From 7:30am to 7am.
> 
> Pure speculation of course (because we're DISers and that's what we do best!) is that this is some kind of slow loading/crowd spreading technique and they'll let everyone in at the same time.   But we're early birds so I'll take the early reservation just in case!
> 
> I do think this is ultimately going to be a higher guest count event than MK EMM... or at least that's my suspicion.



I think you have to be correct on that, particularly after they added a second time for some dates.  It has to be more people, why else would they add the  7:00 time?  I just hope it's because the event can hold more, with 3 fairly quick rides and 3 M&Gs, and not just due to wanting to make more profit.  The MK EMM is great, and gets great reviews.  If they do this and really mess it up it will be a real shame.  I don't tend to be one to bother with emails, but if I go to this and have personal comparisons with MK EMM, the prior DHS EMM, and DAH and this one is terrible they will get emails from me voicing my displeasure.


----------



## jennab

I switched to 7am too but it worries me because I keep thinking, if 7:30 was offered first maybe that's the best choice and I just downgraded myself somehow!  Is it weird that the actual description still has it as 7:30-8:45am?  Wouldn't they change it to 7am if that is when they will open it?


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Watch it really be a 7:30am park entry for everyone (no matter reservation time) and us fools just end up sitting around for 30+ minutes waiting.  HAHA!


----------



## GoldenOwner

ninafeliz said:


> You have to decide which one to officially keep prior to the cancellation period though, right?  Or am I misunderstanding?  Because if you keep them both you'll be essentially paying double for every person (which clearly isn't your plan!).



 Yes I definitely plan on canceling one (or maybe both because I have it booked for 11/28 too!). Since I'm not until the end of November, I wanted to see how the October dates went before canceling.


----------



## kat_lh

ninafeliz said:


> How do you have reservations for both times on the same day?  When I even look to check availability on my day it warns me that I have a conflicting dining reservation and asks if I want to cancel that one to book another.  I'm always afraid of a screw up with that, so if I change to 7:00, which I'm not planning on doing (at least at this exact moment!), I'll probably call in.  /QUOTE]
> 
> When I changed our reservation, it held the 7:30 until the 7:00 was confirmed and then I got my booked email followed by the cancellation email.  It was painless and not scary
> 
> I though about calling as well, but given all the weird messages CMs have been giving out lately, they scared me more than the glitchy Disney website!


----------



## M SH

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Watch it really be a 7:30am park entry for everyone (no matter reservation time) and us fools just end up sitting around for 30+ minutes waiting. HAHA!





this is always the case. maybe 7:29


----------



## im4pacers1

Can I ask this here... tomorrow is my Fastpass day and we are going to the EMM at DHs on then 7th... thinking we will do TSL, obviously, until 8:45... wondering what would be best use of time from 8:45- about 9:30 when we will head to eat. Should I plan to do the SW meet and greets or head over and knock out TOT and RRC? What do you all think?

ETA: we will be at DHS all day, leaving around 7:45 for dinner at Yachtsmans.


----------



## TinkSassy

im4pacers1 said:


> Can I ask this here... tomorrow is my Fastpass day and we are going to the EMM at DHs on then 7th... thinking we will do TSL, obviously, until 8:45... wondering what would be best use of time from 8:45- about 9:30 when we will head to eat. Should I plan to do the SW meet and greets or head over and knock out TOT and RRC? What do you all think?



All lines will be headed to TSL first -so all the lines should be very low.  Personally I would do ToT and RRC then back the the SW Launch Bay - the lines stay shorter for those a little longer.


----------



## jenjersnap

im4pacers1 said:


> Can I ask this here... tomorrow is my Fastpass day and we are going to the EMM at DHs on then 7th... thinking we will do TSL, obviously, until 8:45... wondering what would be best use of time from 8:45- about 9:30 when we will head to eat. Should I plan to do the SW meet and greets or head over and knock out TOT and RRC? What do you all think?
> 
> ETA: we will be at DHS all day, leaving around 7:45 for dinner at Yachtsmans.



We are going to head to RRC before breakfast. I will be happy with one ride on it, considering it appears we will have to swim against the swarms heading to TSL and join the regular main group heading to RRC at rope drop. We are going 9/17, will report back.


----------



## Tinkerbell Down Under

I had my travel agent call directly to try and find out what is happening because my date (12th November) has now switched to 7:00am and 7:30am.  They looking directly into the system and there are currently over 100 people booked for 7:30 and 9 people for 7:00am.  The CM said they have been told to tell everybody to be there at 7am so likely everybody will be entering at the same time.


----------



## jennab

Tinkerbell Down Under said:


> I had my travel agent call directly to try and find out what is happening because my date (12th November) has now switched to 7:00am and 7:30am.  They looking directly into the system and there are currently over 100 people booked for 7:30 and 9 people for 7:00am.  The CM said they have been told to tell everybody to be there at 7am so likely everybody will be entering at the same time.



I mean I’ll be happy if they add an extra 30min and make it 7-8:45!


----------



## kat_lh

Tinkerbell Down Under said:


> I had my travel agent call directly to try and find out what is happening because my date (12th November) has now switched to 7:00am and 7:30am.  They looking directly into the system and there are currently over 100 people booked for 7:30 and 9 people for 7:00am.  The CM said they have been told to tell everybody to be there at 7am so likely everybody will be entering at the same time.



I really hope your TA is right! If that's the case, then it looks like days with two times would be limited to 200 people.  And if there are dates with just one time, those would be just 100 folks.

Which that 200 number seems to be in line with EMM at Fantastyland.

Maybe someone goofed when rolling it out and capped it at 100 people. Then Disney IT being Disney IT, instead of upping capacity at that time, just created a whole new time.


----------



## StacyStrong

I wonder if "over 100" means 105 or 300 lol


----------



## 3Anderboys

kat_lh said:


> I really hope your TA is right! If that's the case, then it looks like days with two times would be limited to 200 people.  And if there are dates with just one time, those would be just 100 folks.
> 
> Which that 200 number seems to be in line with EMM at Fantastyland.
> 
> Maybe someone goofed when rolling it out and capped it at 100 people. Then Disney IT being Disney IT, instead of upping capacity at that time, just created a whole new time.


first thought! I think they messed up in a few different ways. 1. They capped it low at the 7:30 time slot. oops! 2. Some IT mess I don't understand made it easier to add an additional time slot versus updating the original? 3. The event will be 7-8:45? No clue how they could have a 7 am time slot and not let people in until 7:30? who knows!


----------



## ssphillips

ninafeliz said:


> Well, I just changed our return flight on Oct 29th from 11:45 AM to 8:05 PM so we can attend this event that AM!  Despite the fact that we will have to get up and do RAC prior to getting to DHS by 7:00 AM, we have a 2 hr drive from the airport to our house that night, and I work the next morning!  I think it's crazy, and I am going to be so tired the next day, but it stunk to have missed it by a few hours.  On our last trip we left a week before TSL opened, and our kids were bummed, so now they are really excited that they get to ride all 3 rides without much wait (we certainly hope it ends up like the MK one is now).  If only they hadn't cancelled the MK one for that Sunday, we could have done them both, plus MNSSHP, F&W, and the Epcot AP event all in a 5 night trip.  We're still packing a lot in this trip, unlike our typical resort heavy longer trips.



Your trip is virtually identical to ours. We had our Sun EMM cancelled, going to this last morning, getting home around midnight that night, then going to work the next am. Going to HS EMM same day too! Also doing MNSSHP and Parisian Afternoon at EP. 

Maybe we’ll see you there.


----------



## aliceinvunderland

im4pacers1 said:


> Can I ask this here... tomorrow is my Fastpass day and we are going to the EMM at DHs on then 7th... thinking we will do TSL, obviously, until 8:45... wondering what would be best use of time from 8:45- about 9:30 when we will head to eat. Should I plan to do the SW meet and greets or head over and knock out TOT and RRC? What do you all think?
> 
> ETA: we will be at DHS all day, leaving around 7:45 for dinner at Yachtsmans.



This is my plan as well. Do EMM in TSL, then head to RRC and TOT to ride those a couple of times. Then breakfast and Star Tours before hopping to AK for the afternoon/evening. I’m guessing we’ll have plenty of time for an early afternoon break at the hotel!


----------



## IceQueen182

Thanks for the helpful info on this thread!  I switched our 11-26 EMM in TSL from 7:30 to 7...just in case.  I'm in the camp who thinks everyone will be let in at the same time, but I can't help overthinking it!  Hopefully we don't all sit until 7:30 or I'll have some very grumpy children who had to get up super early to travel from the Poly to HS!  Looking forward to see reports back when this starts.


----------



## 3Anderboys

IceQueen182 said:


> Thanks for the helpful info on this thread!  I switched our 11-26 EMM in TSL from 7:30 to 7...just in case.  I'm in the camp who thinks everyone will be let in at the same time, but I can't help overthinking it!  Hopefully we don't all sit until 7:30 or I'll have some very grumpy children who had to get up super early to travel from the Poly to HS!  Looking forward to see reports back when this starts.



Are you driving? Or Minnie van or Ubering? We’re at GF/MK area as well. Trying to figure out what time to call for a Minnie or Uber family. We have a party of 6 and definitely need one car seat. This is gonna be early!!


----------



## jwolfpack

We'll be heading to EMM from Poly in October, and I think we're going to drive. My crew is going to be grumpy. Thinking that we'll leave Poly by 6:30?


----------



## shairpdrh

We are coming from CCV for the first date in Sept, so we will probably try for a Minnie Van right when they start (I think based on the Disney website they start at 6:30). We need a car seat so we will hope it works out! We won't have the benefit of any reports, so I will report back here with our experience after our trip.


----------



## IceQueen182

3Anderboys said:


> Are you driving? Or Minnie van or Ubering? We’re at GF/MK area as well. Trying to figure out what time to call for a Minnie or Uber family. We have a party of 6 and definitely need one car seat. This is gonna be early!!



I'm a big Minnie Van fan since we'll need a car seat, too, so that's my plan.  Uber is Plan B.  I've had good luck getting Minnie Vans early so hopefully it's not an issue.

I'm thinking if I call for one ~10 minutes before 6:30 to give it time to arrive by then, we should be able to make it to HS by 6:45. Definitely an early morning!! I'm planning an early resort night the night before.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

For those that already have the Minnie Van connection on the Lyft app, you can pull it up at any time, move your location to WDW, and “see” what  Minnie Van availability is like at that moment in time.  

So... do that for a few mornings around the same time you plan to need one on your trip and you can eyeball what things “may” (key word) look like when you are there.  That’s an imperfect exercise of course, but can be somewhat helpful.


----------



## kat_lh

shairpdrh said:


> We are coming from CCV for the first date in Sept, so we will probably try for a Minnie Van right when they start (I think based on the Disney website they start at 6:30). We need a car seat so we will hope it works out! We won't have the benefit of any reports, so I will report back here with our experience after our trip.


We'll be coming from BRV for ours - would love a report on how the Minnie van goes. Our little dude is 4 and technically  okay to be without I think but I'd feel better with him in one!


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

We are going 8th October, partly in an attempt to mitigate the Columbus Day crowds (we are from the U.K. and didn’t realise we were arriving on a holiday weekend until we booked). We booked for 7:30am, and based on previous posts in this thread, that event sold out.

There is now a 7am slot available, which again based on this thread, seems to have appeared in the last couple of days. I don’t honestly know if the entry time matters, but I’m going to call Disney tomorrow and ask to move it anyway. I’m also incredibly annoyed that they seem to have increased the capacity, since they went from sold out to having more availability. It’s a pricy event (3 adults, 1 kid) if it is not going to get us much benefit. We are there for 2 weeks so I’m considering just cancelling altogether and going early on a quieter day when it’s not a holiday weekend.

Edit: Rather than waiting to call Disney tomorrow, I moved the time online - I can to cancel the existing reservation and replace it with a new one for 7am, and of course pay for the new reservation and wait for a refund. So at least it is done, though in the bigger picture I think I may end up cancelling altogether - I’m not sure it will now be a big benefit to us on a busy day if they are increasing how many people can attend the event. We are going to EMM at MK the next day, and I hope it is more successful.


----------



## maiapapaya

Tigger in a kilt said:


> We are going 8th October, partly in an attempt to mitigate the Columbus Day crowds (we are from the U.K. and didn’t realise we were arriving on a holiday weekend until we booked). We booked for 7:30am, and based on previous posts in this thread, that event sold out.
> 
> There is now a 7am slot available, which again based on this thread, seems to have appeared in the last couple of days. I don’t honestly know if the entry time matters, but I’m going to call Disney tomorrow and ask to move it anyway. I’m also incredibly annoyed that they seem to have increased the capacity, since they went from sold out to having more availability. It’s a pricy event (3 adults, 1 kid) if it is not going to get us much benefit. We are there for 2 weeks so I’m considering just cancelling altogether and going early on a quieter day when it’s not a holiday weekend.
> 
> Edit: Rather than waiting to call Disney tomorrow, I moved the time online - I can to cancel the existing reservation and replace it with a new one for 7am, and of course pay for the new reservation and wait for a refund. So at least it is done, though in the bigger picture I think I may end up cancelling altogether - I’m not sure it will now be a big benefit to us on a busy day if they are increasing how many people can attend the event. We are going to EMM at MK the next day, and I hope it is more successful.


 
Maybe wait and see some reports of how busy the dates are that have had a 7:00 am time slot added. No one knows yet what numbers are like for this event, it still might be completely fine.


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

maiapapaya said:


> Maybe wait and see some reports of how busy the dates are that have had a 7:00 am time slot added. No one knows yet what numbers are like for this event, it still might be completely fine.



I think you are right, thank you. I’m panicking because we leave in 4 weeks, but realistically we do have plenty of time to see how it goes in the earlier dates.


----------



## maiapapaya

Tigger in a kilt said:


> I think you are right, thank you. I’m panicking because we leave in 4 weeks, but realistically we do have plenty of time to see how it goes in the earlier dates.


 Have a great trip! We are having to wait for dates to be added for our trip (not until March). I look forward to hearing the reports of how this event goes for everyone!


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

maiapapaya said:


> Have a great trip! We are having to wait for dates to be added for our trip (not until March). I look forward to hearing the reports of how this event goes for everyone!



Thank you. I will certainly report back, though as I have never been to WDW before, I’m not sure how helpful my idea of busyness will actually be!


----------



## StacyStrong

Every other time that I try to check my date for a 7am time slot, I get a "we're working on it" page. It makes me so nervous that they are adding more slots each time!!!
I hate that I need to keep looking because no one has any idea how this will work.

FWIW, you can currently book for 10, but not 14 on December 5th at 7:30.


----------



## anomamatt

10/15 is now sold out for 7:30 (my date).  It will be interesting to see if they add a 7am time...


----------



## GADisneyDad14

I went through a sell-out run earlier today but the website was giving me weird availability on certain dates... searching for 4 would show sold out but then 5 would be available... so I hung it up and said I’d try again later.


----------



## Jadeey

Tigger in a kilt said:


> We are going 8th October, partly in an attempt to mitigate the Columbus Day crowds (we are from the U.K. and didn’t realise we were arriving on a holiday weekend until we booked). We booked for 7:30am, and based on previous posts in this thread, that event sold out.
> 
> There is now a 7am slot available, which again based on this thread, seems to have appeared in the last couple of days. I don’t honestly know if the entry time matters, but I’m going to call Disney tomorrow and ask to move it anyway. I’m also incredibly annoyed that they seem to have increased the capacity, since they went from sold out to having more availability. It’s a pricy event (3 adults, 1 kid) if it is not going to get us much benefit. We are there for 2 weeks so I’m considering just cancelling altogether and going early on a quieter day when it’s not a holiday weekend.
> 
> Edit: Rather than waiting to call Disney tomorrow, I moved the time online - I can to cancel the existing reservation and replace it with a new one for 7am, and of course pay for the new reservation and wait for a refund. So at least it is done, though in the bigger picture I think I may end up cancelling altogether - I’m not sure it will now be a big benefit to us on a busy day if they are increasing how many people can attend the event. We are going to EMM at MK the next day, and I hope it is more successful.



If the TA someone asked is to be believed, it looks like the cap will still only be 200-300 even on the days with 2 times. I think it will be well worth it for you if you are there on a day that is going to be high crowds later in the day.


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

Jadeey said:


> If the TA someone asked is to be believed, it looks like the cap will still only be 200-300 even on the days with 2 times. I think it will be well worth it for you if you are there on a day that is going to be high crowds later in the day.



I do hope that the total cap will be the same, but I will wait to see how others get on at the earlier dates. We need to something that day, despite the crowds, so a very early morning followed by the pool by noon sounds great! We will be up by 4am (jet lag) so we might as well try to get in as much early morning park time as we can!


----------



## Babs1975

So it looks like my date, 11/28, is now sold out. Can't even book 1 person. No 7 am slot yet. Will have to watch it like a hawk now to see if the 7 am gets added. I plan on moving to it if it does.


----------



## Babs1975

Or I can look here too! I know someone will post it!


----------



## Steven G

Oct 10 is sold out too, no extra time yet.


----------



## Cowgirl_Jessie

Tigger in a kilt said:


> We are going 8th October, partly in an attempt to mitigate the Columbus Day crowds (we are from the U.K. and didn’t realise we were arriving on a holiday weekend until we booked). We booked for 7:30am, and based on previous posts in this thread, that event sold out.
> 
> There is now a 7am slot available, which again based on this thread, seems to have appeared in the last couple of days. I don’t honestly know if the entry time matters, but I’m going to call Disney tomorrow and ask to move it anyway. I’m also incredibly annoyed that they seem to have increased the capacity, since they went from sold out to having more availability. It’s a pricy event (3 adults, 1 kid) if it is not going to get us much benefit. We are there for 2 weeks so I’m considering just cancelling altogether and going early on a quieter day when it’s not a holiday weekend.
> 
> Edit: Rather than waiting to call Disney tomorrow, I moved the time online - I can to cancel the existing reservation and replace it with a new one for 7am, and of course pay for the new reservation and wait for a refund. So at least it is done, though in the bigger picture I think I may end up cancelling altogether - I’m not sure it will now be a big benefit to us on a busy day if they are increasing how many people can attend the event. We are going to EMM at MK the next day, and I hope it is more successful.




We are going on the 8th as well and just saw the 7:00 added.  I used your idea of canceling the 7:30 and adding the 7:00 through mydisney experience; it was super quick and easy to do.  Great idea and thanks for sharing!!  Now to see how it works on the credit card...


----------



## scottmel

Cowgirl_Jessie said:


> We are going on the 8th as well and just saw the 7:00 added.  I used your idea of canceling the 7:30 and adding the 7:00 through mydisney experience; it was super quick and easy to do.  Great idea and thanks for sharing!!  Now to see how it works on the credit card...



I really want to book this but the fine print says non refundable and non moveable so I am concerned yet in reading your post you were able to cancel and rebook?


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

Cowgirl_Jessie said:


> We are going on the 8th as well and just saw the 7:00 added.  I used your idea of canceling the 7:30 and adding the 7:00 through mydisney experience; it was super quick and easy to do.  Great idea and thanks for sharing!!  Now to see how it works on the credit card...



My new charge came through within a couple of minutes. Based on doing the same thing with CRT, I expect to get a refund in about a week. See you there!



scottmel said:


> I really want to book this but the fine print says non refundable and non moveable so I am concerned yet in reading your post you were able to cancel and rebook?



The confirmation email says you can cancel, which is in direct conflict with the info on the website. Some people seem to have had luck with calling the Dining people, but I don’t have their U.K. number so I just did it online and it seems to have worked fine. It functioned exactly like a normal ADR: I picked the 7am slot and it warned me that I had a conflicting ADR (ie the 7:30am slot). I clicked the button to cancel it, and it went through exactly as if I were cancelling a normal ADR. I got a cancellation confirmation email and a confirmation email for my new time.

If you are concerned, I would do it the way I did, rather than cancelling the 7:30am and then trying to rebook at 7am. Because the system overwrites it, it doesn’t cancel your existing reservation until your new one is confirmed.

Edit: Is that clear? What I’m saying is: don’t cancel and rebook. Book the 7am as a new reservation and let it overwrite the 7:30am reservation with the new, 7am one.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

scottmel said:


> I really want to book this but the fine print says non refundable and non moveable so I am concerned yet in reading your post you were able to cancel and rebook?



The cancellation policy is 1 day, despite what the website says.  EMM (both MK and DHS) acts like an ADR and can easily be booked/cancelled online with no issues.  When cancelling, the exact timing of getting a refund depends on your credit card, but for us it’s usually 1-3 days.


----------



## scottmel

Tigger in a kilt said:


> My new charge came through within a couple of minutes. Based on doing the same thing with CRT, I expect to get a refund in about a week. See you there!
> 
> 
> 
> The confirmation email says you can cancel, which is in direct conflict with the info on the website. Some people seem to have had luck with calling the Dining people, but I don’t have their U.K. number so I just did it online and it seems to have worked fine. It functioned exactly like a normal ADR: I picked the 7am slot and it warned me that I had a conflicting ADR (ie the 7:30am slot). I clicked the button to cancel it, and it went through exactly as if I were cancelling a normal ADR. I got a cancellation confirmation email and a confirmation email for my new time.
> 
> If you are concerned, I would do it the way I did, rather than cancelling the 7:30am and then trying to rebook at 7am. Because the system overwrites it, it doesn’t cancel your existing reservation until your new one is confirmed.
> 
> Edit: Is that clear? What I’m saying is: don’t cancel and rebook. Book the 7am as a new reservation and let it overwrite the 7:30am reservation with the new, 7am one.



PERFECT explantion! THANKS!


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

scottmel said:


> PERFECT explantion! THANKS!



You’re very welcome. Good luck!


----------



## AngiTN

I figure the 2 different times for this are no different than the 2 different times for a dessert party. They are meaningless. Everyone can show up at the same time


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

AngiTN said:


> I figure the 2 different times for this are no different than the 2 different times for a dessert party. They are meaningless. Everyone can show up at the same time



I suspect you are right, but it required a certain amount of knowledge that contradicts what Disney tells you. If you booked early you were given the 7:30am slot, and there has been no communication telling us that we can get in early - the initial email says you can check in “from 7am” for 7:30 entry. So unless they read forums or for some reason were playing around with other options on the website, guests who booked early would not know about it, and are essentially being penalised 30 minutes in the park for booking early. That’s pretty rotten.


----------



## AngiTN

Tigger in a kilt said:


> I suspect you are right, but it required a certain amount of knowledge that contradicts what Disney tells you. If you booked early you were given the 7:30am slot, and there has been no communication telling us that we can get in early - the initial email says you can check in “from 7am” for 7:30 entry. So unless they read forums or for some reason were playing around with other options on the website, guests who booked early would not know about it, and are essentially being penalised 30 minutes in the park for booking early. That’s pretty rotten.


Yep, agree 100%
Granted, the same goes for the Dessert Parties.
People think they have to check in exactly at the time shown on their reservations. They have no clue that they can check in so much ahead of that time. Nothing on the website tells them that and if you were to call, they'd never know that either. 
Just one more in a LONG line of things that Disney gets wrong, or contradictory. I really find no excuse for it either.


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

AngiTN said:


> Yep, agree 100%
> Granted, the same goes for the Dessert Parties.
> People think they have to check in exactly at the time shown on their reservations. They have no clue that they can check in so much ahead of that time. Nothing on the website tells them that and if you were to call, they'd never know that either.
> Just one more in a LONG line of things that Disney gets wrong, or contradictory. I really find no excuse for it either.



I didn’t realise that we could check in much earlier for the dessert party - thank you for that! 

As a WDW newbie, I’m finding all the contradictory advice from Disney to be incredibly frustrating. Certainly it’s a huge operation, but there seems to be little consistency. I’m incredibly glad I found this board and podcast!


----------



## Rileygirl

GADisneyDad14 said:


> The cancellation policy is 1 day, despite what the website says.  EMM (both MK and DHS) acts like an ADR and can easily be booked/cancelled online with no issues.  When cancelling, the exact timing of getting a refund depends on your credit card, but for us it’s usually 1-3 days.



This very helpful information. I wonder if you might put it on the first post as an update?   

I was also curious on the dates it starts but the Disney website only shows me dates that are available. So when is the actual first emm for DHS? I am wondering who will give us real time experience.

Finally, the first post does not mention the new 7 am time slot, and that might be relevant information for anyone who just has found this thread. I think most people read the first post or two, then skip to the current posts, and then end up asking questions.....it might be helpful to keep up the first post?


----------



## PrincessDuck

Rileygirl said:


> This very helpful information. I wonder if you might put it on the first post as an update?
> 
> I was also curious on the dates it starts but the Disney website only shows me dates that are available. So when is the actual first emm for DHS? I am wondering who will give us real time experience.
> 
> Finally, the first post does not mention the new 7 am time slot, and that might be relevant information for anyone who just has found this thread. I think most people read the first post or two, then skip to the current posts, and then end up asking questions.....it might be helpful to keep up the first post?



The list of dates are in post #2, so the first date is September 17, 2018.


----------



## Rileygirl

PrincessDuck said:


> The list of dates are in post #2, so the first date is September 17, 2018.


Oops..


----------



## MickeyMinnieMom

Tigger in a kilt said:


> I suspect you are right, but it required a certain amount of knowledge that contradicts what Disney tells you. If you booked early you were given the 7:30am slot, and there has been no communication telling us that we can get in early - the initial email says you can check in “from 7am” for 7:30 entry. So unless they read forums or for some reason were playing around with other options on the website, guests who booked early would not know about it, and are essentially being penalised 30 minutes in the park for booking early. That’s pretty rotten.





AngiTN said:


> Yep, agree 100%
> Granted, the same goes for the Dessert Parties.
> People think they have to check in exactly at the time shown on their reservations. They have no clue that they can check in so much ahead of that time. Nothing on the website tells them that and if you were to call, they'd never know that either.
> Just one more in a LONG line of things that Disney gets wrong, or contradictory. I really find no excuse for it either.



The only thing I'd add is that I really don't have a desire to get to a dessert party early -- there's plenty of time to eat a few desserts and I'm really there for the viewing area.  If I had 30 fewer minutes of riding attractions (assuming that can be the case here), THAT would annoy me...


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

MickeyMinnieMom said:


> The only thing I'd add is that I really don't have a desire to get to a dessert party early -- there's plenty of time to eat a few desserts and I'm really there for the viewing area.  If I had 30 fewer minutes of riding attractions (assuming that can be the case here), THAT would annoy me...



This is very true! I’m doing the dessert party for the view too, but it’s good to know that if we need a break in the time before it, we can go earlier than stated. I’m doing Keys to the Kingdom the morning of the MK dessert party, so I may be very grateful for earlier access to a sit down and some snacks after 5 hours of walking!


----------



## anomamatt

AngiTN said:


> Yep, agree 100%
> Granted, the same goes for the Dessert Parties.
> People think they have to check in exactly at the time shown on their reservations. They have no clue that they can check in so much ahead of that time. Nothing on the website tells them that and if you were to call, they'd never know that either.
> Just one more in a LONG line of things that Disney gets wrong, or contradictory. I really find no excuse for it either.



I agree with your sentiment, but I think it's intentional on Disney's part.  I think they do the staggered times as a means of crowd control.  But they allow people to come any time to make sure there are no inequities enforced (to prevent people complaining, they'll just say "oh, the fine print says you can check in at 7 for the 7:30am slot and you would have been let in").


----------



## GADisneyDad14

This is OT for this thread, but getting in early for dessert parties before the ADR time can be variable to the desserty party in question.  The ADR time for the Plaza Garden viewing version at MK, for example, is already 1.5 hours before fireworks time.  They might start letting people in 10-20ish mins earlier on any given night, but it’s not usually going to be materially earlier.  For the FEA/Illuminations party we did in Feb and April, it was around 5-10 mins before the ADR time.  YMMV of course since they can do different things on any given night.


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

anomamatt said:


> I agree with your sentiment, but I think it's intentional on Disney's part.  I think they do the staggered times as a means of crowd control.  But they allow people to come any time to make sure there are no inequities enforced (to prevent people complaining, they'll just say "oh, the fine print says you can check in at 7 for the 7:30am slot and you would have been let in").



I think you are right, but I also think it is a rotten thing to do. Particularly in this case, where those who bought tickets first are penalised by 30 mins. It also suggests that they are letting in more people than at MK EMM, which doesn’t have/need staggered entry.

This is the same fine print on my 7:30am booking, now cancelled, and my new 7am booking:
Guests will check-in at the main entrance of Disney's Hollywood Studios starting at 7am and receive a wristband for event identification.

We had always intended to arrive about 7am. However, with a 7:30am start, I had assumed we would be nearer the front of the queue. Had I not read this forum, I would have arrived to find that the 7am entry people had been queuing since 6:30am, while we hung around our hotel room, bored and wide awake.

Edit: Off-topic comment removed


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

GADisneyDad14 said:


> This is OT for this thread, but getting in early for dessert parties before the ADR time can be variable to the desserty party in question.  The ADR time for the Plaza Garden viewing version at MK, for example, is already 1.5 hours before fireworks time.  They might start letting people in 10-20ish mins earlier on any given night, but it’s not usually going to be materially earlier.  For the FEA/Illuminations party we did in Feb and April, it was around 5-10 mins before the ADR time.  YMMV of course since they can do different things on any given night.



That’s great to know; thank you!


----------



## anomamatt

Tigger in a kilt said:


> It also suggests that they are letting in more people than at MK EMM, which doesn’t have/need staggered entry.



I'm wishfully hoping it's double MK EMM numbers...  TSL EMM must have significantly higher capacity with TSM, SDD, and AS2 (and the M&G) compared to MK EMM...  so as long as they didn't make it 10x the numbers, I think it will still be awesomely awesome.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Rileygirl said:


> This very helpful information. I wonder if you might put it on the first post as an update?
> 
> I was also curious on the dates it starts but the Disney website only shows me dates that are available. So when is the actual first emm for DHS? I am wondering who will give us real time experience.
> 
> Finally, the first post does not mention the new 7 am time slot, and that might be relevant information for anyone who just has found this thread. I think most people read the first post or two, then skip to the current posts, and then end up asking questions.....it might be helpful to keep up the first post?



Thanks for the note and suggestions.  Yeah, I’ve got some updates I need to make to Post #1.  I rushed when info first came pour.     I’ll work on it soon.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

anomamatt said:


> I'm wishfully hoping it's double MK EMM numbers...  TSL EMM must have significantly higher capacity with TSM, SDD, and AS2 (and the M&G) compared to MK EMM...  so as long as they didn't make it 10x the numbers, I think it will still be awesomely awesome.



Agree.  I can’t imagine the capacity won’t be higher than MK.  Just seems like it can handle more people to me.  But I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt on them still putting together a quality experience.... until proven otherwise.


----------



## AngiTN

GADisneyDad14 said:


> This is OT for this thread, but getting in early for dessert parties before the ADR time can be variable to the desserty party in question.  The ADR time for the Plaza Garden viewing version at MK, for example, is already 1.5 hours before fireworks time.  They might start letting people in 10-20ish mins earlier on any given night, but it’s not usually going to be materially earlier.  For the FEA/Illuminations party we did in Feb and April, it was around 5-10 mins before the ADR time.  YMMV of course since they can do different things on any given night.


No, that's not even what I was referring to.
When you go to book the dessert party it has 2 different times, just like the EMM does now. At least they used to. Been a long time since I booked a regular Dessert party. But last time I booked it would return times of something like an ADR at 7:00 and one at 7:15, for the 9:00 Fireworks. Guests don't have to show up at the time shown. Everyone can show up at whatever time check in is, you don't wait and check in at 2 different times.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

AngiTN said:


> No, that's not even what I was referring to.
> When you go to book the dessert party it has 2 different times, just like the EMM does now. At least they used to. Been a long time since I booked a regular Dessert party. But last time I booked it would return times of something like an ADR at 7:00 and one at 7:15, for the 9:00 Fireworks. Guests don't have to show up at the time shown. Everyone can show up at whatever time check in is, you don't wait and check in at 2 different times.



I can’t speak for the Star Wars dessert party, but the MK and Epcot parties aren’t like that anymore.  Just one ADR time for the specific party in question.


----------



## jvalic33

Watching this thread. We're going to the 10/15 party. I hope it's as good as MK EMM!


----------



## disneydreamer781

I would absolutely love to do this but the fact that DH probably won't ride 2 of the 3 attractions makes it sort of a waste. He is very willing to do the ROL Dessert party so I guess I should be grateful for something.


----------



## buzzrelly

disneydreamer781 said:


> I would absolutely love to do this but the fact that DH probably won't ride 2 of the 3 attractions makes it sort of a waste. He is very willing to do the ROL Dessert party so I guess I should be grateful for something.



We are doing it, even though my DH won't ride SDD…he hates coasters! I think he'll be okay with A** and he loves TSM though. Which one won't your DH go on?


----------



## Dash7

I'm a little disappointed in the menu options. I was hoping for a more generic breakfast option for my kids.

Mexican Corn Chilaquiles and Eggs Bowl
Shrimp and Southern Grits Bowl
Fried Chicken and Cinnamon Sugar French Donut Bowl
Smashed Avocado Toast Egg Plate
Breakfast Charcuterie Platter

ETA: My kids are Disney adults. Yes, I know they can order adult portions of the kids options (but they won't really like those either, ha ha!) I am looking forward to some of the options and they will be fine with the continental stuff. I wasn't really complaining, I was just kinda thinking out loud. Yes, I should know better than to do that.


----------



## StacyStrong

Dash7 said:


> I'm a little disappointed in the menu options. I was hoping for a more generic breakfast option for my kids.
> 
> Mexican Corn Chilaquiles and Eggs Bowl
> Shrimp and Southern Grits Bowl
> Fried Chicken and Cinnamon Sugar French Donut Bowl
> Smashed Avocado Toast Egg Plate
> Breakfast Charcuterie Platter


Where'd you get this list?


----------



## Dash7

StacyStrong said:


> Where'd you get this list?



https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2018/09/play-big-with-early-morning-magic-at-toy-story-land/


----------



## bizeemom4

Dash7 said:


> I'm a little disappointed in the menu options. I was hoping for a more generic breakfast option for my kids.
> 
> Mexican Corn Chilaquiles and Eggs Bowl
> Shrimp and Southern Grits Bowl
> Fried Chicken and Cinnamon Sugar French Donut Bowl
> Smashed Avocado Toast Egg Plate
> Breakfast Charcuterie Platter



Looks great but not food I want to consume and then spin around for an hour.


----------



## StacyStrong

Dash7 said:


> https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2018/09/play-big-with-early-morning-magic-at-toy-story-land/


Hmm. Well it looks like scrambled eggs, cereal, yogurt, and fruit will be available for them.


----------



## MIAMouseketeer

Dash7 said:


> I'm a little disappointed in the menu options. I was hoping for a more generic breakfast option for my kids.
> 
> Mexican Corn Chilaquiles and Eggs Bowl
> Shrimp and Southern Grits Bowl
> Fried Chicken and Cinnamon Sugar French Donut Bowl
> Smashed Avocado Toast Egg Plate
> Breakfast Charcuterie Platter



It will be interesting to see how they handle people with allergies. I am Celiac and I can't eat gluten and have an intolerance to corn and potatoes. I usually just stick with eggs and bacon.


----------



## SaintsManiac

bizeemom4 said:


> Looks great but not food I want to consume and then spin around for an hour.




Generally it's better to eat after riding.


----------



## StacyStrong

MIAMouseketeer said:


> It will be interesting to see how they handle people with allergies. I am Celiac and I can't eat gluten and have an intolerance to corn and potatoes. I usually just stick with eggs and bacon. Looks like they are trying to reduce the consumption of the more expensive foods and then have an all you can eat buffet of the cheaper foods like pastries, etc.


I reaalllllllyyyyy don't think that's what they are trying to do. 

I'm sure they will have options for dietary restrictions. If not, that's definitely an issue. 

I don't get it, even when Disney offers "nicer" things they are accused of trying to cut costs. There's no win.


----------



## StacyStrong

Anywho. I noticed the blog post makes no mention of the 7am time. Go figure!


----------



## JK World

MIAMouseketeer said:


> It will be interesting to see how they handle people with allergies. I am Celiac and I can't eat gluten and have an intolerance to corn and potatoes. I usually just stick with eggs and bacon. Looks like they are trying to reduce the consumption of the more expensive foods and then have an all you can eat buffet of the cheaper foods like pastries, etc.



My son is allergic to egg and has an intolerance to oat, pork, dairy and apple.  So breakfast is not a meal he general can eat at a restaurant, since most breakfasts center around sausage/bacon, oatmeal, eggs, french toast, yogurt, etc.  I'm actually optimistic that he could enjoy the fried chicken, tater tots and donut meal.  But he'll be perfectly happy with fruit and toast if need be, and I carry his almond milk in my purse anyways.

We're not doing this for the food, but I'm pleasantly surprised that we may be able to enjoy it!


----------



## KrazeeK120

Dash7 said:


> I'm a little disappointed in the menu options. I was hoping for a more generic breakfast option for my kids.
> 
> Mexican Corn Chilaquiles and Eggs Bowl
> Shrimp and Southern Grits Bowl
> Fried Chicken and Cinnamon Sugar French Donut Bowl
> Smashed Avocado Toast Egg Plate
> Breakfast Charcuterie Platter



According to the link you posted, the kids meals are either a kid’s portion of the fried chicken and cinnamon sugar donuts OR scrambled eggs, both served with potato barrels. Both of those sound like acceptable kid’s options to me. Plus they get the buffet, too.


----------



## jennab

I like that the breakfast options are a little different!  Not the same old same old buffet that is everywhere!


----------



## SaintsManiac

StacyStrong said:


> I reaalllllllyyyyy don't think that's what they are trying to do.
> 
> I'm sure they will have options for dietary restrictions. If not, that's definitely an issue.
> 
> I don't get it, even when Disney offers "nicer" things they are accused of trying to cut costs. There's no win.




Agree. This menu doesn't look like "cost cutting" to me, but we have to meet the quota of discussing it in every thread I guess.


----------



## AngiTN

bizeemom4 said:


> Looks great but not food I want to consume and then spin around for an hour.


We always eat last when we do EMM events.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Obviously personal, but the menu looks intriguing to me.  Definitely some things I wouldn’t normally eat (just give me eggs for breakfast and I’m good) but it at least “looks” from the written word descriptions that they’ve at least put some effort into it. 

5 days until we see what is really in store.


----------



## AngiTN

Dash7 said:


> I'm a little disappointed in the menu options.* I was hoping for a more generic breakfast option for my kids.*
> 
> Mexican Corn Chilaquiles and Eggs Bowl
> Shrimp and Southern Grits Bowl
> Fried Chicken and Cinnamon Sugar French Donut Bowl
> Smashed Avocado Toast Egg Plate
> Breakfast Charcuterie Platter


I'd read the announcement again. There is generic menu choices for kids. How much more generic are scrambled eggs?



MIAMouseketeer said:


> It will be interesting to see how they handle people with allergies. I am Celiac and I can't eat gluten and have an intolerance to corn and potatoes. I usually just stick with eggs and bacon. Looks like they are trying to reduce the consumption of the more expensive foods and then have an all you can eat buffet of the cheaper foods like pastries, etc.


Huh? Do you really think they've listed every single option on the blog post? Do you really think they aren't going to do anything for the allergy menu choices? Does Disney do nothing for their limited menu guests?



SaintsManiac said:


> Agree. This menu doesn't look like "cost cutting" to me, but we have to meet the quota of discussing it in every thread I guess.


Yep, there's a segment out there who will always find a way to spin everything Disney does a negative and cost cutting. Disney can't possibly do anything positive or worthwhile. Ever.


----------



## disneydreamer781

buzzrelly said:


> We are doing it, even though my DH won't ride SDD…he hates coasters! I think he'll be okay with A** and he loves TSM though. Which one won't your DH go on?



My DH will not do coasters either and he won't do Aliens because of motion sickness. I also suffer from motion sickness myself so that attraction may also not be something I can't do either. I'm on the fence about that one. I'm not much of a coaster person myself but I do want to do SDD and of course we both would do TSM. I still want to do this because it will save an FP and I have no idea how hard SDD will be to get but I have to think about the price and doing other events this December.  I also just caught the menu for this and it looks really good!


----------



## StacyStrong

I'm getting more excited and less worried about the 7am time slot!


----------



## Dash7

AngiTN said:


> I'd read the announcement again. There is generic menu choices for kids. How much more generic are scrambled eggs?



My kids are Disney adults. So that's what I was referring to.

The choices will be fine for me, and they'll make do with the continental options. But an option of regular breakfast food would kind of be nice. That's all I'm saying.


----------



## RachaelA

I think my husband and I will just want scrambled eggs for ourselves. Hopefully we can just order an adult size of that meal. We aren’t breakfast eaters.


----------



## FCDub

Truly damned if Disney does, damned if Disney doesn't.

Unreal complaints.


----------



## ENJDisneyFan

Dash7 said:


> My kids are Disney adults. So that's what I was referring to.
> 
> The choices will be fine for me, and they'll make do with the continental options. But an option of regular breakfast food would kind of be nice. That's all I'm saying.


I'm pretty sure your "Disney adults" will be able to order the kids option if that's what they prefer.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

BTW, who can even think of eating after several spins on SDD, AS2, and TSM back to back?

I kind of have trouble with MK EMM and only coffee in the tank + 8 rides on 7DMT.  I’m a bit worried about this one!


----------



## StacyStrong

GADisneyDad14 said:


> BTW, who can even think of eating after several spins on SDD, AS2, and TSM back to back?
> 
> I kind of have trouble with MK EMM and only coffee in the tank + 8 rides on 7DMT.  I’m a bit worried about this one!


I'll probably eat a granola bar or three on my way to help with that.


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

I’m impressed at this breakfast menu. As a vegetarian, my buffet options are usually eggs and potatoes, so this looks interesting.



GADisneyDad14 said:


> BTW, who can even think of eating after several spins on SDD, AS2, and TSM back to back?
> 
> I kind of have trouble with MK EMM and only coffee in the tank + 8 rides on 7DMT.  I’m a bit worried about this one!



I think it depends. If I don’t eat within about 10 minute of waking up, I get sick, especially if I’m on something that moves (eg train/bus), so I will definitely need to eat something small  before I leave the hotel to attend this, and then eat properly while we are there. My SIL is going with us, and she won’t eat any of the food as, like you, she wouldn’t do well eating before or after all those rides. More scrambled eggs for me!


----------



## DWFamilyof6

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Obviously personal, but the menu looks intriguing to me.  Definitely some things I wouldn’t normally eat (just give me eggs for breakfast and I’m good) but it at least “looks” from the written word descriptions that they’ve at least put some effort into it.
> 
> 5 days until we see what is really in store.


Agreed. The menu looks great to me.  Excited to hear the first reviews!


----------



## AngiTN

GADisneyDad14 said:


> BTW, who can even think of eating after several spins on SDD, AS2, and TSM back to back?
> 
> I kind of have trouble with MK EMM and only coffee in the tank + 8 rides on 7DMT.  I’m a bit worried about this one!





StacyStrong said:


> I'll probably eat a granola bar or three on my way to help with that.


Yeah, we pack a box of Cliff bars on most all trips but definitely on those with any AM plans. Even if we share one it's enough to get us through till breakfast. 
Or, if we are CL, we'll stick a yogurt in the fridge or grab a banana on the way out


----------



## Jasperann

I'm excited for the food choices.  And my picky kid can just eat the yogurt, pastries, and cereal... I'll eat his meal.    The other kids will pick something they like from those choices and if not, not really a big deal.  I knew the food choices were different than 'normal' before I booked the EMM.  

Do shrimp with grits make the grits taste like shrimp?  (Never had it before...lol)


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Jasperann said:


> Do shrimp with grits make the grits taste like shrimp?  (Never had it before...lol)



If it does taste shrimpy, don’t eat it.


----------



## kat_lh

The menu looks awesome - if it delivers, it's definitely worth the price increase since the entrees move it from breakfast to brunch IMO.

One thing I'm curious about is that I know during the MK EMM, you can pop in and out of breakfast.  I wonder, with the restaurant not being in TSL, if that will be an option for this one?


----------



## kat_lh

Jasperann said:


> I'm excited for the food choices.  And my picky kid can just eat the yogurt, pastries, and cereal... I'll eat his meal.    The other kids will pick something they like from those choices and if not, not really a big deal.  I knew the food choices were different than 'normal' before I booked the EMM.
> 
> Do shrimp with grits make the grits taste like shrimp?  (Never had it before...lol)



A little bit but it's mostly yummy cheesy goodness (if done right!)


----------



## MIAMouseketeer

AngiTN said:


> Huh? Do you really think they've listed every single option on the blog post? Do you really think they aren't going to do anything for the allergy menu choices? Does Disney do nothing for their limited menu guests?
> .



Did I say they didn't? I said "it will be interesting to see". Disney has always taken care of me, especially at the EMM in Magic Kingdom. It's one of the reasons we like vacationing there, because food is never an issue there.


----------



## MIAMouseketeer

JK World said:


> My son is allergic to egg and has an intolerance to oat, pork, dairy and apple.  So breakfast is not a meal he general can eat at a restaurant, since most breakfasts center around sausage/bacon, oatmeal, eggs, french toast, yogurt, etc.  I'm actually optimistic that he could enjoy the fried chicken, tater tots and donut meal.  But he'll be perfectly happy with fruit and toast if need be, and I carry his almond milk in my purse anyways.
> 
> We're not doing this for the food, but I'm pleasantly surprised that we may be able to enjoy it!



Wow, that must be difficult. I was so thankful that my son hasn't had issues with gluten when we introduced it to him. My BFF's son is allergic to eggs and that one is hard. Eggs are in EVERYTHING! 



kat_lh said:


> One thing I'm curious about is that I know during the MK EMM, you can pop in and out of breakfast.  I wonder, with the restaurant not being in TSL, if that will be an option for this one?



I think the restaurant doesn't open for breakfast until 8:30am, not like MK that opens at 8:00am. I would assume you could pop in and out from 8:30 - 10a, but you may not want to do that. I think our plan will be to do what we do at MK, go rope drop a few things and then come back at 9:30a for breakfast. But I will wait for reports before making a game plan.


----------



## sapphirerose915

The breakfast choices sound and look delish!!!!

http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2018/...ed-for-early-morning-magic-in-toy-story-land/


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

GADisneyDad14 said:


> If it does taste shrimpy, don’t eat it.



Sorry, can I please clarify: if they taste shrimpy then is there something wrong with them/are they off? I’m another who has never had shrimp and grits, and I’m partly intrigued and partly concerned about eating theme park shellfish!


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Tigger in a kilt said:


> Sorry, can I please clarify: if they taste shrimpy then is there something wrong with them/are they off? I’m another who has never had shrimp and grits, and I’m partly intrigued and partly concerned about eating theme park shellfish!



I was mostly kidding.

Depends on how they are prepared but shrimp and grits are usually so loaded with butter and cheese that the shrimp are just a flavorless protein in the dish.

But yeah, theme park shellfish.... LOL!


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

GADisneyDad14 said:


> I was mostly kidding.
> 
> Depends on how they are prepared but shrimp and grits are usually so loaded with butter and cheese that the shrimp are just a flavorless protein in the dish.
> 
> But yeah, theme park shellfish.... LOL!



Oops, sorry! I forgot to switch on my brain today. 

I was thinking it might be some kind of well-known thing, like the southern equivalent of “don’t eat yellow snow”. We have some in our party who are interested in trying shrimp and grits, but I think we will get them in our resort or DS, rather than in HS. If we are going to get food poisoning, let’s make sure we are paying $50pp for it.


----------



## M SH

If I understand right, not everything is on the buffet? you get one of the main dishes, and just once?
no all you can eat chicken??? that would be lame


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

M SH said:


> If I understand right, not everything is on the buffet? you get one of the main dishes, and just once?
> no all you can eat chicken??? that would be lame



I guess we won’t know for certain until after the first one, but it looks like you order one entree and then you get fruit and pastries on the buffet.


----------



## AngiTN

Jasperann said:


> I'm excited for the food choices.  And my picky kid can just eat the yogurt, pastries, and cereal... I'll eat his meal.    The other kids will pick something they like from those choices and if not, not really a big deal.  I knew the food choices were different than 'normal' before I booked the EMM.
> 
> *Do shrimp with grits make the grits taste like shrimp?  (Never had it before...lol*)


Normally, no. The ones I've had the items are cooked separately but, I've never had it where it was a breakfast item. Not even brunch. That is likely the one menu item that did leave me wondering
Usually, the dish is very savory with quite a bit of kick to it, not burning/spicy hot but lots of flavors, even at Disney.


----------



## AngiTN

M SH said:


> If I understand right, not everything is on the buffet? you get one of the main dishes, and just once?
> no all you can eat chicken??? that would be lame





Tigger in a kilt said:


> I guess we won’t know for certain until after the first one, but it looks like you order one entree and then you get fruit and pastries on the buffet.


Yeah, I'm thinking like Akershus.


----------



## AngiTN

GADisneyDad14 said:


> I was mostly kidding.
> 
> Depends on how they are prepared but shrimp and grits are usually so loaded with butter and cheese that the shrimp are just a flavorless protein in the dish.
> 
> But yeah, theme park shellfish.... LOL!


Well, Shrimp and Grits may be unique to the Disney Theme Park menus but they are not too unique to Disney itself. And the ones they've done at Disney elsewhere are actually pretty fabulous. I have hopes these are half as good, which will still be some of the best I've had. After all, if Krystal can do shrimp, so can Disney, LOL 

I'm just having trouble with the dish for breakfast. Maybe if we eat really, really late.....


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

AngiTN said:


> Well, Shrimp and Grits may be unique to the Disney Theme Park menus but they are not too unique to Disney itself. And the ones they've done at Disney elsewhere are actually pretty fabulous. I have hopes these are half as good, which will still be some of the best I've had. After all, if Krystal can do shrimp, so can Disney, LOL
> 
> I'm just having trouble with the dish for breakfast. Maybe if we eat really, really late.....



Yeah, I said earlier in the thread that I need to eat immediately when I wake up, but even I draw the line at seafood first thing in the morning! 

I’m in Scotland, so shrimp and grits is definitely not something I encounter every day. Where would be the best place to try it? We are mostly staying at POR, and are on DxDP, if that makes a difference to your answer.


----------



## disneyworldsk

as a vegetarian i would only have the option basically of the avocado dish.  but what if i wanted one of those specialty donuts? I guess i couldn't have that because it's on the other main tray offered. Should just be everything for everyone and pick and choose buffet and maybe even some entrees from the new andy's lunch box place too mixed in.


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

disneyworldsk said:


> as a vegetarian i would only have the option basically of the avocado dish.  but what if i wanted one of those specialty donuts? I guess i couldn't have that because it's on the other main tray offered. Should just be everything for everyone and pick and choose buffet and maybe even some entrees from the new andy's lunch box place too mixed in.



I’m vegetarian too, so initially I assumed I would only have the avocado option, but I think the Mexican Corn Chilaquiles and Eggs Bowl might also be vegetarian. I’m definitely going to ask. 

They say that pastries will be available for everyone, and maybe that will include the doughnuts too. Alternatively, it looks like the avocado thing (which looks revolting in the photo, IMO) comes with salad, so maybe you could that they substitute the doughnuts. It’s worth a shot.

I agree with you that I’m surprised they aren’t feeding us from Andy’s Lunchbox. Though I don’t think they have brilliant vegetarian options either (esp if they can’t even make a chocolate pop tart without adding bacon to it - I’m still bitter about that!).


----------



## kat_lh

Tigger in a kilt said:


> I’m vegetarian too, so initially I assumed I would only have the avocado option, but I think the Mexican Corn Chilaquiles and Eggs Bowl might also be vegetarian. I’m definitely going to ask.
> 
> They say that pastries will be available for everyone, and maybe that will include the doughnuts too. Alternatively, it looks like the avocado thing (which looks revolting in the photo, IMO) comes with salad, so maybe you could that they substitute the doughnuts. It’s worth a shot.
> 
> I agree with you that I’m surprised they aren’t feeding us from Andy’s Lunchbox. Though I don’t think they have brilliant vegetarian options either (esp if they can’t even make a chocolate pop tart without adding bacon to it - I’m still bitter about that!).



often here, chilaquiles is served with beans which may or may not be cooked with bacon, so check that!


----------



## StacyStrong

AngiTN said:


> Yeah, I'm thinking like Akershus.


Like Akershus? Isn't that a buffet and they also bring out all you can eat eggs, etc to the table?


----------



## AngiTN

StacyStrong said:


> Like Akershus? Isn't that a buffet and they also bring out all you can eat eggs, etc to the table?


They didn't the last time I ate there but they may have changed. The last time I ate there, we ordered a meal for our entree and had the cold buffet too.


----------



## AngiTN

Tigger in a kilt said:


> Yeah, I said earlier in the thread that I need to eat immediately when I wake up, but even I draw the line at seafood first thing in the morning!
> 
> I’m in Scotland, so shrimp and grits is definitely not something I encounter every day. Where would be the best place to try it? *We are mostly staying at POR*, and are on DxDP, if that makes a difference to your answer.


That's exactly where you need to get them, at either Boatrights or the QS


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

kat_lh said:


> often here, chilaquiles is served with beans which may or may not be cooked with bacon, so check that!



That’s good to know - thank you! We don’t have a lot of Mexican or Tex-Mex food in my area, so I had to use google to work out what it was. It’s the kind of thing I would definitely ask about, since I wasn’t sure, but my guess is that you are right that it will contain bacon. I got prematurely excited at the idea that there might be more than 1 vegetarian option! 



AngiTN said:


> That's exactly where you need to get them, at either Boatrights or the QS



Perfect - that worked out well! Thank you.


----------



## StacyStrong

AngiTN said:


> They didn't the last time I ate there but they may have changed. The last time I ate there, we ordered a meal for our entree and had the cold buffet too.


For breakfast? Or another meal?


----------



## mis099dlm

You may be able to order the grits without the shrimp so that may be another option for those that don't eat shellfish/meat.  The menu looks good to me.  I'm glad Disney is mixing it up a bit. 

BTW, it looks like Disney may be adding more times for October.  The 7am time slot is showing up for many dates that were booked, like 10/15, and the 7am option didn't show up before.  However, you can't book the 7am time yet.  Some dates don't have 7am at all so I'm wondering if they are adding reservations.


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

mis099dlm said:


> You may be able to order the grits without the shrimp so that may be another option for those that don't eat shellfish/meat.  The menu looks good to me.  I'm glad Disney is mixing it up a bit.



That would be great, and I will definitely ask. I would be very interested in trying grits!


----------



## AngiTN

StacyStrong said:


> For breakfast? Or another meal?


Can't recall, we've had every meal there over the years.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

With all of these fancy menu items.....my only beef is that they don't have a Bloody Mary bar.   

That's what's really needed after an hour+ of riding all of these rides non-stop!


----------



## AngiTN

GADisneyDad14 said:


> With all of these fancy menu items.....my only beef is that they don't have a Bloody Mary bar.
> 
> That's what's really needed after an hour+ of riding all of these rides non-stop!


I guess I'll just have to grab a Schoffenhofer. It's grapefruit after all. That surely makes it a breakfast beer, right?


----------



## MKTokyo

Dash7 said:


> I'm a little disappointed in the menu options. I was hoping for a more generic breakfast option for my kids.
> 
> Mexican Corn Chilaquiles and Eggs Bowl
> Shrimp and Southern Grits Bowl
> Fried Chicken and Cinnamon Sugar French Donut Bowl
> Smashed Avocado Toast Egg Plate
> Breakfast Charcuterie Platter


I want to eat all of these things but I don't necessarily want to eat them at 9 AM


----------



## MAGICX2

I'm so bummed!! I have been looking at the 10/22 date for a week but was gun shy about a full charge up front with no cancellation. I just read here that it is acutally a hold with 1 day cancellation so I went to book and there's no availability! When I was checking before only the 7:30am time slot was showing up and tonight it gave 7 or 7:30. Praying this opens up again!
*Edited to add that I changed my party size from 2 down to 1 and it gave me availability at 7:30am. I proceeded to book and figured out that you do have to pay in advance, but it has a 1 day cancellation policy.


----------



## disneyworldsk

Tigger in a kilt said:


> I’m vegetarian too, so initially I assumed I would only have the avocado option, but I think the Mexican Corn Chilaquiles and Eggs Bowl might also be vegetarian. I’m definitely going to ask.
> 
> They say that pastries will be available for everyone, and maybe that will include the doughnuts too. Alternatively, it looks like the avocado thing (which looks revolting in the photo, IMO) comes with salad, so maybe you could that they substitute the doughnuts. It’s worth a shot.
> 
> I agree with you that I’m surprised they aren’t feeding us from Andy’s Lunchbox. Though I don’t think they have brilliant vegetarian options either (esp if they can’t even make a chocolate pop tart without adding bacon to it - I’m still bitter about that!).


----------



## disneyworldsk

hit wrong button, early still in the day... but tigger, if you find out about mexican item if it's vegetarian please let us know. And I'm not into eating a salad for breakfast. And yes, disappointed the pop tart has bacon on it, but that's in a separate thread i guess !


----------



## VTHappyGirl

Yesterday afternoon the 7am slot for 10/17 showed up but was not available to book.  This morning both the 7am and 730am slots are available so I moved my 730am res  to 7am....not sure if it will really matter but one less thing to check on 5x daily.....


----------



## Mrs Cuddlecakes

MAGICX2 said:


> I'm so bummed!! I have been looking at the 10/22 date for a week but was gun shy about a full charge up front with no cancellation. I just read here that it is acutally a hold with 1 day cancellation so I went to book and there's no availability! When I was checking before only the 7:30am time slot was showing up and tonight it gave 7 or 7:30. Praying this opens up again!
> *Edited to add that I changed my party size from 2 down to 1 and it gave me availability at 7:30am. I proceeded to book and figured out that you do have to pay in advance, but it has a 1 day cancellation policy.


Looks like they just opened for booking.  I changed my 10/15 day to 7 am.  The 10/22 was open as well.


----------



## buzzrelly

disneydreamer781 said:


> My DH will not do coasters either and he won't do Aliens because of motion sickness. I also suffer from motion sickness myself so that attraction may also not be something I can't do either. I'm on the fence about that one. I'm not much of a coaster person myself but I do want to do SDD and of course we both would do TSM. I still want to do this because it will save an FP and I have no idea how hard SDD will be to get but I have to think about the price and doing other events this December.  I also just caught the menu for this and it looks really good!



I was able to book my FP for SDD on my 60+4 day, so if it's just FP availability that's making you nervous, you should be okay as long as you are going for more than 4 days. 



MIAMouseketeer said:


> I think the restaurant doesn't open for breakfast until 8:30am, not like MK that opens at 8:00am. I would assume you could pop in and out from 8:30 - 10a, but you may not want to do that. I think our plan will be to do what we do at MK, go rope drop a few things and then come back at 9:30a for breakfast. But I will wait for reports before making a game plan.



That is kind of a bummer. We kind of went in and out at the MK…we'd grab a coffee and a pastry and then ride some rides and go back for coffee or juice, etc., and then went back to eat a full breakfast at the very end of EMM. I don't know if I can function that long without coffee…especially since we'll be getting up so early!

Also, Where is the food in relation to TSL? Is it even feasible to go in and out or is it so far away that it would be a waste of time? 



VTHappyGirl said:


> Yesterday afternoon the 7am slot for 10/17 showed up but was not available to book.  This morning both the 7am and 730am slots are available so I moved my 730am res  to 7am....not sure if it will really matter but one less thing to check on 5x daily.....



Thank you for posting this! I just changed my slot to 7 am as well…we are also going on 10/17!


----------



## MIAMouseketeer

[GALLERY=][/GALLERY]





buzzrelly said:


> That is kind of a bummer. We kind of went in and out at the MK…we'd grab a coffee and a pastry and then ride some rides and go back for coffee or juice, etc., and then went back to eat a full breakfast at the very end of EMM. I don't know if I can function that long without coffee…especially since we'll be getting up so early!
> 
> Also, Where is the food in relation to TSL? Is it even feasible to go in and out or is it so far away that it would be a waste of time?


I don’t think it’s feasible to go in and out of.  I think that’s why they made it at 8:30 because you have to physically leave TSL to get to the food. I think the idea is you will eat breakfast after you are done with TSL. This is a picture of the map and the route to get to the QS. Our plan will be to have our coffee at our hotel before coming in along with giving my son a little something to hold him over.


----------



## buzzrelly

MIAMouseketeer said:


> I don’t think it’s feasible to go in and out of.  I think that’s why they made it at 8:30 because you have to physically leave TSL to get to the food. I think the idea is you will eat breakfast after you are done with TSL



Thanks. In that case, I'll just grab a coffee before heading to DHS


----------



## KrazeeK120

Has anyone who has switched from 7:30 to 7 on their own had any trouble with getting their money back from the 7:30 time? I see my date has a 7:00 added. That’s the only thing that has me nervous on pulling the trigger to switch times.


----------



## buzzrelly

KrazeeK120 said:


> Has anyone who has switched from 7:30 to 7 on their own had any trouble with getting their money back from the 7:30 time? I see my date has a 7:00 added. That’s the only thing that has me nervous on pulling the trigger to switch times.



I just did it this morning, but I hope not!


----------



## jennab

KrazeeK120 said:


> Has anyone who has switched from 7:30 to 7 on their own had any trouble with getting their money back from the 7:30 time? I see my date has a 7:00 added. That’s the only thing that has me nervous on pulling the trigger to switch times.



I called and they switched it for me.  I paid with a gift card though so not sure if there was a refund/recharge but it was the same confirmation number for the event.


----------



## Mrs Cuddlecakes

KrazeeK120 said:


> Has anyone who has switched from 7:30 to 7 on their own had any trouble with getting their money back from the 7:30 time? I see my date has a 7:00 added. That’s the only thing that has me nervous on pulling the trigger to switch times.


I can't speak to this because I just switched this morning but when they cancelled my MK EMM day I had my money back within a few days.  When I changed the time on my HS EMM this morning it asked me if I wanted to cancel my 7:30 and then I received confirmation emails for both the new time and the cancelled time.  I don't think there will be an issue getting your money back.


----------



## IceQueen182

KrazeeK120 said:


> Has anyone who has switched from 7:30 to 7 on their own had any trouble with getting their money back from the 7:30 time? I see my date has a 7:00 added. That’s the only thing that has me nervous on pulling the trigger to switch times.



I canceled my 7:30 time slot (and booked a 7:00 time slot) on 9/4.  My refund for the 7:30 time I canceled showed up the following day 9/5.


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

KrazeeK120 said:


> Has anyone who has switched from 7:30 to 7 on their own had any trouble with getting their money back from the 7:30 time? I see my date has a 7:00 added. That’s the only thing that has me nervous on pulling the trigger to switch times.



I switched online and got my money refunded to my card in about 2-3 days with no trouble. Edit: I’m in the U.K. and it can take a little longer than it would with an American card.


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

disneyworldsk said:


> hit wrong button, early still in the day... but tigger, if you find out about mexican item if it's vegetarian please let us know. And I'm not into eating a salad for breakfast. And yes, disappointed the pop tart has bacon on it, but that's in a separate thread i guess !



I’m going on 8th October and will definitely report back. I really have no interest in a salad for breakfast either!


----------



## KrazeeK120

Ok guys. I switched my reservation to the 7:00 time. Hopefully it was the right decision.


----------



## AAhawk

KrazeeK120 said:


> Ok guys. I switched my reservation to the 7:00 time. Hopefully it was the right decision.



I just switched my reservation to 7:00 AM on the 22nd as well. I can't imagine the 7:00 time would be any disadvantage and maybe you will get a slight advantage, but realistically i bet we will all be let in the same time.

I have cancelled dessert parties before and the refunds usually show up on your credit card in 1-2 days.


----------



## KrazeeK120

AAhawk said:


> I just switched my reservation to 7:00 AM on the 22nd as well. I can't imagine the 7:00 time would be any disadvantage and maybe you will get a slight advantage, but realistically i bet we will all be let in the same time.
> 
> I have cancelled dessert parties before and the refunds usually show up on your credit card in 1-2 days.



I tend to agree...I’m not sure there was any “value” to switching, but at this point, we just don’t know for sure.

We will be there bright and early on the same day!


----------



## StacyStrong

I feel as though December 5th is one of the few dates with only 7:30 still. You can still book for 10. 

Fingers crossed that means low crowds that week?! But more likely it's still far out, so people haven't booked it yet.


----------



## Dash7

So for the people switching from 7:30 to 7:00, is the reasoning that it might be an advantage just a guess? Or is there some information that people have been given about the time slots?


----------



## StacyStrong

Dash7 said:


> So for the people switching from 7:30 to 7:00, is the reasoning that it might be an advantage just a guess? Or is there some information that people have been given about the time slots?


It's a guess. Theoretically a 7am reservation gives you 30 more minutes. 

But most people think that everyone will be let in when they show up anyway.


----------



## PrincessDuck

StacyStrong said:


> I feel as though December 5th is one of the few dates with only 7:30 still. You can still book for 10.
> 
> Fingers crossed that means low crowds that week?! But more likely it's still far out, so people haven't booked it yet.



We are booked for next week and so far there is only the 7:30 am slot.  It seems to be booked up as I can't even bring up a reservation for 2.  Maybe they are not adding the 7 am slot for my date?  Maybe because it is the first date?


----------



## StacyStrong

PrincessDuck said:


> We are booked for next week and so far there is only the 7:30 am slot.  It seems to be booked up as I can't even bring up a reservation for 2.  Maybe they are not adding the 7 am slot for my date?  Maybe because it is the first date?


I'm excited to hear your report though! Please come back and tell us all about it!!!


----------



## PrincessDuck

StacyStrong said:


> I'm excited to hear your report though! Please come back and tell us all about it!!!



I definitely will do come back and report how it goes for us.  It will be a really early morning, so I hope that it is crazy worth it!


----------



## KrazeeK120

Dash7 said:


> So for the people switching from 7:30 to 7:00, is the reasoning that it might be an advantage just a guess? Or is there some information that people have been given about the time slots?



I switched just because of a guess, although I’m in agreement with the suspicion that they’ll let everyone in at the same time. But if there’s even a slight chance I can get in earlier, I’m going to take it.


----------



## shairpdrh

PrincessDuck said:


> We are booked for next week and so far there is only the 7:30 am slot.  It seems to be booked up as I can't even bring up a reservation for 2.  Maybe they are not adding the 7 am slot for my date?  Maybe because it is the first date?



I have been thinking the same thing. We will report back after, too. I will be excited to hear how our experiences compare.


----------



## Babyboo

Any thought's if this will be offered over the holidays?  It seems as though other tours start again on 6th Jan - we leave on the 5th


----------



## AngiTN

Dash7 said:


> So for the people switching from 7:30 to 7:00, is the reasoning that it might be an advantage just a guess? Or is there some information that people have been given about the time slots?


Same as other, no information.
Just about as certain as one can be, short of an announcement, that everyone will be allowed in at the same time.
Disney simply has too much past history of this exact type of thing, issuing different times for things to start yet allowing everyone in at the same time. 

They are handling this like an ADR and for all we know, MDE may have a cap built into it for how many "ADR" it can take per time slot and since Disney can't change that cap the only choice they have is to issue a 2nd ADR time, to give the system enough openings for the event. If that makes sense. For instance, (just my W.A.G and just tossing numbers for example, not saying these are the numbers they use) say MDE allows 100 ADR at 7:30 but they want to allow 200 guests. They can't allow 200 ADR at 7:30, MDE won't let them so they have to make a 2nd time slot. And the days that don't have a 2nd one? They forgot to turn it on. Some things like this are nothing more than a checkbox on the website design page. They have to check the box to make it show up on your screens. Someone may have neglected to check the correct box on those dates.


----------



## CinderellaDream

KrazeeK120 said:


> Ok guys. I switched my reservation to the 7:00 time. Hopefully it was the right decision.



I did the same yesterday for the 10/29 event.  I'm with you - hoping it was the right decision!


----------



## AngiTN

Babyboo said:


> Any thought's if this will be offered over the holidays?  It seems as though other tours start again on 6th Jan - we leave on the 5th


They normally do not offer these events then due to they'll change the park's opening hours (eventually).
The parks will open too early to have an event prior to opening. Though I never like to say never.


----------



## Babs1975

Just switched to the 7 am on 11/28. I think they'll let everyone in at the same time. That is the right thing to do so they don't have a mutiny on their hands, but I figured the 7 am can't be a worse option than the 7:30.


----------



## jennab

I'm going to feel bad for those poor people who booked 7:30 and aren't on these boards to find out there is a 7am option now!  Maybe that is what Disney is hoping...


----------



## Spintopbeach

I’m about to lose it.  So I waited on phone for hour and half to make sure my emm is in system as it wasn’t showing.  She told me that the morning of the event I have to go to will call and bring my cc and an id and wait at the window before I’m allowed in.  I have a magic band why would I need to do that.  Also why would I want to wait at a will call window when I bought this to ride the rides for an hour and half?  Can someone tell me what’s going on cuz after being on the phone for days trying to get my tickets and passes straight I’m about to lose it.  Vacation planning shouldn’t be this hard.  ***


----------



## KrazeeK120

jennab said:


> I'm going to feel bad for those poor people who booked 7:30 and aren't on these boards to find out there is a 7am option now!  Maybe that is what Disney is hoping...



I don’t think it’s going to matter. I think everyone is going to be let in at the same time.


----------



## jennab

KrazeeK120 said:


> I don’t think it’s going to matter. I think everyone is going to be let in at the same time.



Oh I think so too, what I meant is that those people who don't know about the 7am slot being added will show up later than those who have the 7am time (so overall won't have as much time to ride).


----------



## KrazeeK120

jennab said:


> Oh I think so too, what I meant is that those people who don't know about the 7am slot being added will show up later than those who have the 7am time (so overall won't have as much time to ride).



I think they’ll let everyone in at 7:30. Both time slots say that check-in begins at 7. Even with the 7:30 time slot, I was planning to be there to check in at 7.


----------



## SaintsManiac

I wish they would extend this to March already.


----------



## Jasperann

Babyboo said:


> Any thought's if this will be offered over the holidays?  It seems as though other tours start again on 6th Jan - we leave on the 5th


I doubt it.  The parks tend to open earlier during the busy week of Christmas.  I would think that HS will be one of those parks this year.


----------



## JK World

Spintopbeach said:


> I’m about to lose it.  So I waited on phone for hour and half to make sure my emm is in system as it wasn’t showing.  She told me that the morning of the event I have to go to will call and bring my cc and an id and wait at the window before I’m allowed in.  I have a magic band why would I need to do that.  Also why would I want to wait at a will call window when I bought this to ride the rides for an hour and half?  Can someone tell me what’s going on cuz after being on the phone for days trying to get my tickets and passes straight I’m about to lose it.  Vacation planning shouldn’t be this hard.  ***


The MDE system has been having major issues for the last couple of days, so things aren't showing up right even though they are actually booked in the system.  Phone CM's are unfortunately notorious for giving out bad info.  Unless your reservation is for the next couple of days, I'd just wait and check MDE again over the weekend to see if things clear up.


----------



## Spintopbeach

I had finally decided we would probably be let in at the same time and then I got this email after inquiring.  Completely different from what I had been told.  Two different times. It states clearly depending how on the time selected, that’s when you can go in tsland. This whole trip is such a mess; thinking of going to portofino.  Just disgusted with disney


----------



## jennab

Spintopbeach said:


> I had finally decided we would probably be let in at the same time and then I got this email after inquiring.  Completely different from what I had been told.  Two different times. It states clearly depending how on the time selected, that’s when you can go in tsland. This whole trip is such a mess; thinking of going to portofino.  Just disgusted with disney



Honestly I bet the person responding to the emails doesn’t even know…. When is the first date with 2 timeslots?  We will probably have to wait until then to find out.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Hate to be negative here, but in my opinion I don't believe ANYTHING phone CMs, chat CMs, bus drivers, TAs, or anyone says about how these two times will work.  They may be right, or they may be regurgitating some script.  They may just make up something that sounds good or reasonable (which is kind of what that transcript looks like to me).

This is a classic case of we won’t “really” know what’s in store until 10/1 reports come in.  (with apologies to the 10/1 guinea pigs!)


----------



## KrazeeK120

Spintopbeach said:


> I had finally decided we would probably be let in at the same time and then I got this email after inquiring.  Completely different from what I had been told.  Two different times. It states clearly depending how on the time selected, that’s when you can go in tsland. This whole trip is such a mess; thinking of going to portofino.  Just disgusted with disney



Is that from a customer service rep? I trust them as much as I trust the phone reps. That is...not at all. I’m still extremely skeptical that they’re charging the same price, but allowing some people 30 additional minutes.


----------



## Spintopbeach

It’s such a hot mess.  Nobody knows anything.  This is no way to treat customers. They all say something different.  Who’s accountable?


----------



## ninafeliz

do you think they would possibly try to make the 7:00 people leave 30 min earlier than the 7:30 people?  Like 1 group 7-8:15 and and a second 7:30-8:45?  I can’t see why, but that’s the only way I see an actual two time slot working (even though I don’t actually think that would work or be worth the time and effort to separate them, and I don’t really see a benefit to doing that). I’ll tell you what, as I’ve said before, if the people who booked after me for the same price get 30 min more than I do, and they make us wait to enter until 7:30 when another group gets to go in at 7, I will not take that well and depending on my mood that morning this might be one of those times you here about when a guest is throwing a fit and others are around to witness it!  I know I could just switch, but I just can’t bring myself to believe Disney would screw the people who booked first, And that if one slot would be “better” it would be the original one!  I would be so annoyed with myself if I switched to something that turns out to be worse, so so far I’m sticking with it.  I think the 7:00 will sell out, so then I’ll be committed. I’m just going to plan on getting there a little before 7 and see what happens.  But I guess we’ll find out sooner, since they added so many dates with the 2 times.


----------



## AngiTN

ninafeliz said:


> *do you think they would possibly try to make the 7:00 people leave 30 min earlier than the 7:30 people?*  Like 1 group 7-8:15 and and a second 7:30-8:45?  I can’t see why, but that’s the only way I see an actual two time slot working (even though I don’t actually think that would work or be worth the time and effort to separate them, and I don’t really see a benefit to doing that). I’ll tell you what, as I’ve said before, if the people who booked after me for the same price get 30 min more than I do, and they make us wait to enter until 7:30 when another group gets to go in at 7, I will not take that well and depending on my mood that morning this might be one of those times you here about when a guest is throwing a fit and others are around to witness it!  I know I could just switch, but I just can’t bring myself to believe Disney would screw the people who booked first, And that if one slot would be “better” it would be the original one!  I would be so annoyed with myself if I switched to something that turns out to be worse, so so far I’m sticking with it.  I think the 7:00 will sell out, so then I’ll be committed. I’m just going to plan on getting there a little before 7 and see what happens.  But I guess we’ll find out sooner, since they added so many dates with the 2 times.


No


----------



## AngiTN

Spintopbeach said:


> I had finally decided we would probably be let in at the same time and then I got this email after inquiring.  Completely different from what I had been told.  Two different times. It states clearly depending how on the time selected, that’s when you can go in tsland. This whole trip is such a mess; thinking of going to portofino.  Just disgusted with disney


The person was talking out of their you know what


----------



## AngiTN

KrazeeK120 said:


> I think they’ll let everyone in at 7:30. Both time slots say that check-in begins at 7. Even with the 7:30 time slot, I was planning to be there to check in at 7.


I'm the opposite. I think everyone will be let in at 7:00

ETA - changed my mind. I do think they'll hold everyone like they do at MK and we'll get in at 7:30


----------



## KrazeeK120

AngiTN said:


> I'm the opposite. I think everyone will be let in at 7:00
> 
> ETA - changed my mind. I do think they'll hold everyone like they do at MK and we'll get in at 7:30



I’d be very happy if they let us in at 7! But yeah...I think they’ll check everyone in from 7-7:30 and then open the gate.


----------



## LMO429

We are going on 10/22.  They just added a 7am time slot.  I changed to 7am I don't want to chance being let in later.  I have a feeling they put 7am so people will just show up earlier but who knows.  I wish someone had an answer


----------



## buzzrelly

jennab said:


> I'm going to feel bad for those poor people who booked 7:30 and aren't on these boards to find out there is a 7am option now!



What? There are people _not_ on these boards?


----------



## Dash7

I've been hemming and hawing over whether to switch to 7:00. But it seems like having two groups go in at two different times, and making sure the right group gets in first and the second group is held until their designated time slot would take a lot of organization and coordination. Soooo, somehow that just doesn't seem likely.


----------



## Spintopbeach

AngiTN said:


> The person was talking out of their you know what


She also tried to tell me only December had two times. 
Ummm. No.  Just no.


----------



## jalpert

10/1 here.  I switched to 7:00.  I feel kinda dumb for doing it, but I did it.


----------



## JK World

jalpert said:


> 10/1 here.  I switched to 7:00.  I feel kinda dumb for doing it, but I did it.


Join the club, lol


----------



## jennab

Uh oh. I feel like this is new:


Guests with a 7:30 AM reservation will begin in Toy Story Land and breakfast will be served until 10:00 AM. Based on capacity, breakfast may be available as early as 7:00 AM.
Thy better not make us 7am people eat at 7am!  It used to say breakfast would be available from 8:30-10 and now it just says “available until 10”


----------



## KrazeeK120

jennab said:


> Uh oh. I feel like this is new:
> 
> 
> Guests with a 7:30 AM reservation will begin in Toy Story Land and breakfast will be served until 10:00 AM. Based on capacity, breakfast may be available as early as 7:00 AM.
> Thy better not make us 7am people eat at 7am!  It used to say breakfast would be available from 8:30-10 and now it just says “available until 10”



I’m not sure how they would be able to enforce that. Have different color wristbands for different groups? Everyone is going to be checking in together...it seems like that would be a logistical fiasco. Perhaps they’re opening breakfast early for everyone and then the rides all open at the same time...


----------



## jennab

KrazeeK120 said:


> I’m not sure how they would be able to enforce that. Have different color wristbands for different groups? Everyone is going to be checking in together...it seems like that would be a logistical fiasco. Perhaps they’re opening breakfast early for everyone and then the rides all open at the same time...



Let’s hope so!  Maybe the realize people need their coffee that early. Haha.


----------



## KrazeeK120

jennab said:


> Let’s hope so!  Maybe the realize people need their coffee that early. Haha.



Yeah, I hope it works like the MK one where you can just go into breakfast whenever you want.

I’m also still watching for my money to come back from the one I canceled yesterday...


----------



## ninafeliz

jennab said:


> Uh oh. I feel like this is new:
> 
> 
> Guests with a 7:30 AM reservation will begin in Toy Story Land and breakfast will be served until 10:00 AM. Based on capacity, breakfast may be available as early as 7:00 AM.
> Thy better not make us 7am people eat at 7am!  It used to say breakfast would be available from 8:30-10 and now it just says “available until 10”



That is definitely new, I read all of the fine print a day or two ago while trying to decide if I should change my time or not.  Maybe they will open breakfast at 7, but the land and rides at 7:30?  So you can eat first, get a snack first, or just wait and ride at 7:30 and eat after like I think most people planned on doing all along.  So the people who come early and the 7:00 people don’t just have to stand and wait, but if you don’t come until 7:30 you didn’t really miss much and won’t be as inclined to complain.  Just a thought, this is all so odd...but I guess not as much given Disney’s history with stuff like this


----------



## StacyStrong

My thought (hope) is that for days they created a 7am time slot, they are letting some more people in BUT it won't impact ride waits much because capacity is higher than MK. Then for 7am days, everyone still rides starting at 7:30, but they are trying to give access to breakfast longer to manage breakfast crowds (since breakfast options seem more involved than MK)


----------



## AngiTN

KrazeeK120 said:


> I’m not sure how they would be able to enforce that. Have different color wristbands for different groups? Everyone is going to be checking in together...it seems like that would be a logistical fiasco. *Perhaps they’re opening breakfast early for everyone and then the rides all open at the same time..*.


That's what the MK ones does, and what the old HS one did.
Breakfast was open the entire time, rides open the entire time. People could go eat anytime they wanted during the time, riding before, after, whatever
I can't see why this one is different.
I never read the fine print before, or since (I'm not a fine print reader, shocking huh?) so for all I know, the MK one and the old HS one said that too. Or something like it.


----------



## anomamatt

I switched to 7am for 10/15.

Thanks in advance to those going next week and willing to write up reviews!


----------



## sapphirerose915

my date 12/10 730 slot is sold out.... and no 7 am slot is available as of yet.. going to keep my eye on it!!


----------



## sapphirerose915

it does still say this tho...

*The Schedule*
Exclusive Disney Early Morning Magic access to Toy Story Land takes place on select Mondays and Wednesdays from 7:30 AM to 8:45 AM. Breakfast will be available until 10:00 AM.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

jennab said:


> Uh oh. I feel like this is new:
> 
> 
> Guests with a 7:30 AM reservation will begin in Toy Story Land and breakfast will be served until 10:00 AM. Based on capacity, breakfast may be available as early as 7:00 AM.
> Thy better not make us 7am people eat at 7am!  It used to say breakfast would be available from 8:30-10 and now it just says “available until 10”



That is a change since yesterday.  Before (and since the website went live) it said: 

*"Guests with a 7:30 AM reservation will begin in Toy Story Land and breakfast will be available from 8:30 AM to 10:00 AM. Other reservation times may be available based on capacity."
*
Interesting to me that Disney would tweak that specific text.


----------



## jennab

sapphirerose915 said:


> it does still say this tho...
> 
> *The Schedule*
> Exclusive Disney Early Morning Magic access to Toy Story Land takes place on select Mondays and Wednesdays from 7:30 AM to 8:45 AM. Breakfast will be available until 10:00 AM.



It used to say "breakfast will be available from 8:30 - 10am"


----------



## jennab

GADisneyDad14 said:


> That is a change since yesterday.  Before (and since the website went live) it said:
> 
> *"Guests with a 7:30 AM reservation will begin in Toy Story Land and breakfast will be available from 8:30 AM to 10:00 AM. Other reservation times may be available based on capacity."
> *
> Interesting to me that Disney would tweak that specific text.



Yes I find it interesting they switched it around too!  I mean I'd be happy if they open right away so I could grab some coffee or a pastry quick but I don't want to be eating a lot before going on rides!


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

ninafeliz said:


> do you think they would possibly try to make the 7:00 people leave 30 min earlier than the 7:30 people?  Like 1 group 7-8:15 and and a second 7:30-8:45?  I can’t see why, but that’s the only way I see an actual two time slot working (even though I don’t actually think that would work or be worth the time and effort to separate them, and I don’t really see a benefit to doing that).



They have been doing AP TSL events with 2 slots: 6-7am and 7-8am. A vlogger I watch was given a 6-7am slot and was not asked to leave at 7am, so I doubt they will be doing that with the EMM. I think it would be too hard to police.



jennab said:


> Uh oh. I feel like this is new:
> 
> 
> Guests with a 7:30 AM reservation will begin in Toy Story Land and breakfast will be served until 10:00 AM. Based on capacity, breakfast may be available as early as 7:00 AM.
> Thy better not make us 7am people eat at 7am!  It used to say breakfast would be available from 8:30-10 and now it just says “available until 10”



That is definitely new. I actually wouldn’t mind eating at 7am, but not if I have paid so much money to get in to the rides. We have DxDP and an early lunch booked at Epcot anyway, so the breakfast played no part in why I booked this.




jennab said:


> It used to say "breakfast will be available from 8:30 - 10am"


Exactly. So you could do all the rides, then eat while everyone else was standing in the queue. Selling tickets to an event marketed as “eat some pastries in an empty park while you look at the rides we won’t let you on” doesn’t have the same ring!


----------



## MNDisneyMommy

I changed to 7.  Hope that was't a mistake!  I don't see my party of seven (three of which are kids) getting there any earlier than 7, but by gosh if I'm going to pay that much and risk watching other people go in first.  

Gah.


----------



## kat_lh

Stoked that they'll be opening breakfast earlier.  A bit of a pain you have to leave the land to eat but not too big of a deal.


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

kat_lh said:


> Stoked that they'll be opening breakfast earlier.  A bit of a pain you have to leave the land to eat but not too big of a deal.



I don’t mind it, as long as we are not required to eat breakfast first, if that makes sense. I can see the argument for grabbing some snacks on your way into Toy Story Land, for example.


----------



## kat_lh

Tigger in a kilt said:


> I don’t mind it, as long as we are not required to eat breakfast first, if that makes sense. I can see the argument for grabbing some snacks on your way into Toy Story Land, for example.



Oh absolutely! But since it still states it's open until 10:00, even if they did try to make you eat before, there's no reason you couldn't skip that timeslot and eat later. (I would hope)

Seems to me that they're opening the restaurant earlier to give people something to do between 7 & 7:30 when we can go ride.  But that might be too logical for Disney!


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

kat_lh said:


> Oh absolutely! But since it still states it's open until 10:00, even if they did try to make you eat before, there's no reason you couldn't skip that timeslot and eat later. (I would hope)
> 
> Seems to me that they're opening the restaurant earlier to give people something to do between 7 & 7:30 when we can go ride.  But that might be too logical for Disney!



It makes a lot of sense, but it does seem like it might be too logical, so I imagine it’s a fluke!


----------



## Spintopbeach

KrazeeK120 said:


> I’m not sure how they would be able to enforce that. Have different color wristbands for different groups? Everyone is going to be checking in together...it seems like that would be a logistical fiasco. Perhaps they’re opening breakfast early for everyone and then the rides all open at the same time...


Well that would make sense, so it probably won’t happen


----------



## Steven G

My guess based on the changed text:

1) if there is only a 7:30 time available for the day, they let you in to toy story land at 7:30, and can eat breakfast starting at 7:30 as well
2). If there is both a 7 and 7:30 available, they will let everyone in at 7am, but only for breakfast.  At 7:30 everyone will be let in to toy story land.


----------



## anomamatt

Not sure if this has been posted, but blog mickey has information on the breakfast.  And pictures:

http://blogmickey.com/2018/09/toy-story-land-early-morning-magic-breakfast-menu/

Looks pretty tasty to me.  I'm excited for the chicken and donuts.  Mmm.


----------



## AngiTN

anomamatt said:


> Not sure if this has been posted, but blog mickey has information on the breakfast.  And pictures:
> 
> http://blogmickey.com/2018/09/toy-story-land-early-morning-magic-breakfast-menu/
> 
> Looks pretty tasty to me.  I'm excited for the chicken and donuts.  Mmm.


Disney parks blog posted last week
See these posts from the thread


Dash7 said:


> I'm a little disappointed in the menu options. I was hoping for a more generic breakfast option for my kids.
> 
> Mexican Corn Chilaquiles and Eggs Bowl
> Shrimp and Southern Grits Bowl
> Fried Chicken and Cinnamon Sugar French Donut Bowl
> Smashed Avocado Toast Egg Plate
> Breakfast Charcuterie Platter





Dash7 said:


> https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2018/09/play-big-with-early-morning-magic-at-toy-story-land/


----------



## Jasperann

I'm excited to hear reports from tomorrow's EMM!!  If you are going make sure to take pictures of the breakfast and share all the information!


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Jasperann said:


> I'm excited to hear reports from tomorrow's EMM!!  If you are going make sure to take pictures of the breakfast and share all the information!



Gosh, almost forgot tomorrow is the first one, thanks for the reminder.  I saw a few blogger types tweet about signing up back when tickets went on sale.  I suspect tomorrow and next Monday may be well covered.


----------



## SaintsManiac

I hope the first ones go well enough that they extend the dates!!


----------



## Jasperann

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Gosh, almost forgot tomorrow is the first one, thanks for the reminder.  I saw a few blogger types tweet about signing up back when tickets went on sale.  I suspect tomorrow and next Monday may be well covered.





I'm so excited to read about it and I know by time I go (the second to last day it is open) there will be TONS of information about it.  I just want it all now.


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Gosh, almost forgot tomorrow is the first one, thanks for the reminder.  I saw a few blogger types tweet about signing up back when tickets went on sale.  I suspect tomorrow and next Monday may be well covered.



Do you happen to know any bloggers in particular who are (likely to be) covering it?


----------



## OhhBother

Bummed we won't be attending tomorrow. We were booked but had to delay our trip by a couple of days because of Hurricane Florence. So we're not flying in until tomorrow. Oh well - we'll catch it next time! We still get to do Moonlight Magic at HS on Wednesday, so hopefully we can get our fill of SDD then!


----------



## Lisa Tarvin

OhhBother said:


> Bummed we won't be attending tomorrow. We were booked but had to delay our trip by a couple of days because of Hurricane Florence. So we're not flying in until tomorrow. Oh well - we'll catch it next time! We still get to do Moonlight Magic at HS Wednesday, so hopefully we can get our fill of SDD then!


What is Moonlight Magic at HS? I have never heard of that.


----------



## pangyal

Lisa Tarvin said:


> What is Moonlight Magic at HS? I have never heard of that.


Private DVC party.


----------



## ILuvDisney78

I wonder if they'll extend the dates into late December? Maybe wishful thinking...


----------



## Jasperann

ILuvDisney78 said:


> I wonder if they'll extend the dates into late December? Maybe wishful thinking...


Not Christmas Week.  It's too busy.


----------



## ehalsey15

I waited too long to book our reservation and now both of our dates from our week (12/10 and 12/12)aren't available.  I'm super bummed because that was going to be my surprise for my family.  Does anyone know when other dates starting adding the 7 AM?  I'm a little hopeful they will open one for at least one of our dates.  Any info would be awesome!


----------



## StacyStrong

ehalsey15 said:


> I waited too long to book our reservation and now both of our dates from our week (12/10 and 12/12)aren't available.  I'm super bummed because that was going to be my surprise for my family.  Does anyone know when other dates starting adding the 7 AM?  I'm a little hopeful they will open one for at least one of our dates.  Any info would be awesome!


It's been really random.


----------



## bizeemom4

Alarm just went off. We are getting up and ready for this morning’s premiere event!


----------



## Tinkerbell8956

bizeemom4 said:


> Alarm just went off. We are getting up and ready for this morning’s premiere event!


Us too! We were at MNSSHP last night so this morning is a little rough.


----------



## disneyworldsk

Thank you for reporting in today, much appreciated, enjoy yourselves!! have a great time!


----------



## MIAMouseketeer

AngiTN said:


> That's what the MK ones does, and what the old HS one did.
> Breakfast was open the entire time, rides open the entire time. People could go eat anytime they wanted during the time, riding before, after, whatever
> I can't see why this one is different.
> I never read the fine print before, or since (I'm not a fine print reader, shocking huh?) so for all I know, the MK one and the old HS one said that too. Or something like it.


Oh I see why this one is different. Toy Story Land is a good walk from the food. That wasn’t the case when it was here before. But I think they are realizing that EVERYONE will now be coming at the same time and with having to seemingly place an order for your main entree, that may present a problem. It’s not like MK where you can easily walk in and walk out in between rides.


----------



## Portugal1000

Really looking forward to hearing what you have to say. Have booked the MK early morning and trying to decide whether to do this one too.


----------



## shairpdrh

We caught a bus from Wilderness Lodge at 6:47 and are almost to HS. I was happy to see a bus on the schedule as the new pricing for the Minnie Van was $31 and I wasn’t excited about paying that. I’ll post more later!


----------



## Nferk

Anyone know the names of any Instagram bloggers that are there?! Or Twitter,etc. I’d love to follow today


----------



## shairpdrh

Arrived at 7 and went through bag check, checked-in with a CM with an iPad, and got a wrist band. It is now 7:15 and we are waiting at the tapstiles. Looks like 7:30 will be go time. There was only the 7:30 time today, so not any help on how the times will go for the dates with two times.


----------



## DWFamilyof6

Nferk said:


> Anyone know the names of any Instagram bloggers that are there?! Or Twitter,etc. I’d love to follow today


I just found one on Ig Disneylists_com 
They’ve already posted a few pics on their story


----------



## minniemousepancake

Nferk said:


> Anyone know the names of any Instagram bloggers that are there?! Or Twitter,etc. I’d love to follow today



I’ve been following along with Tim Tracker this morning in his Instagram stories!


----------



## DWFamilyof6

On IG ChipandCo has post a video of the food.
Gotta get the kids ready for school now. Can’t wait to catch up later.


----------



## disneyworldsk

following along!


----------



## Jasperann

Tim Tracker's IG showed the food.  Looking forward to their video.  He said they were let in at 7am for breakfast before they went over to Toy Storyland.  (All the media people were let in at that time.)  

But if they didn't have a 7am time slot I wonder how much busier it will be with that time slot filled as well.  I hope some of the other vloggers I follow go to a later one.


----------



## jennab

Jasperann said:


> Tim Tracker's IG showed the food.  Looking forward to their video.  He said they were let in at 7am for breakfast before they went over to Toy Storyland.  (All the media people were let in at that time.)
> 
> But if they didn't have a 7am time slot I wonder how much busier it will be with that time slot filled as well.  I hope some of the other vloggers I follow go to a later one.



How do I find him on IG?  I searched Tim tracker but there are tons!


----------



## Jasperann

jennab said:


> How do I find him on IG?  I searched Tim tracker but there are tons!



I had the same problem so I went to his youtube and followed the link to his IG from there.  LOL

He is thetimtracker


----------



## PrincessDuck

We were let in at 7:20 this morning. It is a walk on to all three rides. We just kept looping thru to ride slinky dog again! Put on the next car coming into the station.  No lines at all really!!! There is a water and coffee station set up in front of the lunch box place. I am sitting for a minute while the family rides slinky dog some more.


----------



## jennab

Jasperann said:


> I had the same problem so I went to his youtube and followed the link to his IG from there.  LOL
> 
> He is thetimtracker



I must be an idiot I found him but don’t see any posts from today!  Oh well I’ll follow long I’m sure people will be posting here too!


----------



## SaintsManiac

Glad to see Tim and Jenn there today. Looking forward to the video!


----------



## Jasperann

PrincessDuck said:


> We were let in at 7:20 this morning. It is a walk on to all three rides. We just kept looping thru to ride slinky dog again! Put on the next car coming into the station.  No lines at all really!!! There is a water and coffee station set up in front of the lunch box place. I am sitting for a minute while the family rides slinky dog some more.


Thank you for the update!!  And SO happy that they have a coffee station!  It's the little things.


----------



## SaintsManiac

jennab said:


> I must be an idiot I found him but don’t see any posts from today!  Oh well I’ll follow long I’m sure people will be posting here too!




You have to follow him and then you'll see his IG story at the top of your feed. That's where you click.


----------



## Jasperann

jennab said:


> I must be an idiot I found him but don’t see any posts from today!  Oh well I’ll follow long I’m sure people will be posting here too!


He is doing it as a story.  So you have to follow him and then watch the story.


----------



## StacyStrong

I'm so excited!


----------



## StacyStrong

It looks like it'll be super light crowds based on IG stories. I can't imagine it'll be too much different with a 7 am slot (and no media event)


----------



## jennab

SaintsManiac said:


> You have to follow him and then you'll see his IG story at the top of your feed. That's where you click.





Jasperann said:


> He is doing it as a story.  So you have to follow him and then watch the story.



THANK YOU!  I’m such an idiot when it comes to IG and Twitter!  Still learning!  I did find it and watched.


----------



## AngiTN

PrincessDuck said:


> We were let in at 7:20 this morning. It is a walk on to all three rides. We just kept looping thru to ride slinky dog again! Put on the next car coming into the station.  No lines at all really!!! There is a water and coffee station set up in front of the lunch box place. I am sitting for a minute while the family rides slinky dog some more.


Same way they did EMM at HS before (with TSMM) and they way they do 7D at MK for EMM. Glad it is working just like expected.

I don't imagine the dates with a 7:00 am slot will operate any differently.


----------



## KrazeeK120

AngiTN said:


> Same way they did EMM at HS before (with TSMM) and they way they do 7D at MK for EMM. Glad it is working just like expected.
> 
> I don't imagine the dates with a 7:00 am slot will operate any differently.



I think I agree. Now I feel a little silly for switching times. Oh well.


----------



## AngiTN

KrazeeK120 said:


> I think I agree. Now I feel a little silly for switching times. Oh well.


Nah, I don't really. You never know for sure and it can't hurt.
I'll always pick to err on the side of caution, so to speak. 
In this case, nothing bad would come from moving to 7:00 but it could possibly be a detriment to stay at 7:30


----------



## PrincessDuck

Having breakfast now and it is fantastic!!! It is unlimited ordering on the entrees....


----------



## Jasperann

PrincessDuck said:


> Having breakfast now and it is fantastic!!! It is unlimited ordering on the entrees....



WOW!  I wonder if that means I can try more than one.  LOL  Enjoy breakfast!  Can't wait to hear more!


----------



## sapphirerose915

It looks amazing!! 12/10 cannot come soon enough!!!! Cant wait to hear from you guys on here about it!!!


----------



## VAtink

Just wrapped up EMM and it was awesome!  They let the media in at 7:00, and the rest of us at 7:20.  We had more than enough time to do everything. Rode Slinky 10 times, Alien once, TSM once, did a ton of pictures and met Buzz. The last two rides on Slinky we had the train to ourselves! Now at breakfast, and really enjoying the food.  Would definitely do this again!


----------



## Turk February

This is so tempting


----------



## jennab

VAtink said:


> Just wrapped up EMM and it was awesome!  They let the media in at 7:00, and the rest of us at 7:20.  We had more than enough time to do everything. Rode Slinky 10 times, Alien once, TSM once, did a ton of pictures and met Buzz. The last two rides on Slinky we had the train to ourselves! Now at breakfast, and really enjoying the food.  Would definitely do this again!



Wow that sounds awesome!!


----------



## BelleOftheBall16

PrincessDuck said:


> Having breakfast now and it is fantastic!!! It is unlimited ordering on the entrees....



For those that are there now...how are the non-entree options? My son thinks all the entrees look gross lol Are there a lot of options for the extra items?


----------



## PrincessDuck

BelleOftheBall16 said:


> For those that are there now...how are the non-entree options? My son thinks all the entrees look gross lol Are there a lot of options for the extra items?


 Yogurt, yogurt toppings, fruit, frost loops, Frosted Flakes, granola, several pastries, ice water, coffee, apple juice, orange juice.....


----------



## PrincessDuck

I will try to add some pictures later.


----------



## SaintsManiac

Now I want to do it even more. Come on, Disney! Open the dates!!!!


----------



## IceQueen182

VAtink said:


> Just wrapped up EMM and it was awesome!  They let the media in at 7:00, and the rest of us at 7:20.  We had more than enough time to do everything. Rode Slinky 10 times, Alien once, TSM once, did a ton of pictures and met Buzz. The last two rides on Slinky we had the train to ourselves! Now at breakfast, and really enjoying the food.  Would definitely do this again!



So glad to hear such a positive report! Thanks for posting!  What time did you sit down for breakfast? (Sorry if this was posted and I missed it!)

Looking forward to hearing more and seeing how the 7:00 a.m. start times fit in...


----------



## disneyworldsk

so everyone goes at once to eat breakfast together? And what time, one specific breakfast time or you're going in and out like you can at emm at mk?


----------



## Celtics33

What time did they open the gates for regular ticket holders?


----------



## Portugal1000

Just booked for 17/10. I knew I'd give in before the day was out or before I'd even seen pictures!


----------



## M SH

PrincessDuck said:


> Having breakfast now and it is fantastic!!! It is unlimited ordering on the entrees....



now THAT's what I'm Talking About!!!


----------



## StacyStrong

December 5th now appears to only have a party size of 1 available.


----------



## Barbara C

Yes!  I'll be there two weeks from today!!


----------



## bizeemom4

disneyworldsk said:


> so everyone goes at once to eat breakfast together? And what time, one specific breakfast time or you're going in and out like you can at emm at mk?



Come and go as you please. They just check your wristbands.


----------



## jwolfpack

I'm so anxious to hear more reviews! Sounds like crowds were small, and I love that you're not limited to one choice at breakfast!

I'm most curious about timing for when rope drop crowd was let in to Toy Story Land and also where EMM folks were allowed to go at rope drop. I'd love to get a ride in on RNRC before breakfast, but not sure how timing will work.


----------



## VAtink

IceQueen182 said:


> So glad to hear such a positive report! Thanks for posting!  What time did you sit down for breakfast? (Sorry if this was posted and I missed it!)
> 
> Looking forward to hearing more and seeing how the 7:00 a.m. start times fit in...



We left Toy Story land around 8:50 when they let the non-EMM people in, so probably made it to breakfast right around 9. It was pretty empty when we got to breakfast, no wait to order food and plenty of tables.  The food was great, I got the egg bowl and my mom got some of the buffet offerings. Plus coffee.  Lots and lots of coffee!


----------



## VAtink

Celtics33 said:


> What time did they open the gates for regular ticket holders?



They were let in right around 8:50.


----------



## sjberg79

This sounds great, I'm looking forward to next month when they have the 7am and 7:30am reservations and seeing if this still sounds like it's as great. I have 12/10 booked and I'm selfishly hoping they keep it only to 7:30 reservations so they don't over sell it and it stays like it sounds like it was today.


----------



## sapphirerose915

sjberg79 said:


> This sounds great, I'm looking forward to next month when they have the 7am and 7:30am reservations and seeing if this still sounds like it's as great. I have 12/10 booked and I'm selfishly hoping they keep it only to 7:30 reservations so they don't over sell it and it stays like it sounds like it was today.



We are going the same day.. and that's all I can hope for!!!


----------



## Celtics33

Thanks VAtink!


----------



## Nferk

Did anyone that went today happen to notice if Jedi Training was open for signups on the way back to TSL?


----------



## StacyStrong

StacyStrong said:


> December 5th now appears to only have a party size of 1 available.



False alarm. Now you can book for more people. 

To the person whose date was sold out: keep trying. The site is wonky.


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

This sounds like it will be a great event - I’m really looking forward to it!



Nferk said:


> Did anyone that went today happen to notice if Jedi Training was open for signups on the way back to TSL?



I would like to know this too, please.


----------



## Spintopbeach

Well I haven’t said anything positive about my Disney trip in the last few weeks with all the turmoil but this makes me excited.  Thanks to all reports!


----------



## Portugal1000

We have the 7am entry but I hope we can eat after 9. If I am going to ride slinky dog 5 times in a row I definitely dont want to eat first! Does anyone know where the food is served? Is it just one location.


----------



## carolmp

What is the crowd level like at DHS if I don't get this package?  Should I avoid the park on Monday and Wednesday mornings and go to a different one?


----------



## Eve & Wall-e

I switched my HS and EP days to do this. I've been watching this thread for awhile. I'm really getting excited now!


----------



## wrestler72

When riding Toy Story Mania during EMM, do you have to leave your vehicle after each ride or can you just stay and continue? When we did "old" EMM we could just stay in our vehicle and it was pretty cool!

Thanks


----------



## wrestler72

carolmp said:


> What is the crowd level like at DHS if I don't get this package?  Should I avoid the park on Monday and Wednesday mornings and go to a different one?


I think there is a consensus here that EMM does not affect the crowds. It is certainly the case for MK and there is no reason to believe that it will be different for HS.


----------



## disneyworldsk

I'd be curious if things change from the first day opening with all of the media there. maybe lighter crowds kept that way on purpose to show media people how great it is then after today overselling. or one entree per person instead of as many as you want after today. personally, would love the vegetarian item but wouldn't mind grabbing a donut too!


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

disneyworldsk said:


> I'd be curious if things change from the first day opening with all of the media there. maybe lighter crowds kept that way on purpose to show media people how great it is then after today overselling. or one entree per person instead of as many as you want after today. personally, would love the vegetarian item but wouldn't mind grabbing a donut too!



I did wonder the same thing, since it’s a brand new event and waits in Toy Story Land have been lower than people were expecting. So I guess is that the media event will be more about convincing people to attend, rather than a focus on the crowds. The reason I’m saying this is because it didn’t seem to work that way on opening night of MNSSHP this year - every media channel I saw who attended the media event at the first party talked a lot about the high crowd levels. 

However, it will be interesting to hear the reports of the next few days, and esp first one that has a 7am and 7:30am division.


----------



## ptlohmysoul

So did I miss anyone mentioning where the breakfast location is?


----------



## StacyStrong

I think this is very different though. The reason they didn't have a 7am is likely because media people were also invited. 

EMM is specifically marketed at having lower crowds. Today may have been "extra" low, but I can't imagine there being a material difference.


----------



## StacyStrong

ptlohmysoul said:


> So did I miss anyone mentioning where the breakfast location is?


Commissary


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

StacyStrong said:


> I think this is very different though. The reason they didn't have a 7am is likely because media people were also invited.
> 
> EMM is specifically marketed at having lower crowds. Today may have been "extra" low, but I can't imagine there being a material difference.



That’s a fair point. I had a look at the small print for both the EMM and MNSSHP, and EMM does specify low wait times and the fact that the number of tickets is limited. I was (naively) surprised that they sold out the first MNSSHP and then held a media event on top, but there is no good reason, except short term financial gain, for them to let the media see EMM as anything other than very quiet and ultra-exclusive.


----------



## Jasperann

Tigger in a kilt said:


> That’s a fair point. I had a look at the small print for both the EMM and MNSSHP, and EMM does specify low wait times and the fact that the number of tickets is limited. I was (naively) surprised that they sold out the first MNSSHP and then held a media event on top, but there is no good reason, except short term financial gain, for them to let the media see EMM as anything other than very quiet and ultra-exclusive.


I'm sure the Vloggers not invited today will be doing one of the next EMM, so we will get a real feel for the EMM as well.


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

Jasperann said:


> I'm sure the Vloggers not invited today will be doing one of the next EMM, so we will get a real feel for the EMM as well.



Very true!


----------



## MIAMouseketeer

Kennythepirate just posted an article. He said he didn't care for the food. He also said he was first told he could only order 1 entree, but then did go back and was able to get the kids eggs. Time will tell on this front


----------



## GADisneyDad14

I don’t know y’all... seems sort of suspiciously empty to me!


----------



## KrazeeK120

I read Kenny’s article. The wristbands appear to be the exact same ones from the MK EMM. Unless they’re planning to print off a bunch of new bands to differentiate people, I suspect that all of the 7:00 and 7:30 people will receive the same band and be admitted together on the days with 2 times.

It sounds like they’ll open the breakfast at 7:00 on those days for people who wish to eat prior to doing the rest of the event, but I’m not thinking they’ll force anyone to eat at any particular time.


----------



## MIAMouseketeer

KrazeeK120 said:


> I read Kenny’s article. The wristbands appear to be the exact same ones from the MK EMM. Unless they’re planning to print off a bunch of new bands to differentiate people, I suspect that all of the 7:00 and 7:30 people will receive the same band and be admitted together on the days with 2 times.
> 
> It sounds like they’ll open the breakfast at 7:00 on those days for people who wish to eat prior to doing the rest of the event, but I’m not thinking they’ll force anyone to eat at any particular time.


agreed


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

The KtP review was really interesting, and I will be over the moon if it’s like that on the Monday of Columbus Day weekend. 

It makes sense that the food is already in bowls, but I don’t like the idea that the maple syrup is already poured over it. I don’t have a sweet tooth, esp in the morning, and I also think it would make the food soggy! I’ve never had sweet potatoe tots, but I will give them a try. 

It’s great that water and coffee are available in the Land. Hopefully this won’t be just on the super hot days. I was surprised that they don’t have soda available to drink, but I guess I shouldn’t be - I know it’s not the norm in buffets in hotels, but I am always able to find someone who can bring me a Diet Coke so I can wake up. I will just need to caffeinate myself before I leave the hotel.

I’m feeling very positive about the whole thing after that review, even though he wasn’t thrilled. I go 3 weeks today, so it doesn’t have too long to go downhill...


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

KrazeeK120 said:


> I read Kenny’s article. *The wristbands appear to be the exact same ones from the MK EMM.* Unless they’re planning to print off a bunch of new bands to differentiate people, I suspect that all of the 7:00 and 7:30 people will receive the same band and be admitted together on the days with 2 times.
> 
> It sounds like they’ll open the breakfast at 7:00 on those days for people who wish to eat prior to doing the rest of the event, but I’m not thinking they’ll force anyone to eat at any particular time.



Obviously I’m not going to do this, but if they are the same wristbands as the MK event, which I’m going to the next day, what is stopping me from keeping on Monday’s HS wristband, cancelling my booking for Tuesday’s MK EMM, and showing up there on Tuesday without having paid? Besides morals, obviously! I’m just surprised that they have neglected such an easy loophole to close. I assumed that every event got a different wristband, so you couldn’t try to get in to the next day’s EMM or MNSSHP.


----------



## Jasperann

Tigger in a kilt said:


> It makes sense that the food is already in bowls, but I don’t like the idea that the maple syrup is already poured over it. I don’t have a sweet tooth, esp in the morning, and I also think it would make the food soggy! I’ve never had sweet potatoe tots, but I will give them a try.



I am hoping they let me order one without the maple syrup on it.  My son won't touch it if it has syrup on it.


----------



## StacyStrong

It is curious that he ordered a sweet potato meal with chicken tenders when he wanted something more breakfast like and doesnt like sweet food? 

The mexi dish is definitely more savory


----------



## KrazeeK120

Tigger in a kilt said:


> Obviously I’m not going to do this, but if they are the same wristbands as the MK event, which I’m going to the next day, what is stopping me from keeping on Monday’s HS wristband, cancelling my booking for Tuesday’s MK EMM, and showing up there on Tuesday without having paid? Besides morals, obviously! I’m just surprised that they have neglected such an easy loophole to close. I assumed that every event got a different wristband, so you couldn’t try to get in to the next day’s EMM or MNSSHP.



I’m sure the person at MK who is handing out the wristbands is going to wonder how you already have one, unless you wear long sleeves to cover it. I’m booked for both events and honestly never would have thought of doing that. I suppose it’s not much different than someone doing EMM at MK and then going back for another EMM a few days later. They’d literally have to print different wristbands for every single EMM event to prevent potential misuse. Seems like they’ve just decided that for them, they’ll just eat the cost should someone be able to sneak in.


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

Jasperann said:


> I am hoping they let me order one without the maple syrup on it.  My son won't touch it if it has syrup on it.



Surely they will. I’m surprised they didn’t just give out the little tubs of syrup, as that seems like an easier option. Of course, this is the first day, so they may well change things up over the coming weeks.

I’m with your son - I don’t like maple syrup either! I was hoping to get the eggs from the children’s menu, maybe with the avocado toast.



StacyStrong said:


> It is curious that he ordered a sweet potato meal with chicken tenders when he wanted something more breakfast like and doesnt like sweet food?
> 
> The mexi dish is definitely more savory



I got the impression that he thought they would have normal tater tots too, not just sweet potato. 

Are chicken tenders a common breakfast food in the US? I genuinely can’t think of anywhere else I have ever seen chicken on a breakfast menu.


----------



## Jasperann

Tigger in a kilt said:


> I got the impression that he thought they would have normal tater tots too, not just sweet potato.
> 
> Are chicken tenders a common breakfast food in the US? I genuinely can’t think of anywhere else I have ever seen chicken on a breakfast menu.


They are NOT a common breakfast food in the US.  It is a little strange to me actually.  LOL


----------



## disneyworldsk

MK emm nov. 6th i'm going to . then dhs emm nov. 7th. It is possible lots of things that occurred today are only for the amusement of media. since mk began emm reports say crowds have been larger then the first year out.


----------



## StacyStrong

Tigger in a kilt said:


> Surely they will. I’m surprised they didn’t just give out the little tubs of syrup, as that seems like an easier option. Of course, this is the first day, so they may well change things up over the coming weeks.
> 
> I’m with your son - I don’t like maple syrup either! I was hoping to get the eggs from the children’s menu, maybe with the avocado toast.
> 
> 
> 
> I got the impression that he thought they would have normal tater tots too, not just sweet potato.
> 
> Are chicken tenders a common breakfast food in the US? I genuinely can’t think of anywhere else I have ever seen chicken on a breakfast menu.


Chicken and waffles is relatively common, but otherwise no.


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

KrazeeK120 said:


> I’m sure the person at MK who is handing out the wristbands is going to wonder how you already have one, unless you wear long sleeves to cover it. I’m booked for both events and honestly never would have thought of doing that. I suppose it’s not much different than someone doing EMM at MK and then going back for another EMM a few days later. They’d literally have to print different wristbands for every single EMM event to prevent potential misuse. Seems like they’ve just decided that for them, they’ll just eat the cost should someone be able to sneak in.



That’s a fair point - it could well be cost prohibitive, and what they lose on one person/family sneaking in is less than the cost of printing different wristbands for every event.

Whenever I have had wristbands at events they have been colour-coded, so I just assumed that this would be the case with Disney. I suppose the difference in scale makes that unfeasible. I’m sure they also have unseen security who would notice someone doing this. I promise I’m not going to try it, not even to report back - it just surprised me!

In the last couple of weeks, after a year of researching this trip, I have finally realised that WDW is not like anything else that I’m already familiar with. It’s a small city, with its own mass transit, police and fire brigade, and its own infrastructure. All my preconceived ideas about how things happen elsewhere are irrelevant, because the scale of WDW is immensely greater than any event or stand-alone tourist attraction I have visited. It’s like assuming that things work the same way in London or New York as they do in my small town in rural Scotland. I just need to stop assuming that things will happen in a certain way, because WDW is a law unto itself, for good, bad and everything in between.


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

Jasperann said:


> They are NOT a common breakfast food in the US.  It is a little strange to me actually.  LOL





StacyStrong said:


> Chicken and waffles is relatively common, but otherwise no.



So it’s “a Disney thing”, rather than “an American thing”. I do travel in the US a fair bit, but WDW is the only place I have noticed so much chicken on breakfast menus.


----------



## MIAMouseketeer

Tigger in a kilt said:


> Obviously I’m not going to do this, but if they are the same wristbands as the MK event, which I’m going to the next day, what is stopping me from keeping on Monday’s HS wristband, cancelling my booking for Tuesday’s MK EMM, and showing up there on Tuesday without having paid? Besides morals, obviously! I’m just surprised that they have neglected such an easy loophole to close. I assumed that every event got a different wristband, so you couldn’t try to get in to the next day’s EMM or MNSSHP.


The wristbands are color coded. We have done it 3x at MK and each time the color has been different.


----------



## StacyStrong

Don't you get checked in by iPad first? How would you get past that just with a wrist band?

No idea how it works. 
I guess you could steal breakfast lol


----------



## GADisneyDad14

MIAMouseketeer said:


> The wristbands are color coded. We have done it 3x at MK and each time the color has been different.



Yep, was going to say the same thing.


----------



## disneyworldsk

also, someone was hoping in a previous comment the mexican bowl would be vegetarian. As kenny posted it has sausage in it so not vegetarian. The only vegetarian option is avocado and a salad.


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

StacyStrong said:


> Don't you get checked in by iPad first? How would you get past that just with a wrist band?
> 
> No idea how it works.
> I guess you could steal breakfast lol



I would imagine that it would not be too hard to sneak by a CM in a group of 200 people all trying to give their info and get a wristband. Unfortunately I’m pathologically honest, so I don’t have an specific ideas on how to do it that don’t come from tv shows. However, I feel like any further speculation on my part would be getting very close to breaking forum rules, so I should probably stop. I just found it interesting. 

As I said, I have no intention of trying it, I was just surprised that Disney appeared to have left a large loophole. Anyway, I think @MIAMouseketeer has foiled my hypothetical plan! 



MIAMouseketeer said:


> The wristbands are color coded. We have done it 3x at MK and each time the color has been different.


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

disneyworldsk said:


> also, someone was hoping in a previous comment the mexican bowl would be vegetarian. As kenny posted it has sausage in it so not vegetarian. The only vegetarian option is avocado and a salad.



That was me, thank you! That’s a shame, but well worth knowing. I’m hoping to get the kids’ scrambled eggs and the avocado toast without salad. The egg that comes with the avocado looks disgusting, and even my strong stomach doesn’t fancy salad at 7am. 

I’m going to bed now, so I will stop dominating this thread! I will look forward to hearing more over the next couple of weeks about how subsequent events are managed, but so far, so good, as far as I’m concerned.


----------



## KrazeeK120

MIAMouseketeer said:


> The wristbands are color coded. We have done it 3x at MK and each time the color has been different.



Ah, OK. I guess I just happened to have the same color when I went as they gave out today. So maybe they will color code people based on which time they booked.


----------



## RachaelA

I just still hope we can get adult size portions of the kids eggs


----------



## MIAMouseketeer

KrazeeK120 said:


> Ah, OK. I guess I just happened to have the same color when I went as they gave out today. So maybe they will color code people based on which time they booked.


I don’t think they will. I think they are color coded so people don’t try and return on a different day for free.


----------



## PrincessDuck

Just to add to my previous comments about today's event.  There were several chefs that were being utilized for allergies.  I am sure that you can have things adjusted for different reasons.  I think that the chicken and donuts are supposed to be a play on Chicken and Waffles.  The donuts are actually cronuts!! and were delicious and not soggy with the syrup on them.  The meals that we were served were still quite warm.  My mexican egg dish had crunchy tortilla strips that were part of it and they were not soggy at all until I was almost done eating.  It was very tasty.  My husband had the shrimp and grits and commented on the abundance of shrimp in his dish.  I was pleasantly surprised at the breakfast selections and hope that they continue to offer such selections.


----------



## StacyStrong

PrincessDuck said:


> Just to add to my previous comments about today's event.  There were several chefs that were being utilized for allergies.  I am sure that you can have things adjusted for different reasons.  I think that the chicken and donuts are supposed to be a play on Chicken and Waffles.  The donuts are actually cronuts!! and were delicious and not soggy with the syrup on them.  The meals that we were served were still quite warm.  My mexican egg dish had crunchy tortilla strips that were part of it and they were not soggy at all until I was almost done eating.  It was very tasty.  My husband had the shrimp and grits and commented on the abundance of shrimp in his dish.  I was pleasantly surprised at the breakfast selections and hope that they continue to offer such selections.



This is great to hear! While I appreciate Kenny's review, I don't think we have the same palate at all haha.


----------



## december

I am so excited to start my trip off here on Oct 10, and shrimp and grits sounds divine to me!


----------



## kat_lh

These reports are so exciting - yay!!


----------



## djc9699

Is it wrong that I have this scheduled twice on my trip in December?


----------



## ptlohmysoul

Tigger in a kilt said:


> So it’s “a Disney thing”, rather than “an American thing”. I do travel in the US a fair bit, but WDW is the only place I have noticed so much chicken on breakfast menus.



Chick-fil-A has chicken (and biscuits) for breakfast.


----------



## ptlohmysoul

disneyworldsk said:


> also, someone was hoping in a previous comment the mexican bowl would be vegetarian. As kenny posted it has sausage in it so not vegetarian. The only vegetarian option is avocado and a salad.



The avocado & salad w/egg breakfast looks amazing (in the fancy pics by the media - haven't seen it in a bowl)!  Can't wait to try it.


----------



## MNDisneyMommy

So excited to read reports of how it went, and hear from more people!

Also, if it helps anyone, I changed my group of 7 from 7:30am to 7:00am by booking the 7:00am online and it auto-cancelled the 7:30 since the times overlapped.  I got the credit for the cancelled booking applied to my CC the next day.


----------



## KrazeeK120

MNDisneyMommy said:


> So excited to read reports of how it went, and hear from more people!
> 
> Also, if it helps anyone, I changed my group of 7 from 7:30am to 7:00am by booking the 7:00am online and it auto-cancelled the 7:30 since the times overlapped.  I got the credit for the cancelled booking applied to my CC the next day.



Just wanted to throw out that I did the same thing last week, but it took 4 days for the money to go back on my credit card. So don’t freak out if you switch and don’t see your money back right away.


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

PrincessDuck said:


> Just to add to my previous comments about today's event.  There were several chefs that were being utilized for allergies.  I am sure that you can have things adjusted for different reasons.  I think that the chicken and donuts are supposed to be a play on Chicken and Waffles.  The donuts are actually cronuts!! and were delicious and not soggy with the syrup on them.  The meals that we were served were still quite warm.  My mexican egg dish had crunchy tortilla strips that were part of it and they were not soggy at all until I was almost done eating.  It was very tasty.  My husband had the shrimp and grits and commented on the abundance of shrimp in his dish.  I was pleasantly surprised at the breakfast selections and hope that they continue to offer such selections.



This all sounds extremely positive! Thanks so much for reporting back. 



KrazeeK120 said:


> Just wanted to throw out that I did the same thing last week, but it took 4 days for the money to go back on my credit card. So don’t freak out if you switch and don’t see your money back right away.



My money took 3 or 4 days to go back on my card too. I’m in the U.K., which may make a difference, but I agree that it may take a few days to get your money back.


----------



## tiffyms02

This sounds awesome; excited to go next Monday! Any word on being able to sign up for Jedi Training before heading to Toy Story Land?


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

tiffyms02 said:


> This sounds awesome; excited to go next Monday! Any word on being able to sign up for Jedi Training before heading to Toy Story Land?



Kenny the Pirate said somewhere (maybe that review from yesterday?) that since Toy Story Land has opened, there is not such a mad dash for Jedi Training sign up, so if you sign up after you leave EMM, you should be ok. I’m going to take this with a pinch of salt since we go on Columbus Day, but that’s the only thing I have heard.

Please report back once you have been, as I really want to know about Jedi Training too. Have a great time!


----------



## Tinkerbell8956

We went yesterday morning and had a great time! It took about 15 minutes to walk over from the Dolphin. They checked out magic bands with the iPads and then we got our wrist bands. We were let in around 7:20 AM and in Toy Story Land by 7:25. Side note: they were not signing people up for Jedi Training when we entered. We were able to ride Midway mania twice, alien swirling saucers once, and slinky dog 5 times. We could have ridden it more, but we were starting to feel a smidge nauseated. We also had taken some time to chat with Tim and Jen Tracker, so that took some ride time away. They were making people get off of the rides and walk around to get on again. I saw one woman throw an absolute tantrum about this in front of her children on Midway Mania, and they did let her load into the ride again from the exit side. Saw a couple try to do this later and get told that they couldn’t. Park guests started streaming in around 8:45, as we were walking to breakfast. They had multiple cold buffets set up around the commissary, and you went to the counter to get anything hot. I had the chicken and donut, which was delicious despite what Kenny the Pirate said. I hate sweet potatoes, but really liked the sweet potato tots. My husband had the Mexican bowl dish and the avocado toast and said they were both fantastic. They had coffee, orange juice, apple juice, and water on the buffets. If you wanted soda or something different you had to get it at the counter with the hot food. We were on our way out of the park and headed to Epcot by 9:20.

Overall I would totally do this again! It was a really great time!

I will try and upload some pictures after work today!


----------



## disneyworldsk

weird question, but the avocado toast entree: why does the egg look unusually cooked. I'm not used to seeing that type of egg .....


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

disneyworldsk said:


> weird question, but the avocado toast entree: why does the egg look unusually cooked. I'm not used to seeing that type of egg .....



It’s because it’s baked. It looks disgusting (in my opinion only, of course!).


----------



## DWFamilyof6

Tinkerbell8956 said:


> We went yesterday morning and had a great time! It took about 15 minutes to walk over from the Dolphin. They checked out magic bands with the iPads and then we got our wrist bands. We were let in around 7:20 AM and in Toy Story Land by 7:25. Side note: they were not signing people up for Jedi Training when we entered. We were able to ride Midway mania twice, alien swirling saucers once, and slinky dog 5 times. We could have ridden it more, but we were starting to feel a smidge nauseated. We also had taken some time to chat with Tim and Jen Tracker, so that took some ride time away. They were making people get off of the rides and walk around to get on again. I saw one woman throw an absolute tantrum about this in front of her children on Midway Mania, and they did let her load into the ride again from the exit side. Saw a couple try to do this later and get told that they couldn’t. Park guests started streaming in around 8:45, as we were walking to breakfast. They had multiple cold buffets set up around the commissary, and you went to the counter to get anything hot. I had the chicken and donut, which was delicious despite what Kenny the Pirate said. I hate sweet potatoes, but really liked the sweet potato tots. My husband had the Mexican bowl dish and the avocado toast and said they were both fantastic. They had coffee, orange juice, apple juice, and water on the buffets. If you wanted soda or something different you had to get it at the counter with the hot food. We were on our way out of the park and headed to Epcot by 9:20.
> 
> Overall I would totally do this again! It was a really great time!
> 
> I will try and upload some pictures after work today!


Great review! Thanks!
Did you get any pics with characters? Curious about the best time to do so.


----------



## IceQueen182

Thanks to everyone who has posted their reviews so far!  It sounds like people typically went to breakfast when the park opened around 8:45 or so.  When we do EMM at MK, we typically hit a few rides when the park opens at 9 and then make our way to breakfast closer to 9:30/9:45.  I was thinking of using the same strategy at HS and doing Star Tours or Star Wars Launch Bay character meets at 9, then getting a later breakfast before 10.  Curious to hear others' strategies!


----------



## Jasperann

IceQueen182 said:


> Thanks to everyone who has posted their reviews so far!  It sounds like people typically went to breakfast when the park opened around 8:45 or so.  When we do EMM at MK, we typically hit a few rides when the park opens at 9 and then make our way to breakfast closer to 9:30/9:45.  I was thinking of using the same strategy at HS and doing Star Tours or Star Wars Launch Bay character meets at 9, then getting a later breakfast before 10.  Curious to hear others' strategies!



I am leaning towards doing ToT and RnR before breakfast.  I know the waits are super low for both of them.  Then do breakfast and Star Tours after.  If it is open at 7am for breakfast we will go in real fast for some pastries to get something in our stomach before riding tons of rides.  LOL  Then go to 'real' breakfast around 9:30.


----------



## disneyworldsk

Tigger in a kilt said:


> It’s because it’s baked. It looks disgusting (in my opinion only, of course!).


yes, agreed.


----------



## mercydisney

I really would like to do this. I wish they would do it on the weekends!


----------



## Shelbizzles

So if this event is sold out for the dates I need then there is probably no hope for me getting it right? Because it says non refundable. So I assume they don’t get cancellations


----------



## StacyStrong

Shelbizzles said:


> So if this event is sold out for the dates I need then there is probably no hope for me getting it right? Because it says non refundable. So I assume they don’t get cancellations


It can be cancelled and refunded.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Shelbizzles said:


> So if this event is sold out for the dates I need then there is probably no hope for me getting it right? Because it says non refundable. So I assume they don’t get cancellations



There’s a one day cancellation policy (the verbiage on the event website is misleading).  People do cancel and shuffle plans all the time - although this will seemingly be popular for awhile.  But, keep checking!


----------



## Shelbizzles

StacyStrong said:


> It can be cancelled and refunded.





GADisneyDad14 said:


> There’s a one day cancellation policy (the verbiage on the event website is misleading).  People do cancel and shuffle plans all the time - although this will seemingly be popular for awhile.  But, keep checking!



Thanks! I will keep an eye on it


----------



## Helvetica

Thanks for the reviews!

I think the breakfast looks rather strange. When they said "fried chicken," I was expecting bone-in fried chicken, not chicken tenders. It will be interesting to see how the event evolves in the coming weeks.


----------



## Jasperann

Shelbizzles said:


> Thanks! I will keep an eye on it


If you are going in December they haven't opened up the 7am time for then yet.  So maybe they will add that too.


----------



## AngiTN

Helvetica said:


> Thanks for the reviews!
> 
> I think the breakfast looks rather strange. When they said "fried chicken," I was expecting bone-in fried chicken, not chicken tenders. It will be interesting to see how the event evolves in the coming weeks.


Chicken and waffles is almost always boneless chicken, at least around here it is. Makes it much easier to eat


----------



## SaintsManiac

AngiTN said:


> Chicken and waffles is almost always boneless chicken, at least around here it is. Makes it much easier to eat




I live for chicken and waffles


----------



## AngiTN

Tigger in a kilt said:


> Obviously I’m not going to do this, but if they are the same wristbands as the MK event, which I’m going to the next day, what is stopping me from keeping on Monday’s HS wristband, cancelling my booking for Tuesday’s MK EMM, and showing up there on Tuesday without having paid? Besides morals, obviously! I’m just surprised that they have neglected such an easy loophole to close. I assumed that every event got a different wristband, so you couldn’t try to get in to the next day’s EMM or MNSSHP.


They've been doing these events for ages and ages. People just haven't been in the habit of sneaking in past the CM. They know what to watch for, even if you don't know they are watching for it.



Tigger in a kilt said:


> I* would imagine that it would not be too hard to sneak by a CM in a group of 200 people all trying to give their info and get a wristband.* Unfortunately I’m pathologically honest, so I don’t have an specific ideas on how to do it that don’t come from tv shows. However, I feel like any further speculation on my part would be getting very close to breaking forum rules, so I should probably stop. I just found it interesting.
> 
> As I said, I have no intention of trying it, I was just surprised that Disney appeared to have left a large loophole. Anyway, I think @MIAMouseketeer has foiled my hypothetical plan!


It would be impossible to sneak by a CM. You have to get your MB scanned first, to check for your admission, THEN, and only THEN, do you get a wristband. They keep the area where you get in very roped off and separate or have for any EMM events we've attended. This isn't Disney's first rodeo.



tiffyms02 said:


> This sounds awesome; excited to go next Monday! Any word on being able to sign up for Jedi Training before heading to Toy Story Land?


Unless you need a really specific time or limited times, there is no rush to sign up for JTA any longer. We've been numerous times since TSL opened. Every day we've been there they've had the sign out that they were still accepting sign-ups as late as 4:00.



SaintsManiac said:


> I live for chicken and waffles


Yep. Just about the only sweet breakfast dish I like.


----------



## Helvetica

AngiTN said:


> Chicken and waffles is almost always boneless chicken, at least around here it is. Makes it much easier to eat



Chicken strips and waffles are a thing? I guess you learn something new every day. 






I guess chicken tenders are technically chicken that is fried, but I don't normally think of it as being fried chicken. The menu just seems a little odd to me but to each their own.


----------



## maiapapaya

Really hoping we can do this during our March trip. Impatiently waiting for dates for early 2019 to be released!


----------



## GADisneyDad14

One shouldn’t bank on similar trends, but I find Disney patterns useful/interesting sometimes just for some context.

MK EMM was was announced on 4/6/2016 with 18 dates from 4/26/2016 - 6/28/2016.  On 6/2/2016 (roughly two months after the original announcement and roughly one month out from the new dates) they announced a second round of dates covering 7/10/2016 - 9/27/2016.

DHS EMM was announced 8/22/2018 with 23 dates from 9/17/2018 - 12/19/2018. 

Obviously different set of facts/times of year for DHS EMM.... but FWIW!


----------



## AngiTN

Helvetica said:


> *Chicken strips and waffles are a thing?* I guess you learn something new every day.
> 
> I guess chicken tenders are technically chicken that is fried, but I don't normally think of it as being fried chicken. The menu just seems a little odd to me but to each their own.


Nope, and I do not believe I ever said *chicken strips* and waffles were a thing. I said chicken and waffles are almost always served with a boneless piece of chicken. Not with bone-in chicken. (the person I quoted said they were expecting bone-in chicken) I stand by that statement. It's served in many, many restaurants here. It's always been boneless chicken when I order it. Often it's spicy/hot chicken too (Nashville Hot Chicken). But honestly, what are chicken strips but a breast cut into strips? Not sure what the big difference/question is anyway.

And yes, the menu they've opted for is non-traditional. Non-traditional is not bad. It's non-traditional, with a little traditional thrown in here and there. Disney gets panned daily for boring same old crap menus. Goodness knows they've got enough of those around property.  I'm glad to see them thinking out of the box. I'll reserve judgment on it until I taste it for myself.


----------



## Helvetica

AngiTN said:


> Nope, and I do not believe I ever said *chicken strips* and waffles were a thing. I said chicken and waffles are almost always serviced with a boneless piece of chicken. Not with bone-in chicken. (the person I quoted said they were expecting bone-in chicken) I stand by that statement. It's served in many, many restaurants here. It's always been boneless chicken when I order it. Often it's spicy/hot chicken too (Nashville Hot Chicken). But honestly, what are chicken strips but a breast cut into strips? Not sure what the big difference/question is anyway.
> 
> And yes, the menu they've opted for is non-traditional. Non-traditional is not bad. It's non-traditional, with a little traditional thrown in here and there. Disney gets panned daily for boring same old crap menus. Goodness knows they've got enough of those around property.  I'm glad to see them thinking out of the box. I'll reserve judgment on it until I taste it for myself.



Fair enough. I was speaking to their menu and their description of "fried chicken." It's the same chicken tenders that you can get anywhere else in Disney World and there are no waffles. It's sweet potato things, chives and a croissant. When I think fried chicken, I think chicken on the bone. That's why I was a bit surprised when I saw the tenders. 

Anyway, this is how we do chicken and waffles but to each their own.


----------



## AngiTN

Helvetica said:


> Fair enough. I was speaking to their menu and their description of "fried chicken." It's the same chicken tenders that you can get anywhere else in Disney World and there are no waffles. It's sweet potato things, chives and a croissant. When I think fried chicken, I think chicken on the bone. That's why I was a bit surprised when I saw the tenders.
> 
> Anyway, this is how we do chicken and waffles but to each their own.


Wow, no. No bone in chicken here. I've never had it served that way. That seems very hard to eat. 
And I think Disney was going after "the flavors of" chicken and waffles, sweet and savory, but with a twist. I believe it's a Cronut (or however you spell the cross between a croissant and donut) based on the reviews above.


----------



## StacyStrong

Chicken and waffles usually has a bone here too.


----------



## Lisa F

Tinkerbell8956 said:


> We went yesterday morning and had a great time! It took about 15 minutes to walk over from the Dolphin. They checked out magic bands with the iPads and then we got our wrist bands. We were let in around 7:20 AM and in Toy Story Land by 7:25. Side note: they were not signing people up for Jedi Training when we entered. We were able to ride Midway mania twice, alien swirling saucers once, and slinky dog 5 times. We could have ridden it more, but we were starting to feel a smidge nauseated. We also had taken some time to chat with Tim and Jen Tracker, so that took some ride time away. They were making people get off of the rides and walk around to get on again. I saw one woman throw an absolute tantrum about this in front of her children on Midway Mania, and they did let her load into the ride again from the exit side. Saw a couple try to do this later and get told that they couldn’t. Park guests started streaming in around 8:45, as we were walking to breakfast. They had multiple cold buffets set up around the commissary, and you went to the counter to get anything hot. I had the chicken and donut, which was delicious despite what Kenny the Pirate said. I hate sweet potatoes, but really liked the sweet potato tots. My husband had the Mexican bowl dish and the avocado toast and said they were both fantastic. They had coffee, orange juice, apple juice, and water on the buffets. If you wanted soda or something different you had to get it at the counter with the hot food. We were on our way out of the park and headed to Epcot by 9:20.
> 
> Overall I would totally do this again! It was a really great time!
> 
> I will try and upload some pictures after work today!



So if I am reading this right are you saying that the "entrees" are all set out buffet style and you can take what you want, even a second or different one?


----------



## Jasperann

Lisa F said:


> So if I am reading this right are you saying that the "entrees" are all set out buffet style and you can take what you want, even a second or different one?


The picture I saw showed them behind the counter under the warmers.  So they would need handed to you.


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

Lisa F said:


> So if I am reading this right are you saying that the "entrees" are all set out buffet style and you can take what you want, even a second or different one?



But it does sound like you are able to go back and ask for “seconds” of a different entree.


----------



## Tinkerbell8956

Lisa F said:


> So if I am reading this right are you saying that the "entrees" are all set out buffet style and you can take what you want, even a second or different one?


No, you get the entrees at the counter, where you would normally get your food at the commissary. There were buffets out for the “cold” items. The pastries, yogurt, fruit, etc. you can ask for as many entrees as you want at a time, or go up as many times as you want.


----------



## Tinkerbell8956




----------



## Eve & Wall-e

Tinkerbell8956 said:


> There were buffets out for the “cold” items.



Thank you for posting photos of the buffet items!


----------



## Lisa Tarvin

Helvetica said:


> Fair enough. I was speaking to their menu and their description of "fried chicken." It's the same chicken tenders that you can get anywhere else in Disney World and there are no waffles. It's sweet potato things, chives and a croissant. When I think fried chicken, I think chicken on the bone. That's why I was a bit surprised when I saw the tenders.
> 
> Anyway, this is how we do chicken and waffles but to each their own.


This is what traditional chicken and waffles looks like here in Alabama as well with bone in chicken. I was born in Florida and went back to work there for many years and bone in chicken was the norm there as well. Chicken fingers are not traditionaly served with a sweet component like waffles or cronuts here, but doesn't make any difference to me it still looks great! Of course being being born and raised in the south I love grits, but not shrimp and grits that is weird to me, but some of my family members love it. Maybe if you can get as many entrees as you want I can get me some grits, no shrimp, and some chicken fingers and cronuts! I appreciate the varied menu Disney is giving us with this event.


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

@Tinkerbell8956 Thank you for posting the photos - that’s really helpful!


----------



## jkb1986

I'm so excited for this!! Does anyone have an opinion whether they think it will be offered the Monday after the Princess Half (February 25th)? Also, interested on experiences with the character meet lines.


----------



## jennab

Has anyone seen any other reviews out there (besides KtP)?


----------



## SaintsManiac

jennab said:


> Has anyone seen any other reviews out there (besides KtP)?




Tim Tracker went. Not sure when the video will come out.


----------



## DWFamilyof6

SaintsManiac said:


> Tim Tracker went. Not sure when the video will come out.


I just saw the Tim Tracker video on YouTube about EMM at HS.


----------



## kat_lh

So I sent an email to guest services just basically saying, what's up with the two time slots.  And I got a reasonable response back - 

Dear Katherine,

Thank you for contacting the _Walt Disney World®_ Resort!

We are so excited to hear you are looking to visit us for our Early Morning Magic and Toy Story land in Disney's Hollywood Studios®.

As for the change from 7:00 A.M. to 7:30 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, based on capacity, breakfast for Early Morning Magic may be available as early as 7:00 AM.

So, on the select days, this is offered the capacity of the event is why.

If you have any other questions or challenges, please do not hesitate to contact us by calling us at 407-W-DISNEY (407-934-7639) or by chatting with us in the Help Center of the Walt Disney World® website. Cast Members will be happy to assist you further.


It would seem that simple email that says "your event sold out, come at 7:00 a.m. for breakfast" would have been an easier way to manage it rather than opening up a whole other time slot but it's Disney after all.


----------



## ninafeliz

kat_lh said:


> So I sent an email to guest services just basically saying, what's up with the two time slots.  And I got a reasonable response back -
> 
> Dear Katherine,
> 
> Thank you for contacting the _Walt Disney World®_ Resort!
> 
> We are so excited to hear you are looking to visit us for our Early Morning Magic and Toy Story land in Disney's Hollywood Studios®.
> 
> As for the change from 7:00 A.M. to 7:30 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, based on capacity, breakfast for Early Morning Magic may be available as early as 7:00 AM.
> 
> So, on the select days, this is offered the capacity of the event is why.
> 
> If you have any other questions or challenges, please do not hesitate to contact us by calling us at 407-W-DISNEY (407-934-7639) or by chatting with us in the Help Center of the Walt Disney World® website. Cast Members will be happy to assist you further.
> 
> 
> It would seem that simple email that says "your event sold out, come at 7:00 a.m. for breakfast" would have been an easier way to manage it rather than opening up a whole other time slot but it's Disney after all.



I'm glad they got back to you, but i find that answer very hard to read and interpret.  The time change wasn't from 7:00 to 7:30, it was the other way around.  The third and fourth sentences, which also happen to be the third and fourth paragraphs, don't really make sense the way they are written, we have to decipher them.  I'm not someone who gets too worked up about grammar and sentence structure, but those just aren't correct!  maybe it was written by someone with english as a second language?  It just reads poorly, and for me didn't really clear anything up.  However, after hearing about how the first day went, I'm feeling better that they are just going to let everyone in at once to eat at 7:00 and the rides won't open until 7:30.  I'm still going to try to be there a little before 7:00 even with my 7:30 time slot, but I'm less worried about the 7:00 people somehow having an advantage, and I don't care about getting to eat first.  In addition, there are now days with a 7:00 slot before my 10/29 date, so I'll get to see what happens then.  My assumption is that they opened up more slots, hopefully that won't be enough to mess with wait times during the event, and they don't want to come right out and say that. Why they didn't just do that under the 7:30 time slot makes no sense to me, but I'm not in IT.


----------



## StacyStrong

Man. They really need to do some QA on their CS reps. Email responses are always almost impossible to decipher whenever it's not just a macro response.


----------



## sapphirerose915

Was there one this morning??? Have we gotten anymore reviews??


----------



## kat_lh

sapphirerose915 said:


> Was there one this morning??? Have we gotten anymore reviews??



No, the next one isn't until Monday 9/24


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Did the Disney Parks Blog write that response?   

Feel bad for CMs... have to answer questions with likely very little provided info.


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

I watched the Tim Tracker review on YouTube, and it looks really fun. My only, very minor, issue is that the line seemed pretty long to meet Woody and Jessie. I personally don’t care about meeting them, but I wonder whether meeting the characters will be the bottleneck. I do want to meet Buzz, so I guess we just need to do that early.


----------



## KrazeeK120

Tigger in a kilt said:


> I watched the Tim Tracker review on YouTube, and it looks really fun. My only, very minor, issue is that the line seemed pretty long to meet Woody and Jessie. I personally don’t care about meeting them, but I wonder whether meeting the characters will be the bottleneck. I do want to meet Buzz, so I guess we just need to do that early.



I’m wondering, as the weather cools down, if they’ll stay out for longer periods of time. By the time late October rolls around, it isn’t going to be in the 80s with a zillion % humidity at 7:30 in the morning. That’s my hope, anyway.

I watched the video too and I actually didn’t think the line looked that long. There were several people in line, but characters meet entire groups at once. 25 people in line could easily be just 5-7 groups.


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

KrazeeK120 said:


> I’m wondering, as the weather cools down, if they’ll stay out for longer periods of time. By the time late October rolls around, it isn’t going to be in the 80s with a zillion % humidity at 7:30 in the morning. That’s my hope, anyway.
> 
> I watched the video too and I actually didn’t think the line looked that long. There were several people in line, but characters meet entire groups at once. 25 people in line could easily be just 5-7 groups.



I expect that you are right - it must be horrendous in those giant plastic heads right now!

I don’t think the line looked long objectively, but it seemed longer than anything else they showed. I never thought about the characters being a big draw at this type of event, so it surprised me. You are right that each person won’t be seen individually, but unless you get no interaction time, it could easily be the longest wait of the event.


----------



## disneyworldsk

just watched thanks tigger. funny how they ate first! I guess at 9 if people enjoy the other rides rnrc, tot, etc. go there at 9 then eat at 9:30 but we don't ride those so i guess we're done but to eat and that's it?! Not much more else there. maybe a show?


----------



## kat_lh

Tigger in a kilt said:


> I expect that you are right - it must be horrendous in those giant plastic heads right now!
> 
> I don’t think the line looked long objectively, but it seemed longer than anything else they showed. I never thought about the characters being a big draw at this type of event, so it surprised me. You are right that each person won’t be seen individually, but unless you get no interaction time, it could easily be the longest wait of the event.



Also, of course pure guessing without a whole lot of data, but I wonder if lines will drop for character the closer it gets to park opening and people skedaddle to get to RNRC or TOT


----------



## KrazeeK120

Tigger in a kilt said:


> I expect that you are right - it must be horrendous in those giant plastic heads right now!
> 
> I don’t think the line looked long objectively, but it seemed longer than anything else they showed. I never thought about the characters being a big draw at this type of event, so it surprised me. You are right that each person won’t be seen individually, but unless you get no interaction time, it could easily be the longest wait of the event.



It definitely depends on the family. My almost 3 year old loves characters and Toy Story. I think this is the only place to meet Woody & Jessie. Prior to the announcement of this event, I was trying mighty hard to figure out how to do all of TSL (including the meet & greets) with minimal waits and conceded that we may have to just drop something if the waits were too long. Booking the event was really a no-brainer for us, and I suspect a lot of families with young kids are in the same boat.


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

disneyworldsk said:


> just watched thanks tigger. funny how they ate first! I guess at 9 if people enjoy the other rides rnrc, tot, etc. go there at 9 then eat at 9:30 but we don't ride those so i guess we're done but to eat and that's it?! Not much more else there. maybe a show?



I wonder if they were allowed to eat at 7am and not go into the Land until 7:30. It wasn’t clear, but it’s possible.

For what it’s worth, we are doing Star Tours at 9am, maybe Jedi Training, and then going over to Epcot. I don’t really care about the shows, so I will be happy once I have seen Toy Story Land!



kat_lh said:


> Also, of course pure guessing without a whole lot of data, but I wonder if lines will drop for character the closer it gets to park opening and people skedaddle to get to RNRC or TOT



Quite possibly. I’m not sure what time the characters have to be back out for normal day guests, so they may need to go back for a break at some point too, though.



KrazeeK120 said:


> It definitely depends on the family. My almost 3 year old loves characters and Toy Story. I think this is the only place to meet Woody & Jessie. Prior to the announcement of this event, I was trying mighty hard to figure out how to do all of TSL (including the meet & greets) with minimal waits and conceded that we may have to just drop something if the waits were too long. Booking the event was really a no-brainer for us, and I suspect a lot of families with young kids are in the same boat.



Absolutely, and in your position I would have done the same thing without hesitation. We will have my 9 year old niece with us, but while she is excited about TSL, she’s not one for most characters, so this was about avoiding the Columbus Day crowds for us.

I hope your family has a wonderful time. I can only imagine the excitement at that age of meeting the characters you love and knowing they are real. Overused as the word is, it will be magical. 

Edit: I think the reason I hadn’t thought about characters is partly because we are also doing MNSSHP, where so much of the discussion is about meeting rare characters. Because this is a “normal” park day, in that you don’t get anything that standard day guests don’t get (except breakfast), I guess I never considered how big a draw the short lines for characters could be. I have enough nieces and nephews to remember how long 10 minutes in line can feel to young children, so it definitely makes sense if that’s what your kids will enjoy.


----------



## sapphirerose915

KrazeeK120 said:


> It definitely depends on the family. My almost 3 year old loves characters and Toy Story. I think this is the only place to meet Woody & Jessie. Prior to the announcement of this event, I was trying mighty hard to figure out how to do all of TSL (including the meet & greets) with minimal waits and conceded that we may have to just drop something if the waits were too long. Booking the event was really a no-brainer for us, and I suspect a lot of families with young kids are in the same boat.



thats exactly why we booked it.. being able to do TSL  with little to no wait for my 2.5 yo DS.. NO BRAINER!!!!!!!
and I dont have to freak out over FP+ for anything.. amazing!!


----------



## KrazeeK120

Tigger in a kilt said:


> I wonder if they were allowed to eat at 7am and not go into the Land until 7:30. It wasn’t clear, but it’s possible.
> 
> For what it’s worth, we are doing Star Tours at 9am, maybe Jedi Training, and then going over to Epcot. I don’t really care about the shows, so I will be happy once I have seen Toy Story Land!
> 
> 
> 
> Quite possibly. I’m not sure what time the characters have to be back out for normal day guests, so they may need to go back for a break at some point too, though.
> 
> 
> 
> Absolutely, and in your position I would have done the same thing without hesitation. We will have my 9 year old niece with us, but while she is excited about TSL, she’s not one for most characters, so this was about avoiding the Columbus Day crowds for us.
> 
> I hope your family has a wonderful time. I can only imagine the excitement at that age of meeting the characters you love and knowing they are real. Overused as the word is, it will be magical.



We took him last year at 18 months, and it was amazing seeing his face when he saw Mickey for the first time (at Garden Grill). Now, he knows more characters and talks a lot...I can’t wait for him to tell me what he thinks! This trip is a birthday celebration for him, as we will be there the week before he turns 3.

We did EMM at MK last year (and are doing it again this year), and are very excited about this Hollywood Studios EMM event!


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

KrazeeK120 said:


> We took him last year at 18 months, and it was amazing seeing his face when he saw Mickey for the first time (at Garden Grill). Now, he knows more characters and talks a lot...I can’t wait for him to tell me what he thinks! This trip is a birthday celebration for him, as we will be there the week before he turns 3.
> 
> We did EMM at MK last year (and are doing it again this year), and are very excited about this Hollywood Studios EMM event!



That’s so lovely! I’m sure he will have a wonderful time, and an amazing birthday!


----------



## kat_lh

My 4 year old is recently Toy Story obsessed (his sisters never liked it when they were his age) so I cannot wait for the character meets.  I've got SDD FP for two days so if we only get to ride SDD three times instead of seven because we're meeting characters, I'm okay with that.  Also, just based on the way the AP mornings are going and this one event to go on, it sounds like whatever your objective is with EMM, you can do it.  I'm so excited I almost can't stand it!

And @Tigger in a kilt - we'll see you there on the 8th!


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

kat_lh said:


> My 4 year old is recently Toy Story obsessed (his sisters never liked it when they were his age) so I cannot wait for the character meets.  I've got SDD FP for two days so if we only get to ride SDD three times instead of seven because we're meeting characters, I'm okay with that.  Also, just based on the way the AP mornings are going and this one event to go on, it sounds like whatever your objective is with EMM, you can do it.  I'm so excited I almost can't stand it!
> 
> And @Tigger in a kilt - we'll see you there on the 8th!



How fun! I probably won’t be wearing a kilt, but I do look very Scottish, so if you see me, you are very welcome to take my space in the queue for the characters!

I can’t believe how close it is now, and I’m incredibly excited about this event. It will be our second day and I can’t think of a better way to start our vacation.


----------



## FCDub

Tigger in a kilt said:


> I wonder if they were allowed to eat at 7am and not go into the Land until 7:30. It wasn’t clear, but it’s possible.



Given that it was a media event as well, it was likely structured for them to eat first – with the chef explaining the dishes – then go into the land.


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

FCDub said:


> Given that it was a media event as well, it was likely structured for them to eat first – with the chef explaining the dishes – then go into the land.



That’s a very good point. They  
did a bit at the beginning of the video where they filmed a sample of all the entrees that were available, which I had forgotten about until now. So it’s probably safe to say that the Tracker experience will have been slightly different from non-media guests. It will be interesting to compare as more vlogs come out about the first event.


----------



## Tinkerbell8956

Tigger in a kilt said:


> I watched the Tim Tracker review on YouTube, and it looks really fun. My only, very minor, issue is that the line seemed pretty long to meet Woody and Jessie. I personally don’t care about meeting them, but I wonder whether meeting the characters will be the bottleneck. I do want to meet Buzz, so I guess we just need to do that early.


Right before the event ended, probably around 8:45ish, there was not a long character line. Everyone had headed off to breakfast or to do something else in the park.


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

Tinkerbell8956 said:


> Right before the event ended, probably around 8:45ish, there was not a long character line. Everyone had headed off to breakfast or to do something else in the park.



That’s great to know, thank you.


----------



## jwolfpack

Tigger in a kilt said:


> How fun! I probably won’t be wearing a kilt, but I do look very Scottish, so if you see me, you are very welcome to take my space in the queue for the characters!
> 
> I can’t believe how close it is now, and I’m incredibly excited about this event. It will be our second day and I can’t think of a better way to start our vacation.



My crew will be there on 10/8 as well - can't wait!!


----------



## RachaelA

kat_lh said:


> My 4 year old is recently Toy Story obsessed (his sisters never liked it when they were his age) so I cannot wait for the character meets.  I've got SDD FP for two days so if we only get to ride SDD three times instead of seven because we're meeting characters, I'm okay with that.  Also, just based on the way the AP mornings are going and this one event to go on, it sounds like whatever your objective is with EMM, you can do it.  I'm so excited I almost can't stand it!


Basically agree with all this. Meeting Woody and Jessie is a huge priority for us (toy story obsessed 4 year here too). I figure we have 2 SDD FPs as between 2 days so if at EMM we do characters, and all 3 rides 2 times each we are good.


----------



## Nferk

RachaelA said:


> Basically agree with all this. Meeting Woody and Jessie is a huge priority for us (toy story obsessed 4 year here too). I figure we have 2 SDD FPs as between 2 days so if at EMM we do characters, and all 3 rides 2 times each we are good.



I read one review (Kim’s blog maybe?) that said there was zero wait for anything except for Woody and Jessie - she waited a full 30 minutes in that line. I feel like that’s a lot for such a short event so I was kind of bummed. Hopefully the person that mentioned the heat being a factor is right and they’ll stay out longer once it’s cooler.


----------



## Liver Lips Mcgrowl

On the calendar at Disney world's website, the dates for this event stop at December.  Do we know if there will be any more after that? I'm going in January...


----------



## AmyPK

ninafeliz said:


> I'm glad they got back to you, but i find that answer very hard to read and interpret.  The time change wasn't from 7:00 to 7:30, it was the other way around.  The third and fourth sentences, which also happen to be the third and fourth paragraphs, don't really make sense the way they are written, we have to decipher them.  I'm not someone who gets too worked up about grammar and sentence structure, but those just aren't correct!  maybe it was written by someone with english as a second language?  It just reads poorly, and for me didn't really clear anything up.  However, after hearing about how the first day went, I'm feeling better that they are just going to let everyone in at once to eat at 7:00 and the rides won't open until 7:30.  I'm still going to try to be there a little before 7:00 even with my 7:30 time slot, but I'm less worried about the 7:00 people somehow having an advantage, and I don't care about getting to eat first.  In addition, there are now days with a 7:00 slot before my 10/29 date, so I'll get to see what happens then.  My assumption is that they opened up more slots, hopefully that won't be enough to mess with wait times during the event, and they don't want to come right out and say that. Why they didn't just do that under the 7:30 time slot makes no sense to me, but I'm not in IT.





I am super confused by the 7am and 7:30 time slot. When I looked the first time, there were both choices available sometimes and only one choice other times. I looked multiple times because it took me a while to make up my mind if we wanted to do this after being at the Halloween party late the night before (we are going to Moonlight Magic in HS Wednesday that week too). But after watching Tim Tracker, I went back on and booked it and only 7am was available. We don’t want to eat at 7am and then ride slinky dog until we barf, lol. We want to ride stuff until the park opens to everyone else and then go get breakfast. Is that still a choice for those with 7am spots? Also, lots of confusion I got from reading different blogs on if you can ask for more than one entree for breakfast.


----------



## karensi

Just wondering, is this still only available on Mondays and Wednesdays?


----------



## AngiTN

kat_lh said:


> So I sent an email to guest services just basically saying, what's up with the two time slots.  And I got a reasonable response back -
> 
> Dear Katherine,
> 
> Thank you for contacting the _Walt Disney World®_ Resort!
> 
> We are so excited to hear you are looking to visit us for our Early Morning Magic and Toy Story land in Disney's Hollywood Studios®.
> 
> As for the change from 7:00 A.M. to 7:30 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, based on capacity, breakfast for Early Morning Magic may be available as early as 7:00 AM.
> 
> So, on the select days, this is offered the capacity of the event is why.
> 
> If you have any other questions or challenges, please do not hesitate to contact us by calling us at 407-W-DISNEY (407-934-7639) or by chatting with us in the Help Center of the Walt Disney World® website. Cast Members will be happy to assist you further.
> 
> 
> It would seem that simple email that says "your event sold out, come at 7:00 a.m. for breakfast" would have been an easier way to manage it rather than opening up a whole other time slot but it's Disney after all.


They didn't write that response. It's a canned response that just copied the text out of the description and tried to place it in a sentence. It still says nothing. Honestly, you are wasting your time trying to get an answer from CS. They aren't going to have one to give you. You can write to them every hour for every day between now and the time you go. You'll get a different answer for every time you write. They are that unclear. 



jwolfpack said:


> My crew will be there on 10/8 as well - can't wait!!


10/8 is the day we go too


----------



## AngiTN

AmyPK said:


> I am super confused by the 7am and 7:30 time slot. When I looked the first time, there were both choices available sometimes and only one choice other times. I looked multiple times because it took me a while to make up my mind if we wanted to do this after being at the Halloween party late the night before (we are going to Moonlight Magic in HS Wednesday that week too). But after watching Tim Tracker, I went back on and booked it and only 7am was available. We don’t want to eat at 7am and then ride slinky dog until we barf, lol. We want to ride stuff until the park opens to everyone else and then go get breakfast. Is that still a choice for those with 7am spots? *Also, lots of confusion I got from reading different blogs on if you can ask for more than one entree for breakfast*.


Why confused? The posters here that went were able to ask for more. Seems very clear to me


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Liver Lips Mcgrowl said:


> On the calendar at Disney world's website, the dates for this event stop at December.  Do we know if there will be any more after that? I'm going in January...



No other dates yet, just the original batch that were announced.  While DHS EMM will seemingly be popular, I suspect you’ll see it continue in the same way MK EMM has had dates more or less consistently (with some exceptions) since it was introduced.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

karensi said:


> Just wondering, is this still only available on Mondays and Wednesdays?



So far, only the dates that are on Post #2 have been announced.


----------



## MIAMouseketeer

KrazeeK120 said:


> It definitely depends on the family. My almost 3 year old loves characters and Toy Story. I think this is the only place to meet Woody & Jessie. Prior to the announcement of this event, I was trying mighty hard to figure out how to do all of TSL (including the meet & greets) with minimal waits and conceded that we may have to just drop something if the waits were too long. Booking the event was really a no-brainer for us, and I suspect a lot of families with young kids are in the same boat.


Same here! It took us about an hour to meet Woody, Jessie & Buzz last month and we got there at 8:30am. Lines got crazy long later on. My son will likely be too short still for SDD in December but would love to ride AS2 multiple times. We’ve done the EMM in MK several times and it’s always been worth every penny.


----------



## AmyPK

AngiTN said:


> Why confused? The posters here that went were able to ask for more. Seems very clear to me



On the Kenny the Pirate blog, he said that one cast member working the breakfast told him he could only have one so it seems that it would depend on who is working as a cast member during that breakfast and what they tell you. Hence, my confusion. However, I am glad the posters here had good luck. The entrees seem a little small and I was hoping to try more than one so I’m glad that was the case for most.


----------



## jodybird511

We will also be there 10/8


----------



## Jasperann

AmyPK said:


> On the Kenny the Pirate blog, he said that one cast member working the breakfast told him he could only have one so it seems that it would depend on who is working as a cast member during that breakfast and what they tell you. Hence, my confusion. However, I am glad the posters here had good luck. The entrees seem a little small and I was hoping to try more than one so I’m glad that was the case for most.



In Tim Trackers video they ordered three entrees for the two of them with no issue.  I don't think they are going to say no.


----------



## SaintsManiac

AmyPK said:


> On the Kenny the Pirate blog, he said that one cast member working the breakfast told him he could only have one so it seems that it would depend on who is working as a cast member during that breakfast and what they tell you. Hence, my confusion. However, I am glad the posters here had good luck. The entrees seem a little small and I was hoping to try more than one so I’m glad that was the case for most.





I take everything he says with a huge grain of salt.


----------



## Daisy7425

SaintsManiac said:


> I take everything he says with a huge grain of salt.



Why is this?   I'm new around here, but his website has been very helpful.


----------



## SaintsManiac

Daisy7425 said:


> Why is this?   I'm new around here, but his website has been very helpful.




He just rubbed me the wrong way too many times. I agree his site is very helpful. It's just my lowly opinion


----------



## Liver Lips Mcgrowl

GADisneyDad14 said:


> No other dates yet, just the original batch that were announced.  While DHS EMM will seemingly be popular, I suspect you’ll see it continue in the same way MK EMM has had dates more or less consistently (with some exceptions) since it was introduced.


Thank you


----------



## cdurham1

Tigger in a kilt said:


> So it’s “a Disney thing”, rather than “an American thing”. I do travel in the US a fair bit, but WDW is the only place I have noticed so much chicken on breakfast menus.



Chicken biscuits are very common.  The chicken and waffles combo started somewhere in the Southern US and wasn't meant to necessarily be a breakfast food.  It is more common as a lunch dish.

As a side note, maybe eggs should be more questioned as a breakfast food.  I owned chickens and noticed that chickens lay eggs mid-morning to mid-day.  The idea that farmers picked up eggs and ate them for breakfast is totally made up.  The egg industry hired a PR firm in the early 20th century to sell the idea of eating eggs for breakfast.  Question everything.


----------



## Mrjoshua

Despite the fact that I switched to a 7:00am reservation, I can still eat later (like 9am), correct?


----------



## ohdanalee

cdurham1 said:


> Chicken biscuits are very common.  The chicken and waffles combo started somewhere in the Southern US and wasn't meant to necessarily be a breakfast food.  It is more common as a lunch dish.
> 
> As a side note, maybe eggs should be more questioned as a breakfast food.  I owned chickens and noticed that chickens lay eggs mid-morning to mid-day.  The idea that farmers picked up eggs and ate them for breakfast is totally made up.  The egg industry hired a PR firm in the early 20th century to sell the idea of eating eggs for breakfast.  Question everything.



I was literally JUST telling a coworker that food is a lie yesterday because I saw an exhibit in a museum once about how most stuff we eat was a result of various government or lobby backed campaigns on whatever industry they were supporting. I wouldn't be surprised if the quinoa and kale trends were a result of some campaign. Got Milk? was a campaign by Big Dairy. Or those Cotton commercials! 

That being said, I have literally eaten lunch sandwiches for breakfast. And I prefer eggs for dinner.


----------



## KrazeeK120

Mrjoshua said:


> Despite the fact that I switched to a 7:00am reservation, I can still eat later (like 9am), correct?



That is suspected, but not confirmed. We’ll have to wait until the first day with 2 time slots (I think it’s 10/1?) for confirmation on how things work.


----------



## Dash7

I'm looking forward to hearing some additional reviews from future dates when they aren't catering to media types.


----------



## MIAMouseketeer

SaintsManiac said:


> I take everything he says with a huge grain of salt.



I'm with you



Daisy7425 said:


> Why is this?   I'm new around here, but his website has been very helpful.



His site is very helpful and I totally subscribe to his locator. However, there is more and more of a push to sell from him. There's a group of his on FB and I asked, How packed does the first MNSSHP get? A simple question right, well his response was that I should purchase his customized party touring plan, never answering my question (others did however). Ever since then, I've noticed more and more of a push from him to sell his services. A big turn off from me. Hey, I can appreciate trying to make a buck, but there's a point when it becomes annoying.


----------



## im4pacers1

Yeah I noticed on his blog post that he’s selling a touring plan for the EMM event.


----------



## kat_lh

im4pacers1 said:


> Yeah I noticed on his blog post that he’s selling a touring plan for the EMM event.


that is … hysterical!


----------



## 3Anderboys

im4pacers1 said:


> Yeah I noticed on his blog post that he’s selling a touring plan for the EMM event.


stop no he isn't. I can't. really. I appreciate his character info and his FB group has people with a lot of knowledge, but have you ever read the comments on his blog/webpage? plain rude. He also has "custom" touring plans for MNSSHP where you buy a plan and pay for his ticket and he accompanies you. This is too much.


----------



## SaintsManiac

im4pacers1 said:


> Yeah I noticed on his blog post that he’s selling a touring plan for the EMM event.




You have GOT to be kidding me???? He argued with me over park hours when I was actually in the park! Then I saw him selling himself for $300 for MNSSHP. WOW.

Sorry to go OT, dear mods.


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

im4pacers1 said:


> Yeah I noticed on his blog post that he’s selling a touring plan for the EMM event.



In fairness, it comes as part of the Character Locator subscription. It is stunningly basic though, and I’m not sure what the point is. 

I don’t know enough about his or his site to have any feelings either way. A friend of a friend worships him, and when we booked our upcoming WDW trip, she was the one who told me to subscribe to Character Locator. I guess it will be helpful, though I don’t particularly use/like his site.


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

3Anderboys said:


> stop no he isn't. I can't. really. I appreciate his character info and his FB group has people with a lot of knowledge, but have you ever read the comments on his blog/webpage? plain rude. *He also has "custom" touring plans for MNSSHP where you buy a plan and pay for his ticket and he accompanies you. *This is too much.



I have officially heard it all now. I was going to ask who would want a stranger dragging them round and telling them what to do, but I guess if you are a fan of his then maybe you would jump at the chance to have him escort you round the park. 

Maybe The Dis should offer this, with a tiered pricing depending on how enthusiastic and happy you want the person to be...


----------



## AngiTN

3Anderboys said:


> stop no he isn't. I can't. really. I appreciate his character info and his FB group has people with a lot of knowledge, but have you ever read the comments on his blog/webpage? plain rude. He also has "custom" touring plans for MNSSHP where you buy a plan and pay for his ticket and he accompanies you. This is too much.


At least you are allowed to use his FB page. I got booted for voicing my opinion, when asked for opinions mind you, about using strollers for late elementary aged kids. Not that I lost a minute of sleep over it. Anyone who wears their opinions on their sleeve like that isn't worth my time or opinion anyway. You don't want to know an opinion, don't ask.


----------



## ENJDisneyFan

MIAMouseketeer said:


> There's a group of his on FB and I asked, How packed does the first MNSSHP get? A simple question right, well his response was that I should purchase his customized party touring plan, never answering my question (others did however).


Yep.  I see people ask questions in his FB group and get the standard "subscribe to character locator" response.  And then the real answers from actual people get deleted.  I get he's trying to make $$ but it gets annoying.  What's the point of having a FB group if you don't allow people to talk to each other?  I always want to respond....go ask on the DIS!  You'll get real answers there!  But I'm sure that would get me booted.


----------



## SaintsManiac

AngiTN said:


> At least you are allowed to use his FB page. I got booted for voicing my opinion, when asked for opinions mind you, about using strollers for late elementary aged kids. Not that I lost a minute of sleep over it. Anyone who wears their opinions on their sleeve like that isn't worth my time or opinion anyway. You don't want to know an opinion, don't ask.





I left the group when it started feeling like a cult.


----------



## disneyworldsk

so this is exactly why we should wait for review #2, second day . Because the media event was skewed. Who knows, maybe the water and coffee they put on a table in the land itself won't even be there for us, just media day. etc. etc.


----------



## myyooti

I currently have a reservation for 2 on 12/10 - what are my chances of getting 1 more reservation to this event now that there are no more reservations available.


----------



## sapphirerose915

myyooti said:


> I currently have a reservation for 2 on 12/10 - what are my chances of getting 1 more reservation to this event now that there are no more reservations available.



That is our day too.. keep watching.. people can cancel up until the day before...


----------



## Cowgirl_Jessie

jodybird511 said:


> We will also be there 10/8



We will be there as well - sounds like a lot of DISers statistically speaking!  See you several of you there; we will be riding SDD nonstop!


----------



## Tinkerbell8956

AmyPK said:


> On the Kenny the Pirate blog, he said that one cast member working the breakfast told him he could only have one so it seems that it would depend on who is working as a cast member during that breakfast and what they tell you. Hence, my confusion. However, I am glad the posters here had good luck. The entrees seem a little small and I was hoping to try more than one so I’m glad that was the case for most.


Kenny walked in right after us and ordered from the same person we did. I’m not sure how they would have told him one thing and told us another. I have a feeling he misunderstood.


----------



## Disney & ME

We are going on 10/10 and looking forward to my favorite breakfast of fried chicken. Yes, everyone at my office thinks I'm crazy!
We have too much else going on 10/8 with Italian Regional Lunch and MNSSHP. Sorry we will miss other Dissers. So much food, so little time!


----------



## MIAMouseketeer

ENJDisneyFan said:


> Yep.  I see people ask questions in his FB group and get the standard "subscribe to character locator" response.  And then the real answers from actual people get deleted.  I get he's trying to make $$ but it gets annoying.  What's the point of having a FB group if you don't allow people to talk to each other?  I always want to respond....go ask on the DIS!  You'll get real answers there!  But I'm sure that would get me booted.


I get it when people ask, what time is characterpalooza, etc. He put a lot of work into his site and $10/yr is cheap, so just pay it. But to sell services that have nothing to do with the question asked, that’s just annoying.


----------



## AngiTN

Cowgirl_Jessie said:


> We will be there as well - sounds like a lot of DISers statistically speaking!  See you several of you there; we will be riding SDD nonstop!


Us too. Hope everyone waves.
I tend to stand out in my purple hair LOL (lots and lots of Diser's find me because of it)


----------



## LMO429

What is the event date of the first 7am EMM start time?

I'm curious to see what the 7/7:30am actually means.

Saw the breakfast food on tim tracker, the main choices did not appeal to me.  I will probably just grab a cup of coffee and a pastry and call it a day.  I was not paying all that money to eat breakfast anyway lol.  I did really enjoy the EMM fantasyland breakfast choices there were just more main stream.  Not really interested in having a charcuterie plate at 9am lol


----------



## LMO429

We also will be walking over from the Beach Club.  How is the walk that early in the morning.  This would be for the end of October I assume maybe it would be dark?  What time do the boats start to run?  Most likely we will just walk over


----------



## disneyworldsk

and my concern is the walk from the buses to dhs and i heard how long it is and it's very early in the morning. should i just uber or lyft to dhs from coronado or bus? i can't decide.


----------



## Jasperann

disneyworldsk said:


> and my concern is the walk from the buses to dhs and i heard how long it is and it's very early in the morning. should i just uber or lyft to dhs from coronado or bus? i can't decide.


I think the walk from where Uber drops you off is very similar.  There are no 'close' spots to be dropped off at.  They have the old bus stops completely blocked off with walls and then the gondola station as well.  Tim Tracker said it is about a 5 min walk from the bus stop. (that is insane...lol)


----------



## AngiTN

LMO429 said:


> We also will be walking over from the Beach Club.  How is the walk that early in the morning.  This would be for the end of October I assume maybe it would be dark?  What time do the boats start to run?  Most likely we will just walk over


It's a pleasant walk, light or dark, we've done both. We'll be at BWI and walking over. Takes 20 min to reach the turnstiles (yes, even with the new route, I timed it 2 weeks ago)


----------



## chupacabra

LMO429 said:


> What is the event date of the first 7am EMM start time?
> 
> I'm curious to see what the 7/7:30am actually means.
> 
> Saw the breakfast food on tim tracker, the main choices did not appeal to me.  I will probably just grab a cup of coffee and a pastry and call it a day.  I was not paying all that money to eat breakfast anyway lol.  I did really enjoy the EMM fantasyland breakfast choices there were just more main stream.  Not really interested in having a charcuterie plate at 9am lol



I believe Oct. 1st is the first day for split time 7:00/7:30 TSL EMM. I got tickets for my DD and I for that day and will post an update of the entry procedure for anyone that's interested.


----------



## AngiTN

Jasperann said:


> I think the walk from where Uber drops you off is very similar.  There are no 'close' spots to be dropped off at.  They have the old bus stops completely blocked off with walls and then the gondola station as well.  Tim Tracker said it is about a 5 min walk from the bus stop*. (that is insane...lol)*


It's not really excessive though, see this


EscalatorKid said:


> It's long and it's hot, but it isn't that bad of a walk at all. I already do miles upon miles per day at Disney Parks; what's an extra 1/4 mile or so? And by the time you're done taking several buses to transfer to an Epcot Area resort to take the boat (unless you're staying at one), what have you gained other than a minute reduction in steps? Is it worth taking a bus from your resort to DS to the Epcot Resort to HS? Not to mention all the walking you'd have to do from the DS drop off to the Epcot Resort Bus Stop.
> 
> I measured in Google Earth using Path Measure and it's actually a very slightly longer walk from where buses drop off at Epcot to Bag Check.
> 
> From the bus stop for *OKW to Bag Check at HS was 0.21 or 0.23 miles.*
> From where the bus drops off at *Epcot to Bag Check was 0.24 miles*. The usual Pop bus stop is about 0.24 miles as well.
> 
> It's 0.25 miles from the bus drop off to the farthest stop in the Bus Loop for DS, and 0.21 miles from drop-off point to the farthest stop in the middle of the bus loops at DS.
> 
> The path from The Little Mermaid Room Building to the Bus Stops at AoA is 0.34 miles.


----------



## Jasperann

AngiTN said:


> It's not really excessive though, see this



Thank you for the perspective!!  Although that walk back to the Epcot buses at night is a long one.    At least now I know why it 'feels' like it.


----------



## LMO429

AngiTN said:


> It's a pleasant walk, light or dark, we've done both. We'll be at BWI and walking over. Takes 20 min to reach the turnstiles (yes, even with the new route, I timed it 2 weeks ago)



Okay so if we are at the beach club figure about 25 to 30 minute to walk over with all the construction?


----------



## KrazeeK120

LMO429 said:


> Okay so if we are at the beach club figure about 25 to 30 minute to walk over with all the construction?



I could be mistaken, but I didn’t think the walking path from the resorts (or the boat) was affected by the construction. Hopefully someone else can confirm.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

KrazeeK120 said:


> I could be mistaken, but I didn’t think the walking path from the resorts (or the boat) was affected by the construction. Hopefully someone else can confirm.



At the moment, the path has been modified due to construction.  It routes through the new temporary bus area.  Hard for me to estimate exactly but I’d say an additional 5ish mins. Have not walked it, only seen aerials.  

We took a Minnie Van to/from DHS the other morning, man the entrance is a mess!


----------



## KrazeeK120

GADisneyDad14 said:


> At the moment, the path has been modified due to construction.  It routes through the new temporary bus area.  Hard for me to estimate exactly but I’d say an additional 5ish mins. Have not walked it, only seen aerials.
> 
> We took a Minnie Van to/from DHS the other morning, man the entrance is a mess!



Ah, gotcha.

So to answer the previous poster, I’d estimate a 20 minute walk. It used to be about 15.


----------



## LMO429

GADisneyDad14 said:


> At the moment, the path has been modified due to construction.  It routes through the new temporary bus area.  Hard for me to estimate exactly but I’d say an additional 5ish mins. Have not walked it, only seen aerials.
> 
> We took a Minnie Van to/from DHS the other morning, man the entrance is a mess!



where do the minnie vans drop you off and pick up


----------



## pangyal

Quick request for advice- we will coming from Bay Lake Towers for this on the 3rd...I am not sure what time the buses start running, is it 90 minutes before park open? If that’s the case, they wouldn’t even be running until the event starts. I am totally down for using a Minnie Van, but we haven’t used them (or Lyft) before and I’m worried that I’ll manage to screw up the booking somehow. I don’t even know where they stop at BLT. Does anyone have suggestions for how to get there by 7:15? Thanks in advance !


----------



## KrazeeK120

pangyal said:


> Quick request for advice- we will coming from Bay Lake Towers for this on the 3rd...I am not sure what time the buses start running, is it 90 minutes before park open? If that’s the case, they wouldn’t even be running until the event starts. I am totally down for using a Minnie Van, but we haven’t used them (or Lyft) before and I’m worried that I’ll manage to screw up the booking somehow. I don’t even know where they stop at BLT. Does anyone have suggestions for how to get there by 7:15? Thanks in advance !



Buses start running at about 6:30 AM.


----------



## SaintsManiac

pangyal said:


> Quick request for advice- we will coming from Bay Lake Towers for this on the 3rd...I am not sure what time the buses start running, is it 90 minutes before park open? If that’s the case, they wouldn’t even be running until the event starts. I am totally down for using a Minnie Van, but we haven’t used them (or Lyft) before and I’m worried that I’ll manage to screw up the booking somehow. I don’t even know where they stop at BLT. Does anyone have suggestions for how to get there by 7:15? Thanks in advance !




Download the Lyft app. You request a Minnie Van or regular Lyft. They give you a couple of choices on where to pick you up. Easy peasy.


----------



## AngiTN

LMO429 said:


> Okay so if we are at the beach club figure about 25 to 30 minute to walk over with all the construction?


Planning 30 is more than enough. At least it's never taken more than 5 min to walk from BC to BWI.


----------



## cocofan

Newbie poster here. I have read for a while but I have a question... do bus times show in the Disney app? I know I read somewhere they were going to start implementing/trialing this. Has it happened yet? That would be extremely helpful on our EMM morning day, or any day for that matter.

I'm guessing it hasn't happened or I think I would have seen it somewhere.


----------



## pangyal

cocofan said:


> Newbie poster here. I have read for a while but I have a question... do bus times show in the Disney app? I know I read somewhere they were going to start implementing/trialing this. Has it happened yet? That would be extremely helpful on our EMM morning day, or any day for that matter.
> 
> I'm guessing it hasn't happened or I think I would have seen it somewhere.


Yes, they show up in the app once you are at your resort! They only have park-bound times so far (i.e., not from a park back to your resort) but we have found it very helpful.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

cocofan said:


> Newbie poster here. I have read for a while but I have a question... do bus times show in the Disney app? I know I read somewhere they were going to start implementing/trialing this. Has it happened yet? That would be extremely helpful on our EMM morning day, or any day for that matter.
> 
> I'm guessing it hasn't happened or I think I would have seen it somewhere.





pangyal said:


> Yes, they show up in the app once you are at your resort! They only have park-bound times so far (i.e., not from a park back to your resort) but we have found it very helpful.



Yeah, I used it Friday AM on the way to the AP TSL morning event.  DHS bus had the default “Every 20 mins” which it shows when a bus isn’t in route, so that made my decision to Minnie Van easy  

Note, like the wait time boards at the resort bus stops, the results are dynamic and can change quickly as buses are added, in traffic, etc.

BTW, here’s a screen shot of results right now:


----------



## SaintsManiac

Bus times in the app were very accurate in case anyone is wondering.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

LMO429 said:


> where do the minnie vans drop you off and pick up



Big caveat that this is only accurate as of right now and is subject to change with changes to construction in this area.  There is a lot going on and the parking lot/entrance is kind of a mess, to put it lightly.

The Minnie Van (and taxi/other ride share I believe) drop off and pick up area is roughly around the red circle and just off the image to the left.  The red path is the walkway to the entrance. 



Image is courtesy of @bioreconstruct on Twitter (who is a good follow, BTW), the red circle and lines were added by me. 

Hope that helps.


----------



## pangyal

SaintsManiac said:


> Download the Lyft app. You request a Minnie Van or regular Lyft. They give you a couple of choices on where to pick you up. Easy peasy.


Thank you! Unfortunately, it looks like they (Lyft) don’t have a car seat option, so I guess I will have to cough up for the Minnie Van if the bus times look discouraging at 6:45 or so that morning.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

pangyal said:


> Thank you! Unfortunately, it looks like they (Lyft) don’t have a car seat option, so I guess I will have to cough up for the Minnie Van if the bus times look discouraging at 6:45 or so that morning.



FYI, Uber has a car seat option but they are often in very short supply, if you can even find one with a car seat.  The price with that option is often in the general zone as a Minnie Van.  Since we need a car seat too, Minnie Van has been a very good option for us in many circumstances, especially AMs when we often don’t have a ton of room for timing error in whatever we are doing.


----------



## pangyal

GADisneyDad14 said:


> FYI, Uber has a car seat option but they are often in very short supply, if you can even find one with a car seat.  The price with that option is often in the general zone as a Minnie Van.  Since we need a car seat too, Minnie Van has been a very good option for us in many circumstances, especially AMs when we often don’t have a ton of room for timing error in whatever we are doing.


Thanks you so much, you are always right there with the most bullseye-perfect piece of advice! My next question was going to be about the Uber Car Seat option .

And you find that the MVs are easy to get around 7am, from any resort? Not too many people doing the same thing all at once?


----------



## MAGICX2

AngiTN said:


> It's a pleasant walk, light or dark, we've done both. We'll be at BWI and walking over. Takes 20 min to reach the turnstiles (yes, even with the new route, I timed it 2 weeks ago)


Where can I find an image of the "new route?" We were familiar with walking to DHS from BW as it is what we always did when staying at BW, but with the construction, I would like to be more familiar with what the route looks like. Thanks!


----------



## GADisneyDad14

pangyal said:


> Thanks you so much, you are always right there with the most bullseye-perfect piece of advice! My next question was going to be about the Uber Car Seat option .
> 
> And you find that the MVs are easy to get around 7am, from any resort? Not too many people doing the same thing all at once?



Thanks!

I can’t say I have tried to find a Minnie Van at 7am a ton of times, other than this past Friday.  We’ve used it more for mostly 9am Rope Drops or 8am PPO ADRs.  It can definitely be hit or miss and there have been times when it’ll just sit there and search for a driver forever and eventually time out.

I think having Uber ready if you need to find one with the car seat option is a good idea as a backup.  I have generally avoided it because (warning, judgey comment ahead) the idea of someone’s personal car seat just hasn’t appealed to me that much.  But I have the Uber app/account and it’s ready in case I need it in any given situation.

Kind of have to stay flexible in case Disney transport throws you curveballs.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

MAGICX2 said:


> Where can I find an image of the "new route?" We were familiar with walking to DHS from BW as it is what we always did when staying at BW, but with the construction, I would like to be more familiar with what the route looks like. Thanks!



This image is courtesy of @bioreconstruct on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/bioreconstruct/status/1043234727929552897?s=21

The yellow shading is added by me.  The path is the same until you get to this point where you’re diverted to walk through the temporary bus loop.  This is a recent photo and shows just how quickly the new bus loop construction is progressing.


----------



## SaintsManiac

pangyal said:


> And you find that the MVs are easy to get around 7am, from any resort? Not too many people doing the same thing all at once?




I couldn't get one either time I tried at 7am a few weeks ago. I hope you have better luck and a backup plan!


----------



## AngiTN

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Thanks!
> 
> I can’t say I have tried to find a Minnie Van at 7am a ton of times, other than this past Friday.  We’ve used it more for mostly 9am Rope Drops or 8am PPO ADRs.  It can definitely be hit or miss and there have been times when it’ll just sit there and search for a driver forever and eventually time out.
> 
> I think having Uber ready if you need to find one with the car seat option is a good idea as a backup.  I have generally avoided it because (warning, judgey comment ahead) the idea of someone’s personal car seat just hasn’t appealed to me that much.  But I have the Uber app/account and it’s ready in case I need it in any given situation.
> 
> Kind of have to stay flexible in case Disney transport throws you curveballs.


Actually as I understood the Uber car seat program it wasn't necessarily a personal car seat. Uber gave the drivers who opted to sign up under the program a list of approved seats. If they happened to own one and had the proper proof of purchase still then they could register for it. But I believe most signed up with new seats. It's not a widely used program and they have already ended new enrollments. The driver's they have are all there are going to be. New ones can't join with a personal seat


----------



## GADisneyDad14

SaintsManiac said:


> I couldn't get one either time I tried at 7am a few weeks ago. I hope you have better luck and a backup plan!



I liked your post at first but just unliked it out of spite.  Ugh....the Saints... 

(Sorry for the OT NFL talk!)


----------



## GADisneyDad14

AngiTN said:


> Actually as I understood the Uber car seat program it wasn't necessarily a personal car seat. Uber gave the drivers who opted to sign up under the program a list of approved seats. If they happened to own one and had the proper proof of purchase still then they could register for it. But I believe most signed up with new seats. It's not a widely used program and they have already ended new enrollments. The driver's they have are all there are going to be. New ones can't join with a personal seat



Cool, thanks for the clarification.  I didn’t know that.


----------



## SaintsManiac

GADisneyDad14 said:


> I liked your post at first but just unliked it out of spite.  Ugh....the Saints...
> 
> (Sorry for the OT NFL talk!)


----------



## MIAMouseketeer

pangyal said:


> Thanks you so much, you are always right there with the most bullseye-perfect piece of advice! My next question was going to be about the Uber Car Seat option .
> 
> And you find that the MVs are easy to get around 7am, from any resort? Not too many people doing the same thing all at once?


They haven’t been for us, however, I’ve heard with the new price increase they are easier to get.


----------



## sapphirerose915

I will have a car.. think driving in at that time is easier????


----------



## MIAMouseketeer

sapphirerose915 said:


> I will have a car.. think driving in at that time is easier????


We bring our car and rarely drive to the parks, but we are planning on driving. With the drop off for MV being so far, there really isn’t an advantage there. And I figure that early we should get good parkibg


----------



## cocofan

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Yeah, I used it Friday AM on the way to the AP TSL morning event.  DHS bus had the default “Every 20 mins” which it shows when a bus isn’t in route, so that made my decision to Minnie Van easy
> 
> Note, like the wait time boards at the resort bus stops, the results are dynamic and can change quickly as buses are added, in traffic, etc.
> 
> BTW, here’s a screen shot of results right now:
> 
> View attachment 353297


Thank you so much! This is really helpful!


----------



## MAGICX2

GADisneyDad14 said:


> This image is courtesy of @bioreconstruct on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/bioreconstruct/status/1043234727929552897?s=21
> 
> The yellow shading is added by me.  The path is the same until you get to this point where you’re diverted to walk through the temporary bus loop.  This is a recent photo and shows just how quickly the new bus loop construction is progressing.
> 
> View attachment 353471


What time do the Friendship boats start running? Not early enough for DHS EMM I am going to guess. Are the boats back in service to DHS? I know they were not going to DHS for a period of time because of construction. We only have one day, 10/22 and we are staying at BWV and will be going to Epcot immediately after DHS EMM.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

MAGICX2 said:


> What time do the Friendship boats start running? Not early enough for DHS EMM I am going to guess. Are the boats back in service to DHS? I know they were not going to DHS for a period of time because of construction. We only have one day, 10/22 and we are staying at BWV and will be going to Epcot immediately after DHS EMM.



The boats are running again, but I’m sorry, I don’t know what time they start running in the AM.


----------



## sapphirerose915

MIAMouseketeer said:


> We bring our car and rarely drive to the parks, but we are planning on driving. With the drop off for MV being so far, there really isn’t an advantage there. And I figure that early we should get good parkibg



My thought too!! Especially with car seat issue too!! Do we need to pay for parking if we are staying on property ?


----------



## GADisneyDad14

sapphirerose915 said:


> My thought too!! Especially with car seat issue too!! Do we need to pay for parking if we are staying on property ?



No, you don’t pay for theme park parking if you’re a Disney resort guest.


----------



## sapphirerose915

GADisneyDad14 said:


> No, you don’t pay for theme park parking if you’re a Disney resort guest.



I didnt think so.. but wanted to double check.. thank you!


----------



## Tinkerbell8956

MAGICX2 said:


> What time do the Friendship boats start running? Not early enough for DHS EMM I am going to guess. Are the boats back in service to DHS? I know they were not going to DHS for a period of time because of construction. We only have one day, 10/22 and we are staying at BWV and will be going to Epcot immediately after DHS EMM.


The boats were not running yet last Monday when we did EMM. I’m not sure what time they start. It took us 15 minutes to walk over from the Dolphin.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

EMM #2 this morning.  Non-Blogger edition. 

Hope we have some DISers that will come back and give us a report.  Have fun if there!


----------



## disneyworldsk

from media #1 event....
http://allears.net/2018/09/23/early-morning-magic-brings-big-breakfast-to-the-studios/


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Bet you don’t see any white plates around this morning.


----------



## SaintsManiac

January dates have turned blue on the Disney site. FYI.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

SaintsManiac said:


> January dates have turned blue on the Disney site. FYI.



Good eyes.  

Thanks for the heads up. 

FYI for others... “blue dates” that aren’t bookable are pretty normal when new dates are added.  They’ll likely have times loaded in sometime in the next 24 hours and you’ll see availability to book.


----------



## SaintsManiac

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Good eyes.
> 
> Thanks for the heads up.
> 
> FYI for others... “blue dates” that aren’t bookable are pretty normal when new dates are added.  They’ll likely have times loaded in sometime in the next 24 hours and you’ll see availability to book.





Told y'all I was checking daily


----------



## bebec22

I've been checking daily for Feb dates! Hope those will be added soon.


----------



## Ryan Taylor

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Good eyes.
> 
> Thanks for the heads up.
> 
> FYI for others... “blue dates” that aren’t bookable are pretty normal when new dates are added.  They’ll likely have times loaded in sometime in the next 24 hours and you’ll see availability to book.



Thanks for the update. Looking to book for January but was afraid it might of been already sold out!


----------



## StacyStrong

Excited for reviews today!


----------



## StacyStrong

They added a 7am time slot to 12/5.


----------



## RachaelA

they added 7am on Halloween 10/31 too but it’s not bookable yet. Now I’ll have to decide if I’m switching from 7:30


----------



## masylimed

RachaelA said:


> they added 7am on Halloween 10/31 too but it’s not bookable yet. Now I’ll have to decide if I’m switching from 7:30



Ugh!  This is my day too.  I will def switch to earlier time - if available.  Thanks for the update!


----------



## Disney & ME

StacyStrong said:


> They added a 7am time slot to 12/5.


Thanks for the info. I was just able to change to 7am for my event in a few weeks!


----------



## StacyStrong

I can't decide if I want to change!


----------



## sapphirerose915

No word about how this morning EMM went??? Bueller??????


----------



## Ariel620

StacyStrong said:


> They added a 7am time slot to 12/5.



Ugh, it looks like 7am is added on 12/10 too.  Now I have to decide if I want to switch, I still wonder if it will be the same set up (or if the 7am people will have to eat first).


----------



## Decemberma

Is it really sold out 12/10 and 12/12?!!? We did EMM for Fantasyland two years ago in December and were able to get a reservation two weeks out- is this a mistake?  If not, anyone want to sell 3 tickets to me?  I'll pay double


----------



## Decemberma

Ariel620 said:


> Ugh, it looks like 7am is added on 12/10 too.  Now I have to decide if I want to switch, I still wonder if it will be the same set up (or if the 7am people will have to eat first).


How are you seeing this?  I'm getting nothing coming up on 12/10 and I'm panicking!


----------



## jennab

I think next Monday is the first date with the two times (7 and 7:30).  Can't wait to hear how that goes and if it's any busier.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Decemberma said:


> Is it really sold out 12/10 and 12/12?!!? We did EMM for Fantasyland two years ago in December and were able to get a reservation two weeks out- is this a mistake?  If not, anyone want to sell 3 tickets to me?  I'll pay double



While I’m going to take your last comment as a joke.... as an FYI all to all... For Sale and Want to Buy posts (or any post  that involves exchanging money between DISers) are not allowed on DIS.


----------



## Allison Evans Payment

bebec22 said:


> I've been checking daily for Feb dates! Hope those will be added soon.


ME TOO!!!


----------



## pangyal

Now it appears that they’ve added 7am to every event date, though I am not sure if they are actively bookable and sold out already or just placeholders. We are going on 10/3 and now I see a 7am option for that and every other date hereafter.


----------



## Ariel620

Decemberma said:


> How are you seeing this?  I'm getting nothing coming up on 12/10 and I'm panicking!



I see 2 times on 12/10.  Can you not see both times?  It used to just show 7:30, every time I checked, even after it sold out, but now I see a 7:00 time as a choice.  I can’t actually book the 7:00 time yet, but I can see it has been added as a choice at he menu for time selection


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Forgive the rah rah post, but I'm getting excited for DHS EMM.

DD and I did the AP morning event this past Friday and had an amazing time.  I can only hope DHS EMM is somewhat similar in execution.

I know people have their problems with TSL as a land, but we love it.  3 solid rides, fun theming, fun details, fun background music.

As a side note, I clocked the TSM total time from entering to exiting the line generally around the 13.5 minute mark.  For those that haven't been since the new land configuration, the entry and exit lines are quite long.  I hope for EMM they either let repeat rides stay on or open a queue cut-through rather than having us walk all the way back out.  Otherwise it can eat time pretty quickly.

Anyway - EMM may end up being a lot more people than the AP thing, who knows... but I hope it's similar!


----------



## kat_lh

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Forgive the rah rah post, but I'm getting excited for DHS EMM.
> 
> DD and I did the AP morning event this past Friday and had an amazing time.  I can only hope DHS EMM is somewhat similar in execution.
> 
> I know people have their problems with TSL as a land, but we love it.  3 solid rides, fun theming, fun details, fun background music.
> 
> As a side note, I clocked the TSL total time from entering to exiting the line generally around the 13.5 minute mark.  For those that haven't been since the new land configuration, the entry and exit lines are quite long.  I hope for EMM they either let repeat rides stay on or open a queue cut-through rather than having us walk all the way back out.  Otherwise it can eat time pretty quickly.
> 
> Anyway - EMM may end up being a lot more people than the AP thing, who knows... but I hope it's similar!



Based on the fact there's no DISers reports from today - I'm going to say there must be super light crowds!


----------



## mrocco90

Hi!
   I went today to early morning magic. I wanted to give a quick review because I know I always want to read them before I go. We arrived at Hollywood studios at about 710.. they let us scan our bands around 715 and then walked us to toy story  land. We went straight to slinky dog and went right on. We rode it 10x total and 95 % of the time we walked right on. We could have rode it more if we wanted but I needed a break. We then went and rode the alien ride and met buzz. We finished the morning by riding toy story mania. They had water and coffee in the land which was nice. 
  At 9 when the parked opened we went over to meet the Star Wars characters. We headed to breakfast at 9:30. We were allowed to get as many meals as we wanted. My family tired the chicken and doughnuts, the avacado toast and the Mexican egg bowl. Everything was good but not typically what we would choose for breakfast. The buffet had cereal, fruit, yogurt and pastries. Some of the pastries were very good which was nice. 
  We have done early morning magic twice at magic kingdom. Once last November and the second time this past June. My son enjoyed this one more because he now prefers slinky dog over mine train. I do think the food options are much better at the one at magic kingdom for my family. I would def do it again tho just to ride slinky dog numerous time.

Let me know if you have any questions! Thanks


----------



## Tracilyn

masylimed said:


> Ugh!  This is my day too.  I will def switch to earlier time - if available.  Thanks for the update!



Thanks for the heads up. This is my date, too!


----------



## SaintsManiac

mrocco90 said:


> Hi!
> I went today to early morning magic. I wanted to give a quick review because I know I always want to read them before I go. We arrived at Hollywood studios at about 710.. they let us scan our bands around 715 and then walked us to toy story  land. We went straight to slinky dog and went right on. We rode it 10x total and 95 % of the time we walked right on. We could have rode it more if we wanted but I needed a break. We then went and rode the alien ride and met buzz. We finished the morning by riding toy story mania. They had water and coffee in the land which was nice.
> At 9 when the parked opened we went over to meet the Star Wars characters. We headed to breakfast at 9:30. We were allowed to get as many meals as we wanted. My family tired the chicken and doughnuts, the avacado toast and the Mexican egg bowl. Everything was good but not typically what we would choose for breakfast. The buffet had cereal, fruit, yogurt and pastries. Some of the pastries were very good which was nice.
> We have done early morning magic twice at magic kingdom. Once last November and the second time this past June. My son enjoyed this one more because he now prefers slinky dog over mine train. I do think the food options are much better at the one at magic kingdom for my family. I would def do it again tho just to ride slinky dog numerous time.
> 
> Let me know if you have any questions! Thanks



Thanks for sharing your magical experience!


----------



## Dbktmc

mrocco90 said:


> Hi!
> I went today to early morning magic. I wanted to give a quick review because I know I always want to read them before I go. We arrived at Hollywood studios at about 710.. they let us scan our bands around 715 and then walked us to toy story  land. We went straight to slinky dog and went right on. We rode it 10x total and 95 % of the time we walked right on. We could have rode it more if we wanted but I needed a break. We then went and rode the alien ride and met buzz. We finished the morning by riding toy story mania. They had water and coffee in the land which was nice.
> At 9 when the parked opened we went over to meet the Star Wars characters. We headed to breakfast at 9:30. We were allowed to get as many meals as we wanted. My family tired the chicken and doughnuts, the avacado toast and the Mexican egg bowl. Everything was good but not typically what we would choose for breakfast. The buffet had cereal, fruit, yogurt and pastries. Some of the pastries were very good which was nice.
> We have done early morning magic twice at magic kingdom. Once last November and the second time this past June. My son enjoyed this one more because he now prefers slinky dog over mine train. I do think the food options are much better at the one at magic kingdom for my family. I would def do it again tho just to ride slinky dog numerous time.
> 
> Let me know if you have any questions! Thanks



Did it “feel” crowded?


----------



## ilanakan

Oh my god!!!! I just booked DHS EMM for January 7th!!!! Soooo excited.  
Had issues at first with the booking, but got it done.


----------



## csmom

ilanakan said:


> Oh my god!!!! I just booked DHS EMM for January 7th!!!! Soooo excited.
> Had issues at first with the booking, but got it done.


Interesting- only 1/7 and 1/9 are showing availability right now. All other January dates say “We were unable to check for available tables at this time.”


----------



## Shelbizzles

ilanakan said:


> Oh my god!!!! I just booked DHS EMM for January 7th!!!! Soooo excited.
> Had issues at first with the booking, but got it done.



Did you just keep trying to book online? Or did you call?


----------



## mrocco90

Dbktmc said:


> Did it “feel” crowded?



At first waiting to get in I thought it would be crowded. As soon as we into the park it didn’t feel crowded at all.


----------



## Shelbizzles

I was able to book 7am on 12/10. I noticed it was available to book around 8 but kept getting errors. I called and the cast memeber said they weren't able to do bookings right now because they were having a system update and it would be about 3 hours. But I just keep randomly trying and was able to get it. I'm so excited


----------



## sapphirerose915

Do we still think it's worth it to switch from 730 to 7??? It looks like they opened up the 7 am slot for all dates now...  plus added a few in January.. thoughts???


----------



## lvcourtneyy

Still debating if this is worth it for us. The only day we can do it is Halloween which is supposed to be a non-park day for us. We are APs so admission isn't an issue.

It would just be me and DBF. I've seen TSL already but he hasn't. The only reason I would do it is so he could see the land without crowds as we are offsite this time and don't have access to EMH.


----------



## sapphirerose915

Shelbizzles said:


> I was able to book 7am on 12/10. I noticed it was available to book around 8 but kept getting errors. I called and the cast memeber said they weren't able to do bookings right now because they were having a system update and it would be about 3 hours. But I just keep randomly trying and was able to get it. I'm so excited



That's my date!! I was kinda hoping they didnt open a 7am slot.. but now its available and I dont know if I should switch from 730 to 7!!! So confusing!!


----------



## HSchramm

mrocco90 said:


> Hi!
> I went today to early morning magic. I wanted to give a quick review because I know I always want to read them before I go. We arrived at Hollywood studios at about 710.. they let us scan our bands around 715 and then walked us to toy story  land. We went straight to slinky dog and went right on. We rode it 10x total and 95 % of the time we walked right on. We could have rode it more if we wanted but I needed a break. We then went and rode the alien ride and met buzz. We finished the morning by riding toy story mania. They had water and coffee in the land which was nice.
> At 9 when the parked opened we went over to meet the Star Wars characters. We headed to breakfast at 9:30. We were allowed to get as many meals as we wanted. My family tired the chicken and doughnuts, the avacado toast and the Mexican egg bowl. Everything was good but not typically what we would choose for breakfast. The buffet had cereal, fruit, yogurt and pastries. Some of the pastries were very good which was nice.
> We have done early morning magic twice at magic kingdom. Once last November and the second time this past June. My son enjoyed this one more because he now prefers slinky dog over mine train. I do think the food options are much better at the one at magic kingdom for my family. I would def do it again tho just to ride slinky dog numerous time.
> 
> Let me know if you have any questions! Thanks


Hi!  Thank you for the report...did you have a 7:00 reservation or 7:30?  I have a 7:30 for my date and was told that the 7:00 and 7:30 would all be let in at the same time...just trying to confirm.  Thanks!


----------



## ninafeliz

FWIW I didn’t switch on my date.  I just can’t bring myself to believe that even Disney would make the second added time slot an advantage.  Maybe a difference or disadvantage, but not better.  Having said that, I personally think that it won’t matter, and both times will be the same experience. I guess we’ll find out more next week, isn’t that the first day with 2 this me slots?


----------



## GADisneyDad14

HSchramm said:


> Hi!  Thank you for the report...did you have a 7:00 reservation or 7:30?  I have a 7:30 for my date and was told that the 7:00 and 7:30 would all be let in at the same time...just trying to confirm.  Thanks!



The dual reservation times don’t start until 10/1.  The first two Sept dates didn’t offer the dual times.  Just FYI.


----------



## IceQueen182

sapphirerose915 said:


> Do we still think it's worth it to switch from 730 to 7??? It looks like they opened up the 7 am slot for all dates now...  plus added a few in January.. thoughts???



I *think* so but it's hard to say.  I switched to 7:00 a.m. for November 26 because I figured if we get our acts together and get to HS early, we'll want to enter as soon as possible.  I think in practice it's going to be meaningless.  I can't imagine how they would enforce having certain people eat first!  I'll be watching closely when we get reports back from people with 7 a.m. slots, though, and hopefully not regretting the switch.


----------



## ninafeliz

Since I’ve heard others say both time slots say to arrive at 7:00 to check in, I’m assuming (hoping) that everyone will be let in then.  I just want to wait and see if you can ride then or just get breakfast or a drink/snack first, and still not ride until 7:30.  I’m thinking the latter choice, but we’ll see!


----------



## sapphirerose915

Yea.. cus there is NO WAY I can eat a full breakfast at 7am... let alone eat a full breakfast at 7am and then ride slinky dog and AS2 5 times... BARF!!!


----------



## StacyStrong

I'm waiting until 10/1 to decide if I want to switch. If the 7am is gone by then, oh well. I'm sure it'll be great either way.


----------



## AngiTN

sapphirerose915 said:


> Do we still think it's worth it to switch from 730 to 7??? It looks like they opened up the 7 am slot for all dates now...  plus added a few in January.. thoughts???


Folks, it's going to make no difference whatsoever. Use some thought here. It's really not hard to figure out. Think about any past events where they had multiple times slots for a single event. They handle them all the same exact way every single time.
I assure you. They let EVERYONE in at the same time. 
No matter what time you have booked, 7:00, 7:30, you are going to be allowed to enter at the same time. 
They are not going to hold one group out of the park.
They are not going to force one group to eat at X time and one group to ride at X time.
They are going to let the whole kit and caboodle in at once and let all go wherever the heck they want.
Eat, ride, whatever (within the open areas of course)


----------



## StacyStrong

AngiTN said:


> Folks, it's going to make no difference whatsoever. Use some thought here. It's really not hard to figure out. Think about any past events where they had multiple times slots for a single event. They handle them all the same exact way every single time.
> I assure you. They let EVERYONE in at the same time.
> No matter what time you have booked, 7:00, 7:30, you are going to be allowed to enter at the same time.
> They are not going to hold one group out of the park.
> They are not going to force one group to eat at X time and one group to ride at X time.
> They are going to let the whole kit and caboodle in at once and let all go wherever the heck they want.
> Eat, ride, whatever (within the open areas of course)



I'm sure you don't mean it - but your posts read very abrupt and abrasive.

It *is* that hard to figure out for folks like me who have never done a paid extra. 

I get you have, but this is a new experience so technically you don't *know*. It's not crazy that people want to be sure of something they are spending hundreds of dollars on.


----------



## sapphirerose915

StacyStrong said:


> I'm waiting until 10/1 to decide if I want to switch. If the 7am is gone by then, oh well. I'm sure it'll be great either way.



That's kind of what I'm thinking too!



AngiTN said:


> Folks, it's going to make no difference whatsoever. Use some thought here. It's really not hard to figure out. Think about any past events where they had multiple times slots for a single event. They handle them all the same exact way every single time.
> I assure you. They let EVERYONE in at the same time.
> No matter what time you have booked, 7:00, 7:30, you are going to be allowed to enter at the same time.
> They are not going to hold one group out of the park.
> They are not going to force one group to eat at X time and one group to ride at X time.
> They are going to let the whole kit and caboodle in at once and let all go wherever the heck they want.
> Eat, ride, whatever (within the open areas of course)



I'm leaning towards same thought process.. I dont see how they can differentiate between 7 and 730.. I'm gonna wait and see if 7 am gets any special privileges.. and if it's still available I'll switch.. if not.. it is what it is!


----------



## AngiTN

StacyStrong said:


> I'm sure you don't mean it - but your posts read very abrupt and abrasive.
> 
> It *is* that hard to figure out for folks like me who have never done a paid extra.


Despite how many times it's been said that it won't matter?


----------



## StacyStrong

AngiTN said:


> Despite how many times it's been said that it won't matter?


I'm glad you're all knowing and have the scoop on all things Disney. 

My bad - I'll use my silly little head next time.


----------



## AngiTN

StacyStrong said:


> I'm glad you're all knowing and have the scoop on all things Disney.
> 
> My bad - I'll use my silly little head next time.


Never said silly little head. Those are your words
I never said all knowing. Those are your words
Never said had the scoop. Those are your words.
But I will stand by the fact that everyone will get in at 7:00 and that no one will be forced to eat at a certain time. 
You can go about doing whatever you opt to do.
I can do no more to convince you. 
But please, don't put words in my posts that I don't use.


----------



## StacyStrong

AngiTN said:


> Never said silly little head. Those are your words
> I never said all knowing. Those are your words
> Never said had the scoop. Those are your words.
> But I will stand by the fact that everyone will get in at 7:00 and that no one will be forced to eat at a certain time.
> You can go about doing whatever you opt to do.
> I can do no more to convince you.
> But please, don't put words in my posts that I don't use.



Those are my words and that is what I said. 

I didn't say it's what YOU said. Use some thought here.


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## StacyStrong

Anywhoddle - I also think it won't matter. Looking forward to 10/1 reviews! Hopefully more than the one from yesterday (though I do appreciate it!)


----------



## jennab

I'm also in the camp that thinks people will be let in at the same time but they are hoping to spread people out by giving different timeslots.  If they do let people in early like 7:15am I feel bad for those who booked 7:30am and don't think they need to be there until then!


----------



## anomamatt

AngiTN said:


> Despite how many times it's been said that it won't matter?



I agree with your opinion that it won't matter.  However, none of us here know for sure.  Just because we all agree 7am and 7:30 will have the same privileges, does not make it a fact.

And given that none of us can *guarantee* how 10/1 will go, statements like "use some thought here" are not very helpful (because you are implying the people are stupid for worrying about the confusion about them having two time slots).


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## ninafeliz

From following all of this, and being one of those that were deciding about switching, I think that the overriding thought is that it won't matter.  However, since Disney hasn't really told anyone why there are two time slots, and come out and said what the differences are or are not, I think it's human nature to wonder and, for lack of a better word, worry.  Will anything substantially change in my life if it turns out that there is a difference and the 7:00 slot would have worked better for me?  No, of course not.   In the grand scheme of my life, does EMM at DHS even matter?  No, of course not.  However, we are on a message board, and Disney did start a new event and add a mysterious second time slot with little to no explanation, so is that going to cause a lot of discussion and angst?  Yes, of course so !  I'd bet that most people on these boards that ask little questions and then get both kind and unkind responses, helpful and unhelpful responses, know that whether or not there is a hook in the bathroom, or what kind of hairdryer is in the room (for example, completely made up right now), aren't life or death questions but just ones they happened to decide mattered to them at that moment. It's nice when you have somewhere to ask and get a reliable answer, since we have all learned that simply calling and asking Disney isn't actually simple or reliable.   

Since this is odd and unknown, and annoying that they have no real answer, everyone is just speculating and questioning.  Until they do the first one with 2 time slots we won't know, but that doesn't mean no one is going to post until then.  So I just read and keep up, and chime in occasionally if I have a question or feel I have something to add.  In fact, in an odd kind of way I feel better knowing there are others in the same boat as I am, and when someone else posts that they haven't changed times to 7:00 I feel like we're in some kind of little club, waiting to see if we should have joined or not!


----------



## NavyDad

sapphirerose915 said:


> Yea.. cus there is NO WAY I can eat a full breakfast at 7am... let alone eat a full breakfast at 7am and then ride slinky dog and AS2 5 times... BARF!!!



I may be wrong but I believe you can eat any time up until 10:00 AM.

If it works the same... when we did EMM at MK we walked on rides until the park opened for all guests and then went to have breakfast. It worked great.


----------



## cosmicmommy

NavyDad said:


> I may be wrong but I believe you can eat any time up until 10:00 AM.
> 
> If it works the same... when we did EMM at MK we walked on rides until the park opened for all guests and then went to have breakfast. It worked great.



This is what I'm hoping for... ride until it gets crowded about 9:30, then hop over for breakfast and move on with our plans for the day... I'm in a serious debate with myself over if I need to do this or not.


----------



## sapphirerose915

NavyDad said:


> I may be wrong but I believe you can eat any time up until 10:00 AM.
> 
> If it works the same... when we did EMM at MK we walked on rides until the park opened for all guests and then went to have breakfast. It worked great.



Yes... but some have speculated that 7am time slot eats 1st... it's all speculation.. can 10/1 get here anytime soon?????


----------



## Disney & ME

I am one of the ones who changed to 7am but not going until 10/10 so I am sure I will hear more details before then. However, FWIW, I noticed that both of my reservations said that check in would be at 7am. But, when I booked the original 7:30 time it was the only one available so who knows. I will eagerly await updates!


----------



## hollylu1016

Any ideas if/when they are going to open up February dates??  I really want to make sure we book this and we will only have 1 day to go during our trip if they keep with the Monday/Wednesday trend.


----------



## disneyworldsk

@StacyStrong and @jannab it is fun to plan with you as well as @Tigger in a kilt .... sometimes repeating things is from trip anxiety or having fun as part of the planning process going over things tons of times. I enjoy your comments and questions and concerns no matter how many times you ask because I'm sure others have the same thoughts too as you and we are a community. that's what the boards are for, communicating, community and coming together. You are all lots of fun to trip plan with on these boards, please continue to do so.


----------



## Babs1975

I certainly hope this thread goes back to the happy little thread it use to be, without negative and passive aggresive comments. We don't need that here. Some threads are full of that nonsense. Not here. It's nice to be nice. We all are just doing the best we can to plan our magical trips. I hope this continues to be a safe place to come to ask questions and bounce ideas off each other about EMM! Just be nice!


----------



## MrsSaraG

Question for those who are familiar with the timing of transportation between parks:  I booked TSL EMM because thanks to the major glitch that's been happening (DH and my tickets weren't linked on FP+ day) I only got a FP+ for SDD for DD who is 5 and can't ride alone.  I've been trying, but so far have been unsuccessful to add DH and myself on.  We are booked for 11/14, which is a day we had been planning to be at MK.  We have a BBB reservation at 10:10 AM followed by CRT lunch.  Obviously, I cannot easily reschedule those.  If we are at HS until 9:00, will that give us enough time to get to MK?  And best mode of transportation?  Minnie Van?  We will need a car seat so regular Lyft/Uber is out.  Suggestions?


----------



## ninafeliz

MrsSaraG said:


> Question for those who are familiar with the timing of transportation between parks:  I booked TSL EMM because thanks to the major glitch that's been happening (DH and my tickets weren't linked on FP+ day) I only got a FP+ for SDD for DD who is 5 and can't ride alone.  I've been trying, but so far have been unsuccessful to add DH and myself on.  We are booked for 11/14, which is a day we had been planning to be at MK.  We have a BBB reservation at 10:10 AM followed by CRT lunch.  Obviously, I cannot easily reschedule those.  If we are at HS until 9:00, will that give us enough time to get to MK?  And best mode of transportation?  Minnie Van?  We will need a car seat so regular Lyft/Uber is out.  Suggestions?



If you leave at 9 and don’t stay after for breakfast, I think that’s enough time to get to the MK and to the BBB.  In your case I would definitely take a Minnie Van, since they drive you to the MK instead of the TTC like Uber/Lyft and waiting on a bus would be stressful and very well make you late! That sounds like a really fun morning for you and your DD!


----------



## MrsSaraG

ninafeliz said:


> Darn it, I embedded my reply in the quote!  Well, at least it’s readable just confusing.    I shouldn’t post from my phone!



HAHA   Thanks for the help! I figured if we wanted to try to get breakfast, we'd have to do it at like 8:30.  And only grab what was quick (the pastries or something) and eat walking out of the park.


----------



## pangyal

Well, the 7am turned bookable for October 3, so I went ahead and switched. I’m sure I’m being unnaturally paranoid about the two time slots, but let us not forget that this is the company that has done server maintenance the past two days at 7am when a multitude of people are trying to do their FPs...I don’t have a lot of confidence that they have a clue with the setup for the two times.


----------



## KrazeeK120

pangyal said:


> Well, the 7am turned bookable for October 3, so I went ahead and switched. I’m sure I’m being unnaturally paranoid about the two time slots, but let us not forget that this is the company that has done server maintenance the past two days at 7am when a multitude of people are trying to do their FPs...I don’t have a lot of confidence that they have a clue with the setup for the two times.



You’re not alone! I did the same thing for my date. If it turns out it was unnecessary, oh well. No harm, no foul.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

@ninafeliz - FYI, I fixed your phone quote issue.  Hope you don't mind.  

I also agree with your recommendation.  I'd Minnie Van in that circumstance.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

ninafeliz said:


> I'd bet that most people on these boards that ask little questions and then get both kind and unkind responses, helpful and unhelpful responses, know that whether or not there is a hook in the bathroom, *or what kind of hairdryer is in the room (for example, completely made up right now)*, aren't life or death questions but just ones they happened to decide mattered to them at that moment.



Just in case you were wondering, GF has Conair hair dryers.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

So anyways.... weird thread day.   

Have there been any reports yet of how park opening is handled?  

At the AP event last Friday, I got a kick out of the "hoard" that was slowly walked in, pictured below at 8:39am.  We were in line for Woody and Jessie when this  mass of humanity made the turn.  It was quite a sight!  In an instant, the calm awesomeness of being in the land with minimal crowds was broken and a normal park day commenced.


----------



## ilanakan

Shelbizzles said:


> Did you just keep trying to book online? Or did you call?


Booked online.  It took a few tries, but finally succeeded.


----------



## KrazeeK120

Is anyone who switched times seeing both showing up in their MDE? Both 7:00 and 7:30 are showing up in the app for me (although only 7:00 is showing on the website). I’m not concerned as I already received my refund for 7:30, but was wondering if it’s just me or if it’s like this for everyone.


----------



## ENJDisneyFan

Interesting news regarding EMM at MK.  More rides being added and breakfast is moving to Cosmic Rays.  Starting in Dec.

*Newly Expanded Early Morning Magic*
Beginning December 2, 2018, the expanded Early Morning Magic opens, offering limited-entry, early access to twice as many Fantasyland attractions!


https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/early-morning-magic/


----------



## Disneylovingmomof2

mrocco90 said:


> Hi!
> I went today to early morning magic. I wanted to give a quick review because I know I always want to read them before I go. We arrived at Hollywood studios at about 710.. they let us scan our bands around 715 and then walked us to toy story  land. We went straight to slinky dog and went right on. We rode it 10x total and 95 % of the time we walked right on. We could have rode it more if we wanted but I needed a break. We then went and rode the alien ride and met buzz. We finished the morning by riding toy story mania. They had water and coffee in the land which was nice.
> At 9 when the parked opened we went over to meet the Star Wars characters. We headed to breakfast at 9:30. We were allowed to get as many meals as we wanted. My family tired the chicken and doughnuts, the avacado toast and the Mexican egg bowl. Everything was good but not typically what we would choose for breakfast. The buffet had cereal, fruit, yogurt and pastries. Some of the pastries were very good which was nice.
> We have done early morning magic twice at magic kingdom. Once last November and the second time this past June. My son enjoyed this one more because he now prefers slinky dog over mine train. I do think the food options are much better at the one at magic kingdom for my family. I would def do it again tho just to ride slinky dog numerous time.
> 
> Let me know if you have any questions! Thanks


Would you mind sharing where you were staying and what transport you used to get to HS?
I’m planning on booking for last week of January (the system is not letting me do it yet). We are staying at WL and I’m just wondering if the bus will be running early enough or if I should use a Minnie van.


----------



## kat_lh

KrazeeK120 said:


> Is anyone who switched times seeing both showing up in their MDE? Both 7:00 and 7:30 are showing up in the app for me (although only 7:00 is showing on the website). I’m not concerned as I already received my refund for 7:30, but was wondering if it’s just me or if it’s like this for everyone.



I had a bunch of canceled ADRs show up with all this recent fiasco. This wasn’t one of them for me but I imagine it’s the same glitch.


----------



## sapphirerose915

ENJDisneyFan said:


> Interesting news regarding EMM at MK.  More rides being added and breakfast is moving to Cosmic Rays.  Starting in Dec.
> 
> *Newly Expanded Early Morning Magic*
> Beginning December 2, 2018, the expanded Early Morning Magic opens, offering limited-entry, early access to twice as many Fantasyland attractions!
> 
> 
> https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/early-morning-magic/



Am I insane wanting to do this the same day I do MVMCP???


----------



## ENJDisneyFan

sapphirerose915 said:


> Am I insane wanting to do this the same day I do MVMCP???


Depends...are you planning to stay at MK all day?  Or take a mid day break?  For me it would be too much to do EMM and then stay until the end of the party.  But if you really want to do both and can only fit them in on the same day, I'm sure you could make it work.


----------



## mrocco90

Disneylovingmomof2 said:


> Would you mind sharing where you were staying and what transport you used to get to HS?
> I’m planning on booking for last week of January (the system is not letting me do it yet). We are staying at WL and I’m just wondering if the bus will be running early enough or if I should use a Minnie van.



We’re at Pop. We were at the bus a little after 630am.


----------



## sapphirerose915

ENJDisneyFan said:


> Depends...are you planning to stay at MK all day?  Or take a mid day break?  For me it would be too much to do EMM and then stay until the end of the party.  But if you really want to do both and can only fit them in on the same day, I'm sure you could make it work.



I was thinking leave the park around 11302-12ish and head back at 4ish for a 430 ADR.. I'm worried tho.. I don't wanna wipe out my DH and the kiddo


----------



## emilyhuff

I'm most just here to follow along but I am really just wondering if I can get the chicken/donut meal with the syrup on the side! From the pics I have seen they seem to be premade and sitting under a warming lamp...


----------



## Disneylovingmomof2

So I still can’t pull up times for 1/28 or 1/30. I called Disney and they’re telling me they’re sold out?!


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Disneylovingmomof2 said:


> So I still can’t pull up times for 1/28 or 1/30. I called Disney and they’re telling me they’re sold out?!



Can’t be accurate, in my opinion.    Something is likely wrong with the website as those dates have yet to be bookable at all yet.  I’d keep checking everyone once in awhile.  It’s not in danger of selling out right away.


----------



## sapphirerose915

emilyhuff said:


> I'm most just here to follow along but I am really just wondering if I can get the chicken/donut meal with the syrup on the side! From the pics I have seen they seem to be premade and sitting under a warming lamp...



I'm not a chives fan.. so I'm hoping we can make requests...


----------



## Jasperann

emilyhuff said:


> I'm most just here to follow along but I am really just wondering if I can get the chicken/donut meal with the syrup on the side! From the pics I have seen they seem to be premade and sitting under a warming lamp...


 I hope we can.  My son will not touch it with syrup on it.


----------



## MIAMouseketeer

Jasperann said:


> I hope we can.  My son will not touch it with syrup on it.


My experience is that a simple request like that can be accommodated. More complicated requests, cannot. Last month when we attended the one at MK, a mom was begging to get plain eggs without pepper (the buffet eggs all had some pepper). They told her they simply could not do it. I felt for the mom, but understood their point. They couldn't make eggs for this one person. But not adding syrup to the plate seems reasonable.


----------



## KrazeeK120

kat_lh said:


> I had a bunch of canceled ADRs show up with all this recent fiasco. This wasn’t one of them for me but I imagine it’s the same glitch.



I thought that too, but my other phantom ADRs have disappeared.


----------



## Brett Wyman

We have it booked for my daughter and myself on 11/28. I'll let everyone know how it goes.


----------



## cosmicmommy

Checked again this morning and Jan 9 is the last blue date that is actually bookable.


----------



## DarthGallifrey

I checked yesterday and was able to book one for 12/12.  12/10 was also available when I checked


----------



## Jasperann

Hoping more reports come out soon.    I'm not sure if the low reports mean that they are not that busy.  lol


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Jasperann said:


> Hoping more reports come out soon.    I'm not sure if the low reports mean that they are not that busy.  lol



That’s sort of the way MK EMM has been through its existence.  That one is in the few hundred people range, so on average you’ll only have an active DISer attending from time to time... not every one. 

If this is anything similar, I suspect we may see similar results over time?? 

FWIW, I’ll be doing this relatively soon so will have a full report.


----------



## cosmicmommy

GADisneyDad14 said:


> That’s sort of the way MK EMM has been through its existence.  That one is in the few hundred people range, so on average you’ll only have an active DISer attending from time to time... not every one.
> 
> If this is anything similar, I suspect we may see similar results over time??
> 
> FWIW, I’ll be doing this relatively soon so will have a full report.



Can't wait to hear your report.  My choices for this trip came down to more days vs dining plan and more days won out.  The other choice was nicer resort vs extras and extras won out, so we are doing EMM at Hollywood and the HEA dessert party.


----------



## Jasperann

Touring plans was at the first EMM day, but not as media.  They just posted this video.


----------



## cosmicmommy

Looks fun!  I am rationalizing it in my head and doing a LOT of rationalizing because there will be 4 of us.  So it's going to cost me a cool $300 for this event BUT it covers breakfast and I will cancel our lunch reservation, plus it frees up ALL of Fastpasses to be used elsewhere, so I think we're gonna do it... now, if only Disney would release the date so I can book it...


----------



## disneyworldsk

i agree re. lunch.  takes off my lunch costs for sure. will either have early dinners or a light snack in between.


----------



## disneyworldsk

ok watched his video. and now i'm concerned because he said the worst dish was the only vegetarian dish and i'm vegetarian! Is it possible you think i can ask for another entree and they make it for me vegetarian ? i guess not though because it's premade. now what will i eat?


----------



## SaintsManiac

disneyworldsk said:


> ok watched his video. and now i'm concerned because he said the worst dish was the only vegetarian dish and i'm vegetarian! Is it possible you think i can ask for another entree and they make it for me vegetarian ? i guess not though because it's premade. now what will i eat?





avocado toast without the egg? Cereal, yogurt, pastries, cheese, fruit.


----------



## ilanakan

cosmicmommy said:


> Looks fun!  I am rationalizing it in my head and doing a LOT of rationalizing because there will be 4 of us.  So it's going to cost me a cool $300 for this event BUT it covers breakfast and I will cancel our lunch reservation, plus it frees up ALL of Fastpasses to be used elsewhere, so I think we're gonna do it... now, if only Disney would release the date so I can book it...



That was my rationalisation too.  We are 5, so cost me over $420.  But, we are on a limited timetable, flying in from so far away, this is a trip we take only once every few years, and to top it off, with the promotion just released for January, we will be saving a few hundred dollars, that will cover some of our extra activities.


----------



## Lisa F

SaintsManiac said:


> avocado toast without the egg? Cereal, yogurt, pastries, cheese, fruit.


the mexican egg bowl is also vegetarian and it gets great reviews.


----------



## Jasperann

Lisa F said:


> the mexican egg bowl is also vegetarian and it gets great reviews.


The Mexican egg bowl has Mexican sausage in it.


----------



## Jasperann

disneyworldsk said:


> ok watched his video. and now i'm concerned because he said the worst dish was the only vegetarian dish and i'm vegetarian! Is it possible you think i can ask for another entree and they make it for me vegetarian ? i guess not though because it's premade. now what will i eat?


Maybe his palette isn't good for vegetarian dishes.  It may be amazing for someone that is vegetarian.  I would try it still.  (Actually I'm not vegetarian and I am leaning towards that one.  lol  Looks great!!)


----------



## Moms

Check out the review from Disney Food Blog:

http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2018/...-magic-event-in-disney-worlds-toy-story-land/

We booked it for Monday of the Columbus Day Weekend and out entry time is 7:00 AM!


----------



## jodybird511

FYI, there is chorizo in the Mexican egg dish--not vegetarian.


----------



## AndreaDanger

Was just able to book for January 23, so more (or hopefully ALL...haven't checked yet) of the January dates are now bookable


----------



## AndreaDanger

Disneylovingmomof2 said:


> So I still can’t pull up times for 1/28 or 1/30. I called Disney and they’re telling me they’re sold out?!



Try again online, if you haven't already. Those dates are both now showing as bookable for me (but weren't previously).


----------



## csmom

AndreaDanger said:


> Was just able to book for January 23, so more (or hopefully ALL...haven't checked yet) of the January dates are now bookable


Thanks for the heads up! I had literally checked less than an hour ago, and the later January dates weren't open yet. Saw your post, and I just booked for 1/28.


----------



## AndreaDanger

csmom said:


> Thanks for the heads up! I had literally checked less than an hour ago, and the later January dates weren't open yet. Saw your post, and I just booked for 1/28.


Yay! Yes, I'd been checking for my date to become available much more frequently than I care to admit.


----------



## csmom

AndreaDanger said:


> Yay! Yes, I'd been checking for my date to become available much more frequently than I care to admit.


It's possible that I may have been guilty of this myself.


----------



## pangyal

I have a question for anyone who might have attended already, or would like to postulate: In my experience, they open DHS to the public at around 8:40am most days. Are they going to hold people back for EMM days, or is the actual EMM time truncated to whenever they let the day crowd in? Does anyone know for sure when the wristbands are supposed to be good until for the rides? Knowing that TSMM is super long with the new exit, I’m thinking of saving that one until the end, but I don’t want to accidentally miss out if the day crowds suddenly take over the ride, lol.


----------



## Babs1975

pangyal said:


> I have a question for anyone who might have attended already, or would like to postulate: In my experience, they open DHS to the public at around 8:40am most days. Are they going to hold people back for EMM days, or is the actual EMM time truncated to whenever they let the day crowd in? Does anyone know for sure when the wristbands are supposed to be good until for the rides? Knowing that TSMM is super long with the new exit, I’m thinking of saving that one until the end, but I don’t want to accidentally miss out if the day crowds suddenly take over the ride, lol.


Haven't attended yet, but have done the MK EMM. This one is set to end at 8:45, right? So your wristband will allow access til 8:45. I'm sure they set the time that way knowing they let RD people in around 8:40. By the time they walk back to TSL, it should work out just about right.


----------



## cosmicmommy

I may or may not have just booked it... eep!  January 28th is indeed bookable!


----------



## pangyal

Babs1975 said:


> Haven't attended yet, but have done the MK EMM. This one is set to end at 8:45, right? So your wristband will allow access til 8:45. I'm sure they set the time that way knowing they let RD people in around 8:40. By the time they walk back to TSL, it should work out just about right.


Thanks! That sounds about right. I know we got burned (completely our fault) with the MK EMM when we missed Peter Pan by seconds after the rope drop crowd arrived, so I wanted to calculate our time a bit more accurately this time!


----------



## Allison Evans Payment

csmom said:


> It's possible that I may have been guilty of this myself.


I am still forever checking for February!! Hoping they release them soon!!


----------



## Ryan Taylor

Just booked for January 21! Woo!


----------



## grinner

Jasperann said:


> The Mexican egg bowl has Mexican sausage in it.


I read a review on Veg Disney group, apparently the mex bowl can easily be made vegetarian or even vegan. According to the chef, they've deliberately made those dishes easily adaptable to accommodate vegans.


----------



## jodybird511

grinner said:


> I read a review on Veg Disney group, apparently the mex bowl can easily be made vegetarian or even vegan. According to the chef, they've deliberately made those dishes easily adaptable to accommodate vegans.



Yay!  B/c I would love to get this, but no chorizo for me!


----------



## peeperino

I'll be there on January 16th! I'm so excited about doing this and Disney After Hours within a couple of days of each other. My partner is making grumbling noises about having to get up so early, but he'll get over it.


----------



## Shelbizzles

peeperino said:


> I'll be there on January 16th! I'm so excited about doing this and Disney After Hours within a couple of days of each other. My partner is making grumbling noises about having to get up so early, but he'll get over it.



We’re doing them on the same day! Lol. My husband is stoked. He said it’s gonna be the best day ever. I’m a little worried about burning ourselves out. But I think we’re just gonna take a mid day break and we’ll be good. I’m so excited for both!


----------



## grinner

jodybird511 said:


> Yay!  B/c I would love to get this, but no chorizo for me!


I'm vegan (but my partner and kids aren't) so I was really chuffed  Are you a member of the Veg Disney group on Facebook? It's really useful. I'm going to WDW in 24 days (not that I'm counting haha!) and we're doing EMM at TSL and MK so I'm really looking forward to it!


----------



## Lisa F

Shelbizzles said:


> We’re doing them on the same day! Lol. My husband is stoked. He said it’s gonna be the best day ever. I’m a little worried about burning ourselves out. But I think we’re just gonna take a mid day break and we’ll be good. I’m so excited for both!



I just booked EMM on the 23rd and had DAH on the 24th already but I think because they are SO spaced out that a midday break would definitely make this a great day if you're not dealing with kids (I am).  Just don't try to go the whole way through you'll be miserable.  The times are so extreme that a midday break would work fine!


----------



## VAtink

*A bit delayed in posting this, but here are some pictures from our event on the 17th!




Amazingly low crowds!  It was great to get so many shots of such an empty park!  



*
*That group of people ahead is the line to meet Woody and Jessie.  We didn't wait for them, but there was consistently a line all morning, however it never looked super long.  We did meet Buzz and the line was very short, maybe 3 people ahead of us when we arrived, so the wait was minimal.  *
*



One of the two times we were the only two people on Slinky!  The number of people riding dropped significantly after around 8:30. 




Last but not least, my egg bowl from breakfast.  I really liked this, the flavors were great.  The only small complaint I had was there were just too many chips on the bottom!*​


----------



## Lisa F

VAtink said:


> *A bit delayed in posting this, but here are some pictures from our event on the 17th!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Amazingly low crowds!  It was great to get so many shots of such an empty park!
> 
> 
> 
> *
> *That group of people ahead is the line to meet Woody and Jessie.  We didn't wait for them, but there was consistently a line all morning, however it never looked super long.  We did meet Buzz and the line was very short, maybe 3 people ahead of us when we arrived, so the wait was minimal.  *
> *
> 
> 
> 
> One of the two times we were the only two people on Slinky!  The number of people riding dropped significantly after around 8:30.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Last but not least, my egg bowl from breakfast.  I really liked this, the flavors were great.  The only small complaint I had was there were just too many chips on the bottom!*​


Great pics! would they give you another entree if you wanted to try it?


----------



## VAtink

Lisa F said:


> Great pics! would they give you another entree if you wanted to try it?



Thanks!  While we didn't try to get second entrees, there were people at a table across from us who did get seconds, so it seems it wasn't an issue!


----------



## maiapapaya

Allison Evans Payment said:


> I am still forever checking for February!! Hoping they release them soon!!


I'm right behind you impatiently hoping and waiting for March!


----------



## ♥ Mandi ♥

We’re in for Monday 12/3! So excited.


----------



## jodybird511

grinner said:


> I'm vegan (but my partner and kids aren't) so I was really chuffed  Are you a member of the Veg Disney group on Facebook? It's really useful. I'm going to WDW in 24 days (not that I'm counting haha!) and we're doing EMM at TSL and MK so I'm really looking forward to it!



Thanks, grinner, I'm not a member, but my entire family is vegetarian, so I'll definitely check it out!


----------



## Shelbizzles

Lisa F said:


> I just booked EMM on the 23rd and had DAH on the 24th already but I think because they are SO spaced out that a midday break would definitely make this a great day if you're not dealing with kids (I am).  Just don't try to go the whole way through you'll be miserable.  The times are so extreme that a midday break would work fine!



 I agree. It's only my husband and I so It's just getting myself to take a break lol. I always want to be on the go while I'm at Disney.


----------



## cusack1020

Booked for Jan 21st! Glad I found this thread.  It's our last day in the parks so it will nice to have TSL done before park opening so we can head to RNR at rope drop.I'd like to be able to fit in RNR and ST before breakfast so hopefully that works. I figure we'll need to head to the airport by about 2:30 so this will be big help in getting everything done at HS by then.


----------



## KrazeeK120

Is tomorrow the first day with dual reservation times? I’m really looking forward to getting confirmation on how that works.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

KrazeeK120 said:


> Is tomorrow the first day with dual reservation times? I’m really looking forward to getting confirmation on how that works.



Yup, that it is.  Curious and curiouser.


----------



## Disneyswagger

Ill be there 10/1. Let me know what dual reservation times means and ill gladly give you a review!


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Disneyswagger said:


> Ill be there 10/1. Let me know what dual reservation times means and ill gladly give you a review!



When Disney first announced dates, guests could book a 7:30am time.  Later on as it seemingly sold out, they added a 7am time.  The details of both times say to check in starting at 7am and there is otherwise no difference in published event explanation.  We've all been speculating if there will be any difference in how guests are handled with the two different reservation times, if even handled differently at all.

Have fun this AM!


----------



## Disneyswagger

GADisneyDad14 said:


> When Disney first announced dates, guests could book a 7:30am time.  Later on as it seemingly sold out, they added a 7am time.  The details of both times say to check in starting at 7am and there is otherwise no difference in published event explanation.  We've all been speculating if there will be any difference in how guests are handled with the two different reservation times, if even handled differently at all.
> 
> Have fun this AM!



In line now and heard a cast member say some are 7 and some are 730, were letting them all in at 7.


----------



## chupacabra

Here now and doesnt matter what time your reservation is they just let us in at 655 and they are herding us to abc commisary for food


----------



## Disneyd923

It’s true!  Made no difference what time we had.  We arrived a bit later than I would have liked, 7:20.  (Orb with transportation)We had previously booked the 7:30 and were let right in with the choice of going straight to TS land or breakfast!  Will post more later!


----------



## Jasperann

Keep us posted guys!!  Curious if it seems busy or not.  Wonder if they sold more tickets than the first couple or if there was just a glitch in the system...  Great to know we can get in at 6:55 though.    We will make sure to be there early so we can grab a little something to tide us over until our real breakfast after the EMM.  LOL


----------



## anomamatt

So it sounds like if you get in at 7am they take you to food?  When is the earliest they will let you into TSL?

Thanks for all the reports!


----------



## disneyworldsk

so people not on this board and have a 7:30 and just come at 7:30 like it says miss out on the half an hr.  that's a shame. time is money...


----------



## Disneylovingmomof2

AndreaDanger said:


> Try again online, if you haven't already. Those dates are both now showing as bookable for me (but weren't previously).


I was able to finally! Yay


----------



## KrazeeK120

disneyworldsk said:


> so people not on this board and have a 7:30 and just come at 7:30 like it says miss out on the half an hr.  that's a shame. time is money...



It does say in the confirmation email that check in begins at 7.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

disneyworldsk said:


> so people not on this board and have a 7:30 and just come at 7:30 like it says miss out on the half an hr.  that's a shame. time is money...



The email confirmation when you book online for a 7:30 time says check in begins at 7am (same as when you book 7am).  Not sure what people who book by phone are told, if anything.


----------



## chupacabra

We ate and were on SDD at 725. Only thing that kind of bummed me out was about 845 a wave of non EMM people hot SDD and the wait was over an hour at 850. They also made you walk the entire exit line to get back on TSMM


----------



## SaintsManiac

chupacabra said:


> We ate and were on SDD at 725. Only thing that kind of bummed me out was about 845 a wave of non EMM people hot SDD and the wait was over an hour at 850. They also made you walk the entire exit line to get back on TSMM




That is really annoying. They should NOT be letting people in TSL before 9am!


----------



## jodybird511

SaintsManiac said:


> That is really annoying. They should NOT be letting people in TSL before 9am!



Why?  I thought EMM only went until 8:45 anyway???


----------



## Kdp2

When we did passholder play time a couple weeks ago, they let rope drop people in around 8:30 but still allowed wristbanded guests to go through the FP line with minimal wait until 9. However I believe EMM ends at 8:45.


----------



## Keith Gentry

So for anyone there today, with the dual times, did you have to go to breakfast right at 7, or could you start riding the rides at 7? If they started you off at breakfast, what time were you allowed to hit the rides? We are going next week, and I'm trying to plan out the morning. Thanks in advance.


----------



## KrazeeK120

SaintsManiac said:


> That is really annoying. They should NOT be letting people in TSL before 9am!



To be fair, the advertised time for EMM is 7:30-8:45.


----------



## chupacabra

Didnt see that 845 was the end time. I thought it was 730-900 but either way we still rode SDD 7x and TSMM 2x


----------



## SaintsManiac

KrazeeK120 said:


> To be fair, the advertised time for EMM is 7:30-8:45.





AHHH Ok I definitely missed that. Thanks


----------



## StacyStrong

If you get in at 7 and eat something light (pastries or fruit) could you go back after rope drop and get a hot entree?


----------



## RachaelA

We can’t eat breakfast that early. I’d rather just wait and eat after.


----------



## AngiTN

GADisneyDad14 said:


> The email confirmation when you book online for a 7:30 time says check in begins at 7am (same as when you book 7am).  Not sure what people who book by phone are told, if anything.


No matter what they are or aren't told at booking, they should get the same email confirmation. Hopefully they read it


----------



## StacyStrong

AngiTN said:


> No matter what they are or aren't told at booking, they should get the same email confirmation. Hopefully they read it


I've read that many people don't get emails when booking over the phone.


----------



## jennab

AngiTN said:


> No matter what they are or aren't told at booking, they should get the same email confirmation. Hopefully they read it





StacyStrong said:


> I've read that many people don't get emails when booking over the phone.



Correct whenever I book over the phone I never get an email confirmation (even though they ask for my email).  I want to say I was told just to arrive 15min early but that was when I originally booked and there was only 1 7:30 time. When I called to change it I think the CM still said arrive 15min early.


----------



## anomamatt

chupacabra said:


> We ate and were on SDD at 725. Only thing that kind of bummed me out was about 845 a wave of non EMM people hot SDD and the wait was over an hour at 850. They also made you walk the entire exit line to get back on TSMM



Could you have skipped breakfast first and went right to TSL?


----------



## chupacabra

anomamatt said:


> Could you have skipped breakfast first and went right to TSL?


Im not sure if you could right at 7 because they had lots of staff basically directing you to abc commisary. That being said im pretty sure you can get on the rides before 730 becayse we were loading onto SDD at 725 this morning and several people were riding it as we walked into toy story land


----------



## chupacabra

StacyStrong said:


> If you get in at 7 and eat something light (pastries or fruit) could you go back after rope drop and get a hot entree?


Yes we ate 2nd breakfast at 915 and had no issues. The shrimp and grits were fine my DD had chicken and donuts and the donuts were terrible in her opinion lol. The chicken was also soaked in syrup already when they gave it to us


----------



## js

Kdp2 said:


> When we did passholder play time a couple weeks ago, they let rope drop people in around 8:30 but still allowed wristbanded guests to go through the FP line with minimal wait until 9. However I believe EMM ends at 8:45.



Hi. Can you please tell me more about this? We were there last month and I saw a "Passholder Play Time" line while we were waiting in line for HS to open (didn't have APs).
In January, we will be visiting with APs. What exactly is this and can we take advantage?  Thank you.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

js said:


> Hi. Can you please tell me more about this? We were there last month and I saw a "Passholder Play Time" line while we were waiting in line for HS to open (didn't have APs).
> In January, we will be visiting with APs. What exactly is this and can we take advantage?  Thank you.



It was a limited time offering on select dates in Sept only.  No other dates have been announced (and I’m assuming won’t be).  It sold out in like 2 hours or less.


----------



## SaintsManiac

js said:


> Hi. Can you please tell me more about this? We were there last month and I saw a "Passholder Play Time" line while we were waiting in line for HS to open (didn't have APs).
> In January, we will be visiting with APs. What exactly is this and can we take advantage?  Thank you.




It was only for September.


----------



## js

Thank you both. Oh well


----------



## kniquy

KrazeeK120 said:


> the advertised time for EMM is 7:30-8:45.





chupacabra said:


> Yes we ate 2nd breakfast at 915 and had no issues.



Is breakfast served until 10:00?  I looked back at my booking confirmation and all it really gives is the 7am time. 

Can anyone who has been comment on the crowd for the event?  I have only seeing just a couple video reviews of the event but it seems like with the crowd level at those it was pretty light and they could ride each ride multiple times before park opening


----------



## jwolfpack

Has anyone tried to rope drop another attraction outside of Toy Story Land before eating breakfast? We will be there next Mon, and this is our current plan! Would love to hear how that's gone for anyone else. We're planning to do RNRC.


----------



## peeperino

It sounds like people are getting everything done at Hollywood Studios pretty early in the day after attending this event. Has anyone who's done EMM managed to stay a full day at the park? Or do you all just hop to another park?


----------



## Allison Evans Payment

peeperino said:


> It sounds like people are getting everything done at Hollywood Studios pretty early in the day after attending this event. Has anyone who's done EMM managed to stay a full day at the park? Or do you all just hop to another park?


Great question! I wasn't thinking another park, but an afternoon visit to Ample Hills since we aren't staying at the Boardwalk or Beach Club this time.


----------



## KrazeeK120

peeperino said:


> It sounds like people are getting everything done at Hollywood Studios pretty early in the day after attending this event. Has anyone who's done EMM managed to stay a full day at the park? Or do you all just hop to another park?



I can’t imagine getting everything done in enough time to hop to another park. We have plans that take us through 4 PM or so.


----------



## WaterLinds

peeperino said:


> It sounds like people are getting everything done at Hollywood Studios pretty early in the day after attending this event. Has anyone who's done EMM managed to stay a full day at the park? Or do you all just hop to another park?


Haven’t been yet, but I imagine it depends on what you consider “everything”at HS. Some people want to do all the shows, others just want to ride the few remaining rides, etc. Some families with younger kids don’t do most of the other rides there.

We’re in the middle, there are probably ~2 shows we want to do plus at least some of us will be doing the other rides. My thinking if we do EMM (March visit, so too soon to book) is we should be able to get everything else done by early afternoon. Then we’ll maybe head back for naps/pool time, and probably do some park that evening—the question is whether we’d hop elsewhere or return to HS for Fantasmic (if that’s the plan then I’m going to try to snag evening FP for SDD, we’d like to ride it at night once too. So far I’m struggling to figure out our optimal schedule for late evenings and early mornings!)


----------



## AngiTN

peeperino said:


> It sounds like people are getting everything done at Hollywood Studios pretty early in the day after attending this event. Has anyone who's done EMM managed to stay a full day at the park? Or do you all just hop to another park?


What do you consider "everything"?
If that's all the shows and rides, along with grabbing something to eat, I wouldn't finish in what I consider "early in the day". 
Besides that, the last event in the park is fireworks and/or Fantasmic! at night so you'd have to be there till then to do everything.
We don't spend full days at parks, even if we return at night, we take a break and leave for some time.


----------



## SaintsManiac

peeperino said:


> It sounds like people are getting everything done at Hollywood Studios pretty early in the day after attending this event. Has anyone who's done EMM managed to stay a full day at the park? Or do you all just hop to another park?




Our plan is always to split HS into 2 days, so we plan on leaving at some point and hopping to AK if we can book this for March. We have an evening planned to see Fantasmic! and have dinner on another day.


----------



## peeperino

By "everything" I was thinking all the rides and at least a few of the shows. So, not really everything. Sorry!

I just signed up for Touring Plans and plugged in what we're hoping to get done that day. It has us busy up until 2. I've got us scheduled for a meal at Sci-Fi at 3. So it looks like we'll be able to fill up much of the day. I do want to see Toy Story Land and maybe ride SDD again at night. At that time of year (January), it should be getting dark early so we won't have too much time to kill. Plus, I'm all for riding ToT multiple times if that's an option!


----------



## kat_lh

jwolfpack said:


> Has anyone tried to rope drop another attraction outside of Toy Story Land before eating breakfast? We will be there next Mon, and this is our current plan! Would love to hear how that's gone for anyone else. We're planning to do RNRC.



The folks who did the AP event reported being able to easily walk on other non TSL rides after RD.  That's our plan too - we don't want to be at breakfast before 9:40 to maximize that time.  I know based on reviews from the MK on that people sometimes don't come back for breakfast until 9:55 even and it's not an issue.


----------



## Lisa F

Does anyone have any info on how Jedi Training Academy signup goes with this?  I would guess you could get over there ahead of rope drop people even if you wanted to... but I would also guess that it's not necessary to do that even to get a morning time nowadays.  Has anyone done this?


----------



## sapphirerose915

Has anyone noticed if theres a way we can make a request for food?? I'm not a fan of chives, and my son will not eat maple glazed chicken tenders... just wondering if we can ask when we get there or if we need to make the request in our dining reservation??


----------



## AngiTN

Lisa F said:


> Does anyone have any info on how Jedi Training Academy signup goes with this?  I would guess you could get over there ahead of rope drop people even if you wanted to... but I would also guess that it's not necessary to do that even to get a morning time nowadays.  Has anyone done this?


As long as you aren't looking for a specific time slot there is no reason to hurry to JTA anymore. We've been to HS several days since TSL opened and there have been openings left for JTA as late as 4:30
Obviously the earlier you go the more slots you'll have to select from so I'd base what time I go over there on how particular I need to be on the time


----------



## AngiTN

sapphirerose915 said:


> Has anyone noticed if theres a way we can make a request for food?? I'm not a fan of chives, and my son will not eat maple glazed chicken tenders... just wondering if we can ask when we get there or if we need to make the request in our dining reservation??


The request section when you book a dining reservation area is for allergy information. Pallete requests (as in what you like and or don't like) need to be done at the restaurant.


----------



## luvdisney73

I attended the event with my two grown daughters on Monday, Sept. 24th. This was the highlight of our week long trip! We arrived at exactly 7:30 and checked in at the front entrance to receive our bands. Upon arriving at Toy Story Land, there was a meet and greet and photo opportunity with Buzz Lightyear! We waited about two minutes before it was our turn and we were on our way! There was a longer line to meet Woody and Jesse but we only waited about 10 minutes. Then it was off to Slinky Dog Dash! It was a walk on without any wait what so ever. We rode three times in a row! My daughters rode the Alien Saucers and then we proceeded to Toy Story Mania. No wait again for either of these rides. My daughters wanted to ride SDD a couple more times before we walked over to the breakfast area. If I had to guess, I would say the limit of guests was less than 300 people if that many! We did everything we wanted to do and walked over to the ABC Commissary Quick Service Restaurant around 8:50. We were greeted by friendly staff who explained that the entrees were all you care to eat. You could walk up to the counter and order more than one entree at a time. There was also a buffet of fruit, yogurt, bagels, jams, pastries, cold cereals, orange/apple juices, and coffee. The entrees were really great! My oldest daughter loved the Mexican Corn Chilquiles and egg bowl. I tried the fried chicken and french donut bowl with sweet potato barrels. The doughnut was pretty hard but maybe I just got a bad batch. It was still tasty. I also tried the guacamole toast plate. The toast was pretty crunchy but the guacamole was tasty. We did not try the shrimp and grits. We were done eating around 9:30. We walked over to TOT where we found a less than 10 minute wait. All in all I was pleased with event and I found the cost was well worth the money. I did not get there at 7:00 am as I had hoped for (we had a mixed up UBER driver) but I don't think arriving at 7:30 put us at any disadvantage whatsoever. SDD was already running at 7:30 and was completely full when we arrived so I can't say if it operated any earlier than that. I posted pictures of the breakfast. It was the best morning!


----------



## Disneyd923

Hi!  We just finished for the day.  Like I said earlier we were a bit late to the event arriving at 7:20 bc it was impossible to get a Lyft from the poly! When we arrived we were given the choice to go to breakfast or straight into TS Land.  We went straight to the land and rode Slinky Dog six times, virtual walk on despite a 15min posted wait.  Walked onto TSM twice and did AlienSaucers once as the crowds were rolling in.  The character lines were disappointingly long, but other than that it was a pleasure.  We got off SDD for our last run at 8:50 and standby was already at 40 minutes from the huge mass of people coming in.  We then went to meet Olaf and Mickey and rolled into the ABC Commissary at 9:30.  The food was tasty albeit a little eccentric as far as breakfast, lol.  They literally told us you can order as much as you want and somebody was being helped with allergies.  My son got the chicken and donuts and neither had maple syrup and he ordered as is.  I asked him later if they were sweet and he said they were “regular”.  The kids donuts were delish lol! As far as Jedi Training, you could not access sign up on the way back to the event at 7:30 because there were cast members blocking everything off.  However I didn’t have a reason to try so can’t be 100%.  This event was great, we went back to TS land later in the day to try to get Woody and Buzz pics and the entire land was packed. Hope this info helps.  I took some pics but can’t figure out how to post


----------



## Jasperann

peeperino said:


> By "everything" I was thinking all the rides and at least a few of the shows. So, not really everything. Sorry!
> 
> I just signed up for Touring Plans and plugged in what we're hoping to get done that day. It has us busy up until 2. I've got us scheduled for a meal at Sci-Fi at 3. So it looks like we'll be able to fill up much of the day. I do want to see Toy Story Land and maybe ride SDD again at night. At that time of year (January), it should be getting dark early so we won't have too much time to kill. Plus, I'm all for riding ToT multiple times if that's an option!


It will be dark in the morning at 730 as well in January.


----------



## LMO429

Can i have the cliff note version of what the 7 7:30am time means?  I have a 7am for October 22nd.


----------



## KrazeeK120

Jasperann said:


> It will be dark in the morning at 730 as well in January.



The sun rises before 7:30 AM in January.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

LMO429 said:


> Can i have the cliff note version of what the 7 7:30am time means?  I have a 7am for October 22nd.



It appears to mean nothing.  Disney has 7 and 7:30 booking time slots for many dates, although from reports this AM (the first day such an arrangement has occured) everyone, regardless of actually ADR time, was let in just before 7am.  The check-in language on the confirmation e-mails for both (saying to check-in starts at 7am) are identical.


----------



## StacyStrong

Thank you for the reports!


----------



## Kdp2

peeperino said:


> It sounds like people are getting everything done at Hollywood Studios pretty early in the day after attending this event. Has anyone who's done EMM managed to stay a full day at the park? Or do you all just hop to another park?


We're planning to park hop to Epcot (maybe Beaches & Cream in between???) after EMM and then have a second day at HS later in the week.  I managed to get a FP for SDD the second HS day, so I really hope my 3 yo likes it!!  When we did passholder event we finished everything and left the park around 10-1030, but we didn't have our kids that day.  We did manage SDD 4x, AS2 once, TSM 2x, breakfast at Woody's, then we went over to R&RC, then TOT, then we all felt like we were gonna lose our breakfast tarts so we left!!   It was so serene being in the park with so few people!  I can't wait for EMM!


----------



## disneyworldsk

ok so two reports of uber and lyft drivers not knowing their way or being available quickly for on property pick ups to get there on time (meaning before 7:30). how can that be prevented? I will be going in november from pofq. So should i take bus at 6:30 ish or try these possibly unreliable car services/ride shares?


----------



## Babs1975

disneyworldsk said:


> ok so two reports of uber and lyft drivers not knowing their way or being available quickly for on property pick ups to get there on time (meaning before 7:30). how can that be prevented? I will be going in november from pofq. So should i take bus at 6:30 ish or try these possibly unreliable car services/ride shares?


Minnie van?


----------



## TinkerBeth18

Went to EMM this morning. Totally worth it!

We got to HS about 6:45, quite a few people were already there. Checked in with the iPad people, got wristbands and then we were let in at 7 but they funneled everyone to ABC Commissary. I asked and they said we could eat then if we wanted or at anytime until 10:00 and that Toy Story land wouldn’t be open until 7:30. Grabbed some coffee and pastries then went out to wait for them to let us in to TSL. We were held near the commissary until they let everyone go at around 7:20. Got to TSL around 7:25 and stopped to wait for Woody and Jessie. Slinky started running about 7:25. Characters came out at 7:30.

We got to slinky at probably 7:40 and waited maybe 10 minutes the first time. Rode 3 more times and the line got shorter each time. Then did AS2 and TSM 1 time each before 8:45. Probably could have gotten more rides in, but I injured my knee a week before our trip so it slowed us down.

Went immediately at 8:45 to sign up for Jedi training and had to wait 30 minutes. The earliest time they had available was 11:40.

Got to breakfast at 9:30 and it was pretty busy but we didn’t have to wait too long. I got the avacado toast and it was just ok. I also tried the donuts and they were good. They did tell us we could get as many entrees as we wanted.

We all loved Slinky, super fun coaster 

ETA: I had a 7:30 reservation that I made before they added the 7:00 and there was no mention of different reservation times when we checked in.


----------



## jennab

TinkerBeth18 said:


> Went to EMM this morning. Totally worth it!
> 
> We got to HS about 6:45, quite a few people were already there. Checked in with the iPad people, got wristbands and then we were let in at 7 but they funneled everyone to ABC Commissary. I asked and they said we could eat then if we wanted or at anytime until 10:00 and that Toy Story land wouldn’t be open until 7:30. Grabbed some coffee and pastries then went out to wait for them to let us in to TSL. We were held near the commissary until they let everyone go at around 7:20. Got to TSL around 7:25 and stopped to wait for Woody and Jessie. Slinky started running about 7:25. Characters came out at 7:30.
> 
> We got to slinky at probably 7:40 and waited maybe 10 minutes the first time. Rode 3 more times and the line got shorter each time. Then did AS2 and TSM 1 time each before 8:45. Probably could have gotten more rides in, but I injured my knee a week before our trip so it slowed us down.
> 
> Went immediately at 8:45 to sign up for Jedi training and had to wait 30 minutes. The earliest time they had available was 11:40.
> 
> Got to breakfast at 9:30 and it was pretty busy but we didn’t have to wait too long. I got the avacado toast and it was just ok. I also tried the donuts and they were good. They did tell us we could get as many entrees as we wanted.
> 
> We all loved Slinky, super fun coaster
> 
> ETA: I had a 7:30 reservation that I made before they added the 7:00 and there was no mention of different reservation times when we checked in.



Thanks for the detailed review!  That sucks it was a wait for Jedi sign ups. Guess we will be doing that right when EMM gets done.


----------



## RachaelA

TinkerBeth18 said:


> Went to EMM this morning. Totally worth it!
> 
> We got to HS about 6:45, quite a few people were already there. Checked in with the iPad people, got wristbands and then we were let in at 7 but they funneled everyone to ABC Commissary. I asked and they said we could eat then if we wanted or at anytime until 10:00 and that Toy Story land wouldn’t be open until 7:30. Grabbed some coffee and pastries then went out to wait for them to let us in to TSL. We were held near the commissary until they let everyone go at around 7:20. Got to TSL around 7:25 and stopped to wait for Woody and Jessie. Slinky started running about 7:25. Characters came out at 7:30.
> 
> We got to slinky at probably 7:40 and waited maybe 10 minutes the first time. Rode 3 more times and the line got shorter each time. Then did AS2 and TSM 1 time each before 8:45. Probably could have gotten more rides in, but I injured my knee a week before our trip so it slowed us down.
> 
> Went immediately at 8:45 to sign up for Jedi training and had to wait 30 minutes. The earliest time they had available was 11:40.
> 
> Got to breakfast at 9:30 and it was pretty busy but we didn’t have to wait too long. I got the avacado toast and it was just ok. I also tried the donuts and they were good. They did tell us we could get as many entrees as we wanted.
> 
> We all loved Slinky, super fun coaster
> 
> ETA: I had a 7:30 reservation that I made before they added the 7:00 and there was no mention of different reservation times when we checked in.


Thanks for the review!

A 10 minute wait initially for SDD and long character lines that people have reported are worrying me. 

The Jedi training part was super helpful. I think your plan to sign up at 8:45 before breakfast is going to have to be what we do.


----------



## VAtink

Babs1975 said:


> Minnie van?



We learned on our EMM at TSL that Minnie Van's don't start running until 6:30, and at that point are far and few between!  We did discover later in the trip however the HS buses came to the resort by 6:15!


----------



## ilanakan

Allison Evans Payment said:


> Great question! I wasn't thinking another park, but an afternoon visit to Ample Hills since we aren't staying at the Boardwalk or Beach Club this time.



Great minds think alike  That's exactly what we are planning to do.


----------



## LMO429

For those of you who are worried about getting a minnie van. You can pre reserve mears online.  This way the mears driver will be waiting for you at your resort at a pre determined time and you do not have to deal with the minnie van app and possibly not getting one.  While the service and car seats are def better with minnie vans we found last trip they were hard to come by all the time.  We are staying at the beach club this trip so it's a non issue for us we plan on walking over. But for those of you stressing how you will get to HS i would def pre reserve a mears van or taxi online.  If i was at another resort this would be my plan of attack for getting there
 on time.


----------



## emilyhuff

Does anyone have any reports on how the buses from the resorts were to get to EMM? Like as in, what time did they start running, etc


----------



## masylimed

emilyhuff said:


> Does anyone have any reports on how the buses from the resorts were to get to EMM? Like as in, what time did they start running, etc



I'm curious about this too.  Staying at AKL for our 10/31 EMM date.


----------



## kniquy

VAtink said:


> We learned on our EMM at TSL that Minnie Van's don't start running until 6:30, and at that point are far and few between! We did discover later in the trip however the HS buses came to the resort by 6:15!


  I'd also love to hear about transportation that early in the morning.  Do they run the HS buses earlier because of this event?  I'd just assume take the bus


----------



## RubySlippers

We will have our car this upcoming trip. How did the parking work out if you drove yourself? I read that there are no parking attendants that early in the morning and with all the construction going on was knowing where to park an issue?


----------



## TinkerBeth18

jennab said:


> Thanks for the detailed review!  That sucks it was a wait for Jedi sign ups. Guess we will be doing that right when EMM gets done.



I was not expecting to have to wait 30 minutes for that and we did have to change our plans around some, but still did almost everything we planned. I ended up picking the 1:00 time a lot and it was surface of the sun hot, just FYI.


----------



## TinkerBeth18

RachaelA said:


> Thanks for the review!
> 
> A 10 minute wait initially for SDD and long character lines that people have reported are worrying me.
> 
> The Jedi training part was super helpful. I think your plan to sign up at 8:45 before breakfast is going to have to be what we do.



I heard the lines were long for Woody and Jessie which is why we decided to wait for them to come out (we were first in line). I think it worked out better that way, since most people are going to slinky first. The line got shorter every time, the last time was almost a walk on. 

I’m not good at estimating crowds but I would say there were between 200 and 300 people there.


----------



## TinkerBeth18

RubySlippers said:


> We will have our car this upcoming trip. How did the parking work out if you drove yourself? I read that there are no parking attendants that early in the morning and with all the construction going on was knowing where to park an issue?



We drove ourselves. There was no one in the booth, but there were people directing us where to park.


----------



## KrazeeK120

TinkerBeth18 said:


> We drove ourselves. There was no one in the booth, but there were people directing us where to park.



Thanks for this report. We will be driving ourselves too, and I was a little concerned about figuring out where to park. This puts my mind at ease.


----------



## rxbeth

LMO429 said:


> For those of you who are worried about getting a minnie van. You can pre reserve mears online.  This way the mears driver will be waiting for you at your resort at a pre determined time and you do not have to deal with the minnie van app and possibly not getting one.  While the service and car seats are def better with minnie vans we found last trip they were hard to come by all the time.  We are staying at the beach club this trip so it's a non issue for us we plan on walking over. But for those of you stressing how you will get to HS i would def pre reserve a mears van or taxi online.  If i was at another resort this would be my plan of attack for getting there
> on time.



It will just be me and my 6 year old. How much was Mears and did they have carseats? Transportation is my main worry with this early morning reservation. I just pulled the trigger!


----------



## AngiTN

TinkerBeth18 said:


> Went immediately at 8:45 to sign up for Jedi training and had to wait 30 minutes. The earliest time they had available was 11:40.





jennab said:


> Thanks for the detailed review!  That sucks it was a wait for Jedi sign ups. Guess we will be doing that right when EMM gets done.





RachaelA said:


> Thanks for the review!
> 
> A 10 minute wait initially for SDD and long character lines that people have reported are worrying me.
> 
> The Jedi training part was super helpful. I think your plan to sign up at 8:45 before breakfast is going to have to be what we do.





TinkerBeth18 said:


> I was not expecting to have to wait 30 minutes for that and we did have to change our plans around some, but still did almost everything we planned. I ended up picking the 1:00 time a lot and it was surface of the sun hot, just FYI.


Sounds like you got caught up in the rope drop lines.

The impact of TSL... there was a time when by 8:45 you'd be down to the last show, if that.
If you don't need a specific time, I'd just wait and go after breakfast. The line from rope drop will be down by then.


----------



## rxbeth

LMO429 said:


> For those of you who are worried about getting a minnie van. You can pre reserve mears online.  This way the mears driver will be waiting for you at your resort at a pre determined time and you do not have to deal with the minnie van app and possibly not getting one.  While the service and car seats are def better with minnie vans we found last trip they were hard to come by all the time.  We are staying at the beach club this trip so it's a non issue for us we plan on walking over. But for those of you stressing how you will get to HS i would def pre reserve a mears van or taxi online.  If i was at another resort this would be my plan of attack for getting there
> on time.



Not sure if I'm looking in the right place but I'm seeing a flat rate of $100! That can't be right.


----------



## peeperino

rxbeth said:


> Not sure if I'm looking in the right place but I'm seeing a flat rate of $100! That can't be right.



I got a flat rate of $15 going from Pop to Hollywood Studios on 1/16/2019 in a luxury sedan.


----------



## AngiTN

rxbeth said:


> Not sure if I'm looking in the right place but I'm seeing a flat rate of $100! That can't be right.


Mears Car Service it probably is. Make sure you are looking at Mears Taxi service. 
Though honestly, a taxi driver is as apt to not know where they are going as any Uber or Lyft driver is


----------



## rxbeth

AngiTN said:


> Mears Car Service it probably is. Make sure you are looking at Mears Taxi service.
> Though honestly, a taxi driver is as apt to not know where they are going as any Uber or Lyft driver is



I found the taxi service! So you think they aren’t a good option to use?


----------



## AngiTN

rxbeth said:


> I found the taxi service! So you think they aren’t a good option to use?


No, didn't mean they aren't good. Simply that they are probably not "better" than Uber (if you need a car seat Lyft is not an option)
Did you say your DC is 6, or was that someone else? Have you considered a portable car seat, like a Bubble Bum? This would free you up to use Lyft too


----------



## hopey1kenobi

Hiya, DD & I are booked for 1/30! 2 quick things.

All the breakfast food looks delish to me... but DD is a vegetarian and I'm a little worried. She eats some dairy; cheese, no yogurt, no eggs & isn't a fan of egg substitute. Is there going to be anything she'll be able to eat? DO you think they'll let us cobble together tater tots, donuts, & avocado toast as an entree??

What's everybody's suggested touring style after EMM? for EMM-FL at 9 we headed to SM & Buzz hitting breakfast around 9:40. Do people tend to hit Star Tours or ToT/RnR and then go to breakfast??    

TIA!


----------



## minniemousepancake

hopey1kenobi said:


> Hiya, DD & I are booked for 1/30! 2 quick things.
> 
> All the breakfast food looks delish to me... but DD is a vegetarian and I'm a little worried. She eats some dairy; cheese, no yogurt, no eggs & isn't a fan of egg substitute. Is there going to be anything she'll be able to eat? DO you think they'll let us cobble together tater tots, donuts, & avocado toast as an entree??
> 
> What's everybody's suggested touring style after EMM? for EMM-FL at 9 we headed to SM & Buzz hitting breakfast around 9:40. Do people tend to hit Star Tours or ToT/RnR and then go to breakfast??
> 
> TIA!



Hi! I am also a vegetarian and I was stuffed after the breakfast! I had lots of fruit and pastries from the buffet and the avocado toast for my entree. My son ordered the scrambled eggs with sweet potato tots and he wasn’t a fan of the tots so I ate those too and they were great! You are able to order as many entrees as you want so you could definitely get the kids scrambled eggs and tater tots too and just not eat the eggs.


----------



## minniemousepancake

Hi everyone! I attended the 9/24 EMM event and it was the highlight of our trip! If you are on the fence I would definitely say go for it! I went with my husband and our two kids ages 1 and 4. It was so great to not have to worry about waiting in lines in the September heat!

We rode Aliens twice, TSM once and slinky 5 times. We also met buzz and woody and Jesse. The only thing I didn’t like about the event was how long the wait was to meet Woody and Jesse. I waited in line with my daughter while my husband took my son on slinky over and over. I think I waited at least 30 minutes to meet them. If meeting the characters isn’t a top priority for you, I would say maybe skip the meet and greet and just do the rides.

Slinky dog was SO much fun and I was so glad we got to ride it so many times!

We all loved the breakfast at abc commissary, some of the best food of the trip. We had the avocado toast and chicken and donuts. The pastries at the buffet were awesome too.

I highly recommend this event! Toy story land was awesome!


----------



## LMO429

rxbeth said:


> Not sure if I'm looking in the right place but I'm seeing a flat rate of $100! That can't be right.



That is def not right it should run you about 20 to 25 bucks


----------



## LMO429

rxbeth said:


> It will just be me and my 6 year old. How much was Mears and did they have carseats? Transportation is my main worry with this early morning reservation. I just pulled the trigger!



You have the option to select a car seat.  I will forewarn you the car seats are no where near the quality of a minnie van you get what you pay for.  But if you are in a pinch they will def work.


----------



## Dr Gunnie

I apologize in advance - I didn't read every page in the thread, but read a bunch. 

Has there been any indication that the EMM will continue past the current last date of Jan 30th? We will be there at the end of March and booked our ADR's with the thought of Wed, March 27th being our Hollywood Studios day (since most Wednesdays have been EMM days). It seems like it's been pretty successful, so I'm hoping it continues. 

Just interested to hear what people think on the chances it extends into March.


----------



## rxbeth

AngiTN said:


> No, didn't mean they aren't good. Simply that they are probably not "better" than Uber (if you need a car seat Lyft is not an option)
> Did you say your DC is 6, or was that someone else? Have you considered a portable car seat, like a Bubble Bum? This would free you up to use Lyft too



She will be a few months shy of 7. She is definitely booster sized but we have kept her harnessed. I’ll look into the portable options.


----------



## AngiTN

rxbeth said:


> She will be a few months shy of 7. She is definitely booster sized but we have kept her harnessed. I’ll look into the portable options.


We did the same with DGD but used the Bubble Bum for traveling and it was great. There's one other well known and highly recommended seat but I forget the name of it now. If you have never checked it out, you may check over the car seat lady website and read over their travel info. It was a great help when we went to LA a couple years ago. Your one hang up may be if you haven't got anywhere to carry it at the park. You'll probably want to stick it in a locker. It's small and light but still not something I'd want to tote around all day.


----------



## rxbeth

AngiTN said:


> We did the same with DGD but used the Bubble Bum for traveling and it was great. There's one other well known and highly recommended seat but I forget the name of it now. If you have never checked it out, you may check over the car seat lady website and read over their travel info. It was a great help when we went to LA a couple years ago. Your one hang up may be if you haven't got anywhere to carry it at the park. You'll probably want to stick it in a locker. It's small and light but still not something I'd want to tote around all day.



Bubblegum isn’t approved or available in Canada so not sure I want to go that routes. The mifold has mixed reviews. I might just have to hedge my bets on making the bus.


----------



## KrazeeK120

Do Woody & Jessie come out right at the beginning of the event? We want to make sure to do all the rides and both meet & greets...was wondering if it would be best to try to meet them first.


----------



## sjberg79

We have a Bubblebum for travel and it's awesome. It compresses pretty small for what it does, it easily fits in a small backpack with all the other stuff I carry and it's light so I hardly notice it. I believe Florida is a bit more lax on the child booster seat laws, I think they only require for children 5 and under. Of course parents are free to use whatever they want as long as they want!


----------



## wendamjb

We are officially booked! 

OK, what do you think the chances are of adding some regular breakfast entrées for those of us who are not adventurous eaters. I know that everyone is saying wonderful things about the food, but we are definitely a bacon, sausage, waffle breakfast family. I understand they have scrambled eggs and sweet potato tots for the kids, but we would love regular tater tot‘s. Even if we don’t eat very much, I still think  for us it will be “worth it“, I’m just wondering if you think there’s a chance they would add more boring  traditional items.


----------



## jsmla

Does anyone know if you can get the avocado toast without the egg?  I'm not allergic or anything, just don't care for eggs and hate to waste one.

Thanks!


----------



## AngiTN

wendamjb said:


> We are officially booked!
> 
> OK, what do you think the chances are of adding some regular breakfast entrées for those of us who are not adventurous eaters. I know that everyone is saying wonderful things about the food, but we are definitely a bacon, sausage, waffle breakfast family. I understand they have scrambled eggs and sweet potato tots for the kids, but we would love regular tater tot‘s. Even if we don’t eat very much, I still think  for us it will be “worth it“, I’m just wondering if you think there’s a chance they would add more boring  traditional items.


I'd never say never but I wouldn't expect to see the menu change. At least for the first round. 
I believe they have finally gotten the hint that you can find regular breakfasts all over the place and this is good for a different option.
I would be nice if they'd add basic bacon and sausage to the buffet area or something. That would go along with everything else on the menu


----------



## duck524

Thanks to everyone for the reviews. I am both excited and nervous about our December date. My 4 year old doesn't do coasters, but I was hoping that we would be able to do the 3 meet and greets for her, at least one ride on TSM, at least one ride (maybe two because she loves spinning rides) on AS2, and at least 2 rides in on SDD (one for my husband while I wait for characters with her and one for me while he waits with her) in our 1.25 hours. It sounds like that might be possible, but might not be, depending how how busy our date is. I am relieved to know I don't need to switch our time to the 7:00 slot.


----------



## sapphirerose915

duck524 said:


> Thanks to everyone for the reviews. I am both excited and nervous about our December date. My 4 year old doesn't do coasters, but I was hoping that we would be able to do the 3 meet and greets for her, at least one ride on TSM, at least one ride (maybe two because she loves spinning rides) on AS2, and at least 2 rides in on SDD (one for my husband while I wait for characters with her and one for me while he waits with her) in our 1.25 hours. It sounds like that might be possible, but might not be, depending how how busy our date is. I am relieved to know I don't need to switch our time to the 7:00 slot.



This sounds like my plan for 12/10 EXACTLY.. meet and greet while the other parent is on SDD, TSMM and AS2.. all at least once! Still feel like it would be worth $$$


----------



## Dbktmc

peeperino said:


> I got a flat rate of $15 going from Pop to Hollywood Studios on 1/16/2019 in a luxury sedan.



Did you order the sedan from Mears?


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

jsmla said:


> Does anyone know if you can get the avocado toast without the egg?  I'm not allergic or anything, just don't care for eggs and hate to waste one.
> 
> Thanks!



I don’t know, but I am going to try when I go on Monday. I hate wasting food, especially meat/animal products, but the egg looks disgusting and I’m not going to eat it. I will try to remember to report back!


----------



## peeperino

Dbktmc said:


> Did you order the sedan from Mears?



Not yet. I want to read more reports to see if the bus is a feasible option.


----------



## ilanakan

peeperino said:


> I got a flat rate of $15 going from Pop to Hollywood Studios on 1/16/2019 in a luxury sedan.


What time did you book the taxi for?


----------



## RedK

Dr Gunnie said:


> Has there been any indication that the EMM will continue past the current last date of Jan 30th? We will be there at the end of March and booked our ADR's with the thought of Wed, March 27th being our Hollywood Studios day (since most Wednesdays have been EMM days). It seems like it's been pretty successful, so I'm hoping it continues.



I called yesterday to try to book it for February. The CM says nothing has been released past Jan 30 yet, and we will know around the end of October if they are going to extend. I'm like you - I really hope they extend, as we want to do it.


----------



## Lisa F

RedK said:


> I called yesterday to try to book it for February. The CM says nothing has been released past Jan 30 yet, and we will know around the end of October if they are going to extend. I'm like you - I really hope they extend, as we want to do it.


it seems pretty likely they will as it is getting great reviews and is selling enough they are adding additional times on certain dates to increase capacity.


----------



## grinner

Tigger in a kilt said:


> I don’t know, but I am going to try when I go on Monday. I hate wasting food, especially meat/animal products, but the egg looks disgusting and I’m not going to eat it. I will try to remember to report back!


Apparently both the avocado toast and the mexican bowl have been designed so they're easily adaptable for vegans, so having it without the egg should be fine


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

grinner said:


> Apparently both the avocado toast and the mexican bowl have been designed so they're easily adaptable for vegans, so having it without the egg should be fine



That’s really good to know, thank you! It would be brilliant if the Mexican bowl was available without the sausage, but the avocado toast should definitely be doable.


----------



## grinner

Tigger in a kilt said:


> That’s really good to know, thank you! It would be brilliant if the Mexican bowl was available without the sausage, but the avocado toast should definitely be doable.


I read this on a group on facebook called Veg Disney. A lady had gone to the press event introducing EMM and had spoken to the chef who told her this


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

grinner said:


> I read this on a group on facebook called Veg Disney. A lady had gone to the press event introducing EMM and had spoken to the chef who told her this



That sounds very positive! Thank you so much for telling me.


----------



## grinner

Tigger in a kilt said:


> That sounds very positive! Thank you so much for telling me.


No worries, the Veg Disney group is really good for info


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

grinner said:


> No worries, the Veg Disney group is really good for info



Is that on Facebook? I would love to find out more about my veggie options - we are going for 4 weeks and I am seeing an awful lot of mac & cheese in my near future!

Edit: I’m sorry, I’m an idiot! You specifically said it was on Facebook. I will go check it out now. Thank you!


----------



## grinner

Tigger in a kilt said:


> Is that on Facebook? I would love to find out more about my veggie options - we are going for 4 weeks and I am seeing an awful lot of mac & cheese in my near future!
> 
> Edit: I’m sorry, I’m an idiot! You specifically said it was on Facebook. I will go check it out now. Thank you!


If you can't find it let me know, I've found it really helpful


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

grinner said:


> If you can't find it let me know, I've found it really helpful



I found it and have asked to join - thank you!


----------



## Mrs. P. Charming

I attended Toy Story Land EMM on Monday, October 1.  We left the resort and boarded the bus by 7:10. The walk from the bus to baggage check was so much longer than before the construction.  We where thru bag check and the entry gate for the 7:30 opening.  We made our way to Slinky Dog dash and they said it was a 10 minute wait.  We walked thru to the boarding area and had such friendly cast members.  I do not think I am that cheerful at my job at 7:30 in the morning.  We were told to ride in position 9, the last row. Slinky Dog Dash was so much fun.  It is so smooth and the details are so cute.  We were able to go off and go back on 6 times.  We rode Alien Saucers and toy story mania, twice.  We had some photo pass photos taken and my daughter who loves to take pictures enjoyed taking pictures of a nearly empty land.  We enjoyed seeing toy story land from above and can not believe the detail in Star Wars Land.  I am not a huge Star Wars fan but I can not wait to see this land when it opens.  We then went to breakfast and it was at the ABC commissionary.  The place was busy but the staff kept everything filled and clean.  I had the avocado and it was good.  The egg was hard cooked.  I eat avocado toast and a hardboiled everyday for breakfast at home so this was just right for me.  My daughter tried the chicken and donuts.  She said the chicken was good but the donuts were an odd choice with the chicken.  They said we could try as many of the entrees as we wanted so we got a kids scrambled eggs.  They were hot and not dry so they were fine.  On the cold bar I had a bowl of frosted flakes and they were great!  I do not drink coffee and can not have orange juice so the staff was more than kind to get me some unsweetened iced tea.  It is not the best food in the world but I was not there for the food. I am so glad we decided to do this.  It was the only way we would have been able to see and do everything in a short amount of time. It was empty and the weather was cool and breezy.  This was our last day of vacation and we were exhausted and really had to push ourselves to get up at 5:15 to get ready, pack up and check out. I would 100% do this again and again.  My only complaints and I hope someone at Disney is reading this is that they let the general public in at 8:50 when the EMM was supposed to go to 9:00 we could have gotten in one more ride on Slinky Dog.  We paid for a party from 7:30-9:00 do not short us on our time.  I said something to a cast member and he said it is not the first time he heard this complaint. I am almost ready to send Disney a bill for the time they cut the party short.  My other suggestion is the condition of the bathroom.  You would have thought it would have been prestine at this time of day but I can honestly say I am not sure it was cleaned the night before.  There was paper all over the floor and stalls and it did not appear clean.


----------



## ninafeliz

Mrs. P. Charming said:


> My only complaints and I hope someone at Disney is reading this is that they let the general public in at 8:50 when the EMM was supposed to go to 9:00 we could have gotten in one more ride on Slinky Dog.  We paid for a party from 7:30-9:00 do not short us on our time.  I said something to a cast member and he said it is not the first time he heard this complaint. I am almost ready to send Disney a bill for the time they cut the party short



Thanks for the review!  I just wanted to mention that the website actually says the exclusive access is from 7:30-8:45, so while it is annoying that the masses enter before 9:00 Disney must have thought of this and moved the times up 15 min compared to the MK EMM. I, too, was annoyed when I read the reports of this until someone else pointed out much earlier in the thread that it technically ends at 8:45.  I can imagine it feels annoying when you're there, particularly if you don't realize the exclusivity ends at 8:45, and I'll get to experience it in a few weeks, but at least they started it at 7:30 instead of 7:45 to compensate .


----------



## Mrs. P. Charming

ninafeliz said:


> Thanks for the review!  I just wanted to mention that the website actually says the exclusive access is from 7:30-8:45, so while it is annoying that the masses enter before 9:00 Disney must have thought of this and moved the times up 15 min compared to the MK EMM. I, too, was annoyed when I read the reports of this until someone else pointed out much earlier in the thread that it technically ends at 8:45.  I can imagine it feels annoying when you're there, particularly if you don't realize the exclusivity ends at 8:45, and I'll get to experience it in a few weeks, but at least they started it at 7:30 instead of 7:45 to compensate .


Yes my daughter told me that the confirmation changed the time and sold more tickets for 7:00.  I will now purchase my time for the 7:00 time.


----------



## ninafeliz

Mrs. P. Charming said:


> Yes my daughter told me that the confirmation changed the time and sold more tickets for 7:00.  I will now purchase my time for the 7:00 time.


They did add 2 times, but that doesn’t seem to have changed anything in practicality as both times are allowed in at 7 to eat and then the rides open at some point between then and 7:30.  But the exclusive time has been 7:30-8:45 since it was announced, different from the 7:45-9:00 that the MK EMM is. Maybe Disney actually gave it some thought and knew people would be let in early and adjusted times accordingly?  I did feel bad for the people who did passholder playtime from 8-9 and didn’t get there early, as they really did lose 25% of their exclusive time when the masses entered at 8:45.  At least that was no additional charge, I guess.


----------



## disneyworldsk

Tigger in a kilt said:


> I don’t know, but I am going to try when I go on Monday. I hate wasting food, especially meat/animal products, but the egg looks disgusting and I’m not going to eat it. I will try to remember to report back!


I agree with everything you said and I also just found this veg disney on fb this week actually! Looking forward to hearing your monday report.


----------



## Staceycs

We attended yesterday (Wed 10/3) and here is a summary. We are a family of 4- 2 adults and 2 boys, ages 2 and 4. It probably doesn’t need to be said, but for families with similar needs, both of our boys are autistic and we saw this as a good opportunity to experience TSL without the crowds. 

I had booked it the moment it became available, so 7:30am was the only option. I noticed on Monday afternoon that my date now had a 7:00am option and called Dining to change just in case there was a difference. I honestly still don’t understand the difference between the two, so I’m not really helpful on that front!

We are at POFQ and have a car. I wanted to be in line at 6:45am, so left early. We got to the parking lot at about 6:30am and were the second car there. We walked to security and were probably the fifth group to arrive.  They had us stand in a single line and explained that the iPads weren’t downloading the day’s info properly, so they were printing out paper lists as they wanted to start letting us in at 6:50am. Every single CM was wonderfully happy and bright for that time of day!

It was very clearly explained that ABC Commissary was open from 7:00am and TSL would only open at 7:30am. The man we spoke to also said that less people had been booking than they had anticipated.

We walked towards breakfast and there would have been about 10 CMs ready in front of the Chinese Theatre to direct us. It was very strange as no one else was around.

We decided to eat before the event and went in to grab some food. You could either line up and order off the menu (every single register had someone ready to take orders) or you could visit the continental buffet to get cereal, pastries and drinks etc. There were 4 identical buffett tables set up- 2 on each side of the restaurant. For us, the buffett was enough and we left the restaurant at 7:20am to head over to TSL. Again, it really didn’t feel busy.

When we got to TSL people were already on rides and my oldest son and I walked straight into SDD with no wait. We went straight around again and walked straight on. While we did this, my husband took my younger son on Aliens. I never once saw Aliens operate at full capacity during the whole event- there was never a big enough line up to have it full. 

My husband and I swapped kids and he went back on SDD twice more with or oldest. At most, they waited about 5 mins each time. One of the CMs mentioned that as the event goes on, everyone spreads out more and there is never a wait for SDD. 

As a Family we then did Aliens again, followed by Toy Story Mania. For us this was also a walk-on, but by the time we got off there was a small line and they’d noted a wait of 10 mins out the front. 

Buzz and then Woody and Jesse together were out greeting guests for most of the morning. If they left to swap with their replacements, it was a very quick swap and the line kept moving.  The line for Buzz was usually quicker and shorter. We joined the line for Woody and Jesse at about 8:40 and met them just after 9:00am, so I’d recommended doing this earlier if you can. 

While in line for Woody and Jesse at about 8:50am, the CMs lined up across the walkway and walked the crowds into TSL ready for 9:00am. There was an insane amount of people walking behind them, but I have to say it was pretty well-controlled and those of us doing EMM could still get straight into the rides and move around.

At 9:10am we were happy to leave TSL, having achieved more than we thought we could. We don’t move too fast with the kids, but had still done SDD 6 times, Aliens 4 times, TSM once and had met all characters. We had the option of going back to grab more food until 10:00, but we were happy with what we’d eaten earlier. 

After a quick RnR and ToT ride, we left the park at about 10:30am. 

In my opinion, it was outstanding value for money and I’m really glad we did it!


----------



## SaintsManiac

Staceycs said:


> We attended yesterday (Wed 10/3) and here is a summary. We are a family of 4- 2 adults and 2 boys, ages 2 and 4. It probably doesn’t need to be said, but for families with similar needs, both of our boys are autistic and we saw this as a good opportunity to experience TSL without the crowds.
> 
> I had booked it the moment it became available, so 7:30am was the only option. I noticed on Monday afternoon that my date now had a 7:00am option and called Dining to change just in case there was a difference. I honestly still don’t understand the difference between the two, so I’m not really helpful on that front!
> 
> We are at POFQ and have a car. I wanted to be in line at 6:45am, so left early. We got to the parking lot at about 6:30am and were the second car there. We walked to security and were probably the fifth group to arrive.  They had us stand in a single line and explained that the iPads weren’t downloading the day’s info properly, so they were printing out paper lists as they wanted to start letting us in at 6:50am. Every single CM was wonderfully happy and bright for that time of day!
> 
> It was very clearly explained that ABC Commissary was open from 7:00am and TSL would only open at 7:30am. The man we spoke to also said that less people had been booking than they had anticipated.
> 
> We walked towards breakfast and there would have been about 10 CMs ready in front of the Chinese Theatre to direct us. It was very strange as no one else was around.
> 
> We decided to eat before the event and went in to grab some food. You could either line up and order off the menu (every single register had someone ready to take orders) or you could visit the continental buffet to get cereal, pastries and drinks etc. There were 4 identical buffett tables set up- 2 on each side of the restaurant. For us, the buffett was enough and we left the restaurant at 7:20am to head over to TSL. Again, it really didn’t feel busy.
> 
> When we got to TSL people were already on rides and my oldest son and I walked straight into SDD with no wait. We went straight around again and walked straight on. While we did this, my husband took my younger son on Aliens. I never once saw Aliens operate at full capacity during the whole event- there was never a big enough line up to have it full.
> 
> My husband and I swapped kids and he went back on SDD twice more with or oldest. At most, they waited about 5 mins each time. One of the CMs mentioned that as the event goes on, everyone spreads out more and there is never a wait for SDD.
> 
> As a Family we then did Aliens again, followed by Toy Story Mania. For us this was also a walk-on, but by the time we got off there was a small line and they’d noted a wait of 10 mins out the front.
> 
> Buzz and then Woody and Jesse together were out greeting guests for most of the morning. If they left to swap with their replacements, it was a very quick swap and the line kept moving.  The line for Buzz was usually quicker and shorter. We joined the line for Woody and Jesse at about 8:40 and met them just after 9:00am, so I’d recommended doing this earlier if you can.
> 
> While in line for Woody and Jesse at about 8:50am, the CMs lined up across the walkway and walked the crowds into TSL ready for 9:00am. There was an insane amount of people walking behind them, but I have to say it was pretty well-controlled and those of us doing EMM could still get straight into the rides and move around.
> 
> At 9:10am we were happy to leave TSL, having achieved more than we thought we could. We don’t move too fast with the kids, but had still done SDD 6 times, Aliens 4 times, TSM once and had met all characters. We had the option of going back to grab more food until 10:00, but we were happy with what we’d eaten earlier.
> 
> After a quick RnR and ToT ride, we left the park at about 10:30am.
> 
> In my opinion, it was outstanding value for money and I’m really glad we did it!




Thank so much for the details. I love detailed reviews


----------



## ninafeliz

Staceycs said:


> We attended yesterday (Wed 10/3) and here is a summary. We are a family of 4- 2 adults and 2 boys, ages 2 and 4. It probably doesn’t need to be said, but for families with similar needs, both of our boys are autistic and we saw this as a good opportunity to experience TSL without the crowds.
> 
> I had booked it the moment it became available, so 7:30am was the only option. I noticed on Monday afternoon that my date now had a 7:00am option and called Dining to change just in case there was a difference. I honestly still don’t understand the difference between the two, so I’m not really helpful on that front!
> 
> We are at POFQ and have a car. I wanted to be in line at 6:45am, so left early. We got to the parking lot at about 6:30am and were the second car there. We walked to security and were probably the fifth group to arrive.  They had us stand in a single line and explained that the iPads weren’t downloading the day’s info properly, so they were printing out paper lists as they wanted to start letting us in at 6:50am. Every single CM was wonderfully happy and bright for that time of day!
> 
> It was very clearly explained that ABC Commissary was open from 7:00am and TSL would only open at 7:30am. The man we spoke to also said that less people had been booking than they had anticipated.
> 
> We walked towards breakfast and there would have been about 10 CMs ready in front of the Chinese Theatre to direct us. It was very strange as no one else was around.
> 
> We decided to eat before the event and went in to grab some food. You could either line up and order off the menu (every single register had someone ready to take orders) or you could visit the continental buffet to get cereal, pastries and drinks etc. There were 4 identical buffett tables set up- 2 on each side of the restaurant. For us, the buffett was enough and we left the restaurant at 7:20am to head over to TSL. Again, it really didn’t feel busy.
> 
> When we got to TSL people were already on rides and my oldest son and I walked straight into SDD with no wait. We went straight around again and walked straight on. While we did this, my husband took my younger son on Aliens. I never once saw Aliens operate at full capacity during the whole event- there was never a big enough line up to have it full.
> 
> My husband and I swapped kids and he went back on SDD twice more with or oldest. At most, they waited about 5 mins each time. One of the CMs mentioned that as the event goes on, everyone spreads out more and there is never a wait for SDD.
> 
> As a Family we then did Aliens again, followed by Toy Story Mania. For us this was also a walk-on, but by the time we got off there was a small line and they’d noted a wait of 10 mins out the front.
> 
> Buzz and then Woody and Jesse together were out greeting guests for most of the morning. If they left to swap with their replacements, it was a very quick swap and the line kept moving.  The line for Buzz was usually quicker and shorter. We joined the line for Woody and Jesse at about 8:40 and met them just after 9:00am, so I’d recommended doing this earlier if you can.
> 
> While in line for Woody and Jesse at about 8:50am, the CMs lined up across the walkway and walked the crowds into TSL ready for 9:00am. There was an insane amount of people walking behind them, but I have to say it was pretty well-controlled and those of us doing EMM could still get straight into the rides and move around.
> 
> At 9:10am we were happy to leave TSL, having achieved more than we thought we could. We don’t move too fast with the kids, but had still done SDD 6 times, Aliens 4 times, TSM once and had met all characters. We had the option of going back to grab more food until 10:00, but we were happy with what we’d eaten earlier.
> 
> After a quick RnR and ToT ride, we left the park at about 10:30am.
> 
> In my opinion, it was outstanding value for money and I’m really glad we did it!



I hope to have a similar experience 10/29, except our boys are 5 and 8 so we can all ride together.  The only thing I'm debating on is if we should maybe see the characters first, so we can then just ride continually until the crowds come.  It isn't a huge deal if we miss the characters, my boys honestly won't care (it's mostly for me and the photo op).  I want the photo but don't want it enough to spend half of the event in line for it.  The other thing is convincing my kids to stop for photos before the rides - I might get photos with all mad faces because of that!  I've had that happen for the MK EMM before.  I'll probably just play the entire AM by ear, it sounds like it will be great regardless!


----------



## Staceycs

ninafeliz said:


> I hope to have a similar experience 10/29, except our boys are 5 and 8 so we can all ride together.  The only thing I'm debating on is if we should maybe see the characters first, so we can then just ride continually until the crowds come.  It isn't a huge deal if we miss the characters, my boys honestly won't care (it's mostly for me and the photo op).  I want the photo but don't want it enough to spend half of the event in line for it.  The other thing is convincing my kids to stop for photos before the rides - I might get photos with all mad faces because of that!  I've had that happen for the MK EMM before.  I'll probably just play the entire AM by ear, it sounds like it will be great regardless!



I think seeing the characters first (or even maybe half an hour in) is what I would do differently next time- I think you are onto something there.


----------



## ninafeliz

Staceycs said:


> I think seeing the characters first (or even maybe half an hour in) is what I would do differently next time- I think you are onto something there.



I am tentatively agreeing .  I know everyone instinctively runs to the biggest ride, but when the crowds aren't an issue hanging back and waiting a bit (doing other things first) might not be a bad idea.  I know for MK EMM we always do PP and Pooh before SDMT (after the previously mentioned photo ).  Even doing that the SDMT had a 3-5 min wait the first few times, and was down to no wait after a few cycles.  I'm thinking this might be similar.  My plan for the moment (could change as late as when we get there) is to get PP photo at the entrance to TSL, meet the characters, ride TSM and Aliens, ride SDD multiple times, and end with another TSM and Aliens.  Then ride TOT and/or RNRC (not sure if we can do both since we have to do RS for RNRC and our youngest is afraid of TOT, so probably only get 1 of them in) and then go eat close to 10. Not sure if we'll to to eat a pastry first or just hang around to wait for the rides and land to open.  Probably depends on if we get there before 7:00 as I'm planning, or are a little late and get there at or just after 7:00. At least we can walk, so no more worry about bus vs minnie van vs lyft like I had when we were at AKL.


----------



## Eve & Wall-e

Staceycs said:


> ...here is a summary...



Thank you for your summary. That's very helpful. We will be doing EMM in early December and can't wait!


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

When I first heard about Toy Story Land I really wasn’t too interested. But thanks to the EMM event and this thread, I have just realised that the EMM event is the thing I am most looking forward to about this trip!

The reports that are coming back all sound great, and I’m enjoying the little community that has built up in this thread. Not only am I most excited about the event, but I’m also looking forward to being able to report back on Monday and share what we have learned. Thank you all!


----------



## RachaelA

Staceycs said:


> We attended yesterday (Wed 10/3) and here is a summary. We are a family of 4- 2 adults and 2 boys, ages 2 and 4. It probably doesn’t need to be said, but for families with similar needs, both of our boys are autistic and we saw this as a good opportunity to experience TSL without the crowds.
> 
> I had booked it the moment it became available, so 7:30am was the only option. I noticed on Monday afternoon that my date now had a 7:00am option and called Dining to change just in case there was a difference. I honestly still don’t understand the difference between the two, so I’m not really helpful on that front!
> 
> We are at POFQ and have a car. I wanted to be in line at 6:45am, so left early. We got to the parking lot at about 6:30am and were the second car there. We walked to security and were probably the fifth group to arrive.  They had us stand in a single line and explained that the iPads weren’t downloading the day’s info properly, so they were printing out paper lists as they wanted to start letting us in at 6:50am. Every single CM was wonderfully happy and bright for that time of day!
> 
> It was very clearly explained that ABC Commissary was open from 7:00am and TSL would only open at 7:30am. The man we spoke to also said that less people had been booking than they had anticipated.
> 
> We walked towards breakfast and there would have been about 10 CMs ready in front of the Chinese Theatre to direct us. It was very strange as no one else was around.
> 
> We decided to eat before the event and went in to grab some food. You could either line up and order off the menu (every single register had someone ready to take orders) or you could visit the continental buffet to get cereal, pastries and drinks etc. There were 4 identical buffett tables set up- 2 on each side of the restaurant. For us, the buffett was enough and we left the restaurant at 7:20am to head over to TSL. Again, it really didn’t feel busy.
> 
> When we got to TSL people were already on rides and my oldest son and I walked straight into SDD with no wait. We went straight around again and walked straight on. While we did this, my husband took my younger son on Aliens. I never once saw Aliens operate at full capacity during the whole event- there was never a big enough line up to have it full.
> 
> My husband and I swapped kids and he went back on SDD twice more with or oldest. At most, they waited about 5 mins each time. One of the CMs mentioned that as the event goes on, everyone spreads out more and there is never a wait for SDD.
> 
> As a Family we then did Aliens again, followed by Toy Story Mania. For us this was also a walk-on, but by the time we got off there was a small line and they’d noted a wait of 10 mins out the front.
> 
> Buzz and then Woody and Jesse together were out greeting guests for most of the morning. If they left to swap with their replacements, it was a very quick swap and the line kept moving.  The line for Buzz was usually quicker and shorter. We joined the line for Woody and Jesse at about 8:40 and met them just after 9:00am, so I’d recommended doing this earlier if you can.
> 
> While in line for Woody and Jesse at about 8:50am, the CMs lined up across the walkway and walked the crowds into TSL ready for 9:00am. There was an insane amount of people walking behind them, but I have to say it was pretty well-controlled and those of us doing EMM could still get straight into the rides and move around.
> 
> At 9:10am we were happy to leave TSL, having achieved more than we thought we could. We don’t move too fast with the kids, but had still done SDD 6 times, Aliens 4 times, TSM once and had met all characters. We had the option of going back to grab more food until 10:00, but we were happy with what we’d eaten earlier.
> 
> After a quick RnR and ToT ride, we left the park at about 10:30am.
> 
> In my opinion, it was outstanding value for money and I’m really glad we did it!


Awesome review! this is exactly what we hope to accomplish on our morning!


----------



## disneyworldsk

So if it was 7:20 and people were already in tsl and they said 7:30 then when is it actuallly open?


----------



## Staceycs

disneyworldsk said:


> So if it was 7:20 and people were already in tsl and they said 7:30 then when is it actuallly open?


Well by the time we walked from ABC to TSL they may have let people on only a couple of minutes early?


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

disneyworldsk said:


> So if it was 7:20 and people were already in tsl and they said 7:30 then when is it actuallly open?





Staceycs said:


> Well by the time we walked from ABC to TSL they may have let people on only a couple of minutes early?



I can’t find it, but another poster from Monday’s event who arrived about 7:15am was allowed straight into TSL, rather than being sent into ABC first. So it might be worth not being first through the gates, as it seems like you get a better chance of going directly into TSL if you arrive a new minutes later.


----------



## FromKansas

Any idea what the buffet is like for gluten free eaters?


----------



## VTHappyGirl

Just reserved a mears taxi for 645a.m. ...GF to HS for $9....this will make the early morning much easier with my crew and not having the bus schedule variable....great tip from OP!


----------



## Kdp2

Does anyone know, if you are bringing a baby, do you have to include them on the reservation?  I know you're usually supposed to for dining, but didn't know if it matters for this.  We have 3 adults, 1 child, and a baby.  I have a reservation for 3, but I want to add the other two if I can - wondering if I should be stalking for 1 more or 2 more!!


----------



## MKTokyo

Kdp2 said:


> Does anyone know, if you are bringing a baby, do you have to include them on the reservation?  I know you're usually supposed to for dining, but didn't know if it matters for this.  We have 3 adults, 1 child, and a baby.  I have a reservation for 3, but I want to add the other two if I can - wondering if I should be stalking for 1 more or 2 more!!


Babies don't need party tickets, so I'm thinking babies don't need EMM admission either. Hopefully someone who knows for sure will chime in, but that's my guess.


----------



## corgi_monster

Kdp2 said:


> Does anyone know, if you are bringing a baby, do you have to include them on the reservation?  I know you're usually supposed to for dining, but didn't know if it matters for this.  We have 3 adults, 1 child, and a baby.  I have a reservation for 3, but I want to add the other two if I can - wondering if I should be stalking for 1 more or 2 more!!



Yes, you do.  My party consists of 4 adults, a 2yo, and a 4 month old.  We reserved EMM for 1/16 and had to make the reservation for a party of 6.  We were only charged for the 4 adults.


----------



## ninafeliz

Kdp2 said:


> Does anyone know, if you are bringing a baby, do you have to include them on the reservation?  I know you're usually supposed to for dining, but didn't know if it matters for this.  We have 3 adults, 1 child, and a baby.  I have a reservation for 3, but I want to add the other two if I can - wondering if I should be stalking for 1 more or 2 more!!


I think you are suppposed to include them and they will just come up as $0 when you check out.  However, if you never find a spot, I myself would still
Go and take the baby and just tell them you assumed that since they didn’t need a ticket to get into the park you assumed they didn’t need a ticket for this either.  A bit of a gamble, I agree, but I really don’t see them not letting you go in with 4 paying kids/adults and a baby, if only the baby doesn’t have a ticket.  Particularly if it’s a young baby who won’t even eat, or eat much.


----------



## KrazeeK120

Kdp2 said:


> Does anyone know, if you are bringing a baby, do you have to include them on the reservation?  I know you're usually supposed to for dining, but didn't know if it matters for this.  We have 3 adults, 1 child, and a baby.  I have a reservation for 3, but I want to add the other two if I can - wondering if I should be stalking for 1 more or 2 more!!



Yes, everyone has to be on the reservation, like any other dining reservation. My son is 2...he showed up as $0 when I checked out. I wouldn’t chance showing up with more people than are on the reservation.


----------



## Kdp2

Thanks everyone! I will keep looking for 2 more


----------



## LBollengier

Staceycs said:


> We attended yesterday (Wed 10/3) and here is a summary. We are a family of 4- 2 adults and 2 boys, ages 2 and 4. It probably doesn’t need to be said, but for families with similar needs, both of our boys are autistic and we saw this as a good opportunity to experience TSL without the crowds.
> 
> ------------
> At 9:10am we were happy to leave TSL, having achieved more than we thought we could. We don’t move too fast with the kids, but had still done SDD 6 times, Aliens 4 times, TSM once and had met all characters. We had the option of going back to grab more food until 10:00, but we were happy with what we’d eaten earlier.
> 
> After a quick RnR and ToT ride, we left the park at about 10:30am.
> 
> In my opinion, it was outstanding value for money and I’m really glad we did it!




Thank you!! What an awesome review!! We are going with our grand-daughter soon and are so excited! Was the breakfast any good? I think we may wait until 9 to eat... I am going to go to the characters first after reading your review!


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

FromKansas said:


> Any idea what the buffet is like for gluten free eaters?



I can report back on Monday, as one of our party is GF.


----------



## MIAMouseketeer

FromKansas said:


> Any idea what the buffet is like for gluten free eaters?


Not going to this one until 12/12, but at the Magic Kingdom EMM, they brought me out some pastries from the Erin McKenna bakery which are amazing. One time we were there after 10am and they brought me 2 plates and a to go box so I could take one with us. I would assume it will be similar here. Disney always goes above and beyond to make sure I'm taken care of


----------



## DisneyToddlers

VTHappyGirl said:


> Just reserved a mears taxi for 645a.m. ...GF to HS for $9....this will make the early morning much easier with my crew and not having the bus schedule variable....great tip from OP!



Great idea....How do you reserve a Mears Taxi?


----------



## barb969

Great review Staceys.

Does anyone know if the friendship boats from the Boardwalk area are running for EMM?  We are going in January.


----------



## MIAMouseketeer

barb969 said:


> Great review Staceys.
> 
> Does anyone know if the friendship boats from the Boardwalk area are running for EMM?  We are going in January.


Not that early. They start 1 hr before park opening


----------



## KrazeeK120

barb969 said:


> Great review Staceys.
> 
> Does anyone know if the friendship boats from the Boardwalk area are running for EMM?  We are going in January.



No, but the walking path is always open.


----------



## VTHappyGirl

DisneyToddlers said:


> Great idea....How do you reserve a Mears Taxi?



Mears has  a website and app..

I used the website and could set time/day and pick taxi, sedan, can, etc.  Online payment.


----------



## kristennn

Maybe  silly question, but since the ABC opens at 7 and toy story land opens at 730 - i am wondering if we can stop at the commissary and grab something small like a pastrie or croissant  - and then come back at 930 or so and eat our  full breakfast.  I dont want to eat a lot before going on a bunch of rides, but I think it would be nice to grab something small, esp being that we have the time.


----------



## FCDub

kristennn said:


> Maybe  silly question, but since the ABC opens at 7 and toy story land opens at 730 - i am wondering if we can stop at the commissary and grab something small like a pastrie or croissant  - and then come back at 930 or so and eat our  full breakfast.  I dont want to eat a lot before going on a bunch of rides, but I think it would be nice to grab something small, esp being that we have the time.



I believe past reviews have said that's totally fine!


----------



## Barbara C

kristennn said:


> Maybe  silly question, but since the ABC opens at 7 and toy story land opens at 730 - i am wondering if we can stop at the commissary and grab something small like a pastrie or croissant  - and then come back at 930 or so and eat our  full breakfast.  I dont want to eat a lot before going on a bunch of rides, but I think it would be nice to grab something small, esp being that we have the time.



I did it last week - no problems!  Have fun!!


----------



## pangyal

Okey-dokey, I have a glowing review to write, and gladly too, after the horrifically poor experience at MNSSHP last night!

We had originally booked 7:30, then switched to 7am when that became available. I am gluten-free and will add my experience for sure to this review.

We were coming from Bay Lake Towers (Contemporary). At check-in the day before, I asked when the bus to DHS would start running and was told 7am. I mentioned that we were attending EMM the next morning, and the CM said that in that case, there would be buses running by 6:30.

I used the MDE app in the morning to check the bus times, and saw that one was scheduled to depart at 6:46, which would be perfect. However, I also know Disney transportation can be less than reliable, so we hoofed it to the stop by 6:35. Lo and behold, the bus left at 6:39, so that was a smart decision. We had the bus to ourselves.

We went on the never ending tour of the bus loop to the entrance and arrived at 7:02. The CM at the front checked us in on the iPad, we received our wristbands, and off we went.

We asked about signups for Jedi Training and were told that nobody would be stationed until PPO breakfast time started (8am). We decided not to leave toy story land just to sign up when we had such little time there anyway.

We nipped into ABC Commissary to grab a croissant for DS and a coffee for me. There were no gluten-free options on the continental breakfast buffet except for Frosted Flakes (I may have sampled those). 

We headed to TSL and saw that SDD had begun testing, and at 7:25, they started letting people on. It was a walk-on. We were allowed to choose our seats and were able to get off, run around and get right back on with no wait.

I’m not positive, but I believe that the characters appeared around 7:45am. The lines looked sort of long, so we decided to wait since DS was doing Pixar Play Zone this trip anyway.

We did SDD two more times, both walk-on, then headed to AS2. After that, we headed back to SDD. Interestingly, at this point, there was a little backlog of people (no more than, say, twenty people in line) and I wonder if the people who don’t read DisBoards and booked for 7:30 had just arrived and started riding. We headed to TSMM, then yet again back to SDD with the goal of reaching ten rides on it (we succeeded). 

At 8:42, we could have ridden it maybe two more times before the crowds arrived, but decided to jump in line for Buzz and head to breakfast. I would say the rope drop crowd arrived around 8:50 and it looked insane. Or maybe it just seemed that way to us since it had been so empty for quite a while before that!

Unlike the MK EMM, they did not have a separate, dedicated allergy menu for this event. Instead, they would get a chef to come out and talk to you about what they could modify. The only option I was left with was the shrimp and grits without the cheese, since I have dairy issues too. The eggs were also an option, but I am just not a fan of eggs in general; this would still definitely be a GF option for people who do eat eggs, though.

We left the Commisary around 9:45 and felt that the value was definitely there for this event. Personally, I think that it is even more so than for the MK version (which we also do regularly) since there are fewer options for non-thrill riders at DHS, and this gets you over and done with for the Tier One rides by 9am, at which point you can either catch a show, jump on Star Tours, or simply leave to use your FP at another park for the day.


----------



## Eve & Wall-e

pangyal said:


> We were allowed to choose our seats...



How cool is that?! Thank you for the great review.


----------



## dachsie

I just booked this for the day I leave in Dec.  I had so much fun at the Passholder playtime I thought why not?  I couldn't get a FP for SDD so now I can ride it multiple times.


----------



## Allison Evans Payment

barb969 said:


> Great review Staceys.
> 
> Does anyone know if the friendship boats from the Boardwalk area are running for EMM?  We are going in January.


How is your groups mobility? We always walk to both HS and Epcot while staying in this area. We beat the boat every time.


----------



## OKC Disney Fan

The dates for Feb are highlighted now but all are showing unavailable.  I would assume they would open up shortly?


----------



## TISHLOVESDISNEY

March too, now just waiting...


----------



## SaintsManiac

TISHLOVESDISNEY said:


> March too, now just waiting...





We are in it together!!


----------



## Allison Evans Payment

SaintsManiac said:


> We are in it together!!


YAY!! Checking every hour for the last few weeks has paid off!! LOL!!


----------



## SaintsManiac

MARCH DATES HAVE TURNED BLUE

ETA: 
Lol I was too excited and didn't realize everyone was saying they were loaded in. I need more coffee.

Hoping we can book tomorrow!


----------



## maiapapaya

SaintsManiac said:


> We are in it together!!


Same here - March 11. This was super exciting news to wake up to!! I was literally just giving the sales pitch to my husband, then read that our dates are now blue.


----------



## SaintsManiac

I wonder if they will add the 7am time? Not that it seems to matter. I'm just curious.


----------



## DisneyToddlers

VTHappyGirl said:


> Mears has  a website and app..
> 
> I used the website and could set time/day and pick taxi, sedan, can, etc.  Online payment.


Awesome, thanks so much!


----------



## TISHLOVESDISNEY

Just got March 18th! ( my Birthday  )


----------



## Slaggslala

Just booked for February 20th!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
My daughter is going to be so excited to meet Jessie!


----------



## hollylu1016

Booked for February 13!!!


----------



## Shelbizzles

So I have this booked for December. I'm just a little concerned about transportation that early. My plan is to be at the busses around 6:15 And if we don't have a bus by 6:30 then trying for a Minnie van or an uber. Does that sound like a solid plan or does anyone have any suggestions?
We will be at pop


----------



## Slaggslala

Shelbizzles said:


> So I have this booked for December. I'm just a little concerned about transportation that early. My plan is to be at the busses around 6:15 And if we don't have a bus by 6:30 then trying for a Minnie van or an uber. Does that sound like a solid plan or does anyone have any suggestions?
> We will be at pop




We did emm at MK last year and took the bus from Pop.  It worked out perfectly.


----------



## Dr Gunnie

Booked March 27th for 7:30 (it was the only time option). 

So, it sounds like even with the 7:30 time slot, you still get in at 7:00?


----------



## MIAMouseketeer

Shelbizzles said:


> So I have this booked for December. I'm just a little concerned about transportation that early. My plan is to be at the busses around 6:15 And if we don't have a bus by 6:30 then trying for a Minnie van or an uber. Does that sound like a solid plan or does anyone have any suggestions?
> We will be at pop


The buses get dispatched at 6:30am, so they won't be at your resort by then, but should be shortly thereafter.


----------



## Shelbizzles

Slaggslala said:


> We did emm at MK last year and took the bus from Pop.  It worked out perfectly.



Do you remember about what time you were at the bus stop?


----------



## Slick519

Just got February 11! I am also interested to know about bus vs Uber for this if anybody has any thoughts.


----------



## Allison Evans Payment

Just booked 2/20!!! This is the last bit of planning!! Now the next 132 just need to fly by!!


----------



## maiapapaya

March 11! So glad I'm following this thread! Of course now I will be obsessing about whether a 7:00 am time gets added and how we're going to get there from the Poly. LOL


----------



## Slaggslala

Shelbizzles said:


> Do you remember about what time you were at the bus stop?


So looking back at photos, it looks like we are on the bus for emm by 7, and had quite a bit of wait time before they let us in  the only difference is this starts at 7:30.  Though, I am wondering if they let people in at 7 how that impacts that.  Sorry, I didn’t realize when I responded that they are probably letting people in at 7. I would hope though that since it is there event they have a plan for people transportation


----------



## SaintsManiac

Booked for March 4th!!!!!


----------



## Dmwc484

Booked for March 4th!


----------



## WhitneyMB

Just booked for March 25th! Very excited! That week has so many kids on spring break (including mine) that we figure this will be a nice break from the crowds.

Wouldn’t have thought to rearrange my days without reading this thread. Everyone’s reviews and informed were so helpful!


----------



## Brett Wyman

I booked for 11-28 literally the day this was first announced. Im a little miffed just now hearing about the new 7am time. Of course when paying extra Id like to maximize my time but now that time slot is already sold out for our day.  Who the heck would knowingly except 30 less minutes of dedicated TOL time? I feel like we should have been given the option for the early slot before they were all sold out.


----------



## SaintsManiac

Brett Wyman said:


> I booked for 11-28 literally the day this was first announced. Im a little miffed just now hearing about the new 7am time. Of course when paying extra Id like to maximize my time but now that time slot is already sold out for our day.  Who the heck would knowingly except 30 less minutes of dedicated TOL time? I feel like we should have been given the option for the early slot before they were all sold out.





If you check out the reviews on here the different time slots really didn't matter. They open TSL at 7:30 regardless.


----------



## SaintsManiac

Dmwc484 said:


> Booked for March 4th!




See you there!


----------



## Brett Wyman

SaintsManiac said:


> If you check out the reviews on here the different time slots really didn't matter. They open TSL at 7:30 regardless.



Ah thanks good to know. So the early slot is just for breakfast then?


----------



## disneydreamer1211

Just booked for Feb 4...so excited!


----------



## aimes0105

Dr Gunnie said:


> Booked March 27th for 7:30 (it was the only time option).
> 
> So, it sounds like even with the 7:30 time slot, you still get in at 7:00?



Not necessarily, only if they open up a 7:00 time slot on your date. Otherwise you'll be let in a little before 7:30.



Brett Wyman said:


> Ah thanks good to know. So the early slot is just for breakfast then?



Yes, exactly.

The wording from the booking page:

Guests with a 7:30 AM reservation will first enjoy Toy Story Land followed by breakfast, served until 10:00 AM. Based on capacity, we may make other reservation times available, with breakfast preceding the park experience for these Guests.
So on a date with 7:00 reservation option they will open the park a little before 7 and direct everyone to breakfast (it does not matter what time your reservation states everyone who arrives will be allowed in and sent toward ABC). If your date only has a 7:30 reservation reports from those dates in the past were that people were let in about 7:15 and headed straight for TSL. Either way, TSL starts operating around 7:20 or so.

It seems that the purpose of the earlier time is to spread out the dining part of the experience to allow them to better serve guests without a huge backup.


----------



## NiceOneSimba

Booked for Feb. 20! So excited!


----------



## Liz Z

Hi everyone,

 Just 2 1/2 more weeks to go we cant wait for this EMM.

           I just have a couple of questions~~~  If we drive to HS is the parking really far.?  I know there have been changes to the parking lots with the building of the sky rider gondolas  so not sure whats going on.

  Is there an AP parking closer for this event? 


  My other question is~~~~~
are you able to go straight to the rides instead of heading to the ABC for breakfast

Thanks for your help

Liz


----------



## suzywindy

How do you get there from Yacht if the boats are not running that early and you have people in your party that cannot walk that far?  I just booked reservations for 8 of us and am so excited and happy that I no longer have to worry about fast passes for all of that on that day.


----------



## FCDub

suzywindy said:


> How do you get there from Yacht if the boats are not running that early and you have people in your party that cannot walk that far?  I just booked reservations for 8 of us and am so excited and happy that I no longer have to worry about fast passes for all of that on that day.



Taxi/Uber/Lyft/Minnie Van would be your best bet.


----------



## FCDub

Liz Z said:


> Hi everyone,
> are you able to go straight to the rides instead of heading to the ABC for breakfast
> 
> Thanks for your help
> 
> Liz



You can, but TSL does not open until 7:20/7:30, from the reports here.


----------



## VAtink

Shelbizzles said:


> So I have this booked for December. I'm just a little concerned about transportation that early. My plan is to be at the busses around 6:15 And if we don't have a bus by 6:30 then trying for a Minnie van or an uber. Does that sound like a solid plan or does anyone have any suggestions?
> We will be at pop



In September the first bus showed up at the BC for HS a bit after 6:15, and then again right around 6:30.  This was on a regular park day, not the TSL EMM too...we ended up walking our morning of EMM since the front desk told us there would be no transportation available (wrong!). Also, we learned, Minnie Van does not start running until 6:30, and at that time they are far and few between!  Oh, and the bus wait time on the app is actually pretty accurate, which helps you from sitting at the bus stop for a long time!  



suzywindy said:


> How do you get there from Yacht if the boats are not running that early and you have people in your party that cannot walk that far?  I just booked reservations for 8 of us and am so excited and happy that I no longer have to worry about fast passes for all of that on that day.



As noted above, buses start super early.  On our EMM morning we ended up walking from the BC and it was only about a 20 minute walk even with all the construction and us stopping to take tons of pictures.  At that time of the morning it's not a bad walk, especially without the sun being up!


----------



## KrazeeK120

VAtink said:


> As noted above, buses start super early.  On our EMM morning we ended up walking from the BC and it was only about a 20 minute walk even with all the construction and us stopping to take tons of pictures.  At that time of the morning it's not a bad walk, especially without the sun being up!



There are no buses from the Epcot area resorts to DHS.


----------



## CarolynFH

KrazeeK120 said:


> There are no buses from the Epcot area resorts to DHS.



When the boats aren’t running, buses are used instead. The boats don’t start early enough for EMM.


----------



## DisneyDogFan

We have this booked for January and I’m so excited!

Has anyone whose already attended asked for any modifications of the breakfast entrees?  Curious about whether they are able to leave the chorizo off the chilaquiles or the salami off the charcuterie platter for vegetarians and pescetarians.


----------



## kat_lh

First bus from WL was at 6:01 this morning. We caught the bus at 6:28 and swung by the Contemporary. Still have the bus to ourselves!


----------



## GADisneyDad14

First impressions.  MANY more people than MK EMM.  Everyone funneled to ABC Commissary so far, may just seem more crowded since everyone is here.  Told rides open at 7:30.


----------



## MIAMouseketeer

CarolynFH said:


> When the boats aren’t running, buses are used instead. The boats don’t start early enough for EMM.


They don’t have buses running in the morning because it’s early. Only if the boats aren’t running because of lightning etc.


----------



## cdurham1

GADisneyDad14 said:


> First impressions.  MANY more people than MK EMM.  Everyone funneled to ABC Commissary so far, may just seem more crowded since everyone is here.  Told rides open at 7:30.



Here now also.  Despite there being a lot more people, they still only 2 people in the parking lot - one to tell you that you couldn't read Disney's mind and you went the wrong way, another to tell you where to park.


----------



## kat_lh

We were off the bus at 6:50, at security by 6:57 and through security at 7:01. 

Such fun walking up an almost empty mainstreet. 

The commissary does feel busy but not bad. I think the people next to us didn’t know you could come back for breakfast afterwards. The CM also told us just to leave our wristbands on until 9 am which may further be enforcing the idea that it’s now or never for food.


----------



## VAtink

KrazeeK120 said:


> There are no buses from the Epcot area resorts to DHS.



There are in the morning before the boats start running.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Land opened 7:20.  In line for SDD - first train with people on it left 7:27am.


----------



## kat_lh

Walked in TSMM at 7:33 and out at 7:43. So much fun - the queue was entirely empty and we took time for some pictures 

There’s a definite line for SDD now. Posted time is 25 minutes.


----------



## dachsie

kat_lh said:


> Walked in TSMM at 7:33 and out at 7:43. So much fun - the queue was entirely empty and we took time for some pictures
> 
> There’s a definite line for SDD now. Posted time is 25 minutes.


That's disappointing. I was hoping you could ride it several times


----------



## kat_lh

dachsie said:


> That's disappointing. I was hoping you could ride it several times


It was under 15. Walked in at 7:44 and off the ride by 8:00


----------



## kat_lh

AS2 has the FP line open. The line for SDD is less now than earlier.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Last two SDD waits have been 8 mins. Frankly fine with me.  Need time for stomach to settle!  

Have seen a few DISers around!


----------



## GADisneyDad14

8:48. No rope drop crowd yet.


----------



## SaintsManiac

Hmm I wonder if Columbus Day crowds are factoring into this. Do you guys think 5 rides on SDD is doable?


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Worst wait was TSM at 17 mins right there at the end.  We got in line at 8:49.  It’s like everyone waited until the end to ride it.  

Leaving the park now and wow... holiday crowds!


----------



## pal6860

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Worst wait was TSM at 17 mins right there at the end.  We got in line at 8:49.  It’s like everyone waited until the end to ride it.
> 
> Leaving the park now and wow... holiday crowds!




Thanks for your updates!  How many times were you able to ride SDD for EMM?  Was this a dual time EMM day (7 and 7:30)?  Thanks


----------



## RachaelA

Those waits do not seem like a great value to be honest... 25 minutes (even if it does end up in the 15 minute range) is insane when you only have 75 minutes.


----------



## kat_lh

Final report - AWESOME!

It was worth every penny. 

We rode TSMM, AS2 and SDD x 4, once waiting for another dog so we could sit in the back. 

We also met Buzz and took time for pictures. 

My husband, one daughter and our little guy got in one last ride for TSMM while my biggest girl and I ran for RNRC. Maybe a five minute wait for that and we actually beat the rest of the family back to breakfast. 

We saw the rope drop crowd coming and it was insanity. We passed a group of CMs and I yelled “May the odds be ever in your favor!” And in almost unison, they held up two fingers. It was hysterical. 

I will say, this feels like max capacity for this event though. If they added even 50 more people, I think it would lose a lot of value. 

Super glad we did it. 

(And for reference, kids are 10, 8 and 4, so we moved at little leg speed. We opted to skip meeting Jessie & Woody as they met them at Pixar Play Place preciously)


----------



## anomamatt

Thanks for the on the ground reports today, @GADisneyDad14 and @kat_lh !

It does sound like this is on the cusp of value with the number they admitted...  I'll be there doing this one week from today.  From the reports today, it sounds like the best bet for SDD is during the middle 20mins?


----------



## Brett Wyman

RachaelA said:


> Those waits do not seem like a great value to be honest... 25 minutes (even if it does end up in the 15 minute range) is insane when you only have 75 minutes.



Agreed. But it does seem at odds with previous reviews where people rode SDD 5 times.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

I’m with @kat_lh, great time overall. We rode SDD 3 times, AS2 3 times, and TSM 2 times. Saw both sets of characters.  Could have done more rides if we had put our minds to it but we were rolling slow and taking it all in.

I agree I would not want to see more people, what I saw is what I would consider max size for an up charge event. 

There were more people there than our TSL AP event a few weeks ago.  That event was, in my opinion, small/intimate.  This didn’t have that same feeling.

Overall, I think this passes the value test for us.  I don’t know if I can compare this to MK EMM.  This feels like more people and obviously the logistics are different.  A 7am arrival makes for an early morning!


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Also, we did SDD once first, then characters, which at that point had no waits.  I saw character waits later that I wouldn’t personally have wanted to do.  I was glad we had gotten them out of the way early.


----------



## kat_lh

Brett Wyman said:


> Agreed. But it does seem at odds with previous reviews where people rode SDD 5 times.



An adult or adults or teen kids could have easily done SDD more times. If you skip breakfast and hang out in the holding area and get in the land when they first open, I imagine you could easily add two rides.


----------



## anomamatt

I assumed today's event was sold out?  Looks to be sold out until 10/17 (which has a lot of availability).


----------



## kat_lh

anomamatt said:


> I assumed today's event was sold out?  Looks to be sold out until 10/17 (which has a lot of availability).



Yes I believe it was (felt like it should have been at least!)


----------



## duck524

GADisneyDad14 said:


> I’m with @kat_lh, great time overall. We rode SDD 3 times, AS2 3 times, and TSM 2 times. Saw both sets of characters.  Could have done more rides if we had put our minds to it but we were rolling slow and taking it all in.
> 
> I agree I would not want to see more people, what I saw is what I would consider max size for an up charge event.
> 
> There were more people there than our TSL AP event a few weeks ago.  That event was, in my opinion, small/intimate.  This didn’t have that same feeling.
> 
> Overall, I think this passes the value test for us.



Not trying to muddle threads, but I know you are on the MK EMM thread as well. Would you guess that the new expanded MK EMM will have a similar amount of people as today's TSL EMM? And if so, do you feel like the expanded setup at MK EMM will still make that worth it as well? I know it is all guess work, but it seems like Disney is trying to sell more tickets to these events. I am glad to hear that TSL EMM was busy, but still worth it. I am hoping the same goes for the new MK EMM as well.


----------



## MIAMouseketeer

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Land opened 7:20.  In line for SDD - first train with people on it left 7:27am.


Did you happen to notice what time the characters came out? I think we will stop there first


----------



## MelOhioDis

anomamatt said:


> I assumed today's event was sold out?  Looks to be sold out until 10/17 (which has a lot of availability).




10/17 is when I'm going! Hopefully it still has lots of availability then  

Thanks for the reports on today's event! Still sounds like a great time to me! We are going to attempt 4 park in 1 day that day. I think having this EMM in the morning will help to space things out for us, so we can take our time in each park, maybe even take a break!


----------



## Dkcook

Booked for February 20.  Glad I can stop checking.  Did anyone notice if they had Jedi Training sign ups available during EMM?  Thx


----------



## kat_lh

MIAMouseketeer said:


> Did you happen to notice what time the characters came out? I think we will stop there first



Buzz wasn’t out yet then but I think Woody & Jesse were. Honestly, I’d just watch them between rides and then head over when you see there is little wait.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

MIAMouseketeer said:


> Did you happen to notice what time the characters came out? I think we will stop there first



Characters were not out when we first walked by... which would have been 7:25ish (give or take a few mins).  PhotoPass photographers were there as if they’d be out at any minute - I assume it was pretty close to 7:30 but not sure (we were on SDD). 

We got off SDD and went to Woodie/Jessie.  Time stamp for that pic was 7:37am.


----------



## Jasperann

My date (December 19th) has 3 spots left for 7:30 and then the 7:00 slot has opened up as well.  I hope it doesn't sell out.  I was looking forward to the million rides on SDD... 3 just doesn't seem like a lot.  Although we will not do character meets.  I do think that AS2 will take up some of our time, and I know my oldest will want to ride TSMM a couple times... so it looks like we may not get more than the 3 rides in that morning.  Which honestly compared to regular park operation is amazing, but then we don't pay extra for the regular park times.


----------



## FCDub

Dkcook said:


> Booked for February 20.  Glad I can stop checking.  Did anyone notice if they had Jedi Training sign ups available during EMM?  Thx



I read somewhere that the signups are open when PPO reservations can enter, so around 8 maybe?


----------



## GADisneyDad14

I’m kind of spit balling here, but I’d say with some more hustle we could have done 5-7+ SDD rides in addition to our 3 AS2 and 2 TSM this AM.  My kids are younger / slower so some of our time was spent with bathroom breaks, water breaks, time spent as DD4 tried to decide whether she wanted to ride SDD or not, time spent ‘debating’ what ride to do next, etc.  We didn’t use our time all that efficiently vs the way others may choose to in their circumstances.


----------



## SaintsManiac

GADisneyDad14 said:


> I’m kind of spit balling here, but I’d say with some more hustle we could have done 5-7+ SDD rides in addition to our 3 AS2 and 2 TSM this AM.  My kids are younger / slower so some of our time was spent with bathroom breaks, water breaks, time spent as DD4 tried to decide whether she wanted to ride SDD or not, time spent ‘debating’ what ride to do next, etc.  We didn’t use our time all that efficiently vs the way others may choose to in their circumstances.




Thanks for this. My kid knows she wants to ride SDD and ONLY SDD. We did it 8 times during the AP event. lol.

I'm hoping we can get it done!


----------



## MIAMouseketeer

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Characters were not out when we first walked by... which would have been 7:25ish (give or take a few mins).  PhotoPass photographers were there as if they’d be out at any minute - I assume it was pretty close to 7:30 but not sure (we were on SDD).
> 
> We got off SDD and went to Woodie/Jessie.  Time stamp for that pic was 7:37am.


Perfect. Will probably head to Woody & jessie first and let my hubby ride AS2 with my son if they aren't there yet.


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## dachsie

SaintsManiac said:


> Thanks for this. My kid knows she wants to ride SDD and ONLY SDD. We did it 8 times during the AP event. lol.
> 
> I'm hoping we can get it done!


That's kinda where I am with it.  I only want to ride SDD.  LOL


----------



## Jasperann

GADisneyDad14 said:


> I’m kind of spit balling here, but I’d say with some more hustle we could have done 5-7+ SDD rides in addition to our 3 AS2 and 2 TSM this AM.  My kids are younger / slower so some of our time was spent with bathroom breaks, water breaks, time spent as DD4 tried to decide whether she wanted to ride SDD or not, time spent ‘debating’ what ride to do next, etc.  We didn’t use our time all that efficiently vs the way others may choose to in their circumstances.



Thank you for this!!  It is good to know that we will possibly be able to do more.  With my kids being all mostly older now it is nice that we all can walk fast when needed.  I'll just explain that we only have so long and spending it in the bathroom is not something I want to do so use it before we get there.    Although I know that we will want to take some pictures too, so it helps to see everyone's reports.


----------



## Lease257

Just booked for Feb 25. It’s our first morning in the parks for the week. After driving and resting in the car from NJ u figured my kids would be up and ready to go early. They see TSL in tv and tell me how much they want to go there and ride slinky dog. 

Is breakfast open the whole time? When are regular guests allowed to enter? Did any body leave to go sign up for Jedi during the time?


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Jasperann said:


> Thank you for this!!  It is good to know that we will possibly be able to do more.  With my kids being all mostly older now it is nice that we all can walk fast when needed.  I'll just explain that we only have so long and spending it in the bathroom is not something I want to do so use it before we get there.    Although I know that we will want to take some pictures too, so it helps to see everyone's reports.



I will say, if maximizing ride times is important, from what we saw I’m going to say it generally pays to be the eager beaver and be among the first in the land.

When we arrived, they made everyone go to the Commissary and said the land would be open at 7:30.  You couldn’t line up for the land at that time (7:05) even if you wanted to.

We hung out in the commisary and grabbed a cinnamon roll as we didn’t really want to eat then anyway.

Around 7:18 we decided to go back out and by that point a line was forming in front of the Chinese Theatre.   We were maybe 50-75 people back.  That’s a rough estimate.

They started letting people head towards TSL around 7:20.

The logistics here are the kind of thing where a minute or two here or there can kind of change your experience.


----------



## kat_lh

Jasperann said:


> My date (December 19th) has 3 spots left for 7:30 and then the 7:00 slot has opened up as well.  I hope it doesn't sell out.  I was looking forward to the million rides on SDD... 3 just doesn't seem like a lot.  Although we will not do character meets.  I do think that AS2 will take up some of our time, and I know my oldest will want to ride TSMM a couple times... so it looks like we may not get more than the 3 rides in that morning.  Which honestly compared to regular park operation is amazing, but then we don't pay extra for the regular park times.



TSMM is a time suck no matter what. The queue is long and the ride is long. Even going slow, we still got seven rides in plus a character.


----------



## kat_lh

Dkcook said:


> Booked for February 20.  Glad I can stop checking.  Did anyone notice if they had Jedi Training sign ups available during EMM?  Thx



They did not have it anywhere close to TSL. I’d wait until 8:45 and then head over to the area to sign up.


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## disneyworldsk

Kat and GADad, how was breakfast and what time did you eat?


----------



## MsCoz2000

@MelOhioDis   I'll be there then too!  Hoping for light crowds too!


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## GADisneyDad14

disneyworldsk said:


> Kat and GADad, how was breakfast and what time did you eat?



Lol, well, I'll have to let others chime in because (**whispers**) we didn't go back for breakfast.  Had a 1:20pm flight so needed to get back so we could be out of the room at 11am.  

I had originally thought we had enough time to swing in for breakfast - and we did - but come 9am we decided we weren't all that hungry anyway so opted to go ahead and head back to the resort.  

Unique circumstances since we were doing this on departure day (which isn't ideal).


----------



## kat_lh

disneyworldsk said:


> Kat and GADad, how was breakfast and what time did you eat?



We got breakfast #1 around 7:07 or so.  It was more crowded than I anticipated but tables were plentiful. They had four (or more) buffet lines set up so almost no waiting. The lines for hot things did seem long though. 

BUT people thought you had to eat first. I ran into two groups that they were floored when I told them they could go back after 9 am. And I overheard another group saying something about how they didn’t realize they would have to eat so early. So, spread the word, you can eat all the way up to 10 am because an awful lot of folks didn’t seem to know that. 

Buffet was a buffet. There were standard pastries, cereal, yogurt and fruit. Grabbed some pastries and fruit. Kids had juice and there was lots of coffee. No lids for the cups though. 

There was also water and coffee set up in TSL which was a nice touch. I’m glad to see they’re keeping that up. 

After, my oldest and I ate at 9:20ish and my husband and our two other kids about 10 minutes later. Still lots of food out and no rushed feeling. 

I had chicken and donuts. There was a thin odd layer of syrup on the bottom but nothing was soaked in syrup like others have had happen. Donuts were good - not stale. 

Husband had shrimp and grits and he said they were totally okay. We also sampled the Mexican chilaquas and it was good - just a lot heavier than I wanted to eat right then. 

I wish we’d gotten more but we had FP for TOT and I didn’t want to risk seeing the food in reverse - lol. 

I don’t think many people do this for the food, but in this case, it’s a really nice touch and better than average.


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

I have to agree that today’s EMM felt much busier than I expected. It was overall a very good event and I’m glad we did it, but we didn’t get to do the multiple rides that other people were doing. However, we left as the RD crowd was entering and, good grief, it was a lot of people. The EMM price was worth it just to avoid being part of that!

We arrived at 7:25am as we had some issues with the Lyft app and then ended up having to wait 12 minutes for a Minnie Van. It’s a long walk back into Toy Story Land, and I use a walking stick and am fairly slow, so we didn’t arrive as early as planned. We went straight back into TSL. Rode TSM and were the only ones in the queue, which was weird but fun. The lines for the characters were very short at that time, though they grew during the event.

Then we went to SDD, which had a 15 min posted wait time. We probably waited 10 mins, but even so, that’s more than I had expected. Great ride!

AS2 was a walk-on, and it was a fun ride but nothing I would go out of my way for. 

Then my sister did TSM again, and it was a long queue. I didn’t ride anything a second time, as my husband was back in the hotel unwell, so I was fighting with the park WiFi to try to speak to him. 

I left just as the RD line arrived, and it was horrendous trying to get out. Woody and Jessie only had 1 person in line to meet them at that point, but I didn’t really care about meeting them, so I just headed to the ABC Commissary. My sister left about 10 minutes later and arrived at ABC 20 mins after I did, because the crowds coming into TSL were so dense.

They did still have a table outside Andy’s Lunchbox with water, and also coffee I believe. So that wasn’t just for the media preview.

Food:
I arrived at ABC about 8:50am and it was quiet. I didn’t fancy the avocado toast, so I just asked for 2 kids’ scrambled eggs and sweet potato barrels. I was on my own at that point, but there no problem. I was specifically told “Don’t forget to come back for seconds and try something else on the menu”, so you can definitely order more than one entree. I actually enjoyed my scrambled eggs and tots very much! They had juice and water at the buffet, and you could also order fountain sodas at the hot food counter. 

The pastries were a bit disappointing, but the fruit was fresh. I didn’t eat much from there, as I had over-ordered on the scrambled eggs - the kids’ portion was easily big enough for an adult.

Gluten-free:
My sister is GF. We grabbed a CM when she arrived, and a chef came over. He said that they could make any of the hot entrees GF. He then brought out a plate with 3 GF pastries - donut, a blueberry muffin and a chocolate cake, all of which were delicious apparently. I took a photo but the site won’t let me upload it. 

One thing that impressed me: when the chef came to the table, my sister, niece and I were all there. He came back with the pastries and my sister was in line for hot food. He left them with my niece and I at the table, but then went to my sister in the queue and told her that he had left her food with us. I just thought that was a nice touch.

Overall:
It was Columbus Day, and while the park wasn’t packed, the crowd for TSL was dreadful. I was happy to pay to avoid that. If I was going at a less popular time of year then I don’t know that it would be worth it, as there were definitely more people there than I expected - I’m really bad at guessing but I would say closer to 400 than the 200 that has been mentioned. That really affected the SDD wait time. 

The other bit of advice is to get there early. Today was my first day in HS, so I didn’t realise how long it would take us to walk from the Minnie Van drop off all the way into TSL. I was also a bit blasé about the arrival time because previous reports had talked about the 7am arrivals getting sent for breakfast. But even so, get there early! 

We are doing EMM at MK tomorrow, so I will be interested to see how that compares.


----------



## jwolfpack

We were there today (Columbus Day) as well - 2 adults and 3 kids (ages 5, 8, 10). We drove to park from Poly and arrived around 6:45. We were immediately let through bag check and tapstiles. It was really neat to be in an almost empty, still very dark park! We were sent to ABC and told rides would open at 7:30. There were several families already eating. We grabbed coffee, pastries, and 2 of the charcuterie platters to nibble on. We were back in front of Chinese Theater by 7:15 and held there until 7:20 exactly. We parked the stroller by TSM and left it there for the duration of EMM. We did TSM first and walked right on. I tried to convince the kids to go to Aliens next (because I knew SDD lines would be longest early), but they couldn't wait any longer to try SDD. We waited almost 20 minutes for our first ride, and I may have said more than once "I told you so..."

My 5 year old HATED SDD, so it was one and done for him. We all rode Aliens after that, then split up. The big kids and 1 adult got in 4 more rides on SDD, while the 5 yo and other adult rode TSM twice more. The big kids jumped in TSM line right before rope droppers arrived ~8:50. We did learn that TSM was down to 1 track (the smallest, we were told) because 2 tracks broke yesterday. I think that significantly inflated our wait times there toward the end of EMM.

As we exited Toy Story Land, the back of the line for SDD was all the way back to the Little Mermaid theatre. INSANE crowds! EMM was sold out at both 7:00 and 7:30 today, and crowds overall in the parks were quite large. 

We returned to ABC ~9:10 and ordered one of almost everything. The charcuterie platter was our favorite! Didn't care for the smashed avocado, but the hard cooked egg on that plate was good. Everything else was edible, but nothing to write home about. We were out of the park by 10:00 and headed to MK. 

Overall, great event and well worth the extra cost! We were all dragging (and a bit snappy with each other) by around noon today after our early start, so I'd recommend a mid-day break for other families with children of similar ages.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

I need to get my thoughts down from this AM in one spot before I forget them all.  

Set the alarm for 6am. 

DS8 and I left YC via foot just before 6:40am.  We walked - around a 20ish min walk at a medium to fast pace and the detour through the temporary bus stop. 

DW and DD4 said to heck with my plan to be there at/before 7am, so told us to go ahead and they'd come later.  They took a boat that YC around 7:18am and were at HS around 10 mins later.  She said they went directly from BC/YC dock to HS and skipped Swolphin. 

6:51am, at the BWI/YC/BC/Swolphin walking path where it detours temporarily around the new bus stop construction. 


6:56am.  The DHS front entrance is a serious hot mess right now, but construction is moving very quickly it seems.  This appears to be quite an upgrade over the prior bus station setup. 



6:56am.  Still making our way around the detour. 



7:00am.  My goal to make it before 7 didn't work out so well.     They were already letting people in at this point, so I'm not sure when they first let folks in.  You really notice the DHS background music when it's still quiet at this hour. 



7:05am. 



They funneled everyone to the ABC Commissary - you didn't have a choice at this point.  As we were going past the Chinese Theater, a CM told us TSL would be open at 7:30am.  Other than that, there really wasn't much communication that we experienced.  Pretty much just going with the flow at this point. 

This pic was taken at 7:12am.  I would estimate the ABC Commissary was roughly 80% full at this point.  The multiple buffet setups kept the lines short but the lines at the hot entree ordering stations seemed long. I did not personally wait in them so not sure true waits.  Honestly, I was surprised just how many people were already there eating breakfast - at 7:12am - who had obviously arrived well before us. 





We had a cinnamon role and decided to head out, where we found this queue forming.  Time stamp is 7:19am.  Not going to lie, I was starting to get a little down as this (plus the amount of people in the Commissary) was more than I expected.  Not entirely unexpected I guess, maybe just a bit more than I had hoped.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

I'm assuming they do this to prevent running/stampedes, but they made everyone use the ramp which is kind of near the red circle below (map is not drawn accurately).  You can pretty much only go double/triple file through the archway/ramp, so it slows people heading in.... vs if they were to let you use the steps just to the right of this.  

 


This was the scene at 7:23am.  
 

We headed straight to SDD, as most people were doing.  I am not sure of the total wait, but we were loading the ride at 7:31am.  I didn't think that was bad at all.  

Went to meet Woodie and Jessie, time stamp of 7:37am.  At that point DW and DD joined us.  Pics with Buzz time stamped 7:42am with only a few people ahead of us.  I said above I was glad we did characters early because I saw lines towards the end that didn't look all that attractive.  

Rode SDD two more times in the roughly 8-8:30 time frame.  Actual waits were right around 8 mins both times.  

We bounced around to the other two rides several times during the event as well.  

We did TSM one last time, entering around 8:49am, at which point the rope drop crowd had not arrived in TSL yet.  The wait time was posted at something much higher than I thought it should be (30 mins, I think) but I shrugged it off as inaccurate.  Turns out the wait was 17 mins, which I'm assuming is because everyone saved it until the end!  It was walk on the other earlier times we did it.  There was only one track running during EMM.  

Some more random pics. 

Can't tell from this pic, but SWGE is starting to look very impressive from the ground (and from SDD).  It feels to me like when Pandora was up/visible from the AK entrance - the excitement of something new/significant progress.  
 


AS2 is not wearing particularly well in a couple of spots.  I would really love this ride if it weren't so bumpy.  
 


Had to convince my kids to not stop to watch good ole' Mr. Potato head each time.  They don't seem to understand the per minute pricing associated with this event.  
 

Overall... my thoughts...

- Great morning.  I'm a TSL fan and our kids are into it too.  This was a fantastic family morning in our book.  We had to do this on our departure day (not ideal) but it was a great way to cap off a short trip.  

- The guest count was higher than I expected.  But yet we still did everything we wanted to do with what I feel were reasonable waits.  It just didn't have that 'intimate' feeling that we've experienced at MK EMM or the TSL AP event a few weeks ago.  I'm curious to see comments from others about crowd levels as this event gains momentum going forward - I could see this having mixed reviews from some.  

- The whole beginning of the event / funneling people to the Commissary / limited communication is a bit odd, in my opinion.  I was glad I had been reading up on the DIS to have an idea of what to expect.  

- We're early risers and even we sort of struggled to get going for the early hour!  MK EMM with a 7:45 entry is more forgiving if you're running late.  

- I always feel MK EMM goes by very quickly.  Some of that is given the first 5-10 mins is eaten up just getting to Fantasyland.  I didn't feel as rushed/frantic with TSL EMM.  We enjoyed the land, took Photopass pics, enjoyed the music, shopped for toys, rode rides when we wanted to.  I was never really clock watching.  

Sorry for the long posts.  Happy to answer any questions.


----------



## cdurham1

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Characters were not out when we first walked by... which would have been 7:25ish (give or take a few mins).  PhotoPass photographers were there as if they’d be out at any minute - I assume it was pretty close to 7:30 but not sure (we were on SDD).
> 
> We got off SDD and went to Woodie/Jessie.  Time stamp for that pic was 7:37am.



We happened to be walking by and were the very first group to meet Woody and Jessie for the day.  Quite good luck.  My guess is that it was in between 7:30 and 7:35.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

cdurham1 said:


> We happened to be walking by and were the very first group to meet Woody and Jessie for the day.  Quite good luck.  My guess is that it was in between 7:30 and 7:35.



You might have been right in front of us.  I thought I heard them say to the folks in front of us that they were the first guests of the day, but wasn't sure I heard it correctly.


----------



## cdurham1

Great trip reports from today!  Saves me time writing much.  I agree with everyone's comments so far.  It seems like everyone there must be regular disboard readers.

We only come every few years, so the value question is a moot point to me.  It was 1000% worth the cost to be able to knock out those 3 attractions before park open.

My DD7 is doesn't care about the quality of food.  The food quality is way down my list of importance.  That being said, it was fine.  She got the shrimp and grits and I got the smashed avocado.  We had to eat breakfast anyway, so we ate it.  Honestly, she would have been just as happy with a sausage biscuit from McDonald's and I thought it was just standard quick service level food.  She would have skipped it to get to the attractions faster.

As we were leaving TSL at 9, I video'ed the line that formed for SDD.  Judging by that and the 3 hour line that formed for TSMM later (a previous poster commented that the ride capacity was down so that makes more sense to me now), I would have happily paid the same price even without the breakfast.

We also did EMM yesterday at MK.  Today was a bit busier.  The MK EMM was basically just continuously ride the 4 attractions (including the carousel).  Today, it was more like 5-7 minute waits on SDD.

I have no idea why they posted a 25 minute wait time at one point.  And if I remember correctly, touringplans was estimating just slightly less than that.  Both were WAY off.  We waited about 8 minutes at the peak.

I don't come to Disney as often as I would like.  The last time we were here was a slow September week in 2014.  The crowds at MK yesterday and HS today dwarfed the 2014 crowds.  All caps, DWARFED.  If nothing changes, I would recommend to friends that EMM should be essential to their plans if they are coming at above average crowd times.


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## cdurham1

GADisneyDad14 said:


> You might have been right in front of us.  I thought I heard them say to the folks in front of us that they were the first guests of the day, but wasn't sure I heard it correctly.



Maybe so.  It was just the 2 of us.  We happened to be in the middle of running to the bathroom.  It was just random luck that they happened to be setting up at exactly the same time.  It looked like the line that formed even a few minutes later was substantial.


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

One thing I was surprised about, in HS all morning but esp at EMM was the lack of PhotoPass photographers. I thought there would be one at Woody as we entered TSL, but the only ones we saw were with the characters, and then 1 doing a frame and another doing a magic shot (though I didn’t see that, my sister got a photo there so I know it exists!).

I left HS at 11:15am and the only other photopass photographer I saw was one with a pride heart, near the main entrance.

In MK yesterday the only one I saw was 1 on Main Street. Either I’m exceptionally unobservant, they are hiding to avoid taking my photo, or there are fewer than I expected. I got Memory Maker with my package, but after 2 full days of crooked selfies, I’m getting frustrated, and if I had paid $100 for it, I would not be pleased.


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

cdurham1 said:


> I don't come to Disney as often as I would like.  The last time we were here was a slow September week in 2014.  The crowds at MK yesterday and HS today dwarfed the 2014 crowds.  All caps, DWARFED.  If nothing changes, I would recommend to friends that EMM should be essential to their plans if they are coming at above average crowd times.



This is really helpful to know. This is the 2nd day of my first ever trip. We were also in MK yesterday and HS today, and while the crowds were heavy, they were not as horrendous as I had been imagining. Granted, we left at lunch time, but even so, this is really useful. It’s very hard to judge just how busy is “busy”, but I think I was imagining that it would be worse than it was.


----------



## Babs1975

Those who have tried to head to TOT or RnRC at ropedrop, how did that go? What time do I need to leave TSL in order to beat the regular rope drop crowd? Is that even possible or will we get hung up behind them? Will we get stopped anywhere? I guess I need to know what I need to do NOT to be behind the regular ropedrop crowd?


----------



## kat_lh

Babs1975 said:


> Those who have tried to head to TOT or RnRC at ropedrop, how did that go? What time do I need to leave TSL in order to beat the regular rope drop crowd? Is that even possible or will we get hung up behind them? Will we get stopped anywhere? I guess I need to know what I need to do NOT to be behind the regular ropedrop crowd?



It was super easy. We left TSL at 8:48 and walked to RNRC. We got there at 8:52 and it was posted 25 minutes but was basically a walk on. 

For whatever reason, the line for TOT was crazy long (like lined up outside against the wall.). We had a FP from 9:35-10:35 and had no problem eating breakfast and making that FP


----------



## RachaelA

20 minutes is an insane wait for what they are charging! I feel like they have upped the numbers a bit too much.


----------



## maiapapaya

RachaelA said:


> 20 minutes is an insane wait for what they are charging! I feel like they have upped the numbers a bit too much.


Maybe they "pushed" the numbers a bit today because of the holiday? (although not fair for those attending). Hoping this won't be the norm.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

FWIW, SDD was posted 20 min every time I went on it today and it was 8 mins two out of the three times.  I didn't time the other one but it was <8 mins.


----------



## MNDisneyMommy

Thanks for all the trip reports.  I am really disappointed to hear about the crowds...I thought the whole reason it was worth roughly $400 for my family was that we wouldn't have to think of a touring plan and wait for things.  Everyone is saying their waits of 8 minutes, 15 minutes, etc. wasn't too bad... and it's not of course when compared to park open hours... but it is hardly the exclusive run around and enjoy type experience I thought we'd get.  I thought we'd be walking on SDD, being able to let the kids ride it over and over and over.  Meeting the characters with a very short wait.  

Plus we hate mornings. 

I'll appreciate hearing more reports and reviews to see if this was a one-off or whether it's going to be the norm.  We've got a few more weeks to decide.


----------



## SaintsManiac

I’ll be keeping an eye on reports. I think it’s too early to judge just yet. This is a pretty new event and the multiple time slot thing is just silly. 

I hope they get the kinks worked out and cap the attendance tighter.


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## karensi

Sorry, I guess I should know this...but I don't , where/how can I find out when EMM will take place? We are going in April, Easter week  and I think it would definitely be to our advantage if we could do EMM at one or both of the parks.  TIA, Karen


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## GADisneyDad14

karensi said:


> Sorry, I guess I should know this...but I don't , where/how can I find out when EMM will take place? We are going in April, Easter week  and I think it would definitely be to our advantage if we could do EMM at one or both of the parks.  TIA, Karen



See here:  https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/early-morning-magic-toy-story-land/

Dates for April 2019 aren’t our yet.  Feb and March were just added a few days ago.


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## MIAMouseketeer

karensi said:


> Sorry, I guess I should know this...but I don't , where/how can I find out when EMM will take place? We are going in April, Easter week  and I think it would definitely be to our advantage if we could do EMM at one or both of the parks.  TIA, Karen


Dates for April aren’t out yet but I would be surprised if they offer this Easter week. They tend to not offer EMM during the peak times of the year.  This is only my guess but I wouldn’t count on it being added.


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## Babs1975

kat_lh said:


> It was super easy. We left TSL at 8:48 and walked to RNRC. We got there at 8:52 and it was posted 25 minutes but was basically a walk on.
> 
> For whatever reason, the line for TOT was crazy long (like lined up outside against the wall.). We had a FP from 9:35-10:35 and had no problem eating breakfast and making that FP


So you were behind the rd crowd then at RNRC? Is it possible to leave TSL and be ahead of them? Where will CM's hold you if you leave TSL at maybe 8:40? Or was that long line of people from EMM? Just trying to envision this! Our plan is to head to RNRC and TOT at rd but would like to time it NOT to be behind rd, but ahead of them. Should be a perk to EMM ya know??!!


----------



## karensi

GADisneyDad14 said:


> See here:  https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/early-morning-magic-toy-story-land/
> 
> Dates for April 2019 aren’t our yet.  Feb and March were just added a few days ago.





MIAMouseketeer said:


> Dates for April aren’t out yet but I would be surprised if they offer this Easter week. They tend to not offer EMM during the peak times of the year.  This is only my guess but I wouldn’t count on it being added.




Thank you both. I'll keep checking now that I know where to look but I guess I won't count on it being added.


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## LMO429

I have the 7am start time.  Do you have to go to abc to eat right away or can you just line up to go to toy story land?


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## GADisneyDad14

karensi said:


> Thank you both. I'll keep checking now that I know where to look but I guess I won't count on it being added.



The only difference with this DHS version of EMM vs MK EMM is that DHS is not a park which has typically seen a shift to pre-9am hours all that often.  Sometimes, but not like MK where it’s more common. And pre 9am hours and EMM don’t go together.  

Given this, my guess is you may see DHS EMM during more “peak” times than MK EMM has historically been offered... but obviously speculation on my part.  Keep an eye on this thread, many of us are always watching for dates.


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## kat_lh

Babs1975 said:


> So you were behind the rd crowd then at RNRC? Is it possible to leave TSL and be ahead of them? Where will CM's hold you if you leave TSL at maybe 8:40? Or was that long line of people from EMM? Just trying to envision this! Our plan is to head to RNRC and TOT at rd but would like to time it NOT to be behind rd, but ahead of them. Should be a perk to EMM ya know??!!



We were behind them but it didn’t matter for RNRC. If you wanted to eat + ride both, I’d grab a FP for one and rush to the other.  

I don’t know when we could have gotten ahead of the RD as we were just trying to maximize our TSL time. It might be more predictable if they stop letting the RD crowd into TSL early.


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## MIAMouseketeer

GADisneyDad14 said:


> The only difference with this DHS version of EMM vs MK EMM is that DHS is not a park which has typically seen a shift to pre-9am hours all that often.  Sometimes, but not like MK where it’s more common. And pre 9am hours and EMM don’t go together.
> 
> Given this, my guess is you may see DHS EMM during more “peak” times than MK EMM has historically been offered... but obviously speculation on my part.  Keep an eye on this thread, many of us are always watching for dates.



Good point! I never expected EMM to be added for our week in December and I was thankfully wrong. But I notice they aren't offering either during the Christmas blackout period.


----------



## Jasperann

LMO429 said:


> I have the 7am start time.  Do you have to go to abc to eat right away or can you just line up to go to toy story land?



They take you to eat at 7am.  I've heard they let people back to TSL at around 7:20am.  If you eat something at 7am you can also go back and eat more later if that is what you want to do.  OR you can just grab a coffee and then be over by the theater at around 7:15 for the walk back to TSL.


----------



## masylimed

Has anybody who has attended the event taken the bus from AKL?  Was trying to decide if we should book a taxi or take the bus to our 10/31 event.  Generally we use Disney transportation, but wasn't sure of the bus time at AKL for this early morning event.  Thanks!


----------



## Vincent405

Has anyone attempted to get a gluten, lactose, soy-free meal at this?


----------



## jodybird511

We were there yesterday as well.  Loved it!  We took a fairly leisurely pace, and did TSM and AS once.  We road SDD 3 times.  Could have ridden at least 1-2 more times, but we were done.  Met Buzz as we went to breakfast.  We are vegetarian, and had no problem getting them to make the chilaquiles without chorizo.  It was yummy.  Saw a few Disers!  AngTN--you were behind my son and me on SDD for our last ride


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## SaintsManiac

New review from Josh. It was for the 10/1 EMM.

https://www.easywdw.com/easy/blog/r...y-morning-magic-at-disneys-hollywood-studios/


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## PrincessArlena'sDad

We have gf people on our family, so qs meals take a little longer for them to get out.

Our date would be Monday, July 1 (assuming they have it).

Our plan would be to just grab stuff from the buffet (fruit for the gf people), then go to tsl.

At rd, head over to rnrc, and head back for hot breakfast.  Would we get back in time for them to serve us, without feeling rushed, given the special order meals we'd need?

I'm assuming it would be impossible to do tot also, before breakfast, so we'd FP that.


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## jennab

Ugh, Josh’s review doesn’t make it sound as good as the original reviews. Like others have said 10min wait for SDD which seems ridiculous for a paid event (especially when comparing to MK EMM reviews) 

https://www.easywdw.com/easy/blog/r...y-morning-magic-at-disneys-hollywood-studios/


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## ninafeliz

I thought Josh's review was very good and interesting to read.  I'm not thrilled with the times to wait, but good to know going in.  We don't like to do a crazy rush though a meal, and we need GF, so we won't be able to eat first.  We might pop in for a pastry (for the non GF people) and drink before heading out to wait at 7:15 to go to the land.  We also do want to ride TSM and AS2, so we won't skip them and just to SDD over and over.  I also kind of wanted to do the meet and greets.  It sounds like in our allotted exclusive time if we do all of it we will pretty much only have time for the meet and greets, 1 TSM, 1-2 AS2, , and 2-3 SDD - probably in that order for the most part.  Or is that even too much?  If we get that in I guess it's really quite a bit, I just had it in my head that we would be able to run onto any of the rides over and over with no waits, other than the next train, so I was picturing more like 4-5 SDD, 2-3 TSM, and 3-4 AS2, plus the meet and greets.  I guess I was being unrealistic.  We'll see how it goes, I guess I can't complain as long as we ride all of the rides at least once and hopefully twice.


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## WaterLinds

Went ahead and booked our family for March 6. We fly in the afternoon before, so it’s not my fist choice of days to get up super early—but the only other date in our stay is a day after the time change, so definitely even worse!

Will be keeping an eye on reports going forward to see how things develop. I think with a good plan we could make the most of this time even if it stays as busy as yesterday sounds, but some of my family are pretty good at sabotaging my plans so we’ll see! Final decision may also depend on what I’m able to get for FPs when our window opens, what other extras we include in our trip, etc.

You can only see bus times in the app when you’re at Disney, right? I was thinking of trying to watch them on EMM days for a few weeks before our stay (no guarantees, I know, but just to get a sense of “typical”). But then I remembered that probably wouldn’t work.


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## Jasperann

jennab said:


> Ugh, Josh’s review doesn’t make it sound as good as the original reviews. Like others have said 10min wait for SDD which seems ridiculous for a paid event (especially when comparing to MK EMM reviews)
> 
> https://www.easywdw.com/easy/blog/r...y-morning-magic-at-disneys-hollywood-studios/



I hope it makes people cancel.  

I'll still be going.  We are going right before Christmas and the possibility of doing all three rides even once in that time frame is worth it to avoid the crowds.  But it is nice to have a realistic view on it before going.  I'm so glad he held off for the same reasons I didn't want to read to much into the first one.


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## dachsie

I think the Passholder playtime probably spoiled a lot of us.  I am going in knowing I wont be able to ride SDD 7 times like I did then, but I will still get to ride it more than I would on a regular park day


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## GADisneyDad14

dachsie said:


> I think the Passholder playtime probably spoiled a lot of us.  I am going in knowing I wont be able to ride SDD 7 times like I did then, but I will still get to ride it more than I would on a regular park day



I agree and thought that was a fair point that Josh made in his write up... I feel the same. 

For me personally, having done the pass holder event just two weeks ago and EMM yesterday... the AP thing spoiled me!


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## kat_lh

So we did MK EMM this morning and all five of us (me, hubs, 10, 8 & 4) preferred TSL over MK. We found the breakfast situation far less annoying than paying to walk back into MK which is how was spent the first 10 minutes of today. We also preferred the food at TSL and the general overall atmosphere. For comparison:

1xTSMM, 1xAS2, 4xSDD, Buzz meet with no line, rope drop RNRC (half of us), 1xTSMM (the other half.)

1x PP, 1xPooh, 5x7DMT, 1xIASW (which stalled and made us miss rope drop so we didn’t bother trying anything else, just went to breakfast)


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## 3Anderboys

masylimed said:


> Has anybody who has attended the event taken the bus from AKL?  Was trying to decide if we should book a taxi or take the bus to our 10/31 event.  Generally we use Disney transportation, but wasn't sure of the bus time at AKL for this early morning event.  Thanks!



Josh from Easy WDW just posted his review of EMM and he stayed at AKL. Go check it out. Apparently, the buses were plentiful.


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## Babs1975

Well, Josh's review certainly mimicked what many have ready been reporting here and what I suspected. Many of the issues we have all been wondering about seemed to have been confirmed. Too long of a wait for SDD during an EMM event. Breakfast not being convenient to TSL. It should be a full buffet where you can get in and out quickly. I am disheartened that they have pushed the limit and it now seems to be oversold. We will still do the event, but it does not seem like the value will be there as much as the original EMM at MK has been. I suppose my expectations have to change and I have to know that there will be waits for SDD and I will not get the same number of rides on SDD that we do on 7DMT at MK's EMM. Frustrating because that event was so great and worth every penny. Why must they change these things that are getting rave reviews? Oh yeah, money.


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## disneyworldsk

Thanks Kat. We're doing emm for both mk and dhs too . i forget, the breakfasts end for both at ten a.m.? Or is each one having different end times? I'm going to get these two events confused! And with the mnsshp reports I'm nervous about the overselling of tickets for my mvmcp november first night. Really appreciate you guys reporting in and now I want to hear one not on a holiday!! Reading the reports made it more 'real' how six a.m. will be a tough one!! AAHH!!! I will have to relook at my itinerary to make sure the rest of the day has a break! Thanks so much guys


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## Babs1975

kat_lh said:


> We were behind them but it didn’t matter for RNRC. If you wanted to eat + ride both, I’d grab a FP for one and rush to the other.
> 
> I don’t know when we could have gotten ahead of the RD as we were just trying to maximize our TSL time. It might be more predictable if they stop letting the RD crowd into TSL early.


Ok thanks. I read Josh's review too and it seems RNRC and TOT were both 5 minutes or less at rd and for a bit after. We plan on ropedropping them both, then heading to breakfast by 9:30. We also have a fp for both of them later in the day so we'll be able to ride twice. At least EMM does give you an advantage of getting TSL done early so you can head somewhere else at rd.


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## kat_lh

Babs1975 said:


> Ok thanks. I read Josh's review too and it seems RNRC and TOT were both 5 minutes or less at rd and for a bit after. We plan on ropedropping them both, then heading to breakfast by 9:30. We also have a fp for both of them later in the day so we'll be able to ride twice. At least EMM does give you an advantage of getting TSL done early so you can head somewhere else at rd.



And we were on a holiday so that could have been why I saw such a line for TOT and he didn’t.


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## GADisneyDad14

kat_lh said:


> And we were on a holiday so that could have been why I saw such a line for TOT and he didn’t.



Yeah, moment in time pics can be deceiving sometimes, but his write up about post 9am time seemed WAY less crowded than what we witnessed leaving the park yesterday AM.  My impression from what I witnessed was that Columbus Day holiday crowds were well in effect yesterday.


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## Mambo Junkie

How have they been? I noticed they now offer 7 am tickets, where before it was 7:30. Thanks


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## rxbeth

Why was Josh saying Jessie and woody would be a priority for the meet and greet vs Buzz? Are they not out during the day normally?


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## ENJDisneyFan

rxbeth said:


> Why was Josh saying Jessie and woody would be a priority for the meet and greet vs Buzz? Are they not out during the day normally?


Probably because you can also meet Buzz at MK?


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## Iowamomof4

rxbeth said:


> Why was Josh saying Jessie and woody would be a priority for the meet and greet vs Buzz? Are they not out during the day normally?



He said you should meet Buzz a bit later during the event, iirc.


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## Iowamomof4

rxbeth said:


> Why was Josh saying Jessie and woody would be a priority for the meet and greet vs Buzz? Are they not out during the day normally?



Basically, because people see Buzz on their way INTO the event, they're more likely to stop then and wait. The lines for Woody and Jessie stay long throughout because they are further inside and easier to see. He's saying people should aim to meet Woody and Jessie early on and then go Buzz after 8 because most everyone will be further INSIDE the land enjoying the rides and waiting for Woody and Jessie. Hope that helps.


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## aokeefe

Thanks for all the reviews. We decided to go ahead and book for Feb 20th like many others!


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## VAtink

jennab said:


> Ugh, Josh’s review doesn’t make it sound as good as the original reviews. Like others have said 10min wait for SDD which seems ridiculous for a paid event (especially when comparing to MK EMM reviews)



So, I was one of the original reviews, and after reading reviews of yesterday, I gotta admit that sounds nothing like the event I attended.  I did attend the first one on Sept 17th, so it could very well be that since it was also the media event they purposely kept the crowds low, but we never saw a wait at all for any of the rides.  We rode Slinky 10 times, with breaks, and never had a line.  Curious to see reports from future mornings, we absolutely loved the event we attended, and hope to attend again next year...especially if it's with no waits again!


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## StacyStrong

Babs1975 said:


> Well, Josh's review certainly mimicked what many have ready been reporting here and what I suspected. Many of the issues we have all been wondering about seemed to have been confirmed. Too long of a wait for SDD during an EMM event. Breakfast not being convenient to TSL. It should be a full buffet where you can get in and out quickly. I am disheartened that they have pushed the limit and it now seems to be oversold. We will still do the event, but it does not seem like the value will be there as much as the original EMM at MK has been. I suppose my expectations have to change and I have to know that there will be waits for SDD and I will not get the same number of rides on SDD that we do on 7DMT at MK's EMM. Frustrating because that event was so great and worth every penny. Why must they change these things that are getting rave reviews? Oh yeah, money.


Eh. I'm taking his review with a grain of salt. One event had mixed reviews so far. The others were overwhelmingly positive. Waiting for more events before I start getting concerned.


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## disneyworldsk

StacyStrong, when are you going?


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## buzzrelly

anomamatt said:


> I assumed today's event was sold out?  Looks to be sold out until 10/17 (which has a lot of availability).



Good! I hope it stays that way since that's the day I'm going


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## SaintsManiac

StacyStrong said:


> Eh. I'm taking his review with a grain of salt. One event had mixed reviews so far. The others were overwhelmingly positive. Waiting for more events before I start getting concerned.





His are usually the only ones I don't take with a grain of salt, BUT I am also waiting for more reviews. I doubt we will cancel as this is the one thing my kid wants to do.


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## Ds4angels

StacyStrong said:


> Eh. I'm taking his review with a grain of salt. One event had mixed reviews so far. The others were overwhelmingly positive. Waiting for more events before I start getting concerned.


 I think Josh did a pretty good job explaining why he waited till later to review the event and what to expect if you go. 
   To me it's weird that the first 1/2 hour they went you to eat a big breakfast (with some flavorful options) and then go on a roller coaster and a spinning ride. Plus having to stand in line to order food as opposed to just having the a buffet w/ little to no wait.


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## StacyStrong

disneyworldsk said:


> StacyStrong, when are you going?


December 5th


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## StacyStrong

Ds4angels said:


> I think Josh did a pretty good job explaining why he waited till later to review the event and what to expect if you go.
> To me it's weird that the first 1/2 hour they went you to eat a big breakfast (with some flavorful options) and then go on a roller coaster and a spinning ride. Plus having to stand in line to order food as opposed to just having the a buffet w/ little to no wait.


Right. I don't think that anything he said was wrong, but I think it's possible that not all the events will go the same way. It's still relatively new. It also sounded like they were behind in the kitchen. Maybe it was just an "off" day. 

With that said, that could be the way it is going forward. I just think it might be too soon to tell if it'll be the norm. 

The breakfast will be the same, but personally I'll get sick if I eat a bunch of pancakes before a coaster too. Haha.


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## GADisneyDad14

SaintsManiac said:


> His are usually the only ones I don't take with a grain of salt, BUT I am also waiting for more reviews. I doubt we will cancel as this is the one thing my kid wants to do.



I usually agree with many of his reviews too. I appreciate the honesty and actually providing real/useful info vs just generic Disney marketing info.  Frankly his post isn’t all that different than my Monday review upthread. 

Personally, while I’m not absolutely gushing over the experience - it was a still a reasonable value proposition from our perspective all things considered, and in all likelihood we’d do it again for certain trips.  

Like with any Disney event though, I think it has to be viewed through body of work reviews, which hopefully threads like this provide a good forum for.   With only three “dual time” dates having occurred so far, I’m curious to see how things go as we move along through the balance of fall and holiday season.

Disney has certainly been quick to add Jan-March dates, so they must like what they see on their end.


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## kniquy

I read through the review from Josh -- I am wondering if you are not ordering the hot breakfast right when they let you in -- is there another means to head to just the fruit and pastry area to grab something quick?  It seems like there is quite the crowd in there for the hot food.  I don't really want to get caught up in that mess of people. We plan on a quick something and then hitting the real breakfast later.


----------



## HopperFan

rxbeth said:


> Why was Josh saying Jessie and woody would be a priority for the meet and greet vs Buzz? Are they not out during the day normally?



His line is usually no where near as long at Jessie/Woody during the day plus you can meet him at MK.  Their line during the day is awful.  It would be my goal to meet the hardest ones to do on a normal day first so I agree with him on this one.


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## GADisneyDad14

kniquy said:


> I read through the review from Josh -- I am wondering if you are not ordering the hot breakfast right when they let you in -- is there another means to head to just the fruit and pastry area to grab something quick?  It seems like there is quite the crowd in there for the hot food.  I don't really want to get caught up in that mess of people. We plan on a quick something and then hitting the real breakfast later.



You don’t have to order hot food at the point.  There are multiple pastry/drink stations around.  We grabbed a cinnamon roll, coffee, ate for a few mins, then headed out to line up by the Chinese Theatre.  We didn’t have any interest in eating the full meal that early.


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

We did EMM in MK yesterday, so the day after we did it in TSL. We all preferred the MK one, but that’s personal taste. 

I did want to note that there were significantly fewer people at the MK event, and I’m basing that on the group at the gate pre-entry, which included EMM, early ADRs, and people waiting for tours. 

If I had to guess, I would say there were probably twice as many at TSL. They probably sold 200 for EMM at MK, and 400 for EMM at TSL.

Having said that, the low crowds were still a big draw for us. My husband was ill on our EMM TSL day, and we are seriously considering booking it again for just him and me, so he can see it when it is quiet. So while it was busier than I wanted, I still feel there is value in it.


----------



## Lisa F

GADisneyDad14 said:


> You don’t have to order hot food at the point.  There are multiple pastry/drink stations around.  We grabbed a cinnamon roll, coffee, ate for a few mins, then headed out to line up by the Chinese Theatre.  We didn’t have any interest in eating the full meal that early.


his suggestion to eat first is ONLY so that you don't waste any "typical rope drop" time on the breakfast.

But if Rope Dropping HS is not a priority to you (my son doesn't like ToT or RnR and if we get TSL out of the way before the park opens there is nothing that we need to rush to) then the smarter thing to do is to enjoy the full event first until RD and then have a nice, relaxing breakfast.  After that we'd do some things that don't tend to fill up right away and call it an early day.  OR if kiddo wants to do Jedi Training we'll head there right at 8:45 then to breakfast.

I like Josh's reviews a lot, I think they are candid and not viewed through rose colored glasses, however when you read them you have to ask yourself whether your priorities are the same priorities he has when judging. I would not pay $79 for an event that included a nice breakfast to shovel it in my face in 20 minutes before the event and then worry about vomiting it back up after 10x on SDD.  I'd enjoy the event in its entirety with breakfast and then move on to my next thing which honestly may or may not even be HS (we are AP holders so not invested in maximizing any one day at any one park.)  So in that sense I disagree with his advice, but not with his take on the overall event.

I have this event booked for late January and there is only one time slot being sold.  I will be watching carefully for reviews with only one time slot vs. 2.  That said I am likely to keep it anyway because I see the value of the event as a whole and I don't see a lot of value in the rest of HS right now... this will let us get all of the Tier 1 stuff done and more than once and enjoy the land and see toy story characters and have a nice breakfast.  I'm hoping we can ride at least say 8-10 rides at a relaxed pace during the event even if we can't do SDD itself back to back to back 10 times.


----------



## KrazeeK120

Lisa F said:


> But if Rope Dropping HS is not a priority to you (my son doesn't like ToT or RnR and if we get TSL out of the way before the park opens there is nothing that we need to rush to) then the smarter thing to do is to enjoy the full event first until RD and then have a nice, relaxing breakfast.  After that we'd do some things that don't tend to fill up right away and call it an early day.  OR if kiddo wants to do Jedi Training we'll head there right at 8:45 then to breakfast.



Yes. This, exactly.

My son isn’t tall enough for the rest of the rides in the park, nor is he old enough for Jedi Training. We plan to enjoy a leisurely breakfast after EMM and then spend the rest of our day seeing shows and meeting characters. My son is interested in many of the characters at DHS, and his 2 top priority characters (Chewie and Olaf) can’t be found anywhere else.


----------



## MIAMouseketeer

Ds4angels said:


> I think Josh did a pretty good job explaining why he waited till later to review the event and what to expect if you go.
> To me it's weird that the first 1/2 hour they went you to eat a big breakfast (with some flavorful options) and then go on a roller coaster and a spinning ride. Plus having to stand in line to order food as opposed to just having the a buffet w/ little to no wait.


Agreed. The hot entrees look really nice and yummy, but I would think a buffet would just be easier for everyone involved.


----------



## MIAMouseketeer

KrazeeK120 said:


> Yes. This, exactly.
> 
> My son isn’t tall enough for the rest of the rides in the park, nor is he old enough for Jedi Training. We plan to enjoy a leisurely breakfast after EMM and then spend the rest of our day seeing shows and meeting characters. My son is interested in many of the characters at DHS, and his 2 top priority characters (Chewie and Olaf) can’t be found anywhere else.


Our plan is to hit Mickey, Minnie & Olaf at rope drop. If time permits, then head to Launch Bay for those characters and then to breakfast. But like you, our son is too small for everything else.


----------



## ninafeliz

MIAMouseketeer said:


> Agreed. The hot entrees look really nice and yummy, but I would think a buffet would just be easier for everyone involved.



I also agree .  For this type of event I prefer a buffet - eat as fast or slow and as much or little as you want, at your pace, and don't have to order/wait in line at all (unless it gets too crowded at the buffet!)  Just easier/simpler, and IMO better given that this isn't a signature dining event intended to take all morning.  I don't want to inhale my food in 20 min like the recent video suggested (just not our style, I can see why others will want to), but if it is buffet it's simpler to get a little before and get your more substantial breakfast after without any waiting/ordering, and not having to wait and re-order to try something else  

However, we haven't done it yet, I'll see if I change my mind after 10/29


----------



## M SH

Tigger in a kilt said:


> I did want to note that there were significantly fewer people at the MK event, and I’m basing that on the group at the gate pre-entry, which included EMM, early ADRs, and people waiting for tours.



I bet that this will change with the new MK EMM that starts later this year.
I think the changes they are making will be specifically to increase the number of people they get into MK EMM.


----------



## disneyworldsk

certainly people can get fp's preplanned to tot or rnrc, etc. and not have to rd both . we will do the characters near the abc commissary. close by. i don't interpret the reviews to be something that is quantitative for me but more for quality. I don't count how many times i can ride a ride. I want it to be relaxing, something different, a good meal, and the ability to breathe in a land on occasion. I don't need sdd 20 times, i doubt I will be able to even want 3x really. I just want a new experience for the first time in this land and be able to take some leisurely photos and do different things. for us that's what it's about. so I read the reviews for tips, food reviews, and planning things out well: definitely going anyway.


----------



## SaintsManiac

Our plan is to split up at RD. My husband will go to ToT and my daughter and I will go to meet Mickey and Minnie. Then we will meet for breakfast at about 9:30.


----------



## kat_lh

kniquy said:


> I read through the review from Josh -- I am wondering if you are not ordering the hot breakfast right when they let you in -- is there another means to head to just the fruit and pastry area to grab something quick?  It seems like there is quite the crowd in there for the hot food.  I don't really want to get caught up in that mess of people. We plan on a quick something and then hitting the real breakfast later.



Yes, you don’t have to stand in lone for the buffets. Just scoot behind them. 

And also, Disney’s not doing a great job of communicating this, but remember, you don’t HAVE to eat before. They’re going to shuttle you that way, but just move through the restaurant and gather back up in front of the theater and wait.


----------



## kat_lh

ninafeliz said:


> I also agree .  For this type of event I prefer a buffet - eat as fast or slow and as much or little as you want, at your pace, and don't have to order/wait in line at all (unless it gets too crowded at the buffet!)  Just easier/simpler, and IMO better given that this isn't a signature dining event intended to take all morning.  I don't want to inhale my food in 20 min like the recent video suggested (just not our style, I can see why others will want to), but if it is buffet it's simpler to get a little before and get your more substantial breakfast after without any waiting/ordering, and not having to wait and re-order to try something else
> 
> However, we haven't done it yet, I'll see if I change my mind after 10/29



There was very little line to eat hot entrees after the land was open to the public. Grab some coffee at 7. Ride as much as you can, then go back and eat a big, hot breakfast.


----------



## Eve & Wall-e

disneyworldsk said:


> I don't need sdd 20 times, i doubt I will be able to even want 3x really. I just want a new experience for the first time in this land and be able to take some leisurely photos and do different things. for us that's what it's about. so I read the reviews for tips, food reviews, and planning things out well: definitely going anyway.



This is exactly what DH and I plan to do as well!


----------



## GADisneyDad14

kat_lh said:


> Yes, you don’t have to stand in lone for the buffets. Just scoot behind them.
> 
> And also, Disney’s not doing a great job of communicating this, but remember, you don’t HAVE to eat before. They’re going to shuttle you that way, but just move through the restaurant and gather back up in front of the theater and wait.



Yep to this.

In some ways now that I’ve thought more about it, I actually kind of liked the set up vs MK EMM.   Use the breakfast spot to slowly load people into the park vs a long line at the front gate.  No mad rush down Hollywood Blvd to TSL.  That part of it all seemed to work well in my opinion.  It also gives people some options on how they want to pace their morning.


----------



## MIAMouseketeer

kat_lh said:


> Yes, you don’t have to stand in lone for the buffets. Just scoot behind them.
> 
> And also, Disney’s not doing a great job of communicating this, but remember, you don’t HAVE to eat before. They’re going to shuttle you that way, but just move through the restaurant and gather back up in front of the theater and wait.


I’m fine if non-Disers think you have to eat before. Will make it less crowded when we get to eat and maybe will set them a little behind the start. Sorry not sorry


----------



## kat_lh

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Yep to this.
> 
> In some ways now that I’ve thought more about it, I actually kind of liked the set up.  Use the breakfast spot to slowly load people into the park vs a long line at the front gate.  No mad rush down Hollywood Blvd to TSL.  That part of it all seemed to work well in my opinion.



I agree. I absolutely hated the walk to Fantasyland for the MK version. Felt like I was wasting such precious time. I very much wish they’d hold you at the hub. 

In this case, ABC acts like that and then you can just stroll out as early or late as you wish.


----------



## MIAMouseketeer

kat_lh said:


> I agree. I absolutely hated the walk to Fantasyland for the MK version. Felt like I was wasting such precious time. I very much wish they’d hold you at the hub.
> 
> In this case, ABC acts like that and then you can just stroll out as early or late as you wish.


Maybe they will switch it up after 12/2? I also thought they should let the EMM folks in at 7:30 and the PPO opening folks at 7:45. But what do I know?


----------



## kat_lh

MIAMouseketeer said:


> Maybe they will switch it up after 12/2? I also thought they should let the EMM folks in at 7:30 and the PPO opening folks at 7:45. But what do I know?



I hope they do because that part needs serious evaluation


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

kat_lh said:


> I agree. I absolutely hated the walk to Fantasyland for the MK version. Felt like I was wasting such precious time. I very much wish they’d hold you at the hub.



Yes! This really annoyed me. We had to stand in a queue at the Libery Square bridge, in the same queue as people with early ADRs, while CMs ticked them off a list. We just flashed our wristbands. There was no reason not to have had a separate CM just checking wristbands. What a waste of time.


----------



## LSUfan4444

Sorry if I missed it but with 62 pages, Im not able to read them all.

I read Josh's review and it made alot of sense but I am looking at January and only see one time available...7:30. Is the process for breakfast going to change with only one time available?


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

LSUfan4444 said:


> Sorry if I missed it but with 62 pages, Im not able to read them all.
> 
> I read Josh's review and it made alot of sense but I am looking at January and only see one time available...7:30. Is the process for breakfast going to change with only one time available?



It is likely that everyone will be allowed in at 7am and you will get in to TSL at 7:30am or a little earlier. Remember it is still a new event so things could change, but that seems to be how it is working. On my day, before they introduced the 7am option, the email confirmation still said that we could check in from 7am.


----------



## Jasperann

LSUfan4444 said:


> Sorry if I missed it but with 62 pages, Im not able to read them all.
> 
> I read Josh's review and it made alot of sense but I am looking at January and only see one time available...7:30. Is the process for breakfast going to change with only one time available?


Originally there was no 7am time for my date in December either, but they have added the 7am to all of them.  Granted if they were doing it because of a system issue and not enough open and they fixed that for January then it may only say 7:30, but the e-mail said check in is at 7am, so they may let people in at that time to spread out the crowd a bit.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

BTW, I wouldn’t use this as an accurate guest count for DHS EMM since no one really knows for sure, but my DS8 was quick to point out to me the sign in the Commissary near the entrance that says max capacity for the building is 600 people. 

Of course not everyone at EMM is in that space all at once so it’s not directly connected, but I thought it was interesting none the less. And even more interesting that an 8 year old randomly pointed it out to me!


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

GADisneyDad14 said:


> BTW, I wouldn’t use this as an accurate guest count for DHS EMM since no one really knows for sure, but my DS8 was quick to point out to me the sign in the Commissary near the entrance that says max capacity for the building is 600 people.
> 
> Of course not everyone at EMM is in that space all at once so it’s not directly connected, but I thought it was interesting none the less. And even more interesting that an 8 year old randomly pointed it out to me!



I could easily believe there were 600 people at EMM on Monday. And probably 10 times that who came in at Rope Drop!


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Tigger in a kilt said:


> I could easily believe there were 600 people at EMM on Monday. And probably 10 times that who came in at Rope Drop!



Yeah, I could too actually.  It is SO hard to estimate guest counts, but it seems like it could be close to my untrained eye. 

Wish I had known you were there Monday.  I guess in retrospect we should have done a DIS meetup that morning!


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Yeah, I could too actually.  It is SO hard to estimate guest counts, but it seems like it could be close to my untrained eye.
> 
> Wish I had known you were there Monday.  I guess in retrospect we should have done a DIS meetup that morning!



That would have been fun! I think there were about 5 of us there from this thread. I may have seen Angie too, but I didn’t want to stop a random person and ask if I knew them from the internet!


----------



## kat_lh

Tigger in a kilt said:


> That would have been fun! I think there were about 5 of us there from this thread. I may have seen Angie too, but I didn’t want to stop a random person and ask if I knew them from the internet!


I think I saw you sitting at the restaurant at the end of the event but didn’t want to be weird either!  Turns out, we were right behind @GADisneyDad14 in line for SDD!


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

kat_lh said:


> I think I saw you sitting at the restaurant at the end of the event but didn’t want to be weird either!  Turns out, we were right behind @GADisneyDad14 in line for SDD!



I was in the restaurant, right beside the buffets on the right hand side, at the end of the event so you may well have seen me! You should have said hello, though I totally agree that’s it’s hard to approach someone in those circumstances without feeling like a creep. 

I did keep an eye out for you, but I didn’t see/recognise you.

We definitely should have had a Dis meet-up!


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Tigger in a kilt said:


> That would have been fun! I think there were about 5 of us there from this thread. I may have seen Angie too, but I didn’t want to stop a random person and ask if I knew them from the internet!



Well... I stopped a random person from the Internet (@kat_lh) but that's because we were waiting in an 8 minute SDD line, turns out she and her fam were right behind us, and I recognized her daughter's big bow on her shirt from a pic that AM.  Figured I should at least say hi!  

I did see @AngiTN there too.  

@Tigger in a kilt - you didn't happen to be at AKL did you?  DW met some folks there from Scotland before I arrived and said they were a hoot.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

*THREAD UPDATE....*

Did some major housekeeping to Posts #1-3 now that we have more complete info, experiences coming in, etc.  I need to spend some more time on the FAQ part about the dual time slots and arrival logistics, but it's late and I'm tired!  Will get to that soon.

A couple of notes:

*Post #1* is meant to be a FAQ / event description post.  You'll find basic event info and answers to frequently asked questions here.  Always happy to add info, so please let me know if you see anything that seems off or should be added to help future DISers.

*Post #2* is a current/historic date post.  I usually update this shortly after new dates come out.  This will help down the road when we have a longer-term track record of dates.

*Post #3* is a "DISer Review" link post.  I have gone back through and added links to every post that includes a review of the event (it is interesting to read them all in one sitting, by the way).  There is so much valuable information in all of our posts, this is meant to be an easy resource to click through and find helpful reviews without having to filter through 100s of posts on this thread.

Lastly, THANK YOU to everyone for contributing to this thread.  It's always half exciting and half nerve-racking when Disney creates new offerings and we all try to figure out if they are a good fit for our individual touring styles and budgets.  I very much appreciate all of the contributions.


----------



## cocofan

After reading on here about the mears taxi, I went ahead and booked them for 6:25 am pick up. We are staying at POFQ. Do you think that is early enough to be there and at the turnstiles right around 7 when they start letting people in?


----------



## LSUfan4444

Tigger in a kilt said:


> It is likely that everyone will be allowed in at 7am and you will get in to TSL at 7:30am or a little earlier. Remember it is still a new event so things could change, but that seems to be how it is working. On my day, before they introduced the 7am option, the email confirmation still said that we could check in from 7am.


Thanks...thats what I was figuring. Since they let the 7:30 reservations arrive whenever I figured they would just let everyone in at the same time and give everyone the same reservation time.  

Our primary goal is SDD and to free up another evening where we would likely need to hang around until park close so I think our plan will be to arrive just before 7am, grab something quick to eat then line up by the theater. Luckily we've been able to meet Woody & Jesse numerous times before so I don't think that is a high priority for us and Buzz has never been an interest. Just before the RD crowd arrives we will make our way down to Hollywood Blvd and knock those out for a couple of rides on each and make sure we are back eating the main breakfast entree's about 9:45/9:50 or so. After that, catch Star Tours via standby then hop to another park and arrive there about 11 am.


----------



## disneyworldsk

I am also going from pofq nov. 7th. Where does the mears drop you off: is it significantly closer to the entrance then the bus?


----------



## dachsie

GADisneyDad14 said:


> *THREAD UPDATE....*
> 
> Did some major housekeeping to Posts #1-3 now that we have more complete info, experiences coming in, etc.  I need to spend some more time on the FAQ part about the dual time slots and arrival logistics, but it's late and I'm tired!  Will get to that soon.
> 
> A couple of notes:
> 
> *Post #1* is meant to be a FAQ / event description post.  You'll find basic event info and answers to frequently asked questions here.  Always happy to add info, so please let me know if you see anything that seems off or should be added to help future DISers.
> 
> *Post #2* is a current/historic date post.  I usually update this shortly after new dates come out.  This will help down the road when we have a longer-term track record of dates.
> 
> *Post #3* is a "DISer Review" link post.  I have gone back through and added links to every post that includes a review of the event (it is interesting to read them all in one sitting, by the way).  There is so much valuable information in all of our posts, this is meant to be an easy resource to click through and find helpful reviews without having to filter through 100s of posts on this thread.
> 
> Lastly, THANK YOU to everyone for contributing to this thread.  It's always half exciting and half nerve-racking when Disney creates new offerings and we all try to figure out if they are a good fit for our individual touring styles and budgets.  I very much appreciate all of the contributions.


@GADisneyDad14 You da Bomb!    Thank you for all your hard work.


----------



## masylimed

disneyworldsk said:


> I am also going from pofq nov. 7th. Where does the mears drop you off: is it significantly closer to the entrance then the bus?



I'm curious about this as well.  I haven't been to HS since the drop off revamping and not sure how much time to allow from the drop off locations to check in.


----------



## SaintsManiac

disneyworldsk said:


> I am also going from pofq nov. 7th. Where does the mears drop you off: is it significantly closer to the entrance then the bus?





masylimed said:


> I'm curious about this as well.  I haven't been to HS since the drop off revamping and not sure how much time to allow from the drop off locations to check in.




You should allow 10 minutes to get you to the entrance regardless of the transportation you choose to get there. That should give you plenty of time.

We took Lyft for the AP event and it is not really much of a shorter walk from the bus stops.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

disneyworldsk said:


> I am also going from pofq nov. 7th. Where does the mears drop you off: is it significantly closer to the entrance then the bus?





masylimed said:


> I'm curious about this as well.  I haven't been to HS since the drop off revamping and not sure how much time to allow from the drop off locations to check in.



Big caveat that the whole front area is a construction zone and these exact details could change at any time, but this post from way upthread should help with a current visual:  https://www.disboards.com/threads/d...019-dates-added.3701980/page-39#post-59773649


----------



## BissyBobbitiBoo

I'm new to the boards (first post!). My husband and I have EMM in TSL booked for our first morning of our trip. We go to WDW usually once a year, so I was hoping for a new, relaxing experience for our first time in TSL. While I do think this event will give us more space and leisure, I am quite frustrated that Disney, once again, started to oversell another event. I feel like they had the media event, marketing this empty land, and as soon as those reviews went out, they increased the guest count. I was hoping to ride SDD around 7 times, plus a few times on the other two rides. Not as interested in meet and greets. After Josh's review, I was a bit let down. Realistically, I feel like I should expect to ride SDD 3-4x, Alien swirling saucers 1x, and MAYBE TSMM 1-2x--but even that seems like a stretch at this point. Anxiously waiting to read more reviews. I'm really scared that this event won't be worth it. But I guess no matter what, we love Disney, are crazy excited for this new land, and will enjoy every minute. Just wish the the event was truly "empty" as it was advertised.


----------



## LSUfan4444

BissyBobbitiBoo said:


> I'm really scared that this event won't be worth it.



I think only viewing the cost of the event as being worth it by how many times you experience a specific attraction might be the wrong way to put a value on it. You're going to get multiple rides on some of the most popular attractions with a very minimal weight and that definitely has value and is what most people are paying for. The breakfast certainly has value as well. Josh mentions a part of this but I think where the value really kicks in is that it free up the rest of your HS day. Quite frankly, with so little do actually do in this park right now HS has become a park most people can experience in less than a half a day now so now you have more time in other parks (or resorts, water park, etc). Additionally, no need to worry about getting SDD FP+....you won't need them so direct that attention to FOP or 7DMNT, etc. The value of the EMM really starts to add up once you factor in all the flexibility it gives you through the rest of your trip, IMO.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

LSUfan4444 said:


> I think only viewing the cost of the event as being worth it by how many times you experience a specific attraction might be the wrong way to put a value on it. You're going to get multiple rides on some of the most popular attractions with a very minimal weight and that definitely has value and is what most people are paying for. The breakfast certainly has value as well. Josh mentions a part of this but I think where the value really kicks in is that it free up the rest of your HS day. Quite frankly, with so little do actually do in this park right now HS has become a park most people can experience in less than a half a day now so now you have more time in other parks (or resorts, water park, etc). Additionally, no need to worry about getting SDD FP+....you won't need them so direct that attention to FOP or 7DMNT, etc. The value of the EMM really starts to add up once you factor in all the flexibility it gives you through the rest of your trip, IMO.



Obviously “value” is a very personal decision, but very much agree.  Great points made here.


----------



## grinner

LSUfan4444 said:


> I think only viewing the cost of the event as being worth it by how many times you experience a specific attraction might be the wrong way to put a value on it. You're going to get multiple rides on some of the most popular attractions with a very minimal weight and that definitely has value and is what most people are paying for. The breakfast certainly has value as well. Josh mentions a part of this but I think where the value really kicks in is that it free up the rest of your HS day. Quite frankly, with so little do actually do in this park right now HS has become a park most people can experience in less than a half a day now so now you have more time in other parks (or resorts, water park, etc). Additionally, no need to worry about getting SDD FP+....you won't need them so direct that attention to FOP or 7DMNT, etc. The value of the EMM really starts to add up once you factor in all the flexibility it gives you through the rest of your trip, IMO.





GADisneyDad14 said:


> Obviously “value” is a very personal decision, but very much agree.  Great points made here.



I agree with this too. We're doing both EMM at TSL and at MK, and honestly one of the biggest benefits to me is not having to worry about getting fastpasses for those attractions, and being able to devote my three for those days to other rides. We're only at WDW for 6 full days, so we don't have the luxury of going to every park multiple times. Also, my partner doesn't like crowds or heat particularly (I realise both crowds and heat are unavoidable at WDW obviously!) so if we can get these high-value attractions done when it's cooler first thing in the morning, and when the crowds are less than normal, then that's a massive win for me.


----------



## BissyBobbitiBoo

LSUfan4444 said:


> I think only viewing the cost of the event as being worth it by how many times you experience a specific attraction might be the wrong way to put a value on it. You're going to get multiple rides on some of the most popular attractions with a very minimal weight and that definitely has value and is what most people are paying for. The breakfast certainly has value as well. Josh mentions a part of this but I think where the value really kicks in is that it free up the rest of your HS day. Quite frankly, with so little do actually do in this park right now HS has become a park most people can experience in less than a half a day now so now you have more time in other parks (or resorts, water park, etc). Additionally, no need to worry about getting SDD FP+....you won't need them so direct that attention to FOP or 7DMNT, etc. The value of the EMM really starts to add up once you factor in all the flexibility it gives you through the rest of your trip, IMO.



I completely agree with you, and believe me, if I didn’t see that advantage to the event I would cancel. But that won’t happen haha! I want to soak up as much of this land as possible with minimal crowds! We are both so excited for this experience, so I apologize if I came across as negative. I am just disappointed that they increased the ticket numbers to saturate the event, just to get more money. That’s all. 

I am so grateful for everyone on these boards posting their experiences with this and many other events so I can get a better idea of what to expect. We have 3 full days in the park, so freeing up our time by going to the EMM TSL is critical. MK EMM is the morning we leave, and I’m trying to win any contest or lottery I can so I can fork up another $168 plus two extra park tickets (roughly $475).


----------



## SaintsManiac

LSUfan4444 said:


> I think only viewing the cost of the event as being worth it by how many times you experience a specific attraction might be the wrong way to put a value on it. You're going to get multiple rides on some of the most popular attractions with a very minimal weight and that definitely has value and is what most people are paying for. The breakfast certainly has value as well. Josh mentions a part of this but I think where the value really kicks in is that it free up the rest of your HS day. Quite frankly, with so little do actually do in this park right now HS has become a park most people can experience in less than a half a day now so now you have more time in other parks (or resorts, water park, etc). Additionally, no need to worry about getting SDD FP+....you won't need them so direct that attention to FOP or 7DMNT, etc. The value of the EMM really starts to add up once you factor in all the flexibility it gives you through the rest of your trip, IMO.





This x 1000.


----------



## Lisa F

BissyBobbitiBoo said:


> I completely agree with you, and believe me, if I didn’t see that advantage to the event I would cancel. But that won’t happen haha! I want to soak up as much of this land as possible with minimal crowds! We are both so excited for this experience, so I apologize if I came across as negative. I am just disappointed that they increased the ticket numbers to saturate the event, just to get more money. That’s all.
> 
> I am so grateful for everyone on these boards posting their experiences with this and many other events so I can get a better idea of what to expect. We have 3 full days in the park, so freeing up our time by going to the EMM TSL is critical. MK EMM is the morning we leave, and I’m trying to win any contest or lottery I can so I can fork up another $168 plus two extra park tickets (roughly $475).



I think a lot of people are disappointed by the numbers.  The question is whether the value is there for you or not - it's a very personal decision.  I think people are not criticizing your disappointment, just sharing a different way to look at value than "this event cost $x per ride."  I certainly am looking at the overall whole experience and not putting a $$ value per ride.


----------



## grinner

Lisa F said:


> I think a lot of people are disappointed by the numbers.  The question is whether the value is there for you or not - it's a very personal decision.  I think people are not criticizing your disappointment, just sharing a different way to look at value than "this event cost $x per ride."  I certainly am looking at the overall whole experience and not putting a $$ value per ride.



Yep definitely, I'm disappointed to hear that the numbers are higher than people expected but for us it's still worth it  I definitely didn't mean to sound like I was criticising, sorry if it came across like that!


----------



## kat_lh

We're home now (sob) and here's my full TSL EMM review with pictures.  It was our family of five, me, hubs, and three kiddos - 10, 8 and 4.  Everyone was tall enough to ride everything and our priorities were to ride TSMM and AS2 at least once, a few rides on SDD and meet Buzz.

To start, this was our third time at HS this trip.  We went to the Star Wars dessert party on Friday night (10/5), attended EMH on Sunday (10/7) and did EMM on Monday (10/8, a semi-holiday with holiday level crowds.)  Touring Plans predicted a 7/10 and saw a 10/10. There was also MNSSHP at MK that day probably pushing visitors to other parks.  So let's just say, it was pretty darn crowded.  We didn't have a chance to observe TSL crowds on Friday as we were focused on the dessert party.  On our EMH morning (Sunday, 10/7), my husband took our son to JTA sign ups and my girls and I rode TOT so we purposely avoided TSL knowing that we had this even coming up.  At about 8:45, my girls and I headed to get in line to meet Chewie and the line for SDD was already out of the arches leading into TSL.  Sunday afternoon, we made the mistake of trying to have lunch at Woody's lunch box and ended up eating off the top of trash cans because there was absolutely no seating to be found in TSL.  What I'm getting at with all of this is that TSL is crowded.  Always.  And this event is really the only way to avoid it.  So it might be oversold but it's still no where near what you're going to find on a regular day.

This was an event with both entrance times and I moved our original 7:30 to 7:00 but as we've seen, there's no difference between the two times at all.

We left Wilderness Lodge at 6:28 (first bus on the app was at 6:01 so no problems there!).  The bus went by the Contemporary before going to HS and we were the only folks on the bus the whole trip.  We arrived at HS at 6:50, at the entrance at 6:57 and had our wristbands on by 7:01.  Everyone was very friendly and it was quite a festive atmosphere.  I think there may have been some PPO folks in the mix but almost everyone seemed to be there for the EMM.






Main Street was practically empty - it was a super fun experience.

We were all herded in the direction of ABC and told TSL would open at 7:30.  However, some people were just hanging out in front of the Chinese Theater so they won't force you to go to eat.  And TSL seems to open a few minutes before 7:30 so if it's important to you to be there literally first, don't wait until 7:30 to leave the restaurant.

When we checked in,the CM told us just to leave our wristbands on until 9, but I knew better.  Listening to chatter around us in lines and at the tables, many people thought they* had* to eat between 7:00-7:30 which is not the case.

The lines for hot entrees were long but not for the buffets.  We grabbed a few plates of pastries and a lot of coffee and took a bathroom break.






Walking into TSL at 7:31






A completely empty TSMM queue at 7:34 (they should really open up the FP line for this one)

We went and got in line for SDD at 7:44.  Posted time was 25 minutes, but it was less than 15.






Wheezy at 7:59.  This was the longest we waited for SDD.






Galaxy's Edge at 8:02






AS2 at 8:04.  They had the FP line open and no wait.  I know this ride gets knocked a lot, but we had so much fun on it!






We made sure to take advantage of the picture opportunities (earlier on we saw a photographer here but I guess s/he was roving)






Then back to SDD for as many rides as we could fit in.  We ended up riding four times, opting once or twice to wait for a dog so we could ride in the back.

Biggest complaint is that you had to walk through the long standard queue each time.  Would have been really nice and a few minutes savings if the FP line had been open.






There was no wait to meet Buzz but there was a wait for Woody & Jessie.

At 8:45, we split up.  Hubs, one daughter and son went on TSMM.  Big girl and I went to RD RNRC.

And we saw the reality of the rope drop crowd with our own eyes.  Y'all.  It's insanity.











May the odds be ever in your favor.






As you can tell, no such crowds over to see Aerosmith.

We actually beat my husband back to breakfast.  The Commissary was well stocked, maybe just two or three people at each line to order hot foods and everyone was very welcoming and friendly.  I'm not going to expound (much) on the food as that's been well covered.  We're adventurous eaters and had been up for a solid four hours at the point, so we were very pleased with the offerings of entrees and what was on the buffet. Also, for these sort of offerings, we view the food as a bonus, not as a main event, so we're not picky.

Some things they could do better - open the FP lines for SDD and TSMM.  

Cutting back on the tickets sold would be nice of course, but honestly, it didn't feel crowded to me.  There was a wait for SDD at first but there was a wait for SDMT at MK when we did this event as well, so I think those two events are fairly even.  Our family loved every minute of it and it is the highest ranked of all the paid events we did on our trip (EMM at MK, HEA dessert party, SWAGS dessert party, FOLK dining package, MNSSHP and this event.)  When we go to Disney again, if they continue to offer it, it's something we'll make sure we always do.  As others have said, it freed up our rope drop experience, freed up the rest of our day and provided so much TSL fun for us.  We weren't going to see how many times we could ride SDD but rather, to just enjoy the whole thing and fully delivered on that.


----------



## sapphirerose915

kat_lh said:


> We're home now (sob) and here's my full TSL EMM review with pictures.  It was our family of five, me, hubs, and three kiddos - 10, 8 and 4.  Everyone was tall enough to ride everything and our priorities were to ride TSMM and AS2 at least once, a few rides on SDD and meet Buzz.
> 
> To start, this was our third time at HS this trip.  We went to the Star Wars dessert party on Friday night (10/5), attended EMH on Sunday (10/7) and did EMM on Monday (10/8, a semi-holiday with holiday level crowds.)  Touring Plans predicted a 7/10 and saw a 10/10. There was also MNSSHP at MK that day probably pushing visitors to other parks.  So let's just say, it was pretty darn crowded.  We didn't have a chance to observe TSL crowds on Friday as we were focused on the dessert party.  On our EMH morning (Sunday, 10/7), my husband took our son to JTA sign ups and my girls and I rode TOT so we purposely avoided TSL knowing that we had this even coming up.  At about 8:45, my girls and I headed to get in line to meet Chewie and the line for SDD was already out of the arches leading into TSL.  Sunday afternoon, we made the mistake of trying to have lunch at Woody's lunch box and ended up eating off the top of trash cans because there was absolutely no seating to be found in TSL.  What I'm getting at with all of this is that TSL is crowded.  Always.  And this event is really the only way to avoid it.  So it might be oversold but it's still no where near what you're going to find on a regular day.
> 
> This was an event with both entrance times and I moved our original 7:30 to 7:00 but as we've seen, there's no difference between the two times at all.
> 
> We left Wilderness Lodge at 6:28 (first bus on the app was at 6:01 so no problems there!).  The bus went by the Contemporary before going to HS and we were the only folks on the bus the whole trip.  We arrived at HS at 6:50, at the entrance at 6:57 and had our wristbands on by 7:01.  Everyone was very friendly and it was quite a festive atmosphere.  I think there may have been some PPO folks in the mix but almost everyone seemed to be there for the EMM.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Main Street was practically empty - it was a super fun experience.
> 
> We were all herded in the direction of ABC and told TSL would open at 7:30.  However, some people were just hanging out in front of the Chinese Theater so they won't force you to go to eat.  And TSL seems to open a few minutes before 7:30 so if it's important to you to be there literally first, don't wait until 7:30 to leave the restaurant.
> 
> When we checked in,the CM told us just to leave our wristbands on until 9, but I knew better.  Listening to chatter around us in lines and at the tables, many people thought they* had* to eat between 7:00-7:30 which is not the case.
> 
> The lines for hot entrees were long but not for the buffets.  We grabbed a few plates of pastries and a lot of coffee and took a bathroom break.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Walking into TSL at 7:31
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> A completely empty TSMM queue at 7:34 (they should really open up the FP line for this one)
> 
> We went and got in line for SDD at 7:44.  Posted time was 25 minutes, but it was less than 15.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Wheezy at 7:59.  This was the longest we waited for SDD.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Galaxy's Edge at 8:02
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> AS2 at 8:04.  They had the FP line open and no wait.  I know this ride gets knocked a lot, but we had so much fun on it!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> We made sure to take advantage of the picture opportunities (earlier on we saw a photographer here but I guess s/he was roving)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Then back to SDD for as many rides as we could fit in.  We ended up riding four times, opting once or twice to wait for a dog so we could ride in the back.
> 
> Biggest complaint is that you had to walk through the long standard queue each time.  Would have been really nice and a few minutes savings if the FP line had been open.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> There was no wait to meet Buzz but there was a wait for Woody & Jessie.
> 
> At 8:45, we split up.  Hubs, one daughter and son went on TSMM.  Big girl and I went to RD RNRC.
> 
> And we saw the reality of the rope drop crowd with our own eyes.  Y'all.  It's insanity.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> May the odds be ever in your favor.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> As you can tell, no such crowds over to see Aerosmith.
> 
> We actually beat my husband back to breakfast.  The Commissary was well stocked, maybe just two or three people at each line to order hot foods and everyone was very welcoming and friendly.  I'm not going to expound (much) on the food as that's been well covered.  We're adventurous eaters and had been up for a solid four hours at the point, so we were very pleased with the offerings of entrees and what was on the buffet. Also, for these sort of offerings, we view the food as a bonus, not as a main event, so we're not picky.
> 
> Some things they could do better - open the FP lines for SDD and TSMM.
> 
> Cutting back on the tickets sold would be nice of course, but honestly, it didn't feel crowded to me.  There was a wait for SDD at first but there was a wait for SDMT at MK when we did this event as well, so I think those two events are fairly even.  Our family loved every minute of it and it is the highest ranked of all the paid events we did on our trip (EMM at MK, HEA dessert party, SWAGS dessert party, FOLK dining package, MNSSHP and this event.)  When we go to Disney again, if they continue to offer it, it's something we'll make sure we always do.  As others have said, it freed up our rope drop experience, freed up the rest of our day and provided so much TSL fun for us.  We weren't going to see how many times we could ride SDD but rather, to just enjoy the whole thing and fully delivered on that.



Great Review!!! Thank you so much for this!! I was starting to get a little worried!!


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## KrazeeK120

Hey, @kat_lh thanks for your review!

Perhaps an odd question, but you mention stopping in the restroom before heading to TSL. Where did you stop? I’m thinking  about making my nearly 3 year old DS try to go before we go into TSL so hopefully he won’t have to go during the event. Trying to figure out the easiest way to accomplish that.


----------



## kat_lh

KrazeeK120 said:


> Hey, @kat_lh thanks for your review!
> 
> Perhaps an odd question, but you mention stopping in the restroom before heading to TSL. Where did you stop? I’m thinking  about making my nearly 3 year old DS try to go before we go into TSL so hopefully he won’t have to go during the event. Trying to figure out the easiest way to accomplish that.



Oh I understand! We went at the restaurant. And it got crowded (at least the women’s did!) the closer to 7:30 it got so go early!


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## KrazeeK120

kat_lh said:


> Oh I understand! We went at the restaurant. And it got crowded (at least the women’s did!) the closer to 7:30 it got so go early!



I didn’t even realize there was one at the restaurant! So glad I’m on the DIS!


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## holden

KrazeeK120 said:


> Hey, @kat_lh thanks for your review!
> 
> Perhaps an odd question, but you mention stopping in the restroom before heading to TSL. Where did you stop? I’m thinking  about making my nearly 3 year old DS try to go before we go into TSL so hopefully he won’t have to go during the event. Trying to figure out the easiest way to accomplish that.



There is a bathroom on your left just before you enter TSL.


----------



## jennab

kat_lh said:


> We're home now (sob) and here's my full TSL EMM review with pictures.  It was our family of five, me, hubs, and three kiddos - 10, 8 and 4.  Everyone was tall enough to ride everything and our priorities were to ride TSMM and AS2 at least once, a few rides on SDD and meet Buzz.
> 
> To start, this was our third time at HS this trip.  We went to the Star Wars dessert party on Friday night (10/5), attended EMH on Sunday (10/7) and did EMM on Monday (10/8, a semi-holiday with holiday level crowds.)  Touring Plans predicted a 7/10 and saw a 10/10. There was also MNSSHP at MK that day probably pushing visitors to other parks.  So let's just say, it was pretty darn crowded.  We didn't have a chance to observe TSL crowds on Friday as we were focused on the dessert party.  On our EMH morning (Sunday, 10/7), my husband took our son to JTA sign ups and my girls and I rode TOT so we purposely avoided TSL knowing that we had this even coming up.  At about 8:45, my girls and I headed to get in line to meet Chewie and the line for SDD was already out of the arches leading into TSL.  Sunday afternoon, we made the mistake of trying to have lunch at Woody's lunch box and ended up eating off the top of trash cans because there was absolutely no seating to be found in TSL.  What I'm getting at with all of this is that TSL is crowded.  Always.  And this event is really the only way to avoid it.  So it might be oversold but it's still no where near what you're going to find on a regular day.
> 
> This was an event with both entrance times and I moved our original 7:30 to 7:00 but as we've seen, there's no difference between the two times at all.
> 
> We left Wilderness Lodge at 6:28 (first bus on the app was at 6:01 so no problems there!).  The bus went by the Contemporary before going to HS and we were the only folks on the bus the whole trip.  We arrived at HS at 6:50, at the entrance at 6:57 and had our wristbands on by 7:01.  Everyone was very friendly and it was quite a festive atmosphere.  I think there may have been some PPO folks in the mix but almost everyone seemed to be there for the EMM.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Main Street was practically empty - it was a super fun experience.
> 
> We were all herded in the direction of ABC and told TSL would open at 7:30.  However, some people were just hanging out in front of the Chinese Theater so they won't force you to go to eat.  And TSL seems to open a few minutes before 7:30 so if it's important to you to be there literally first, don't wait until 7:30 to leave the restaurant.
> 
> When we checked in,the CM told us just to leave our wristbands on until 9, but I knew better.  Listening to chatter around us in lines and at the tables, many people thought they* had* to eat between 7:00-7:30 which is not the case.
> 
> The lines for hot entrees were long but not for the buffets.  We grabbed a few plates of pastries and a lot of coffee and took a bathroom break.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Walking into TSL at 7:31
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> A completely empty TSMM queue at 7:34 (they should really open up the FP line for this one)
> 
> We went and got in line for SDD at 7:44.  Posted time was 25 minutes, but it was less than 15.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Wheezy at 7:59.  This was the longest we waited for SDD.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Galaxy's Edge at 8:02
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> AS2 at 8:04.  They had the FP line open and no wait.  I know this ride gets knocked a lot, but we had so much fun on it!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> We made sure to take advantage of the picture opportunities (earlier on we saw a photographer here but I guess s/he was roving)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Then back to SDD for as many rides as we could fit in.  We ended up riding four times, opting once or twice to wait for a dog so we could ride in the back.
> 
> Biggest complaint is that you had to walk through the long standard queue each time.  Would have been really nice and a few minutes savings if the FP line had been open.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> There was no wait to meet Buzz but there was a wait for Woody & Jessie.
> 
> At 8:45, we split up.  Hubs, one daughter and son went on TSMM.  Big girl and I went to RD RNRC.
> 
> And we saw the reality of the rope drop crowd with our own eyes.  Y'all.  It's insanity.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> May the odds be ever in your favor.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> As you can tell, no such crowds over to see Aerosmith.
> 
> We actually beat my husband back to breakfast.  The Commissary was well stocked, maybe just two or three people at each line to order hot foods and everyone was very welcoming and friendly.  I'm not going to expound (much) on the food as that's been well covered.  We're adventurous eaters and had been up for a solid four hours at the point, so we were very pleased with the offerings of entrees and what was on the buffet. Also, for these sort of offerings, we view the food as a bonus, not as a main event, so we're not picky.
> 
> Some things they could do better - open the FP lines for SDD and TSMM.
> 
> Cutting back on the tickets sold would be nice of course, but honestly, it didn't feel crowded to me.  There was a wait for SDD at first but there was a wait for SDMT at MK when we did this event as well, so I think those two events are fairly even.  Our family loved every minute of it and it is the highest ranked of all the paid events we did on our trip (EMM at MK, HEA dessert party, SWAGS dessert party, FOLK dining package, MNSSHP and this event.)  When we go to Disney again, if they continue to offer it, it's something we'll make sure we always do.  As others have said, it freed up our rope drop experience, freed up the rest of our day and provided so much TSL fun for us.  We weren't going to see how many times we could ride SDD but rather, to just enjoy the whole thing and fully delivered on that.




Thanks for the great review!   I wonder why they don’t open the FP lines?  Don’t they do that for MK EMM?


----------



## Jasperann

jennab said:


> Thanks for the great review!   I wonder why they don’t open the FP lines?  Don’t they do that for MK EMM?


For TSMM they have said that they wanted people to experience Mr. Potato head when someone said something about that to one of the Cast members.  Not sure how true that is though.


----------



## HRH_Cinderella

I debated about buying and now my date is sold out   Did anyone find availability closer to their dates?


----------



## grinner

HRH_Cinderella said:


> I debated about buying and now my date is sold out   Did anyone find availability closer to their dates?



Definitely keep checking, I've seen people manage to get a booking when previously it was full. I think it's like any booking at WDW, people book stuff "just in case" and then cancel when they're plans change/other things crop up. I'm going in 10 days and I managed to snag an 8.05am BOG booking a week ago, and 6.30pm California Grill booking a couple of days ago! Both have been fully booked for months but I kept checking and eventually I got them


----------



## disneyworldsk

Kat, if there's only one exit/entry, how exactly did you exit tsl while rd people were entering? ! Looks kind of impossible!


----------



## holden

disneyworldsk said:


> Kat, if there's only one exit/entry, how exactly did you exit tsl while rd people were entering? ! Looks kind of impossible!



It’s like salmon swimming upstream!


----------



## kat_lh

disneyworldsk said:


> Kat, if there's only one exit/entry, how exactly did you exit tsl while rd people were entering? ! Looks kind of impossible!



There’s a wheelchair ramp to the right as you exit. They don’t let you use it to enter TSL when there’s a line or when RD is happening but you can use it as an exit


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## kat_lh

jennab said:


> Thanks for the great review!   I wonder why they don’t open the FP lines?  Don’t they do that for MK EMM?



When we did the MK EMM they had the FP line open for Pooh and that was it. They did however, have two ropes down between poles on the SDMT queue so you could cut there without going all the way out. They didn’t open that though until the line was down.


----------



## WhitneyMB

HRH_Cinderella said:


> I debated about buying and now my date is sold out   Did anyone find availability closer to their dates?



What date were you looking for? I know for most of the dates in 2019, they only have a 7:30 entry time and it’s possible a 7:00am could still be added. Does the day your looking at fall into that category too—even if it’s not quite so far out?


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## PrincessArlena'sDad

kat_lh said:


> There’s a wheelchair ramp to the right as you exit. They don’t let you use it to enter TSL when there’s a line or when RD is happening but you can use it as an exit


What time does you get back to ABC to eat? 

I'm wondering specifically if you would have had time to ride ToT before eating. 

We'll only have 1 day at HS. If there isn't time for both rnrc and tot, I'm wondering if I'd be better off getting FP for those 2 and rd star tours, to cut back on walking up and down sunset (and star tours is right near ABC)


----------



## dachsie

PrincessArlena'sDad said:


> What time does you get back to ABC to eat?
> 
> I'm wondering specifically if you would have had time to ride ToT before eating.
> 
> We'll only have 1 day at HS. If there isn't time for both rnrc and tot, I'm wondering if I'd be better off getting FP for those 2 and rd star tours, to cut back on walking up and down sunset (and star tours is right near ABC)


Event is til 10 for food so you could run over there before you eat. @kat_lh reported she did that


----------



## kat_lh

PrincessArlena'sDad said:


> What time does you get back to ABC to eat?
> 
> I'm wondering specifically if you would have had time to ride ToT before eating.
> 
> We'll only have 1 day at HS. If there isn't time for both rnrc and tot, I'm wondering if I'd be better off getting FP for those 2 and rd star tours, to cut back on walking up and down sunset (and star tours is right near ABC)



I could have done both but for whatever reason, the TOT line was really long early on. 

We RD’d RNRC with less than 10 minutes wait, most of it walking the queue. We beat my husband who did TSMM back to ABC. We had 9:35 FP for TOT so that worked well for breakfast.

We were leaving TSL at 8:48 and in front of RNRC at 8:52. If you wanted a little more insurance time on doing both rides, leave TSL 8:40-8:45 which means you may lose one last TSL ride though. 

The walking time wasn’t that great (I took a picture of my food at 9:15) we just more decided not to do TOT because we had a FP for it and didn’t want to wait at all.


----------



## Slaggslala

kat_lh said:


> There’s a wheelchair ramp to the right as you exit. They don’t let you use it to enter TSL when there’s a line or when RD is happening but you can use it as an exit



Just wanted to check that you can use the ramp to get to tsl when emm starts. We will be traveling with my fil who is in a wheelchair.  Thanks!


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Slaggslala said:


> Just wanted to check that you can use the ramp to get to tsl when emm starts. We will be traveling with my fil who is in a wheelchair.  Thanks!



FWIW, when we lined up in front of the Chinese theater last Monday... when they let the line start moving towards TSL they made everyone take that ramp.  This was around 7:25ish.


----------



## chelynnah

I’m slowly working my way through the thread.  I’ve just booked for Feb.  The date was perfect for our already planned HS morning and takes the pressure off booking Toy Story Land FPs.  We can focus on other DHS ones.

My question is do the resort buses start early enough to get there for EMM (I’d want to be at the park around 7 for a 7:30 EMM reservation).  I’m assuming yes, but want to check as I have an ECV so if they don’t I’ll have to figure out other transport that will also carry the ECV.  Thanks.


----------



## Mambo Junkie

We are doing EMM also and are planning to get the rides at least once, meet Woody and Jessie, then around RD head to RnRC. We plan to do SW, then have fps for ToT at 10:30. Do you think it will be possible to get RnRC and SW done before breakfast is over? We also want to meet Mickey and Minnie, but I may take the kids while the others do RnRC.


----------



## Mambo Junkie

I have EMM for DHS. We are mainly doing EMM for the ease of getting to ride the attractions with very little effort (like FP scrambling/beat the crowds) and we are not the sort who need to ride multiple times. If we do, fine, but not the ruin of my day if we don't. That said, my plan is to leave TSL around 8:45 and have half the party go to RnRC while I take the kids to the M&M greet. Then Star Tours. I currently have fps for RnRC, ToT and ST, though I don't need the ST one. If I cancel everything besides ToT, I can get fps for later at MK, correct? For the girls and me, I can go ahead now and once they tap ToT, I can get them 2 more for MK? Is this a good plan, and will it work? Oh and after ST we will have breakfast. Would you also cancel ToT and try for a walk on? If I keep that one, I can still get 2 fp at MK after it's been tapped?


----------



## chelynnah

LMO429 said:


> For those of you who are worried about getting a minnie van. You can pre reserve mears online.  This way the mears driver will be waiting for you at your resort at a pre determined time and you do not have to deal with the minnie van app and possibly not getting one.  While the service and car seats are def better with minnie vans we found last trip they were hard to come by all the time.  We are staying at the beach club this trip so it's a non issue for us we plan on walking over. But for those of you stressing how you will get to HS i would def pre reserve a mears van or taxi online.  If i was at another resort this would be my plan of attack for getting there
> on time.


Can you book an accessible (I have an ECV) mears van do you know?


----------



## LMO429

chelynnah said:


> Can you book an accessible (I have an ECV) mears van do you know?


I am not sure I would call to inquire about it


----------



## Jasperann

chelynnah said:


> My question is do the resort buses start early enough to get there for EMM (I’d want to be at the park around 7 for a 7:30 EMM reservation).  I’m assuming yes, but want to check as I have an ECV so if they don’t I’ll have to figure out other transport that will also carry the ECV.  Thanks.



The resort buses have been reported to start around 6:15 for EMM.  I would get to a stop at 6am so that you have the time to load onto the bus, unload off of the bus, and then make the 10 min walk.  They have been letting people in at 7am lately and heading them to breakfast.  At 7:20 people have been held around the Chinese Theater before being walked over to TSL.



Mambo Junkie said:


> I have EMM for DHS. We are mainly doing EMM for the ease of getting to ride the attractions with very little effort (like FP scrambling/beat the crowds) and we are not the sort who need to ride multiple times. If we do, fine, but not the ruin of my day if we don't. That said, my plan is to leave TSL around 8:45 and have half the party go to RnRC while I take the kids to the M&M greet. Then Star Tours. I currently have fps for RnRC, ToT and ST, though I don't need the ST one. If I cancel everything besides ToT, I can get fps for later at MK, correct? For the girls and me, I can go ahead now and once they tap ToT, I can get them 2 more for MK? Is this a good plan, and will it work? Oh and after ST we will have breakfast. Would you also cancel ToT and try for a walk on? If I keep that one, I can still get 2 fp at MK after it's been tapped?



If you only do one FP in DHS, I am not sure you will be able to make a FP for a different park until your other two run out.  If you only make one FP for DHS you will not then be able to make two for MK when you use your first one at DHS.  You 'might' be able to make one FP for MK after using the first FP, but last time I was there it did not allow us to do a FP at another park until our first three were complete and I couldn't even cancel a FP that we were not going to use and had to wait for it to run out before making more FP's.  Although we did move it to an earlier time so it ran out faster.  

I have read a few reports of people doing RnRC and ToT stand by before breakfast so depending on the time of year and the crowd level in general it should be possible as long as neither one is down right away in the morning.  I would probably make the three FP's for Magic Kingdom if that is where you plan to spend most of your day.


----------



## Mambo Junkie

Jasperann said:


> The resort buses have been reported to start around 6:15 for EMM.  I would get to a stop at 6am so that you have the time to load onto the bus, unload off of the bus, and then make the 10 min walk.  They have been letting people in at 7am lately and heading them to breakfast.  At 7:20 people have been held around the Chinese Theater before being walked over to TSL.
> 
> 
> 
> If you only do one FP in DHS, I am not sure you will be able to make a FP for a different park until your other two run out.  If you only make one FP for DHS you will not then be able to make two for MK when you use your first one at DHS.  You 'might' be able to make one FP for MK after using the first FP, but last time I was there it did not allow us to do a FP at another park until our first three were complete and I couldn't even cancel a FP that we were not going to use and had to wait for it to run out before making more FP's.  Although we did move it to an earlier time so it ran out faster.
> 
> I have read a few reports of people doing RnRC and ToT stand by before breakfast so depending on the time of year and the crowd level in general it should be possible as long as neither one is down right away in the morning.  I would probably make the three FP's for Magic Kingdom if that is where you plan to spend most of your day.


I'm kind of leaning that way. If the 3 in our party leave TSL at 8:45, they could then hop on ToT then go over to RnRC. At least it is single rider. I can take the kids to meet M&M and then we eat breakfast? Star Tours should not be crowded yet. I hope. All I know is I want out of TSL before the RD people get there. Our goal: Ride SDD, TSMM, and Alien ride. Meet Woody and Jessie. That's it. More is a bonus. No way I can eat breakfast and do those rides, however, I feel the value is in the lower crowds and breakfast, not to mention heading for other attractions while most are either signing up for Jedi Training or TSL. Then we can do things like Beauty and the Beast and Indiana Jones at our leisure. Hopefully out by 12:00 so we can rest before the party.


----------



## Jasperann

Mambo Junkie said:


> I'm kind of leaning that way. If the 3 in our party leave TSL at 8:45, they could then hop on ToT then go over to RnRC. At least it is single rider. I can take the kids to meet M&M and then we eat breakfast? Star Tours should not be crowded yet. I hope. All I know is I want out of TSL before the RD people get there. Our goal: Ride SDD, TSMM, and Alien ride. Meet Woody and Jessie. That's it. More is a bonus. No way I can eat breakfast and do those rides, however, I feel the value is in the lower crowds and breakfast, not to mention heading for other attractions while most are either signing up for Jedi Training or TSL. Then we can do things like Beauty and the Beast and Indiana Jones at our leisure. Hopefully out by 12:00 so we can rest before the party.



Star Tours doesn't get more than a short wait until after 10am.  

I've never had luck with single rider with RnRC and always wait forever to get on.  I would think you would be able to do ToT and RnRC and then head back to breakfast (of course that is depending on the time of year you are there too).  It probably wouldn't work on my day which is the week before Christmas.  Although we are going to try.


----------



## RachaelA

TSmM broke down with people on it this morning. 20ish minutes people had to wait.


----------



## Jasperann

RachaelA said:


> Toy story broke down with people on it this morning. 20ish minutes people had to wait.


Oh I would be upset!!  Uncontrollable really, but that would suck.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Mambo Junkie said:


> I currently have fps for RnRC, ToT and ST, though I don't need the ST one. If I cancel everything besides ToT, I can get fps for later at MK, correct?



Yes, this is correct more or less.  The key is to not pre-book all three.  If you pre-book all three then you need to use them/let them expire before booking FPs at another park.  But if you only pre-book one or two, once you scan the first you can book a FP at another park (obviously subject to availability at that moment in time).

Here is a link to the FP sticky with more info:  https://www.disboards.com/threads/f...ing-anytime-fps-cl-fps.3538258/#post-56320829

Hope that helps!


----------



## RachaelA

Jasperann said:


> Oh I would be upset!!  Uncontrollable really, but that would suck.


Combine that with 15 minute SDD waits and long character waits it’s obvious Disney is overselling this.


----------



## bebec22

I was planning on booking this for my trip in February but the more I think about it and the more reviews I read, the less I think it will be worth it.  I do not have a HS day planned for this trip but my son said he wanted to ride Slinky Dog so I thought this event would be the perfect way for him to ride but be able to save our 3 FP's for another park.  

I'm really still on the fence.  We did the MK EMM in July and loved it so I'm thinking we may do that again, especially since it's been expanded.  Plus we're staying at BLT so transportation hang ups won't be an issue. Of course, we could always do both I suppose.  We have AP's so spending $$ on events like this is a little more tolerable. Decisions, decisions...


----------



## cpdisney

I've read many of these pages, but not all 65, can you direct me to where I'd find info on recent reviews and strategies that make sense for this event? Planning on July trip with boys age 7 &. 4 yrs old.  Hoping to ride TSL rides multiple times, sign up for Jedi training, enjoy breakfast.  Is that too ambitious?


----------



## GADisneyDad14

cpdisney said:


> I've read many of these pages, but not all 65, can you direct me to where I'd find info on recent reviews and strategies that make sense for this event? Planning on July trip with boys age 7 &. 4 yrs old.  Hoping to ride TSL rides multiple times, sign up for Jedi training, enjoy breakfast.  Is that too ambitious?



I would read through the reviews linked on Post #3 of this thread.  The event is very new and we’re still digesting strategies, timing, crowd levels, etc.  But the experience posts so far (particularly the ones 10/1+) will help get a feel for how people are approaching things.


----------



## cpdisney

GADisneyDad14 said:


> I would read through the reviews linked on Post #3 of this thread.  The event is very new and we’re still digesting strategies, timing, crowd levels, etc.  But the experience posts so far (particularly the ones 10/1+) will help get a feel for how people are approaching things.


----------



## cpdisney

Thanks for your help


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

kat_lh said:


> I could have done both but for whatever reason, the TOT line was really long early on.
> 
> We RD’d RNRC with less than 10 minutes wait, most of it walking the queue. We beat my husband who did TSMM back to ABC. We had 9:35 FP for TOT so that worked well for breakfast.
> 
> We were leaving TSL at 8:48 and in front of RNRC at 8:52. If you wanted a little more insurance time on doing both rides, leave TSL 8:40-8:45 which means you may lose one last TSL ride though.
> 
> The walking time wasn’t that great (I took a picture of my food at 9:15) we just more decided not to do TOT because we had a FP for it and didn’t want to wait at all.


Thanks. You gave us lots to think about. Our potential party date is Monday July 1. So, it will be a packed day. 

I guess if we rd rnrc and tot, and fp star tours, is the extra FP we could choose worth having to hustle a bit to make breakfast. 

If by some chance Mickey rr is open by then, the answer will be yes (assuming we could get a fp for it at 60+1). 

Then again, maybe Mickey rr will become part of emm.


----------



## jsmla

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Yes, this is correct more or less.  The key is to not pre-book all three.  If you pre-book all three then you need to use them/let them expire before booking FPs at another park.  But if you only pre-book one or two, once you use them you can book a FP at another park (obviously subject to availability at that moment in time).
> 
> Here is a link to the FP sticky with more info:  https://www.disboards.com/threads/f...ing-anytime-fps-cl-fps.3538258/#post-56320829
> 
> Hope that helps!


Thank you so much for this, I had no idea!


----------



## CarolynFH

DH and I attended this morning (10/15).  We drove in from offsite so parked and made the long walk in, but cleared security quickly and were through the gates around 6:50. We were not the first, by a long shot! We were guided to the Commissary and enjoyed breakfast — my shrimp & grits were a little salty but fine otherwise, and DH liked the chilaquiles. About 7:20 we joined the group in front of the theater and shortly afterwards followed everyone in to TSL. We had ridden SDD last night at closing (thanks for that tip, DIS!) so we headed to AS2 first then SDD. We took advantage of the ice water provided outside of Woody’s Lunchbox (it was so humid that the air was heavy to breathe and made us old folks move s-l-o-w-l-y) then tried to ride TSM but it was down so we did SDD twice more followed by more ice water and finally TSM. By that time it was just after 9, so we headed out of what had become a much more crowded TSL. In addition to our 3 rides on SDD and one each on AS2 and TSM, we had photos taken in front of each ride (but didn’t meet any characters).

All in all we enjoyed it and were happy we had taken advantage of the opportunity. Since we couldn’t book FPs for this trip until 30 days out, we had not been able to get one for SDD. Now we’ve ridden it 4 times and AS2 once, we’re content to concentrate on other attractions the rest of the week. We might have done more if it hadn’t been so oppressively hot and humid and we had been able to move more quickly!


----------



## disneyworldsk

CarolynFH said:


> DH and I attended this morning (10/15).  We drove in from offsite so parked and made the long walk in, but cleared security quickly and were through the gates around 6:50. We were not the first, by a long shot! We were guided to the Commissary and enjoyed breakfast — my shrimp & grits were a little salty but fine otherwise, and DH liked the chilaquiles. About 7:20 we joined the group in front of the theater and shortly afterwards followed everyone in to TSL. We had ridden SDD last night at closing (thanks for that tip, DIS!) so we headed to AS2 first then SDD. We took advantage of the ice water provided outside of Woody’s Lunchbox (it was so humid that the air was heavy to breathe and made us old folks move s-l-o-w-l-y) then tried to ride TSM but it was down so we did SDD twice more followed by more ice water and finally TSM. By that time it was just after 9, so we headed out of what had become a much more crowded TSL. In addition to our 3 rides on SDD and one each on AS2 and TSM, we had photos taken in front of each ride (but didn’t meet any characters).
> 
> All in all we enjoyed it and were happy we had taken advantage of the opportunity. Since we couldn’t book FPs for this trip until 30 days out, we had not been able to get one for SDD. Now we’ve ridden it 4 times and AS2 once, we’re content to concentrate on other attractions the rest of the week. We might have done more if it hadn’t been so oppressively hot and humid and we had been able to move more quickly!


If an attraction breaks down do they compensate somehow for emm? like a magical fp for later on or something?


----------



## WaterLinds

CarolynFH said:


> DH and I attended this morning (10/15).  We drove in from offsite so parked and made the long walk in, but cleared security quickly and were through the gates around 6:50. We were not the first, by a long shot! We were guided to the Commissary and enjoyed breakfast — my shrimp & grits were a little salty but fine otherwise, and DH liked the chilaquiles. About 7:20 we joined the group in front of the theater and shortly afterwards followed everyone in to TSL. We had ridden SDD last night at closing (thanks for that tip, DIS!) so we headed to AS2 first then SDD. We took advantage of the ice water provided outside of Woody’s Lunchbox (it was so humid that the air was heavy to breathe and made us old folks move s-l-o-w-l-y) then tried to ride TSM but it was down so we did SDD twice more followed by more ice water and finally TSM. By that time it was just after 9, so we headed out of what had become a much more crowded TSL. In addition to our 3 rides on SDD and one each on AS2 and TSM, we had photos taken in front of each ride (but didn’t meet any characters).



Thanks for your review! Every experience shared helps those of us trying to decide if it’s right for our trips.

How long did the SDD lines get when TSM was down? Did they offer people FPs or anything as a result of the closure? I guess everyone still likely had a chance to ride everything, just not as many chances as they might have expected, but TSM being closed for roughly 1/4 of the available ride time has to have been disappointing.


----------



## Mambo Junkie

I've been trying to read through but I'm trying to pack so I'll just ask: What is the last possible time you can get in linr for breakfast?


----------



## GADisneyDad14

disneyworldsk said:


> If an attraction breaks down do they compensate somehow for emm? like a magical fp for later on or something?



For MK EMM, just for context, if a ride has been down for an extended period during EMM the default resolution has been unlimited FP line access through noon (you just show your wristband to the FP CM).  This works well for some folks but not so well for others who may have other plans or may plan to park hop afterwards.

TBD what will happen with TSL EMM, they may do things differently than MK.  Unfortunately, and while rare, ride break downs will occasionally happen at EMM over time.


----------



## gatechfan99

We did the EMM this morning and thought I’d pass along the details and timeframe.

-Drove in and parked in the lot around 6:55
-Navigated through parking lot and bag check with 3 kids and were in Park about 7:05.
-As others have said, they told us to go to ABC but we noticed group of around 10 waiting to the left of the Chinese Theater so we stopped there.
-After about a minute, group was released to go forward to closer to right edge of Chinese Theater and held there. Based on photo on my phone, it was probably about 7:09. We had stroller so we were on left side of the pack to use the ramp to TSL instead of steps.
-Around 7:20 the CMs started slow rope drop line walk to TSL. We made it to SDD and were about 20th in line.
-They didn’t actually start loading the ride until 7:30 so we waited there a few minutes.
-When it started moving we hardly stopped until we loaded on.
-After riding, the crowd looked big so we went to Alien Saucers and then TSM. Both were essentially walk-on.
-We then decided to do SDD until EMM was over starting right around 8:00. The first repeat ride was definitely the longest wait, probably around 15 minutes. Each time the wait was less and the last couple of times were almost walk-on again. Did it 5 times in a row.
-After the last time, it was probably around 8:45. We went and got some of the free water and a photo pass picture. We then saw the regular crowd storming to SDD.
-Then we decided to go do TSM one more time and were still allowed on before regular crowd already lined up.
-Finally we went after all this to ABC and breakfast. My wife tried shrimp and grits along with chicken and donuts. She said both were ok, but liked chicken the best. Kids and I just did the pastries, cereal, and juice, but I also got a Powerade from the soda fountain to go.

All in all, I’ll give it high reviews. Definitely more people than I thought, but waits were still on with everything close to walk-on except about half the time at SDD. Made the rest of our day easier as well by having TSL done by 9:00


----------



## CarolynFH

disneyworldsk said:


> If an attraction breaks down do they compensate somehow for emm? like a magical fp for later on or something?



When we first tried to ride TSM, two CMs outside told us it was down but that they hoped it would be back up soon. We went off to ride SDD a couple of times more, and TSM was working when we tried again. So no need for special FPs or other compensation today. 

OTOH, we left TSL planning to ride Tower and RnR and then leave DHS. Tower wasn’t going to open until 9:30 so we got in the standby line for RnR. Ten minutes later came an announcement that it too was down and telling everyone to leave! I wish we could have gotten special FPs for that!


----------



## WaterLinds

CarolynFH said:


> When we first tried to ride TSM, two CMs outside told us it was down but that they hoped it would be back up soon. We went off to ride SDD a couple of times more, and TSM was working when we tried again. So no need for special FPs or other compensation today.
> 
> OTOH, we left TSL planning to ride Tower and RnR and then leave DHS. Tower wasn’t going to open until 9:30 so we got in the standby line for RnR. Ten minutes later came an announcement that it too was down and telling everyone to leave! I wish we could have gotten special FPs for that!



Oh man, that’s a tough day! Especially when so many people have noted that a big part of the value of EMM is being able to get all the DHS rides done early without burning FPs.


----------



## chelynnah

Mambo Junkie said:


> I have EMM for DHS. We are mainly doing EMM for the ease of getting to ride the attractions with very little effort (like FP scrambling/beat the crowds) and we are not the sort who need to ride multiple times. If we do, fine, but not the ruin of my day if we don't. That said, my plan is to leave TSL around 8:45 and have half the party go to RnRC while I take the kids to the M&M greet. Then Star Tours. I currently have fps for RnRC, ToT and ST, though I don't need the ST one. If I cancel everything besides ToT, I can get fps for later at MK, correct? For the girls and me, I can go ahead now and once they tap ToT, I can get them 2 more for MK? Is this a good plan, and will it work? Oh and after ST we will have breakfast. Would you also cancel ToT and try for a walk on? If I keep that one, I can still get 2 fp at MK after it's been tapped?


Yes, you can just use one FP in HS and once you’ve tapped into it you can then make 2 more FPs for a different park.  It changed in early 2017 to allow this.  What you can’t do is book for 2 different parks at the same time.


----------



## Jasperann

chelynnah said:


> Yes, you can just use one FP in HS and once you’ve tapped into it you can then make 2 more FPs for a different park.  It changed in early 2017 to allow this.  What you can’t do is book for 2 different parks at the same time.



This is awesome!!  Can you point me to a place I can read about this?  I can't seem to find anything and it is a change since we last went.


----------



## DisneyandBeerLover

Booked ours for February 4!!


----------



## chelynnah

Jasperann said:


> This is awesome!!  Can you point me to a place I can read about this?  I can't seem to find anything and it is a change since we last went.


From FP FAQ thread
https://www.disboards.com/threads/f...ing-anytime-fps-cl-fps.3538258/#post-56320829


----------



## dachsie

bebec22 said:


> I was planning on booking this for my trip in February but the more I think about it and the more reviews I read, the less I think it will be worth it.  I do not have a HS day planned for this trip but my son said he wanted to ride Slinky Dog so I thought this event would be the perfect way for him to ride but be able to save our 3 FP's for another park.
> 
> I'm really still on the fence.  We did the MK EMM in July and loved it so I'm thinking we may do that again, especially since it's been expanded.  Plus we're staying at BLT so transportation hang ups won't be an issue. Of course, we could always do both I suppose.  We have AP's so spending $$ on events like this is a little more tolerable. Decisions, decisions...


If your son really wants to do this, then I would do it.  You will get to ride SDD several times whereas if you just RD or use a day with FP you would only ride it once, maybe twice if you wanted to stand in a long line.


----------



## Mambo Junkie

dachsie said:


> If your son really wants to do this, then I would do it.  You will get to ride SDD several times whereas if you just RD or use a day with FP you would only ride it once, maybe twice if you wanted to stand in a long line.


Yes, this was a must do for my grandkids and when my window opened there were no SDD left. So I went the easy route and focused on FOP and 7DMT


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Thank you to @CarolynFH and @gatechfan99 for checking in with your reviews from this morning.

Links added to *Post #3*.


----------



## Mambo Junkie

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Thank you to @CarolynFH and @gatechfan99 for checking in with your reviews from this morning.
> 
> Links added to *Post #3*.


Thanks for the reports! If you go to ABC at 10 minutes before 10:00, will you still be served? Thanks!


----------



## djc9699

We have this planned for Dec 17th. What is ABC Commissary close to? We have never eaten quick serve at HS and even though we have been in the park at least 30 times I cannot picture it. I know where all the attractions and table services are so if someone can tell me what it is close to, I will have my bearings. Thanks.


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## LSUfan4444

Basically next to Sci-Fi

#29 o the map in this link

http://www.wdwinfo.com/maps/disney-hollywood-studios-map.htm


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## LSUfan4444

Mambo Junkie said:


> I've been trying to read through but I'm trying to pack so I'll just ask: What is the last possible time you can get in linr for breakfast?



I believe until 10am


----------



## Disney & ME

I wanted to weigh in with my review of our EMM event on 10/10 with a 7:00 time. 
  We decided to drive from GF, but as we got in the car I saw the HS bus drive up. By the time we parked and walked to the entrance, we ran into the bus crowds. 
  When we got in it was a bit confusing but they finally found our reservation and gave us our armbands. No difference for 7 or 7:30 reservations.
  As others have reported, we were herded towards the ABC Commissary by the CMs in front of the theatre. I even asked those CMs  and the ones in front of the restaurant if we could just head over since I didn't want breakfast before riding SDD. They said that TSL wouldn't be open until 7:30. 
  I grabbed a small danish and we looked around and then decided to try and line up. Luckily we did since as soon as we got to the theatre they started walking us over. 
  When we got there I was totally disappointed that SDD was not running. They said that it was down and they had no idea when it would be back up but to keep checking back. We had booked this event since we hadn't yet gone to TSL, and just before we got there I cancelled a SDD FP for later that afternoon (the only time I could get) since we had the EMM.
  We rode AS2 but didn't enjoy it so tried again to check on SDD. It was still down. When I was talking to a CM and mentioned we hoped it came up since we had spent the money on the event specifically for that ride. He was a bit short with me and said they hoped so too since they had to be at work at 4:30. 
  We decided to go ride TSM at around 7:40. I asked the CM out front where Woody and Jessie were and he said he was surprised they weren't out yet. The ride was a walk on with only a few people ahead of us.
  When we got off TSM SDD was finally open and already had a 20 minute wait! We waited for the ride and got right back in the same length line after getting off. While on the second ride both my sister and I started feeling motion sick so only my roommate went back on. 
  When she got off the ride we went to TSM one more time and no one was ahead of us. When we got out the rope drop crowd was already there and I think it was a 90 minute wait. 
  We really enjoyed breakfast and between us we tried all of the entrees. I will post more about that later.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Mambo Junkie said:


> Thanks for the reports! If you go to ABC at 10 minutes before 10:00, will you still be served? Thanks!



I'm trying to think if we've seen any late breakfast reports.  I believe it's just like MK EMM.... they serve up until 10am and then start cleaning up... but you're not kicked out.  You can stay/enjoy your breakfast.  

Hopefully someone who has arrived/stayed at the breakfast that late can confirm.


----------



## CarolynFH

Mambo Junkie said:


> Thanks for the reports! If you go to ABC at 10 minutes before 10:00, will you still be served? Thanks!



We didn’t go back to ABC after we finished in TSL, but the CM who took our order at 7:00 told us in a very bright and friendly tone that they’d be serving until 10 and to be sure to come back! So I’m sure they serve until then.


----------



## Maine Disney First Timer

DisneyandBeerLover said:


> Booked ours for February 4!!


We are booked for Feb 4th too!!!!!!!!!


----------



## Maine Disney First Timer

If you are staying on site and do not have your own vehicle, what is the best way for transportation? Would you rely on buses or book a minnie van? If my time is 7:30 and we plan to eat after 9am, what time should be get to HS. We would need 2 booster seats & have 3 kids.


----------



## SaintsManiac

Maine Disney First Timer said:


> If you are staying on site and do not have your own vehicle, what is the best way for transportation? Would you rely on buses or book a minnie van? If my time is 7:30 and we plan to eat after 9am, what time should be get to HS.




Lyft got us there in 15 minutes last time from the time we requested it to dropoff. I would not hesitate to use it again.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Maine Disney First Timer said:


> If you are staying on site and do not have your own vehicle, what is the best way for transportation? Would you rely on buses or book a minnie van? If my time is 7:30 and we plan to eat after 9am, what time should be get to HS.



They have been letting people in the land in the 7:20-7:30 range.  If you’re not concerned with eating before hand, I’d want to be at the front gate around 7.  That gives you 20 mins to check in, scan the tapstyle, take a few pics on an empty Hollywood Boulevard, then start lining up in front of the Chinese Theatre.


----------



## Maine Disney First Timer

SaintsManiac said:


> Lyft got us there in 15 minutes last time from the time we requested it to dropoff. I would not hesitate to use it again.


Is Lyft the same as minnie van? Also I would need two booster seats.


----------



## SaintsManiac

Maine Disney First Timer said:


> Is Lyft the same as minnie van? Also I would need two booster seats.




You can get a Minnie Van through the Lyft app. If you need boosters you would have to go with Minnie Van.


----------



## ninafeliz

Maine Disney First Timer said:


> Is Lyft the same as minnie van? Also I would need two booster seats.



Lyft runs minnie vans, but they are not the same.  If you need 2 booster seats you need a Minnie van, they carry 2 car seats/booster seats with them.  A regular lyft won't have any.  when you open the lyft app make sure you choose minnie van, not a regular lyft.  They are both options.  We love minnie vans, BTW!


----------



## GADisneyDad14

ninafeliz said:


> Lyft runs minnie vans, but they are not the same.



The only slight clarification I’d make to this is just to note that Disney runs Minnie Vans, they just have a partnership with Lyft for the technology/app to hail/find/pay for a Minnie Van.  Likely because Disney didn’t want to develop a ride-share app themselves and found it easier to partner with someone who already had the tech built out.


----------



## Maine Disney First Timer

GADisneyDad14 said:


> The only slight clarification I’d make to this is just to note that Disney runs Minnie Vans, they just have a partnership with Lyft for the technology/app to hail/find/pay for a Minnie Van.  Likely because Disney didn’t want to develop a ride-share app themselves and found it easier to partner with someone who already had the tech built out.



If you order a minnie van from the lyft app is it for a specific time to pick us up or do you just order it & wait a general amount of time for them to get there?


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Maine Disney First Timer said:


> If you order a minnie van from the lyft app is it for a specific time to pick us up or do you just order it & wait a general amount of time for them to get there?



You “order” one when you are ready to be picked up (you can’t arrange it in advance).  It will then search for available drivers.  If it connects with one, it will show you where they are on a map and an ETA to get to you. 

Sometimes with Minnie Vans demand exceeds supply, so it will spend a lot of time searching for a driver and eventually time out.  It can be a YMMV kind of thing.

We have used them a lot and have had mostly good luck, but occasionally have had trouble with availability.  It’s good to have a plan B and C in mind just in case, in my opinion.


----------



## Maine Disney First Timer

GADisneyDad14 said:


> You “order” one when you are ready to be picked up (you can’t arrange it in advance).  It will then search for available drivers.  If it connects with one, it will show you where they are on a map and an ETA to get to you.
> 
> Sometimes with Minnie Vans demand exceeds supply, so it will spend a lot of time searching for a driver and eventually time out.  It can be a YMMV kind of thing.
> 
> We have used them a lot and have had mostly good luck, but occasionally have had trouble with availability.  It’s good to have a plan B and C in mind just in case, in my opinion.



Ok thanks.  This would be for like 6:30-6:45am so I need to make sure I know what I am doing ...


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Maine Disney First Timer said:


> Ok thanks.  This would be for like 6:30-6:45am so I need to make sure I know what I am doing ...



Some folks on the thread have looked into pre-arranging Mears transportation.  I don’t know the logistics but maybe someone can chime in.  I believe you can book a time in advance and they have car seats (someone chime in if I’m wrong). 

Full reliance on Minnie Van availability at this early hour definitely adds some stress since there’s not much room for error!


----------



## HSchramm

Wondering if we should head to SDD first or hit TSM and AS2...our priority is riding as many times as possible but wondering if we should hit the other 2 first to avoid the initial rush?


----------



## GADisneyDad14

HSchramm said:


> Wondering if we should head to SDD first or hit TSM and AS2...our priority is riding as many times as possible but wondering if we should hit the other 2 first to avoid the initial rush?



To me, it depends on where in the “initial rush” you are.  We were maybe 50-70 people back in the line of folks heading into the land and went straight to SDD.  Our wait was pretty quick.  If we had been materially further back in the group that first headed into the land/SDD, I think we might have been better to do something else first then SDD later.  

But... in the rush/excitement of being there it’s really hard not to want to go straight to SDD no matter what, for us at least!


----------



## kat_lh

Regarding transportation - we were at Wilderness Lodge and the first bus went out at 6:01. We caught the second bus at 6:20ish and had plenty of time.

Because there aren’t a ton of people checking in for PPO like there are at MK the security and tap lines move very quickly. 

I think there’s plenty of time to use resort transportation and get there (barring unforeseen circumstances, etc.)


----------



## kat_lh

@Disney & ME i wouldn’t hesitate to contact guest relations about your experience.  They need a plan in place to handle down rides and at the very least, that CM was inexcusably rude.


----------



## Kdp2

It looks like Disney added more spots for a few dates, at least in November they did.  So if you've been looking at a sold out date, may be available now.  Not sure if this means they're making it even more crowded??? Hope not.


----------



## sapphirerose915

Did everyone see tjis?? Was posted on Kenny the Pirate

Toy Story Characters – Woody, Jessie and Buzz Lightyear – will wear new Christmas themed costumes in Toy Story Land this holiday season.

Beginning November 8, these beloved characters will celebrate Christmas in Toy Story land with these great new costumes.  Woody gets a holiday vest and candy cane for his holster.  Jessie will receive a red vest with peppermints while Buzz Lightyear will show off his new sparkly Santa hat.
In addition to holiday character greetings, guests visiting Toy Story Land beginning November 8, can enjoy the land’s new holiday decor, including including oversized cranberry-and-popcorn garland, a holiday card “selfie” of “Toy Story” pals, an oversized Hamm sugar cookie, Green Alien ornaments and more. The land’s attractions will also be plussed up for the season with new holiday audio or music: guests will hear sleigh bells ringing on Slinky Dog Dash, while Alien Swirling Saucers will offer two holiday tracks, plus themed lighting.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

sapphirerose915 said:


> Did everyone see tjis?? Was posted on Kenny the Pirate
> 
> Toy Story Characters – Woody, Jessie and Buzz Lightyear – will wear new Christmas themed costumes in Toy Story Land this holiday season.
> 
> Beginning November 8, these beloved characters will celebrate Christmas in Toy Story land with these great new costumes.  Woody gets a holiday vest and candy cane for his holster.  Jessie will receive a red vest with peppermints while Buzz Lightyear will show off his new sparkly Santa hat.
> In addition to holiday character greetings, guests visiting Toy Story Land beginning November 8, can enjoy the land’s new holiday decor, including including oversized cranberry-and-popcorn garland, a holiday card “selfie” of “Toy Story” pals, an oversized Hamm sugar cookie, Green Alien ornaments and more. The land’s attractions will also be plussed up for the season with new holiday audio or music: guests will hear sleigh bells ringing on Slinky Dog Dash, while Alien Swirling Saucers will offer two holiday tracks, plus themed lighting.



DHS continues to bring it for the holidays.  Love it.  

(Cursing I don’t have a holiday trip planned!)


----------



## SaintsManiac

GADisneyDad14 said:


> DHS continues to bring it for the holidays.  Love it.
> 
> (Cursing I don’t have a holiday trip planned!)




I might have thought about booking a trip in a state of desperate madness when I saw this story.


----------



## mini mouse 2

After reading a good part of this thread and the TSL thread, I think the EMM is not perfect and the breakfast is iffy at best but Disney has found another way to get money out of my wallet and the EMM is the way to go!  Buying my tickets tonight for Feb 19.  We haven't been to Disney since TSL opened and even though we will skip the characters (kids 15 & 17), I really don't want to spend half a day waiting in line to ride SDD.  Thank you to everyone for all the helpful posts!


----------



## kat_lh

mini mouse 2 said:


> We haven't been to Disney since TSL opened and even though we will skip the characters (kids 15 & 17), I really don't want to spend half a day waiting in line to ride SDD.  Thank you to everyone for all the helpful posts!



Don’t discount the characters! Buzz is a fun one!


----------



## mini mouse 2

kat_lh said:


> Don’t discount the characters! Buzz is a fun one!


You are exactly right!  Just when I think they only want rides and have outgrown the characters, they will want to get a picture with Buzz!


----------



## Jasperann

mini mouse 2 said:


> We haven't been to Disney since TSL opened and even though we will skip the characters (kids 15 & 17), I really don't want to spend half a day waiting in line to ride SDD.  Thank you to everyone for all the helpful posts!



Although, I have said we are not doing the characters as well... one of my girls (15 now) may insist on meeting them to get Selfie's.  If that happens I need a plan of attack.    That an we are doing it in December and if Buzz is in a Santa hat, I may insist.


----------



## RachaelA

Kdp2 said:


> It looks like Disney added more spots for a few dates, at least in November they did.  So if you've been looking at a sold out date, may be available now.  Not sure if this means they're making it even more crowded??? Hope not.


If they did, that’s straight up ridiculous. Come on, Disney! 10-20 minute waits for SDD before adding more.


----------



## disneyworldsk

I just don't understand why if a ride is down (which has been reported twice now) they are not compensating for this. Do you have to ask? and by compensate I mean fps for that attraction that was down.  not money back.


----------



## Nferk

RachaelA said:


> If they did, that’s straight up ridiculous. Come on, Disney! 10-20 minute waits for SDD before adding more.


I also noticed this with my November date. A few weeks ago both the 7am and 730 slots were sold out. Today though I’m able to go on and buy tickets for 10 people if I wanted. Not sure if it’s people canceling or more tickets being sold


----------



## ninafeliz

Nferk said:


> I also noticed this with my November date. A few weeks ago both the 7am and 730 slots were sold out. Today though I’m able to go on and buy tickets for 10 people if I wanted. Not sure if it’s people canceling or more tickets being sold



If there were something like 1-4 openings I would say people cancelled.  This is sounding suspicious for more slots being added .  I really hope I'm wrong, I would love for it to be just large groups canceling.


----------



## marisas1011

Our date, December 12th, has had more slots open up as well. I could put in for up to 14 people so it definitely seems like they are selling more tickets


----------



## kniquy

Maine Disney First Timer said:


> If you are staying on site and do not have your own vehicle, what is the best way for transportation? Would you rely on buses or book a minnie van? If my time is 7:30 and we plan to eat after 9am, what time should be get to HS. We would need 2 booster seats & have 3 kids.


  This is one of my concerns as well (no so much the kids and booster issue) but it does sound like the resort buses to HS have been starting early.  Where as the minnie vans start at 6:30, but probably only a few available that early in the day.  Your best bet might to use the buses. The MDE app now provides you with the bus arrival times with reports from this thread that some of the buses are noted to be starting just before 6am.


----------



## Lease257

Can someone walk me through the timetable? 

Breakfast opens at 7? The land is open a bit before 7:30? But then it opens to everyone by 9? And you can get breakfast until 10?

So I can leave with two kids to sign up for Jedi at some point. Also leave around 9 to ride something else outside of TSL and come back and get breakfast before it closes at 10...


----------



## maiapapaya

The reports I've read of some guests being unhappy with wait times for rides and characters at certain times during the event, and the speculation that WDW is adding extra tickets to sold out dates, rather than hard capping attendance, is really disappointing. We aren't going until March, so there are a few months to go during which I hope TPTB iron out some of these issues. In the mean time, I hope people who aren't happy with their experience make sure they contact guest relations and don't just complain online. If they don't receive the negative feedback about overselling events, management will never rethink numbers. In fact, they may continue to creep them up.


----------



## SaintsManiac

Lease257 said:


> Can someone walk me through the timetable?
> 
> Breakfast opens at 7? The land is open a bit before 7:30? But then it opens to everyone by 9? And you can get breakfast until 10?
> 
> So I can leave with two kids to sign up for Jedi at some point. Also leave around 9 to ride something else outside of TSL and come back and get breakfast before it closes at 10...




Yes to all


----------



## Maine Disney First Timer

Lease257 said:


> Can someone walk me through the timetable?
> 
> Breakfast opens at 7? The land is open a bit before 7:30? But then it opens to everyone by 9? And you can get breakfast until 10?
> 
> So I can leave with two kids to sign up for Jedi at some point. Also leave around 9 to ride something else outside of TSL and come back and get breakfast before it closes at 10...




Are you allowed to sign up for Jedi without your child present with you?


----------



## Maine Disney First Timer

kniquy said:


> This is one of my concerns as well (no so much the kids and booster issue) but it does sound like the resort buses to HS have been starting early.  Where as the minnie vans start at 6:30, but probably only a few available that early in the day.  Your best bet might to use the buses. The MDE app now provides you with the bus arrival times with reports from this thread that some of the buses are noted to be starting just before 6am.



Ok thank you. Just makes me nervous spending so much money & having to rely on someone else to get me there!


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Well... I stopped a random person from the Internet (@kat_lh) but that's because we were waiting in an 8 minute SDD line, turns out she and her fam were right behind us, and I recognized her daughter's big bow on her shirt from a pic that AM.  Figured I should at least say hi!
> 
> I did see @AngiTN there too.
> 
> @Tigger in a kilt - you didn't happen to be at AKL did you?  DW met some folks there from Scotland before I arrived and said they were a hoot.



Sorry, that wasn’t us - we did go to AKL for lunch but aren’t staying there until later this week. The Scottish schools are on holiday right now, and Disney had some great U.K. deals for this time of year, so there are a lot of us here at the moment!

If @AngiTN was there then I definitely saw her. In fact, I accidentally held her hand in the queue for SDD! So, Angi, the woman who put her hand on yours on the railing was me.


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

Maine Disney First Timer said:


> Are you allowed to sign up for Jedi without your child present with you?



No, the child has to be there.


----------



## duck524

ninafeliz said:


> If there were something like 1-4 openings I would say people cancelled.  This is sounding suspicious for more slots being added .  I really hope I'm wrong, I would love for it to be just large groups canceling.



I hope you are wrong too, but I am scared you aren't. I was fine reading the recent reports about wait times because our wish list for the event is pretty low (1x each ride and each character meet, hopefully with the chance for adults to both take a turn on SDD since DD4 won't ride). But if things are already close to that limit and they are adding even more slots, I am starting to wonder if it will actually be worth the cost. We could sleep in a little bit, get there at RD, save almost $600 for our party of 7, and ride everything except SDD and hopefully meet the characaters for just a little more time, which we have now since the Disney Junior show won't be running yet. Since the 4 year old isn't interested in SDD anyway, it may not be worth it if they are overselling it. I will keep watching the reviews. I am also worried about the crowds for the expanded MK EMM, but I won't be able to judge off the reviews since we are going the second date it is offered.


----------



## Maine Disney First Timer

duck524 said:


> I hope you are wrong too, but I am scared you aren't. I was fine reading the recent reports about wait times because our wish list for the event is pretty low (1x each ride and each character meet, hopefully with the chance for adults to both take a turn on SDD since DD4 won't ride). But if things are already close to that limit and they are adding even more slots, I am starting to wonder if it will actually be worth the cost. We could sleep in a little bit, get there at RD, save almost $600 for our party of 7, and ride everything except SDD and hopefully meet the characaters for just a little more time, which we have now since the Disney Junior show won't be running yet. Since the 4 year old isn't interested in SDD anyway, it may not be worth it if they are overselling it. I will keep watching the reviews. I am also worried about the crowds for the expanded MK EMM, but I won't be able to judge off the reviews since we are going the second date it is offered.




I am going to continue to watch reviews as well .. ours for our family of 5 is $388 or so ....not wanting to waste money if its not what it was in the beginning with super short waits.


----------



## TammyLynn33

Maine Disney First Timer said:


> I am going to continue to watch reviews as well .. ours for our family of 5 is $388 or so ....not wanting to waste money if its not what it was in the beginning with super short waits.




Us you do we know when April hours come out?


----------



## MIAMouseketeer

marisas1011 said:


> Our date, December 12th, has had more slots open up as well. I could put in for up to 14 people so it definitely seems like they are selling more tickets


Ugh! That's our date as well. Lets just hope those extra people don't have a plan in place.


----------



## MIAMouseketeer

maiapapaya said:


> The reports I've read of some guests being unhappy with wait times for rides and characters at certain times during the event, and the speculation that WDW is adding extra tickets to sold out dates, rather than hard capping attendance, is really disappointing. We aren't going until March, so there are a few months to go during which I hope TPTB iron out some of these issues. In the mean time, I hope people who aren't happy with their experience make sure they contact guest relations and don't just complain online. If they don't receive the negative feedback about overselling events, management will never rethink numbers. In fact, they may continue to creep them up.


YES! This!


----------



## M SH

We are going there in late April, early May.
I will book for our family but will be watching more reviews as they come.
If we don't get the impression that we can do SDD 3-5 times plus 1-2 times for TSM, AS2, and character meets, then this would definitely be not worth it for us.

Getting 1 x each ride + character meets is easily doable without EMM using pre-booked and day of fastpasses (still have to wait for characters, but doable).


----------



## Maine Disney First Timer

M SH said:


> We are going there in late April, early May.
> I will book for our family but will be watching more reviews as they come.
> If we don't get the impression that we can do SDD 3-5 times plus 1-2 times for TSM, AS2, and character meets, then this would definitely be not worth it for us.
> 
> Getting 1 x each ride + character meets is easily doable without EMM using pre-booked and day of fastpasses (still have to wait for characters, but doable).




Agree .. that is what we would expect for paying that much money!


----------



## AngiTN

Tigger in a kilt said:


> Sorry, that wasn’t us - we did go to AKL for lunch but aren’t staying there until later this week. The Scottish schools are on holiday right now, and Disney had some great U.K. deals for this time of year, so there are a lot of us here at the moment!
> 
> If @AngiTN was there then I definitely saw her. In fact, I accidentally held her hand in the queue for SDD! So, Angi, the woman who put her hand on yours on the railing was me.


I do remember that! I love meeting others (ran in to another Dis'er at Epcot during that trip) Even though we didn't officially meet, hi back at ya!


----------



## grinner

MIAMouseketeer said:


> Ugh! That's our date as well. Lets just hope those extra people don't have a plan in place.


Our date (29th October) also now has availability when it was definitely sold out before (I only checked last week, just to see how busy it would be - my logic being if it was sold out then it would be busy!). It would allow me to book up to 14 people. So either lots of people booked it "just in case" and have subsequently cancelled, or Disney has opened up more tickets :-( It was only coming up with the 7am time, not 7.30am.


----------



## Maine Disney First Timer

grinner said:


> Our date (29th October) also now has availability when it was definitely sold out before (I only checked last week, just to see how busy it would be - my logic being if it was sold out then it would be busy!). It would allow me to book up to 14 people. So either lots of people booked it "just in case" and have subsequently cancelled, or Disney has opened up more tickets :-( It was only coming up with the 7am time, not 7.30am.



I am waiting to see a review from someone that went this morning!!   Havent seen any yet though. If Disney thinks they are slick opening up more & more reservations & people have to wait 15-20 min for slinky dog then i assume people will cancel their reservations. I know 15 min is a GREAT time for slinky dog BUT when you are paying that much money ... its not that great


----------



## ninafeliz

Maine Disney First Timer said:


> I am waiting to see a review from someone that went this morning!!   Havent seen any yet though. If Disney thinks they are slick opening up more & more reservations & people have to wait 15-20 min for slinky dog then i assume people will cancel their reservations. I know 15 min is a GREAT time for slinky dog BUT when you are paying that much money ... its not that great



Yep.  a 20 min wait would be great for anytime during a regular park day, but not during a paid event that only lasts an hour and 15 min!


----------



## Jasperann

Well, you all will at least have a review from December 19th.  I am expecting busy.  They opened the 7am time slot and if they are selling even more than it will be even busier.  However, it is not going to be as busy as the rest of that week and following Christmas week... so I'll do it.


----------



## mini mouse 2

Two questions...

1-If they open a second time slot, is there any chance TPTB will open the rides at 7 instead of 7:30am.  This would make for a really early morning but might give more opportunity to ride?

2-What do you do the afternoon of EMM at TSL.  I am thinking of saving all my FP for another park.  Maybe hop to MK?  Thoughts?


----------



## GADisneyDad14

mini mouse 2 said:


> Two questions...
> 
> 1-If they open a second time slot, is there any chance TPTB will open the rides at 7 instead of 7:30am.  This would make for a really early morning but might give more opportunity to ride?
> 
> 2-What do you do the afternoon of EMM at TSL.  I am thinking of saving all my FP for another park.  Maybe hop to MK?  Thoughts?



With the caveat that this event is in its relative infancy and we’re still developing a “body of work” with exact procedures.... so far the land has opened in the 7:20-7:30 range for all dates.

What did we do in the afternoon?  We headed to MCO since it was our departure day.  But if we had not had to leave, we would have hopped to Epcot. DHS still doesn’t really have enough to keep our attention for very long (note, for context my kids are 8 and 4 and other than TSL, DHS has historically been our least favorite park).


----------



## maiapapaya

mini mouse 2 said:


> Two questions...
> 
> 1-If they open a second time slot, is there any chance TPTB will open the rides at 7 instead of 7:30am.  This would make for a really early morning but might give more opportunity to ride?
> 
> 2-What do you do the afternoon of EMM at TSL.  I am thinking of saving all my FP for another park.  Maybe hop to MK?  Thoughts?



So far they are sending people to eat early when they open up the 7:00 am slots and TLS still doesn't open until just before 7:30. 

We are also planning on saving our FP's for another park and hopping after we're done at DHS.


----------



## grinner

mini mouse 2 said:


> Two questions...
> 
> 1-If they open a second time slot, is there any chance TPTB will open the rides at 7 instead of 7:30am.  This would make for a really early morning but might give more opportunity to ride?
> 
> 2-What do you do the afternoon of EMM at TSL.  I am thinking of saving all my FP for another park.  Maybe hop to MK?  Thoughts?



Re question 2, I've planned a trip to Epcot for after TSL EMM.


----------



## Countrywife45

so, if I can fastpass this can I skip the EMM? Or is this the best option to ride those rides?


----------



## SaintsManiac

ninafeliz said:


> Yep.  a 20 min wait would be great for anytime during a regular park day, but not during a paid event that only lasts an hour and 15 min!




Yes if this keeps up I just might cancel. It's a chunk of money we could spend elsewhere. Time will tell!


----------



## marisas1011

SaintsManiac said:


> Yes if this keeps up I just might cancel. It's a chunk of money we could spend elsewhere. Time will tell!


Same here.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

With the exception of the other day when it sounds like SDD was down for a bit, I have seen very few reports of 20 min ride waits.  My own on a very busy Columbus Day were all 8 mins (posted 20 or 25). While I agree 20 is extreme and not grounds for a good event / good value in my book, there is little evidence of those kind of wait times occurring so far in the very few “double time” dates that have occurred.


----------



## SaintsManiac

GADisneyDad14 said:


> With the exception of the other day when it sounds like SDD was down for a bit, I have seen very few reports of 20 min ride waits.  My own on a very busy Columbus Day were all 8 mins (posted 20 or 25). While I agree 20 is extreme and not grounds for a good event / good value in my book, there is little evidence of those kind of wait times occurring so far in the very few “double time” dates that have occurred.




I certainly hope things settle down. We really want to do this!


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Countrywife45 said:


> so, if I can fastpass this can I skip the EMM? Or is this the best option to ride those rides?



All three rides in TSL are Tier 1, so you can only pre-book one.  You can of course try for same day searching for the others and likely have OK success (esp if you pre book SDD and same day TSM and AS2).  It might take some work and time, but it can probably be done.  Or just do standby, rope drop, end of evening, or whatever strategy suits your style best.

In my opinion EMM is a good option to ensure multiple rides on all three in a compressed time period and minimal effort.

But if that or the breakfast aren’t important, it could be an easy pass.


----------



## Jasperann

mini mouse 2 said:


> Two questions...
> 
> 1-If they open a second time slot, is there any chance TPTB will open the rides at 7 instead of 7:30am.  This would make for a really early morning but might give more opportunity to ride?
> 
> 2-What do you do the afternoon of EMM at TSL.  I am thinking of saving all my FP for another park.  Maybe hop to MK?  Thoughts?



1- It seems the rides/being let into TSL has not started until 7:20-7:30

2- We are hoping to Epcot for lunch around noon at the latest and then spending the evening at MK with our FP's


----------



## KrazeeK120

I’ll be there this coming Monday (22nd), so I’ll make sure to report back!


----------



## mini mouse 2

KrazeeK120 said:


> I’ll be there this coming Monday (22nd), so I’ll make sure to report back!


Have an awesome trip!  Can't wait to read your report!


----------



## Maine Disney First Timer

On instragram someone with "earlymorningmagic" tag wrote this with their pic from early morning magic:  "It does'nt have the same feel as the EMM at MK. There were way more people there than I expected. But it's still so much better than waiting in the crowds at rope drop! We had to wait 10-15 minutes for Slinky Dog. We didnt even do the character meet & greets. The line for Woody & Jessie were pretty long in my opinion. The Buzz line wasn't bad. You can pretty much walk on Aliens & Midway Mania."


----------



## Eve & Wall-e

mini mouse 2 said:


> What do you do the afternoon of EMM at TSL



DH and I will be spending all day at HS. This will be our only day at HS during our 10 days at WDW. We have 3 FP's scheduled, an ADR lunch at Sci-Fi, and the JBJB Dessert Party in the evening.


----------



## RachaelA

If it’s crazy crowded, my husband (who never complains about anything) said he’ll complain at guest services. $320 for our family of 4 to sit in a ton of lines and now they added more spots? Um no, Disney.


----------



## SaintsManiac

mini mouse 2 said:


> 2-What do you do the afternoon of EMM at TSL.  I am thinking of saving all my FP for another park.  Maybe hop to MK?  Thoughts?




Our plan is to hop to AK after.


----------



## Tigger in a kilt

AngiTN said:


> I do remember that! I love meeting others (ran in to another Dis'er at Epcot during that trip) Even though we didn't officially meet, hi back at ya!



That’s so funny! I said to my sister “I think I know her from my board but I don’t want to go and ask her, just in case I’m wrong”! Now I wish I had said hello.


----------



## kat_lh

Maine Disney First Timer said:


> On instragram someone with "earlymorningmagic" tag wrote this with their pic from early morning magic:  "It does'nt have the same feel as the EMM at MK. There were way more people there than I expected. But it's still so much better than waiting in the crowds at rope drop! We had to wait 10-15 minutes for Slinky Dog. We didnt even do the character meet & greets. The line for Woody & Jessie were pretty long in my opinion. The Buzz line wasn't bad. You can pretty much walk on Aliens & Midway Mania."



The crowds feel heavier even though I don’t think they really are. TSL is much more compact than the MK one so you’re just going to see more people than you would at MK. Having done both, I think TSL is a better value and just more fun than MK. Particularly given the changes they have coming to MK, I think TSL will end up being a better experience.


----------



## jwolfpack

Maine Disney First Timer said:


> Ok thank you. Just makes me nervous spending so much money & having to rely on someone else to get me there!



We drove to EMM, but pre-booked a Mears taxi for an early ADR at Epcot during our trip last week. We wanted zero stress that early in the morning. You can request carseats, booster seats, scooter lift, etc when you book. Our driver texted when he was on his way and arrived 15 minutes early and was waiting for us in front of our resort. It was $19 from Poly for a luxury SUV (suburban) for my family of 5, and he had the carseat for my son installed and ready to go. Super easy.


----------



## grinner

jwolfpack said:


> We drove to EMM, but pre-booked a Mears taxi for an early ADR at Epcot during our trip last week. We wanted zero stress that early in the morning. You can request carseats, booster seats, scooter lift, etc when you book. Our driver texted when he was on his way and arrived 15 minutes early and was waiting for us in front of our resort. It was $19 from Poly for a luxury SUV (suburban) for my family of 5, and he had the carseat for my son installed and ready to go. Super easy.


I've pre-booked Mears too, I figured it's one less thing to worry about if we don't have to rely on the buses or chance getting an Uber/Minnievan!


----------



## MelOhioDis

Hi there! We went to EMM on Wednesday 10/17. Just wanted to give me report I’ll put a cliff notes version at the bottom! I didn’t think this would be as long as it turned out!

It was myself and my DD8. This was our 7th day at Disney so we were dragging a bit. My daughter was pretty sick of getting up early so I knew that getting there at 7 was out of the question. We were also going to do a 4 park in 1 day day (spoiler- we did it!). However, I was still hoping to at least be through the gates by 7:30. 
When I woke up I was keeping an eye on the bus wait times just to make sure buses were in fact arriving. We are staying at Caribbean beach. I saw one pop-up right at 6:30 so I thought we wouldn’t have any issues. Unfortunately after that it just said “every
 20 minutes” we went to the bus top around 7. Buses for magic kingdom had wait times but HS still didn’t. When the bus for MK arrived I asked if they knew if a bus was coming. They were wonderful and called dispatch for me. A bus was leaving HS for CBR right then. 
Boarded our bus at 7:19 at park at 7:30 through gate at 7:40. Person who checked us in said the rides would be opening in 5 minutes and I could either eat or go ride. One of the CM’S directing traffic outside the ABC said she recommended we ride first and made sure to let us know the crowds would be let in at 8:45. 
Straight to TSM AT 7:45 was a walk on.  Off ride by 7:55. The ride did seem to stall a few times. Twice the games popped up with 0 points. That was a bit annoying, especially since I knew we already lost some ride time. 
Went to SDD posted wait of 15 minutes we waited 10 minutes. Walked around to ride again waited 10 minutes again, went to Alien’s just had to wait for the previous ride to stop basically a walk on. 
My daughter didn’t want to do SDD again so we went to TSM walk on again. When we were getting off it was 8:45. The CM asked if we wanted to ride again. Of course! We stayed in the same car and rode again. Off around 8:52. Walked out to a mass of people!

We wanted to ride RRC so headed that way. Stopped to get Toy Story entrance phot pass.  It’s hidden behind the RD line for SDD but there wasn’t a wait. 
Got to RRC at 9:04 posted 15 minute wait but was a walk on. The preschool wasn’t even going. Boarded at 9:10 was off at 9:15. When we left posted wait was 20 but I’m guessing actual was 10.
My daughter hates ToT so we didn’t go on. I looked at the wait time though, it was 5minutes at 9:18. I would guess you could easily do both at least once if not twice. Especially if you head over there right at 8:45. 

Headed to breakfast at 9:25 ordered! Got pastries and sat by 9:32. Food was good. I got the chicken and donuts DD got the scrambled eggs and tots. She ate probably 3 or 4 pastries too! I also ordered the charcuterie tray at the same time as our meals without any problems. It was ok. I think most people would like it. I’m not fan of spicy meat, the salmon was yummy. 

I did enjoy this but I felt a bit rushed to get in as much as we could during a short time. I’m guessing if I’d arrived earlier I probably wouldn’t feel rushed. My daughter seemed to enjoy it too. If it was any more expensive I wouldn’t think it a good value. Comparing this to some of our dinner costs, we definitely got more for our money here! Lines for characters were just as long as during the day. We didn’t have any interest in meeting characters 

I’d also recommended driving or getting a taxi/Uber. Waiting for the bus really killed us. 

We headed to Epcot after. Word of advice DO NOT TAKE THE WALKWAY. With the construction it took me 30 minutes to walk there. I was so thankful I had a stroller and that my parents weren’t with me. We never would have made it otherwise. With the heat and the distance I was exhausted by the time I got to Epcot. Mommy definitely earned that beer! 

Quick summary:
TSM x3, SDD x2, Aliens x1
7:19 caught bus at CBR at park 7:30
7:40 through gate 
7:45 TSM off at 7:55am
7:58 SDD off at 8:10
8:11 SDD off at 8:23
8:26 aliens off at 8:31
8:33 TSM done at 8:45 CM let us stay on 
8:52 off of TSM 
8:55 TSL entry photo pass no wait
9:04 RRC out of building at 9:15 (we waited for our pictures to show up but they never did) 
9:25 breakfast


----------



## detroitdad

We're schedule for Feb 18th!  Looking forward to it but will keep an eye out for trends in people's reports that may indicate that WDW is overselling the event.


----------



## SaintsManiac

Feeling pretty annoyed about these 10 minutes waits for SDD. I was hoping this would be more like the AP events or MK EMM.


----------



## ninafeliz

SaintsManiac said:


> Feeling pretty annoyed about these 10 minutes waits for SDD. I was hoping this would be more like the AP events or MK EMM.



Last time I did the MK EMM we had to wait 5 min for SDMT the first couple of rides, then it settled down to a walk on.  But with the changes happening in December all bets are off...  We'll have to wait and see on those reviews to see what that does to SDMT waits, since I still think most people ill be doing it with that as their primary goal, but more people will be allowed to book.


----------



## Lease257

MelOhioDis said:


> Hi there! We went to EMM on Wednesday 10/17. Just wanted to give me report I’ll put a cliff notes version at the bottom! I didn’t think this would be as long as it turned out!
> 
> It was myself and my DD8. This was our 7th day at Disney so we were dragging a bit. My daughter was pretty sick of getting up early so I knew that getting there at 7 was out of the question. We were also going to do a 4 park in 1 day day (spoiler- we did it!). However, I was still hoping to at least be through the gates by 7:30.
> When I woke up I was keeping an eye on the bus wait times just to make sure buses were in fact arriving. We are staying at Caribbean beach. I saw one pop-up right at 6:30 so I thought we wouldn’t have any issues. Unfortunately after that it just said “every
> 20 minutes” we went to the bus top around 7. Buses for magic kingdom had wait times but HS still didn’t. When the bus for MK arrived I asked if they knew if a bus was coming. They were wonderful and called dispatch for me. A bus was leaving HS for CBR right then.
> Boarded our bus at 7:19 at park at 7:30 through gate at 7:40. Person who checked us in said the rides would be opening in 5 minutes and I could either eat or go ride. One of the CM’S directing traffic outside the ABC said she recommended we ride first and made sure to let us know the crowds would be let in at 8:45.
> Straight to TSM AT 7:45 was a walk on.  Off ride by 7:55. The ride did seem to stall a few times. Twice the games popped up with 0 points. That was a bit annoying, especially since I knew we already lost some ride time.
> Went to SDD posted wait of 15 minutes we waited 10 minutes. Walked around to ride again waited 10 minutes again, went to Alien’s just had to wait for the previous ride to stop basically a walk on.
> My daughter didn’t want to do SDD again so we went to TSM walk on again. When we were getting off it was 8:45. The CM asked if we wanted to ride again. Of course! We stayed in the same car and rode again. Off around 8:52. Walked out to a mass of people!
> 
> We wanted to ride RRC so headed that way. Stopped to get Toy Story entrance phot pass.  It’s hidden behind the RD line for SDD but there wasn’t a wait.
> Got to RRC at 9:04 posted 15 minute wait but was a walk on. The preschool wasn’t even going. Boarded at 9:10 was off at 9:15. When we left posted wait was 20 but I’m guessing actual was 10.
> My daughter hates ToT so we didn’t go on. I looked at the wait time though, it was 5minutes at 9:18. I would guess you could easily do both at least once if not twice. Especially if you head over there right at 8:45.
> 
> Headed to breakfast at 9:25 ordered! Got pastries and sat by 9:32. Food was good. I got the chicken and donuts DD got the scrambled eggs and tots. She ate probably 3 or 4 pastries too! I also ordered the charcuterie tray at the same time as our meals without any problems. It was ok. I think most people would like it. I’m not fan of spicy meat, the salmon was yummy.
> 
> I did enjoy this but I felt a bit rushed to get in as much as we could during a short time. I’m guessing if I’d arrived earlier I probably wouldn’t feel rushed. My daughter seemed to enjoy it too. If it was any more expensive I wouldn’t think it a good value. Comparing this to some of our dinner costs, we definitely got more for our money here! Lines for characters were just as long as during the day. We didn’t have any interest in meeting characters
> 
> I’d also recommended driving or getting a taxi/Uber. Waiting for the bus really killed us.
> 
> We headed to Epcot after. Word of advice DO NOT TAKE THE WALKWAY. With the construction it took me 30 minutes to walk there. I was so thankful I had a stroller and that my parents weren’t with me. We never would have made it otherwise. With the heat and the distance I was exhausted by the time I got to Epcot. Mommy definitely earned that beer!
> 
> Quick summary:
> TSM x3, SDD x2, Aliens x1
> 7:19 caught bus at CBR at park 7:30
> 7:40 through gate
> 7:45 TSM off at 7:55am
> 7:58 SDD off at 8:10
> 8:11 SDD off at 8:23
> 8:26 aliens off at 8:31
> 8:33 TSM done at 8:45 CM let us stay on
> 8:52 off of TSM
> 8:55 TSL entry photo pass no wait
> 9:04 RRC out of building at 9:15 (we waited for our pictures to show up but they never did)
> 9:25 breakfast






You were off the ride at 8:52 and rope drop people were there already?  That doesn’t seem fair.


----------



## ENJDisneyFan

Lease257 said:


> You were off the ride at 8:52 and rope drop people were there already?  That doesn’t seem fair.


EMM technically ends at 8:45am


----------



## Lease257

ENJDisneyFan said:


> EMM technically ends at 8:45am




Really? Ugh. That’s not a lot of time for the cost. We are booked for feb 25. I’m def keeping an eye on reports to see if we will for real keep the tickets.


----------



## kat_lh

SaintsManiac said:


> Feeling pretty annoyed about these 10 minutes waits for SDD. I was hoping this would be more like the AP events or MK EMM.



We had waits for our first three rides on SDMT when we did our MK EMM. The walk ons are the last 20 minutes of the event - about the same as the TSL.


----------



## kat_lh

Lease257 said:


> Really? Ugh. That’s not a lot of time for the cost. We are booked for feb 25. I’m def keeping an eye on reports to see if we will for real keep the tickets.



It’s basically the same time as MK EMM. That event starts at 7:45 but you literally aren’t allowing into MK until then (in our case, it was 7:47) and then you have to walk back to Fantasyland.


----------



## mini mouse 2

detroitdad said:


> We're schedule for Feb 18th!  Looking forward to it but will keep an eye out for trends in people's reports that may indicate that WDW is overselling the event.


I'm also February 18!  Christmas present for my kids...shhh it's a secret!


----------



## maiapapaya

mini mouse 2 said:


> I'm also February 18!  Christmas present for my kids...shhh it's a secret!


Same here - we're going in March and our girls are getting an invitation for a special "play date" in TSL as part of their Christmas gift - they're 13 and 16 and will love it! LOL


----------



## Allison Evans Payment

maiapapaya said:


> Same here - we're going in March and our girls are getting an invitation for a special "play date" in TSL as part of their Christmas gift - they're 13 and 16 and will love it! LOL


Our trip is a Christmas Surprise too!!! I cannot wait!!


----------



## detroitdad

mini mouse 2 said:


> I'm also February 18!  Christmas present for my kids...shhh it's a secret!



Well ours isn't a Christmas present but the trip is still a surprise.  It will be my wife and 17 yr old son.  I love the fact that he still loves Disney.  We have 4 children and have DVC and have been going to the parks for years.  3 of the kids still enjoy it but my oldest son who is 21 has had his fill.  Now DCL--that's another story.  We all love to cruise.


----------



## Planner2012

We attended this event Oct15th. It was DD15, DS12, my mom & myself. We had to wait longer for the bus to HS than planned so got our wristbands at 7am and headed over to breakfast. ABC commissary was pretty busy when we arrived. The food was okay. No problems getting the chicken finger breakfast without maple syrup. We ate & headed over to TSL. I think they started letting people in around 7:20, but we didn't make it there until 7:30. Rode TSMM, then SDD with 20min wait, then Aliens, tried to ride TSMM again but it was down, rode SDD twice more, TSMM was back up so rode it. Rope drop crowd arrived when we were riding TSMM, so the line for SDD was to the entrance of TSL by that point. We did not meet any characters, but lines seemed long for some.
Left the park & got a bus to AK as we had fastpasses for FOP.
Glad we did EMM as we really like TSMM & kids wanted to ride SDD. Didn't get as much accomplished as we had hoped, but family was tired that day and with the heat we just took it easy.


----------



## Jasperann

Planner2012 said:


> No problems getting the chicken finger breakfast without maple syrup.



 for sharing this!!  My son will eat it now!!  Yay!

And what you got done sounds great to me.  I will be happy with that amount of stuff.  Granted I would be SO excited for more, but even 3x SDD, 2x TSMM, and 1x Aliens will be find for me.


----------



## disneyworldsk

Planner2012 said:


> We attended this event Oct15th. It was DD15, DS12, my mom & myself. We had to wait longer for the bus to HS than planned so got our wristbands at 7am and headed over to breakfast. ABC commissary was pretty busy when we arrived. The food was okay. No problems getting the chicken finger breakfast without maple syrup. We ate & headed over to TSL. I think they started letting people in around 7:20, but we didn't make it there until 7:30. Rode TSMM, then SDD with 20min wait, then Aliens, tried to ride TSMM again but it was down, rode SDD twice more, TSMM was back up so rode it. Rope drop crowd arrived when we were riding TSMM, so the line for SDD was to the entrance of TSL by that point. We did not meet any characters, but lines seemed long for some.
> Left the park & got a bus to AK as we had fastpasses for FOP.
> Glad we did EMM as we really like TSMM & kids wanted to ride SDD. Didn't get as much accomplished as we had hoped, but family was tired that day and with the heat we just took it easy.


What resort did you stay in  please?


----------



## Planner2012

disneyworldsk said:


> What resort did you stay in  please?



We were at the Polynesian


----------



## GADisneyDad14

FYI, with credit to @Wish Upon A Starbucks for pointing this out, it looks like they added the Monday and Wednesday of Thanksgiving week to the DHS EMM calendar.   Will update Post #2 shortly.


----------



## eileenwarren

It appears the EMM for TSL on 11/26 is sold out. Do you think any other availability will open up for that time


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Also 12/24 and 12/31 added.


----------



## ninafeliz

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Also 12/24 and 12/32 added.



Is 12/32 a date they invented to make more money around the holidays??  

But thanks, I will head off to book it now if I can make it work into our schedule!


----------



## GADisneyDad14

ninafeliz said:


> Is 12/32 a date they invented to make more money around the holidays??
> 
> But thanks, I will head off to book it now if I can make it work into our schedule!



Lol, opps!   Long week.


----------



## ninafeliz

Booked for 4 on 12/31!  Wasn’t going to go to the parks that day since we aren’t staying somewhere we can walk to a park, but thinking we can get in and get out before the traffic chaos hits!  Yay!


----------



## GADisneyDad14

eileenwarren said:


> It appears the EMM for TSL on 11/26 is sold out. Do you think any other availability will open up for that time



That's a date where both time slots has been open, so that indicates to me it's full.  BUT - Disney just added 11/19 & 11/21 dates.  You MAY get some folks who had booked 11/26 but 11/21 might work better in their schedules (if their trips are that long) so you may see some movement.  

Even without that, there is a 1 day cancellation policy and people tinker plans all the time, so I'd check every once in awhile.   

Good luck.


----------



## Jasperann

Oh man... 12/24... I'm at 12/19 right now.. but my hubby will be there by 12/24.  Ugh.  The choices...


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Ok, full run down of added dates:

Monday, November 19, 2018
Wednesday, November 21, 2018
Monday, December 24, 2018
Monday, December 31, 2018
Wednesday, January 2, 2019

*Post #2* has been updated.


----------



## eileenwarren

GADisneyDad14 said:


> That's a date where both time slots has been open, so that indicates to me it's full.  BUT - Disney just added 11/19 & 11/21 dates.  You MAY get some folks who had booked 11/26 but 11/21 might work better in their schedules (if their trips are that long) so you may see some movement.
> 
> Even without that, there is a 1 day cancellation policy and people tinker plans all the time, so I'd check every once in awhile.
> 
> Good luck.


Where is the best place to keep a check on it to see if more time open up? The dining reservation page?


----------



## GADisneyDad14

eileenwarren said:


> Where is the best place to keep a check on it to see if more time open up? The dining reservation page?



This page:  https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/early-morning-magic-toy-story-land/

I'd bookmark it on your computer and/or phone (or both) and search your date every once in awhile.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

@MelOhioDis & @Planner2012 - THANKS for posting your reviews and EMM experiences.  Links have been added to *Post #3*.


----------



## ninafeliz

Well geez- if we do Jan 2 that’s already our DHS day and everyone could go, not just my family who has APs.  Now it’s getting hard.  I could book them both for now, but now we’re getting into a lot of money up front!  9 people for a HEA dessert party, JBJB dessert party, candlelight processional dinner package (can’t remember if you pay up front for that or not) and 2 EMMs is nothing to sneeze at! 

How fast do yo think these holiday dates will fill up?  Once I see them I get itchy to book, but I could discuss with the grandparents and book in a day or so.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

ninafeliz said:


> How fast do yo think these holiday dates will fill up?



I know 4 spots are already gone.  

All of those new dates seem like PRIME days (and I notice all but 1/2 already have both time slots loaded). 

Me thinks those could fill up quickly.


----------



## ninafeliz

GADisneyDad14 said:


> I know 4 spots are already gone.
> 
> All of those new dates seem like PRIME days (and I notice all but 1/2 already have both time slots loaded).
> 
> Me thinks those could fill up quickly.



Uggg, guess there’s $550 bucks to book Jan 2 until we know for sure if everyone wants to go.  The problem
Is, if they don’t I will have to call and have them cancel part of our reservation instead of the entire party, since my family of 4 definitely wants to go!  Has anyone ever done that before?  I assume it’s no problem, but any CM tinkering with my reservation makes me nervous!


----------



## GADisneyDad14

ninafeliz said:


> Uggg, guess there’s $550 bucks to book Jan 2 until we know for sure if everyone wants to go.  The problem
> Is, if they don’t I will have to call and have them cancel part of our reservation instead of the entire party, since my family of 4 definitely wants to go!  Has anyone ever done that before?  I assume it’s no problem, but any CM tinkering with my reservation makes me nervous!



So I'm kind of in the same boat, half of my party may not come for this trip.  Here's what I did.... made a reservation for 2 with DW as the main reservation contact (and DD).  Then made a second reservation with me as the main reservation contact (and DS).  

I can't cancel the reservation I made under DW's name when I'm logged in, but I can just login with her info and cancel if needed.


----------



## Jasperann

So, I'm really torn.  I need help.  

I can't talk about this out loud with my family because it is a surprise trip.  But we are arriving (my family minus DH) on December 18th and I had planned TSL EMM on the 19th.  My DH is arriving on the 21st.  With the 24th now having a EMM as well I was thinking of booking that one.  The only issue is that we have the Candlelight processional dining package at 11:55 in the morning on the 24th.  We would not be hungry for lunch by then and to make the most of the lunch we would have to get to the park and eat breakfast at the 7am time.  So would you switch?

There is only one other day I could switch the CP package too, which is the 22nd.  BUT I really was looking forward to it for Christmas Eve.  What to do?


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Jasperann said:


> So, I'm really torn.  I need help.
> 
> I can't talk about this out loud with my family because it is a surprise trip.  But we are arriving (my family minus DH) on December 18th and I had planned TSL EMM on the 19th.  My DH is arriving on the 21st.  With the 24th now having a EMM as well I was thinking of booking that one.  The only issue is that we have the Candlelight processional dining package at 11:55 in the morning on the 24th.  We would not be hungry for lunch by then and to make the most of the lunch we would have to get to the park and eat breakfast at the 7am time.  So would you switch?
> 
> There is only one other day I could switch the CP package too, which is the 22nd.  BUT I really was looking forward to it for Christmas Eve.  What to do?



If this were me, I'd keep CP Christmas Eve.


----------



## ColoradoMom12

Sorry if this has been addressed elsewhere in this thread (72 pages is a lot! I’m trying to make my way through it). I was really, really excited to discover Thanksgiving week has been added!! Does it matter if I choose the 7:00 or 7:30 time? I guess my real question is, will we be let in earlier if we arrive at 7:00? Or will we get there and just have to wait around?

We went to the TSL passholder event in September. It was staggered with 7:00 and 8:00 arrival times. I chose the 7:00 just so that the family member (non-passholder) who was traveling with us wasn’t too envious. So I guess what I’m wondering is, will this be similar? In other words, is there any advantage to the 7:00 time? We are early morning people anyway and arriving by 7 is no problem for us (unless we have to go to resort airline check-in first...as we did in September). What we would prefer to avoid is lots of time standing around waiting.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

ColoradoMom12 said:


> Sorry if this has been addressed elsewhere in this thread (72 pages is a lot! I’m trying to make my way through it). I was really, really excited to discover Thanksgiving week has been added!! Does it matter if I choose the 7:00 or 7:30 time? I guess my real question is, will we be let in earlier if we arrive at 7:00? Or will we get there and just have to wait around?
> 
> We went to the TSL passholder event in September. It was staggered with 7:00 and 8:00 arrival times. I chose the 7:00 just so that the family member (non-pass-holder) who was traveling with us wasn’t too envious. So I guess what I’m wondering is, will this be similar? In other words, is there any advantage to the 7:00 time? We are early morning people anyway and arriving by 7 is no problem for us (unless we have to go to resort airline check-in first...as we did in September). What we would prefer to avoid is lots of time standing around waiting.



To date, the time makes no difference.  It appears to be more of a "slow loading" technique by Disney from my perspective.  Guests with the two reservation times are handled exactly the same. 

The land has been opening for everyone in the 7:20-7:30am range.

Disney has this language on their website:  


Guests with a 7:30 AM reservation will first enjoy Toy Story Land followed by breakfast, served until 10:00 AM. Based on capacity, we may make other reservation times available, with breakfast preceding the park experience for these Guests.
But this isn't really how it works in reality.  Anyone can arrive early and eat before hand and anyone can eat up until 10am.


----------



## Jasperann

I might be crazy... 

But I just switched around almost my whole trip...  My FP was this morning... and I was sure I was set.

Dang EMM additions.

I booked 12/24 - 7am not that it matters.  So that my husband can do it too.  I booked the MK Dessert party for 12/22 instead of 12/23 and we will have an early night 12/23.  We need to make it before 7am so we can be in breakfast and done in 20 mins... lol  Then at rope drop my family that wants too will hop over to Tot and RnRc and then we will hop to Epcot.  Do a few FP's and then our CP lunch at 11:55.  I figure we would be hungry by then.  Our CP time is 5pm so even if we are tired we will last that long.  Then we can call it an early night OR try to hang out until Illuminations.  I think that depends on the day.  I'm sure that all of us could last that long though.  It's great with the kids getting older.  

Now I need to take a look at my other ADRs on Saturday and Wednesday.


----------



## sapphirerose915

Jasperann said:


> I might be crazy...
> 
> But I just switched around almost my whole trip...  My FP was this morning... and I was sure I was set.
> 
> Dang EMM additions.
> 
> I booked 12/24 - 7am not that it matters.  So that my husband can do it too.  I booked the MK Dessert party for 12/22 instead of 12/23 and we will have an early night 12/23.  We need to make it before 7am so we can be in breakfast and done in 20 mins... lol  Then at rope drop my family that wants too will hop over to Tot and RnRc and then we will hop to Epcot.  Do a few FP's and then our CP lunch at 11:55.  I figure we would be hungry by then.  Our CP time is 5pm so even if we are tired we will last that long.  Then we can call it an early night OR try to hang out until Illuminations.  I think that depends on the day.  I'm sure that all of us could last that long though.  It's great with the kids getting older.
> 
> Now I need to take a look at my other ADRs on Saturday and Wednesday.



Sounds like a great plan!!! I'd suggest going back for a break after your ADR.. getting some much needed rest, then headed back to Epcot around 4ish to make it to the CP.. then you can def make it until illuminations!!!


----------



## ConnecticutNonna

@GADisneyDad14
Would you please add our group of 5 to the February 13 list,

Thanks,
NonnaT


----------



## ConnecticutNonna

jwolfpack said:


> We drove to EMM, but pre-booked a Mears taxi for an early ADR at Epcot during our trip last week. We wanted zero stress that early in the morning. You can request carseats, booster seats, scooter lift, etc when you book. Our driver texted when he was on his way and arrived 15 minutes early and was waiting for us in front of our resort. It was $19 from Poly for a luxury SUV (suburban) for my family of 5, and he had the carseat for my son installed and ready to go. Super easy.


Would you be willing to share that info?
We have family of 5 and need EMM transportation from CR.  That's a terrific price!
TIA


----------



## ColoradoMom12

GADisneyDad14 said:


> To date, the time makes no difference.  It appears to be more of a "slow loading" technique by Disney from my perspective.  Guests with the two reservation times are handled exactly the same.
> 
> The land has been opening for everyone in the 7:20-7:30am range.
> 
> Disney has this language on their website:
> 
> 
> Guests with a 7:30 AM reservation will first enjoy Toy Story Land followed by breakfast, served until 10:00 AM. Based on capacity, we may make other reservation times available, with breakfast preceding the park experience for these Guests.
> But this isn't really how it works in reality.  Anyone can arrive early and eat before hand and anyone can eat up until 10am.


Thank you!! Very helpful. I think I’ll go with the 7:30 time and arrive a little bit on the early side. I saw what Disney has on their site and found it kind of amusing. I didn’t think it worked that way!


----------



## Jasperann

sapphirerose915 said:


> Sounds like a great plan!!! I'd suggest going back for a break after your ADR.. getting some much needed rest, then headed back to Epcot around 4ish to make it to the CP.. then you can def make it until illuminations!!!



I was thinking that we might do something like that.  LOL  Not sure yet.  Epcot is typically a 'relaxing' day for us and my kids are the type that can be awake and out the door in 15 mins.  We do showers at night so it makes it a little easier.  I'm not sure how a little over 2 hours in another park will make us feel though.    We will see.  But it is an option that I will keep open.


----------



## jwolfpack

ConnecticutNonna said:


> Would you be willing to share that info?
> We have family of 5 and need EMM transportation from CR.  That's a terrific price!
> TIA



I booked through their website: 
http://www.mearstransportation.com


----------



## Wish Upon A Starbucks

On days when HS has EMM, where are the non EMM guests held until 8:45. Outside the gate or inside the park? And also then, how do Jedi training sign ups work? Do they begin before 8:45 or not?


----------



## kat_lh

Jasperann said:


> I might be crazy...
> 
> But I just switched around almost my whole trip...  My FP was this morning... and I was sure I was set.
> 
> Dang EMM additions.
> 
> I booked 12/24 - 7am not that it matters.  So that my husband can do it too.  I booked the MK Dessert party for 12/22 instead of 12/23 and we will have an early night 12/23.  We need to make it before 7am so we can be in breakfast and done in 20 mins... lol  Then at rope drop my family that wants too will hop over to Tot and RnRc and then we will hop to Epcot.  Do a few FP's and then our CP lunch at 11:55.  I figure we would be hungry by then.  Our CP time is 5pm so even if we are tired we will last that long.  Then we can call it an early night OR try to hang out until Illuminations.  I think that depends on the day.  I'm sure that all of us could last that long though.  It's great with the kids getting older.
> 
> Now I need to take a look at my other ADRs on Saturday and Wednesday.



If you want to get more bang for your buck and not throw up on SDD, lol, take some Ziploc bags with you and take some pastries, fruit, etc to go from breakfast before TSL opens.  That way you can have a lighter breakfast before riding and have snacks for afterwards without having to go back to ABC to get food.


----------



## kat_lh

Wish Upon A Starbucks said:


> On days when HS has EMM, where are the non EMM guests held until 8:45. Outside the gate or inside the park? And also then, how do Jedi training sign ups work? Do they begin before 8:45 or not?



JTA does not begin earlier and I believe TSL RD is held by the Chinese theater


----------



## CarolynFH

ColoradoMom12 said:


> Thank you!! Very helpful. I think I’ll go with the 7:30 time and arrive a little bit on the early side. I saw what Disney has on their site and found it kind of amusing. I didn’t think it worked that way!



We booked our October 15 date only about 2 weeks ahead, and 7:30 was the only time offered to us. Having been keeping up with this thread, though, we arrived at 6:50 AM and were most definitely not the first ones there! Other guests were walking far ahead of us down Hollywood Blvd., and ABC Commissary was bustling when we arrived there around 7:00. When we walked out to front of the Chinese Theater around 7:20, probably 100 people were gathered already waiting to be walked in to TSL.

So arriving early would not be a bad idea even if you’re booked for 7:30.


----------



## Wish Upon A Starbucks

kat_lh said:


> JTA does not begin earlier and I believe TSL RD is held by the Chinese theater


So Jedi training sign ups begin at 8:45 on EMMs? TIA.


----------



## Lisa F

So does anyone have any clear direction on how to strategize this if you want to see characters as well?

It SEEMS like with SDD so busy right at first it might be best to hit characters first and then do SDD after it dies down a bit?

My date is in January and so far has only one time slot and plenty of availability under it and hoping it stays that way so it won't be an issue.  I know Josh at EasyWDW had an opinion but wondering how recent attendees feel/what their observations are even if not waiting on character lines

thanks!


----------



## ninafeliz

Lisa F said:


> So does anyone have any clear direction on how to strategize this if you want to see characters as well?
> 
> It SEEMS like with SDD so busy right at first it might be best to hit characters first and then do SDD after it dies down a bit?
> 
> My date is in January and so far has only one time slot and plenty of availability under it and hoping it stays that way so it won't be an issue.  I know Josh at EasyWDW had an opinion but wondering how recent attendees feel/what their observations are even if not waiting on character lines
> 
> thanks!



Thats what I was thinking and tentatively planning.  The problem is it’s going to be difficult to not run to SDD first- both mentally and because it will be hard to convince my boys to do pictures when we could be riding.


----------



## Lisa F

ninafeliz said:


> Thats what I was thinking and tentatively planning.  The problem is it’s going to be difficult to not run to SDD first- both mentally and because it will be hard to convince my boys to do pictures when we could be riding.


Wondering if maybe hitting the alien ride first would be good, they are both new to us.  My son is excited to try it all.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Lisa F said:


> So does anyone have any clear direction on how to strategize this if you want to see characters as well?
> 
> It SEEMS like with SDD so busy right at first it might be best to hit characters first and then do SDD after it dies down a bit?
> 
> My date is in January and so far has only one time slot and plenty of availability under it and hoping it stays that way so it won't be an issue.  I know Josh at EasyWDW had an opinion but wondering how recent attendees feel/what their observations are even if not waiting on character lines
> 
> thanks!



I think this is one of those YMMV things depending on your exact timing on your particular morning, but my post from a few weeks ago details how we did it:  https://www.disboards.com/threads/d...12-31-1-2-added.3701980/page-59#post-59831845

We were walking on that path leading to the land at 7:23am.  

Went straight to SDD (as were most people) - loaded ride vehicle at 7:31am.  

Then went to meet Jessie and Woody - only one person in front of us. 7:37am time stamp on the pics.  

Then went to Buzz, just a handful of people in line - 7:42am time stamp. 

We saw materially longer lines later in the event.  I had not really planned on meeting the characters early on like that - just sort of happened that way - but I was very glad we did.  

Hope that helps!


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Wish Upon A Starbucks said:


> So Jedi training sign ups begin at 8:45 on EMMs? TIA.



I have not personally done it but I believe Jedi training is handled the same regardless if it's an EMM morning or not. 

I am keeping tabs of Jedi training reports on Post #3 at the bottom, although we only have two reports so far:  https://www.disboards.com/threads/d...-12-24-12-31-1-2-added.3701980/#post-59644646


----------



## aviva5675

going Halloweeen morning. Plan to be at tapstyle before 7.  Go to rides first, then eat. Not interested in AS, and I myself might not even do SDD, just my husband. Might try it once, but I dont like roller coasters.


----------



## CarolynFH

Lisa F said:


> Wondering if maybe hitting the alien ride first would be good, they are both new to us.  My son is excited to try it all.



We went straight to AS2 and it was a walkon. They were letting people stay on and ride again if they wanted. Then we went to SDD and the line was much shorter than it had been at opening. Ten minutes maybe? Can’t remember but didn’t think it was excessive.


----------



## Jasperann

kat_lh said:


> If you want to get more bang for your buck and not throw up on SDD, lol, take some Ziploc bags with you and take some pastries, fruit, etc to go from breakfast before TSL opens.  That way you can have a lighter breakfast before riding and have snacks for afterwards without having to go back to ABC to get food.



That is a good plan.  I was thinking that we would hop back in there after park opening even if it is just to grab a soda to go.  So we technically could do a light breakfast and then come back and grab some pastries.


----------



## QueenHeather

We went on October 17th. We needed to leave Hollywood Studios by 9 so we couldn’t eat breakfast after the event. Here’s how we did it.

We took an Uber (we were in an offsite Disney Springs hotel) and had no trouble getting one right away. It was about 6:05. We arrived at HS at 6:15 (we couldn’t sleep so we just got up and went) and we were the first people there, though more arrived pretty soon after. 

They let us into the park at about 6:45 and directed us to breakfast. I knew from reading the board that they would let us into TSL at 7:20ish so we ate our hot breakfast kinda quickly (we didn’t feel too rushed, but it was just us two adults) and left the Commissary and were in the front of the crowd to go into the land. As expected, they let us in about 7:20 or 7:25, and we went straight to SDD since we were in the front of the line. 

After our first ride, we went to Aliens, then TSM. Then back to Slinky Dog. We rode Slinky twice more (probably waiting about 8-10 minutes each time) then Aliens again. At 8:40 we went to SDD again and it was a walk on. We could have ridden it again after that (rope drop crowds had not arrived yet) but we did not. 

While it was just two adults, we did not rush from place to place and did stop to talk to a few people and go to the bathroom and get water, etc. we could have done more rides, but we were very satisfied with 4 rides on Slinky, 2 on Aliens, and 1 on TSM.


----------



## Jasperann

CarolynFH said:


> We went straight to AS2 and it was a walkon. They were letting people stay on and ride again if they wanted. Then we went to SDD and the line was much shorter than it had been at opening. Ten minutes maybe? Can’t remember but didn’t think it was excessive.


I have a feeling if we went right to AS2 then we would be staying on again... because my kids LOVE those types of rides... lol


----------



## tazleiten12

Does Anyone know the cancellation policy. We have a reservation tomorrow, but i got a couple of sick people here. I'm hoping we can still go, but would like to wait a little later to decide. Also does the boat from Beach Club run to the studios that early? Thanks.


----------



## SaintsManiac

tazleiten12 said:


> Does Anyone know the cancellation policy. We have a reservation tomorrow, but i got a couple of sick people here. I'm hoping we can still go, but would like to wait a little later to decide. Also does the boat from Beach Club run to the studios that early? Thanks.




Not sure about the boat, but I would not risk that mode of transportation.

From post 1 of the thread:

*What Is The EMM Cancellation Policy?*

There is a 1 day cancellation policy for EMM.
The full price will be forfeited if a guest cancels within 1 day or no shows for the reservation.
*Note: There is language on Disney's EMM page that says "tickets are nonrefundable" - this is NOT accurate. If you go through the booking process and read the actual terms/conditions, it notes the 1 day cancellation policy.*


----------



## GADisneyDad14

tazleiten12 said:


> Does Anyone know the cancellation policy. We have a reservation tomorrow, but i got a couple of sick people here. I'm hoping we can still go, but would like to wait a little later to decide. Also does the boat from Beach Club run to the studios that early? Thanks.



There is a 1 day cancellation policy. 

I don't know exactly what time the boat starts, but it's not early enough to make it to the front entrance at 7am.  We were at YC a couple of weeks ago and walked - left at 6:40AM and arrived at front entrance around 7AM.  

My DW and DD opted to come later.... they got on a Friendship boat at YC/BC at 7:18am.  I'm assuming that was either the first or second Friendship Boat of the day, but not totally sure about that.


----------



## summerskye

Does anyone have a map showing where people line up after the breakfast.  I am a visual person. It would help me if I could see a map of the area showing the breafast area, TSL, and the general line up area.  We have not been to HS in years so I am not familiar with the layout with the new TSL area.   Thanks in advance.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

summerskye said:


> Does anyone have a map showing where people line up after the breakfast.  I am a visual person. It would help me if I could see a map of the area showing the breafast area, TSL, and the general line up area.  We have not been to HS in years so I am not familiar with the layout with the new TSL area.   Thanks in advance.



Kind of crude map, but see below.

#29 is the ABC Commissary where breakfast is served.

Before the land is open, they start lining people up in front of the Chinese Theater in the area shaded in yellow below.  When they start moving (approx 7:20ish-7:30 so far) they make everyone go through the doorway/ramp circled in yellow.

Hope that helps!


----------



## buteraa

We booked for our trip Christmas week.  I really like the idea of the MEARS, so I priced it out and it would be $17 one way.  How does this compare to the cost of UBER for those of you who have done it?  Any issues with drivers?


----------



## summerskye

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Kind of crude map, but see below.
> 
> #29 is the ABC Commissary where breakfast is served.
> 
> Before the land is open, they start lining people up in front of the Chinese Theater in the area shaded in yellow below.  When they start moving (approx 7:20ish-7:30 so far) they make everyone go through the doorway/ramp circled in yellow.
> 
> Hope that helps!
> 
> View attachment 359804



This is perfect.  Thanks.


----------



## FCDub

buteraa said:


> We booked for our trip Christmas week.  I really like the idea of the MEARS, so I priced it out and it would be $17 one way.  How does this compare to the cost of UBER for those of you who have done it?  Any issues with drivers?



You can get Uber estimates on their website.


----------



## wdwnut61

So excited DD and I booked both 3/18/19 and 3/20/19 for EMM @ TSL


----------



## 3Anderboys

FCDub said:


> You can get Uber estimates on their website.


where are you coming from? When I price out Mears it's $26-28 from the GF.


----------



## czmom

Jan 2 was our DHS day, and I just saw that EMM was added. Ugh!! How will that affect rope drop crowds? If we don’t pay for EMM, will the line for SDD already be long if we arrive early? Our trip is short, so I’m not counting on getting a FP for it.


----------



## FCDub

czmom said:


> Jan 2 was our DHS day, and I just saw that EMM was added. Ugh!! How will that affect rope drop crowds? If we don’t pay for EMM, will the line for SDD already be long if we arrive early? Our trip is short, so I’m not counting on getting a FP for it.



People get the heck out of dodge and into other areas of the park once the rope drop crew shows up.


----------



## Lisa F

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Kind of crude map, but see below.
> 
> #29 is the ABC Commissary where breakfast is served.
> 
> Before the land is open, they start lining people up in front of the Chinese Theater in the area shaded in yellow below.  When they start moving (approx 7:20ish-7:30 so far) they make everyone go through the doorway/ramp circled in yellow.
> 
> Hope that helps!
> 
> View attachment 359804



Thanks so much! I have read every review but now that i've read so many they are all blending in together!

That confirms what my gut says is that people are going to hit the rides first and not characters.  My kiddo is equally excited by it all so I think he would be fine hitting characters first but like I said maybe we'll hit the aliens ride first just to do a ride first thing.

Does anyone know if the breakfast is open at 7 on days when 7:30 is the start time (only one start time?) or do they only do that with the double start time?  Just wondering if we need to grab a light breakfast before we go or can just get there early and have some fruit and yogurt.

Thanks!


----------



## canyoncam

Thinking of doing EMM for February. I was going to do DAH but with all my pricing out of hotel rooms in Disney and back at my home home airport (that was the real killer) it would have cost me roughly $200 more than adding a whole extra day to my vacation. But since TSL EMM falls right in the middle of my trip it would only be the ticket cost. However, the budget part of my mind says “You are already planning EMH at HS and closing it out another night, it’s only an hour event, you can skip it.” It’s arguing with the part of my brain that says “You could get most likely 5 rides on SDD plus some TSM rides!” I think I will wait until after my FP date and see how those worked out.


----------



## LMO429

We went this morning, we had the 7am we got coffee quick at abc by time it was 710am they were letting people into the land so there is a difference in the two times. If u have the 7am don’t bother with breakfast first just line up in front of the Chinese theater. For today they let u in well ahead of 730am time


----------



## LMO429

We also walked from the beach club with the new walkway detour it took us 25 minutes to get over they also have the bus running no boats


----------



## LMO429

I would hit characters first then slinky them alien. Lines for characters were up to 30 minutes at 8am


----------



## Maine Disney First Timer

If there actually is a difference between the 7 & 7:30 times, if there is only 7:30 available for my date now, would it make sense to cancel that & get a 7:00 if that time becomes available?


----------



## summerskye

Maine Disney First Timer said:


> If there actually is a difference between the 7 & 7:30 times, if there is only 7:30 available for my date now, would it make sense to cancel that & get a 7:00 if that time becomes available?



From what I have read, it does not matter which time if there are 2 times. (7am or 7:30am)  Both "groups" are let into the park at the same time.  Some stop for breakfast, other just line up near the theater and wait for TSL to open.


----------



## SaintsManiac

Maine Disney First Timer said:


> If there actually is a difference between the 7 & 7:30 times, if there is only 7:30 available for my date now, would it make sense to cancel that & get a 7:00 if that time becomes available?




I have 7:30 booked and will not cancel and change it if they offer 7am. Our plan is to show up at 7am regardless.


----------



## VTHappyGirl

Just back from our trip and went to this on Wednesday 10/17.  Just me and 8yo son so easy small group.

We did have 730am slot and did not change to 7am when those were added but it did not matter at all.

Booked ahead with Mears for $12 from GF for 640am pickup...Not exactly morning people so not having to guess on bus times was $ well spent.

Arrived to HS around 7am and in the gates by 705am.  We did not want to eat before the rides so hung out around the theatre until they led us into the land around 720am.  Went directly to SDD and on the first one of the day.  Then went to Aliens and they let us stay on so rode that 2x.

Next up was Woody and Jessie with a short line..do this early.  

Then went over to Buzz line which was also short.  Needed some a/c since so hot out so did TSM.  Then back up to SDD and rode 4x times in a row (had to get back into line but it was short).

Rope drop crowd started coming in and it was crazy.  Headed to Star Tours and then to breakfast.  We did not care for the food options so just had the continental items yogurts, pastry , cereal.

Overall we did SDD 5x, Aliens 2x,TSM 1x and both meet and greets.  It seemed like many others ate first so did not enter TSL until 745am or so ...my advice is to get those extra 10mins and get into the land at 720am.  I  think that helped us get in front of the bulk of the EMM people to not have the long SDD wait times.   We left the park at 10am to head to Epcot. 

Seeing the crowds that flowed in at 845am this was easily some of the best money I have ever spent at Disney.


----------



## FCDub

VTHappyGirl said:


> Seeing the crowds that flowed in at 845am this was easily some of the best money I have ever spent at Disney.



I can only imagine. Sometimes it takes a "I'm so glad I'm not them" situation to put it all in perspective!


----------



## RachaelA

VTHappyGirl said:


> Just back from our trip and went to this on Wednesday 10/17.  Just me and 8yo son so easy small group.
> 
> We did have 730am slot and did not change to 7am when those were added but it did not matter at all.
> 
> Booked ahead with Mears for $12 from GF for 640am pickup...Not exactly morning people so not having to guess on bus times was $ well spent.
> 
> Arrived to HS around 7am and in the gates by 705am.  We did not want to eat before the rides so hung out around the theatre until they led us into the land around 720am.  Went directly to SDD and on the first one of the day.  Then went to Aliens and they let us stay on so rode that 2x.
> 
> Next up was Woody and Jessie with a short line..do this early.
> 
> Then went over to Buzz line which was also short.  Needed some a/c since so hot out so did TSM.  Then back up to SDD and rode 4x times in a row (had to get back into line but it was short).
> 
> Rope drop crowd started coming in and it was crazy.  Headed to Star Tours and then to breakfast.  We did not care for the food options so just had the continental items yogurts, pastry , cereal.
> 
> Overall we did SDD 5x, Aliens 2x,TSM 1x and both meet and greets.  It seemed like many others ate first so did not enter TSL until 745am or so ...my advice is to get those extra 10mins and get into the land at 720am.  I  think that helped us get in front of the bulk of the EMM people to not have the long SDD wait times.   We left the park at 10am to head to Epcot.
> 
> Seeing the crowds that flowed in at 845am this was easily some of the best money I have ever spent at Disney.


This is the exact plan I hope to accomplish next Wednesday!


----------



## Maine Disney First Timer

Really excited about this for Feb!


----------



## Dash7

We went this morning. I had been on the fence about canceling after some reviews, but opted to keep it. Really glad we did!


----------



## Lisa F

VTHappyGirl said:


> Just back from our trip and went to this on Wednesday 10/17.  Just me and 8yo son so easy small group.
> 
> We did have 730am slot and did not change to 7am when those were added but it did not matter at all.
> 
> Booked ahead with Mears for $12 from GF for 640am pickup...Not exactly morning people so not having to guess on bus times was $ well spent.
> 
> Arrived to HS around 7am and in the gates by 705am.  We did not want to eat before the rides so hung out around the theatre until they led us into the land around 720am.  Went directly to SDD and on the first one of the day.  Then went to Aliens and they let us stay on so rode that 2x.
> 
> Next up was Woody and Jessie with a short line..do this early.
> 
> Then went over to Buzz line which was also short.  Needed some a/c since so hot out so did TSM.  Then back up to SDD and rode 4x times in a row (had to get back into line but it was short).
> 
> Rope drop crowd started coming in and it was crazy.  Headed to Star Tours and then to breakfast.  We did not care for the food options so just had the continental items yogurts, pastry , cereal.
> 
> Overall we did SDD 5x, Aliens 2x,TSM 1x and both meet and greets.  It seemed like many others ate first so did not enter TSL until 745am or so ...my advice is to get those extra 10mins and get into the land at 720am.  I  think that helped us get in front of the bulk of the EMM people to not have the long SDD wait times.   We left the park at 10am to head to Epcot.
> 
> Seeing the crowds that flowed in at 845am this was easily some of the best money I have ever spent at Disney.


thanks for this - answered all of my questions!


----------



## KrazeeK120

My family (myself, DH, and DS almost 3 years old) attended EMM this morning.

We drove ourselves and arrived a little before 6:40. At about 6:50, we were allowed into ABC Commissary. We grabbed a snack there. 

We headed out toward TSL just after 7:15 and the rides were already going. I had a plan in mind, but it went right out the window when my son sprinted straight for SDD. So we rode that first. I’d say we waited less than 10 minutes. Then, we met Woody & Jessie. I didn’t time it, but I think we waited somewhere in the 10-15 minute range. That was the shortest I saw the line the entire day. After that, we rode TSMM with no wait. Then, we met Buzz. He had about a 10 minute wait. Then, my DH and DS rode AS2 with no wait (I hate any spinning type rides). After sprinting to SDD, my son ended up absolutely terrified of it. So, I rode it while DH and DS did AS2 again and DH rode it while I did TSMM with DS. At that point, the rope drop crowd arrived.

At rope drop, we chose to go meet Chewie and Olaf as those were the highest priority on DS’s list today. We went back for breakfast after we met them, probably around 9:30 or so. My husband had the chartrucerie (sp?) and enjoyed it. My son chose the scrambled eggs and ate the whole bowl of food! The cold buffet looked more appetizing to me than the hot entrees, so I did that.

Ovearall, I thought the event was a good value for our family. My son really enjoys meeting characters, and we spent the rest of the day meeting Chewie, Olaf, Goofy, Pluto, Vampirina, Sofia, and Doc McStuffins, in addition to seeing the Frozen show and Muppet Vision 3D. DH also rode Rock n Roller Coaster and we had a FP to ride TSMM again. We ate dinner and left the park around 6 pm for a total of 11 hours! We wouldn’t have been able to accomplish as much as we did without the EMM event.

I’ll be up bright and early again tomorrow for MK EMM, so look for my review over on that thread tomorrow evening!


----------



## ColoradoMom12

KrazeeK120 said:


> My family (myself, DH, and DS almost 3 years old) attended EMM this morning.
> 
> We drove ourselves and arrived a little before 6:40. At about 6:50, we were allowed into ABC Commissary. We grabbed a snack there.
> 
> We headed out toward TSL just after 7:15 and the rides were already going. I had a plan in mind, but it went right out the window when my son sprinted straight for SDD. So we rode that first. I’d say we waited less than 10 minutes. Then, we met Woody & Jessie. I didn’t time it, but I think we waited somewhere in the 10-15 minute range. That was the shortest I saw the line the entire day. After that, we rode TSMM with no wait. Then, we met Buzz. He had about a 10 minute wait. Then, my DH and DS rode AS2 with no wait (I hate any spinning type rides). After sprinting to SDD, my son ended up absolutely terrified of it. So, I rode it while DH and DS did AS2 again and DH rode it while I did TSMM with DS. At that point, the rope drop crowd arrived.
> 
> At rope drop, we chose to go meet Chewie and Olaf as those were the highest priority on DS’s list today. We went back for breakfast after we met them, probably around 9:30 or so. My husband had the chartrucerie (sp?) and enjoyed it. My son chose the scrambled eggs and ate the whole bowl of food! The cold buffet looked more appetizing to me than the hot entrees, so I did that.
> 
> Ovearall, I thought the event was a good value for our family. My son really enjoys meeting characters, and we spent the rest of the day meeting Chewie, Olaf, Goofy, Pluto, Vampirina, Sofia, and Doc McStuffins, in addition to seeing the Frozen show and Muppet Vision 3D. DH also rode Rock n Roller Coaster and we had a FP to ride TSMM again. We ate dinner and left the park around 6 pm for a total of 11 hours! We wouldn’t have been able to accomplish as much as we did without the EMM event.
> 
> I’ll be up bright and early again tomorrow for MK EMM, so look for my review over on that thread tomorrow evening!


Thanks for this review. I know it’s kind of off-topic, but I didn’t know Vampirina was meeting at HS! Woah-oh-oh, this news has just made our Thanksgiving trip extra special for my DD!! She adores Vampirina (we are watching the show right now, in fact). I’m keeping EMM at HS a surprise as I just booked it on Friday (HS in general will be a surprise for her. I was hoping for FP for SDD our arrival day but didn’t manage to get them. I check daily just in case, but I’ve told DD we’re probably skipping HS this trip), and DD will absolutely shriek with excitement when I whisk her away from TSL to meet Vampirina!


----------



## GADisneyDad14

ColoradoMom12 said:


> I know it’s kind of off-topic, but I didn’t know Vampirina was meeting at HS!



Yep, just started yesterday!


----------



## ptlohmysoul

ColoradoMom12 said:


> Thanks for this review. I know it’s kind of off-topic, but I didn’t know Vampirina was meeting at HS! Woah-oh-oh, this news has just made our Thanksgiving trip extra special for my DD!! She adores Vampirina (we are watching the show right now, in fact). I’m keeping EMM at HS a surprise as I just booked it on Friday (HS in general will be a surprise for her. I was hoping for FP for SDD our arrival day but didn’t manage to get them. I check daily just in case, but I’ve told DD we’re probably skipping HS this trip), and DD will absolutely shriek with excitement when I whisk her away from TSL to meet Vampirina!



Vamperina is also at Hollywood & Vine for breakfast.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

@KrazeeK120 & @VTHappyGirl - thanks for posting your reviews/experiances!  Added to *Post #3! * 

For those that don't follow the thread that much.... I keep track of links to DISer event review posts on Post #3.  I am also keeping a record of when people report experiences with EMM and Jedi Training sign-ups... these are at the bottom of Post $3.  

Thanks all!


----------



## ConnecticutNonna

VTHappyGirl said:


> Just back from our trip and went to this on Wednesday 10/17.  Just me and 8yo son so easy small group.
> 
> We did have 730am slot and did not change to 7am when those were added but it did not matter at all.
> 
> Booked ahead with Mears for $12 from GF for 640am pickup...Not exactly morning people so not having to guess on bus times was $ well spent.
> 
> Arrived to HS around 7am and in the gates by 705am.  We did not want to eat before the rides so hung out around the theatre until they led us into the land around 720am.  Went directly to SDD and on the first one of the day.  Then went to Aliens and they let us stay on so rode that 2x.
> 
> Next up was Woody and Jessie with a short line..do this early.
> 
> Then went over to Buzz line which was also short.  Needed some a/c since so hot out so did TSM.  Then back up to SDD and rode 4x times in a row (had to get back into line but it was short).
> 
> Rope drop crowd started coming in and it was crazy.  Headed to Star Tours and then to breakfast.  We did not care for the food options so just had the continental items yogurts, pastry , cereal.
> 
> Overall we did SDD 5x, Aliens 2x,TSM 1x and both meet and greets.  It seemed like many others ate first so did not enter TSL until 745am or so ...my advice is to get those extra 10mins and get into the land at 720am.  I  think that helped us get in front of the bulk of the EMM people to not have the long SDD wait times.   We left the park at 10am to head to Epcot.
> 
> Seeing the crowds that flowed in at 845am this was easily some of the best money I have ever spent at Disney.


I like your strategy, and I plan to "steal" it when we go.  I'm leaving DD and DSiL to fend for theirveryownselves, and Papa and I are going to take the 4 y/o DGS, and do EXACTLY what you just did!  It sounds like perfect planning!  I'm sure it helped that TSL is pretty compact.
Thanks so much for sharing!
Sparkle on!


----------



## ConnecticutNonna

GADisneyDad14 said:


> @KrazeeK120 & @VTHappyGirl - thanks for posting your reviews/experiances!  Added to *Post #3! *
> 
> For those that don't follow the thread that much.... I keep track of links to DISer event review posts on Post #3.  I am also keeping a record of when people report experiences with EMM and Jedi Training sign-ups... these are at the bottom of Post $3.
> 
> Thanks all!


Again "Dad" YOU. ARE. THE. BEST!!!



Sparkle on, 
NonnaT


----------



## Christi0909

LMO429 said:


> We went this morning, we had the 7am we got coffee quick at abc by time it was 710am they were letting people into the land so there is a difference in the two times. If u have the 7am don’t bother with breakfast first just line up in front of the Chinese theater. For today they let u in well ahead of 730am time



But really, were they not allowing those with a 7:30 time to enter the land? I don’t think there’s a difference between the two times, though it is nice if they opened TSL that early!


----------



## KrazeeK120

ColoradoMom12 said:


> Thanks for this review. I know it’s kind of off-topic, but I didn’t know Vampirina was meeting at HS! Woah-oh-oh, this news has just made our Thanksgiving trip extra special for my DD!! She adores Vampirina (we are watching the show right now, in fact). I’m keeping EMM at HS a surprise as I just booked it on Friday (HS in general will be a surprise for her. I was hoping for FP for SDD our arrival day but didn’t manage to get them. I check daily just in case, but I’ve told DD we’re probably skipping HS this trip), and DD will absolutely shriek with excitement when I whisk her away from TSL to meet Vampirina!



She had a sizeable line all day. I’d say we waited 20-25 minutes. My son loves the music on that show and really wanted to meet her when he saw her. She’s very cute.


----------



## disneyworldsk

VTHappyGirl said:


> Just back from our trip and went to this on Wednesday 10/17.  Just me and 8yo son so easy small group.
> 
> We did have 730am slot and did not change to 7am when those were added but it did not matter at all.
> 
> Booked ahead with Mears for $12 from GF for 640am pickup...Not exactly morning people so not having to guess on bus times was $ well spent.
> 
> Arrived to HS around 7am and in the gates by 705am.  We did not want to eat before the rides so hung out around the theatre until they led us into the land around 720am.  Went directly to SDD and on the first one of the day.  Then went to Aliens and they let us stay on so rode that 2x.
> 
> Next up was Woody and Jessie with a short line..do this early.
> 
> Then went over to Buzz line which was also short.  Needed some a/c since so hot out so did TSM.  Then back up to SDD and rode 4x times in a row (had to get back into line but it was short).
> 
> Rope drop crowd started coming in and it was crazy.  Headed to Star Tours and then to breakfast.  We did not care for the food options so just had the continental items yogurts, pastry , cereal.
> 
> Overall we did SDD 5x, Aliens 2x,TSM 1x and both meet and greets.  It seemed like many others ate first so did not enter TSL until 745am or so ...my advice is to get those extra 10mins and get into the land at 720am.  I  think that helped us get in front of the bulk of the EMM people to not have the long SDD wait times.   We left the park at 10am to head to Epcot.
> 
> Seeing the crowds that flowed in at 845am this was easily some of the best money I have ever spent at Disney


----------



## disneyworldsk

where does mears drop off at dhs and is it much closer to the gate then the maze of a bus loop?


----------



## Jasperann

Christi0909 said:


> But really, were they not allowing those with a 7:30 time to enter the land? I don’t think there’s a difference between the two times, though it is nice if they opened TSL that early!


They do not check times the morning of and all are treated the same.


----------



## gracielou

I booked the 22nd and the 29th with the thought of canceling the 29th if we didn't feel the value was there. Our plan was to get there in time to head straight to the rides, run over to RnRC and ToT, then come back for breakfast. 

We drove from OKW (where we did see a bus signed for DHS leaving the resort, btw) and parked at 7:01, in the gate at 7:10, and in TSL by 7:15. Taking the lessons learned from this group,  we decided to save SDD for last so we started at TSM.  Rode that 3 times without getting off then over to Aliens for 3 rides, where we did have to get off but were quickly back on after waiting for one group to ride each time.  We finally went to SDD, where we again rode 3 times (less than 8 minutes from the time we entered the line to the time we were off the ride each time).  

By this point we still had some time before the RD crowds so we went back to TSM. Rode that 2 more times without getting off. We had time to go back for one more ride but decided our arms were sore enough, so we started leaving the land to head over to Sunset.  That's when we ran into the mad rush of RD around the bend!  We worked our way through and, without rushing, were able to do RnRC (no preshow, just straight to the ride) and ToT very quickly and were in the Commissary at 9:29.  We really enjoyed the breakfast (charcuterie, avacado toast, and the kids scrambled eggs shared between the two of us) and took our time there.  We left the Commissary shortly after 10:00 and went to ST.  The plan was to then head over to Epcot for an 11:00 FP for Soarin' but the CMs at the Frozen Sing-Along were saying the 10:30 show was about to start so we stopped in there.  

All in all, it was a great morning and we felt the value was there for us.  We decided we're definitely keeping our reservations for the 29th and are looking forward to it!


----------



## rxbeth

So has the last session or two been slightly different with them letting people in to tsl slightly earlier? Before people were saying they were let in around 720 but the rides didn't start until almost 730 exactly. 

We're the rides running when you were let in at 715, @gracielou ?


----------



## gracielou

rxbeth said:


> So has the last session or two been slightly different with them letting people in to tsl slightly earlier? Before people were saying they were let in around 720 but the rides didn't start until almost 730 exactly.
> 
> We're the rides running when you were let in at 715, @gracielou ?


Yes, we thought we would have a 5 minute wait at the Chinese Theater, but to our surprise we walked right in at 7:15.  We could see people well ahead of us in the land, but did not see another soul on TSM until our 2nd ride.


----------



## summerskye

gracielou said:


> I booked the 22nd and the 29th with the thought of canceling the 29th if we didn't feel the value was there. Our plan was to get there in time to head straight to the rides, run over to RnRC and ToT, then come back for breakfast.
> 
> We drove from OKW (where we did see a bus signed for DHS leaving the resort, btw) and parked at 7:01, in the gate at 7:10, and in TSL by 7:15. Taking the lessons learned from this group,  we decided to save SDD for last so we started at TSM.  Rode that 3 times without getting off then over to Aliens for 3 rides, where we did have to get off but were quickly back on after waiting for one group to ride each time.  We finally went to SDD, where we again rode 3 times (less than 8 minutes from the time we entered the line to the time we were off the ride each time).
> 
> By this point we still had some time before the RD crowds so we went back to TSM. Rode that 2 more times without getting off. We had time to go back for one more ride but decided our arms were sore enough, so we started leaving the land to head over to Sunset.  That's when we ran into the mad rush of RD around the bend!  We worked our way through and, without rushing, were able to do RnRC (no preshow, just straight to the ride) and ToT very quickly and were in the Commissary at 9:29.  We really enjoyed the breakfast (charcuterie, avacado toast, and the kids scrambled eggs shared between the two of us) and took our time there.  We left the Commissary shortly after 10:00 and went to ST.  The plan was to then head over to Epcot for an 11:00 FP for Soarin' but the CMs at the Frozen Sing-Along were saying the 10:30 show was about to start so we stopped in there.
> 
> All in all, it was a great morning and we felt the value was there for us.  We decided we're definitely keeping our reservations for the 29th and are looking forward to it!



Thanks for the report.  Please report on your second experience on the 29th.  It would be nice to see if there are any differences from your perspective.  Again thanks.


----------



## disneyworldsk

How do you go from tsl to the abc comm. to eat breakfast ? you exit where you entered tsl as you battle rd people.  then where do you go? I can't picture it.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

disneyworldsk said:


> How do you go from tsl to the abc comm. to eat breakfast ? you exit where you entered tsl as you battle rd people.  then where do you go? I can't picture it.



You’d follow the red arrows, just opposite direction of where they are pointing in this map below (I did this for something else) (note the map is not drawn entirely accurately on that one side of the Chinese theatre but it’s close enough to get the idea).  After the initial surge (which doesn’t last that long), it’s easily navigable.

My DHS secret... before EMM I had never even seen ABC Commissary and had absolutely NO clue where/what it was!


----------



## DisneyDoc5

It sounds like some people are suggesting stopping into breakfast really early, then going back later before 10 to sit down and eat the full meal. Do they let you get food more than once then? I'm not trying to be a pig, just thinking we might grab a coffee and pastry, then eat the full breakfast closer to 10. Thank you for any input. Have a magical day!


----------



## ninafeliz

DisneyDoc5 said:


> It sounds like some people are suggesting stopping into breakfast really early, then going back later before 10 to sit down and eat the full meal. Do they let you get food more than once then? I'm not trying to be a pig, just thinking we might grab a coffee and pastry, then eat the full breakfast closer to 10. Thank you for any input. Have a magical day!



Yes, you can get food twice or even more if you want to spend the time there and can eat that much!  By reports you can get more than one of the hot items (not sure if you can just ask for two different ones when you order, or if you make two trips up to order), so I don't see why you couldn't get them if you went two different times to eat. You can definitely get food from the buffet as often as you want.


----------



## M SH

DisneyDoc5 said:


> It sounds like some people are suggesting stopping into breakfast really early, then going back later before 10 to sit down and eat the full meal. Do they let you get food more than once then? I'm not trying to be a pig, just thinking we might grab a coffee and pastry, then eat the full breakfast closer to 10. Thank you for any input. Have a magical day!



you can and go in and out of the breakfast area as many times as you want and order as much as you want.
don't be shy about grabbing as much food as you can eat; you are paying for it.

at MK EMM we took some chicken sausages and pastries, before breakfast end time, to go in ziplocks and had them for lunch.


----------



## LMO429

Christi0909 said:


> But really, were they not allowing those with a 7:30 time to enter the land? I don’t think there’s a difference between the two times, though it is nice if they opened TSL that early!



I can’t soeak for 730am I had a 7am but I would think they would let 730 people in at 7 too they actually let us into Hollywood studios at 650am


----------



## Maine Disney First Timer

After reading all of this, my plan would be to go to Meet Woody & Jessie first. If the trend is that they open up a little before the 7:30 mark for the rides, would you ride a ride and then get in line if the characters dont come out until right at 7:30?


----------



## LMO429

Maine Disney First Timer said:


> After reading all of this, my plan would be to go to Meet Woody & Jessie first. If the trend is that they open up a little before the 7:30 mark for the rides, would you ride a ride and then get in line if the characters dont come out until right at 7:30?


Lines for characters I thought were the longest for the event. I would do characters first if I had to do it over again


----------



## ninafeliz

I see 10/29 only has 3 spots again, I'm curious to see how it is since it appeared that they opened extra spots after it sold out initially (well twice if you count back when they first added the 7:00 time).  Has there been a morning yet after it seemed like more spots were opened again (maybe yesterday or tomorrow)?  

I'm still debating how to best see all the characters and hope to get SDD 3-5 times, TSMM 2-3 times and AS2 2-3 times.  We'll see if we can or not.  Thinking AS2 then the characters then TSMM x2 then back to AS2 and then SDD until the end, and if we can do an extra AS2 or TSMM somewhere in there then bonus.  That's if I can convince my boys to hold off on SDD that long.  But they love TSMM so it might not be a problem.


----------



## gracielou

DisneyDoc5 said:


> It sounds like some people are suggesting stopping into breakfast really early, then going back later before 10 to sit down and eat the full meal. Do they let you get food more than once then? I'm not trying to be a pig, just thinking we might grab a coffee and pastry, then eat the full breakfast closer to 10. Thank you for any input. Have a magical day!


The cashier at the ordering station told us to get as many items as we wanted and to feel free to come back for more.  She also asked if we wanted any fountain drinks or iced tea.


----------



## Maine Disney First Timer

Does anyone know where "Pixar Place" is on the map? Where the new Incredibles thing will be at? I'm wondering if that is something to go to first after the rope drop crowd gets released before we go to breakfast? Going in Feb


----------



## summerskye

Maine Disney First Timer said:


> Does anyone know where "Pixar Place" is on the map? Where the new Incredibles thing will be at? I'm wondering if that is something to go to first after the rope drop crowd gets released before we go to breakfast? Going in Feb



The only thing I am finding is the Pixar Play Zone which is located at the Contemporary Resort.  Sorry.


----------



## SaintsManiac

Maine Disney First Timer said:


> Does anyone know where "Pixar Place" is on the map? Where the new Incredibles thing will be at? I'm wondering if that is something to go to first after the rope drop crowd gets released before we go to breakfast? Going in Feb




My guess is over near One Man's Dream where it was before. We probably won't get good details until it starts in January, unfortunately.


----------



## DWFamilyof6

Maine Disney First Timer said:


> Does anyone know where "Pixar Place" is on the map? Where the new Incredibles thing will be at? I'm wondering if that is something to go to first after the rope drop crowd gets released before we go to breakfast? Going in Feb


I heard it was going to be at the old entrance of TSM. Which on the map is the green colored in alley beside Toy Story Land entrance.


----------



## ninafeliz

Maine Disney First Timer said:


> Does anyone know where "Pixar Place" is on the map? Where the new Incredibles thing will be at? I'm wondering if that is something to go to first after the rope drop crowd gets released before we go to breakfast? Going in Feb


 
Pixar Place is where the old entrance to TSM was located, with theToy story character meet and greet across the street.  It's been walled off since they opened the new TSM entrance and TSL opened, my understanding is they are going to reopen it as the town the Incredibles are from, I can't remember what all is included in that or when exactly it starts.  Might be the very beginning of the year.


----------



## DWFamilyof6

DWFamilyof6 said:


> I heard it was going to be at the old entrance of TSM. Which on the map is the green colored in alley beside Toy Story Land entrance.





Maine Disney First Timer said:


> Does anyone know where "Pixar Place" is on the map? Where the new Incredibles thing will be at? I'm wondering if that is something to go to first after the rope drop crowd gets released before we go to breakfast? Going in Feb


To add. That is our plan too for early March. I think we'll go do the Incredibles stuff after EMM.


----------



## Maine Disney First Timer

DWFamilyof6 said:


> To add. That is our plan too for early March. I think we'll go do the Incredibles stuff after EMM.



Sounds fun! I was thinking after EMM to do Incredibles thing, then breakfast, then sign up for Jedi.


----------



## RachaelA

We are going on Halloween and our plan is to arrive at 7 on the dot and not head to breakfast at all before so I’ll report back what time they are letting people in to TSL


----------



## disneyworldsk

GADisneyDad14 said:


> You’d follow the red arrows, just opposite direction of where they are pointing in this map below (I did this for something else) (note the map is not drawn entirely accurately on that one side of the Chinese theatre but it’s close enough to get the idea).  After the initial surge (which doesn’t last that long), it’s easily navigable.
> 
> My DHS secret... before EMM I had never even seen ABC Commissary and had absolutely NO clue where/what it was!
> 
> View attachment 360411


Thank you. Can you tell me on this map which number or icon near the commissary would be the frozen character and mickey meet and greet? I will go there before breakfast after rd. thank you !


----------



## Liz Z

So sorry if his has been covered before.  Hubby and i are driving to HS and wondering if they charge for parking for this event?  Also is the parking pretty close?  Any diagrams would be greatly appreciated.

We'll be there on the 29th

Also is the Aliens ride really like teacups?  Not into spinning too much LOL

Liz


----------



## dachsie

Liz Z said:


> So sorry if his has been covered before.  Hubby and i are driving to HS and wondering if they charge for parking for this event?  Also is the parking pretty close?  Any diagrams would be greatly appreciated.
> 
> We'll be there on the 29th
> 
> Also is the Aliens ride really like teacups?  Not into spinning too much LOL
> 
> Liz


If staying on property you wont be charged for parking, if off property, its $25 and can be used at other parks that same day.  Parking is not close but if you have a medical need, you can ask for medical parking.

Aliens just swings you back and forth, no spinning


----------



## Liz Z

dachsie said:


> If staying on property you wont be charged for parking, if off property, its $25 and can be used at other parks that same day.  Parking is not close but if you have a medical need, you can ask for medical parking.
> 
> Aliens just swings you back and forth, no spinning



Thank you  is there a preferred parking area? We'll have an AP so not too worried about cost as long as its closer. We're both in our 60's and beginning to feel it  LOL 

Liz


----------



## ColoradoMom12

Liz Z said:


> So sorry if his has been covered before.  Hubby and i are driving to HS and wondering if they charge for parking for this event?  Also is the parking pretty close?  Any diagrams would be greatly appreciated.
> 
> We'll be there on the 29th
> 
> Also is the Aliens ride really like teacups?  Not into spinning too much LOL
> 
> Liz


I don’t know about parking, but in my opinions the Aliens aren’t at all like the teacups. I cannot do the teacup ride. Spinning makes me miserably sick in a way that doesn’t go away easily. The Aliens more swings around (it’s not necessarily a smooth movement) in a figure 8. So it kind of spins but not in a dizzying, sick kind of way. I did the Aliens ride with no trouble. Maybe watch what it does once before you decide to get on- that was what I did. I liked it enough we did it a few times.


----------



## Liz Z

^^Thank you! Good to hear its not a spinning type ride.  Yeah Teacups is not my choice of fun LOL

Liz


----------



## GADisneyDad14

disneyworldsk said:


> Thank you. Can you tell me on this map which number or icon near the commissary would be the frozen character and mickey meet and greet? I will go there before breakfast after rd. thank you !



Here's a link to the full map:  https://secure.cdn1.wdpromedia.com/...dios/dhs-0918-eng-optimized.pdf?1539668960901

Olaf - 9
Mickey & Minnie - 27

Hope that helps!


----------



## StacyStrong

Exactly 6 weeks from right now, I'll be eating in ABC Commissary after a morning at TSL!


----------



## summerskye

StacyStrong said:


> Exactly 6 weeks from right now, I'll be eating in ABC Commissary after a morning at TSL!



Exactly 26 days from now, I'll be doing the same.


----------



## ColoradoMom12

summerskye said:


> Exactly 26 days from now, I'll be doing the same.


I’ll be there 26 days from now as well!


----------



## summerskye

ColoradoMom12 said:


> I’ll be there 26 days from now as well!



Stop by and say hi.  We will be easy to find.  Wife and 2 daughters will be attacking the sweets.  I will have a plate of the savory items.  I will also be the one trying to figure out how to sneak the bar into the backpack for the rest of our trip.


----------



## Jasperann

Found another review on youtube!!


----------



## czmom

Jasperann said:


> Found another review on youtube!!


 Wow, it looks empty!


----------



## Jasperann

czmom said:


> Wow, it looks empty!


It really did!


----------



## disneyworldsk

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Here's a link to the full map:  https://secure.cdn1.wdpromedia.com/...dios/dhs-0918-eng-optimized.pdf?1539668960901
> 
> Olaf - 9
> Mickey & Minnie - 27
> 
> Hope that helps!


I'm glad you sent this. i thought the two characters were in one exact spot. they're close i c yes, just not in same place actually. thanks so much. probably do mickey and then breakfast.


----------



## disneyworldsk

great video review above! yet again, another failed uber to emm!! can't decide now...going from pofq november 7th.  someone tell me what to do: bus or mears?!! And please tell me if mears drop off to dhs would be considerably closer then the bus loop. help! need advice.


----------



## MalamuteMom

This is my first post, but I have been reading the thread and wanted to share our experience. I didn't do a great job remembering exact times, but hopefully it will still be helpful.

My husband and I attended on 10/22. We had the 7:30 time. I don't believe this was a sold out day.

The worst part was waiting for the bus at Pop Century. We were the first in line probably around 6:10. A bus did not come until a little after 6:40. I am 99% sure we did not miss a bus. We definitely should've taken a Lyft. We got to the entrance a few minutes after 7 and to ABC Commissary around 7:10ish. I thought we'd have a few minutes so we went to grab some pastries and go to the bathroom expecting they would rope drop around 7:20. By the time I got out of the bathroom, they had already rope dropped and by the time we could see Slinky there were already people riding. So I think the rope drop must've been around 7:15 and they let people start riding right away.

We rode SD first (short wait, maybe 5 min) then AS2 twice without getting off. I don't remember the exact order of everything, but we ended up riding AS2 x2, SD x3, and TSMM x3-4 (our favorite ride, ended up riding several more times with day of FP). Slinky wait times always seemed to be about 5 minutes or less. Others were walk-ons. The most frustrating part was trying to speed walk through the TSMM queue and being caught behind slow people. I understand some people do the event to go slow, but just move to the side if there are people trying to maximize their ride time!! I do wish they would've used the FastPass queue or let us stay on or something rather than going through the full exit and queue.

We did not do any characters - there always seemed to be at least several families in line and we prefer rides.

We left around 8:50 and got a PhotoPass picture at the entrance with no wait right as the rope drop crowds were approaching. We were able to ride RnR (nearly walk on, no preshow) and ToT and back to breakfast by around 7:30. I really enjoyed the Chicken and Doughnuts.  

Overall, I really enjoyed the event; however, you have to be motivated to ride these rides multiple times for it to be worth it for you. I probably wouldn't do the MK one because those rides I enjoy, but not necessarily over and over again.


----------



## SaintsManiac

MalamuteMom said:


> This is my first post, but I have been reading the thread and wanted to share our experience. I didn't do a great job remembering exact times, but hopefully it will still be helpful.
> 
> My husband and I attended on 10/22. We had the 7:30 time. I don't believe this was a sold out day.
> 
> The worst part was waiting for the bus at Pop Century. We were the first in line probably around 6:10. A bus did not come until a little after 6:40. I am 99% sure we did not miss a bus. We definitely should've taken a Lyft. We got to the entrance a few minutes after 7 and to ABC Commissary around 7:10ish. I thought we'd have a few minutes so we went to grab some pastries and go to the bathroom expecting they would rope drop around 7:20. By the time I got out of the bathroom, they had already rope dropped and by the time we could see Slinky there were already people riding. So I think the rope drop must've been around 7:15 and they let people start riding right away.
> 
> We rode SD first (short wait, maybe 5 min) then AS2 twice without getting off. I don't remember the exact order of everything, but we ended up riding AS2 x2, SD x3, and TSMM x3-4 (our favorite ride, ended up riding several more times with day of FP). Slinky wait times always seemed to be about 5 minutes or less. Others were walk-ons. The most frustrating part was trying to speed walk through the TSMM queue and being caught behind slow people. I understand some people do the event to go slow, but just move to the side if there are people trying to maximize their ride time!! I do wish they would've used the FastPass queue or let us stay on or something rather than going through the full exit and queue.
> 
> We did not do any characters - there always seemed to be at least several families in line and we prefer rides.
> 
> We left around 8:50 and got a PhotoPass picture with Woody with no wait right as the rope drop crowds were approaching. We were able to ride RnR (nearly walk on, no preshow) and ToT and back to breakfast by around 7:30. I really enjoyed the Chicken and Doughnuts.
> 
> Overall, I really enjoyed the event; however, you have to be motivated to ride these rides multiple times for it to be worth it for you. I probably wouldn't do the MK one because those rides I enjoy, but not necessarily over and over again.




Thanks for the review and  to the DIS!!


----------



## TISHLOVESDISNEY

Thanks for your review! So glad to see more positive experiences lately!


----------



## czmom

TISHLOVESDISNEY said:


> Thanks for your review! So glad to see more positive experiences lately!


 I agree the reviews seem much better lately!


----------



## Eve & Wall-e

MalamuteMom said:


> Overall, I really enjoyed the event...



I enjoyed your review. Very helpful!


----------



## Mambo Junkie

czmom said:


> I agree the reviews seem much better lately!


Totally agree. I even got some info from the last few posts that was very helpful. I think to navigate through a crowded venue such as this you need a plan and all the great posts sharing info really help to have a great time and not feel like you wasted hours when in reality there is lots to do. I’m going on Halloween so I’m bracing for the crowd but I’m also going in with a plan!


----------



## ColoradoMom12

summerskye said:


> Stop by and say hi.  We will be easy to find.  Wife and 2 daughters will be attacking the sweets.  I will have a plate of the savory items.  I will also be the one trying to figure out how to sneak the bar into the backpack for the rest of our trip.


If we see you, we will! We'll be the mom and kid (DD7) family putting pastries into a ziploc bag for lunch.  I'm so excited for this!! (The whole thing, that is. Not just saving pastries for lunch.)


----------



## mi*vida*loca

Does anyone think they'll be adding November 5? I went to look to book and that date is now clickable and I don't think it was before.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

mi*vida*loca said:


> Does anyone think they'll be adding November 5? I went to look to book and that date is now clickable and I don't think it was before.



Good eyes. Yeah, I’d say definitely being added given it has turned blue (unless it’s a tech snafu).

Totally makes the recent EMH change that day make sense now.  Sad and/or shocking Disney thinks they can sell enough spots in 2 weeks to make it worth it!  Ha!

Thank you for letting us know about the blue date.


----------



## mi*vida*loca

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Good eyes. Yeah, I’d say definitely being added given it has turned blue (unless it’s a tech snafu).
> 
> Totally makes the recent EMH change that day make sense now.  Sad and/or shocking Disney thinks they can sell enough spots in 2 weeks to make it worth it!  Ha!
> 
> Thank you for letting us know about the blue date.



I'll be watching it. I've been debating and after reading reviews it looks pretty good.


----------



## OKC Disney Fan

ColoradoMom12 said:


> I don’t know about parking, but in my opinions the Aliens aren’t at all like the teacups. I cannot do the teacup ride. Spinning makes me miserably sick in a way that doesn’t go away easily. The Aliens more swings around (it’s not necessarily a smooth movement) in a figure 8. So it kind of spins but not in a dizzying, sick kind of way. I did the Aliens ride with no trouble. Maybe watch what it does once before you decide to get on- that was what I did. I liked it enough we did it a few times.



I would imagine then that it is more like Luigi's or Maters Junkyard rides at California Adventure (for those that have been on them)


----------



## GADisneyDad14

@MalamuteMom - Thanks for stopping by to make your first post on our crazy little thread here... and glad you enjoyed your EMM experience.  Link added to *Post #3*.  

 and!


----------



## MonaMN

OKC Disney Fan said:


> I would imagine then that it is more like Luigi's or Maters Junkyard rides at California Adventure (for those that have been on them)


It is pretty much the same ride as Mater - same basic structure/manufacturing, as I recall - just different theme.


----------



## Iowamomof4

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Good eyes. Yeah, I’d say definitely being added given it has turned blue (unless it’s a tech snafu).
> 
> Totally makes the recent EMH change that day make sense now.  Sad and/or shocking Disney thinks they can sell enough spots in 2 weeks to make it worth it!  Ha!
> 
> Thank you for letting us know about the blue date.



What EMH change? Just curious.


----------



## Lumiere4ever

What happens if it rains? There's nothing stated in the Know Before You Go section.


----------



## MKTokyo

Lumiere4ever said:


> What happens if it rains? There's nothing stated in the Know Before You Go section.


If it rains, I imagine that you will get wet. Don't worry - 0% of parkgoers have melted so far this year. The Wicked Witch of the West has been banned since TGMR closed 

Seriously, though, rain is a fact of life in Florida. They're not going to cancel or refund the event. You will still get to go & have fun.


----------



## Lumiere4ever

Thanks MK. So they keep Slinky running in the rain?


----------



## mi*vida*loca

November 5 is now available to book.


----------



## mi*vida*loca

I’m not 100% sure if we want to do it but i booked it. I’ll decide by this weekend. But i think I’m going to keep it. 

My plan that day was to do MK. Will there be buses from DHS to MK starting around 10 am?


----------



## disneyworldsk

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Good eyes. Yeah, I’d say definitely being added given it has turned blue (unless it’s a tech snafu).
> 
> Totally makes the recent EMH change that day make sense now.  Sad and/or shocking Disney thinks they can sell enough spots in 2 weeks to make it worth it!  Ha!
> 
> Thank you for letting us know about the blue date.


i have 11/7 booked. should i switch to 11/5 if it's opening thinking strategy being it will be quieter since it's a last minute opening?


----------



## disneyworldsk

mi*vida*loca said:


> I’m not 100% sure if we want to do it but i booked it. I’ll decide by this weekend. But i think I’m going to keep it.
> 
> My plan that day was to do MK. Will there be buses from DHS to MK starting around 10 am?


my plan was mk that day yes as it is closing at 4:30. we could leave dhs after breakfast on 11/5 and park hop to mk at ten a.m. and stay until 4:30. I have booked 11/7 but i guess i could change it. maybe it will be a quieter day to do an emm being so last minute compared to 11/7? I would just have to cancel a breakfast on 11/5 at mk .


----------



## GADisneyDad14

mi*vida*loca said:


> November 5 is now available to book.



Thanks!  What, 12 days run time to fill?  Disney must be very confident in their numbers for this!  

Although busy week I guess.


----------



## WishUponAStarryNight

mi*vida*loca said:


> November 5 is now available to book.


Thanks for the heads up! I stopped looking thinking it was too close to the date to open up. This will be great for us!


----------



## mi*vida*loca

So according to recent reports wait times are about 10 minutes for SDD?


----------



## Interuder0

I am trying to justify getting up at 5 AM to get Disney Early Morning Magic at HS. Is it really worth the $337 for 4 people? 
I'd like to hear from people that have done it and would you do it again?

Thank You


----------



## Jasperann

Lumiere4ever said:


> Thanks MK. So they keep Slinky running in the rain?



As long as there is not lightening in the area it would be running.


----------



## Jasperann

Interuder0 said:


> I am trying to justify getting up at 5 AM to get Disney Early Morning Magic at HS. Is it really worth the $337 for 4 people?
> I'd like to hear from people that have done it and would you do it again?
> 
> Thank You



There are LOTS of posts in post #3 on this thread that review the party and their feelings on it.  I would check the reviews.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Lumiere4ever said:


> What happens if it rains? There's nothing stated in the Know Before You Go section.



The following language is in the confirmation e-mail:  “This experience will go on rain or shine; some attraction experiences may be modified due to inclement weather“

Like with theme park tickets, MNSSHP tickets, MVMCP tickets, etc - there is a level of weather risk that we as consumers take when booking these outdoor-dependent events.  It’s really buyer beware for the most part.

In reality, there have been very few reports of all out wash outs over the three year history of MK EMM.  Has it happened?  Sure, but not all that common.  But of course, can’t bet on Mother Nature.

Ultimately, if weather is a major issue on your morning that fundamentally impacts the event, it’s not a bad idea to stop by Guest Relations to discuss.  Disney has a decent track record of wanting to make things right for guests.  Of course YMMV and I still think it’s best to be prepared that curve balls can always happen, but it never hurts.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Iowamomof4 said:


> What EMH change? Just curious.



There were originally AM EMHs scheduled on Monday 11/5.  Last week they removed AM EMHs from 11/5 and added (somewhat rare) PM EMHs on 11/4.


----------



## NinjaCat

I booked for November 5th. We were originally booked for the Magic Kingdom EMM on 11/4, which we are now cancelling. I am happy to avoid the stress of trying to get to MK on the marathon morning. Also my kids are more excited to ride SDD and AS2. This is super good luck for us! Maybe with the short notice the event will be less populated than usual.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

NinjaCat said:


> I am happy to avoid the stress of trying to get to MK on the marathon morning.



My opinion (not that you asked).... wise move.


----------



## NinjaCat

Happy to get your opinion (especially since it agrees with mine)!


----------



## Maine Disney First Timer

disneyworldsk said:


> i have 11/7 booked. should i switch to 11/5 if it's opening thinking strategy being it will be quieter since it's a last minute opening?



I think I would be tempted to!   Also would be earlier in your trip ... which I would like.


----------



## Jrits

What time would the park open for regular guests? I know on an non EMM day they open earlier than listed


----------



## mi*vida*loca

Jrits said:


> What time would the park open for regular guests? I know on an non EMM day they open earlier than listed



EMM ends at 8:45 am and most people have stated that at that time the RD crowds start flowing into TSL.


----------



## Arazia

I had a feeling that when they cancelled EMH on November 5th that they would add EMM. I can't help but feeling that it is a bit of a cash grab there, but that doesn't stop us from considering doing it. We already were going to HS on the 5th. We weren't able to get SDD fastpasses and due to the previous EMH we'd cancelled our morning breakfast reservation, so it would kill two birds with one stone for us. 

I've booked the EMM for now, but I'll have to discuss with the DH and our friend going with us to make sure they're up for it.


----------



## LSUfan4444

GADisneyDad14 said:


> The following language is in the confirmation e-mail:  “This experience will go on rain or shine; some attraction experiences may be modified due to inclement weather“
> 
> Like with theme park tickets, MNSSHP tickets, MVMCP tickets, etc - there is a level of weather risk that we as consumers take when booking these outdoor-dependent events.  It’s really buyer beware for the most part.
> 
> In reality, there have been very few reports of all out wash outs over the three year history of MK EMM.  Has it happened?  Sure, but not all that common.  But of course, can’t bet on Mother Nature.
> 
> Ultimately, if weather is a major issue on your morning that fundamentally impacts the event, it’s not a bad idea to stop by Guest Relations to discuss.  Disney has a decent track record of wanting to make things right for guests.  Of course YMMV and I still think it’s best to be prepared that curve balls can always happen, but it never hurts.


I missed it and im sure it's been stated but whats the cancellation policy? Meaning, how far out can we cancel without penalty?


----------



## LSUfan4444

MalamuteMom said:


> This is my first post, but I have been reading the thread and wanted to share our experience. I didn't do a great job remembering exact times, but hopefully it will still be helpful.
> 
> My husband and I attended on 10/22. We had the 7:30 time. I don't believe this was a sold out day.
> 
> The worst part was waiting for the bus at Pop Century. We were the first in line probably around 6:10. A bus did not come until a little after 6:40. I am 99% sure we did not miss a bus. We definitely should've taken a Lyft. We got to the entrance a few minutes after 7 and to ABC Commissary around 7:10ish. I thought we'd have a few minutes so we went to grab some pastries and go to the bathroom expecting they would rope drop around 7:20. By the time I got out of the bathroom, they had already rope dropped and by the time we could see Slinky there were already people riding. So I think the rope drop must've been around 7:15 and they let people start riding right away.
> 
> We rode SD first (short wait, maybe 5 min) then AS2 twice without getting off. I don't remember the exact order of everything, but we ended up riding AS2 x2, SD x3, and TSMM x3-4 (our favorite ride, ended up riding several more times with day of FP). Slinky wait times always seemed to be about 5 minutes or less. Others were walk-ons. The most frustrating part was trying to speed walk through the TSMM queue and being caught behind slow people. I understand some people do the event to go slow, but just move to the side if there are people trying to maximize their ride time!! I do wish they would've used the FastPass queue or let us stay on or something rather than going through the full exit and queue.
> 
> We did not do any characters - there always seemed to be at least several families in line and we prefer rides.
> 
> We left around 8:50 and got a PhotoPass picture at the entrance with no wait right as the rope drop crowds were approaching. We were able to ride RnR (nearly walk on, no preshow) and ToT and back to breakfast by around 7:30. I really enjoyed the Chicken and Doughnuts.
> 
> Overall, I really enjoyed the event; however, you have to be motivated to ride these rides multiple times for it to be worth it for you. I probably wouldn't do the MK one because those rides I enjoy, but not necessarily over and over again.




That sounds exactly like I want my morning to go....a few rides on each in TSL then a few on ToT and RnR then out of the park by 10:30 and heading to where my FP+ are waiting.


----------



## SaintsManiac

New vehicle entrance for HS November 8:

https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/b...transformation/?CMP=SOC-DPFY19Q1wo1025180004A

Thought this might be relevant.


----------



## disneyworldsk

I switched my emm dhs event day from 11/7 to 11/5. THis will give us the opportunity to see tsl for the first time ever earlier in our trip and hopefully with such last minute announcement it will be lighter in crowds then 11/7 perhaps. That being said, I did have to switch one adr (breakfast for 11/5 originally) and then other things in the itinerary to accommodate because I want to hop 11/5 right away to mk until the 4:30 pm closure. originally I was going to stay at dhs 11/7 and hang out there. I will also be at emm mk on 11/6.  I am just now not sure about how to get there from pop 11/5.  We check out that morning from pop for a split stay so we will leave early, drop our luggage off check out and then leave for it by bus or mears. opinions please! Will there be a bus from pop to this event that early 11/5?


----------



## *I'msoooBelle*

ninafeliz said:


> I see 10/29 only has 3 spots again, I'm curious to see how it is since it appeared that they opened extra spots after it sold out initially (well twice if you count back when they first added the 7:00 time).  Has there been a morning yet after it seemed like more spots were opened again (maybe yesterday or tomorrow)?
> 
> I'm still debating how to best see all the characters and hope to get SDD 3-5 times, TSMM 2-3 times and AS2 2-3 times.  We'll see if we can or not.  Thinking AS2 then the characters then TSMM x2 then back to AS2 and then SDD until the end, and if we can do an extra AS2 or TSMM somewhere in there then bonus.  That's if I can convince my boys to hold off on SDD that long.  But they love TSMM so it might not be a problem.



Hi Nina, where are you able to see how many spots there are on a given day? TIA!


----------



## Iowamomof4

*I'msoooBelle* said:


> Hi Nina, where are you able to see how many spots there are on a given day? TIA!


Go in and pretend to purchase tickets, then just keep changing the number of tickets up and down until you see if there's a limit on how many it will let you purchase.


----------



## *I'msoooBelle*

Iowamomof4 said:


> Go in and pretend to purchase tickets, then just keep changing the number of tickets up and down until you see if there's a limit on how many it will let you purchase.



Cool!!


----------



## Twilight Sparkle

We are doing this event the morning after we will have been at MVMCP.  Does anyone have any idea as to how long it might take us to get from MK to SSR after closing down MVMCP (most likely relying on a bus)?  We are night owls, so staying up late is easy for us, but getting up early is going to be torture the next morning.  I'm trying to figure out about how much sleep we will be able to get before the TSL EMM event.  We want to ride SDD and couldn't get a FP, but the potential lack of sleep is making me rethink our decision to book EMM.  We also have the JBJB dessert party the same night we would do TSL EMM, so it wouldn't be an early day for us.


----------



## Jasperann

Twilight Sparkle said:


> We are doing this event the morning after we will have been at MVMCP.  Does anyone have any idea as to how long it might take us to get from MK to SSR after closing down MVMCP (most likely relying on a bus)?  We are night owls, so staying up late is easy for us, but getting up early is going to be torture the next morning.  I'm trying to figure out about how much sleep we will be able to get before the TSL EMM event.  We want to ride SDD and couldn't get a FP, but the potential lack of sleep is making me rethink our decision to book EMM.  We also have the JBJB dessert party the same night we would do TSL EMM, so it wouldn't be an early day for us.



I had a similar 'issue' and I had to change my plans because we would have gotten back to SSR around 1am into our room and then need to be awake and out the door by like 6:15.  So maybe 4 hours sleep... We can do early mornings but I just don't want the cranky feeling.


----------



## sandy77d

Twilight Sparkle said:


> We are doing this event the morning after we will have been at MVMCP.  Does anyone have any idea as to how long it might take us to get from MK to SSR after closing down MVMCP (most likely relying on a bus)?  We are night owls, so staying up late is easy for us, but getting up early is going to be torture the next morning.  I'm trying to figure out about how much sleep we will be able to get before the TSL EMM event.  We want to ride SDD and couldn't get a FP, but the potential lack of sleep is making me rethink our decision to book EMM.  We also have the JBJB dessert party the same night we would do TSL EMM, so it wouldn't be an early day for us.



We are doing the same thing!  I am not giving up the Christmas party, but I was not able to get FP for SDD.  Our thought is that we will go to the EMM then go back to our hotel and sleep then go back to HS in the afternoon.  

I don't know how long the bus will take, but lots of people leave the party after the fireworks, so the buses might not be so bad if you close down the party.


----------



## CERS

czmom said:


> Jan 2 was our DHS day, and I just saw that EMM was added. Ugh!! How will that affect rope drop crowds? If we don’t pay for EMM, will the line for SDD already be long if we arrive early? Our trip is short, so I’m not counting on getting a FP for it.



Well I just booked this one. We're just 2 people, first I had the Fantasmic Dining Package but then I saw it opened up and I believe it will be better. Doing this in the morning actually frees up the FP slot I planned for SDD so I'll probably switch it to F!.

I think getting up early, doing TSL, then having breakfast, a couple of shows, ToT, going out to rest in the afternoon, and back to see F! Is a more relaxed and crowdless plan, as I believe Jan 2 will still be packed...


----------



## Twilight Sparkle

sandy77d said:


> We are doing the same thing!  I am not giving up the Christmas party, but I was not able to get FP for SDD.  Our thought is that we will go to the EMM then go back to our hotel and sleep then go back to HS in the afternoon.
> 
> I don't know how long the bus will take, but lots of people leave the party after the fireworks, so the buses might not be so bad if you close down the party.



Thanks!  If you are doing MVMCP and EMM before 12/4 and 12/5, please let me know how this plan works for you guys.  Going back to rest sounds good.  Just not sure I can pry the girl away once we're there.  Wish we were staying at an Epcot resort!


----------



## Twilight Sparkle

Jasperann said:


> I had a similar 'issue' and I had to change my plans because we would have gotten back to SSR around 1am into our room and then need to be awake and out the door by like 6:15.  So maybe 4 hours sleep... We can do early mornings but I just don't want the cranky feeling.



I know!  I wish we had a longer trip, so we could have some wiggle room.  It's either do it as booked or miss SDD.  So three or 4 hours sleep is what I was afraid might happen.  Sounds like a nap rather than a sleep.  Definitely need to think about this some more.  Thanks for the feedback!


----------



## GADisneyDad14

LSUfan4444 said:


> I missed it and im sure it's been stated but whats the cancellation policy? Meaning, how far out can we cancel without penalty?



Here's a cut/paste from the info on Post #1:  

*What Is The EMM Cancellation Policy?*

There is a 1 day cancellation policy for EMM.
The full price will be forfeited if a guest cancels within 1 day or no shows for the reservation.
*Note: There is language on Disney's EMM page that says "tickets are nonrefundable" - this is NOT accurate. If you go through the booking process and read the actual terms/conditions, it notes the 1 day cancellation policy.*
Hope that helps!


----------



## GADisneyDad14

*I'msoooBelle* said:


> Hi Nina, where are you able to see how many spots there are on a given day? TIA!





Iowamomof4 said:


> Go in and pretend to purchase tickets, then just keep changing the number of tickets up and down until you see if there's a limit on how many it will let you purchase.





*I'msoooBelle* said:


> Cool!!



FYI, you can only book a max of 14 spots online, even though the drop down menu goes up to 49.


----------



## ClapYourHands

Arazia said:


> I had a feeling that when they cancelled EMH on November 5th that they would add EMM. I can't help but feeling that it is a bit of a cash grab there



I can't bring myself to book this.  I was planning to RD the EMH at DHS that morning before going over to MK for the rest of the day. Now I can't help but feeling like this is charging for what I could have had for free.  

Obviously, I realize EMH and EMM are not really the same, but both offer the ability to ride early with minimal wait and lower crowds, albeit to a different degree.  I greatly doubt the PM EMH are going to be as useful.


----------



## ClapYourHands

Twilight Sparkle said:


> I know!  I wish we had a longer trip, so we could have some wiggle room.  It's either do it as booked or miss SDD.  So three or 4 hours sleep is what I was afraid might happen.  Sounds like a nap rather than a sleep.  Definitely need to think about this some more.  Thanks for the feedback!



Given the choices, I'd probably just suck it up and wait in line for SDD during regular park hours. Even if standby is an hour, I'd be much happier waiting with a decent night's rest behind me than I would be walking on a roller coaster super early and then trying to do the rest of an attraction-packed day on so little sleep.  I just enjoy myself more when I'm not a zombie.  SDD is just one ride.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

disneyworldsk said:


> We check out that morning from pop for a split stay so we will leave early, drop our luggage off check out and then leave for it by bus or mears. opinions please! Will there be a bus from pop to this event that early 11/5?



A few days ago I added a "Transportation" blurb to Post #1.  *I wouldn't mind any edits/comments/suggestions from thread folks who have done DHS EMM so far.  Kind of a tricky topic since it's such an early hour so appreciate all suggestions.   THANKS!* 

Here's my stab at it:

*How Do I Get to DHS So Early in the Morning via WDW Transportation?*

Guests have been let in for breakfast as early as approx 6:45AM and the land has been opening for everyone in the 7:20-7:25ish range (and more like 7:15AM based on a couple of recent reports). For most folks, this makes for an early morning and raises many questions about transportation options.
Disney has a big fat disclaimer on the DHS EMM "Know Before You Go" info:
_If using Walt Disney World transportation, be sure to confirm schedules as reservation times may be outside of regular transit operating hours. Please allow up to 1.5 hours to get to your destination when traveling within Walt Disney World property._

Generally speaking, your options are going to be as follows:
*Drive Yourself* - if you have a vehicle.
*Resort Bus* - these generally start running 6/6:30AMish every day of the year BUT buses that early can be infrequent. During your stay, you can check the My Disney Experience app for current bus wait times or check electronic boards at the bus stop.
*Minnie Van* - Minnie Vans start running at 6:30AM. Availability at that hour may may be a concern.
*Uber / Lyft / Taxi* - Generally speaking availability should be good even at the early hour.
For some large parties and/or specific car seat needs, pre-arranging transportation through a company like *Mears *may be preferable: http://www.mearstransportation.com
*As with most "Getting From Point A to B" discussions regarding WDW, I recommend having a good handle on your options and to stay flexible that morning based on conditions. Having a Plan A, B, and C when it comes to early morning travel is usually a good plan as is building in more time than you think you may need.... just in case!*


----------



## Maine Disney First Timer

Does anyone know my likelihood of getting a slinky dog fastpass at 60 day mark if it is the 3rd day of my trip?


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Maine Disney First Timer said:


> Does anyone know my likelihood of getting a slinky dog fastpass at 60 day mark if it is the 3rd day of my trip?



Probably the wrong thread to ask since many of us reading this thread are contemplating paying good money for an event vs not worrying about booking a FP. 

But, from most recent reports 60+3 could be tough.  Kind of depends on when exactly.   Holidays, probably low probability.


----------



## Maine Disney First Timer

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Probably the wrong thread to ask since many of us reading this thread are contemplating paying good money for an event vs not worrying about booking a FP.
> 
> But, from most recent reports 60+3 could be tough.  Kind of depends on when exactly.   Holidays, probably low probability.



I have tickets for this event as well but still would like to get a slinky fastpass for later in the day...just not sure if 60 plus 3 is far out enough. Going early February


----------



## Dash7

In regards to bus transportation, I checked shortly after I woke up on our EMM day and there was a bus ready at our stop at POR at 5:30-ish. We didn’t leave for quite awhile later and made it in plenty of time. (We had the bus to ourselves.) Buses seemed to be running on their regular 20 minute or so timeframe. (Personally, I’ve had spotty results with Uber/Lyft for early stuff. At least with buses I know they’ll eventually show up and they won’t cancel on me.)


----------



## Twilight Sparkle

Maine Disney First Timer said:


> Does anyone know my likelihood of getting a slinky dog fastpass at 60 day mark if it is the 3rd day of my trip?



I needed 60+3 and did not get it.  It was the first FP I tried for as soon as booking opened.  Have continued to try ever since and still no luck.


----------



## CERS

Maine Disney First Timer said:


> Does anyone know my likelihood of getting a slinky dog fastpass at 60 day mark if it is the 3rd day of my trip?



Very low probability. Still, going in February you might be lucky. I'd you're going to EMM, I would use FP+ for something else though. Good luck!


----------



## LSUfan4444

Maine Disney First Timer said:


> Does anyone know my likelihood of getting a slinky dog fastpass at 60 day mark if it is the 3rd day of my trip?



From all the reports I have read, it's not very likely. One of the main reasons I just went ahead and bought the EMM tickets. I can free that energy and time when making FP+ on other attractions and be done with the entire park at HS in a half of a day. No need to hit rope drops or park close or spend hours in a park that has less than ten attractions and tiered FP on top of it.


----------



## ColoradoMom12

Maine Disney First Timer said:


> Does anyone know my likelihood of getting a slinky dog fastpass at 60 day mark if it is the 3rd day of my trip?


I was not able at 60+3. But we are arriving the Saturday before Thanksgiving. I was really excited when EMM was added for Thanksgiving week because I had told my DD we would likely skip HS this trip as standing in a 70+ minute line for SDD isn’t my idea of a good time. My DD will be excited too, but I haven’t told her yet.  It’s going to be a surprise.


----------



## RachaelA

Maine Disney First Timer said:


> Does anyone know my likelihood of getting a slinky dog fastpass at 60 day mark if it is the 3rd day of my trip?


We did for the 4th and 5th days of our trip. No luck for the 3rd


----------



## Stephie16343

Popping in to give my review of our EMM day on Wednesday the 24th. It started out really rough. We were at the bus stop by 6:15 and watched the bus times push back in 1-2 minute increments until 7:15. I wish we would have just done a Lyft over it would have been less stressful. We made it to Hollywood Studios by 7:35 and were through security by 7:45. However, even with our late start we managed to do the following:

TSMM x 1 (didn't want to go again it is just too long of a ride and a walk through the queue.
Alien x 1 (a lot more fun than I thought it would be)
SDD x 6 (first ride took a couple minutes to wait, after that it was only a one train wait to go again)s

We actually did this EMM right after we did the MK version. Overall, probably liked the MK version better, however I really liked that you were allowed to be in the area when the time opened up (if we had been on time we would have gotten a few more rides in). Also, we went right after they let everyone in (at 8:45) to go ride TSMM again in standby and they moved us over to the fast pass lane. I guess everyone with a wrist band can ride any of the rides until 9 with their band in the fast pass line.


----------



## kniquy

Stephie16343 said:


> I guess everyone with a wrist band can ride any of the rides until 9 with their band in the fast pass line.


  I wonder if this is the unwritten rule or just nice CM's that day. Technically the party ends at 8:45 so my thought is that they don't have to let you into the FP line, but maybe if it is before the actual park opening where people would have FP for 9:00am.   Maybe some peeps can test this out and report back.


----------



## kniquy

Stephie16343 said:


> Popping in to give my review of our EMM day on Wednesday the 24th. It started out really rough. We were at the bus stop by 6:15 and watched the bus times push back in 1-2 minute increments until 7:15. I wish we would have just done a Lyft over it would have been less stressful. We made it to Hollywood Studios by 7:35 and were through security by 7:45.


  These types of reports have me worried.  I was just planning on bussing it, but might book a MEARS instead.  I did price it out from AK - Jambo and it was $24.  Thought that was kind of pricy but might be worth it considering how much we have already paid for the event.


----------



## Stephie16343

kniquy said:


> These types of reports have me worried.  I was just planning on bussing it, but might book a MEARS instead.  I did price it out from AK - Jambo and it was $24.  Thought that was kind of pricy but might be worth it considering how much we have already paid for the event.



Our bus apparently decided since no one was at previous stops (we were at Riverside) to go get gas and then come back. We weren’t planning to get there at 7 but we were watching bus times in app to get there by 7:20 and that was frustrating to watch the bus time move back minute by minute at the bus stop!

However it shouldn’t have happened and was probably a fluke!


----------



## dachsie

I wonder if we told the front desk/concierge staff that we had the EMM and needed to get to HS by 7 if it would help in getting the busses there


----------



## GADisneyDad14

kniquy said:


> These types of reports have me worried.  I was just planning on bussing it, but might book a MEARS instead.  I did price it out from AK - Jambo and it was $24.  Thought that was kind of pricy but might be worth it considering how much we have already paid for the event.



The more I read/watch, the more I think I have a hard time relying soley on Disney bus transportation as the mode of travel to DHS EMM.  It's just too darn early and reliability of buses at that hour scares me.  I also hate being rushed / stressed with early morning Disney travel.  

It seems like the alternatives... Mears, ride-share, taxis, etc, are the safer bet.  

Because if we take Disney's word for it:  

_If using Walt Disney World transportation, be sure to confirm schedules as reservation times may be outside of regular transit operating hours. Please allow up to 1.5 hours to get to your destination when traveling within Walt Disney World property._
We should all be leaving our resorts at 5:30AM!


----------



## SaintsManiac

We will definitely be calling a Lyft again when we do this. It was perfect for the AP event.


----------



## rxbeth

Stephie16343 said:


> Popping in to give my review of our EMM day on Wednesday the 24th. It started out really rough. We were at the bus stop by 6:15 and watched the bus times push back in 1-2 minute increments until 7:15. I wish we would have just done a Lyft over it would have been less stressful. We made it to Hollywood Studios by 7:35 and were through security by 7:45. However, even with our late start we managed to do the following:
> 
> TSMM x 1 (didn't want to go again it is just too long of a ride and a walk through the queue.
> Alien x 1 (a lot more fun than I thought it would be)
> SDD x 6 (first ride took a couple minutes to wait, after that it was only a one train wait to go again)s
> 
> We actually did this EMM right after we did the MK version. Overall, probably liked the MK version better, however I really liked that you were allowed to be in the area when the time opened up (if we had been on time we would have gotten a few more rides in). Also, we went right after they let everyone in (at 8:45) to go ride TSMM again in standby and they moved us over to the fast pass lane. I guess everyone with a wrist band can ride any of the rides until 9 with their band in the fast pass line.



I would have been so stressed! So were you standing at the bus stop and that kept happening with the times or were you watching from your room? Did you let front desk know you were waiting?


----------



## disneyworldsk

kniquy said:


> These types of reports have me worried.  I was just planning on bussing it, but might book a MEARS instead.  I did price it out from AK - Jambo and it was $24.  Thought that was kind of pricy but might be worth it considering how much we have already paid for the event.


Same!! And $24?!!! I had no idea it was that much!


----------



## disneyworldsk

SaintsManiac said:


> We will definitely be calling a Lyft again when we do this. It was perfect for the AP event.


when you used lyft for the ap event, you were successful with it? I have heard reports on this thread most of the time uber/lyft got lost


----------



## disneyworldsk

it's showing $13.50 3 passengers from pop to dhs for me. i guess ak is further...


----------



## Stephie16343

rxbeth said:


> I would have been so stressed! So were you standing at the bus stop and that kept happening with the times or were you watching from your room? Did you let front desk know you were waiting?



Yes waiting at the bus stop! I ran into lobby at 7:10 and the front desk kept saying the park didn’t open until 9 anyway. Then stepped into the back to make a call. I got a phone call from my husband the bus finally arrived a few minutes later and ran to make the bus!


----------



## Luvdancink

Do the boats run that early, or should we just plan on making other arrangements to get there in time?


----------



## SaintsManiac

disneyworldsk said:


> when you used lyft for the ap event, you were successful with it? I have heard reports on this thread most of the time uber/lyft got lost




We used LYFT twice without problems. Took 15 minutes and was about $14 with a tip.


----------



## czmom

LYFT vs Uber. Which one is better to use at wdw? We will be attending Jan 2 and coming from AK-Jambo.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

czmom said:


> LYFT vs Uber. Which one is better to use at wdw? We will be attending Jan 2 and coming from AK-Jambo.



You'll probably get more in-depth responses on the Transportation board.  A lot of drivers drive for both.  Just like I have both apps / accounts with both.  

I go back and forth sometimes based on availability at that given moment.  Since I use Minnie Vans from time to time, I tend to first search Lyft when at WDW - but I've used both.


----------



## kat_lh

Our transportation experience - we saw one bus come and go from WL and the bus was listed at early 6:00 a.m. - maybe like 6:07.  We missed that one and caught a bus around 6:30ish (I think I have specific details in my review posts.) The bus we got we watched the time get pushed back once or twice but not too bad.  We were the only people on the bus from WL, even after it stopped at the Contemporary, all the way to WL.

And for @czmom and others asking - I had no issues prebooking Lyft from CBR to OKW for a fun run the night before.  I would have done that with zero hesitation had it been an option for our HS morning.  We needed a car seat for that and I didn't need a car seat for the fun run.


----------



## ColoradoMom12

disneyworldsk said:


> when you used lyft for the ap event, you were successful with it? I have heard reports on this thread most of the time uber/lyft got lost


We ended up taking Lyft for the passholder event. Our original plan was the bus; however, we were at the bus stop at 5:55 AM and the bus time kept getting pushed back later and later (it was showing 6:15 when we sat down). We requested Lyft about 6:30 (the bus wasn’t due to arrive until 6:40 at that point), were in the car by 6:35, and arrived at 6:48. Our check-in time for that event was 7:00. The email I received about the event said:

Disney Resort hotel guests should visit a resort bus stop 45 minutes prior to event start time. Wait times may vary.
Obviously that was incorrect!

Edited to add that we had no issue with the driver getting lost. We’ve only experienced that once, and it was a number of years ago going from AKL Kidani to the GF. I was hesitant to try Uber/Lyft again after that (using primarily only buses and occasionally Mears) but did again about a year ago and have had no lost drivers since.


----------



## LSUfan4444

kniquy said:


> These types of reports have me worried.  I was just planning on bussing it, but might book a MEARS instead.  I did price it out from AK - Jambo and it was $24.  Thought that was kind of pricy but might be worth it considering how much we have already paid for the event.


If you don't have a car I would not rely on Disney transportation to get you anywhere in regards to a specific time. Uber/Lyft would definitely be worth the money.


----------



## disEAR

Well, we decided to do it Dec 24th. Been on the fence about the worth of this event, but ultimately going for convenience. 

Not sure if anyone knows, but since it'll be during the Holidays will Buzz & Woody be in their holiday attire during EMM?


----------



## ShelleyLovesOrlando

Just booked this for February 20th, can't wait!!


----------



## SaintsManiac

disEAR said:


> Well, we decided to do it Dec 24th. Been on the fence about the worth of this event, but ultimately going for convenience.
> 
> Not sure if anyone knows, but since it'll be during the Holidays will Buzz & Woody be in their holiday attire during EMM?



I don’t know why they wouldn’t be. Should know more in a couple of weeks once they go full Christmas in the parks.


----------



## Lisa F

disEAR said:


> Well, we decided to do it Dec 24th. Been on the fence about the worth of this event, but ultimately going for convenience.
> 
> Not sure if anyone knows, but since it'll be during the Holidays will Buzz & Woody be in their holiday attire during EMM?



I would think for consistency they would have it always.


----------



## disneyworldsk

I booked mears, 11/5 from pop to dhs at 6:30. Can someone tell me , if they know, how do I tip? Do I tip? How much do I tip? Is it cash or thru the app?


----------



## chelynnah

LSUfan4444 said:


> If you don't have a car I would not rely on Disney transportation to get you anywhere in regards to a specific time. Uber/Lyft would definitely be worth the money.


Unfortunately I’ll have an ECV which makes any of the above difficult


----------



## ColoradoMom12

For all of you who have reserved ahead of time with Mears- what kind of car were you booking? I can only find a way to book a luxury sedan, and it’s rather expensive. Is there a way to reserve just a regular taxi? I can do it at home with our local taxi company. Seems odd that Mears only has the luxury sedan choice available.


----------



## ddog171

For those who have gotten a Mears taxi, did anyone need a car seat?  If so, how was the car seat?


----------



## AAhawk

Here is our brief review of the Monday Oct 22 EMM.

We were staying at Poly. Have a 6 and 4 yr old so needed car seats-Minnie van or bus were our transportation options. Woke up around 545 AM and checked bus times on app, first bus to HS was listed at 559 AM so I was feeling pretty good we would be able to catch one around 630 if needed, but planned on booking Minnie van right at 630 if no buses were showing. Everyone started waking up and getting ready and about 605 AM, a bus time listed for 629 AM showed up on the app so we were planning on catching that. Time kept moving up a little but we were ready by 615 AM and bus came at exactly 623 AM. We were the only ones on the bus and went straight to HS. Were off bus by 637 AM and checked in quickly and got our wristbands. To our surprise, they opened tapstiles at 647 AM and we went to ABC. 

Since we were in early we ordered a couple of entrees and and had a decent amount of time to eat but planned on heading to get lined up to TSL at about 720 AM. We left ABC at about 715-720 and again to our surprise they were already letting people into TSL. Went straight to Slinky with about a 3-4 minute wait and were off by 730 AM.

Here is the rest of time breakdowns:

TSMM-730-745 AM (walkon)
*** x 2- 745-755 (both times walkon) 
SDD X 5 - 800 AM-830 AM (waits only 5 minutes at most, shorter toward the end)
At 830 AM we grabbed a coffee and took a couple of pictures for a few minutes. Originally planned on doing TSMM one more time but girls wanted to SDD again, so rode that From about 840-845 AM. Could have done another before crowds but decided to call it quits.

At that point our original plan was to do Star Tours but youngest was hungry so her and mom went back to ABC. The 6 yr old and I went to TOT and and walked on to that. We were back to ABC by 930 and enjoyed a nice rest/breakfast til 1000 AM.

Overall, it was a great experience. We had a SDD fastpass for later in the week but it was down most of the day so didn't ride again, so thankfully we had booked this. As we walked out of the EMM and saw the rope drop line, we knew we made a great decision. Food overall was really pretty good and the lack of stress for rope drop can't be beat. 

The overall number of people could maybe be slighty lower but as you see above, we did SDD x7, *** x 2, and TSMM x1. Could have done TSMM again at rope drop with no wait or another ride on ***/SDD probably as well.


----------



## M SH

AAhawk said:


> Here is our brief review of the Monday Oct 22 EMM.
> 
> We were staying at Poly. Have a 6 and 4 yr old so needed car seats-Minnie van or bus were our transportation options. Woke up around 545 AM and checked bus times on app, first bus to HS was listed at 559 AM so I was feeling pretty good we would be able to catch one around 630 if needed, but planned on booking Minnie van right at 630 if no buses were showing. Everyone started waking up and getting ready and about 605 AM, a bus time listed for 629 AM showed up on the app so we were planning on catching that. Time kept moving up a little but we were ready by 615 AM and bus came at exactly 623 AM. We were the only ones on the bus and went straight to HS. Were off bus by 637 AM and checked in quickly and got our wristbands. To our surprise, they opened tapstiles at 647 AM and we went to ABC.
> 
> Since we were in early we ordered a couple of entrees and and had a decent amount of time to eat but planned on heading to get lined up to TSL at about 720 AM. We left ABC at about 715-720 and again to our surprise they were already letting people into TSL. Went straight to Slinky with about a 3-4 minute wait and were off by 730 AM.
> 
> Here is the rest of time breakdowns:
> 
> TSMM-730-745 AM (walkon)
> *** x 2- 745-755 (both times walkon)
> SDD X 5 - 800 AM-830 AM (waits only 5 minutes at most, shorter toward the end)
> At 830 AM we grabbed a coffee and took a couple of pictures for a few minutes. Originally planned on doing TSMM one more time but girls wanted to SDD again, so rode that From about 840-845 AM. Could have done another before crowds but decided to call it quits.
> 
> At that point our original plan was to do Star Tours but youngest was hungry so her and mom went back to ABC. The 6 yr old and I went to TOT and and walked on to that. We were back to ABC by 930 and enjoyed a nice rest/breakfast til 1000 AM.
> 
> Overall, it was a great experience. We had a SDD fastpass for later in the week but it was down most of the day so didn't ride again, so thankfully we had booked this. As we walked out of the EMM and saw the rope drop line, we knew we made a great decision. Food overall was really pretty good and the lack of stress for rope drop can't be beat.
> 
> The overall number of people could maybe be slighty lower but as you see above, we did SDD x7, *** x 2, and TSMM x1. Could have done TSMM again at rope drop with no wait or another ride on ***/SDD probably as well.



thanks for sharing.
This looks much better than earlier reports of bigger EMM crowds and not being able to get even close as much as you were able to do.


----------



## SaintsManiac

M SH said:


> thanks for sharing.
> This looks much better than earlier reports of bigger EMM crowds and not being able to get even close as much as you were able to do.




Agree

It seems like Columbus Day week was chaos all around. Nice to see it's what it should be lately.


----------



## neverenoughtime

AAhawk said:


> Here is our brief review of the Monday Oct 22 EMM.
> 
> We were staying at Poly. Have a 6 and 4 yr old so needed car seats-Minnie van or bus were our transportation options. Woke up around 545 AM and checked bus times on app, first bus to HS was listed at 559 AM so I was feeling pretty good we would be able to catch one around 630 if needed, but planned on booking Minnie van right at 630 if no buses were showing. Everyone started waking up and getting ready and about 605 AM, a bus time listed for 629 AM showed up on the app so we were planning on catching that. Time kept moving up a little but we were ready by 615 AM and bus came at exactly 623 AM. We were the only ones on the bus and went straight to HS. Were off bus by 637 AM and checked in quickly and got our wristbands. To our surprise, they opened tapstiles at 647 AM and we went to ABC.
> 
> Since we were in early we ordered a couple of entrees and and had a decent amount of time to eat but planned on heading to get lined up to TSL at about 720 AM. We left ABC at about 715-720 and again to our surprise they were already letting people into TSL. Went straight to Slinky with about a 3-4 minute wait and were off by 730 AM.
> 
> Here is the rest of time breakdowns:
> 
> TSMM-730-745 AM (walkon)
> *** x 2- 745-755 (both times walkon)
> SDD X 5 - 800 AM-830 AM (waits only 5 minutes at most, shorter toward the end)
> At 830 AM we grabbed a coffee and took a couple of pictures for a few minutes. Originally planned on doing TSMM one more time but girls wanted to SDD again, so rode that From about 840-845 AM. Could have done another before crowds but decided to call it quits.
> 
> At that point our original plan was to do Star Tours but youngest was hungry so her and mom went back to ABC. The 6 yr old and I went to TOT and and walked on to that. We were back to ABC by 930 and enjoyed a nice rest/breakfast til 1000 AM.
> 
> Overall, it was a great experience. We had a SDD fastpass for later in the week but it was down most of the day so didn't ride again, so thankfully we had booked this. As we walked out of the EMM and saw the rope drop line, we knew we made a great decision. Food overall was really pretty good and the lack of stress for rope drop can't be beat.
> 
> The overall number of people could maybe be slighty lower but as you see above, we did SDD x7, *** x 2, and TSMM x1. Could have done TSMM again at rope drop with no wait or another ride on ***/SDD probably as well.




Thank you, it seems you all had a great time. Where can you check bus schedules for the resorts?


----------



## FCDub

neverenoughtime said:


> Thank you, it seems you all had a great time. Where can you check bus schedules for the resorts?



It shows up in the app while you're there. You can't see it in advance.


----------



## SuJo

So my family and I did EMM on 10/8 and we are big TSM fans but the queue for this ride took a very long time and we didn't get on as much as we had when we did EMM a few years ago.  For EMM on TSM they only had the 3rd track running.  This is the new track that they just added on.  Since it was only 1 track loading and unloading took a lot longer than if you had been on tracks 1/2.  When we did EMM a few years ago, when they only had tracks 1 and 2, we were able to ride this ride 7 times in a row.  We were just walking right on and riding.  This time we had to wait in a long queue to get on the ride and it took time away from riding the other rides.  So my question to this group (and others who have done EMM this year at HS) do they only open track 3 for EMM or was that just a fluke on our day (they did say they were having issues with track 1 and 2)? Because if they only open track 3 during EMM then for us it is not worth the cost at TSM is our favorite ride during the time and the wait is just too long for the cost.  We did ride SD a few times but we were really trying to get in as much TSM as we could.


----------



## KrazeeK120

AAhawk said:


> Here is our brief review of the Monday Oct 22 EMM.
> 
> We were staying at Poly. Have a 6 and 4 yr old so needed car seats-Minnie van or bus were our transportation options. Woke up around 545 AM and checked bus times on app, first bus to HS was listed at 559 AM so I was feeling pretty good we would be able to catch one around 630 if needed, but planned on booking Minnie van right at 630 if no buses were showing. Everyone started waking up and getting ready and about 605 AM, a bus time listed for 629 AM showed up on the app so we were planning on catching that. Time kept moving up a little but we were ready by 615 AM and bus came at exactly 623 AM. We were the only ones on the bus and went straight to HS. Were off bus by 637 AM and checked in quickly and got our wristbands. To our surprise, they opened tapstiles at 647 AM and we went to ABC.
> 
> Since we were in early we ordered a couple of entrees and and had a decent amount of time to eat but planned on heading to get lined up to TSL at about 720 AM. We left ABC at about 715-720 and again to our surprise they were already letting people into TSL. Went straight to Slinky with about a 3-4 minute wait and were off by 730 AM.
> 
> Here is the rest of time breakdowns:
> 
> TSMM-730-745 AM (walkon)
> *** x 2- 745-755 (both times walkon)
> SDD X 5 - 800 AM-830 AM (waits only 5 minutes at most, shorter toward the end)
> At 830 AM we grabbed a coffee and took a couple of pictures for a few minutes. Originally planned on doing TSMM one more time but girls wanted to SDD again, so rode that From about 840-845 AM. Could have done another before crowds but decided to call it quits.
> 
> At that point our original plan was to do Star Tours but youngest was hungry so her and mom went back to ABC. The 6 yr old and I went to TOT and and walked on to that. We were back to ABC by 930 and enjoyed a nice rest/breakfast til 1000 AM.
> 
> Overall, it was a great experience. We had a SDD fastpass for later in the week but it was down most of the day so didn't ride again, so thankfully we had booked this. As we walked out of the EMM and saw the rope drop line, we knew we made a great decision. Food overall was really pretty good and the lack of stress for rope drop can't be beat.
> 
> The overall number of people could maybe be slighty lower but as you see above, we did SDD x7, *** x 2, and TSMM x1. Could have done TSMM again at rope drop with no wait or another ride on ***/SDD probably as well.



We did this EMM on 10/22 and also stayed at the Poly! We may have seen you around!


----------



## Friendlyadvice2

SuJo said:


> So my family and I did EMM on 10/8 and we are big TSM fans but the queue for this ride took a very long time and we didn't get on as much as we had when we did EMM a few years ago.  For EMM on TSM they only had the 3rd track running.  This is the new track that they just added on.  Since it was only 1 track loading and unloading took a lot longer than if you had been on tracks 1/2.  When we did EMM a few years ago, when they only had tracks 1 and 2, we were able to ride this ride 7 times in a row.  We were just walking right on and riding.  This time we had to wait in a long queue to get on the ride and it took time away from riding the other rides.  So my question to this group (and others who have done EMM this year at HS) do they only open track 3 for EMM or was that just a fluke on our day (they did say they were having issues with track 1 and 2)? Because if they only open track 3 during EMM then for us it is not worth the cost at TSM is our favorite ride during the time and the wait is just too long for the cost.  We did ride SD a few times but we were really trying to get in as much TSM as we could.



Also interested to hear what others have to say about this. We too, did the EMM a few years back and literally stayed on TSM until we wanted to get off.  If the current setup has only one track running and you have to walk and wait in the longer queue, then that would be a deal breaker for us.


----------



## Mosey03

We are doing this event on 11/7 and based on all the reports here, decided to book a Mears taxi rather than relying on the unpredictability of the bus.  I just booked a regular taxi with metered fare, but saw there was also the option of a flat rate luxury sedan.  Is there an obvious choice here?  The estimated fare for the regular taxi was $14.60, the flat rate luxury sedan was I think $17.10 with a discount code.  I don't know which one I should be choosing.


----------



## Mrjoshua

From what I've read, it seems like the characters have been coming out later. Maybe 7:45ish... Can anyone confirm whether this is true?


----------



## MKTokyo

Mosey03 said:


> We are doing this event on 11/7 and based on all the reports here, decided to book a Mears taxi rather than relying on the unpredictability of the bus.  I just booked a regular taxi with metered fare, but saw there was also the option of a flat rate luxury sedan.  Is there an obvious choice here?  The estimated fare for the regular taxi was $14.60, the flat rate luxury sedan was I think $17.10 with a discount code.  I don't know which one I should be choosing.


I don't think it matters for such a short trip.


----------



## KrazeeK120

Mrjoshua said:


> From what I've read, it seems like the characters have been coming out later. Maybe 7:45ish... Can anyone confirm whether this is true?



They were out earlier than that last week when I was there. 7:30 I think. And if you want to meet Woody & Jessie, do it early. The line built quickly and was long all day. We saw them early and waited about 10 minutes.


----------



## mster425

Just as an FYI- I just called the dining line to ask if they could modify our reservation for less people in case two of our party decide not to go.  They said it would be absolutely no problem. Now that our day is fully booked I don't want to chance cancelling it and rebooking as two separate parties.


----------



## kniquy

Just booked MEARs for our transportation.  I get easily stressed when we are off schedule (bad disney OCD trait) so instead of waiting for that morning to arrive (for us 11/28) and waiting and watching the bus schedule we just scheduled a luxury SUV - it was all the same price for a car, suv or van.  For us to go from Jambo to HS it was $21.60 -- It was $24 but it put in a discount code for me.  As long as MEARS is a responsible service I think it will be worth it to know we will get to HS and not feel rushed or stressed.  I am guessing this will get us to HS for 6:45 with time to enter, go to ABC for a quick coffee and danish.  The plan is for rides until 8:45 then off to ToT.  

If you are heading to other rides after the event is over at 8:45 then are you pretty much free to venture off to other sections of the park? It does sound like RD crowd is let in around 8:50.


----------



## disneyworldsk

kniquy said:


> Just booked MEARs for our transportation.  I get easily stressed when we are off schedule (bad disney OCD trait) so instead of waiting for that morning to arrive (for us 11/28) and waiting and watching the bus schedule we just scheduled a luxury SUV - it was all the same price for a car, suv or van.  For us to go from Jambo to HS it was $21.60 -- It was $24 but it put in a discount code for me.  As long as MEARS is a responsible service I think it will be worth it to know we will get to HS and not feel rushed or stressed.  I am guessing this will get us to HS for 6:45 with time to enter, go to ABC for a quick coffee and danish.  The plan is for rides until 8:45 then off to ToT.
> 
> If you are heading to other rides after the event is over at 8:45 then are you pretty much free to venture off to other sections of the park? It does sound like RD crowd is let in around 8:50.


I wasn't really offered a mears taxi on the website. I was offered same price for sedan, suv etc.  Booked 6:30 from pop. 11/5. $14 something . If someone could tell me about tip I would appreciate it. Do you tip them? I wasn't offered to do it predone online. How much? Thanks


----------



## CinderellaDream

Here is a quick summary of our EMM event on 10/29.  I originally booked a 7:30 reservation on opening day but later modified it to 7:00 when I was concerned they would differentiate between reservation times.  Thankfully, there seemed to be no difference between the two times.  

We arrived by personal car.  There was no one in the parking fee booth at the entrance but there was an attendant directing us where to park once we got closer to the actual parking spaces.  We were bagless so no need to go through bag check.  One cast member asked for our party's name and then directed us to another cast member who gave us our wristbands.  

We were walking toward the Chinese theater at 7:00 on the dot.  We walked over to ABC and got pastries and coffee and were back in front of the theater by 7:15 to see that no one was waiting there because everyone had already been allowed into TSL.  We arrived at the SDD queue at 7:20 just as the first ride was leaving the station.  We waited about 8 minutes before loading for our first ride.  We rode AS2, then went back for another ride on SDD before heading to TSMM.  TSMM stopped for about 5 minutes and I started to panic thinking we were wasting our precious EMM time being stuck on a ride!  Thankfully, it started back up and we were able to ride SDD 6 more times before the RD crowd arrived.  We snuck in one more TSMM ride before leaving TSL and were back at ABC before 9:30 to eat breakfast.  My original intent was to hit up RNRC and TOT before breakfast but our kids were starving so we switched plans.  We ordered and waited about 5 minutes before receiving our main entrees.  My husband and I both liked the shrimp and grits but did not care for the mexican egg bowl as much.  Our kids enjoyed the chicken and donuts along with the cereal and pastries on the buffet.  I did notice that ABC staff started consolidating the different buffet lines before 9:50.

After breakfast we rode Star Tours and as we were leaving the park and passed by the Jedi training area, I noticed a sign that said spots were still available.

Overall, we really enjoyed this event and would definitely book it again for a future trip.


----------



## kniquy

CinderellaDream said:


> After breakfast we rode Star Tours


  did you end up making it over to RnR and ToT?  Just curious as we were planning on heading there a 9:00 - ride those at "RD", back for breakfast and then hit star tours.  Just curious if you hit those rides a little later if the waits were crazy long.  A hungry kid trumps everything!


----------



## GADisneyDad14

kniquy said:


> If you are heading to other rides after the event is over at 8:45 then are you pretty much free to venture off to other sections of the park?



Yep, the park is pretty much open at that point.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

So... I like the somewhat consistent reports from the last few dates of them opening the land earlier than some of the early dates (pre-7:20am).  Every minute helps with this thing and I hope that trend continues.


----------



## RachaelA

I’m shocked by the number of people at this thing right now


----------



## RachaelA

This is probably 500 people and that doesn’t even include who is at breakfast now


----------



## Maine Disney First Timer

RachaelA said:


> I’m shocked by the number of people at this thing right now



Hopefully shocked in a good way?!?!


----------



## RachaelA

Maine Disney First Timer said:


> Hopefully shocked in a good way?!?!


Definitely not. I was expected a couple hundred and I counted at least 350 in line in front of us waiting to get into the land. Our waits have been a mix of fine and longer then they should be.


----------



## StacyStrong

I'm guessing they have more spots open on holidays (which sucks), but that is what it seems like based on reviews.


----------



## czmom

RachaelA said:


> Definitely not. I was expected a couple hundred and I counted at least 350 in line in front of us waiting to get into the land. Our waits have been a mix of fine and longer then they should be.



I hope you’ll come back and do a full report on your experience when you get a chance. The last couple weeks’ reviews have been great, so maybe it’s an off day? I am going Jan 2 and hope they don’t oversell since it’s a crowded time already.


----------



## czmom

StacyStrong said:


> I'm guessing they have more spots open on holidays (which sucks), but that is what it seems like based on reviews.



Oh I hope not!!! We bought for Jan 2 to enjoy low crowds.


----------



## Stephie16343

We were there last week. I still think the initial plan of visiting the attractions other than Slinky Dog first hold up even in crowds. The people who rushed to Slinky Dog reported that they had a 15-20 minute wait for the ride. We went around 8:15 and the first ride we waited a couple minutes but after that were just going through the queue and only waited 1 car or 2. We got in I believe 6 rides before 8:45. The restaurant was packed when we went to get food and almost every table full at 9:25, but it didn't feel bad for us at all as we started with aliens and TSMM.


----------



## Maine Disney First Timer

I wonder if it all just depends if the available tickets sell out or not? Maybe the last few weeks when there have been great reports, all the tickets were not sold out. Maybe it all just depends on your date & if it sells out?


----------



## mster425

a friend just posted on FB that she and her daughter went on SDD 6 times this am.


----------



## RachaelA

czmom said:


> I hope you’ll come back and do a full report on your experience when you get a chance. The last couple weeks’ reviews have been great, so maybe it’s an off day? I am going Jan 2 and hope they don’t oversell since it’s a crowded time already.


I’ll do a full report for sure. Aliens and TSMM opened at 7:15 and Slinky not until 7:25-7:30 so I think they threw everything off bc no one could decide where to go to start.


----------



## jennc27

Enjoying my breakfast right now and it is 10:15.  I think....no...I know I had a blast.  I think it was worth it.  Side note I am solo that may have a difference with families with them.

I am staying at Pop.  Was up at 6am.  Check the app and bus showed 20 minutes, no set time, so I order a Lyft at 6:26.  Lyft arrived at 6:34 and I arrived at HS at 6:44.  At gate by 6:48 and in park by 6:51.

I did screen shots of the time as I went.  That is why my times are so precise.

Decided to check the app as I walked.  It said the bus would arrive at Pop at 6:58 and arrive at Hs at 7:04.

As I walked in the cast member were saying Toy Story Land would open at 7:30 and not before.  No line forming at this time.  I arrive at ABC by 6:56.  Eats some pastries and drink some orange juice.  After a bathroom break I head to the theater area by 7:10 and a line has formed. They are saying Toy Story Land will open at 7:30.

7:15 they said that Toy Story Land will open but SDD would not run until 7:30.  TSM & AS2 are open.  Everyone heads straight for SDD.  Me and another lady with her daughter head for AS2.  I was the first one on the ride!  We all 3 get stickers.  We got to ride it twice without getting off.

By this time it is 7:30 and I see they are still testing SDD and no one is riding.  I head to TSM and characters are not out but I stop and get my photo anyway.  TSM kept stopping and we have to wait.  It was less than a minute each time but still after 4 times I did not want to waste more time by riding a second time.  Out of TSM by 7:55 and I see people riding SDD and a long line for Woody and Jessie.

By 8:00 I am in line for SDD.  I see the line is 10 minute wait.  It does take 10 minutes.   Get back in line now wait is now 15.  Takes about 12.  Get back in line...now it is up to 20 minutes.  My heart sinks.  I think I can get maybe 1 or 2 more rides at this point. Surprisingly I walk right on.  So from 8:27 to 8:45 I ride a total of 4 more times!  As I am walking out of the park by 9 the line is way out of toy story for SDD.

Not sure..but my personal thought is for the 20 minute wait they added a third train.  I believe there was only two and after the 20 minute wait the wait in line was nothing.

I head to the rocking rollercoaster and after being tossed around I am out by 9:20.  Head to TOT and off that by 9:40.  9:46 I am ording my food.

It is 10:40 and they still have not asked me to leave.

Order the shrimp and grits.  They are outstanding.  Also got the charcuterie platter.  It was good.  Not a fan of smoked salmon but this was good...when cold.  When warmed a bit did not care for it.  Just realized i did not get my egg.  Oh well...I have enough food.

So
AS2...2x
TSM..1X
SDD...6X

Happy as a clamnright now!


----------



## RachaelA

jennc27 said:


> Enjoying my breakfast right now and it is 10:15.  I think....no...I know I had a blast.  I think it was worth it.  Side note I am solo that may have a difference with families with them.
> 
> I am staying at Pop.  Was up at 6am.  Check the app and bus showed 20 minutes, no set time, so I order a Lyft at 6:26.  Lyft arrived at 6:34 and I arrived at HS at 6:44.  At gate by 6:48 and in park by 6:51.
> 
> I did screen shots of the time as I went.  That is why my times are so precise.
> 
> Decided to check the app as I walked.  It said the bus would arrive at Pop at 6:58 and arrive at Hs at 7:04.
> 
> As I walked in the cast member were saying Toy Story Land would open at 7:30 and not before.  No line forming at this time.  I arrive at ABC by 6:56.  Eats some pastries and drink some orange juice.  After a bathroom break I head to the theater area by 7:10 and a line has formed. They are saying Toy Story Land will open at 7:30.
> 
> 7:15 they said that Toy Story Land will open but SDD would not run until 7:30.  TSM & AS2 are open.  Everyone heads straight for SDD.  Me and another lady with her daughter head for AS2.  I was the first one on the ride!  We all 3 get stickers.  We got to ride it twice without getting off.
> 
> By this time it is 7:30 and I see they are still testing SDD and no one is riding.  I head to TSM and characters are not out but I stop and get my photo anyway.  TSM kept stopping and we have to wait.  It was less than a minute each time but still after 4 times I did not want to waste more time by riding a second time.  Out of TSM by 7:55 and I see people riding SDD and a long line for Woody and Jessie.
> 
> By 8:00 I am in line for SDD.  I see the line is 10 minute wait.  It does take 10 minutes.   Get back in line now wait is now 15.  Takes about 12.  Get back in line...now it is up to 20 minutes.  My heart sinks.  I think I can get maybe 1 or 2 more rides at this point. Surprisingly I walk right on.  From 8:27 to 8:45 I ride 4 more times!  As I am walking out of the park by 9 the line is way out of toy story for SDD.
> 
> Not sure..but my personal thought is for the 20 minute wait they added a third train.  I believe there was only two and after the 20 minute wait the wait in line was nothing.
> 
> I head to the rocking rollercoaster and after being tossed around I am out by 9:20.  Head to TOT and off that by 9:40.  9:46 I am ording my food.
> 
> It is 10:40 and they still have not asked me to leave.
> 
> Order the shrimp and grits.  They are outstanding.  Also got the charcuterie platter.  It was good.  Not a fan of smoked salmon but this was good...when cold.  When warmed a bit did not care for it.  Just realized i did not get my egg.  Oh well...I have enough food.
> 
> So
> AS2...2x
> TSM..1X
> SDD...6X
> 
> Happy as a clamnright now!


That was me and my little with you on Aliens!!


----------



## SaintsManiac

jennc27 said:


> Enjoying my breakfast right now and it is 10:15.  I think....no...I know I had a blast.  I think it was worth it.  Side note I am solo that may have a difference with families with them.
> 
> I am staying at Pop.  Was up at 6am.  Check the app and bus showed 20 minutes, no set time, so I order a Lyft at 6:26.  Lyft arrived at 6:34 and I arrived at HS at 6:44.  At gate by 6:48 and in park by 6:51.
> 
> I did screen shots of the time as I went.  That is why my times are so precise.
> 
> Decided to check the app as I walked.  It said the bus would arrive at Pop at 6:58 and arrive at Hs at 7:04.
> 
> As I walked in the cast member were saying Toy Story Land would open at 7:30 and not before.  No line forming at this time.  I arrive at ABC by 6:56.  Eats some pastries and drink some orange juice.  After a bathroom break I head to the theater area by 7:10 and a line has formed. They are saying Toy Story Land will open at 7:30.
> 
> 7:15 they said that Toy Story Land will open but SDD would not run until 7:30.  TSM & AS2 are open.  Everyone heads straight for SDD.  Me and another lady with her daughter head for AS2.  I was the first one on the ride!  We all 3 get stickers.  We got to ride it twice without getting off.
> 
> By this time it is 7:30 and I see they are still testing SDD and no one is riding.  I head to TSM and characters are not out but I stop and get my photo anyway.  TSM kept stopping and we have to wait.  It was less than a minute each time but still after 4 times I did not want to waste more time by riding a second time.  Out of TSM by 7:55 and I see people riding SDD and a long line for Woody and Jessie.
> 
> By 8:00 I am in line for SDD.  I see the line is 10 minute wait.  It does take 10 minutes.   Get back in line now wait is now 15.  Takes about 12.  Get back in line...now it is up to 20 minutes.  My heart sinks.  I think I can get maybe 1 or 2 more rides at this point. Surprisingly I walk right on.  From 8:27 to 8:45 I ride 4 more times!  As I am walking out of the park by 9 the line is way out of toy story for SDD.
> 
> Not sure..but my personal thought is for the 20 minute wait they added a third train.  I believe there was only two and after the 20 minute wait the wait in line was nothing.
> 
> I head to the rocking rollercoaster and after being tossed around I am out by 9:20.  Head to TOT and off that by 9:40.  9:46 I am ording my food.
> 
> It is 10:40 and they still have not asked me to leave.
> 
> Order the shrimp and grits.  They are outstanding.  Also got the charcuterie platter.  It was good.  Not a fan of smoked salmon but this was good...when cold.  When warmed a bit did not care for it.  Just realized i did not get my egg.  Oh well...I have enough food.
> 
> So
> AS2...2x
> TSM..1X
> SDD...6X
> 
> Happy as a clamnright now!






Thank you for the very detailed review! Love it!


----------



## jennc27

RachaelA said:


> That was me and my little with you on Aliens!!


 How amazing is that!  Thanks for your help in getting those stickers!  Wasn't it wonderful to have the ride to ourselves!


----------



## chris benton

I'm a little confused and a tiny bit short on time - 
There are 7am and also 7:30am start times? Is this for EVERY dhs emm - like on the same day? Or are folks with 7:30 am start times allowed to enter way early at 7am? I was on the fence since it was only Toy Story Land, (a few years ago it was TSMM AND Star Tours, and we had a BLAST!) but I figure a few turns on sdd and tsmm are worth it so I booked it. I love tsmm. We have a 7:30 start time, and we are early risers, no issue getting there earlier than 7:30. I do not see a 7:00am on the date I booked. What's the deal with 7am entry?


----------



## CinderellaDream

kniquy said:


> did you end up making it over to RnR and ToT?  Just curious as we were planning on heading there a 9:00 - ride those at "RD", back for breakfast and then hit star tours.  Just curious if you hit those rides a little later if the waits were crazy long.  A hungry kid trumps everything!



We never made it to RnR or ToT because this was our last day and we left the park after Star Tours to drive home.  I did look at wait times as we walked from TSL over to ABC and RnR was posted at 15 minutes around 9:20 which definitely would have been doable if not for the hungry kids.


----------



## jennab

chris benton said:


> I'm a little confused and a tiny bit short on time -
> There are 7am and also 7:30am start times? Is this for EVERY dhs emm - like on the same day? Or are folks with 7:30 am start times allowed to enter way early at 7am? I was on the fence since it was only Toy Story Land, (a few years ago it was TSMM AND Star Tours, and we had a BLAST!) but I figure a few turns on sdd and tsmm are worth it so I booked it. I love tsmm. We have a 7:30 start time, and we are early risers, no issue getting there earlier than 7:30. I do not see a 7:00am on the date I booked. What's the deal with 7am entry?



Originally HS EMM had only 7:30am bookable.  Then later added the 7am slot to a lot of dates.  Assumption was to add more people.  It doesn't matter which you have booked if you go on a date where there is both time slots I would arrive by 7am as they start letting people in to eat and then sounds like in to TSL around 7:15-7:20ish...  On a date with only the 7:30 slot I'm not sure, maybe someone else knows?  They may add the 7am slot still.


----------



## Runnsally

Great information everyone.  Kids are very interested in meeting Buzz and Woody/Jessie.  Any consensus on how best to tackle this during EMM? Thanks.


----------



## FCDub

jennc27 said:


> Enjoying my breakfast right now and it is 10:15.  I think....no...I know I had a blast.  I think it was worth it.  Side note I am solo that may have a difference with families with them.
> 
> I am staying at Pop.  Was up at 6am.  Check the app and bus showed 20 minutes, no set time, so I order a Lyft at 6:26.  Lyft arrived at 6:34 and I arrived at HS at 6:44.  At gate by 6:48 and in park by 6:51.
> 
> I did screen shots of the time as I went.  That is why my times are so precise.
> 
> Decided to check the app as I walked.  It said the bus would arrive at Pop at 6:58 and arrive at Hs at 7:04.
> 
> As I walked in the cast member were saying Toy Story Land would open at 7:30 and not before.  No line forming at this time.  I arrive at ABC by 6:56.  Eats some pastries and drink some orange juice.  After a bathroom break I head to the theater area by 7:10 and a line has formed. They are saying Toy Story Land will open at 7:30.
> 
> 7:15 they said that Toy Story Land will open but SDD would not run until 7:30.  TSM & AS2 are open.  Everyone heads straight for SDD.  Me and another lady with her daughter head for AS2.  I was the first one on the ride!  We all 3 get stickers.  We got to ride it twice without getting off.
> 
> By this time it is 7:30 and I see they are still testing SDD and no one is riding.  I head to TSM and characters are not out but I stop and get my photo anyway.  TSM kept stopping and we have to wait.  It was less than a minute each time but still after 4 times I did not want to waste more time by riding a second time.  Out of TSM by 7:55 and I see people riding SDD and a long line for Woody and Jessie.
> 
> By 8:00 I am in line for SDD.  I see the line is 10 minute wait.  It does take 10 minutes.   Get back in line now wait is now 15.  Takes about 12.  Get back in line...now it is up to 20 minutes.  My heart sinks.  I think I can get maybe 1 or 2 more rides at this point. Surprisingly I walk right on.  So from 8:27 to 8:45 I ride a total of 4 more times!  As I am walking out of the park by 9 the line is way out of toy story for SDD.
> 
> Not sure..but my personal thought is for the 20 minute wait they added a third train.  I believe there was only two and after the 20 minute wait the wait in line was nothing.
> 
> I head to the rocking rollercoaster and after being tossed around I am out by 9:20.  Head to TOT and off that by 9:40.  9:46 I am ording my food.
> 
> It is 10:40 and they still have not asked me to leave.
> 
> Order the shrimp and grits.  They are outstanding.  Also got the charcuterie platter.  It was good.  Not a fan of smoked salmon but this was good...when cold.  When warmed a bit did not care for it.  Just realized i did not get my egg.  Oh well...I have enough food.
> 
> So
> AS2...2x
> TSM..1X
> SDD...6X
> 
> Happy as a clamnright now!



Great review, and a welcome refresher from some of the less-than-positive vibes right now around this event.


----------



## aliceinvunderland

We were there this morning and thought it was well worth the money spent! I was nervous about crowds after recent reports, but it was very manageable. Arrived at HS at 7:00 on the dot, walked from parking lot, and was through bag check and security in a couple of minutes. We walked right up to a CM with an iPad, who checked us in and gave us wristbands. We arrived in front of the Chinese theater at about 7:15, and there was a short line that started moving toward TSL as soon as we got there. We avoided the SDD crowds by doing TSMM first, followed by AS2. The to SDD where we waited about five minutes, and rode again immediately with an under ten minute wait. (The second time around a friendly cast member handed us an anytime FPP good for any ride at HS today!) Back to TSMM for another ride, then two more times on SDD. We could have easily ridden one more time, but decided to get to RNRC and TOT before crowds got there. On our way out, we passed the massive RD crowd and were so happy to be finished with TSL.

TSMM x2
AS2 x1
SDD x4

Went straight to RNRC (2x) and TOT (once) before heading to breakfast at 9:50. After breakfast we did Star Tours, then used our anytime FPP to ride RNRC one more time before leaving the park at 11:15.

While EMM wasn’t quite as empty as I had hoped, the waits were very minimal and we got everything we wanted to do done by 11:00 am. Totally worth the $$!


----------



## aviva5675

my experience this morning was quite like yours.  We got checked in by 650 and headed to have coffee first. Got into the ride line about 710.  They started letting people in about 720, and even tho they said SDD wasnt open yet many people headed there.  I didnt think the crowds or waits were too bad.  The longest lines were for the characters.  We (2 adults) did TSM first and a total of 3 times.  SDD 3 times twice one right after the other, and aliens once.  We left the land at 845 after our last TSM and it was packed with regular park people .The SDD line was backed up to the land entrance.

There were basically zero wait for TSM, I mean- go all the way thru and be first waiting for the next cars.  SDD was maybe 5 minutes, but almost basically no wait. Aliens was no wait.  I wasn't sure the money would be worth it, but it was= like fast passes the entire time, without crowds anywhere.

AFter we left area at 845 we went for breakfast.  Had the charcouterie- husband loved it, very fresh. I had the avocado toast-- I tried to get a soft egg because I didnt want what I had read was a hockey puck, but to no avail, they wouldnt cook one for me.  I asked for and got a bowl of the scrambled eggs that were up there, and they were good. The av/toast was not great- 'toasts' were small extremely hard and crunch pieces like 6 day old bread, a small ball of smashed avocado, and a salad with a few tomatoes. The egg was like a puck of hard boiled egg.  I also had a few pastries and some frosted flakes   which I enjoyed possibly more than the entrees.

All in all, it was a good morning. We went to RRRC, my husband walked on, then we used a FP for TOT and after some shopping left the park at 1015 or so.


----------



## ColoradoMom12

Anyone who's been recently know what time the characters come out? We were going to get in line for Woody and Jessie first, but if they aren't meeting until 7:30 and other things are open before then, we'll do that instead. Just wondering if anyone knows!


----------



## GADisneyDad14

jennc27 said:


> I did screen shots of the time as I went. That is why my times are so precise.



Thank you for mentioning this (and for your review too).  I did the same thing on our morning... I'd take a random pic whenever it was something I knew I'd need an accurate time for.... entering a line, getting on the ride, etc.  I find these events go by WAY too fast to accurately remember the exact timing and order of things later, but with photo time stamps you can later piece together the morning with a fair degree of accuracy if needed.  Great tip!

Thanks again for posting your review.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

chris benton said:


> I'm a little confused and a tiny bit short on time -
> There are 7am and also 7:30am start times? Is this for EVERY dhs emm - like on the same day? Or are folks with 7:30 am start times allowed to enter way early at 7am? I was on the fence since it was only Toy Story Land, (a few years ago it was TSMM AND Star Tours, and we had a BLAST!) but I figure a few turns on sdd and tsmm are worth it so I booked it. I love tsmm. We have a 7:30 start time, and we are early risers, no issue getting there earlier than 7:30. I do not see a 7:00am on the date I booked. What's the deal with 7am entry?



Here's the info from Post #1.  While we need more long-term experience to know this for sure, I think it is safe to say that all (or most) dates will eventually have both time slots and morning procedures for all dates will be identical, so I wouldn't worry at all about which reservation time you have booked.  Show up 7am or better yet pre-7AM and enjoy. 

*What's Up with the 7AM & 7:30AM Reservation Times? *

Disney is doing something different with reservation slots for DHS/TSL EMM compared to MK EMM.
For most dates, Disney has been making a 7:30AM time slot available to book.
When/if the 7:30AM slot sells out or gets close to selling out, Disney has been adding a 7:00AM time slot for booking.
So far, all dates (except for the first two EMM events) have ultimately had "both" time slots bookable.
So far, there is NO difference in how Disney handles 7AM or 7:30AM reservations at the event - everyone is treated the same.
It appears this is a "slow loading" technique to encourage a more gradual arrival of guests vs all at once.
Note! Disney's website contains the following language: _"Guests with a 7:30 AM reservation will first enjoy Toy Story Land followed by breakfast, served until 10:00 AM. Based on capacity, we may make other reservation times available, with breakfast preceding the park experience for these Guests."_
Again, in practice, anyone can arrive early and eat before the event and anyone can eat up until 10am - there has been absolutely no difference in how 7AM and 7:30AM reservations are treated so far.


----------



## RachaelA

Runnsally said:


> Great information everyone.  Kids are very interested in meeting Buzz and Woody/Jessie.  Any consensus on how best to tackle this during EMM? Thanks.


As soon as they come out (though the 7 CMs I asked today had no idea on a time). We waited 15ish minutes at 7:40-7:45. By 8:15 W&J was at least an hour. Not sure why people would waste so much time in that line during EMM. We did Buzz at MK but his line was long during EMM but much shorter during the rest of the day (still 30 Minutes probably though).


----------



## RachaelA

I think a lot of what bothered me was having to walk through the regular lines and not FP lines. That took up SO much time. I had 6k steps by the time EMM was over.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

ColoradoMom12 said:


> Anyone who's been recently know what time the characters come out? We were going to get in line for Woody and Jessie first, but if they aren't meeting until 7:30 and other things are open before then, we'll do that instead. Just wondering if anyone knows!



On our morning (10/8), when we walked by 7:25ish they were not out yet, but the PhotoPass photographers were stationed/ready to go.  We rode SDD first then got in line for Woodie and Jessie with only a one person wait.  Time stamp on the pic is 7:37AM.  I assume they came out approx 7:30AM. 

I strongly recommend meeting them early in the event (7:30-7:45ish) as we saw lines later on that didn't look all that attractive.  I felt we totally timed it well with nearly no wait and lots of time for character interaction (I will admit, it was more luck than planning.... just happened to be in the right spot/right time and make the call to meet them then).


----------



## mkymouse4ever

Sorry can't find this question,  but for anyone staying yacht/beach club resorts is the boats running?  Are they a good option or would driving our car be better?


----------



## GADisneyDad14

mkymouse4ever said:


> Sorry can't find this question,  but for anyone staying yacht/beach club resorts is the boats running?  Are they a good option or would driving our car be better?



I was at YC back on 10/8 when we did EMM.  DS8 and I walked, which took about 20 mins.  Left YC around 6:40AM.  No boats running at that point.  

My DW and DD left after us.... they boarded a boat at 7:18AM and were at HS 10 mins later (boat didn't stop at Swolphin, went straight to DHS).  I don't know if that was the first boat of the day or if there had been an earlier one, or really what the 'normal' boat pattern is on any given day around Crescent Lake (I'm sorry!).   

FWIW!


----------



## kat_lh

Runnsally said:


> Great information everyone.  Kids are very interested in meeting Buzz and Woody/Jessie.  Any consensus on how best to tackle this during EMM? Thanks.



We had no wait for Buzz at about 8:40 on 10/8 when we did the event. Didn’t meet W&J though.


----------



## jennc27

jennab said:


> Originally HS EMM had only 7:30am bookable.  Then later added the 7am slot to a lot of dates.  Assumption was to add more people.  It doesn't matter which you have booked if you go on a date where there is both time slots I would arrive by 7am as they start letting people in to eat and then sounds like in to TSL around 7:15-7:20ish...  On a date with only the 7:30 slot I'm not sure, maybe someone else knows?  They may add the 7am slot still.



I had a 7:30 reservation today and there was a 7:00 and 7:30 slot.   When I got to the gate a lady with an iPad checked me in and then waved men threw to get my band and the scan my Magic Band.   Nothing was said about times.


----------



## ColoradoMom12

GADisneyDad14 said:


> On our morning (10/8), when we walked by 7:25ish they were not out yet, but the PhotoPass photographers were stationed/ready to go.  We rode SDD first then got in line for Woodie and Jessie with only a one person wait.  Time stamp on the pic is 7:37AM.  I assume they came out approx 7:30AM.
> 
> I strongly recommend meeting them early in the event (7:30-7:45ish) as we saw lines later on that didn't look all that attractive.  I felt we totally timed it well with nearly no wait and lots of time for character interaction (I will admit, it was more luck than planning.... just happened to be in the right spot/right time and make the call to meet them then).


Thank you! That’s very helpful. Yes, I was planning on trying to meet them early, but I don’t want to go stand in a line upon entering TSL if we might end up just standing for a while. I think I’ll have to just wait and see what time they let us in that morning.


----------



## MIAMouseketeer

So our plan is to go and wait for Woody and Jessie first. Our son is still too small for SDD so the characters are our priority. If anyone who is going in the near future can try and see what time they out, I would be greatly appreciative. I expect they don’t come out until 7:30 which I’m fine with. If they don’t come out until 7:45 then I may need to change my game plan.


----------



## RachaelA

MIAMouseketeer said:


> So our plan is to go and wait for Woody and Jessie first. Our son is still too small for SDD so the characters are our priority. If anyone who is going in the near future can try and see what time they out, I would be greatly appreciative. I expect they don’t come out until 7:30 which I’m fine with. If they don’t come out until 7:45 then I may need to change my game plan.


It was definitely 7:30. Our time stamp is 7:47 and we waited for like 15 minutes


----------



## KrazeeK120

For people wanting to meet characters, they come out right about 7:30. If you want to meet Woody & Jessie, do it early!


----------



## Runnsally

KrazeeK120 said:


> For people wanting to meet characters, they come out right about 7:30. If you want to meet Woody & Jessie, do it early!


They meet by the entrance to TSM, right?  Thanks.


----------



## LMO429

Just re booked our end of April early May trip.  Any idea when the EMM dates would be released for that time frame?  DO you think its safe to assume they would still offer it on monday and wednesdays??


----------



## StacyStrong

LMO429 said:


> Just re booked our end of April early May trip.  Any idea when the EMM dates would be released for that time frame?  DO you think its safe to assume they would still offer it on monday and wednesdays??


They may not offer it at all, but if they do, they could change the days. There's no way of really knowing.


----------



## KrazeeK120

Runnsally said:


> They meet by the entrance to TSM, right?  Thanks.



Buzz does. Woody & Jessie meet inside TSL near TSMM.


----------



## NavyDad

mkymouse4ever said:


> Sorry can't find this question,  but for anyone staying yacht/beach club resorts is the boats running?  Are they a good option or would driving our car be better?



If you are in good health and worried about time I would just walk. Much quicker than any other option unless there is a boat waiting when you come out.


----------



## MrsSaraG

How are the majority of people getting to EMM? Are you using the buses? Driving yourself? Getting an Uber/Lyft/Mears?

Seeing several posts about buses being late has me questioning if we should pre book Mears. I don't want to be late as our morning will already be rushed. (We have a 10:10 appt at BBB that day.) We are staying at AKL and will have our 5 year old DD with us so we will need a car seat (which leaves regular Uber/Lyft out).


----------



## MIAMouseketeer

MIAMouseketeer said:


> So our plan is to go and wait for Woody and Jessie first. Our son is still too small for SDD so the characters are our priority. If anyone who is going in the near future can try and see what time they out, I would be greatly appreciative. I expect they don’t come out until 7:30 which I’m fine with. If they don’t come out until 7:45 then I may need to change my game plan.


Thanks!


----------



## ninafeliz

We attended Monday October 29th - me, DH, DS5 and DS8.  We had a 7:30 reservation, and I never did change it to 7:00 (which ended up making no difference after all of the angst from the week they added the 7:00 time slot!).  We walked from the BC, we checked out bags with RAC at 6:00 AM with no wait and slowly walked over since we were actually earlier than I had expected.  It was completely dark and we saw essentially no one until we were within site of the entrance.  The walkway has tons of construction and is noticeably longer than without the construction, but still sooooo much better to walk than any other method from the BC/YC/BW/S/D and really not that far considering.

We got to the DHS bag check (no line) and entrance at 6:30, there were maybe 40-ish people lined up at 2 tap styles already.  We had them scan our bands and got wristbands, and stood in line.  We traded off bathroom stops, and at 6:45 exactly (I just made it, I hadn't expected to get in quite yet...) they let us tap in and walked us to part way down Hollywood Boulevard, to just in front of Starbucks.  We waited there just a couple of minutes, and they led us to ABC Commissary  at 6:51 AM (I'm not sure if you could have just peeled off and waited in front of the Chinese Theater right then or not).  We were toward the front entering to eat, but didn't want to get entrees then so we hopped to the left side and got a plate of fruit/pastries/cereal.  Lots of people ate then, and they seemed to get food fairly quickly. I have a photo of us eating with our buffet food already at 6:59.  2 of us went to the BR, and we headed out to in front of the theater at about 7:10.  There was a fairly small crowd gathered there, and as soon as we reached the line they led everyone to TSL.  We were walking by the TSL sign at 7:15, and were toward the front of the group (maybe first 30-ish people?  There was no line at this point, so there was some mild jostling but not too bad.  They did lead us down the wheelchair ramp, but didn't keep you from using the steps if you were on that side of the group).

Since we were toward the front we went ahead and rode SDD, time entering the line was 7:18.  We waited maybe 2-3 cars before we were on, I thought it was pretty good for a family coaster and IMO definitely better than SDMT!  We got off and immediately went to AS2 (time 7:26) and got on the next ride cycle, and stayed on for a second ride (I took a picture while on the ride at 7:34).  I thought it was cute and I liked the music, but the ride was more underwhelming than I had expected.  it needed to go a little faster LOL.  After the second ride we got off and lined up immediately for Woody and Jessie.  The line was already to the end of the fence, just about to where it makes a turn and doubles up.  I hadn't realized how much they fool around with guests and between guests!  I'm probably in the minority, I just wanted to say hi, get a photo, and move on to the next ride haha!  They take a long time with each group (which I guess most people like), we got photos timed at 7:55 AM, so we were in line between 15-20 min but it felt longer b/c I knew we could be riding!  The CM told a group not too many behind us it was a 30 min wait!

After  W&J we went to TSM at 7:55 by their clock (they had us using the FP line) without any wait, but the ride stopped for a few minutes a few times, I was worried we might get stuck and that would be the end of EMM for us.  It wasn't that bad, but it did take an extra few minutes.  We exited through the entire line and took a couple of obligatory photos at the popsicle stick wall at 8:10 AM.  So 15 min for one ride.  We went right back and rode it again, this time we had maybe a 3-5 min wait (the line was to the top of the stairs).  we were loaded and starting at 8:17 AM, had our scores at 8:23, and were back by the popsicle wall at 8:27.  We then went back to SDD and rode 3x in a row before the RD crowd came.  We rode twice in the back and once in the front, it seemed as if each ride would have a decent wait but then the line would take off and we fit 3 in.  We started our last ride at 8:54 AM and there was no sign of the RD people yet!  They surely were coming, but weren't visible from the front of the line yet.  I think we got in one extra ride by luck, it seemed like the crowd was a bit late.

When we got off SDD for the third time in a row (4th time total) the RD crowd was there in full force and the line extended almost to the TSL sign, and said 45 min.  At this point we got a PP photo in front of AS2 at 8:59 AM, took a bathroom break, then rode AS2 with no wait at all at 9:06 AM  followed by TSM with a posted 20 min wait at 9:20 that was exactly 20 min.  We passed the popsicle/checkerboard wall at 9:50, walked out of TSL to ABC Commissary, and ordered breakfast with no one in line before us.  They told us they were closing the ordering line soon, so to order as much as we wanted because it was going to be thrown away anyway!  We got  GF mexican bowl (very good), a regular mexican bowl (very good), and adult and child chicken and cronuts (good, nothing special but not bad), and a child eggs/tots (nothing special, but fulfills a need for picky eaters).  We also got more buffet food.  They had closed one of the buffets on our side, and closed the second one completely by around 10:20 (I didn't time stamp that, but it was a little earlier than I had expected) - I never saw the other side at all, I assume it had 2 buffets also).  They never rushed us out ,though, just actively cleaned up around us and readied the place for lunch.

After breakfast we went to RNRC and used our FPs that I had made for 9:50-10:50 at 10:36,  using rider switch. Next was ST with a 10:50-11:50 FP (the standby line was pretty long), followed by a few photos around and headed to TOT for a 12:05 FP.  My DS8 and I got in line, and found out one side was down.  So we waited in line 40 min b/c he didn't want to bail, we played the Disney Play app the whole time and it really did make time go fast.  I just felt bad for my DH and DS5 (who is tall enough but won't ride!), who were just sitting and waiting.  After that we shopped a little and left the park around 1:30 to head to Epcot to finish Kidcot stops before the Tragical Express picked up at the BC at 4:50.

So to summarize for those who don't want to wade through the commentary:
Let in at 6:45
Let in to ABC Commissary at 6:50
Let into TSL at 7:13 to get there by 7:15
SDD 7:18
AS2 x 2 without getting off 7:26
Woody and Jessie ~7:35-7:55
TSM 7:55
TSM  ~8:11
SDD x 3 ~8:29-8:54

Rope Drop crowd hit while we were on a SDD ride that started at 8:54

PP photo 8:59
AS2 9:06 walk on
TSM 9:20 20 min wait

ABC Commissary breakfast 9:55.

I thought it was great, and would do it again in a heartbeat!  I might skip W&J unless my kids really wanted to see them, but since we had woody/Jessie/Buzz shirts I wanted a photo.  We could have saved maybe 10 min if we had been there right when they came out (well 20 min if we had managed to be first in line, but that would have required great luck or wasting time in line anyway waiting for them to come out) but we were on AS2 x 2 when they came out, they weren't out when we passed their spot to get on AS2.    I decided to go ahead and skip Buzz (ideally I wanted a photo with him also) since I wanted to ride more and am not sure how we would have fit him in and still rode a lot.  We totaled SDD x 4, AS2 x 2  plus 1 after RD, TSM x 2 plus 1 after RD, and Woody and Jessie.  We didn't get any photos from SDD.  We rode once on another day with a FP and got a photo of other people that time !

I just realized next time we do this will be Jan 2, so if they are all still in their Holiday attire I'll want photos again!  So my plan of skipping characters might go out the window, I'll have to see!  I almost hope they will be out of Christmas costumes, so we can not worry about them and ride more.

Sorry to be so longwinded, my college scientific writing courses on how to be succinct clearly didn't sink in


----------



## Eve & Wall-e

ninafeliz said:


> We attended Monday October 29th...



Thank you for your very detailed report on EMM. It's very helpful. Glad you had a great time.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Thanks for all the review posts folks.  *Post #3* has been updated with links.

There have been 12 EMMs so far and reports from 33 DISers.  Great stuff!


----------



## jennab

ninafeliz said:


> We attended Monday October 29th - me, DH, DS5 and DS8.  We had a 7:30 reservation, and I never did change it to 7:00 (which ended up making no difference after all of the angst from the week they added the 7:00 time slot!).  We walked from the BC, we checked out bags with RAC at 6:00 AM with no wait and slowly walked over since we were actually earlier than I had expected.  It was completely dark and we saw essentially no one until we were within site of the entrance.  The walkway has tons of construction and is noticeably longer than without the construction, but still sooooo much better to walk than any other method from the BC/YC/BW/S/D and really not that far considering.
> 
> We got to the DHS bag check (no line) and entrance at 6:30, there were maybe 40-ish people lined up at 2 tap styles already.  We had them scan our bands and got wristbands, and stood in line.  We traded off bathroom stops, and at 6:45 exactly (I just made it, I hadn't expected to get in quite yet...) they let us tap in and walked us to part way down Hollywood Boulevard, to just in front of Starbucks.  We waited there just a couple of minutes, and they led us to ABC Commissary  at 6:51 AM (I'm not sure if you could have just peeled off and waited in front of the Chinese Theater right then or not).  We were toward the front entering to eat, but didn't want to get entrees then so we hopped to the left side and got a plate of fruit/pastries/cereal.  Lots of people ate then, and they seemed to get food fairly quickly. I have a photo of us eating with our buffet food already at 6:59.  2 of us went to the BR, and we headed out to in front of the theater at about 7:10.  There was a fairly small crowd gathered there, and as soon as we reached the line they led everyone to TSL.  We were walking by the TSL sign at 7:15, and were toward the front of the group (maybe first 30-ish people?  There was no line at this point, so there was some mild jostling but not too bad.  They did lead us down the wheelchair ramp, but didn't keep you from using the steps if you were on that side of the group).
> 
> Since we were toward the front we went ahead and rode SDD, time entering the line was 7:18.  We waited maybe 2-3 cars before we were on, I thought it was pretty good for a family coaster and IMO definitely better than SDMT!  We got off and immediately went to AS2 (time 7:26) and got on the next ride cycle, and stayed on for a second ride (I took a picture while on the ride at 7:34).  I thought it was cute and I liked the music, but the ride was more underwhelming than I had expected.  it needed to go a little faster LOL.  After the second ride we got off and lined up immediately for Woody and Jessie.  The line was already to the end of the fence, just about to where it makes a turn and doubles up.  I hadn't realized how much they fool around with guests and between guests!  I'm probably in the minority, I just wanted to say hi, get a photo, and move on to the next ride haha!  They take a long time with each group (which I guess most people like), we got photos timed at 7:55 AM, so we were in line between 15-20 min but it felt longer b/c I knew we could be riding!  The CM told a group not too many behind us it was a 30 min wait!
> 
> After  W&J we went to TSM at 7:55 by their clock (they had us using the FP line) without any wait, but the ride stopped for a few minutes a few times, I was worried we might get stuck and that would be the end of EMM for us.  It wasn't that bad, but it did take an extra few minutes.  We exited through the entire line and took a couple of obligatory photos at the popsicle stick wall at 8:10 AM.  So 15 min for one ride.  We went right back and rode it again, this time we had maybe a 3-5 min wait (the line was to the top of the stairs).  we were loaded and starting at 8:17 AM, had our scores at 8:23, and were back by the popsicle wall at 8:27.  We then went back to SDD and rode 3x in a row before the RD crowd came.  We rode twice in the back and once in the front, it seemed as if each ride would have a decent wait but then the line would take off and we fit 3 in.  We started our last ride at 8:54 AM and there was no sign of the RD people yet!  They surely were coming, but weren't visible from the front of the line yet.  I think we got in one extra ride by luck, it seemed like the crowd was a bit late.
> 
> When we got off SDD for the third time in a row (4th time total) the RD crowd was there in full force and the line extended almost to the TSL sign, and said 45 min.  At this point we got a PP photo in front of AS2 at 8:59 AM, took a bathroom break, then rode AS2 with no wait at all at 9:06 AM  followed by TSM with a posted 20 min wait at 9:20 that was exactly 20 min.  We passed the popsicle/checkerboard wall at 9:50, walked out of TSL to ABC Commissary, and ordered breakfast with no one in line before us.  They told us they were closing the ordering line soon, so to order as much as we wanted because it was going to be thrown away anyway!  We got  GF mexican bowl (very good), a regular mexican bowl (very good), and adult and child chicken and cronuts (good, nothing special but not bad), and a child eggs/tots (nothing special, but fulfills a need for picky eaters).  We also got more buffet food.  They had closed one of the buffets on our side, and closed the second one completely by around 10:20 (I didn't time stamp that, but it was a little earlier than I had expected) - I never saw the other side at all, I assume it had 2 buffets also).  They never rushed us out ,though, just actively cleaned up around us and readied the place for lunch.
> 
> After breakfast we went to RNRC and used our FPs that I had made for 9:50-10:50 at 10:36,  using rider switch. Next was ST with a 10:50-11:50 FP (the standby line was pretty long), followed by a few photos around and headed to TOT for a 12:05 FP.  My DS8 and I got in line, and found out one side was down.  So we waited in line 40 min b/c he didn't want to bail, we played the Disney Play app the whole time and it really did make time go fast.  I just felt bad for my DH and DS5 (who is tall enough but won't ride!), who were just sitting and waiting.  After that we shopped a little and left the park around 1:30 to head to Epcot to finish Kidcot stops before the Tragical Express picked up at the BC at 4:50.
> 
> So to summarize for those who don't want to wade through the commentary:
> Let in at 6:45
> Let in to ABC Commissary at 6:50
> Let into TSL at 7:13 to get there by 7:15
> SDD 7:18
> AS2 x 2 without getting off 7:26
> Woody and Jessie ~7:35-7:55
> TSM 7:55
> TSM  ~8:11
> SDD x 3 ~8:29-8:54
> 
> Rope Drop crowd hit while we were on a SDD ride that started at 8:54
> 
> PP photo 8:59
> AS2 9:06 walk on
> TSM 9:20 20 min wait
> 
> ABC Commissary breakfast 9:55.
> 
> I thought it was great, and would do it again in a heartbeat!  I might skip W&J unless my kids really wanted to see them, but since we had woody/Jessie/Buzz shirts I wanted a photo.  We could have saved maybe 10 min if we had been there right when they came out (well 20 min if we had managed to be first in line, but that would have required great luck or wasting time in line anyway waiting for them to come out) but we were on AS2 x 2 when they came out, they weren't out when we passed their spot to get on AS2.    I decided to go ahead and skip Buzz (ideally I wanted a photo with him also) since I wanted to ride more and am not sure how we would have fit him in and still rode a lot.  We totaled SDD x 4, AS2 x 2  plus 1 after RD, TSM x 2 plus 1 after RD, and Woody and Jessie.  We didn't get any photos from SDD.  We rode once on another day with a FP and got a photo of other people that time !
> 
> I just realized next time we do this will be Jan 2, so if they are all still in their Holiday attire I'll want photos again!  So my plan of skipping characters might go out the window, I'll have to see!  I almost hope they will be out of Christmas costumes, so we can not worry about them and ride more.
> 
> Sorry to be so longwinded, my college scientific writing courses on how to be succinct clearly didn't sink in



Awesome report!  Sounds like they finally opened up the FP line for TSM!


----------



## ninafeliz

jennab said:


> Awesome report!  Sounds like they finally opened up the FP line for TSM!



Yes, we went through the FP line at EMM and SB line after RD- we only saw Mr Potato Head when we rode after RD in the SB line.  That’s really the main way I noticed- during EMM we just followed the direction of the CM out front of the ride and we’re in a hurry to get on!


----------



## kniquy

MrsSaraG said:


> Seeing several posts about buses being late has me questioning if we should pre book Mears. I don't want to be late as our morning will already be rushed. (We have a 10:10 appt at BBB that day.) We are staying at AKL and will have our 5 year old DD with us so we will need a car seat (which leaves regular Uber/Lyft out).


  I was worried about the bus situation too.  I hate being stressed and know i would be worried about missing the bus or sitting watching the arrival bus time keep ticking away. So for peace of mind i booked Mears.  I am also at AKL and for our trip it came to $21.60 (the website put in a discount code as it was $24 originally).  The bus reports seem very scattered - nothing saying for certain they are on time or early enough to make sure you get to the event on time.  I scheduled 6:30, so figure it will take 15 minutes to get there, then time to walk to the entrance should have us there by 7:00am. 

If you can spare the $$ book it!


----------



## MrsSaraG

kniquy said:


> I was worried about the bus situation too.  I hate being stressed and know i would be worried about missing the bus or sitting watching the arrival bus time keep ticking away. So for peace of mind i booked Mears.  I am also at AKL and for our trip it came to $21.60 (the website put in a discount code as it was $24 originally).  The bus reports seem very scattered - nothing saying for certain they are on time or early enough to make sure you get to the event on time.  I scheduled 6:30, so figure it will take 15 minutes to get there, then time to walk to the entrance should have us there by 7:00am.
> 
> If you can spare the $$ book it!



Thanks for the response! I kind of think the money would be worth not having the stress. Maybe you can answer thos question too: Over on the transportation board, I asked about quickest way to get from HS to MK (for our 10:10 appt at BBB that day) and everyone said the bus, because they take you right to the entrance, whereas a ride share cannot. Would you (or anyone else) agree that's the best option there? It makes sense, I just don't go to WDW often enough to be that familiar with the timing and frequency of transportation. And missing our appt at BBB would probably be the end of the world. (I'm kidding. Sorta.)


----------



## GADisneyDad14

MrsSaraG said:


> Thanks for the response! I kind of think the money would be worth not having the stress. Maybe you can answer thos question too: Over on the transportation board, I asked about quickest way to get from HS to MK (for our 10:10 appt at BBB that day) and everyone said the bus, because they take you right to the entrance, whereas a ride share cannot. Would you (or anyone else) agree that's the best option there? It makes sense, I just don't go to WDW often enough to be that familiar with the timing and frequency of transportation. And missing our appt at BBB would probably be the end of the world. (I'm kidding. Sorta.)



Since you need a car seat (right?), your best (and only) bets are park-to-park bus or Minnie Van.  If this were us, I'd be checking Minnie Van availability as soon as we started making our way out of the park and then make a decision based on availability and ETA along the way.  Of course, Minnie Vans aren't cheap, so if that's a consideration the park-to-park bus will be fine.  

Uber does have a car seat option but availability is questionable and they can only take you to the TTC or CR as destinations, not the MK bus plaza.  

Hope that helps.


----------



## MrsSaraG

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Since you need a car seat (right?), your best (and only) bets are park-to-park bus or Minnie Van.  If this were us, I'd be checking Minnie Van availability as soon as we started making our way out of the park and then make a decision based on availability and ETA along the way.  Of course, Minnie Vans aren't cheap, so if that's a consideration the park-to-park bus will be fine.
> 
> Uber does have a car seat option but availability is questionable and they can only take you to the TTC or CR as destinations, not the MK bus plaza.
> 
> Hope that helps.



It helps tremendously. Thank you!


----------



## ninafeliz

MrsSaraG said:


> Thanks for the response! I kind of think the money would be worth not having the stress. Maybe you can answer thos question too: Over on the transportation board, I asked about quickest way to get from HS to MK (for our 10:10 appt at BBB that day) and everyone said the bus, because they take you right to the entrance, whereas a ride share cannot. Would you (or anyone else) agree that's the best option there? It makes sense, I just don't go to WDW often enough to be that familiar with the timing and frequency of transportation. And missing our appt at BBB would probably be the end of the world. (I'm kidding. Sorta.)



I second the Minnie van option if you can get one on your walk out of DHS, look as soon as you decide to walk to the entrance and not make anymore stops for pp, etc...  I wouldn’t want to be sitting at the bus stop stressing over whether one will come or not, and it does take some time to get into the MK and up Main Street.  This is the exact situations Minnie Vans are great for, and arguably worth it (instead of just a pure luxury )


----------



## RachaelA

jennab said:


> Awesome report!  Sounds like they finally opened up the FP line for TSM!


We had to walk through the regular queue on Wednesday during EMM


----------



## StacyStrong

Am I the only one who worries that Mears won't show up? I admit I'm paranoid...


----------



## MrsSaraG

StacyStrong said:


> Am I the only one who worries that Mears won't show up? I admit I'm paranoid...



Nope, definitely something I've considered too. I just don't like when things are out of my control (and I've spent so much money for it to be thwarted).


----------



## Maine Disney First Timer

I found this review online: https://www.uprightandcaffeinated.com/full-review-of-early-morning-magic-at-toy-story-land/


----------



## kniquy

MrsSaraG said:


> Would you (or anyone else) agree that's the best option there?


  In your situation if you were leaving the park at 9:00 right after the event ended you should be ok with the buses, but if much later than that i would do the minnie van which I believe lets you off right where the buses would.  Again, not a cheap option but sometimes it is worth a little money for peace of mind.  You want to enjoy your vacation and all the little extras you planned without being stressed.  I am sure the probably $30 minnie van is a drop in the bucket compared to what you have already paid for your trip - so splurge and relax!


----------



## AntJulie

Looks like they will be adding some Fridays to the schedule (last two in November, first three in December). Not able to book them yet though.


----------



## TISHLOVESDISNEY

Fingers crossed they add Friday January 18th that would work perfect for my PHing plans!


----------



## GADisneyDad14

AntJulie said:


> Looks like they will be adding some Fridays to the schedule (last two in November, first three in December). Not able to book them yet though.



Wow, that would be interesting.  Thanks for letting us know!


----------



## Runnsally

On our way to EMM!  Very impressed with the bus system - there was clearly a bus scheduled for this event. Picked up 6:28 at the WL and stopped at the Contemporary.  We’re the only people on board.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Today (11/5) was the date that was only added 2(ish) weeks ago and never showed 7AM slots... curious to hear how things go this AM.  Have fun!


----------



## Ek0804

The new Friday dates in November/December are now open for reservations.


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## GADisneyDad14

*BTW, the new Friday dates in November & December appear to be bookable this AM!  *


----------



## WishUponAStarryNight

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Today (11/5) was the date that was only added 2(ish) weeks ago and never showed 7AM slots... curious to hear how things go this AM.  Have fun!


Started out great. Tap stiles opened shortly after 7 and rides were open. SDD was walk on. Now stuck on SDD during ride 2.


----------



## buzzrelly

GADisneyDad14 said:


> *BTW, the new Friday dates in November & December appear to be bookable this AM!  *



I hope they keep the Friday dates going through Spring! We are going down 4/3 -4/6 and then going on a cruise, so we won't be there for either Monday or Wednesday morning. If they add a date for 4/5 I would definitely go again. I did EMM a couple weeks ago and loved it, but I was traveling with just DH. I would love to bring my teens in April. Here's hoping this isn't just a Holiday thing


----------



## WishUponAStarryNight

SDD is down again. CM said we could use our bracelets as FP for the rest of the day once it’s back up. Heading to breakfast. Hoping SDD will be up soon.


----------



## WishUponAStarryNight

WishUponAStarryNight said:


> SDD is down again. CM said we could use our bracelets as FP for the rest of the day once it’s back up. Heading to breakfast. Hoping SDD will be up soon.


Update: now getting 2 anytime FPs.


----------



## SaphiraSage

Booked Friday, December 14th.  I was tossing around the idea of the December 10th date, but couldn't make up my mind and it sold out.  Decided to book for near the end of our trip and if we don't feel like the kids are that excited about the Toy Story rides we can cancel it while we are there.


----------



## NinjaCat

I was also at EMM today (11/5). We got stuck on Slinky Dog on our second ride and were not able to ride it again. We were able to do Aliens twice and toy story mania three times. We also did pictures with Woody, Jessie and Buzz. Because slinky was down for so much we got 2 anytime fast passes and a full refund. 

I thought the cast members were great. It was unfortunate that the ride was having mechanical problems, but I felt that we were treated well and fairly compensated.

I would do the event again for sure. I thought it was worth the price. The breakfast food was really good.


----------



## Eve & Wall-e

NinjaCat said:


> Because slinky was down for so much we got 2 anytime fast passes and a full refund.



Sorry to hear that SDD was down. It's nice to know that you can be compensated for that.


----------



## Lisa F

NinjaCat said:


> I was also at EMM today (11/5). We got stuck on Slinky Dog on our second ride and were not able to ride it again. We were able to do Aliens twice and toy story mania three times. We also did pictures with Woody, Jessie and Buzz. Because slinky was down for so much we got 2 anytime fast passes and a full refund.
> 
> I thought the cast members were great. It was unfortunate that the ride was having mechanical problems, but I felt that we were treated well and fairly compensated.
> 
> I would do the event again for sure. I thought it was worth the price. The breakfast food was really good.



Well that all sounds really fair.  Sorry it was down for you but being able to ride it a couple of times ANYWAY, do the rest of the stuff, have the breakfast and get a full refund is pretty much the best you could hope for.

Hoping it comes back up and you get to do it today!


----------



## Lisa F

WishUponAStarryNight said:


> Update: now getting 2 anytime FPs.


sounds like refunds were issued too so I'd look into that.


----------



## NinjaCat

I thought they were fair. I actually was happy to get teo ride and then fully refunded. It was frustrating to be stuck on the ride, knowing we only had limited time. But the rest was great. 

Also, it was crazy to see the mass of people entering Toy Story Land at 8:45. Just an insane rush of people. We were doing pictures with Buzz at the time and the cast members were very firmly telling us to keep to the sides for our own safety.


----------



## GoldenOwner

Is there stroller parking outside of TSL? We're doing EMM on 11/25 and will have a stroller because we're walking from the Beach Club, but won't need it during EMM (kids are 4 and 6). Can we leave it somewhere near the Commissary?


----------



## Maine Disney First Timer

So is the new HS after hours changing anyones mind to do the early morning magic?   https://www.kennythepirate.com/2018...53UvVNLFJ-GER8OeaMKAwW5W_wFzna74xASaf8x4PcTO0


----------



## SaintsManiac

Maine Disney First Timer said:


> So is the new HS after hours changing anyones mind to do the early morning magic?   https://www.kennythepirate.com/2018...53UvVNLFJ-GER8OeaMKAwW5W_wFzna74xASaf8x4PcTO0





yes


----------



## TISHLOVESDISNEY

Yep, in March. Still hoping for EMM on Friday Jan 18th for our quick trip.


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## djc9699

Maine Disney First Timer said:


> So is the new HS after hours changing anyones mind to do the early morning magic?   https://www.kennythepirate.com/2018...53UvVNLFJ-GER8OeaMKAwW5W_wFzna74xASaf8x4PcTO0


I am still going to do EMM early in the week and then DAH later. I want to compare them for future reference. If I HAD to choose, I would do DAH, but it is only my daughter and I and we have the AP discount so might as well do some research


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## bigeyedfish

Ugh, I would love to do DAH at either DHS or AK.  However, the dates listed in the article don’t fall on our visit dates.  Here’s to hoping they do!  I would cancel EMM for DAH!


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## sasmom

NinjaCat said:


> I was also at EMM today (11/5). We got stuck on Slinky Dog on our second ride and were not able to ride it again. We were able to do Aliens twice and toy story mania three times. We also did pictures with Woody, Jessie and Buzz. Because slinky was down for so much we got 2 anytime fast passes and a full refund.
> 
> I thought the cast members were great. It was unfortunate that the ride was having mechanical problems, but I felt that we were treated well and fairly compensated.
> 
> I would do the event again for sure. I thought it was worth the price. The breakfast food was really good.



You got a full refund??  We were there and just got the 2 extra FPs, plus the ability to use our wristbands later.  No one said anything about a refund.  Did you have to ask for that?  We aren’t even going to be able to use the 2 FPs because we had plans in Epcot after breakfast and we probably won’t get back to DHS today.  I wonder if they’d extend the FPs to later in our trip or a different park.


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## DWFamilyof6

Maine Disney First Timer said:


> So is the new HS after hours changing anyones mind to do the early morning magic?   https://www.kennythepirate.com/2018...53UvVNLFJ-GER8OeaMKAwW5W_wFzna74xASaf8x4PcTO0


All three After Hours and both EMMs are offered during our trip coming up late Feb/ early Mar.  I had planned to do HS EMM and MK DAH now I'm flooded with second thoughts... What to do. what to do.


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## sandy77d

I am thinking of switching to the DAH at HS instead of EMM.  Our current plan is MVMCP Sunday night followed by EMM at HS Monday morning.  If we switched to the DAH, we will be on a late night schedule instead of having that short night where we stay up late and get up early.  I wonder how the crowds will be at the DAH in HS.


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## Lisa F

DWFamilyof6 said:


> All three After Hours and both EMMs are offered during our trip coming up late Feb/ early Mar.  I had planned to do HS EMM and MK DAH now I'm flooded with second thoughts... What to do. what to do.



I just went through the same thought experiment and decided to stick with what I've got.  I still feel like with so many what could be "tier 1" rides if they did tiering in MK that DAH at MK is the best value of all of them.  I also feel like EMM at toy story land without much interest in the rest of the park is "enough time" to get a special experience and comes with a full breakfast.  I'm not sure I'd need 3 hours in DHS as it stands, we might do ToT right at rope drop but I do not like RnR and once on ToT is plenty for me.  EMM with the nice breakfast sounds like a great overall experience to me.  I am skipping EMM in MK for DAH there because compared to DAH, EMM seems more limited to things I'm not as interested in.  I'd rather have that whole park for 3 hours.


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## TISHLOVESDISNEY

For us, we were not sold on the breakfast items to begin with, and I have teens and a 6 yr old who's fav ride is RnRc and Slinky, soooo....Suckers, we are...

I am surprised nothing was announced about Fridays being added to the schedule for EMM.


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## GADisneyDad14

TISHLOVESDISNEY said:


> I am surprised nothing was announced about Fridays being added to the schedule for EMM.



Sort of scary that they, in all likelihood, don’t really need to advertise I guess.


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## cusack1020

Well now DAH is availble during our stay so I'll be cancelling our EMM. I've got a 13 year old who loves RnR and Star Tours plus I won't have to get her out of bed early so this is a no brainer for us.


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## Maine Disney First Timer

sasmom said:


> You got a full refund??  We were there and just got the 2 extra FPs, plus the ability to use our wristbands later.  No one said anything about a refund.  Did you have to ask for that?  We aren’t even going to be able to use the 2 FPs because we had plans in Epcot after breakfast and we probably won’t get back to DHS today.  I wonder if they’d extend the FPs to later in our trip or a different park.



I would contact someone ASAP and ask for a full refund. If others were offered that, then I would get on that especially when the main ride was down most of the time.


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## NinjaCat

sasmom said:


> You got a full refund??  We were there and just got the 2 extra FPs, plus the ability to use our wristbands later.  No one said anything about a refund.  Did you have to ask for that?  We aren’t even going to be able to use the 2 FPs because we had plans in Epcot after breakfast and we probably won’t get back to DHS today.  I wonder if they’d extend the FPs to later in our trip or a different park.



Yes, I spike to Jessica whi was in charge of the event. I didnt ask for it, but I did say that I did not think two fastpasses were fair compensation. I went to guest relations and had no trouble getting the refund. I would go to guest relations or call if I were you. You deserve the same as me.


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## 3Anderboys

Just finished EMM on 10.29 party of 6-3 kids and 3 adults.  We really enjoyed it, but it does feel more crowded than the MK version.  We arrived at the park a few minutes later than we wanted due to someone forgetting a magic band. We arrived at 7:15 and headed straight back to TSL. Arrived in the land about 7:22. Slinky was up and going. From previous reports, I decided to do AS2 (twice) and then TSMM once before Slinky. I could visibly see a decent line. After those rides, we headed to Slinky. We waited about 10 minutes the first time. We rode a total of 5 times and each time was a shorter wait with the last being under 5 mins. We then met Buzz-which had about 6 people in line. My boys still love all things TS so it was a must. We couldn't meet J&W bc the line never had less than 10+ families with multiple children. That was unfortunate-it was also fairly cool so I didn't see them take many breaks. We rode TSMM one more time bc my boys never tire of that and the other adults were over SDD-sadly.  The masses were coming in as we exited. We immediately went to RNRR (2x) and TOT (once) and then headed off to breakfast at 9:40. This was not a highlight. I think the menu is interesting and could be good. I had the chilaquiles bowl and it was fine, but overall the restaurant was messy and crowded. We had to be seated in overflow seating at Sci Fi-it was so packed! For those that have attended the MK event this one just felt messier and chaotic. The continental items were not refilled at ours very promptly and the never once refilled the fruit on our side from 9:45 on-even though I saw multiple people ask. Definitely not a deal breaker, but if the meal is of high value for you-you may find yourself a bit disappointed.  The meal was just okay-my family far preferred EMM breakfast at MK and we aren't picky eaters. All in all we would do it again bc of our love of Toy Story, but will probably doe AH next time.


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## Runnsally

NinjaCat said:


> Yes, I spike to Jessica whi was in charge of the event. I didnt ask for it, but I did say that I did not think two fastpasses were fair compensation. I went to guest relations and had no trouble getting the refund. I would go to guest relations or call if I were you. You deserve the same as me.


I only got the two fast passes as well.  Will definitely try for a refund tomorrow.  Thanks for sharing the info.


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## NinjaCat

Runnsally said:


> I only got the two fast passes as well.  Will definitely try for a refund tomorrow.  Thanks for sharing the info.



Happy to report back what I experienced. If sharing with this group helps anyone, it’s the least I can do. My Disney trip has been amazing and I owe a lot of that to the people on these boards who share information and experience. Good luck!


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## sasmom

NinjaCat said:


> Yes, I spike to Jessica whi was in charge of the event. I didnt ask for it, but I did say that I did not think two fastpasses were fair compensation. I went to guest relations and had no trouble getting the refund. I would go to guest relations or call if I were you. You deserve the same as me.


I sent an email because I’m not getting back to DHS until Friday and I didn’t want to deal with calling.  If I don’t hear by Friday, I’ll stop in at Guest Relations.  Thanks for the info!


----------



## Runnsally

sasmom said:


> I sent an email because I’m not getting back to DHS until Friday and I didn’t want to deal with calling.  If I don’t hear by Friday, I’ll stop in at Guest Relations.  Thanks for the info!


Keep us posted!


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## Mom2twinboys

I am trying to get the EMM tickets and and wondering if they are sold out our if the website is having problems? I would think it would say this event is sold out...MDE was wonky as I was trying to get FP too.  TIA


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## chelynnah

Maine Disney First Timer said:


> So is the new HS after hours changing anyones mind to do the early morning magic?   https://www.kennythepirate.com/2018...53UvVNLFJ-GER8OeaMKAwW5W_wFzna74xASaf8x4PcTO0


It might have but none of the dates work or are available for our holiday while the EMM falls on the perfect day.


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## GADisneyDad14

Mom2twinboys said:


> I am trying to get the EMM tickets and and wondering if they are sold out our if the website is having problems? I would think it would say this event is sold out...MDE was wonky as I was trying to get FP too.  TIA



I believe 1/2 sold out pretty quickly.  What it’s doing now is what it shows when dates are sold out.  

But worth nothing, 1/2 only has the 7:30am slot right now... my bet would be on them adding the 7:00am slot at some point, which will open up spots.  Keep en eye out in case that happens.


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## Lisa F

Mom2twinboys said:


> I am trying to get the EMM tickets and and wondering if they are sold out our if the website is having problems? I would think it would say this event is sold out...MDE was wonky as I was trying to get FP too.  TIA


MDE is a complete mess lately, i'd vote for that option

if it is sold out i'm sure some folks will cancel for the new DAH option so I'd keep checking either way.


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## areno79

Now that DHS EMM is offered on the Friday after Thanksgiving, it could conceivably fit into my plans. BUT...that would mean attending the EMM, and then hopping over to MK, which has 8am EMH. (Originally we were going to rope drop MK for 8am.) Opinions? Is this feasible? We are 3 adults, if that helps.


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## AngiTN

SaintsManiac said:


> Feeling pretty annoyed about these 10 minutes waits for SDD. I was hoping this would be more like the AP events or MK EMM.


We got in 10 rides on it. Could have done a couple more but DH was done. Most of our rides we're walk on. Only the first couple had a line. That was just like MK EMM when we've done it.


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## SaintsManiac

AngiTN said:


> We got in 10 rides on it. For have done a couple more but DH was done. Most of our rides we're walk on. Only the first couple had a line. That was just like MK EMM when we've done it.





Good to know for possible future reference. I'm going to switch to DAH for my next trip though


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## FCDub

I'd be THRILLED with a 10 minute wait. I think some people perhaps have unrealistic expectations ... they're not going to cap this event at like 50 tickets and be able to make money.


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## SaintsManiac

FCDub said:


> I'd be THRILLED with a 10 minute wait. I think some people perhaps have unrealistic expectations ... they're not going to cap this event at like 50 tickets and be able to make money.





Not unrealistic. We walked on 7DMT 8 times at a sold out EMM. For the price you should not have consistent 10 minute waits.


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## Mom2twinboys

It appears the morning of Jan. 2 is sold out. I have read some post that they may open up 7:00 times.  Does anyone have any tips or strategies on how to get these tickets?


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## chris benton

Runnsally said:


> Keep us posted!



I tried calling the dining res peeps, no refund.
They told me to go to the front desk of the hotel...sigh!
I went to the Disney Concierge, and she laughed with me at the disney dining's response. Sbe told me if I can't get to a park's guest relations office, to just send a very detailed email to guest relations.


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## wddub2015

I’d love to do this for my April 2019 trip.  For those who have been following this event, do you think it will be inevitable that April dates are bound to be released at some point?  I know until something is announced it really could be anyone’s guess, but sometimes it is fun to speculate!


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## Runnsally

chris benton said:


> I tried calling the dining res peeps, no refund.
> They told me to go to the front desk of the hotel...sigh!
> I went to the Disney Concierge, and she laughed with me at the disney dining's response. Sbe told me if I can't get to a park's guest relations office, to just send a very detailed email to guest relations.


I went to Guest Relations at Animal Kingdom today. Initial cast member told me there was nothing he could do. I then asked to speak to a manager, who said they do not refund EMM for ride breakdown. It was a cordial conversation.  He gave us a few any time fast passes. Wonder if I should speak to a guest relations person at Hollywood Studios?


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## rxbeth

Runnsally said:


> I went to Guest Relations at Animal Kingdom today. Initial cast member told me there was nothing he could do. I then asked to speak to a manager, who said they do not refund EMM for ride breakdown. It was a cordial conversation.  He gave us a few any time fast passes. Wonder if I should speak to a guest relations person at Hollywood Studios?



Yeah, I feel like guest relations at Hollywood studios would be more inclined to help. The other parks probably want nothing to do with it.


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## ninafeliz

I don't like the fact that the compensation for problems is different for different guests!  I mean, it's great for whomever got a refund plus FPs plus the ability to use the FP line that day with their wristband (wasn't that what I read from one poster earlier?), but for the other poor schmucks who didn't get that it sucks (sarcasm for the poor schmucks part, BTW ).  I guess it's not as bad when you don't know what other people got, like not knowing who paid what for their airline seat so you never know you paid twice what the person beside you paid, but if you are a member here or see it on social media somewhere it's like rubbing salt into the wound!  They should be consistent, or offer 2-3 choices and the guest picks between them.  Or do nothing and say too bad, the details said this could happen.  Those are all fair from guest to guest.  But it would just eat at me to know I got 3 anytime PFs after having to go and ASK for those, then come here and see someone else had the exact same experience as I did and got their money back plus the FPs!  That's a lot of money, it isn't like a free mickey bar or something.  However, it has been this way for years regarding this type of occurrence, I read it all the time related to any upcharge/hard ticket event, so it doesn't seem like it will ever change (sigh).


----------



## NinjaCat

chris benton said:


> I tried calling the dining res peeps, no refund.
> They told me to go to the front desk of





ninafeliz said:


> I don't like the fact that the compensation for problems is different for different guests!  I mean, it's great for whomever got a refund plus FPs plus the ability to use the FP line that day with their wristband (wasn't that what I read from one poster earlier?), but for the other poor schmucks who didn't get that it sucks (sarcasm for the poor schmucks part, BTW ).  I guess it's not as bad when you don't know what other people got, like not knowing who paid what for their airline seat so you never know you paid twice what the person beside you paid, but if you are a member here or see it on social media somewhere it's like rubbing salt into the wound!  They should be consistent, or offer 2-3 choices and the guest picks between them.  Or do nothing and say too bad, the details said this could happen.  Those are all fair from guest to guest.  But it would just eat at me to know I got 3 anytime PFs after having to go and ASK for those, then come here and see someone else had the exact same experience as I did and got their money back plus the FPs!  That's a lot of money, it isn't like a free mickey bar or something.  However, it has been this way for years regarding this type of occurrence, I read it all the time related to any upcharge/hard ticket event, so it doesn't seem like it will ever change (sigh).




I agree 100%. I received the full refund and fast passes. I was hoping that by sharing my experience, others would be able to receive the same. It is puzzling that they would offer me a refund and not every other person who attended. Honestly it should be automatic and no one should have to ask or beg for compensation. Very strange.


----------



## js

AngiTN said:


> We got in 10 rides on it. Could have done a couple more but DH was done. Most of our rides we're walk on. Only the first couple had a line. That was just like MK EMM when we've done it.



Hi.  Could you please tell me when you did above? Was it in September or a more crowded time of year? We go in September (was there September 7-15 this year) and will be back to Disney January 4-12 so will be much more crowded.  

We are attending DHS EMM on January 9 (yes, I can post on here now since my dd and I met my mom for dinner to go over FPs so had to show her our itinerary LOL) so it will be much more crowded.  Also, for not much more, I am now contemplating moving to the DAH at HS.

I am planning on getting to HS before 7 am and doing TSM a couple of times and then SDD since it sounds like all go there first. The three of us have no interest in AS and my mom won't even do SDD so that really leaves one attraction for her.  We are also doing DAH at MK so hoping we have an experience like your EMM.

Thank you!


----------



## Pop489

Mom2twinboys said:


> It appears the morning of Jan. 2 is sold out. I have read some post that they may open up 7:00 times.  Does anyone have any tips or strategies on how to get these tickets?



Just keep swim. . .   sorry, checking. I've been checking for 12/10/18 myself. It was not available when I started looking. I was able to score a reservation for 1 on 10/30 and today I was able to cancel that one because a res. for 2 became available today. My goal is to get a reservation for 4 by the time we arrive on 12/8.


----------



## js

Mom2twinboys said:


> It appears the morning of Jan. 2 is sold out. I have read some post that they may open up 7:00 times.  Does anyone have any tips or strategies on how to get these tickets?



I would keep checking but also check make sure you check on November 15, since that is the day the new DAH HS event is able to be booked. I believe you will get some cancellations (if early January is offered in the DAH HS event). I know I will be canceling my EMM HS event on January 9 and booking DAH HS for January 5.

Good luck!


----------



## WishUponAStarryNight

Lisa F said:


> sounds like refunds were issued too so I'd look into that.


Monday was our last day and I didn’t want to waste time at Guest Services. I sent an email when we got home, so we’ll see what happens.


----------



## AngiTN

js said:


> Hi.  Could you please tell me when you did above? Was it in September or a more crowded time of year? We go in September (was there September 7-15 this year) and will be back to Disney January 4-12 so will be much more crowded.
> 
> We are attending DHS EMM on January 9 (yes, I can post on here now since my dd and I met my mom for dinner to go over FPs so had to show her our itinerary LOL) so it will be much more crowded.  Also, for not much more, I am now contemplating moving to the DAH at HS.
> 
> I am planning on getting to HS before 7 am and doing TSM a couple of times and then SDD since it sounds like all go there first. The three of us have no interest in AS and my mom won't even do SDD so that really leaves one attraction for her.  We are also doing DAH at MK so hoping we have an experience like your EMM.
> 
> Thank you!


Oct 8th or 9th, I forget now which date we did EMM at HS and which we did Party at MK.


----------



## rxbeth

NinjaCat said:


> I agree 100%. I received the full refund and fast passes. I was hoping that by sharing my experience, others would be able to receive the same. It is puzzling that they would offer me a refund and not every other person who attended. Honestly it should be automatic and no one should have to ask or beg for compensation. Very strange.



Did you go to guest services at Hollywood studios that day? I feel like you said you talked to someone in charge of the event but was curious if it was inside tsl or guest services. (just in case we have issues our day)


----------



## Lisa F

WishUponAStarryNight said:


> Monday was our last day and I didn’t want to waste time at Guest Services. I sent an email when we got home, so we’ll see what happens.


I hate wasting time at guest services on a trip but have had great luck dealing with the _wdw_._guest_._communications_@disneyworld.com email address after the fact.


----------



## dachsie

NinjaCat said:


> I agree 100%. I received the full refund and fast passes. I was hoping that by sharing my experience, others would be able to receive the same. It is puzzling that they would offer me a refund and not every other person who attended. Honestly it should be automatic and no one should have to ask or beg for compensation. Very strange.


Even if they refunded 1/2 the cost for everyone, I think that would be reasonable.  They would at least covered the food costs


----------



## NinjaCat

rxbeth said:


> Did you go to guest services at Hollywood studios that day? I feel like you said you talked to someone in charge of the event but was curious if it was inside tsl or guest services. (just in case we have issues our day)



Once Slinky Dog went down, there were cast members in Toy Story Land to speak to. At first they were offering two anytime fast passes (which we took).I spoke to a gentleman named Kevin. He said that if the ride continued to be down for the duration of the event that they would be offering refunds. After a few more rides and photos, we went back to where the cast members were stationed. This time we spoke to the head of the event, Jessica. She was very friendly and offered us a refund on the event. She marked our name down in her computer and told us to stop in at Guest Services and let them know we were at Early Morning Magic and that we were to be refunded. She then told us to enjoy the rest of our time in Toy Story Land and to make sure we caught breakfast.

We left Toy Story Land at 8:45. We went to ABC Commissary to grab breakfast. Jessica was there talking to other tables, I assumed that she was providing refund information to them as well. However, I spoke to the people at the table next to mine and they had no knowledge of the refund. I pointed out who she needed to speak to and we went to enjoy the rest of the park. 

At around 10:30 I stopped by Guest Services. I waited about 5 minutes to be helped. They were very accommodating and issued us a gift card in the amount that we spent on the event. Honestly, it couldn't have worked out any better for us. I am super happy with how we were treated, but a little disappointed that my fellow guests were not treated equitably. Doesn't seem fair to me. If I knew that someone got a refund and I did not, I think I would push back pretty hard to receive equal treatment.

I really hope this helps anyone else who was at the event on the 5th. And also anyone who goes in the future and has a similar experience.


----------



## chris benton

dachsie said:


> Even if they refunded 1/2 the cost for everyone, I think that would be reasonable.  They would at least covered the food costs



I honestly feel the same way. A partial refund would be great. I even mentioned it to the CM I spoke to on the phone. I'm not trying to be unreasonable about this at all. The food was actually pretty good - the shrimp and grits surprised the heck out of me, the chicken strips and donuts were better than I expected. The Chilaquiles dish was just ok, the avocado toast was, well, they poached the eggs to DEATH, they should have just not even bothered with the egg. My biggest complaint is that one of our party did NOT get the fastpasses, even though the cm scanned his band. We left hollyweird after walking to the front after breakfast (just before rope drop,) to jump on RNR and TOT a few times each in a row with our FP's, and found out that one of us got screwed. DW gave up her MB (she doesn't do the big thrill rides,) and went to Guest Serv, and they added ONE FP to the mb that didn't get the two that it should have.

We still hopped over to MK and CRUSHED about 11 fp's after about 11am - it was glorious. Good ones, too. Wound up having a great day, but we had to get up early for emm, and missed out on what was offered (and paid for.)


----------



## Lisa F

NinjaCat said:


> Once Slinky Dog went down, there were cast members in Toy Story Land to speak to. At first they were offering two anytime fast passes (which we took).I spoke to a gentleman named Kevin. He said that if the ride continued to be down for the duration of the event that they would be offering refunds. After a few more rides and photos, we went back to where the cast members were stationed. This time we spoke to the head of the event, Jessica. She was very friendly and offered us a refund on the event. She marked our name down in her computer and told us to stop in at Guest Services and let them know we were at Early Morning Magic and that we were to be refunded. She then told us to enjoy the rest of our time in Toy Story Land and to make sure we caught breakfast.
> 
> We left Toy Story Land at 8:45. We went to ABC Commissary to grab breakfast. Jessica was there talking to other tables, I assumed that she was providing refund information to them as well. However, I spoke to the people at the table next to mine and they had no knowledge of the refund. I pointed out who she needed to speak to and we went to enjoy the rest of the park.
> 
> At around 10:30 I stopped by Guest Services. I waited about 5 minutes to be helped. They were very accommodating and issued us a gift card in the amount that we spent on the event. Honestly, it couldn't have worked out any better for us. I am super happy with how we were treated, but a little disappointed that my fellow guests were not treated equitably. Doesn't seem fair to me. If I knew that someone got a refund and I did not, I think I would push back pretty hard to receive equal treatment.
> 
> I really hope this helps anyone else who was at the event on the 5th. And also anyone who goes in the future and has a similar experience.


Thanks for taking the time to post.  Know Disney did the right thing and how to advocate for myself takes some anxiety out of wondering what would happen if something similar happened to us.  I hope everyone who was there that day is treated as fairly!


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## kniquy

NinjaCat said:


> I spoke to the people at the table next to mine and they had no knowledge of the refund. I pointed out who she needed to speak to and we went to enjoy the rest of the park.


  I can't understand how they would offer refunds to some but not others.  It is certainly very easy for them to confirm all who went, send emails that they can call, stop by guest services at any park etc to complete there refund.  It is unfortunate that they did not treat all guest equally in this situation. Hopefully this ride breakdown is an isolated event but thankfully because of your reports we all know to speak up before we leave the park.


----------



## otten

kniquy said:


> I can't understand how they would offer refunds to some but not others.  It is certainly very easy for them to confirm all who went, send emails that they can call, stop by guest services at any park etc to complete there refund.  It is unfortunate that they did not treat all guest equally in this situation. Hopefully this ride breakdown is an isolated event but thankfully because of your reports we all know to speak up before we leave the park.



My experience with a failed MK EMM (both mine train and Pooh down the whole time) was that guest recovery was super inconsistent. Some got refunds, some got a couple anytime fast passes and everyone was able to use their emm wristband as a fp on those rides until noon.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Yeah, there was an MK EMM date several months ago with extended ride downtime, probably the same one @otten notes.   Reports on the MK EMM thread indicated inconsistent guest recovery, with seemingly no apparent reason from guest to guest.  I’m not entirely surprised at the reports above.  Obviously an unfortunate situation.


----------



## dachsie

I pray this doesn't happen on my day cause I am literally leaving the event to catch DME to the airport


----------



## kabbie

I just realized that the date (Wed 1/30) I wanted to go is sold out for a party of 3+.  Is it possible that it would open up more availability or should I call? 
Have many dates sold out?


----------



## rxbeth

kabbie said:


> I just realized that the date (Wed 1/30) I wanted to go is sold out for a party of 3+.  Is it possible that it would open up more availability or should I call?
> Have many dates sold out?



Did they have 7 and 730 Slots?  I can't remember. I'm booked for that day for 2. I was hoping it wouldn't be sold out.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

kabbie said:


> I just realized that the date (Wed 1/30) I wanted to go is sold out for a party of 3+.  Is it possible that it would open up more availability or should I call?
> Have many dates sold out?



Since people cancel easily, EMM is a bit too dynamic to accurately track sold out dates.  Although many have had no availability come event time so far.  

At the moment 1/30 only has the 7:30AM slot on the website.... I suspect the 7:00AM slot will be added at some point, so keep an eye out.  Usually when I’m in “watch” mode for something I bookmark the page and check quickly each morning just out of habit.  

Good luck.


----------



## TinkSassy

I attended yesterday- November 7.  I am staying at Pop and they told me we would have a bus at 6:15 - ended up getting a bus at 6:50.  Tight but was in TSL by 7:25 - I had a 7am reservation and there was no separation.  I met Woody and Jessie at 7:35 and then went to *** as everyone had headed to SDD.  No wait there.  Then over to SDD where it was a 10 minute wait.  I had asked for a seat toward the back and had some issues with a large party rearranging on me so second row.  Little magic there as the CM that witnessed it called me through the handicap gate and put me right back on in the back row.  Said thank you for not making an issue.  So - count I got all 3 characters, 3x on SDD, 2x on ***, 1x on TSMM and walked out at 8:55 meeting the RD crowd.  Walked on ST before eating.  Breakfast was good but nothing special.


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## mster425

I am going to cancel this event for 11/26 for 4 people- I got FP's, we will have the DAS, and DS wants to do the Albatross Cruise that AM

All that to say- if you are looking to attend this morning message me and I can try to coordinate.


----------



## DisneyToddlers

We went to the event yesterday, Wednesday, 10/7.  There was a longer than expected wait at SDD (posted  as 20  minutes)  for a good portion of it  but it did go a bit quicker.  It was very frustrating to pay so much and have to wait in that Cue!  On our way out of Toy Story Land - a photo pass photographer asked me what I thought of the event and told me that that date was busier than he had seen it before at that event.  He confirmed my feeling that it was just too crowded and oversold. Plus the food was just ok... over cooked eggs, and nothing wowed us at all.  I will probably contact guest relations about it being oversold -especially since the photo pass photographer mentioned that.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Hadn’t done a run through of the “sold out” status of dates in awhile, so was curious as to how things look at the moment.  

The table below indicates # of available bookable spots for TSL EMM dates through Jan.  

“14+” = more than 14 (since the max you can book online is 14).  

I was struck by the fact that so many dates are in fact sold out, or very close to it.  No wonder they hastily added Fridays a few days ago.  

Remember since EMM is cancelable, this data is dynamic and subject to change. It’s really only accurate at this very second, but shows an interesting trend none-the-less.


----------



## mster425

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Hadn’t done a run through of the “sold out” status of dates in awhile, so was curious as to how things look at the moment.
> 
> The table below indicates # of available bookable spots for TSL EMM dates through Jan.
> 
> “14+” = more than 14 (since the max you can book online is 14).
> 
> I was struck by the fact that so many dates are in fact sold out, or very close to it.  No wonder they hastily added Fridays a few days ago.
> 
> Remember since EMM is cancelable, this data is dynamic and subject to change. It’s really only accurate at this very second, but shows an interesting trend none-the-less.
> 
> View attachment 364150



thanks!! looks like i could switch to the 30th, our departure day. I have a problem


----------



## rxbeth

So it looks like the next couple weeks will be a good indicator of what a "sold out" event looks like.  Good to know! Hopefully we get quite a few reports back


----------



## Alison S

I need opinions, please!  We leave tomorrow.  

My initial plan was to do Epcot on Monday and DHS on Wednesday.  We are doing the Christmas party Tues night, so the Wednesday EMM was out of the question!

I was playing around on the website and ended up finding availability for EMM on Monday.  So I booked (knowing I could cancel).  

Soooo....should we go?  My reservation has always been the early hour and worrying about transportation to the park (staying at the Poly, taking the bus).  Can anyone alleviate my concerns?  Is there really going to be a bus at 6:30?

I would also need to change all my FPs, but there seems to be lots of availability for Wed at Epcot, and I wouldn't really need any at DHS.


----------



## FCDub

Alison S said:


> I need opinions, please!  We leave tomorrow.
> 
> My initial plan was to do Epcot on Monday and DHS on Wednesday.  We are doing the Christmas party Tues night, so the Wednesday EMM was out of the question!
> 
> I was playing around on the website and ended up finding availability for EMM on Monday.  So I booked (knowing I could cancel).
> 
> Soooo....should we go?  My reservation has always been the early hour and worrying about transportation to the park (staying at the Poly, taking the bus).  Can anyone alleviate my concerns?  Is there really going to be a bus at 6:30?
> 
> I would also need to change all my FPs, but there seems to be lots of availability for Wed at Epcot, and I wouldn't really need any at DHS.



If you search this thread for "bus" you can find the experiences of others.


----------



## dachsie

Alison S said:


> I need opinions, please!  We leave tomorrow.
> 
> My initial plan was to do Epcot on Monday and DHS on Wednesday.  We are doing the Christmas party Tues night, so the Wednesday EMM was out of the question!
> 
> I was playing around on the website and ended up finding availability for EMM on Monday.  So I booked (knowing I could cancel).
> 
> Soooo....should we go?  My reservation has always been the early hour and worrying about transportation to the park (staying at the Poly, taking the bus).  Can anyone alleviate my concerns?  Is there really going to be a bus at 6:30?
> 
> I would also need to change all my FPs, but there seems to be lots of availability for Wed at Epcot, and I wouldn't really need any at DHS.


If you have parkhoppers, you could just go to EP after the EMM and not have to move anything.  I would check with your concierge the day before about buss but be willing to call for Uber or Lyft must in case.  I would keep it if you really want to do it


----------



## suzymouse724

We were at EMM on 11/7. First a huge thank you to everyone on this thread who previously posted their experiences, it was extremely helpful for us in navigating the event.

We stayed at the Grand Floridian. I was nervous about the buses so booked Mears taxi for 6:30.  That worked out great and we were at Hollywood Studios just after 6:45.  However, as we were walking to the taxi  at the Floridain a bus going to the Studios pulled up.... but you never know so I was happy we booked a taxi.

We were checked in and then held at the tapstyles for a few minutes. A few minutes before 7 they let us in. They directed everyone to the commissary. We took the kids to the bathroom, grabbed coffee and pastries and then waited outside near the Chinese Theater.  They started walking everyone back to toy story land at 7:14. We were at the front of the pack and the second family in line for slinky. However, they held us at the end of the bridge right before the que.  Slinky apparently had a mechanical issue earlier in the morning and they were still going through tests. We waited almost 10 minutes before we were allowed in the que and on the ride.  We were on the first ride of the morning and were off the ride right at 7:30.  At that point there was a very long line for the ride.  

We headed to the Alien Saucers. Did it twice in a row.  My kids are 7 and 5 and we all laughed the entire time.  At this point there was a posted wait for Slinky for 20 mins. I tried convincing the kids we should do toy story mania, but they insisted on slinky again. We waited about 15 minutes.  We then did toy story mania, which had no line.

It was then almost 8:30. We did slinky again with only a 5 minute wait. Did aliens again with no wait. Got back in line for Slinky at 8:40 and there was no line. However, as we got to the front we were stopped and a tour group was let on in front of everyone there for EMM.  I have no idea what the group was for, but they took up 2 full slinkys. This was my only real complaint about the event. Had it not been for the group we would have had time for an additional ride on Slinky before the rope drop crows made its way to toy story land.  As it turns out we saw them approaching as we were on the ride. It was quite something to see! It made me very thankful for doing EMM.

My son and I then went for a quick ride on Tower of Terror which had no wait. We then met my husband and daughter at the breakfast. Breakfast was good and we were all happy to sit in the air conditioning and relax for a bit!

It was a very hot day, and I honestly can’t imagine waiting in those lines mid-day.  Overall we had a great time, and for us it was well worth the money. It was a little more crowded then I thought it would be, but we still had plenty of time on the rides.   In total:

Slinky - 4x
Aliens -3x
Toy story - 1x

My kids were not interested in the characters. The line for Woody and Jesse was very long, Buzz was short.


----------



## rxbeth

suzymouse724 said:


> We were at EMM on 11/7. First a huge thank you to everyone on this thread who previously posted their experiences, it was extremely helpful for us in navigating the event.
> 
> We stayed at the Grand Floridian. I was nervous about the buses so booked Mears taxi for 6:30.  That worked out great and we were at Hollywood Studios just after 6:45.  However, as we were walking to the taxi  at the Floridain a bus going to the Studios pulled up.... but you never know so I was happy we booked a taxi.
> 
> We were checked in and then held at the tapstyles for a few minutes. A few minutes before 7 they let us in. They directed everyone to the commissary. We took the kids to the bathroom, grabbed coffee and pastries and then waited outside near the Chinese Theater.  They started walking everyone back to toy story land at 7:14. We were at the front of the pack and the second family in line for slinky. However, they held us at the end of the bridge right before the que.  Slinky apparently had a mechanical issue earlier in the morning and they were still going through tests. We waited almost 10 minutes before we were allowed in the que and on the ride.  We were on the first ride of the morning and were off the ride right at 7:30.  At that point there was a very long line for the ride.
> 
> We headed to the Alien Saucers. Did it twice in a row.  My kids are 7 and 5 and we all laughed the entire time.  At this point there was a posted wait for Slinky for 20 mins. I tried convincing the kids we should do toy story mania, but they insisted on slinky again. We waited about 15 minutes.  We then did toy story mania, which had no line.
> 
> It was then almost 8:30. We did slinky again with only a 5 minute wait. Did aliens again with no wait. Got back in line for Slinky at 8:40 and there was no line. However, as we got to the front we were stopped and a tour group was let on in front of everyone there for EMM.  I have no idea what the group was for, but they took up 2 full slinkys. This was my only real complaint about the event. Had it not been for the group we would have had time for an additional ride on Slinky before the rope drop crows made its way to toy story land.  As it turns out we saw them approaching as we were on the ride. It was quite something to see! It made me very thankful for doing EMM.
> 
> My son and I then went for a quick ride on Tower of Terror which had no wait. We then met my husband and daughter at the breakfast. Breakfast was good and we were all happy to sit in the air conditioning and relax for a bit!
> 
> It was a very hot day, and I honestly can’t imagine waiting in those lines mid-day.  Overall we had a great time, and for us it was well worth the money. It was a little more crowded then I thought it would be, but we still had plenty of time on the rides.   In total:
> 
> Slinky - 4x
> Aliens -3x
> Toy story - 1x
> 
> My kids were not interested in the characters. The line for Woody and Jesse was very long, Buzz was short.



Thanks for the review! The tour group going ahead of everyone during EMM would not make me happy.


----------



## disneyworldsk

okay, chiming in for emm 11/5 monday. We changed it from 11/7 to 11/5 figuring it would be more quiet because of the last minute add on. We took mears prebooked from pofq was great. we waited at turnstiles, they let us in and went straight to toy story land, never going to abc comm. never going to a line at grauman's theater. okay. rode sdd-once. done. that was it. done. ride went down rest of the time. we were given one paper fp that said for our party of 3 people we could go on sdd the remainder of our stay one time. we went back later and we tapped on mb for fp in that park only but we didn't really want those. we never got a refund and weren't offered one. we didn't do much else. we ate. it was good food. we took pics around the land, it was very empty. we didn't see the characters because everytime we approached they were on a break and the line was long. we went on the alien ride twice. it was okay. nothing amazing. the land was great to go in uncrowded for the first time we have ever been but that was it basically. ok food. done. would never do it again. didn't want to waste time in a long guest relations line demanding a refund. i will email. my party was mad and antsy and wanted to leave the park. we returned one more night and rode slinky one time with that fp paper ticket. and it was too early in the morning really to do this again. so early, no sdd, not worth it.


----------



## mwheatley

Thanks all for the reviews. We are booked for TSL EMM during the first week of December. The reviews have helped us manage our expectations. We will have to do a rider switch for SDD. So, for us, success will be being able to ride the attractions 2x each and get a character picture.

We only have three days in the parks so this will help us do everything we’d like to do in DHS in the morning before hoping to EP.


----------



## sapphirerose915

So... I know the green army men aren't out during EMM.. but has anyone seen them there shortly after?? Like I'm thinking after breakfast and the RD crowd has calmed down??? Wasnt sure if they had specific times.. I'd love to be able to catch them while we were there!!


----------



## Mom2twinboys

I've been checking everyday and night for tickets on 1/2. They opened up the 7:00 am sometime between last night and this morning.  I was so excited when I saw the 7 slot, but it was already sold out


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Mom2twinboys said:


> I've been checking everyday and night for tickets on 1/2. They opened up the 7:00 am sometime between last night and this morning.  I was so excited when I saw the 7 slot, but it was already sold out



Don’t fret, it’s usually a staggered window between when the 7am time slot gets added and it actually shows up as available/bookable.  I’d take that as a good sign it’s about to be added.  

This thing has a big guest count, so generally speaking will not sell out ‘right away.’


----------



## kabbie

I believe they added 7am slot for Wed 1/30 as well. Not available to book yet.  
Mon 1/28 is showing sold out online after having 14+ availability over the weekend. Hoping that they add 7am slot to Mon too.


----------



## TinkSassy

TinkSassy said:


> I attended yesterday- November 7.  I am staying at Pop and they told me we would have a bus at 6:15 - ended up getting a bus at 6:50.  Tight but was in TSL by 7:25 - I had a 7am reservation and there was no separation.  I met Woody and Jessie at 7:35 and then went to *** as everyone had headed to SDD.  No wait there.  Then over to SDD where it was a 10 minute wait.  I had asked for a seat toward the back and had some issues with a large party rearranging on me so second row.  Little magic there as the CM that witnessed it called me through the handicap gate and put me right back on in the back row.  Said thank you for not making an issue.  So - count I got all 3 characters, 3x on SDD, 2x on ***, 1x on TSMM and walked out at 8:55 meeting the RD crowd.  Walked on ST before eating.  Breakfast was good but nothing special.


The *** is Alien Swirling Saucers - sorry didn't think about the acronym LOL


----------



## kabbie

Once EMM is booked, does it show up on MDE?  Can you modify reservations online (if you want to switch days) or do you have to call?
Thanks in advance!


----------



## czmom

kabbie said:


> Once EMM is booked, does it show up on MDE?  Can you modify reservations online (if you want to switch days) or do you have to call?
> Thanks in advance!



Mine shows on MDE. I don’t know about modifying online.


----------



## sapphirerose915

kabbie said:


> Once EMM is booked, does it show up on MDE?  Can you modify reservations online (if you want to switch days) or do you have to call?
> Thanks in advance!



you can only cancel thru MDE, to modify you would need to call!


----------



## M SH

TinkSassy said:


> The *** is Alien Swirling Saucers - sorry didn't think about the acronym LOL



that's a common acronym misuse on this thread 
I just use AS2


----------



## GADisneyDad14

We’d prefer folks use AS2.


----------



## ColoradoMom12

I have been wondering for months why everyone uses AS2 as the acronym. I kept wondering if it was an abbreviation for 2.0 like maybe this was an improved version of a ride I never even knew had once existed.


----------



## chris benton

sapphirerose915 said:


> So... I know the green army men aren't out during EMM.. but has anyone seen them there shortly after?? Like I'm thinking after breakfast and the RD crowd has calmed down??? Wasnt sure if they had specific times.. I'd love to be able to catch them while we were there!!



Not their full "show" but on 11/5 during emm, a few of them were parading around with drums.
However, I've long stated that I wish they had showtimes during the day. They are a riot.


----------



## sapphirerose915

chris benton said:


> Not their full "show" but on 11/5 during emm, a few of them were parading around with drums.
> However, I've long stated that I wish they had showtimes during the day. They are a riot.



awesome!! thank you!


----------



## GADisneyDad14

FWIW, the 7am booking slot on 1/2, 1/30, and maybe some other dates people were watching are now bookable.


----------



## Snowbird67

Thx for the update. Was holding on the Jan 30 date and then the 7:30 slot was gone. Booked the 7am now.


----------



## WhitneyMB

Do we have any idea if it doubles the number of people in attendance when Disney adds a 7:00am timeslot to a date? I haven’t seen any hard numbers on how many tickets they have been selling overall, or if the additional time slot adds 25% or 50% more?

We’re going in March and have two possible dates we could do EMM on. Obviously we’d prefer to be there with fewer people!

Thanks for all the reviews and info!


----------



## Snowbird67

It has to increase the numbers I would think but I am also curious if someone had some evidence of numbers


----------



## MKTokyo

We did Toy Story EMM on 11/12. We walked over from BCV & arrived just about 7 AM on the nose. There were two timeslots that morning but it really didn’t feel overly crowded. We got some drinks & lined up to go in about 10 minutes after arriving. Most people went directly for SDD  We went to AS2 first, rode twice, then did five rides on Slinky & walked over to TSM just as the event was ending. It was too early & too muggy; we were not interested in the food. So, that’s a total of...

AS2 - 2x
SDD - 5x
TSM - 1x

Did not meet any characters 

I liked this event very much & would do it again. It was fun and saved a lot of time.


----------



## Snowbird67

Thx for the reply. I’m planning on staying at Port Orleans and was wandering if a bus would get us there on time ?


----------



## Snowbird67

Did u enjoy Slinky MKTokyo?


----------



## GADisneyDad14

WhitneyMB said:


> Do we have any idea if it doubles the number of people in attendance when Disney adds a 7:00am timeslot to a date? I haven’t seen any hard numbers on how many tickets they have been selling overall, or if the additional time slot adds 25% or 50% more?
> 
> We’re going in March and have two possible dates we could do EMM on. Obviously we’d prefer to be there with fewer people!
> 
> Thanks for all the reviews and info!





Snowbird67 said:


> It has to increase the numbers I would think but I am also curious if someone had some evidence of numbers



At the rate things are going, I think it’s safe to say that all dates (except for the first two) have or will have the dual time slots for all/most dates.

There are anomalies - like the 11/5 date that was added at the last minute 2 weeks out - but other than that the trend is pretty much all dual time slots.

No one has a good guest # at this point.  The Commissary holds 600 people (per the plaque on the wall by the entrance) My guess is EMM is every bit of that, and probably more.


----------



## WishUponAStarryNight

Snowbird67 said:


> Thx for the reply. I’m planning on staying at Port Orleans and was wandering if a bus would get us there on time ?


We stayed at Port Orleans French Quarter and took the bus.  According to the app, the first bus to HS was at 5:51 am.  We got on the third bus at 6:32 am.  DS and I were the only riders.  We arrived in plenty of time.


----------



## Snowbird67

That’s some good info to make us feel better. Thank u. Did your bus drive thru Riverside at that time?


----------



## 209Disney

I tried to buy my tickets yesterday for 1/28 and was bummed to see it sold out! I have been checking all day and see the 7am time slot was added, hoping it will be available soon for us to book!!


----------



## Mom2twinboys

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Don’t fret, it’s usually a staggered window between when the 7am time slot gets added and it actually shows up as available/bookable.  I’d take that as a good sign it’s about to be added.
> 
> This thing has a big guest count, so generally speaking will not sell out ‘right away.’



Thank you for this information! I got my tickets today!


----------



## King Dominic

TinkSassy said:


> The *** is Alien Swirling Saucers - sorry didn't think about the acronym LOL



I was scolded for using that same abbreviation, LOL. I mean, that is the abbreviation...


----------



## bigeyedfish

We are officially booked for DHS EMM on 1/28!  They opened up the 7:00 am slot this morning.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Many thanks to @MKTokyo, @suzymouse724, and @disneyworldsk for their recent reviews.   Post #3 reviews links have been updated.  

Thanks again to everyone for sharing their DHS EMM experiences.


----------



## Maine Disney First Timer

bigeyedfish said:


> We are officially booked for DHS EMM on 1/28!  They opened up the 7:00 am slot this morning.


They just opened up 7am for my date too -- 2/04. I have the 7:30 slot already


----------



## Maine Disney First Timer

https://wdwprepschool.com/disney-wo...al-events/early-morning-magic-toy-story-land/


----------



## Lisa F

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Many thanks to @MKTokyo, @suzymouse724, and @disneyworldsk for their recent reviews.   Post #3 reviews links have been updated.
> 
> Thanks again to everyone for sharing their DHS EMM experiences.


thank you for keeping everything so organized.  These threads have been completely invaluable for people booking these events and keeping all of the links so organized and the info on the first few pages really helps wade through the tremendous amount of information!


----------



## bebec22

I was waiting and debating on booking this for 2/20 and then when I finally decided to book, it was sold out.  2 days later they added the 7am time slot so I am now booked.


----------



## ddog171

A little bit of strategizing here:  Attending the EMM on 12/03.  Do you think it is possible to do the following after EMM: 

1.  Meet Mickey/Minnie
2.  Tower of Terror
3.  Eat breakfast at ABC Commissary (30-45 minutes)
4.  Catch the 11am show of Beauty and the Beast (would need to be there by about 1040-1045 I am guessing)

Doable? How would you approach?  DO you think you could get TOT and Mickey done before breakfast was over with (Hoping this is the case). Which one would you do first?

Thanks!


----------



## czmom

ddog171 said:


> A little bit of strategizing here:  Attending the EMM on 12/03.  Do you think it is possible to do the following after EMM:
> 
> 1.  Meet Mickey/Minnie
> 2.  Tower of Terror
> 3.  Eat breakfast at ABC Commissary (30-45 minutes)
> 4.  Catch the 11am show of Beauty and the Beast (would need to be there by about 1040-1045 I am guessing)
> 
> Doable? How would you approach?  DO you think you could get TOT and Mickey done before breakfast was over with (Hoping this is the case). Which one would you do first?
> 
> Thanks!



I’m hoping to do something similar on 1/2. Only difference is RNRC instead of meeting Mickey.


----------



## tracee22

We went to EMM on 11/7 – I found others’ reviews so helpful and wanted to make sure to share our experience.  I tried to take pictures to give timing of things – I am usually not this detailed person but again, thought if it helped anyone, it’d be worth it.

I had read about transportation issues so I had a backup plan as we headed to the bus at POP.  We got there about 6:50 (had checked the app).  It turned out that was the first bus of the day at POP – the people at the front of the line had been there since 6am and had seen the app showing arrival times for buses that never arrived. They were extremely frustrated.  I imagine some of those folks saw a reservation time of 7:00am and thought that actually meant something so being late for it was disastrous.  Either way, there has to be better attention paid to transportation if they are going to tell you its available.

We were the last people on the first bus which left POP at 7:01, arriving at HS at 7:09.  We scanned and were walking towards the theater at 7:20.

We headed right for TSL.  Got our picture taken at 7:26 and then headed to TSMM.  That was always my plan but SDD was not running any people at the time anyway. 

We entered that line at 7:28 and rode that one twice without getting off.  Note – I let the 10 year old win on the second round and felt like Mother Teresa.  We finished that second ride at 7:43 (took a picture of the scores for him).  After a couple minutes of walking to the exit, we headed over to AS2. 

We were on AS2 at 7:53 – we had just missed a round and had to wait for the next one.  Rode that one once. 

We entered the line for SDD at 7:56 for the first time and rode it 5 times.  Photopass times show 8:09, 8:24, 8:35, 8:43, 8:51 so you can see the line shrinking each time. 

The land certainly filled up quickly and we headed over the RNR and Tower for quick rides before breakfast.  Photopass shows RNR at 9:15 and Tower at 9:29 (skipped the pre-show in both of them). 

We headed over to breakfast then and we were pleasantly surprised at the food.  We had actually done EMM at MK on a couple days earlier and my crew thoroughly enjoyed that food.  I had warned them that HS might be quite different.  We made great use of the kids scrambled eggs.  I LOVED the chicken and donut. Also, the readily available soda was awesome. 

Overall, we enjoyed this morning a lot and would absolutely do it again. FWIW, My crew loved both events but would pick HS over MK because of the ride combination.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

tracee22 said:


> Note – I let the 10 year old win on the second round and felt like Mother Teresa.



I do that too with mine... it's so hard isn't it!?!?!?   

Thanks for much the report - awesome detail.  Thanks for sharing.


----------



## WishUponAStarryNight

Snowbird67 said:


> That’s some good info to make us feel better. Thank u. Did your bus drive thru Riverside at that time?


Nope, POFQ only.  I found that the app will show the arrival time and then once that time passes, will show "every 20 minutes" until 5-8 minutes before the next bus.  I wouldn't worry if you see a time and then it disappears - a new one should pop up shortly.


----------



## TinkSassy

ddog171 said:


> A little bit of strategizing here:  Attending the EMM on 12/03.  Do you think it is possible to do the following after EMM:
> 
> 1.  Meet Mickey/Minnie
> 2.  Tower of Terror
> 3.  Eat breakfast at ABC Commissary (30-45 minutes)
> 4.  Catch the 11am show of Beauty and the Beast (would need to be there by about 1040-1045 I am guessing)
> 
> Doable? How would you approach?  DO you think you could get TOT and Mickey done before breakfast was over with (Hoping this is the case). Which one would you do first?
> 
> Thanks!



Earlier this month (11/7) Meet Mickey/Minnie was posted at 20 minutes when I left EMM at 9am (I did not go in so this may have been overstated).  ST was a walk on and I heard that ToT was too.   I would go to ToT about 5 minutes before 9am walk on there, have a FP for M/M at 9:30am, go back to ABC Commissary for breakfast, then Meet Mickey and Minnie and back to Beauty and the Beast (15 minutes is fine is a slower time you might need 30 if it is a holiday week to get seating).


----------



## WhitneyMB

tracee22 said:


> The land certainly filled up quickly and we headed over the RNR and Tower for quick rides before breakfast. Photopass shows RNR at 9:15 and Tower at 9:29



This is what we're considering doing. It looks like on 11/7 the parks were only a "4" in crowds overall and a "3" at HS (according to Touring Plans). When we are going the end of March it should be more like a 7-8 due to Spring Break, and the plans are saying that using the same strategy will result in us getting over to the ABC Commissary at about 9:50/55. We're not sure we want to plan it quite that tight. Hmmm.

All the reviews are very helpful! Thank you!


----------



## Iowamomof4

WhitneyMB said:


> This is what we're considering doing. It looks like on 11/7 the parks were only a "4" in crowds overall and a "3" at HS (according to Touring Plans). When we are going the end of March it should be more like a 7-8 due to Spring Break, and the plans are saying that using the same strategy will result in us getting over to the ABC Commissary at about 9:50/55. We're not sure we want to plan it quite that tight. Hmmm.
> 
> All the reviews are very helpful! Thank you!



Maybe you'll need to just keep an eye on the time and pick your favorite ride first (TOT or RNRC) and be prepared to abandon the second ride if the first takes too long or the line on ride 2 is too long when you are ready to enter.


----------



## RachaelA

WhitneyMB said:


> This is what we're considering doing. It looks like on 11/7 the parks were only a "4" in crowds overall and a "3" at HS (according to Touring Plans). When we are going the end of March it should be more like a 7-8 due to Spring Break, and the plans are saying that using the same strategy will result in us getting over to the ABC Commissary at about 9:50/55. We're not sure we want to plan it quite that tight. Hmmm.
> 
> All the reviews are very helpful! Thank you!


They were still serving food at ABC (had condensed the drinks and pastries down to one table) at 10:15 on 10/31 when we did our EMM.


----------



## DisneyDogFan

Just moved our 1/30 reservation to the 7:00 group. I know it probably doesn’t matter but it feels better.

Any recent reports on the character lines?  My goal is SDDx3, AS2x2, and TSMx2 plus both meets but I feel that might be kind of ambitious, particularly since we want to rope drop RNR before eating breakfast.


----------



## ninafeliz

DisneyDogFan said:


> Just moved our 1/30 reservation to the 7:00 group. I know it probably doesn’t matter but it feels better.
> 
> Any recent reports on the character lines?  My goal is SDDx3, AS2x2, and TSMx2 plus both meets but I feel that might be kind of ambitious, particularly since we want to rope drop RNR before eating breakfast.



We did SDD x 4, AS2 x 2, TSMM x 2, and Buzz and Jessie.  I guess we could have skipped the last SDD and gotten in line for Buzz and accomplished what you want, except it would have depended on the Buzz line if you could still do RNRC before breakfast or not.  I think you probably could.


----------



## kittylady1972

Thanks for all of the updates here.  We have a group doing EMM at HS next week (Thanksgiving Week) because I have a 4yo and 6yo who I think will love Toy Story Land rides and the characters.  I'm not sure I like spending so much money for them to eat there, but I guess like the character meals we aren't really paying for the food.  I am curious as to how good the food is there, as it seems to get mixed reactions.  We have until this weekend to cancel.


----------



## WhitneyMB

kittylady1972 said:


> Thanks for all of the updates here.  We have a group doing EMM at HS next week (Thanksgiving Week) because I have a 4yo and 6yo who I think will love Toy Story Land rides and the characters.  I'm not sure I like spending so much money for them to eat there, but I guess like the character meals we aren't really paying for the food.  I am curious as to how good the food is there, as it seems to get mixed reactions.  We have until this weekend to cancel.



I can’t answer your question about the quality of the food, but I will say that—like many others I’ve seen mention this—I consider each FastPass worth about $10-15 depending on the time of year. If my family gets 5-8 rides/charectar interactions during EMM with a short wait, we’ll consider that good value. We see the food as simply a bonus.


----------



## kabbie

I agree - I have EMM booked for the peace & mind of not having to rope drop Toy Story Land and not having to worry about booking fastpasses.  
Truth, I may not even eat the included breakfast since I'm looking forward to trying Woody's Lunch Box offerings.


----------



## lookin4goofy

My family of six attended on Nov 14.  We were waiting and ready to enter before the rides opened.  We were only able to ride five rides before regular park opening. No character meets. We went right from ride to ride with no breaks. First we rode TSM to let the crowds get through SDD.  That wait took 8 minutes.   Then we went to SDD. The posted wait was 30 minutes. The CM told us we were very lucky to wait only 30 minutes. The actual wait was 22 minutes. Then we rode AS2 once, SDD again and TSM again.  The rope drop crowd was in the area when we got out. I thought this was a pitiful amount to accomplish at a high priced event.  But my family was happy and actually didn’t care to ride more so it worked out okay.


----------



## Iowamomof4

lookin4goofy said:


> My family of six attended on Nov 14.  We were waiting and ready to enter before the rides opened.  We were only able to ride five rides before regular park opening. No character meets. We went right from ride to ride with no breaks. First we rode TSM to let the crowds get through SDD.  That wait took 8 minutes.   Then we went to SDD. The posted wait was 30 minutes. *The CM told us we were very lucky to wait only 30 minutes. *The actual wait was 22 minutes. Then we rode AS2 once, SDD again and TSM again.  The rope drop crowd was in the area when we got out. I thought this was a pitiful amount to accomplish at a high priced event.  But my family was happy and actually didn’t care to ride more so it worked out okay.



Umm.... you PAID to wait way less than that! Sigh.


----------



## kniquy

lookin4goofy said:


> The CM told us we were very lucky to wait only 30 minutes. The actual wait was 22 minutes.


 Yikes! That is one of the longest waits I have seen reported.  I hope that this is not the trend of the party.


----------



## mwheatley

kniquy said:


> Yikes! That is one of the longest waits I have seen reported.  I hope that this is not the trend of the party.



Bummer. I’ll be there in December but with a child that’s too short for SDD (and no apparent rider switch opportunity) we will be lucky to get two SDD rides for everyone else in the family...


----------



## ColoradoMom12

kniquy said:


> Yikes! That is one of the longest waits I have seen reported.  I hope that this is not the trend of the party.


I agree! We are going on Monday, and now I’m feeling a little nervous. This is the first report I’ve read of a line with a wait that long.


----------



## kniquy

ColoradoMom12 said:


> I agree! We are going on Monday, and now I’m feeling a little nervous. This is the first report I’ve read of a line with a wait that long.


  My husband just talked to someone who was just at WDW. They waited 2 hours to ride slinky dog just once, so i guess if we get to ride a couple of times and get to take in the land without the masses of people the event will be worth it.


----------



## DisneyDogFan

ninafeliz said:


> We did SDD x 4, AS2 x 2, TSMM x 2, and Buzz and Jessie.  I guess we could have skipped the last SDD and gotten in line for Buzz and accomplished what you want, except it would have depended on the Buzz line if you could still do RNRC before breakfast or not.  I think you probably could.



This is encouraging!



lookin4goofy said:


> My family of six attended on Nov 14.  We were waiting and ready to enter before the rides opened.  We were only able to ride five rides before regular park opening. No character meets. We went right from ride to ride with no breaks. First we rode TSM to let the crowds get through SDD.  That wait took 8 minutes.   Then we went to SDD. The posted wait was 30 minutes. The CM told us we were very lucky to wait only 30 minutes. The actual wait was 22 minutes. Then we rode AS2 once, SDD again and TSM again.  The rope drop crowd was in the area when we got out. I thought this was a pitiful amount to accomplish at a high priced event.  But my family was happy and actually didn’t care to ride more so it worked out okay.



And this is not so encouraging!  I’m not sure that we can actually ride much more than you did (too much spinning makes both of us a bit green) but at the price point, it seems you should be able to do all of the activities, including characters, and not stand in 20 min plus lines.   I’m 98% sure we will keep our tickets since it makes planning so much easier but I hope your report isn’t a trend. I’m happy your family was happy!


----------



## Dbktmc

lookin4goofy said:


> My family of six attended on Nov 14.  We were waiting and ready to enter before the rides opened.  We were only able to ride five rides before regular park opening. No character meets. We went right from ride to ride with no breaks. First we rode TSM to let the crowds get through SDD.  That wait took 8 minutes.   Then we went to SDD. The posted wait was 30 minutes. The CM told us we were very lucky to wait only 30 minutes. The actual wait was 22 minutes. Then we rode AS2 once, SDD again and TSM again.  The rope drop crowd was in the area when we got out. I thought this was a pitiful amount to accomplish at a high priced event.  But my family was happy and actually didn’t care to ride more so it worked out okay.



Wow.  This is a little concerning.  If there are other days like this then we will not book as planned for our June date.  I know that a 30 minute wait would be great on a normal day.  But this is a paid event that isn't cheap.  I'm hoping that other dates aren't like this but I'll keep watching the reports.


----------



## WhitneyMB

lookin4goofy said:


> My family of six attended on Nov 14.  We were waiting and ready to enter before the rides opened.  We were only able to ride five rides before regular park opening. No character meets. We went right from ride to ride with no breaks. First we rode TSM to let the crowds get through SDD.  That wait took 8 minutes.   Then we went to SDD. The posted wait was 30 minutes. The CM told us we were very lucky to wait only 30 minutes. The actual wait was 22 minutes. Then we rode AS2 once, SDD again and TSM again.  The rope drop crowd was in the area when we got out. I thought this was a pitiful amount to accomplish at a high priced event.  But my family was happy and actually didn’t care to ride more so it worked out okay.



Yikes. That's pretty long. Was there any indication that there was a breakdown at some point? The only other reviews I recall that were this long was when it opened late or one of the coasters (or the three) was out of commission. As others have said, I hope that isn't a trend!

I'm glad you're family was satisfied and had a good day. We expect to have to wait a little, but might be disappointed with that long a wait.


----------



## KSellers88

My mom and I attended EMM on 11/5. The main reason we purchased this option was because my mom had a broken foot during our trip and we were afraid of getting trampled during EMH and could not get a SDD fastpass. We drove ourselves to HS as we were driving home from the park and arrived around 6:45AM. We were given wristbands at 6:51 and were able to scan our Magic Bands at 7:05. We arrived at TSL and were on SDD by 7:15. They did not make us go to breakfast first and actually walked us straight back into TSL from the Theater. We rode SDD back to back with no wait other than walking through the line, and were on the ride when it broke down during our third ride. Fortunately they got it working again for us to finish that ride and go one more time, for a total of 4 rides before it broke down permanently.

At that point, we moved on to AS2, which we rode three times back to back with a very short wait after walking through the line. We then moved on to TSM and rode a total of five times back to back with the exception of walking through the queue. They did not let use walk through the FP queue which slowed us down some, especially with my mom's walking boot. They actually let us stay on the ride without getting off between the 4th and 5th ride, which was great.

We were offered two anytime fastpasses to use due to SDD being down, but it is a little frustrating to hear others got refunds and we were not offered that option, especially considering we didn't even eat. LOL. I've emailed Disney to see if even a partial refund is an option, but since we still got to ride everything I will be okay if we don't get anything. In total, we rode SDD 6 times that day, TSM 5 times, and AS2 3 times. I've included some picture comparisons of the park during EMM and around 1:00 that same day. As well as the herd of people coming into TSL as we were exiting at 9:00. Overall, I do think it was worth it!


----------



## GADisneyDad14

OMG, that last pic.


----------



## peeperino

That last picture is bananas. How do you even get past that crush of people to get out of TSL when the event is over?


----------



## GADisneyDad14

peeperino said:


> That last picture is bananas. How do you even get past that crush of people to get out of TSL when the event is over?



On our morning, we were near Woodie/Jessie when it passed.  Pics make it look more unmanageable than it really is.  They start shifting the mob to the left past this point and it passes pretty quickly.  Just stop, behold the spectacle, take pics, then move on.


----------



## KSellers88

peeperino said:


> That last picture is bananas. How do you even get past that crush of people to get out of TSL when the event is over?



You don't. LOL. You stand super close to the railing and wait for them all to pass.


----------



## Runnsally

KSellers88 said:


> My mom and I attended EMM on 11/5. The main reason we purchased this option was because my mom had a broken foot during our trip and we were afraid of getting trampled during EMH and could not get a SDD fastpass. We drove ourselves to HS as we were driving home from the park and arrived around 6:45AM. We were given wristbands at 6:51 and were able to scan our Magic Bands at 7:05. We arrived at TSL and were on SDD by 7:15. They did not make us go to breakfast first and actually walked us straight back into TSL from the Theater. We rode SDD back to back with no wait other than walking through the line, and were on the ride when it broke down during our third ride. Fortunately they got it working again for us to finish that ride and go one more time, for a total of 4 rides before it broke down permanently.
> 
> At that point, we moved on to AS2, which we rode three times back to back with a very short wait after walking through the line. We then moved on to TSM and rode a total of five times back to back with the exception of walking through the queue. They did not let use walk through the FP queue which slowed us down some, especially with my mom's walking boot. They actually let us stay on the ride without getting off between the 4th and 5th ride, which was great.
> 
> We were offered two anytime fastpasses to use due to SDD being down, but it is a little frustrating to hear others got refunds and we were not offered that option, especially considering we didn't even eat. LOL. I've emailed Disney to see if even a partial refund is an option, but since we still got to ride everything I will be okay if we don't get anything. In total, we rode SDD 6 times that day, TSM 5 times, and AS2 3 times. I've included some picture comparisons of the park during EMM and around 1:00 that same day. As well as the herd of people coming into TSL as we were exiting at 9:00. Overall, I do think it was worth it!
> 
> View attachment 365618
> View attachment 365619


I was at this EMM as well.  Still deliberating with Guest Services regarding a refund.   With SDD down for basically the entire event, lines were longer for everything else..


----------



## KSellers88

Runnsally said:


> I was at this EMM as well.  Still deliberating with Guest Services regarding a refund.   With SDD down for basically the entire event, lines were longer for everything else..



Did you email them? I just did this morning, but I am not expecting results. Worth a shot though!


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## mackeymouse4eva

Looking at those great photos of the Rope drop crowd entering TSL, what would be the best strategy for making our way to ToT & RnRC? We will be attending this coming Wednesday, and are doing a whirlwind 4 park tour that day (making the most out of our old non-expiring Park Hoppers). TSL is the primary focus, but would love to attempt ToT & RnRC before breakfast. How early would they allow the early entry people to mosey to other areas of the park? Should we start walking around 845? If we get to ToT by 850ish, are chances decent to knock both out by 930ish? I was thinking ToT 1st because my mom finds RnRC too jarring,  so I figured we could all ride ToT together, then she can take her time walking to ABC while my son&I ride RnRc. Or do you think lines would not make this worth it, and should just we B-line to Star Tours, and do ABC (not attempt ToT & RnRC)?  

I DO understand that each day is different,  and success will vary,  but trying to get a better plan in place. 
Seeing the picture made me realize that I need to prepare for the logistics a bit better!

After this,we are hopping to Epcot. Is there only the boat, or do they have busses (that early)? We were there last month and the walk in from HS busses seemed forever!


Thanks for your great postings on this thread.....they have been so helpful!!!!!


----------



## Babs1975

So a lot of questions lately about how to get out or when to get out of TSL before the crush of ropedrop people head in...we are in the same boat. Wondering how and when to leave to get to RNRC and TOT. My plan was to be out of TSL by 8:45. Or earlier? I want ro be out before the crowd comes in. Will CM's stop us somewhere? Where will we get held up? Would like to be at least with the ropedrop crowd getting to that area, not behind them. Anyone have recent experience with this?


----------



## NotTheBatesMotel

mackeymouse4eva said:


> Looking at those great photos of the Rope drop crowd entering TSL, what would be the best strategy for making our way to ToT & RnRC? We will be attending this coming Wednesday, and are doing a whirlwind 4 park tour that day (making the most out of our old non-expiring Park Hoppers). TSL is the primary focus, but would love to attempt ToT & RnRC before breakfast. How early would they allow the early entry people to mosey to other areas of the park? Should we start walking around 845? If we get to ToT by 850ish, are chances decent to knock both out by 930ish? I was thinking ToT 1st because my mom finds RnRC too jarring,  so I figured we could all ride ToT together, then she can take her time walking to ABC while my son&I ride RnRc. Or do you think lines would not make this worth it, and should just we B-line to Star Tours, and do ABC (not attempt ToT & RnRC)?
> 
> I DO understand that each day is different,  and success will vary,  but trying to get a better plan in place.
> Seeing the picture made me realize that I need to prepare for the logistics a bit better!
> 
> After this,we are hopping to Epcot. Is there only the boat, or do they have busses (that early)? We were there last month and the walk in from HS busses seemed forever!
> 
> 
> Thanks for your great postings on this thread.....they have been so helpful!!!!!


I’m not sure if our experience will help with most of your questions, but we had a similar plan (hop to EPCOT after the HS event) so I thought I’d share. For us, we: exited TSM and saw the crowds rushing in. Decided to go on TSM again to avoid the crush of people (since most rushed towards SDD). They let us go through the TSM FP line. Exited, walked over to ABC and spent 25 min or so on breakfast. Started walking towards the exit (leisurely pace) and decided to check ToT line. Waited approximately 5 min for ToT, rode it, exited and were on a boat by 10:15.


----------



## mackeymouse4eva

NotTheBatesMotel said:


> I’m not sure if our experience will help with most of your questions, but we had a similar plan (hop to EPCOT after the HS event) so I thought I’d share. For us, we: exited TSM and saw the crowds rushing in. Decided to go on TSM again to avoid the crush of people (since most rushed towards SDD). They let us go through the TSM FP line. Exited, walked over to ABC and spent 25 min or so on breakfast. Started walking towards the exit (leisurely pace) and decided to check ToT line. Waited approximately 5 min for ToT, rode it, exited and were on a boat by 10:15.


This is very helpful....thank you for sharing your experience!


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## bigeyedfish

Ha!  I see you all have the same plan for RnRC and ToT after leaving EMM!  I might need to rethink my plan


----------



## MNDisneyMommy

We attended on Wednesday 11/14 - party of 7 (me & my husband and our two kids 7yr & 4yr, and my brother and SIL and their 1 yr baby).

I had read mixed reviews on transportation, but since we needed so many carseats we just rolled the dice on the bus.  We were in luck - one arrived around 6:30 at the Contemporary.  My group and a couple got on the bus.  It went directly there - we walked up to the gates, got our wristbands, went through security and ticketing, and since we were inside a little after 7 (and saw some people being held by the theater) we went in to the Commissary to grab some food.

First food visit: No lines for hot food, so grabbed the kids some eggs and the charcuterie and avocado toast for hubby and I to share.  We really liked the avocado toast and kiddos ate their eggs.  Baby had cereal and fruit and we took some things to go for the baby.  They had hot food plates all ready so it was just place your order and you were immediately handed the food and you were on your way.

We walked over to the theater around 7:15 and they let people in right at 7:20.  We heard through the crowd (not sure if true or not) that SDD wasn't running yet, but it didn't matter since based on reports we were going to do EVERYTHING else first.   There was a pretty decent line of people waiting for SDD when we walked by - they were under umbrellas lined up outside the queue.  

Also, the baby turned out to be terrified of characters, so we got to skip those lines - WHEW.

We rode AS2 over and over until about 7:40.  My kiddos LOVED it.  We adults thought it was better than expected too!  Our enjoyment was definitely increased by how much my kiddos loved it - arms in the air, lots of giggling & yelling.  We didn't have to get off the ride at all, so that helped too.   I lost count, but we had to have ridden it at least 6-8 times.  I kept glancing over at the SDD queue signs and it was long, posted 25 minutes wait.

We headed over to TSMM, which was a walk-on.  Rode it once through, and walked over to SDD.  

Arrived at SDD around 8:00.  Posted was 20.  Rode at 8:16.  Did a swap (BTW - if you will have a non-rider - there is a decent sized seating/viewing area right up by the queue entrance to make swapping easier!  We wasted a few minutes getting my SIL and the baby up near the entrances so we could swap).  Rode again at 8:34 - that was probably a 10 minute wait while we did all the organizing of the next group.  We did another swap - I rode AS2 again (no wait) with my son, and my husband and brother and daughter rode SDD again and that time said it was nearly a walk on.  

After that we left the land around 8:50, just as the rope drop crowd was coming in.  I just need to make another comment about the MASS OF HUMANITY coming towards us.  The line stretched on and on and on (the cast members kept yelling Slinky line to the right!) and people were so unhappy - lots of comments about rude people and people running and "you just ran right over me" and we were so happy to be leaving!!  The SDD line was all the way back to the stairs/ramp where you turn by the time we got up there.  It was nuts.

My SIL made a beeline for RNR and ended up riding it 4 times in a row so she was happy (single rider waits were extremely short)!  The rest of us went to Star Tours where we did two rides (baby swap) - the first ride was definitely a walk-on and the second waited maybe one loading cycle.  

After that we went back to the Commissary for second breakfast.  Got there around 9:35.  There were much longer lines for hot food, waited maybe 5 minutes?  But it seemed a lot more disorganized.  We ate - this time we had the shrimp and grits (yes, yummy!) and the chilaquilas (yummy too!).  My brother had the chicken and waffles and he was happy too.

Quick bathroom break and the three kids and I were skating into our Frozen FP at 10:14.  The rest of the crew was riding TOT and RNR on FP.  We met up for Muppets afterward, and then did SDD one more time on a FP.


Opinions on Value of Event:
We universally agreed the event was definitely "worth it".  It was our one extra for this trip, and it was the right one for us.  Our kids loved the rides (although SDD did not knock off 7DMT as their favorite) and being able to enjoy them a few times in a row was really great.  The food was a nice bonus - we were able to skip lunch that day since we had two breakfasts basically, and since we booked this event in place of a character buffet (H&V) the added cost wasn't too much.  And while we felt that way before we left the area, seeing that rope drop crowd definitely upped that feeling by a lot.  

Opinions on TSL:
The theming is really fantastic, and without the crowd you can see and enjoy all the little touches - the benches and light poles and signs and all the little things they put in there.  We thought AS2 was going to be super boring but we were pleasantly surprised with it.  SDD was a bit more intense than 7DMT so it ended up not being an issue that we couldn't ride it repeatedly for an hour.  


Oh, I know some folks were asking - yes, Buzz was wearing a Santa hat and Woody and Jesse had their christmas garb on.


----------



## sophie131

mackeymouse4eva said:


> Looking at those great photos of the Rope drop crowd entering TSL, what would be the best strategy for making our way to ToT & RnRC? We will be attending this coming Wednesday, and are doing a whirlwind 4 park tour that day (making the most out of our old non-expiring Park Hoppers). TSL is the primary focus, but would love to attempt ToT & RnRC before breakfast. How early would they allow the early entry people to mosey to other areas of the park? Should we start walking around 845? If we get to ToT by 850ish, are chances decent to knock both out by 930ish?



Also super interested in this, is the rest of the park open to movement of people from EMM or would you be held at a certain point? We have a similar plan of TOT and RnRC as soon as possible after we've ridden all in TSL before breakfast!


----------



## CarolynFH

sophie131 said:


> Also super interested in this, is the rest of the park open to movement of people from EMM or would you be held at a certain point? We have a similar plan of TOT and RnRC as soon as possible after we've ridden all in TSL before breakfast!



Yes, the rest of the park is open, and since the crowds head to TSL it’s a great time to hit Tower and RnR! Once you pass the crowd entering TSL there are no problems walking elsewhere in the park. DH and I did exactly that (although Tower wasn’t open yet so we rode RnR).


----------



## SaintsManiac

Just thought I would post here that I canceled this EMM on Thursday, 11/15 and received my refund today. Not a bad turnaround. I know this question comes up from time to time.


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## PrincessArlena'sDad

CarolynFH said:


> Yes, the rest of the park is open, and since the crowds head to TSL it’s a great time to hit Tower and RnR! Once you pass the crowd entering TSL there are no problems walking elsewhere in the park. DH and I did exactly that (although Tower wasn’t open yet so we rode RnR).


What time does Sunset Blvd open?


----------



## MagicalAdventures

Has anyone had any luck signing up for Jedi training academy before entering for EMM?

If you can’t do that what time does it open for sign ups? I’m looking for an idea of what time we should leave EMM to be at the start of the sign up queue.

Thanks


----------



## GADisneyDad14

MagicalAdventures said:


> Has anyone had any luck signing up for Jedi training academy before entering for EMM?
> 
> If you can’t do that what time does it open for sign ups? I’m looking for an idea of what time we should leave EMM to be at the start of the sign up queue.
> 
> Thanks



Not a ton of help, but I’ve been keeping track of people that report in on JTA at the bottom of this post:  https://www.disboards.com/threads/d...idays-in-nov-dec-added.3701980/#post-59644646

Unfortunately only two reports so far.


----------



## MagicalAdventures

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Not a ton of help, but I’ve been keeping track of people that report in on JTA at the bottom of this post:  https://www.disboards.com/threads/d...idays-in-nov-dec-added.3701980/#post-59644646
> 
> Unfortunately only two reports so far.



Thanks for doing this. It’s really helpful. It’s another three weeks till our trip so I’ll keep an eye out for any new reports


----------



## LMO429

MagicalAdventures said:


> Has anyone had any luck signing up for Jedi training academy before entering for EMM?
> 
> If you can’t do that what time does it open for sign ups? I’m looking for an idea of what time we should leave EMM to be at the start of the sign up queue.
> 
> Thanks




We went to HS and had zero issues getting a Jedi training and I did not sign up until 12pm. I think if you are going any time other than a Christmas week I do not foreseen u having any issues signing up after the emm at toy story land


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## chris benton

sophie131 said:


> Also super interested in this, is the rest of the park open to movement of people from EMM or would you be held at a certain point? We have a similar plan of TOT and RnRC as soon as possible after we've ridden all in TSL before breakfast!



On 11/5, we were held around the corner from the Rope Drop crowd, on the street that leads to TOT and RNR. We were somewhere close to the shops that are around the corner, a little less than halfway up the street.

The cm's holding us explained the procedure (for that day)
They were going to hold us until the rope drop crowd turned the corner, and then they would walk us to either TOT or RNR. We were definitely AHEAD of the RD crowd, and allowed to stay ahead. As we started walking, the cm's let everyone know who to follow for tot or rnr. We were on the 2nd train of rnr of the day, only because we wanted the front car. I'm not sure if we jumped back in line, but I think we went straight across to TOT after, and it was a 10 minute wait. I'm pretty sure we did TOT twice. Got to the Commissary 9:30 ish, never felt rushed at all. YMMV of course, depending on crowds, but I'd suggest to have a hard stop in TSL at 8:40 to get to RNR/TOT and be first in line for one of them. RNR is probably the better choice - seems to fill up fast.

Also - I gotta say - the shrimp and grits might turn out to be way better than you think. I was quite surprised. The avocado toast was decent, but the egg that came with it was cooked to death. The Chorizo / Chilaquiles thing was mostly filler - powdered eggs with tortilla strips.
The shrimp n grits, and chicken strips with donuts, were clear standouts for the entrees, imo. I'd get two of those for each person. I didn't try the charcuterie plate - doesn't interest me.


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

MagicalAdventures said:


> Has anyone had any luck signing up for Jedi training academy before entering for EMM?
> 
> If you can’t do that what time does it open for sign ups? I’m looking for an idea of what time we should leave EMM to be at the start of the sign up queue.
> 
> Thanks


Our plan is:
Leave TSL at 8:40, and head to RnRC and ToT
After ToT (which should be around 9:30), split up.  One adult head with teenage DD to order food at ABC.  Other adult take two Jedi aged DS to sign up for Jedi Academy, and then meet at ABC to eat.


----------



## Twilight Sparkle

I scrapped the idea of doing TSL EMM the morning after MVMCP and have rebooked for our departure day.  The problem is I don't have park tickets that day since we were planning on just doing DS before we leave.  Is it possible to add an extra day onto my tickets while I am at WDW, or will I need to buy full price single day tickets in order to attend EMM?  For those of you that have done this event on departure day, would you do it again or did you feel too rushed vacating the room, stowing stuff with bell services, checking out, etc while still trying to get to the park that early?


----------



## jennab

Twilight Sparkle said:


> I scrapped the idea of doing TSL EMM the morning after MVMCP and have rebooked for our departure day.  The problem is I don't have park tickets that day since we were planning on just doing DS before we leave.  Is it possible to add an extra day onto my tickets while I am at WDW, or will I need to buy full price single day tickets in order to attend EMM?  For those of you that have done this event on departure day, would you do it again or did you feel too rushed vacating the room, stowing stuff with bell services, checking out, etc while still trying to get to the park that early?



Yes it will be cheaper to just add a day on to the tickets you already have.  You should be able to do this after arrival.


----------



## Twilight Sparkle

jennab said:


> Yes it will be cheaper to just add a day on to the tickets you already have.  You should be able to do this after arrival.



Great!  Thank you so much!


----------



## disneyworldsk

Runnsally said:


> I was at this EMM as well.  Still deliberating with Guest Services regarding a refund.   With SDD down for basically the entire event, lines were longer for everything else..


11/5 . emailed gr and they replied with a full refund. we rode sdd once. then it was down the rest of the event. i have been to many special events and this is the first time i've ever requested anything like this. but i felt very strongly we did not receive the value of what we paid for. I didn't want two fp's and didn't even use them. i didn't pay for that. and i was angry someone received a refund on site and i did not. so i emailed and received a full refund as i said above in quick time reply.


----------



## Runnsally

disneyworldsk said:


> 11/5 . emailed gr and they replied with a full refund. we rode sdd once. then it was down the rest of the event. i have been to many special events and this is the first time i've ever requested anything like this. but i felt very strongly we did not receive the value of what we paid for. I didn't want two fp's and didn't even use them. i didn't pay for that. and i was angry someone received a refund on site and i did not. so i emailed and received a full refund as i said above in quick time reply.


So interesting.  In the park (albeit at Animal Kingdom), the guest relations manager (the initial cast member said there was nothing he could do) would only offer additional fastpasses.  I then called guest relations after returning home.  After much back and forth, they offered me a 50% refund.  I guess I’m either very annoying or not very persuasive or both!


----------



## RachaelA

MagicalAdventures said:


> Has anyone had any luck signing up for Jedi training academy before entering for EMM?
> 
> If you can’t do that what time does it open for sign ups? I’m looking for an idea of what time we should leave EMM to be at the start of the sign up queue.
> 
> Thanks


You can’t do it until after 8 and you’ll waste a ton of time going it.

3 weeks ago we walked up at 9:45 after EMM and  had plenty of JTA slots to chose from.


----------



## dachsie

Runnsally said:


> So interesting.  In the park (albeit at Animal Kingdom), the guest relations manager (the initial cast member said there was nothing he could do) would only offer additional fastpasses.  I then called guest relations after returning home.  After much back and forth, they offered me a 50% refund.  I guess I’m either very annoying or not very persuasive or both!


it doesn't seem fair when others did get a full refund, but I think that was a reasonable thing for them to do - they just should have applied it consistently


----------



## maiapapaya

Runnsally said:


> So interesting.  In the park (albeit at Animal Kingdom), the guest relations manager (the initial cast member said there was nothing he could do) would only offer additional fastpasses.  I then called guest relations after returning home.  After much back and forth, they offered me a 50% refund.  I guess I’m either very annoying or not very persuasive or both!


Maybe disneyworldsk could forward you their email and you could send it to customer relations and ask why did this person get a full refund and you only 50%. I can see the argument that you still got the other rides, character greets and meal, so a full refund might not be warranted, but if it's given to some it should be given to all.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Twilight Sparkle said:


> I scrapped the idea of doing TSL EMM the morning after MVMCP and have rebooked for our departure day.  The problem is I don't have park tickets that day since we were planning on just doing DS before we leave.  Is it possible to add an extra day onto my tickets while I am at WDW, or will I need to buy full price single day tickets in order to attend EMM?  *For those of you that have done this event on departure day, would you do it again or did you feel too rushed vacating the room, stowing stuff with bell services, checking out, etc while still trying to get to the park that early?*



We did it on our departure day (early October).  We were staying at YC, so didn't check-out before hand.  We did the event then went back to YC, final room check/packing up lose ends, then headed out.  We could have packed up/left our bags with bell services before hand and had more park time, but it was early enough as it was, last day, and we really just wanted to hit EMM and head out (1pm flight).

Obviously not ideal, but it was the only day we could squeeze it in.... so of course 'had' to.


----------



## Twilight Sparkle

GADisneyDad14 said:


> We did it on our departure day (early October).  We were staying at YC, so didn't check-out before hand.  We did the event then went back to YC, final room check/packing up lose ends, then headed out.  We could have packed up/left our bags with bell services before hand and had more park time, but it was early enough as it was, last day, and we really just wanted to hit EMM and head out (1pm flight).
> 
> Obviously not ideal, but it was the only day we could squeeze it in.... so of course 'had' to.



Thanks for sharing your experience with this.  We're staying at SSR this time, so not as close, unfortunately.  I might ask about a late check out.  It probably won't be granted, but I guess it doesn't hurt to ask.  We do want to have time at DS, so I don't see us staying in HS very long, but I'm not sure we can guarantee being back before 11:00 am since we're relying on the bus.  

I hear you on squeezing things in.  If I would have known about EMM before I bought the non-refundable MVMCP tickets, I would have done things differently.


----------



## Lisa F

Twilight Sparkle said:


> Thanks for sharing your experience with this.  We're staying at SSR this time, so not as close, unfortunately.  I might ask about a late check out.  It probably won't be granted, but I guess it doesn't hurt to ask.  We do want to have time at DS, so I don't see us staying in HS very long, but I'm not sure we can guarantee being back before 11:00 am since we're relying on the bus.
> 
> I hear you on squeezing things in.  If I would have known about EMM before I bought the non-refundable MVMCP tickets, I would have done things differently.


you could call and ask if they can move your MVMCP date.  Perhaps if you explain why they would do it.


----------



## ColoradoMom12

I’m curious if anyone else was at this event this morning. I will write a more detailed post once we’re home, but unfortunately I encountered the same as someone else had posted about recently— very long lines for SDD. We waited 20 minutes the first time (not entering first thing) and 18 the second. I will ask DD in the morning if we rode it a third time, but I think after that we did AS2 4 times. We were waiting outside when TSL opened, went straight to AS2 and then to the W&J meet & greet (a 12 minute wait). After that we got in the line for SDD.


----------



## maiapapaya

ColoradoMom12 said:


> I’m curious if anyone else was at this event this morning. I will write a more detailed post once we’re home, but unfortunately I encountered the same as someone else had posted about recently— very long lines for SDD. We waited 20 minutes the first time (not entering first thing) and 18 the second. I will ask DD in the morning if we rode it a third time, but I think after that we did AS2 4 times. We were waiting outside when TSL opened, went straight to AS2 and then to the W&J meet & greet (a 12 minute wait). After that we got in the line for SDD.


The event description on WDW's website says "Guests of all ages can be among the first to enter Disney’s Hollywood Studios for the day and ride popular Toy Story Land attractions with little wait time." Maybe Guest Relations needs to be defining "little wait time." Sorry your experience wasn't what you had expected.


----------



## Lisa F

ColoradoMom12 said:


> I’m curious if anyone else was at this event this morning. I will write a more detailed post once we’re home, but unfortunately I encountered the same as someone else had posted about recently— very long lines for SDD. We waited 20 minutes the first time (not entering first thing) and 18 the second. I will ask DD in the morning if we rode it a third time, but I think after that we did AS2 4 times. We were waiting outside when TSL opened, went straight to AS2 and then to the W&J meet & greet (a 12 minute wait). After that we got in the line for SDD.


I'm guessing this was a 2x sold out party.  I think they need to rethink how many people they let into this thing. I'm sorry your experience was disappointing.  You should not spend 38 minutes of a 1:15 event waiting to ride 2 rides.


----------



## ninafeliz

Twilight Sparkle said:


> I scrapped the idea of doing TSL EMM the morning after MVMCP and have rebooked for our departure day.  The problem is I don't have park tickets that day since we were planning on just doing DS before we leave.  Is it possible to add an extra day onto my tickets while I am at WDW, or will I need to buy full price single day tickets in order to attend EMM?  *For those of you that have done this event on departure day, would you do it again or did you feel too rushed vacating the room, stowing stuff with bell services, checking out, etc while still trying to get to the park that early?*



We did it on our checkout day, we had originally had an early afternoon flight and changed it to an evening one so we could do this event after it was announced.

We were staying at the BCV, so that helped.  I got up at 4:45 to shower and make sure all last minute packing was done. We called bell services at around 5:45 and took our bags down to RAC, and had no wait.  We left out carry ons with bell services.  Then we walked to DHS and were there at 6:30.  I had planned to be there a little later, but for once everything went smoothly in the AM so we were actually earlier than I had figured.  But that ended up working out great, since they let us onto Hollywood Blvd at 6:45 and to the ABC Commissary at 6:50.  After the event we did 3 FPs at DHS, then walked to Epcot for a little while, then back to the BCV for DME at 4:50.  We got to Pittsburgh around 10:30 and weren't home until 1 AM.

I feel it was worth it doing on check out day, if that's what works best in your schedule.   It was a fun last day, and much better than our usual just kind of hanging around and watching the clock to see how long until we had to leave.  I did have to get up inhumanly early, and I am not a morning person, but for this I was able to manage .  I didn't want to have to hustle back to leave the room and do RAC, so I chose to lose sleep and gain park/fun time instead of rushing back after the event.  Since we were walking distance I think we could have just managed and still done breakfast at 10, but I didn't want that added need to rush though the event and have to leave DHS right afterwards.  If you are staying away from the BW area it would be much harder to check out afterwards, and I personally wouldn't do it, I would just lose the sleep to do it super crazy early.


----------



## Nferk

Here is my review of EMM from 11/14 - sorry I'm a little late, wanted to wait until I was home and had some more time. This thread was insanely helpful in putting together my game plan and knowing what to expect so thanks to all!! In case you don't want to read all the details below, overall - I thought the event was really really great and worth the expense if you can swing it. I did not think it was overly crowded - although I was prepared in advance for a larger crowd due to reading some of the earlier posts. Below is a detailed timeline - I used the pictures on my phone to rebuild it.

6:30am - Picked up by Mears (reserved in advance, paid $14 for all 6 of us including 2 carseats). Totally worth it not to have to deal with stress of bus being late.
6:46am - Took pictures outside the front gate, got checked in, got bracelets, and through security in 8 minutes
6:54am - Pictures on Hollywood Blvd.
7:00am - ABC Commissary (everyone grabbed fruit, pastries, coffees, and a bathroom break)
7:15am - Joined the crowd waiting to be let into the land
7:20am - Was walked back into TSL.  While we were waiting, the Cast Members were yelling out that Andy was still playing with Slinky Dog and he was not ready yet.  This led to a little bit of yelling from some people misunderstanding and thinking that SDD was down.  I really think this was just their way of trying to get people not to go their first - but I'm not sure.  We decided to risk it and go wait there anyway.  They let people get in line and let people onto the ride right at 7:30am.  You could have rode the other rides right away (before 7:30).  The characters were not out yet when we walked by at 7:20am.
7:36am - Exited the line for SDD (so about 10-12 minutes from when we got to queue until we were off the ride).  I think going straight to SDD is the key to not waiting in the 20-25 minute waits that people were reporting.  Also, this only cut into 6 minutes of actual event time.
7:40am - Got in line for Jessie & Woody since people said early in the event would be the shortest lines.  This was definitely true - the line got longer and longer as the event went on.
7:50am - Met Jessie & Woody so only a 10 minute wait (they interact a lot so even though only a few families in front of us - it does go slow).
7:54am - Got in line for Buzz.
8:06am - He took a break right as we were the next people in line (bummer!) so we actually waited longer for him than we did for W&J.
8:10am - Got in line for TSMM - never stopped walking until we got onto the ride and they let us through the FP queue so it was nice and quick
8:20am - Walking out of exit for TSMM
8:26am - AS2 - walk on
8:30am - 1/2 of the group rode SDD again and the other 1/2 rode TSMM again - about a 15 minute wait for SDD
8:50am - Exited the land - we were about 30 seconds too late unfortunately and ran smack into the RD crowd.  It surprisingly wasn't hard to pass them as we stayed to the ride and they stayed to their right for the most part. Seeing the RD crowd is what made the rest of my family thank me for booking this event - I don't think you can believe it until you see it. Just so so soo many people that never seem to stop coming.  So thankful to have gotten to enjoy the land for the first time with zero crowd.
9:00am - Our group split up after this:  My DH and parents went to ride RnR and ToT and were done with both by 9:30 - zero waits for either of them.  I took the 2 kids over to get in the Jedi Training line. This was the one bummer as my DS wanted to ride ToT but the Jedi training line was so long, we wouldn't have had time to make it all the way up there. Took us a full 30 minutes to get through it but we somehow snagged the last spot for the 11:40am show - which I thought was really early considering how many people were in line before us. 
9:30am - We then split up again, 4 people rode Star Tours with a 10 minute posted wait and I took DD to Meet Olaf with a 10 minute wait. 
9:45am - ABC Commisary, zero line for the hot breakfast and it was starting to empty out in there. We tried just about everything and some people got 2 entrees and we asked for fountain beverages. They still were serving food shortly after 10am and had the buffett lines opened.  Everyone was really happy with their meals and we felt that we got 2 meals out of it since we had pastries and fruit earlier.  

Summary: SDD (2X), AS2 (1), TSMM (1), Met Jessie, Woody, and Buzz.  Our kids were 4 and 2 so I definitely think more rides would have been doable with older, faster moving kids. We also could have gotten one more ride in before leaving the land but were anxious to get a few things done before breakfast. Sorry for being long-winded - I hope it helps someone planning!


----------



## Twilight Sparkle

ninafeliz said:


> We did it on our checkout day, we had originally had an early afternoon flight and changed it to an evening one so we could do this event after it was announced.
> 
> We were staying at the BCV, so that helped.  I got up at 4:45 to shower and make sure all last minute packing was done. We called bell services at around 5:45 and took our bags down to RAC, and had no wait.  We left out carry ons with bell services.  Then we walked to DHS and were there at 6:30.  I had planned to be there a little later, but for once everything went smoothly in the AM so we were actually earlier than I had figured.  But that ended up working out great, since they let us onto Hollywood Blvd at 6:45 and to the ABC Commissary at 6:50.  After the event we did 3 FPs at DHS, then walked to Epcot for a little while, then back to the BCV for DME at 4:50.  We got to Pittsburgh around 10:30 and weren't home until 1 AM.
> 
> I feel it was worth it doing on check out day, if that's what works best in your schedule.   It was a fun last day, and much better than our usual just kind of hanging around and watching the clock to see how long until we had to leave.  I did have to get up inhumanly early, and I am not a morning person, but for this I was able to manage .  I didn't want to have to hustle back to leave the room and do RAC, so I chose to lose sleep and gain park/fun time instead of rushing back after the event.  Since we were walking distance I think we could have just managed and still done breakfast at 10, but I didn't want that added need to rush though the event and have to leave DHS right afterwards.  If you are staying away from the BW area it would be much harder to check out afterwards, and I personally wouldn't do it, I would just lose the sleep to do it super crazy early.



We're not morning people either, so thank you for sharing how this worked for you and your thoughts about doing it.  I think we also won't be home until 1am or a little later that night.  It will be a long day, but it sounds like it's worth it.


----------



## MattH

We attended on Monday October 29 and had a fantastic time.  As many others have detailed out, we did the cold breakfast bar as quick fuel before joining the handful of people waiting in front of the theater.  We were on the second train of the day for SDD, rode it a few times in a row with less than 10 minute complete ride cycle each time, then checked out AS2 a couple times, made our was to TSMM for four rides (twice with reloading from the platform since no one in queue), we then grab a few more rides on SDD and witnessed the wave of rd crowd as we creasted the hill (pretty cool site).  It was then time to relax for a bit having our hot breakfast.  The dining room was crazy busy but the lines to order food very short.  Overall we loved it.

Summary: SDD (7x), AS2 (2x), and TSMM (4x).  Did not stop to meet the characters.  We were on a mission to ride the rides!


----------



## ddog171

Nferk said:


> Here is my review of EMM from 11/14 - sorry I'm a little late, wanted to wait until I was home and had some more time. This thread was insanely helpful in putting together my game plan and knowing what to expect so thanks to all!! In case you don't want to read all the details below, overall - I thought the event was really really great and worth the expense if you can swing it. I did not think it was overly crowded - although I was prepared in advance for a larger crowd due to reading some of the earlier posts. Below is a detailed timeline - I used the pictures on my phone to rebuild it.
> 
> 6:30am - Picked up by Mears (reserved in advance, paid $14 for all 6 of us including 2 carseats). Totally worth it not to have to deal with stress of bus being late.
> 6:46am - Took pictures outside the front gate, got checked in, got bracelets, and through security in 8 minutes
> 6:54am - Pictures on Hollywood Blvd.
> 7:00am - ABC Commissary (everyone grabbed fruit, pastries, coffees, and a bathroom break)
> 7:15am - Joined the crowd waiting to be let into the land
> 7:20am - Was walked back into TSL.  While we were waiting, the Cast Members were yelling out that Andy was still playing with Slinky Dog and he was not ready yet.  This led to a little bit of yelling from some people misunderstanding and thinking that SDD was down.  I really think this was just their way of trying to get people not to go their first - but I'm not sure.  We decided to risk it and go wait there anyway.  They let people get in line and let people onto the ride right at 7:30am.  You could have rode the other rides right away (before 7:30).  The characters were not out yet when we walked by at 7:20am.
> 7:36am - Exited the line for SDD (so about 10-12 minutes from when we got to queue until we were off the ride).  I think going straight to SDD is the key to not waiting in the 20-25 minute waits that people were reporting.  Also, this only cut into 6 minutes of actual event time.
> 7:40am - Got in line for Jessie & Woody since people said early in the event would be the shortest lines.  This was definitely true - the line got longer and longer as the event went on.
> 7:50am - Met Jessie & Woody so only a 10 minute wait (they interact a lot so even though only a few families in front of us - it does go slow).
> 7:54am - Got in line for Buzz.
> 8:06am - He took a break right as we were the next people in line (bummer!) so we actually waited longer for him than we did for W&J.
> 8:10am - Got in line for TSMM - never stopped walking until we got onto the ride and they let us through the FP queue so it was nice and quick
> 8:20am - Walking out of exit for TSMM
> 8:26am - AS2 - walk on
> 8:30am - 1/2 of the group rode SDD again and the other 1/2 rode TSMM again - about a 15 minute wait for SDD
> 8:50am - Exited the land - we were about 30 seconds too late unfortunately and ran smack into the RD crowd.  It surprisingly wasn't hard to pass them as we stayed to the ride and they stayed to their right for the most part. Seeing the RD crowd is what made the rest of my family thank me for booking this event - I don't think you can believe it until you see it. Just so so soo many people that never seem to stop coming.  So thankful to have gotten to enjoy the land for the first time with zero crowd.
> 9:00am - Our group split up after this:  My DH and parents went to ride RnR and ToT and were done with both by 9:30 - zero waits for either of them.  I took the 2 kids over to get in the Jedi Training line. This was the one bummer as my DS wanted to ride ToT but the Jedi training line was so long, we wouldn't have had time to make it all the way up there. Took us a full 30 minutes to get through it but we somehow snagged the last spot for the 11:40am show - which I thought was really early considering how many people were in line before us.
> 9:30am - We then split up again, 4 people rode Star Tours with a 10 minute posted wait and I took DD to Meet Olaf with a 10 minute wait.
> 9:45am - ABC Commisary, zero line for the hot breakfast and it was starting to empty out in there. We tried just about everything and some people got 2 entrees and we asked for fountain beverages. They still were serving food shortly after 10am and had the buffett lines opened.  Everyone was really happy with their meals and we felt that we got 2 meals out of it since we had pastries and fruit earlier.
> 
> Summary: SDD (2X), AS2 (1), TSMM (1), Met Jessie, Woody, and Buzz.  Our kids were 4 and 2 so I definitely think more rides would have been doable with older, faster moving kids. We also could have gotten one more ride in before leaving the land but were anxious to get a few things done before breakfast. Sorry for being long-winded - I hope it helps someone planning!



Thank you for the review... quick question, how were the car seats with Mears taxi?  How far in advance did you book them?


----------



## Nferk

ddog171 said:


> Thank you for the review... quick question, how were the car seats with Mears taxi?  How far in advance did you book them?


Car seats were great! Very clean and were already installed and waiting for us when we got there. I got confirmation emails the day before and morning of so I was comfortable the driver was going to show up. The van itself too was spotless and the driver was very nice. We booked it about 2 weeks in advance. Got a small discount for booking online.


----------



## AdandO

Nferk said:


> Here is my review of EMM from 11/14 - sorry I'm a little late, wanted to wait until I was home and had some more time. This thread was insanely helpful in putting together my game plan and knowing what to expect so thanks to all!! In case you don't want to read all the details below, overall - I thought the event was really really great and worth the expense if you can swing it. I did not think it was overly crowded - although I was prepared in advance for a larger crowd due to reading some of the earlier posts. Below is a detailed timeline - I used the pictures on my phone to rebuild it.
> 
> 6:30am - Picked up by Mears (reserved in advance, paid $14 for all 6 of us including 2 carseats). Totally worth it not to have to deal with stress of bus being late.
> 6:46am - Took pictures outside the front gate, got checked in, got bracelets, and through security in 8 minutes
> 6:54am - Pictures on Hollywood Blvd.
> 7:00am - ABC Commissary (everyone grabbed fruit, pastries, coffees, and a bathroom break)
> 7:15am - Joined the crowd waiting to be let into the land
> 7:20am - Was walked back into TSL.  While we were waiting, the Cast Members were yelling out that Andy was still playing with Slinky Dog and he was not ready yet.  This led to a little bit of yelling from some people misunderstanding and thinking that SDD was down.  I really think this was just their way of trying to get people not to go their first - but I'm not sure.  We decided to risk it and go wait there anyway.  They let people get in line and let people onto the ride right at 7:30am.  You could have rode the other rides right away (before 7:30).  The characters were not out yet when we walked by at 7:20am.
> 7:36am - Exited the line for SDD (so about 10-12 minutes from when we got to queue until we were off the ride).  I think going straight to SDD is the key to not waiting in the 20-25 minute waits that people were reporting.  Also, this only cut into 6 minutes of actual event time.
> 7:40am - Got in line for Jessie & Woody since people said early in the event would be the shortest lines.  This was definitely true - the line got longer and longer as the event went on.
> 7:50am - Met Jessie & Woody so only a 10 minute wait (they interact a lot so even though only a few families in front of us - it does go slow).
> 7:54am - Got in line for Buzz.
> 8:06am - He took a break right as we were the next people in line (bummer!) so we actually waited longer for him than we did for W&J.
> 8:10am - Got in line for TSMM - never stopped walking until we got onto the ride and they let us through the FP queue so it was nice and quick
> 8:20am - Walking out of exit for TSMM
> 8:26am - AS2 - walk on
> 8:30am - 1/2 of the group rode SDD again and the other 1/2 rode TSMM again - about a 15 minute wait for SDD
> 8:50am - Exited the land - we were about 30 seconds too late unfortunately and ran smack into the RD crowd.  It surprisingly wasn't hard to pass them as we stayed to the ride and they stayed to their right for the most part. Seeing the RD crowd is what made the rest of my family thank me for booking this event - I don't think you can believe it until you see it. Just so so soo many people that never seem to stop coming.  So thankful to have gotten to enjoy the land for the first time with zero crowd.
> 9:00am - Our group split up after this:  My DH and parents went to ride RnR and ToT and were done with both by 9:30 - zero waits for either of them.  I took the 2 kids over to get in the Jedi Training line. This was the one bummer as my DS wanted to ride ToT but the Jedi training line was so long, we wouldn't have had time to make it all the way up there. Took us a full 30 minutes to get through it but we somehow snagged the last spot for the 11:40am show - which I thought was really early considering how many people were in line before us.
> 9:30am - We then split up again, 4 people rode Star Tours with a 10 minute posted wait and I took DD to Meet Olaf with a 10 minute wait.
> 9:45am - ABC Commisary, zero line for the hot breakfast and it was starting to empty out in there. We tried just about everything and some people got 2 entrees and we asked for fountain beverages. They still were serving food shortly after 10am and had the buffett lines opened.  Everyone was really happy with their meals and we felt that we got 2 meals out of it since we had pastries and fruit earlier.
> 
> Summary: SDD (2X), AS2 (1), TSMM (1), Met Jessie, Woody, and Buzz.  Our kids were 4 and 2 so I definitely think more rides would have been doable with older, faster moving kids. We also could have gotten one more ride in before leaving the land but were anxious to get a few things done before breakfast. Sorry for being long-winded - I hope it helps someone planning!



We attended the 14th as well and had a very similar morning.  I agree that they were saying Slinky Dog was down just to get people not to go there first.  We were on the ride in less than 10 minutes from the gate and although I was nervous starting there first after the announcement that is was down, it was the right move.  In total we ended up doing 2 SDD (could have done more, but it was enough at such an early hour), 1 AS2, 1 TSMM and the Jessie Woody meet (the longest wait of the morning at about 20 minutes, this line goes SLOW, and we were almost cut off for their break).  We actually left the area with about 10 to 15 minutes left of the event, but it was the first morning of our trip and we were tired and hungry.  Didn't deal with the RD crowd, but saw them waiting and were soooo happy not to be part of that.  Food was ok at best, I liked my chilaquiles (minus the "chorizo", I love chorizo and this was not that) but the rest of the fam did not like the "fried chicken" and donuts.  The pastries were good though and it was an easy meal on a busy day.  When we left, the place was packed, so I was happy we left a few minutes early to get breakfast out of the way, and enjoy the other rides with little wait.  My take-away is that that the amount of people there that morning is about max, anymore and the event wouldn't be worth it.  There were a lot more people than expected.  If nothing changes and it doesn't get more busy we would do it again in a heartbeat.  We attended the MK EMM on our last day and it was infinitely better.  More rides than we needed on the Mine Train (longest wait was less than 5 minutes), first riders on Space Mountain, decent breakfast buffet.  I am bummed they are adding more rides (and most likely a lot more people).


----------



## dclDream2018

Anxiously waiting for April 2019 dates to be released!  Anyone else?!


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

dclDream2018 said:


> Anxiously waiting for April 2019 dates to be released!  Anyone else?!


Nope. 

Anxiously waiting for July


----------



## bebec22

Nferk said:


> Car seats were great! Very clean and were already installed and waiting for us when we got there. I got confirmation emails the day before and morning of so I was comfortable the driver was going to show up. The van itself too was spotless and the driver was very nice. We booked it about 2 weeks in advance. Got a small discount for booking online.


Were both of your seats forward facing? I'm wondering if they would do a rear facing seat.  My DD is still rear facing.  I know Minnie Vans do but I'd rather have something already lined up if I could.


----------



## summerskye

Quick review of experience on Mon the 19th.  Epic fail.  Very disappointed.  SDD was down when we were let into the land.  We did TSM 1 time. Then got in line for SDD. (It was running)  It took 28 min. Got back in line and it took 18 min.  We did not even try to get in line for the characters. On our 2nd ride on SDD, we could see the HUGE rope drop crowds entering the area.  We left and did RnR and ToT.  Then we had some interesting breakfast. All told 3 rides and "breakfast" for a low low NOT cost.  I did visit guest relations and was pleased with thier response.

We did EMM at MK the next morning. In a word, AWESOME.  It was so much better.


----------



## Mrjoshua

summerskye said:


> Quick review of experience on Mon the 19th.  Epic fail.  Very disappointed.  SDD was down when we were let into the land.  We did TSM 1 time. Then got in line for SDD. (It was running)  It took 28 min. Got back in line and it took 18 min.  We did not even try to get in line for the characters. On our 2nd ride on SDD, we could see the HUGE rope drop crowds entering the area.  We left and did RnR and ToT.  Then we had some interesting breakfast. All told 3 rides and "breakfast" for a low low NOT cost.  I did visit guest relations and was pleased with thier response.
> 
> We did EMM at MK the next morning. In a word, AWESOME.  It was so much better.


Wow! That has to be the worst report I've read so far... Only 3 rides in 1.5 hours with no character meet and greets. I'm sorry for your experience.


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

summerskye said:


> Quick review of experience on Mon the 19th.  Epic fail.  Very disappointed.  SDD was down when we were let into the land.  We did TSM 1 time. Then got in line for SDD. (It was running)  It took 28 min. Got back in line and it took 18 min.  We did not even try to get in line for the characters. On our 2nd ride on SDD, we could see the HUGE rope drop crowds entering the area.  We left and did RnR and ToT.  Then we had some interesting breakfast. All told 3 rides and "breakfast" for a low low NOT cost.  I did visit guest relations and was pleased with thier response.
> 
> We did EMM at MK the next morning. In a word, AWESOME.  It was so much better.


What was the response at guest relations?


----------



## summerskye

Mrjoshua said:


> Wow! That has to be the worst report I've read so far... Only 3 rides in 1.5 hours with no character meet and greets. I'm sorry for your experience.



I did feel better after my chat with GS. We went to AK later that day and had a good time. FOP is incredible.  Soarin on steroids and then some.



PrincessArlena'sDad said:


> What was the response at guest relations?



After a little back and forth, we got a gift card for almost all of what we paid.


----------



## maiapapaya

summerskye said:


> Quick review of experience on Mon the 19th.  Epic fail.  Very disappointed.  SDD was down when we were let into the land.  We did TSM 1 time. Then got in line for SDD. (It was running)  It took 28 min. Got back in line and it took 18 min.  We did not even try to get in line for the characters. On our 2nd ride on SDD, we could see the HUGE rope drop crowds entering the area.  We left and did RnR and ToT.  Then we had some interesting breakfast. All told 3 rides and "breakfast" for a low low NOT cost.  I did visit guest relations and was pleased with thier response.
> 
> We did EMM at MK the next morning. In a word, AWESOME.  It was so much better.


Thanks for the review, and thank you for reporting your less than satisfactory experience to Guest Relations! If people don't give their negative feedback about up-charged events (e.g. too crowded, food subpar, etc) there is never the possibility that these issues might get fixed.


----------



## LSUfan4444

summerskye said:


> After a little back and forth, we got a gift card for almost all of what we paid.



Since we don't do the DDP and pay OOP for meals, that would definitely work with me. I really hope it doesnt come to that but good to know they are being "fair".


----------



## summerskye

LSUfan4444 said:


> Since we don't do the DDP and pay OOP for meals, that would definitely work with me. I really hope it doesnt come to that but good to know they are being "fair".



We had high hopes from all the research on the boards.  It was frustrating and I do understand they had issues with the ride that morning.  The communication was not very good.  But like i said, they did address my frustration and I walked away happy.  The MK EMM was everything we could hope for. It was perfect.


----------



## summerskye

maiapapaya said:


> Thanks for the review, and thank you for reporting your less than satisfactory experience to Guest Relations! If people don't give their negative feedback about up-charged events (e.g. too crowded, food subpar, etc) there is never the possibility that these issues might get fixed.



I really do try and express both good as well as bad experiences.  I agree that they need the feedback.


----------



## TammyLynn33

Absolutely I check every morning at 6 am then 7 and 8 am.. I’m finding it hard to commit to parks on certain days and we we will cancel our character breakfast if we can get this .
What are your dates? 
Inbox me we can stress together lol 




dclDream2018 said:


> Anxiously waiting for April 2019 dates to be released!  Anyone else?!


----------



## TammyLynn33

Thank you so much for sharing this as I’m thinking private transportation in the ams and bus on way back..  $14 is crazy affordable .. what resort were you coming from ? 
Did you use them again at all? 
Thanks so much 



QUOTE="Nferk, post: 59976327, member: 622372"]Car seats were great! Very clean and were already installed and waiting for us when we got there. I got confirmation emails the day before and morning of so I was comfortable the driver was going to show up. The van itself too was spotless and the driver was very nice. We booked it about 2 weeks in advance. Got a small discount for booking online.[/QUOTE]
Thank hi


----------



## Nferk

bebec22 said:


> Were both of your seats forward facing? I'm wondering if they would do a rear facing seat.  My DD is still rear facing.  I know Minnie Vans do but I'd rather have something already lined up if I could.



We had one forward facing infant seat and one booster. Both were installed when we got there. My DD is past 2 so I was fine with her being forward facing and didn’t ask them to turn it around. Although I’m sure he would have.


----------



## Nferk

TammyLynn33 said:


> Thank you so much for sharing this as I’m thinking private transportation in the ams and bus on way back..  $14 is crazy affordable .. what resort were you coming from ?
> Did you use them again at all?
> Thanks so much
> 
> Yes $14 was awesome! We were coming from all star movies. We didn’t use them again only bc I used buses most of the time (didn’t have the stress of having to be anywhere at a certain time). We did use Minnie vans twice to places the buses didn’t go....was very happy with their service as well but they were much more expensive. But we couldn’t pre-book Mears for those since we really didn’t know what time in advance.
> 
> QUOTE="Nferk, post: 59976327, member: 622372"]Car seats were great! Very clean and were already installed and waiting for us when we got there. I got confirmation emails the day before and morning of so I was comfortable the driver was going to show up. The van itself too was spotless and the driver was very nice. We booked it about 2 weeks in advance. Got a small discount for booking online.


Thank hi[/QUOTE]


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Many thanks to @Nferk, @AdandO, @MattH, and @summerskye for stopping by with recent reviews. @Nferk, your incredibly detailed timeline on your morning is epic! 

*Post #3* links to DISer reviews have been updated.


----------



## duck524

Thank you everyone for your reports. We are going on December 3rd, a 2x sold out day, and I will be so disappointed if we spent almost $600 and only get 3 rides and no character greets. It has me wondering if we would be better off cancelling our TSL and Expanded FL EMMs and doing MK DAH and AK DAH instead. I am just worried about how my 6am-7pm kiddo would handle those late nights. Early mornings are much better for her, but it sounds like they have been way overselling this event and I am worried they will do the same with the expanded EMM (which, at least, is thankfully not sold out yet). Our goal for TSL is 1x TSM, 1x AS2, and 1 SDD while half of our party waits for J&W and 1 SDD while the other half of our party waits for Buzz. I used to think these were low expectations until the more recent reports.


----------



## mwheatley

duck524 said:


> Thank you everyone for your reports. We are going on December 3rd, a 2x sold out day, and I will be so disappointed if we spent almost $600 and only get 3 rides and no character greets. It has me wondering if we would be better off cancelling our TSL and Expanded FL EMMs and doing MK DAH and AK DAH instead. I am just worried about how my 6am-7pm kiddo would handle those late nights. Early mornings are much better for her, but it sounds like they have been way overselling this event and I am worried they will do the same with the expanded EMM (which, at least, is thankfully not sold out yet). Our goal for TSL is 1x TSM, 1x AS2, and 1 SDD while half of our party waits for J&W and 1 SDD while the other half of our party waits for Buzz. I used to think these were low expectations until the more recent reports.



I’ll see you there... I’m worried as well. We will have to do rider switch for SDD, but recent reports have me thinking that will take up most of the time just to have each group ride once.


----------



## Brett Wyman

Anyone going 11-28? It looks like it’s predicted to be 45-48 degrees at 7am? I’m originally from central Florida and that’s COLD to me to be on an outdoor roller coaster!


----------



## kniquy

Brett Wyman said:


> Anyone going 11-28? It looks like it’s predicted to be 45-48 degrees at 7am? I’m originally from central Florida and that’s COLD to me to be on an outdoor roller coaster!


  Yup I’ll be there with DH and DD, but seeing it has been 8 here I’ll take 40’s


----------



## ninafeliz

Brett Wyman said:


> Anyone going 11-28? It looks like it’s predicted to be 45-48 degrees at 7am? I’m originally from central Florida and that’s COLD to me to be on an outdoor roller coaster!



We did it 10/29 and it was in the low 50's when we walked over from the BC in the AM, I'm not sure what it was up to at the start but it was still pretty chilly!  We had on shorts and a zip front Sweatshirt, and while we weren't cozy warm we survived!  However, on that day it warmed to the 80's by mid-late morning, so it was only early that it was cold.  My teeth were chattering on SDD, but it was still a lot of fun!


----------



## Sheree

I usually use  Lyt or Uber when at the world.  for emm is mears better?  we're staying at SSR.  This is for 1/14, no car setas needed.  if so, best contact info?

thanks


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Sheree said:


> I usually use  Lyt or Uber when at the world.  for emm is mears better?  we're staying at SSR.  This is for 1/14, no car setas needed.  if so, best contact info?
> 
> thanks



I don't think Mears for EMM is necessarily "better" - many people you see using it on this thread are doing so because of 1) they need car seats and/or 2) they appreciate the "surety" of the pre-arranged pick-up time.  Uber/Lyft are 'usually' reasonably available at all times of the day all around WDW, so I think they are valid options for those that know ride share services well - just have to build in some extra time just in case availability at that hour doesn't work in your favor at that particular moment in time.


----------



## scjo68

We attended the November 23rd TSL EMM yesterday. 
We really enjoyed it!

It did not seem crowded to us at all.  We were let into the park around 6:55.    We went to breakfast and got coffee.

  We got to TSL at 7:16 and it was already open.  SDD was running, but it was empty.  We headed straight for it.  We waited maybe  8 minutes, and I think that was the longest wait we had.

 Overall, we rode SDD 5 times, and TSM and Aliens two times each. 

Our final ride on SDD was a walk on. It was 8:46 and the wait time sign was already reading 60 minutes even though the rope drop crowd wasn’t there yet.  As we rode our final ride, we could see the crowd rush in and form a line. As we left TSL, the wait time for SDD was 2 1/2 hours, and it was not yet 9:00.

Breakfast was fine.  CMs were very nice, very accommodating.

Overall, We were glad we did this event.  The high price will probably keep us from doing it again.  But since this was Thanksgiving weekend,  it was a nice relief from the crowds that were abundant for the rest of the trip.


----------



## czmom

scjo68 said:


> We attended the November 23rd TSL EMM yesterday.
> We really enjoyed it!
> 
> It did not seem crowded to us at all.  We were let into the park around 6:55.    We went to breakfast and got coffee.
> 
> We got to TSL at 7:16 and it was already open.  SDD was running, but it was empty.  We headed straight for it.  We waited maybe  8 minutes, and I think that was the longest wait we had.
> 
> Overall, we rode SDD 5 times, and TSM and Aliens two times each.
> 
> Our final ride on SDD was a walk on. It was 8:46 and the wait time sign was already reading 60 minutes even though the rope drop crowd wasn’t there yet.  As we rode our final ride, we could see the crowd rush in and form a line. As we left TSL, the wait time for SDD was 2 1/2 hours, and it was not yet 9:00.
> 
> Breakfast was fine.  CMs were very nice, very accommodating.
> 
> Overall, We were glad we did this event.  The high price will probably keep us from doing it again.  But since this was Thanksgiving weekend,  it was a nice relief from the crowds that were abundant for the rest of the trip.



This is an encouraging report! I wonder if it was a sold out day?


----------



## princesswahooey

I don't normally post, but everyone's input on this thread has been so helpful, I figured my report might be useful to others, particularly for those considering going on 2x sold out and high crowd-level days. I was a little worried after a few of the recent posts...

We went on 11/21, Wednesday before Thanksgiving. A 10 park day. (Crowds were terrible all week!) Our party was Me, hubby, DD17, DS12.

We left the Yacht Club on foot at about 6:20am and arrived by 6:40. Walkway took a little longer with construction, but not too bad.

We checked through bag security and were given our wristbands. Around 6:55 they led us into the park and to ABC. We grabbed juice and pastries, sat and ate, used the restroom, and were out by about 7:10 or so. A few dozen people were already lining up outside Chinese Theatre. There were quite a few people by the time they finally let us in around 7:25. I was surprised they didn't let us in early like other reports, particularly as there was a full crowd.

We walked in rope-drop fashion to Slinky. Our original plan was to do TSMM first, but since we were near the front of the crowd, we did Slinky. We were on the 2nd train. Everyone thought it was more fun than we were expecting, so we jumped back in line as soon as we got off. Line said 5 minutes, but it was more like 12.

Next we went to Aliens. It was cute, but not as much fun as Mater's Junkyard Jamboree at Disneyland, which I think is basically the same ride. It didn't really whip us around much. So once was plenty for us. We moved on to TSMM.

Passed the Jessie/Woody meet. It looked like there were about 4-5 families in line. We did not stop, as it's not a priority for us.

Walked right into TSMM (through the regular line). Rode that. It stopped for a few minutes and we played "bonus" zero-point rounds until it started moving again. (Still fun, even if you are stopped!) We ran around & did it again. This time the fast pass line was open, but we waited a minute to get loaded. Played again, improved our scores, and decided against going one more time, even though it was only 8:30. We wanted to make sure we got to Rockin' Roller Coaster before rope drop. (This was part of the value for us in booking the package.)

We were directed by cast members to wait near a fountain just ahead of the rope where people congregate for RNR rope drop. As the rope drop commenced, we slipped in the front with another family with a teen daughter who had also done EMM and was doing the same.

We were on the 2nd RNR train, but by the time we got off, the line was probably a good 60 minute wait, so we abandoned the thought of getting 2x on RNR and instead were able to walk on ToT, and Star Tours with practically no wait before heading to ABC to order breakfast around 9:35.

Kids and hubby got chicken and donuts. They liked the chicken, but donuts were a bit overdone. DD17 went back for avocado toast. She liked it, but the egg, as others mentioned, is basically a hockey puck. I had the Mexican Chilaquiles. Not the best (powdered eggs), but it hit the spot with beans, corn, salsa and crispy tortilla strips. We all had more pastries, yogurt, fruit, juice, etc. The pastries and croissants were the best thing. Fresh and tasty. The restaurant was pretty full, but we had no trouble finding a spot to sit. Seems like they replenished often. Ordered food came almost instantly.

Overall, we were very pleased. The mini-rope-drop made it feel sort of overbooked as we entered the land, but once inside TSL, it never felt crowded. The streets were empty and it was fun to see everything without hordes of people.

We got our fill of the rides and were able to do the other 3 DHS rides easily, even on a level 10 day. I imagine there would be no trouble getting Jedi Training sign-ups done if you left at 8:40-8:45.

I'm trying to imagine how others were able to get 7x on Slinky, but maybe that was on days they opened around 7:15 and it was not sold out. Regardless, we never felt like we were waiting too long or that time was slipping by.

For us, the experience was positive and worth the money. My main suggestion, especially for busy days, is make sure you arrive by 6:40 or so. The cast member who checked us in said he was surprised that he has seen people show up for the event even later than 8:00. To make the most of your time, especially on a full capacity day, definitely have a back-up transportation plan, and if you plan to rope drop the rest of the park, leave by 8:40.

Hope this helps someone!


----------



## EmCredible

Hi everyone! My family and I are scheduled to attend this coming Wednesday, November 28. When I have checked the weather for that day, it has forecasted morning showers. Has anyone had experience with this event and rain?  I’m curious to know if rides would still be available and how it would be handled. Thanks in advance for any info!


----------



## momof2n2

Nferk said:


> Here is my review of EMM from 11/14 - sorry I'm a little late, wanted to wait until I was home and had some more time. This thread was insanely helpful in putting together my game plan and knowing what to expect so thanks to all!! In case you don't want to read all the details below, overall - I thought the event was really really great and worth the expense if you can swing it. I did not think it was overly crowded - although I was prepared in advance for a larger crowd due to reading some of the earlier posts. Below is a detailed timeline - I used the pictures on my phone to rebuild it.
> 
> 6:30am - Picked up by Mears (reserved in advance, paid $14 for all 6 of us including 2 carseats). Totally worth it not to have to deal with stress of bus being late.
> 6:46am - Took pictures outside the front gate, got checked in, got bracelets, and through security in 8 minutes
> 6:54am - Pictures on Hollywood Blvd.
> 7:00am - ABC Commissary (everyone grabbed fruit, pastries, coffees, and a bathroom break)
> 7:15am - Joined the crowd waiting to be let into the land
> 7:20am - Was walked back into TSL.  While we were waiting, the Cast Members were yelling out that Andy was still playing with Slinky Dog and he was not ready yet.  This led to a little bit of yelling from some people misunderstanding and thinking that SDD was down.  I really think this was just their way of trying to get people not to go their first - but I'm not sure.  We decided to risk it and go wait there anyway.  They let people get in line and let people onto the ride right at 7:30am.  You could have rode the other rides right away (before 7:30).  The characters were not out yet when we walked by at 7:20am.
> 7:36am - Exited the line for SDD (so about 10-12 minutes from when we got to queue until we were off the ride).  I think going straight to SDD is the key to not waiting in the 20-25 minute waits that people were reporting.  Also, this only cut into 6 minutes of actual event time.
> 7:40am - Got in line for Jessie & Woody since people said early in the event would be the shortest lines.  This was definitely true - the line got longer and longer as the event went on.
> 7:50am - Met Jessie & Woody so only a 10 minute wait (they interact a lot so even though only a few families in front of us - it does go slow).
> 7:54am - Got in line for Buzz.
> 8:06am - He took a break right as we were the next people in line (bummer!) so we actually waited longer for him than we did for W&J.
> 8:10am - Got in line for TSMM - never stopped walking until we got onto the ride and they let us through the FP queue so it was nice and quick
> 8:20am - Walking out of exit for TSMM
> 8:26am - AS2 - walk on
> 8:30am - 1/2 of the group rode SDD again and the other 1/2 rode TSMM again - about a 15 minute wait for SDD
> 8:50am - Exited the land - we were about 30 seconds too late unfortunately and ran smack into the RD crowd.  It surprisingly wasn't hard to pass them as we stayed to the ride and they stayed to their right for the most part. Seeing the RD crowd is what made the rest of my family thank me for booking this event - I don't think you can believe it until you see it. Just so so soo many people that never seem to stop coming.  So thankful to have gotten to enjoy the land for the first time with zero crowd.
> 9:00am - Our group split up after this:  My DH and parents went to ride RnR and ToT and were done with both by 9:30 - zero waits for either of them.  I took the 2 kids over to get in the Jedi Training line. This was the one bummer as my DS wanted to ride ToT but the Jedi training line was so long, we wouldn't have had time to make it all the way up there. Took us a full 30 minutes to get through it but we somehow snagged the last spot for the 11:40am show - which I thought was really early considering how many people were in line before us.
> 9:30am - We then split up again, 4 people rode Star Tours with a 10 minute posted wait and I took DD to Meet Olaf with a 10 minute wait.
> 9:45am - ABC Commisary, zero line for the hot breakfast and it was starting to empty out in there. We tried just about everything and some people got 2 entrees and we asked for fountain beverages. They still were serving food shortly after 10am and had the buffett lines opened.  Everyone was really happy with their meals and we felt that we got 2 meals out of it since we had pastries and fruit earlier.
> 
> Summary: SDD (2X), AS2 (1), TSMM (1), Met Jessie, Woody, and Buzz.  Our kids were 4 and 2 so I definitely think more rides would have been doable with older, faster moving kids. We also could have gotten one more ride in before leaving the land but were anxious to get a few things done before breakfast. Sorry for being long-winded - I hope it helps someone planning!



This is awesome.  Thank you!


----------



## alrushton

EmCredible said:


> Hi everyone! My family and I are scheduled to attend this coming Wednesday, November 28. When I have checked the weather for that day, it has forecasted morning showers. Has anyone had experience with this event and rain?  I’m curious to know if rides would still be available and how it would be handled. Thanks in advance for any info!



I called and asked this question and was told that only lightning would close the rides. If that happens they would compensate. He didn't go into details and I told him as long as I got a fast pass for SDD then I would be fine.


----------



## BridgetBordeaux

This is a helpful thread. Thanks!


----------



## kittylady1972

Just returned from our Thanksgiving trip and experienced our first Early Morning Magic event...at Hollywood Studios.  I thought I'd share my experience, though it's similar to others here.

We did this event on Monday 11/19 and there were 8 of us total, including a 4 and 6yo who were huge Toy Story fans.  We had booked the 7:30am event, but arrived probably just after 7am.  They were telling us all about breakfast "around the corner" but we had our priorities.  We were held at the theater waiting to head down the ramp until probably close to 7:15am or 7:20am.

Once released, we headed directly to Alien Saucers and rode that first with no wait.  I wanted to ride again, but the little boys decided it wasn't for them.  We spotted Woody and Jessie doing meet and greet with about 4 families in front of us, so hopped in that line and didn't wait terribly long.  DH and DS got impatient so we sent them off to ride TSM while we waited.



TOTALLY worth it for these Toy Story loving kids, dressed in their Toy Story pjs!

After this, we spotted Buzz right around the corner with pretty much NO wait...so we headed there next:



Such GREAT character interactions with both of these.  Again...worth it.  After that we got in line for SDD and waited about 15 minutes maybe?  We got off the ride, now it was approaching 8:30am, and the CMs at line said to us "one more chance" to which my DH said "but I thought this was until 10am" but of course the regular crowds were approaching so as soon we we got off that ride the line for SDD was really backed up.  We hopped in line for TSM and waited about 20 minutes for that one.  By the time we got out, it was close to 9:30am.  We headed to ABC to get food.  I ordered 3 entrees to share with me and my daughter, not sure what we'd like, and had some fruit which was good.  The shrimp and grits was good but kinda greasy, my daughter wasn't fond of the avacado toast, and we all liked the chicken and waffle/donuts and even the chicken wasn't hard and dried it...it was quite good.  We finally finished our food close to 10am and they were cleaning up but not rushing us out.  It worked out very well and after seeing the line stretch out of Toy Story Land and in a self-made of tape switchback at the entrance of Toy Story Land...yeah we were thankful!

Wish we could have done more rides, but boys were all about characters and we were good with that.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

*Thanks* for all of these recent review posts!  Post #3 links have been updated.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

EmCredible said:


> Hi everyone! My family and I are scheduled to attend this coming Wednesday, November 28. When I have checked the weather for that day, it has forecasted morning showers. Has anyone had experience with this event and rain?  I’m curious to know if rides would still be available and how it would be handled. Thanks in advance for any info!



Somewhat oddly I guess for Florida standards, the number of reports of EMM rain-outs over time (I'm lumping MK EMM into this comment) have been quite low.  I don't 'think' I've seen any reports from DHS EMM with major rain events and any at MK EMM have been few and far between over the years.  I guess that's my long-winded way of saying I'm not quite sure what will happen... but I hope things work out for you.  You may just need to poncho-up, do what you can, and feel free to discuss things with guest services if weather turns out to materially impact your time and access to SDD.

Although FYI, Disney's disclaimers do note "This experience will go on rain or shine; some attraction experiences may be modified due to inclement weather" - but they generally have a decent track record of trying to do right by guests if things really go haywire.


----------



## abs1978

This has been such a great thread so I thought I’d throw in our experience as well!

We went on November 21st.  This was our first full day after arriving so we were dragging a bit but the experience was awesome!  We arrived a bit later than we wanted to but we entered Toy Storyland at 7:35.  We went straight to Alien Swirl and rode it 3 times straight.  Super fun and DD (8) loved it but we all agree that Mater’s is better.  After that we went over to TSMM and DD and I did that while DH did Slinky Dog.  He waited about 10 minutes.  Then we switched and I rode Slinky while they did TSMM.  I waited 5 minutes.  Then we did Alien two more times and got in line for woody/Jessie.  At that point the rope drop crowd was coming in.  The woody/Jessie line never moved so we abandoned it and ate breakfast.  It was fine.  Then we used our RnRC FP and got the heck out of HS.  It was so crowded you could barely move.  The line for SDD was unbelievable.  We were so glad we got to experience TSL with very low crowds.  Well worth the cost IMO especially during a holiday week.  We really did a lot and could have done Slinky more but DD isn’t a roller coaster fan.  I only wish we had done the MK one as well!


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## Lisa F

kittylady1972 said:


> Just returned from our Thanksgiving trip and experienced our first Early Morning Magic event...at Hollywood Studios.  I thought I'd share my experience, though it's similar to others here.
> 
> We did this event on Monday 11/19 and there were 8 of us total, including a 4 and 6yo who were huge Toy Story fans.  We had booked the 7:30am event, but arrived probably just after 7am.  They were telling us all about breakfast "around the corner" but we had our priorities.  We were held at the theater waiting to head down the ramp until probably close to 7:15am or 7:20am.
> 
> Once released, we headed directly to Alien Saucers and rode that first with no wait.  I wanted to ride again, but the little boys decided it wasn't for them.  We spotted Woody and Jessie doing meet and greet with about 4 families in front of us, so hopped in that line and didn't wait terribly long.  DH and DS got impatient so we sent them off to ride TSM while we waited.
> 
> View attachment 367035
> 
> TOTALLY worth it for these Toy Story loving kids, dressed in their Toy Story pjs!
> 
> After this, we spotted Buzz right around the corner with pretty much NO wait...so we headed there next:
> 
> View attachment 367036
> 
> Such GREAT character interactions with both of these.  Again...worth it.  After that we got in line for SDD and waited about 15 minutes maybe?  We got off the ride, now it was approaching 8:30am, and the CMs at line said to us "one more chance" to which my DH said "but I thought this was until 10am" but of course the regular crowds were approaching so as soon we we got off that ride the line for SDD was really backed up.  We hopped in line for TSM and waited about 20 minutes for that one.  By the time we got out, it was close to 9:30am.  We headed to ABC to get food.  I ordered 3 entrees to share with me and my daughter, not sure what we'd like, and had some fruit which was good.  The shrimp and grits was good but kinda greasy, my daughter wasn't fond of the avacado toast, and we all liked the chicken and waffle/donuts and even the chicken wasn't hard and dried it...it was quite good.  We finally finished our food close to 10am and they were cleaning up but not rushing us out.  It worked out very well and after seeing the line stretch out of Toy Story Land and in a self-made of tape switchback at the entrance of Toy Story Land...yeah we were thankful!
> 
> Wish we could have done more rides, but boys were all about characters and we were good with that.



Thanks for posting, this is pretty much going to be our plan regarding characters here!  I really want to see woody and jessie!


----------



## barb969

EmCredible said:


> Hi everyone! My family and I are scheduled to attend this coming Wednesday, November 28. When I have checked the weather for that day, it has forecasted morning showers. Has anyone had experience with this event and rain?  I’m curious to know if rides would still be available and how it would be handled. Thanks in advance for any info!



We were at Universal Nov. 12 - 16.  rain was forecasted for M - Th with probabilities as high as 100%.  We were fortunate it didn't rain at all. I hope you have good luck too.  As a precaution take as much rain gear as you can -- ponchos, umbrella, boots raincoats. We carried multiple ponckos, rainjacet, unbrella and water proof shoes.


----------



## ColoradoMom12

kittylady1972 said:


> Just returned from our Thanksgiving trip and experienced our first Early Morning Magic event...at Hollywood Studios.  I thought I'd share my experience, though it's similar to others here.
> 
> We did this event on Monday 11/19 and there were 8 of us total, including a 4 and 6yo who were huge Toy Story fans.  We had booked the 7:30am event, but arrived probably just after 7am.  They were telling us all about breakfast "around the corner" but we had our priorities.  We were held at the theater waiting to head down the ramp until probably close to 7:15am or 7:20am.
> 
> Once released, we headed directly to Alien Saucers and rode that first with no wait.  I wanted to ride again, but the little boys decided it wasn't for them.  We spotted Woody and Jessie doing meet and greet with about 4 families in front of us, so hopped in that line and didn't wait terribly long.  DH and DS got impatient so we sent them off to ride TSM while we waited.
> 
> View attachment 367035
> 
> TOTALLY worth it for these Toy Story loving kids, dressed in their Toy Story pjs!
> 
> After this, we spotted Buzz right around the corner with pretty much NO wait...so we headed there next:
> 
> View attachment 367036
> 
> Such GREAT character interactions with both of these.  Again...worth it.  After that we got in line for SDD and waited about 15 minutes maybe?  We got off the ride, now it was approaching 8:30am, and the CMs at line said to us "one more chance" to which my DH said "but I thought this was until 10am" but of course the regular crowds were approaching so as soon we we got off that ride the line for SDD was really backed up.  We hopped in line for TSM and waited about 20 minutes for that one.  By the time we got out, it was close to 9:30am.  We headed to ABC to get food.  I ordered 3 entrees to share with me and my daughter, not sure what we'd like, and had some fruit which was good.  The shrimp and grits was good but kinda greasy, my daughter wasn't fond of the avacado toast, and we all liked the chicken and waffle/donuts and even the chicken wasn't hard and dried it...it was quite good.  We finally finished our food close to 10am and they were cleaning up but not rushing us out.  It worked out very well and after seeing the line stretch out of Toy Story Land and in a self-made of tape switchback at the entrance of Toy Story Land...yeah we were thankful!
> 
> Wish we could have done more rides, but boys were all about characters and we were good with that.


We were there 11/19 also! I remember seeing your family!! It was on AS2, which we also did first thing after being let in to TSL. We’re a mom and kid family (my DD is 7), you might have seen us. We went to meet characters after doing AS2 twice (we should have only gone once as the line for Woody & Jessie was getting long when we jumped in it). After that we went to SDD. 

You must have done SDD right around the time we decided to call it quits for that ride. We had been on it twice, both times with a 20 minute wait (actually the second time, I was looking at my photos, it was 19 minutes including the ride time). The line both times was backed up to just underneath the area with the roof. We were happy to do SDD but not to wait in so much of a line so chose to spend the rest of our morning riding AS2 (no wait for that at all). Sounds like maybe the line for SDD wasn’t quite as long when you got there. 

I wish we hadn’t encountered such long waits as I’d read others have been able to ride several times with very minimal wait time, but it just wasn’t the case that morning. I was really glad they offered this event! HS wasn’t even on my agenda for this trip as I hadn’t been able to get FP for SDD. So when this event was announced, I was so excited. It was a great morning for us as well even with the long SDD waits, and my DD says she would do it again. So would I!


----------



## jennab

We (2 adults and a 6yr old) were there this morning. Staying at boardwalk villas so left about 6:35 and got over there in about 15-20min. Went to ABC to run to the bathroom and grab a pastry. Walked over to the holding area about 7:08 and they said they weren’t letting people in until 7:30am. Waited a few minutes and they let us in!  Walked right over to SDD and got on in 5min. Next went to Aliens and rode that once then walked over and noticed woody and Jessie walking out and only 3 families in line (about 7:35). Got in like and took just about 5min. Then went over to Buzz who had 1 family in line so just a few min. Also stopped at photopass person right at entry since he had no one waiting. Next up TSMM (using FP line) and when we got to the end the guy asked if we just wanted to stay on since no one else was waiting!  Said yes and rode again. Were going to do aliens again but were worried we wouldn’t get slinky In as we couldn’t get on the next one. So left that line and went to SDD which took maybe 5min. Got off and went right back on only about 5min again. After that decided to do 1 more TSMM. Got out and rope drop crowd was there. Went over to do Jedi training sign ups and long like!  Got there about 9:00 and took about 30min to get up front. Got a spot for 11:40am show though!  
Next went to eat and took a bit in line. Then got hot food and my husband went to buffet area and no bowls. He asked for one and was told they were closing it (about 9:50am). He was not happy. I went up and they weren’t refilling things. Barely any fruit. So that was disappointing. 

Overall had a fun time and I felt like we got a lot done! 
SSD 3x
Aliens 1x
TSMM 3x
Pics with Woody/Jessie, Buzz, and entrance. 

Wanted to share our experience since everyone else’s had helped us!


----------



## M SH

jennab said:


> We (2 adults and a 6yr old) were there this morning. Staying at boardwalk villas so left about 6:35 and got over there in about 15-20min. Went to ABC to run to the bathroom and grab a pastry. Walked over to the holding area about 7:08 and they said they weren’t letting people in until 7:30am. Waited a few minutes and they let us in!  Walked right over to SDD and got on in 5min. Next went to Aliens and rode that once then walked over and noticed woody and Jessie walking out and only 3 families in line (about 7:35). Got in like and took just about 5min. Then went over to Buzz who had 1 family in line so just a few min. Also stopped at photopass person right at entry since he had no one waiting. Next up TSMM (using FP line) and when we got to the end the guy asked if we just wanted to stay on since no one else was waiting!  Said yes and rode again. Were going to do aliens again but were worried we wouldn’t get slinky In as we couldn’t get on the next one. So left that line and went to SDD which took maybe 5min. Got off and went right back on only about 5min again. After that decided to do 1 more TSMM. Got out and rope drop crowd was there. Went over to do Jedi training sign ups and long like!  Got there about 9:00 and took about 30min to get up front. Got a spot for 11:40am show though!
> Next went to eat and took a bit in line. Then got hot food and my husband went to buffet area and no bowls. He asked for one and was told they were closing it (about 9:50am). He was not happy. I went up and they weren’t refilling things. Barely any fruit. So that was disappointing.
> 
> Overall had a fun time and I felt like we got a lot done!
> SSD 3x
> Aliens 1x
> TSMM 3x
> Pics with Woody/Jessie, Buzz, and entrance.
> 
> Wanted to share our experience since everyone else’s had helped us!



Sounds productive considering you did all the character meets. Glad you enjoyed it.


----------



## sapphirerose915

Ok... so Jessie and Woody are by TSM..is that correct??? I'll be with my DH and DS (2yo) character greets are a MUST... so if they let us in prior to 730, here is my plan of action.. does this sound like a good plan? Or should I make adjustments?? I'm not even asking for a lot!!!
Ride TSM
M &G with Woody &Jessie
Ride AS2
M& G Buzz (is he near AS2 entrance?)
Then DH can go ride SDD while I do either TSM or AS2 again with DS, and vice versa.
Then head to go meet Mickey & Minnie when RD crew heads in. Followed by breakfast at ABC.
Any adjustments?????


----------



## jennab

sapphirerose915 said:


> Ok... so Jessie and Woody are by TSM..is that correct??? I'll be with my DH and DS (2yo) character greets are a MUST... so if they let us in prior to 730, here is my plan of action.. does this sound like a good plan? Or should I make adjustments?? I'm not even asking for a lot!!!
> Ride TSM
> M &G with Woody &Jessie
> Ride AS2
> M& G Buzz (is he near AS2 entrance?)
> Then DH can go ride SDD while I do either TSM or AS2 again with DS, and vice versa.
> Then head to go meet Mickey & Minnie when RD crew heads in. Followed by breakfast at ABC.
> Any adjustments?????



Woody and Jessie are by TSMM and Buzz is by the entrance to TSL. I would just do the meet and greets right away around 7:30 when they come out if you can. The line for Woody and Jessie got super long.


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## duck524

Sapphirerose915, I think I remember that you and I have similar goals and similar aged kiddos for this event. My current plan is to get there early. If they let us into TSL before 7:20, I hope to ride TSM and then park ourselves in line for J & W. If we get in later than 7:20, maybe try AS2 and then get in line for J&W, or maybe just get in line for J&W. After J & W, I think we will check on the Buzz line. If it is long, probably split and send one group to SDD and the other half wait with kiddo for Buzz. If it is short, get it out of the way and then break into 2 groups to alternate SDD and AS2. Goal is to get each adult one ride on each ride and have 4 year old meet all three characters and do TSM and AS2. I really hope we can accomplish our goals. Kiddo is going back to ABC with one adult at the end of EMM (unless she gets sidetracked by Mickey and Minnie) while the other adults try to rope drop RNRC before breakfast.


----------



## KrazeeK120

sapphirerose915 said:


> Ok... so Jessie and Woody are by TSM..is that correct??? I'll be with my DH and DS (2yo) character greets are a MUST... so if they let us in prior to 730, here is my plan of action.. does this sound like a good plan? Or should I make adjustments?? I'm not even asking for a lot!!!
> Ride TSM
> M &G with Woody &Jessie
> Ride AS2
> M& G Buzz (is he near AS2 entrance?)
> Then DH can go ride SDD while I do either TSM or AS2 again with DS, and vice versa.
> Then head to go meet Mickey & Minnie when RD crew heads in. Followed by breakfast at ABC.
> Any adjustments?????



Buzz meets just inside the entrance to TSL. Woody & Jessie do meet near TSMM.

When we did this event, it was my husband and I and our then-2 year old DS. I had a plan and then it went right out the window when DS ran straight for SDD when we got into TSL. He didn’t like it and didn’t want to ride again, but I figured I’d have a bigger meltdown on my hands if I hadn’t let him try it. But we were able to accomplish everything, including the character meets), and DH and I were both able to ride SDD again (while switching off AS2 and TSMM with DS). So even if your plans go awry, you should still be OK.


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## sapphirerose915

KrazeeK120 said:


> Buzz meets just inside the entrance to TSL. Woody & Jessie do meet near TSMM.
> 
> When we did this event, it was my husband and I and our then-2 year old DS. I had a plan and then it went right out the window when DS ran straight for SDD when we got into TSL. He didn’t like it and didn’t want to ride again, but I figured I’d have a bigger meltdown on my hands if I hadn’t let him try it. But we were able to accomplish everything, including the character meets), and DH and I were both able to ride SDD again (while switching off AS2 and TSMM with DS). So even if your plans go awry, you should still be OK.



PERFECT!!! Thank you!! I'm not sure if DS will be tall enough to ride, he is like at 37" so it will depend with shoes on lol... but I'm glad you were able to get it all done!!!!


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## sapphirerose915

duck524 said:


> Sapphirerose915, I think I remember that you and I have similar goals and similar aged kiddos for this event. My current plan is to get there early. If they let us into TSL before 7:20, I hope to ride TSM and then park ourselves in line for J & W. If we get in later than 7:20, maybe try AS2 and then get in line for J&W, or maybe just get in line for J&W. After J & W, I think we will check on the Buzz line. If it is long, probably split and send one group to SDD and the other half wait with kiddo for Buzz. If it is short, get it out of the way and then break into 2 groups to alternate SDD and AS2. Goal is to get each adult one ride on each ride and have 4 year old meet all three characters and do TSM and AS2. I really hope we can accomplish our goals. Kiddo is going back to ABC with one adult at the end of EMM (unless she gets sidetracked by Mickey and Minnie) while the other adults try to rope drop RNRC before breakfast.



Yes!! sounds like our goals are exactly the same!!! when are you going?????




jennab said:


> Woody and Jessie are by TSMM and Buzz is by the entrance to TSL. I would just do the meet and greets right away around 7:30 when they come out if you can. The line for Woody and Jessie got super long.



Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Lisa F

KrazeeK120 said:


> Buzz meets just inside the entrance to TSL. Woody & Jessie do meet near TSMM.
> 
> When we did this event, it was my husband and I and our then-2 year old DS. I had a plan and then it went right out the window when DS ran straight for SDD when we got into TSL. He didn’t like it and didn’t want to ride again, but I figured I’d have a bigger meltdown on my hands if I hadn’t let him try it. But we were able to accomplish everything, including the character meets), and DH and I were both able to ride SDD again (while switching off AS2 and TSMM with DS). So even if your plans go awry, you should still be OK.


thanks, this is good information for me too!!!!  I want to see the characters, not sure about my 10 year old.  But I have pics of him as a baby with woody and jessie I want to pair it up with


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## duck524

sapphirerose915 said:


> Yes!! sounds like our goals are exactly the same!!! when are you going?????



We go on 12/3, so I will let you know how this plan ends up working for us.


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## KrazeeK120

sapphirerose915 said:


> PERFECT!!! Thank you!! I'm not sure if DS will be tall enough to ride, he is like at 37" so it will depend with shoes on lol... but I'm glad you were able to get it all done!!!!





Lisa F said:


> thanks, this is good information for me too!!!!  I want to see the characters, not sure about my 10 year old.  But I have pics of him as a baby with woody and jessie I want to pair it up with



Post #1482 on page 75 of this thread is a full review of my experience, if you’re interested!


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## Lisa F

KrazeeK120 said:


> Post #1482 on page 75 of this thread is a full review of my experience, if you’re interested!


I have read this entire thread but of course I don't remember what was 25 pages back, thanks for the heads up, I will review it.  I am at under 60 days and getting so excited now!!


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## Dbktmc

jennab said:


> Next went to eat and took a bit in line. Then got hot food and my husband went to buffet area and no bowls. He asked for one and was told they were closing it (about 9:50am). He was not happy. I went up and they weren’t refilling things. Barely any fruit. So that was disappointing.



This seems a little concerning.  It seems that if breakfast is offered until 10 am then you should be able to get anything until that time.  If they didn’t want to refill the buffet then I would think that they could have brought your husband a bowl of fruit from the back.


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## sapphirerose915

KrazeeK120 said:


> My family (myself, DH, and DS almost 3 years old) attended EMM this morning.
> 
> We drove ourselves and arrived a little before 6:40. At about 6:50, we were allowed into ABC Commissary. We grabbed a snack there.
> 
> We headed out toward TSL just after 7:15 and the rides were already going. I had a plan in mind, but it went right out the window when my son sprinted straight for SDD. So we rode that first. I’d say we waited less than 10 minutes. Then, we met Woody & Jessie. I didn’t time it, but I think we waited somewhere in the 10-15 minute range. That was the shortest I saw the line the entire day. After that, we rode TSMM with no wait. Then, we met Buzz. He had about a 10 minute wait. Then, my DH and DS rode AS2 with no wait (I hate any spinning type rides). After sprinting to SDD, my son ended up absolutely terrified of it. So, I rode it while DH and DS did AS2 again and DH rode it while I did TSMM with DS. At that point, the rope drop crowd arrived.
> 
> At rope drop, we chose to go meet Chewie and Olaf as those were the highest priority on DS’s list today. We went back for breakfast after we met them, probably around 9:30 or so. My husband had the chartrucerie (sp?) and enjoyed it. My son chose the scrambled eggs and ate the whole bowl of food! The cold buffet looked more appetizing to me than the hot entrees, so I did that.
> 
> Ovearall, I thought the event was a good value for our family. My son really enjoys meeting characters, and we spent the rest of the day meeting Chewie, Olaf, Goofy, Pluto, Vampirina, Sofia, and Doc McStuffins, in addition to seeing the Frozen show and Muppet Vision 3D. DH also rode Rock n Roller Coaster and we had a FP to ride TSMM again. We ate dinner and left the park around 6 pm for a total of 11 hours! We wouldn’t have been able to accomplish as much as we did without the EMM event.
> 
> I’ll be up bright and early again tomorrow for MK EMM, so look for my review over on that thread tomorrow evening!



This perfect!!! Thank you soooooo much!!!!


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## sapphirerose915

duck524 said:


> We go on 12/3, so I will let you know how this plan ends up working for us.


Ok.. we are the 10th!!! Cannot wait to hear your review!!! It helps when you read reviews of people with little ones!!!


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## mwheatley

duck524 said:


> We go on 12/3, so I will let you know how this plan ends up working for us.



See you there! We had higher expectations at first but recent reviews have us rethinking our strategy a bit.


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## jennab

Dbktmc said:


> This seems a little concerning.  It seems that if breakfast is offered until 10 am then you should be able to get anything until that time.  If they didn’t want to refill the buffet then I would think that they could have brought your husband a bowl of fruit from the back.



Agreed! Not sure if it was just a person who didn’t know or what.


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## duck524

mwheatley said:


> See you there! We had higher expectations at first but recent reviews have us rethinking our strategy a bit.



I am sure we will cross paths!


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## Babs1975

Slinky Dog down! Hasn't been open yet! Not good! Wait for TSM is 20 minutes since there's only 2 rides open!


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## Babs1975

Slinky down entire EMM.  Still closed at ropedrop. 2 rides on RNRC and TOT before wall of people. They were held until 9 today. Someone said they were holding them to let EMM people ride since Slinky was down.


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## mwheatley

Babs1975 said:


> Slinky Dog down! Hasn't been open yet! Not good! Wait for TSM is 20 minutes since there's only 2 rides open!





Babs1975 said:


> Slinky down entire EMM.  Still closed at ropedrop. 2 rides on RNRC and TOT before wall of people. They were held until 9 today. Someone said they were holding them to let EMM people ride since Slinky was down.



Yikes! Any compensation?


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## rxbeth

Babs1975 said:


> Slinky down entire EMM.  Still closed at ropedrop. 2 rides on RNRC and TOT before wall of people. They were held until 9 today. Someone said they were holding them to let EMM people ride since Slinky was down.



Wow! I do hope you will head to guest relations to see what kind of compensation can be ordered. Not many people are at EMM for those 2 other rides.


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## WishUponAStarryNight

Babs1975 said:


> Slinky down entire EMM.


Ugh...why can't they get this ride running consistently!?!?!  If you don't have the time (or desire) to deal with GS today, definitely email them when you're home.  Though it took nearly a week to get a response, I was satisfied with the outcome when SDD was down for us, too.


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## Brett Wyman

We went this morning 11-28, 7:30am reservation. Temp was about 48 degrees I believe. We arrived about 6:55 on the dot. Left the Polynesian in our personal car about 6:40. Zero lines at security. Bracelet handout took about 5 mins. We went straight to ABC at 7 to have coffee and pastries and the kids had some cereal and fruit (went back for hot breakfast at 9:45). We walked out of ABC at 7:25 and followed the crowds to TSL where we saw SLINKY DOG WAS DOWN.  Mass hysteria! Not for us, but there was a LONG line to speak to the CM in front of the non-functioning ride. We knocked out Aliens twice and Mania twice and went to check on Slinky again at about 8:15am. Still down! Oh no. Wife took the little one to meet Buzz and I took our daughter for a third round of Mania. After that we spoke with the CM handling the Slinky outage, he informed us everyone who asked (too bad for people who don't know to ask!) would get two free "any experience" Fast Passes for HS for that day, which was good enough for me. Line for Woody and Jessie was LLLLOOOOOONNNGGG. I guess because Slinky wasn't running to eat up the number of people they had to go somewhere. So we skipped that. After one more Alien Spin we saw they were allowing people to queue for Slinky. It started up at 8:55 on the dot and the CM there said the Rope Drop folks were being held later than normal so the EMM people could get a couple rides in. We were able to ride three times before the hordes arrived. The standby line was all the way out to the entrance of TSL by the time we left at 9:30. Overall good experience. In my opinion Disney handled the outage quite well. I was never frustrated. I can imagine the CMs got an earful from some less forgiving guests though. It must have been a light morning as even with Slinky down Aliens was always a direct walk on, and Mania never took more than 5 minutes. On to Epcot for the afternoon/evening!


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## bigeyedfish

So that (of course) would be disappointing, but it sounds like Disney handled it well.  I’ll be happy if we get to ride SDD x3 along with the other rides during our EMM event.


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## Kdp2

Oh man. We were also there this morning. It was me, hubs, MIL, 3yo, and 10mo. It was pretty cold out for Florida but we had several layers on. Family was very cranky with the early time + cold weather. I underestimated their ability to complain lol. 

We’re staying at Bay Lake. We left our room (miraculously) at about 6:25. Bus arrived at 6:34 and we arrived at HS about 6:50. We went right in, no lines, received bands. We got in line at the theater bc it was about 7:05 and I thought they might open at 7:15. MIL and I went over for a coffee and some pastries and brought to hubs and the kids. 3yo had a complete meltdown waiting in line. If you heard screaming that was probably us. Everyone went ahead of us bc we were dealing with him, but it ended up not mattering anyway since Slinky was down the whole morning. 

Wrangled family into Mania. Long wait. By the time we got off it was 8:00 and Slinky still down. We didn’t want to go back on Mania and wait another 20-30min, so went to Aliens. That was a walk on. 3yo was obsessed (so glad he didn’t keep asking for Slinky!). Rode aliens 5x with no wait except the last time the wait was 10 min. Slinky STILL DOWN after all that. Went for Mania one more time, walk on, ride went down as soon as we got on it. We were stuck on it for about 10 minutes. Came out, Slinky finally up. 

We did not get FP added to our bands for Slinky, but I knew from disboards that they were likely to allow us to ride with our EMM bands, so we just went up the the FP line and asked. They did! So me, hubs, 3yo rode Slinky. Kiddo LOVED it. He just lit up. Totally made the morning for me. Went for breakfast which was decent. We are not picky eaters! Then back to beg for one more Slinky ride. I guess the CM remembered our 3yo (he had a distinctive Mickey hat/gloves). This time hubs and MIL went with him. They told me the CM said something like “make this your last time”, whatever that’s supposed to mean. I’m sure we could have asked for more FP or even a refund, but we didn’t. I feel like ultimately we all had a good time and enjoyed it!!


----------



## neverenoughtime

Brett Wyman said:


> We went this morning 11-28, 7:30am reservation. Temp was about 48 degrees I believe. We arrived about 6:55 on the dot. Left the Polynesian in our personal car about 6:40. Zero lines at security. Bracelet handout took about 5 mins. We went straight to ABC at 7 to have coffee and pastries and the kids had some cereal and fruit (went back for hot breakfast at 9:45). We walked out of ABC at 7:25 and followed the crowds to TSL where we saw SLINKY DOG WAS DOWN.  Mass hysteria! Not for us, but there was a LONG line to speak to the CM in front of the non-functioning ride. We knocked out Aliens twice and Mania twice and went to check on Slinky again at about 8:15am. Still down! Oh no. Wife took the little one to meet Buzz and I took our daughter for a third round of Mania. After that we spoke with the CM handling the Slinky outage, he informed us everyone who asked (too bad for people who don't know to ask!) would get two free "any experience" Fast Passes for HS for that day, which was good enough for me. Line for Woody and Jessie was LLLLOOOOOONNNGGG. I guess because Slinky wasn't running to eat up the number of people they had to go somewhere. So we skipped that. After one more Alien Spin we saw they were allowing people to queue for Slinky. It started up at 8:55 on the dot and the CM there said the Rope Drop folks were being held later than normal so the EMM people could get a couple rides in. We were able to ride three times before the hordes arrived. The standby line was all the way out to the entrance of TSL by the time we left at 9:30. Overall good experience. In my opinion Disney handled the outage quite well. I was never frustrated. I can imagine the CMs got an earful from some less forgiving guests though. It must have been a light morning as even with Slinky down Aliens was always a direct walk on, and Mania never took more than 5 minutes. On to Epcot for the afternoon/evening!


Very nice writeup.  How did the anytime fastpasses get added? Did the CM just scan your magic bands and they were then added?


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## Babs1975

So back to condo now, can expand on details. Was really a bummer for us that Slinky was down for EMM as it was the reason we did the experience. We rode TSM twice and AS2 once. AS2 was cute but a one and done for my family. We ended up heading back over to breakfast around 8:15 because we really didn't know what to do with ourselves. Then headed to RNRC and TOT at 8:40. Ropedrop crowd was held until 9. They didn't get to us at TOT until 9:02. I was surprised and thankful at that. Then headed to guest relations. We had gotten the 2 multi experience fp's in TSL but I didn't think that was enough. Since our EMM was already comped for an earlier snafoo in the planning process leading up to our trip, I couldn't ask for money back. So I asked for fp's. CM was reluctant to give Slinky fp's. Offered us Star Tours which we declined. Then tried to give us fp's for tomorrow, which we declined. Finally gave us 1 extra fp for Slinky and 1 for Star Tours, which we didn't need but he threw in anyway. So we ended up with 3 anytime Slinky fp's. Was okay. If I would have actually paid for the event, I would have been very dissatisfied with Slinky being down the whole time and the 2 fp's they were offering. Ridiculous. Saw and heard many very unhappy people. The day worked out fine for us, but definitely wasn't what we expected with EMM.


----------



## EmCredible

We were also there this morning. We arrived at 6:45 and went straight to the line so we could be first for SDD. At 7:20ish they let us into the land and we went straight for the SDD line. Discovered it wasn’t running so went to TMM. The wait was about 20 minutes. Then did Woody and Jesse since SDD was still down. (SDD is the reason we booked this event) rode AS2 and none of the kids wanted to ride again. We got in line for TMM again and it went down while waiting in line. Super frustrating for us. We ended up heading to TOT and rode once before rope drop crowd came. Went to guest relations and they gave us a partial refund. I felt that was deserved after the long waits on the rides available. If it would have been running I would say the event was totally worth it!  We are on day 3 of our trip so that early morning really wore the kids out and it was disappointing that the entire reason we got up early and went was to ride Slinky. Thanks to everyone here that has given reviews and info. I found it extremely helpful!


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## ilanakan

EmCredible said:


> We were also there this morning. We arrived at 6:45 and went straight to the line so we could be first for SDD. At 7:20ish they let us into the land and we went straight for the SDD line. Discovered it wasn’t running so went to TMM. The wait was about 20 minutes. Then did Woody and Jesse since SDD was still down. (SDD is the reason we booked this event) rode AS2 and none of the kids wanted to ride again. We got in line for TMM again and it went down while waiting in line. Super frustrating for us. We ended up heading to TOT and rode once before rope drop crowd came. Went to guest relations and they gave us a partial refund. I felt that was deserved after the long waits on the rides available. If it would have been running I would say the event was totally worth it!  We are on day 3 of our trip so that early morning really wore the kids out and it was disappointing that the entire reason we got up early and went was to ride Slinky. Thanks to everyone here that has given reviews and info. I found it extremely helpful!


What kind of refund did they give you?  Did they offer it or did you have to demand it?


----------



## Brett Wyman

Kdp2 said:


> Oh man. We were also there this morning. It was me, hubs, MIL, 3yo, and 10mo. It was pretty cold out for Florida but we had several layers on. Family was very cranky with the early time + cold weather. I underestimated their ability to complain lol.
> 
> We’re staying at Bay Lake. We left our room (miraculously) at about 6:25. Bus arrived at 6:34 and we arrived at HS about 6:50. We went right in, no lines, received bands. We got in line at the theater bc it was about 7:05 and I thought they might open at 7:15. MIL and I went over for a coffee and some pastries and brought to hubs and the kids. 3yo had a complete meltdown waiting in line. If you heard screaming that was probably us. Everyone went ahead of us bc we were dealing with him, but it ended up not mattering anyway since Slinky was down the whole morning.
> 
> Wrangled family into Mania. Long wait. By the time we got off it was 8:00 and Slinky still down. We didn’t want to go back on Mania and wait another 20-30min, so went to Aliens. That was a walk on. 3yo was obsessed (so glad he didn’t keep asking for Slinky!). Rode aliens 5x with no wait except the last time the wait was 10 min. Slinky STILL DOWN after all that. Went for Mania one more time, walk on, ride went down as soon as we got on it. We were stuck on it for about 10 minutes. Came out, Slinky finally up.
> 
> We did not get FP added to our bands for Slinky, but I knew from disboards that they were likely to allow us to ride with our EMM bands, so we just went up the the FP line and asked. They did! So me, hubs, 3yo rode Slinky. Kiddo LOVED it. He just lit up. Totally made the morning for me. Went for breakfast which was decent. We are not picky eaters! Then back to beg for one more Slinky ride. I guess the CM remembered our 3yo (he had a distinctive Mickey hat/gloves). This time hubs and MIL went with him. They told me the CM said something like “make this your last time”, whatever that’s supposed to mean. I’m sure we could have asked for more FP or even a refund, but we didn’t. I feel like ultimately we all had a good time and enjoyed it!!



Glad you finally got your 3yo on! I’m sure we passed each other as we did all three of our SDD rides between 8:55-9:10!



ilanakan said:


> What kind of refund did they give you?  Did they offer it or did you have to demand it?



I’m guessing you would have to push pretty hard for money back. It seems like they deal in fast passes as the currency for disappointment.


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## Maine Disney First Timer

I am not trying to have an “entitled” attitude but if our family of five has spent $388 on basically an hour and a half of toy story land fun and THE MAIN RIDE of three is down, I would expect some compensation. That’s a lot of money spent for this event and if they can’t have their rides working properly then they need to do something more than a fastpass.


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## Brett Wyman

neverenoughtime said:


> Very nice writeup.  How did the anytime fastpasses get added? Did the CM just scan your magic bands and they were then added?



Yes the CM had to scan everyone in the parties band individually for some reason (I’m guessing that reason is Disney not wanting to give out that many FP, so they bank on some people not asking). They clearly have the power to “push” an any experience fast pass. I had that happen just yesterday when FOP was down during my FP window.


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## DisneyDogFan

I’ve got to say - I understand that rides go down but I don’t think two anytime FP+ is anywhere near appropriate compensation for SDD being down the entire event. 

In addition to not getting to ride Slinky, that makes the lines that much longer for everything else, particularly the character meets, and in all likelihood throws off plans for the rest of the day. I’m so on the fence about this event. The money is worth it to me for avoiding the rope drop frenzy, ease of scheduling, and getting to see TSL without hordes of unhappy people.   Extra FP+ wouldn’t make me feel better if I spent hundreds of dollars, got up at 5:15, and still had to deal with frenzied hordes and scheduling chaos. Potential extra access to Slinky the rest of the day also wouldn’t make me feel better because I actually dislike HS, particularly with all of the construction, and want to leave it as soon as possible after EMM and a few rides on RnR. At minimum, they ought to be figuring out how to open a few more rides or persuading a few extra characters to do meets as a back up plan for when things fail.


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## AllThingsMickey4

Maine Disney First Timer said:


> I am not trying to have an “entitled” attitude but if our family of five has spent $388 on basically an hour and a half of toy story land fun and THE MAIN RIDE of three is down, I would expect some compensation. That’s a lot of money spent for this event and if they can’t have their rides working properly then they need to do something more than a fastpass.



And it sounds like TSMM went down too near the end of the event  We are going to this on 12/5 and if SDD is down someone is going to get an earful from me. I’m normally pretty forgiving because I realize they can’t 100% guarantee ride operation and things happen, but I only booked this because I couldn’t get a FP for SDD on our DHS day. And that’s not because I wasn’t online at 7 am at 60+5 days. MDE wouldn’t recognize ANY of my family’s APs as tickets. I called and they had to escalate the problem. After multiple phone calls (me calling them because no one would call me back) I finally got a CM (it was around noon by now) that offered to make them manually for me... and of course all of the SDD FPS were gone 

To me, 2 anytime Fastpasses aren’t the same as paying for an “exclusive” upcharge event that is supposed to feature lower crowds. I’d imagine the FP line is probably still longer than the 3-5 minutes waits we’ve seen reported on here during EMM. And as PP mentioned, SDD being down makes the lines for the other attractions longer. And we have plans to leave DHS after lunch on our EMM day.. so what happens if SDD is down for an extended period of time?? 

I wish DHS After Hours was offered during our trip. I’d much rather risk SDD not being open when there are other rides to ride and I didn’t get up at 5:30 am in 48 degree weather


----------



## EmCredible

I didn’t push hard for it at all. I was very calm and very kind and simply told not of the cast members in charge of the event (as they were giving out fast passes for later) that we were super disappointed as Slinky was the entire reason we booked the event. She immediately told me that if I’d like to request a refund I could go to guest relations and they would take care of me. (I had a party of 5. 3 adults and 2 children. ). I was given a gift card for $200. Again, I was not giving anyone an earful or demanding. Once I explained that we were super disappointed about slinky being down the cast member at guest relations immediately offered me the partial refund and I felt it was very fair as we had enjoyed breakfast and the kids rode TMM and AS2 and met Woody and Jesse. I absolutely think the event was worth it and would book again in the future, especially given the ease of compensation when something went wrong. Hope this helps someone else.


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## dachsie

AllThingsMickey4 said:


> And it sounds like TSMM went down too near the end of the event  We are going to this on 12/5 and if SDD is down someone is going to get an earful from me. I’m normally pretty forgiving because I realize they can’t 100% guarantee ride operation and things happen, but I only booked this because I couldn’t get a FP for SDD on our DHS day. And that’s not because I wasn’t online at 7 am at 60+5 days. MDE wouldn’t recognize ANY of my family’s APs as tickets. I called and they had to escalate the problem. After multiple phone calls (me calling them because no one would call me back) I finally got a CM (it was around noon by now) that offered to make them manually for me... and of course all of the SDD FPS were gone
> 
> To me, 2 anytime Fastpasses aren’t the same as paying for an “exclusive” upcharge event that is supposed to feature lower crowds. I’d imagine the FP line is probably still longer than the 3-5 minutes waits we’ve seen reported on here during EMM. And as PP mentioned, SDD being down makes the lines for the other attractions longer. And we have plans to leave DHS after lunch on our EMM day.. so what happens if SDD is down for an extended period of time??
> 
> I wish DHS After Hours was offered during our trip. I’d much rather risk SDD not being open when there are other rides to ride and I didn’t get up at 5:30 am in 48 degree weather


I am right there with you. I too will be there on Dec 5 and I don't have the option for FP as that is the day I leave. I also couldn't get a SDD FP due to a glitch. Thankfully I did get FoP


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## Babs1975

Agree with previous posters. 2 fp's are not enough when Slinky is down the whole event. You had to actually know to find these CM's standing in the middle of TSL, which I'm sure a lot of people had no idea. You just went up to one and they put the fp's on your band. I said, 2 fp's? That's it? She said, yes. Wow. Again, if you didn't know to further go to guest relations...no compensation in fp's or money. It's just wrong. Glad some requested half their money back. I would have definitely done that too had mine not already been refunded due to prior problem. I have never once had to deal with guest relations before this trip and we had 3 issues in the planning process and then this EMM. Makes you think, what is going on???


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## SaintsManiac

It's simply awful that they didn't offer refunds. I don't care what the fine print says. The most popular ride in the whole park is down for the entire event? Come on, Disney. They know that Slinky is why people book this event.

The more I read the happier I am that I canceled this. I've read more bad than good so far.


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## Maine Disney First Timer

EmCredible said:


> I didn’t push hard for it at all. I was very calm and very kind and simply told not of the cast members in charge of the event (as they were giving out fast passes for later) that we were super disappointed as Slinky was the entire reason we booked the event. She immediately told me that if I’d like to request a refund I could go to guest relations and they would take care of me. (I had a party of 5. 3 adults and 2 children. ). I was given a gift card for $200. Again, I was not giving anyone an earful or demanding. Once I explained that we were super disappointed about slinky being down the cast member at guest relations immediately offered me the partial refund and I felt it was very fair as we had enjoyed breakfast and the kids rode TMM and AS2 and met Woody and Jesse. I absolutely think the event was worth it and would book again in the future, especially given the ease of compensation when something went wrong. Hope this helps someone else.



$200 gift card is basically half of what you paid ... to me that is fair. I wouldnt expect to necessarily get ALL of my money back bc we still got to "enjoy" the rest of the stuff & have breakfast ... but just being offered 2 fastpasses is not acceptable for spending almost $400 on the event and the main ride is down.


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## Brett Wyman

Darn I should have pushed for the gift card


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## Lisa F

Kdp2 said:


> I feel like ultimately we all had a good time and enjoyed it!!



that was not the ending I was expecting but so happy to hear it.  Anyone with kids has been there, sometimes that's how they "express" themselves.  Honestly that stuff doesn't even register at Disney, there are so many people and so much noise and commotion.  I'm glad you turned it around and what a great attitude!


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## chris benton

NinjaCat said:


> I agree 100%. I received the full refund and fast passes. I was hoping that by sharing my experience, others would be able to receive the same. It is puzzling that they would offer me a refund and not every other person who attended. Honestly it should be automatic and no one should have to ask or beg for compensation. Very strange.



Just a quick update:
 A few days ago, I finally carted off an email to Guest Relations for the issue on 11/5. They gave me a call today, and suffice it to say, I'm happy I did send that email. I wasn't demanding or anything, just very detailed about my experience. I didn't ask for a full refund, but I did let them know that I thought 50% was reasonable all in all. Stuff happens, I get it. I'm all good, even happy about it. I'll say this though - if the food was crappy, I'd be much more grumpy. (I'm still pretty surprised at how good the shrimp and chicken strip dishes were.)


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## Lisa F

chris benton said:


> Just a quick update:
> A few days ago, I finally carted off an email to Guest Relations for the issue on 11/5. They gave me a call today, and suffice it to say, I'm happy I did send that email. I wasn't demanding or anything, just very detailed about my experience. I didn't ask for a full refund, but I did let them know that I thought 50% was reasonable all in all. Stuff happens, I get it. I'm all good, even happy about it. I'll say this though - if the food was crappy, I'd be much more grumpy. (I'm still pretty surprised at how good the shrimp and chicken strip dishes were.)


this is a good approach.  I had a horrible mean at Narcoossees a couple of trips ago and it just ate away at me until I finally sent an email.  It felt good to just get it off my chest.  I actually did not ask for anything, I just wanted someone to say "i'm sorry, that's not ok."  They took VERY good care of me for that issue, and even went above and beyond and replaced my son's BB8 magic band that he lost on space mountain on our last day (I mentioned it as an aside and one showed up in the mail a few days later. IME the cast members at the guest communications email are absolutely stellar.


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## Maine Disney First Timer

Found this review:


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## larry47591

We did this on November 23 and had a great time.  We would totally do this again in the future very much worth it.  Not a chance is heck I would do the Christmas party again.  Total waste of money.  Way to crowded.


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## TISHLOVESDISNEY

Wasn't today the first Friday? Curious with Fridays being added so late how it was.


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## GADisneyDad14

TISHLOVESDISNEY said:


> Wasn't today the first Friday? Curious with Fridays being added so late how it was.



Good question/point!  There was one last Friday (11/23), today was the second one.  Frankly I kind of forgot about them!  

@scjo68 had a pretty glowing report from last Friday:  https://www.disboards.com/threads/d...-faq-discussion.3701980/page-96#post-59985066

My read from the description/what they accomplished was that it was a lower guest count morning than what we’ve generally been seeing, although hard to make the a declarative statement just with one guest’s comments.  

But you’re right, these Fridays were just released 11/5 and Disney doesn’t really advertise, so really much much runway for booking at all.


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## kittylady1972

ColoradoMom12 said:


> We were there 11/19 also! I remember seeing your family!! It was on AS2, which we also did first thing after being let in to TSL. We’re a mom and kid family (my DD is 7), you might have seen us. We went to meet characters after doing AS2 twice (we should have only gone once as the line for Woody & Jessie was getting long when we jumped in it). After that we went to SDD.
> 
> You must have done SDD right around the time we decided to call it quits for that ride. We had been on it twice, both times with a 20 minute wait (actually the second time, I was looking at my photos, it was 19 minutes including the ride time). The line both times was backed up to just underneath the area with the roof. We were happy to do SDD but not to wait in so much of a line so chose to spend the rest of our morning riding AS2 (no wait for that at all). Sounds like maybe the line for SDD wasn’t quite as long when you got there.
> 
> I wish we hadn’t encountered such long waits as I’d read others have been able to ride several times with very minimal wait time, but it just wasn’t the case that morning. I was really glad they offered this event! HS wasn’t even on my agenda for this trip as I hadn’t been able to get FP for SDD. So when this event was announced, I was so excited. It was a great morning for us as well even with the long SDD waits, and my DD says she would do it again. So would I!



Oh wow...so funny.  I'm sure with the two boys dressed in their PJs it would be somewhat easy to remember us.  I am terrible at noticing anybody else.  You are probably in my video...or is this you?



I was with my daughter on this one...loved the Christmas music themed for it!


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## ColoradoMom12

kittylady1972 said:


> Oh wow...so funny.  I'm sure with the two boys dressed in their PJs it would be somewhat easy to remember us.  I am terrible at noticing anybody else.  You are probably in my video...or is this you?
> 
> View attachment 367601
> 
> I was with my daughter on this one...loved the Christmas music themed for it!
> 
> View attachment 367602


It was the Toy Story pajamas that made me remember! Those were SO cute!! Not me in the photo. I was wearing a turquoise Ariel hoodie that morning. I have shoulder-length blonde hair. My daughter has short pixie hair. Maybe you’ll spot us in your video!

We loved holiday music too! We weren’t expecting it so thought it was really fun.


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## TISHLOVESDISNEY

Noticed this was added to site:

_Exclusive Disney Early Morning Magic access to Toy Story Land takes place on select Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 7:30 AM to 8:45 AM. Breakfast will be available until 10:00 AM.
_
I've been watching to see if they add Fridays for our quick January trip, so now I am slightly more hopeful...slightly...


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## dachsie

So I was not able to get Woddy and Jesse today at HS so was hoping this plan would work. Ride AS2 then get in line for Woody/Jesse the go to SDD. Do you think that would work out ok?


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## GADisneyDad14

dachsie said:


> So I was not able to get Woddy and Jesse today at HS so was hoping this plan would work. Ride AS2 then get in line for Woody/Jesse the go to SDD. Do you think that would work out ok?



With the caveat that exact conditions can vary on any given Disney day, seems like a legit plan to me.  Characters seem to be coming out around 7:30am.


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## TammyLynn33

I get up every morning looking for April and still nothing .. ;(  I’d love to be able to kinda plan our trip a little more but we are banking on this running..


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## buzzrelly

TammyLynn33 said:


> I get up every morning looking for April and still nothing .. ;(  I’d love to be able to kinda plan our trip a little more but we are banking on this running..



I'm waiting for April as well, but I'm not holding my breath since we need a very specific date and it's a Friday.


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## Hezzy04

TammyLynn33 said:


> I get up every morning looking for April and still nothing .. ;(  I’d love to be able to kinda plan our trip a little more but we are banking on this running..



I am also waiting for end of April for both EMM events. I keep thinking that any day now we should see them...


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## iujen94

So if a particular EMM only has a 7:00 reservation available, is it safe to assume that there had been a 7:30 slot, but it sold out already?  Do we have any sense of how far in advance these sell out (if they do)?  We are looking at the EMM during Presidents'/Half Marathon week, which I know will be a busy week.


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## GADisneyDad14

iujen94 said:


> So if a particular EMM only has a 7:00 reservation available, is it safe to assume that there had been a 7:30 slot, but it sold out already?  Do we have any sense of how far in advance these sell out (if they do)?  We are looking at the EMM during Presidents'/Half Marathon week, which I know will be a busy week.



Yes, if 7am shows and 7:30am doesn't, the 7:30am time slot is sold out.

I keep an eye on sold out status but it's really too dynamic a situation to really give a definitive answer.  People cancel all the time, Disney adds the 7am time slot somewhere along the way, they recently added some Friday dates, etc - just too much stuff going on to have a totally solid answer. 

But yes, many to most dates sell out and often well in advance.  If important to you, I absolutely would not wait.  Better safe than sorry.


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## Brett Wyman

11-28 was sold out and did not seem crowded at all to me. But I guess everyone’s expectations vary.


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## rxbeth

I just saw a report from someone in a Facebook group who says she's just walked in to EMM for free after her PPO ADR. Maybe that increases the crowds if several people are trying that. Sounds like they weren't checking bands.


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## StacyStrong

rxbeth said:


> I just saw a report from someone in a Facebook group who says she's just walked in to EMM for free after her PPO ADR. Maybe that increases the crowds if several people are trying that. Sounds like they weren't checking bands.



Fingers crossed most people aren't that....poopy.


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## Iowamomof4

rxbeth said:


> I just saw a report from someone in a Facebook group who says she's just walked in to EMM for free after her PPO ADR. Maybe that increases the crowds if several people are trying that. Sounds like they weren't checking bands.



I saw the same post and was shocked!!


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## rxbeth

Iowamomof4 said:


> I saw the same post and was shocked!!



My favourite part was that she tried to justify it by saying they paid $38 per person for breakfast at h&v.  At first she said she did all the rides and characters and then she said just sdd and characters and was only there 30 minutes like it was NBD. I'm sorry, but even a few groups who shouldn't be there pushing back lines is too many.


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## RachaelA

They checked our bands on every ride back on Halloween.


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## kniquy

Just back from our trip.  I want to share a review of our experience attending the EMM on Wed 11/28.  We ordered a MEARS pickup for 6:30am.  The driver was waiting for us as we walked out of the lobby right on time.  I really didn't want to worry about bus transportation so going with a set time for pick up definitely helped release any transportation stress. We arrived about 6:50 and after the walk in were checking in and getting our bands by 6:55.  At that point there were some people lining up but we decided to go and get some pastries and coffee to tie us over until our real breakfast.  We headed out to get in line between 7:15-7:20, at that point we waited about a minute and then the line started to move.  We opted to go for TSM as we figured the line for SDD would be long at that point.  We came out and headed towards SDD only to find out that the ride was down.  We went to AS2 and did one ride on that.  It was a fun ride but certainly a one and done for us.  Getting off we come to find that SDD was still down.  This had to be around 8am, at that point the CM's were say that they were not sure if the ride would open up before park opening, so they started scanning 2 FP for the ride to the guests. We went on TSM another 2 times.  Love the ride but 3 times was enough.  At that point we were around 8:40am.  We were scanned for our 2 FP and were told that Star tours, ToT and RnR were open to EMM guests only.  We were able to ride ToT before RD guests entered and then rode a second time with RD guest.  We felt that it was pretty good guest recovery to give the 2 FP and have the other rides open, so we did not feel the need to complain or try to get our money back.  It was about 9:25 after our second ToT ride and we went off to breakfast.  The food was ok, but we did feel there was a good selection of items from the hot items, pastry, fruits, yogurt and cereal.

I do feel that the CMs did not make any great attempts to inform guests as to what the options were. At breakfast I ran into a mother in the bathroom who said she was able to get one ride on SDD before the RD crowd came in.  I asked if she received her 2 FP and she didn't know anything about getting them.  It seems that if you don't seek out the CM's you have no clue as to what is going on.  Even with the other park rides being open we only happen to hear about the rides as we walked by the SDD entrance.  Maybe there should have been away to make an announcement throughout the TS land to inform guests about what is going on. 

we did go back after breakfast and rode SDD twice with our FP.  Once in the front and once in the back -- the back is much better.  Loved the ride and glad that we were able to experience it.


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## mwheatley

Solid experience this morning, 12/3. They let us into the land around 7:10. We did AS2 2x, TSM 2x, SDD 4x, met buzz. 

Left the land just as the RD CROWD was coming. We then did RNRR and ToT (rider switch for both). Made it into the breakfast around 9:45. 

We felt it was a good value before we even had the breakfast.


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## iujen94

mwheatley said:


> Solid experience this morning, 12/3. They let us into the land around 7:10. We did AS2 2x, TSM 2x, SDD 4x, met buzz.
> 
> Left the land just as the RD CROWD was coming. We then did RNRR and ToT (rider switch for both). Made it into the breakfast around 9:45.
> 
> We felt it was a good value before we even had the breakfast.



Sounds like a great morning!!  What order did you do the rides?  From some reports, it sounds like it might be a good idea to save SDD until later in the event. Just wondered what your experience was. Thanks!!


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## BissyBobbitiBoo

My husband and I did EMM on Friday, 11/30. I am a super early person to avoid any potential kinks in plans, so I booked a MEARS from AKL at 6:10. We were the second people at security. There were very few people there when they let us into HS around 6:50am--like, maybe 15--if that. We opted to hang out in front of the Chinese Theatre instead of going to get breakfast. Again, very few people waiting to go into TSL, even the cast members were asking where everyone was. They walked us to TSL between 7:05-7:10am, and we went straight to SDD. Based on picture times, we were loading our second ride of SDD at 7:19am. By 7:30am, we rode SDD 4x. After that we took a SD break, walked around, took pictures, and rode TSM and AS2. Then we went back and rode SDD 4 more times. Honestly, we could have ridden SDD at least 5 more times (SDD was a walk on at the end of the event), but my husband was getting motion sick and could not handle more. Throughout the event, we never waited more than one slinky dog car--unless we chose to wait longer to ride in the back. We happened to run into the couple who were the first to arrive at the event, and they had ridden SDD nonstop until they hit 12x--that was around 8:30am. TSM took a while to walk through the queue and ride--maybe 12-15 minutes total. 

I kept waiting for the RD crowd to arrive, but at 8:47, they was MIA. My husband was hungry and ready to leave, so we started walking to ABC. But when I saw nooo RD people, I walked back into the land--I was amazed how much time we had to ride and enjoy the land. Buzz had one person in line, so we stopped to take a picture with him. When RD crowd FINALLY arrived at 9:00am, we were in a decent line for Woody and Jesse. Eventually we got out of the line because characters aren't a priority, and we were hungry. As we exited the land at 9:02 am, SDD line was all the way out to the Little Mermaid theater and growing rapidly.

I enjoyed every second of this event and would do it again in a heartbeat! The crowds were extremely low, and we had basically no waits. We could've easily ridden SDD 4+ more times while also riding the other two attractions. We had an absolutely incredible experience. Finally tally was SDD 8x, TSM 1x, and AS2 1x.

Side note: if you go to TSL right before they close (for us, it was 8pm), the wait times usually decrease a good bit. We rode AS2 2x and TSM 1x at night between 7:45-8pm on a Saturday night.


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## mwheatley

iujen94 said:


> Sounds like a great morning!!  What order did you do the rides?  From some reports, it sounds like it might be a good idea to save SDD until later in the event. Just wondered what your experience was. Thanks!!



Yes, loved it. We did AS2 first (we were the first riders), then TSM, took a break and then did SDD (we used rider switch). We could have done more SDD at the end because there wasn’t much of a wait, but we were satisfied.


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## duck524

We went today, 12/3, and it was amazing! We got to the gates about 6:50 and started heading to the Commissary for a quick bite and coffee. When we walked past the Chinese Theatre, there were probably 50-100 people already lined up to get into TSL and I was a bit apprehensive. We got back and joined the end of the line, just in time for it to start moving at about 7:06. We went to TSM—walk-on. Got out at 7:28 and went right into the J&W line. We were about 5-10 groups back. It went pretty quick. Did Buzz after that and it was a short wait. Then we did AS2 once before splitting up to ride SDD/TSM. TSM had a very very short wait and the SDD folks were done before us. Then I went over to SDD and rode it once while the others went to ABC. It was about 9 minutes from getting into line to being off the ride and walking back to ABC. We ate and split up again right around 9. One group went to RNRC and had about a 5-10 minute wait. The other group went and saw Mickey and Minnie and were done before the RNRC folks.

We were in TSL in from about 7:06-8:33 and did 2 TSM, 1 AS2, 1 SDD, and both meet & greets. We could have done more, but our party was happy and hungry. I am very glad we did the meet and greets right at 7:30 because the lines got very long later.

Food was tasty and service at ABC was wonderful. It was very busy between 8:30-9:00 when we were there, which surprised me, but maybe our ride lines were so favorable because today’s guests decided to eat earlier than some other days. We would definitely do this event again.


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## Apopper74

rxbeth said:


> My favourite part was that she tried to justify it by saying they paid $38 per person for breakfast at h&v. At first she said she did all the rides and characters and then she said just sdd and characters and was only there 30 minutes like it was NBD. I'm sorry, but even a few groups who shouldn't be there pushing back lines is too many.


She got what she paid for with H&V.  What she did is theft.  I remember a few years ago some guy in a FB group was at MK on a party night.  Earlier in the day he tried to do Jungle Cruise (w/holiday overlay) but it went down.  As he was exiting the park due to the party he passed JC and asked if he could ride it even though he didn't have a party bracelet.  He explained it was down earlier and the CM let him on.  He then proceeded to exit the park.  I remember such an uproar on the page, how dare he even ask he didn't have a party ticket.  I thought the reaction was excessive, it was the CM's decision to make.  Now this lady at EMM infuriates me, entitled because she had a PPO at H&V and spent $38 pp.  Yeah, well I am spending $79 pp and I don't expect them to let me into H&V and start going around the buffet helping myself.


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## BissyBobbitiBoo

Also, just as a warning, you may want to check your camera and.or photopass account before leaving a meet and greet area at EMM (or at any meet and greet). Our Buzz pictures never made it to our account  and the pictures on our phone are EXTREMELY blurry--you can only see the outline of our bodies. Disappointed, but if that's my only complaint from the morning, I'm a happy camper.


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## chelynnah

BissyBobbitiBoo said:


> Also, just as a warning, you may want to check your camera and.or photopass account before leaving a meet and greet area at EMM (or at any meet and greet). Our Buzz pictures never made it to our account  and the pictures on our phone are EXTREMELY blurry--you can only see the outline of our bodies. Disappointed, but if that's my only complaint from the morning, I'm a happy camper.


You may be able to get them found if you go to a photopass help desk.  Especially if you have your own photos do know the time fore sure.  They should be able to find and load them for you.


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## neverenoughtime

chelynnah said:


> You may be able to get them found if you go to a photopass help desk.  Especially if you have your own photos do know the time fore sure.  They should be able to find and load them for you.


 Where are these help desk located?


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## jsmla

mwheatley said:


> Solid experience this morning, 12/3. They let us into the land around 7:10. We did AS2 2x, TSM 2x, SDD 4x, met buzz.
> 
> Left the land just as the RD CROWD was coming. We then did RNRR and ToT (rider switch for both). Made it into the breakfast around 9:45.
> 
> We felt it was a good value before we even had the breakfast.


This is my plan for next month-glad to see how well it went.  Thanks for taking the time to post!


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## chelynnah

neverenoughtime said:


> Where are these help desk located?


Honestly it’s been a couple of years.  There should be a photopass office in each park.  We used one at Animal Kingdom when photos were missing from there.  Ask any CM where you can go to talk to someone to find missing photos.


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## Lisa F

rxbeth said:


> I just saw a report from someone in a Facebook group who says she's just walked in to EMM for free after her PPO ADR. Maybe that increases the crowds if several people are trying that. Sounds like they weren't checking bands.


I'd not get too worked up about this, she sounds like a troll.

If PPO at H&V gave any meaningful leg up on the RD crowds then it would be the hottest ticket in HS.  I don't think it helps that much with beating the RD crowds at TSL, which she'd have to do to "sneak in" to EMM at TSL.  The logistics just don't seem to work - even if you get seated RIGHT at 8am (which I never have with an 8am PPO, usually about 5-10 minutes in), pay the check, wolf down your food in 20 minutes, run over to TSL to get in by 8:30 so you have 15 minutes before the event is over and the wave of people arrives.

It does not seem like the average guest would be willing to compromise their very expensive character breakfast to steal a couple of rides on SDD, but Disney probably should control access to the land for the entire event and I am sure they will if it becomes a big issue... but I don't think it will.  Doesn't sound like a great strategy and you'd have to be a real nutjob to choke down breakfast to try to steal what amounts to 2 fastpasses worth of rides.  Sure you save $40 over the cost of the event but you get a small fraction of the rides and a miserable breakfast vs. having it during the hour AFTER the event.   Like what is even the point of doing all that?


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## WishUponAStarryNight

Lisa F said:


> I'd not get too worked up about this, she sounds like a troll.
> 
> Sure you save $40 over the cost of the event but you get a small fraction of the rides and a miserable breakfast vs. having it during the hour AFTER the event.   Like what is even the point of doing all that?



I agree, assuming you actually intend to go to the ADR.  If they're not checking wristbands (and I can't remember being asked specifically to see mine during EMM), someone could think it worth the ADR no show fee to give it a shot.  If they get turned away, at worst they show up late for an ADR they may or may not want and risk not being seated.  I don't like that someone would game the system like this, but I don't think it can be discounted, either. Wristbands should be checked to protect against this possibility.


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## AllThingsMickey4

BissyBobbitiBoo said:


> Also, just as a warning, you may want to check your camera and.or photopass account before leaving a meet and greet area at EMM (or at any meet and greet). Our Buzz pictures never made it to our account  and the pictures on our phone are EXTREMELY blurry--you can only see the outline of our bodies. Disappointed, but if that's my only complaint from the morning, I'm a happy camper.



I’ve had to have many pictures retrieved by PhotoPass over the years! Sometimes I don’t realize it until I get home. I send an email to the PhotoPass support people describing the park, time of day, and what we were wearing and they’ve always been able to find it!!


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## AllThingsMickey4

AllThingsMickey4 said:


> I’ve had to have many pictures retrieved by PhotoPass over the years! Sometimes I don’t realize it until I get home. I send an email to the PhotoPass support people describing the park, time of day, and what we were wearing and they’ve always been able to find it!!



You can also have the “magic” added to Magic Shots after the fact if they don’t show up at first


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## AllThingsMickey4

Had a great time this morning! The event never felt crowded. We were let into the land around 7:20 and were led to SDD.. thank goodness no running, pushing or shoving Walked straight onto SDD, got off and got back in line and had about a 5 minute wait. Took a few pictures around the land then walked straight onto Alien Swirling Saucers. That was a one and done for us so we went to TSMM and that one was a walk on too. When we were getting off there wasn’t anyone in line waiting to get on.. crazy!! 

There was a good amount of people in line for Woody and Jessie, so we headed for Buzz who only had one other family in line. Then took a picture in front of the Toy Story land sign. It was 8:10 at this point, so we headed for one more ride on SDD.. about a 8 minute wait that time. Could’ve done it again when we got off but it is COLD this morning. 

 Now we are eating breakfast  I thought it was well worth the money! It felt like we had the land to ourselves! 

So in total we did SDD x 3 (could’ve easily done it 4-5 times), Saucers x 1 (this was walk on all morning), TSMM x 1 (again, walk on), and met Buzz (wait was a couple of minutes). All of this was done by 8:10 except the last ride on SDD.


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## czmom

AllThingsMickey4 said:


> Had a great time this morning! The event never felt crowded. We were let into the land around 7:20 and were led to SDD.. thank goodness no running, pushing or shoving Walked straight onto SDD, got off and got back in line and had about a 5 minute wait. Took a few pictures around the land then walked straight onto Alien Swirling Saucers. That was a one and done for us so we went to TSMM and that one was a walk on too. When we were getting off there wasn’t anyone in line waiting to get on.. crazy!!
> 
> There was a good amount of people in line for Woody and Jessie, so we headed for Buzz who only had one other family in line. Then took a picture in front of the Toy Story land sign. It was 8:10 at this point, so we headed for one more ride on SDD.. about a 8 minute wait that time. Could’ve done it again when we got off but it is COLD this morning.
> 
> Now we are eating breakfast  I thought it was well worth the money! It felt like we had the land to ourselves!
> 
> So in total we did SDD x 3 (could’ve easily done it 4-5 times), Saucers x 1 (this was walk on all morning), TSMM x 1 (again, walk on), and met Buzz (wait was a couple of minutes). All of this was done by 8:10 except the last ride on SDD.



Awesome! Do you know if today was sold out for both 7 and 7:30 slots?


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## dachsie

czmom said:


> Awesome! Do you know if today was sold out for both 7 and 7:30 slots?


Yes it was. 

I was there this morning as well. They started walking us back about 7:10 and held us for the TSL CMs to come get us. I ran to restroom then and they were gone when I got out so I went to AS2 first then to Woody/Jesse meet. Done at 7:40. Got in line for SDD and got off at 7:55. Went back 5 more times. Could have done another but needed to go eat and get back to resort for DME. 

So I did Woody/Jesse, AS2 x 1, SDDx6. I chose not to do TSM because stairs are hard on my knees. Overall a great event!


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## AllThingsMickey4

AllThingsMickey4 said:


> Had a great time this morning! The event never felt crowded. We were let into the land around 7:20 and were led to SDD.. thank goodness no running, pushing or shoving Walked straight onto SDD, got off and got back in line and had about a 5 minute wait. Took a few pictures around the land then walked straight onto Alien Swirling Saucers. That was a one and done for us so we went to TSMM and that one was a walk on too. When we were getting off there wasn’t anyone in line waiting to get on.. crazy!!
> 
> There was a good amount of people in line for Woody and Jessie, so we headed for Buzz who only had one other family in line. Then took a picture in front of the Toy Story land sign. It was 8:10 at this point, so we headed for one more ride on SDD.. about a 8 minute wait that time. Could’ve done it again when we got off but it is COLD this morning.
> 
> Now we are eating breakfast  I thought it was well worth the money! It felt like we had the land to ourselves!
> 
> So in total we did SDD x 3 (could’ve easily done it 4-5 times), Saucers x 1 (this was walk on all morning), TSMM x 1 (again, walk on), and met Buzz (wait was a couple of minutes). All of this was done by 8:10 except the last ride on SDD.



Crowds this morning during the event vs just now. You can’t even really see anything with all the people.


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## OhhBother

We also went to this morning’s event. It was me and DH, and we had a fantastic time.

Got to HS a little before 7 and waited at the front gates just a bit. We were then let in the park, and we went to Commissary to grab a quick bite of cereal. Around 7:10, we lined up in front of the Chinese Theatre. We were let into TSL around 7:20.

Even though it was a sold-out morning, it never felt crowded. We went straight to SDD and rode it twice.  We then rode AS2, TSM and stopped for some PhotoPass photos. We went back to SDD and rode it twice more,
rode TSM again and then grabbed one more ride on SDD. We walked out of TSL as the rope drop crowd was coming in.

We headed to Star Tours and were on the first ride of the day. Then we went to breakfast around 9:30. Everything was fully stocked and stayed that way until 10. DH had the chicken and doughnuts. I had the Mexican bowl. We both agreed mine was the better of the two - it was actually really good.

All in all, we rode SDD five times, TSM twice and AS2 once. We could have easily ridden SDD three or four more times if we’d wanted to, but we took breaks between the rides to give our middle-aged stomachs a break. 

This was our first EMM, and we felt it was definitely worth the money. We will plan to do it again at some point when we bring our niece and nephew with us.


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## neverenoughtime

So, has anyone figured out why there are 2 time slots (7:00 and 7:30) for the same day? Can the people with 7:30 reservations still get in at 7:00?


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## AllThingsMickey4

neverenoughtime said:


> So, has anyone figured out why there are 2 time slots (7:00 and 7:30) for the same day? Can the people with 7:30 reservations still get in at 7:00?



Yes. We had the 7:30 time slot and there was never any separation of the two reservation times


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## mrsxsparrow

Another pair of happy campers with this mornings event here. We took the bus from Animal Kingdom Lodge. I had been watching the times on the app since I woke up. First bus came around 5:55am. We got on the second bus and we were at DHS by 6:30. 

They let us in to the park at 7:00am and definitely tried getting everyone to go to breakfast, but did say we could start lining up to get into the land at 7:30. We headed to ABC and ended up being the first to walk in, and the cast members all started clapping and cheering which was sort of cool. They were all very eager to help and let us know where all the food was which was nice. 

We grabbed pastries and coffee and headed back outside to wait. Around 7:15 or so we started walking to TSL. We did slinky first, twice in a row, waiting about five minutes each time. Then did AS2 twice without getting off — no wait. Picture with Buzz, only one group in front of us. TSMM, walk on. We also stopped for coffee at the stand set up by Woodys Lunch Box, restroom break, and general exploring. At 8:15 we hopped on TSMM again, with about a five minute wait. Then stood outside and waited to watch the rope drop crowd come in — that was INSANE. 

We were happy with the food choices too. We had the Mexican egg dish and both kids items, as well as pastries and cereal. Everything was very good!

In all, we rode everything twice and got a picture with Buzz. We could’ve done a lot more but wanted to take time to explore the land too — and drink coffee since it was early and FREEZING. I would not hesitate to recommend this event to everyone I know!


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## rxbeth

For all the people reporting getting coffee, are you chugging it before going on the rides? Otherwise do you just keep it whilyoi queue for the ride and toss it when it's your turn?


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## mrsxsparrow

rxbeth said:


> For all the people reporting getting coffee, are you chugging it before going on the rides? Otherwise do you just keep it whilyoi queue for the ride and toss it when it's your turn?



We got coffee and used the time to explore the land a little bit. We also drank some while waiting for SDD and threw it out once we were at the front.


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## Brett Wyman

rxbeth said:


> For all the people reporting getting coffee, are you chugging it before going on the rides? Otherwise do you just keep it whilyoi queue for the ride and toss it when it's your turn?



If you walk in at 7:00-7:05 there is plenty of time to get a coffee and pastry before rushing the TSL gates at 7:30. We sat down for about 10 minutes before walking over at 7:25. Unless you just feel like you have to line up to be there before they drop the EMM rope (it should be noted they sometimes open up 7:20 or 7:25). We just strolled in leisurely right at 7:30.


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## ConnecticutNonna

@AllThingsMickey4 
I am actually on my desktop and noticed your avatar for the first time.  Your wedding dress is GORGEOUS!  (As are you!)


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## AllThingsMickey4

ConnecticutNonna said:


> @AllThingsMickey4
> I am actually on my desktop and noticed your avatar for the first time.  Your wedding dress is GORGEOUS!  (As are you!)



Thank you very much!! Still day dreaming about that day!


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## ConnecticutNonna

AllThingsMickey4 said:


> Thank you very much!! Still day dreaming about that day!


It goes by so fast, doesn't it?


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## djc9699

Getting excited for this. We arrive in 10 and are going to EMM at Mk on the 16th and HS on the 17th. Really just want to explore the land without the crowd. We like the rides, too, of course.


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## StacyStrong

EMM this morning was amazing. 

We did Slinky 4x, TSM 2x, and saucers 1x. We also did a couple photopass pictures and rode ToT with no wait before breakfast!


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## Temp77

I did EMM this morning as a solo and most definitely couldn’t complain with the amount of stuff I got done!

I’m staying at BLT and got the bus from the Contemporary at 6:28. I had the whole bus to myself and was at Hollywood Studios in time for when they started letting guests in at 6:50. I went straight to ABC for cereal, pastries and a hot drink before getting in line to enter TSL just after 7:15. The line started moving as soon as I got in it and I was on TSMM just after 7:20. I was offered the chance to stay on TSMM but chose to get off to head for SDD. Wait time for SDD was only 5 minutes and it was practically a walk on the whole event. 

By the time I headed out of TSL as the rope drop crowd arrived I’d done SDD x 5, AS2 x 2, TSMM x 3 and also got my photo taken with Buzz. I managed all that without rushing too and easily could have got an extra couple of rides on SDD had I wanted to.


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## czmom

Great reports this week!! Hope it continues!


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## Mrjoshua

Just got back from WDW, and wanted to offer my review of the Monday 12/3 EMM at Toy Story Land... Amazing and definitely worth the price for us.

We had 7am reservations, and the crowd was let into TSL around 7:15. Although we were first in line, we elected to head straight for the Woody & Jessie meet. This may have been a mistake, since they didn't come out until 7:30. We probably could've ridden either SDD, TSM, or AS2 once, returned, and still been first in line to meet them. Regardless, we met them, and were already meeting Buzz by 7:35.

By 7:45, we were in the line for SDD. The first goaround took about 10 minutes. Every time after ranged from 5 minutes to walk on (mostly walk on).

When the masses got in line around 9:50, we split SDD, and got onto AS2 with less than a 5 minute wait.

After AS2, we walked around briefly, took pictures with the alien/claw, the Christmas ornaments, Hammy cookie, and finally left TSL around 9:05.

We immediately headed to SWLB for pictures with Chewbacca, Kylo Ren, and BB-8. All 3 were accomplished inside of 15 minutes. Then we met Mickey and Minnie near ABC Commissary.

Afterward, we went to eat breakfast at the Commissary around 9:35. We finished shortly after 10am, and began our Fastpasses for the day.

Our rundown from 7:15 - 9:00am
-Woody & Jessie
-Buzz Lightyear
-Slinky Dog Dash x 9
-Alien Swirling Saucers x 1

I can't imagine a better way to accomplish so much in a new park.


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## ConnecticutNonna

@Mrjoshua 
We really want DGS to have the chance to meet the TSL characters as well.  Thank you so much for the heads up!  Love that Mickey and Minnie are there as well!


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## GADisneyDad14

Have to say some of the reports from this week have had a bit of a different tone.  Solid ride counts and not many reports of 'material' SDD waits.  I wonder how much the recent Friday date additions have help to spread around demand a bit.  For example, I just searched and Monday & Friday aren't sold out (Wednesday is).  

Or maybe just a good week at WDW overall.  Reports from the last two MK Disney After Hours and the new AK Disney After Hours event from the past week or so have indicated some pretty light crowds.  

Also, tonight starts what is probably DHS EMM's biggest competition... DHS Disney After Hours. I'm curious to see how that one goes.  

Thank you again to everyone who reports in on this thread!


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## MeeskaMooska13

Sorry if this has been asked before but I’m not seeing dates past March 2019. Do we think they will continue it?


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## GADisneyDad14

MeeskaMooska13 said:


> Sorry if this has been asked before but I’m not seeing dates past March 2019. Do we think they will continue it?



Currently no dates have been made available past March, but unless I'm just way off on my assessment of the popularity or it poses some operational strain to Disney not readily evident (probably not likely), my vote is that it's nearly certain it will continue.  So we're in a holding pattern at the moment to see if/when dates get released.  MK EMM has been like that over time as well... lumpy additions of new dates to book.


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## MeeskaMooska13

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Currently no dates have been made available past March, but unless I'm just way off on my assessment of the popularity or it poses some operational strain to Disney not readily evident (probably not likely), my vote is that it's nearly certain it will continue.  So we're in a holding pattern at the moment to see if/when dates get released.  MK EMM has been like that over time as well... lumpy additions of new dates to book.


Thank you!  I hope you’re right!  Our next trip isn’t until June.


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## TammyLynn33

I’m guessing yes.. if they make money I’m guessing it will continue 
I’m hoping it does I’m kinda banking on it for my Easter trip 


QUOTE="MeeskaMooska13, post: 60023115, member: 468801"]Sorry if this has been asked before but I’m not seeing dates past March 2019. Do we think they will continue it?[/QUOTE]


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## TammyLynn33

GADISDAD,
Is there a threat for this? 



GADisneyDad14 said:


> Have to say some of the reports from this week have had a bit of a different tone.  Solid ride counts and not many reports of 'material' SDD waits.  I wonder how much the recent Friday date additions have help to spread around demand a bit.  For example, I just searched and Monday & Friday aren't sold out (Wednesday is).
> 
> Or maybe just a good week at WDW overall.  Reports from the last two MK Disney After Hours and the new AK Disney After Hours event from the past week or so have indicated some pretty light crowds.
> 
> Also, tonight starts what is probably DHS EMM's biggest competition... DHS Disney After Hours. I'm curious to see how that one goes.
> 
> Thank you again to everyone who reports in on this thread!


----------



## sapphirerose915

Here right now... they let us in at 710... rode TSM at 714.. off and over to AS2 ×2 times... met Woody, Jessie, and Buzz..  now online for Slinky with a supposedly 20 min wait.. and it is 755!!  I'd recommend this to ANYONE

Edit- was a 10 min wait

Edit #2- we went and got some breakfast.. I thought the Mexican dish and shrimp and grits were both really good. Charcuterie was ehhhh... my son had the chicken and donuts.. he just ate the chicken and some blueberries from the buffet. My husband hated EVERYTHING... so now we are at McDs... lol

But all in all we rode TSMx1, AS2 x 2, SDD x1, and met Woody, Jessie, and Buzz and got the pic in front of a toy story land sign all by 805. As we were leaving we saw the rope drop crowd and my DH was like what is that???? Thank you for this board helping me plan!!!


----------



## djc9699

sapphirerose915 said:


> My husband hated EVERYTHING... so now we are at McDs... lol


 That's funny. Sounds like my oldest son.


----------



## Ariel620

TSL EMM was amazing!  Worth every penny!

Staying at BLT.

6:08 Bus to HS

6:32 topiary pic at HS

6:42 got bands

6:50 scan entry into HS.

6:55 fruit, yogurt, pastry at breakfast 

7:11 leave commissary breakfast

Crowd had already been released and were riding slinky when we arrived at 7:17

Then in order we did this:

7:18 

SDD x1

Meet woody & Jessie -1st in line

Meet Buzz

AS2 x1

TSMM x2

SDD x3

When we got off that last ride on SDD the line as we were walking out was out of toy story line, past the DVC kiosk.

We then met Mickey and Minnie 

Then Met olaf

9:35 arrive for real breakfast.  Our party of 7, probably ate 14 breakfast meal orders (but some were the small kids meals).  Easily got the chicken nuggets without the syrup.  The shrimp and grits were a favorite, so was the Mexican egg bowl. Kids loved scrambled eggs and chicken nuggets.  Glad we could get lots of diet soda, in addition to coffee.  

Then at 10:15 rode ST w FP

Then met some dis jr characters 

Then RNRC FP

Then TOT FP

Then Xmas snacks egg nog, chocolate Verona’s, were really good.

Then saw A few shows, now back at hotel,

A truly awesome day!


----------



## Lisa F

Does anyone have a guess on how the days with only the 7:30 time slot will run?  I am guessing there will be no breakfast at 7 but do you think they'll be letting people in to TSL a bit early?  Didn't early confirmations say to arrive by 7 regardless of time booked?


----------



## MIAMouseketeer

We are going tomorrow and I will be posting to my IG and Instastory from tomorrow’s EMM. My account is DisneyDaysShay


----------



## Eve & Wall-e

DH and I did EMM on Monday, 12/3. We really enjoyed it. We were let into Toy Story Land at 7:10 am. We went directly to SDD and were riding after just a few minutes wait. It was once and done for me. For some reason I got a little queasy towards the end of the ride. DH and I were sitting in the last row. Was that the reason? I don't know. Then we rode AS2. Neither one of us liked this one at all. Then I spotted a short line and got in it, knowing Woody and Jessie were going to be there. After about five minutes they arrived. Later that line was quite long. So was the Buzz line. We rode Toy Story Mania three times in a row after that. We took a lot of photos of Toy Story Land. Then the rope drop crowd arrived. Wow, so glad we did EMM! We really appreciated the low crowds. After that we headed to breakfast.


----------



## WaterLinds

Lisa F said:


> Does anyone have a guess on how the days with only the 7:30 time slot will run?  I am guessing there will be no breakfast at 7 but do you think they'll be letting people in to TSL a bit early?  Didn't early confirmations say to arrive by 7 regardless of time booked?


I’m curious too—trying to recall if there have been any single time slot days since they started doing the doubles?

Our March date is currently only showing 7:30, and it’s not sold out yet.  I’m guessing if it gets full they’ll open up a 7:00 slot too, so I’m keeping an eye on that.

It’s nice to see the recent reports of rides starting early. Although I’ve been worried that if breakfast IS open and my family wanders in there to grab something quickly I’m going to struggle to get all five of us back out the door for early rides (the little one likes his multi course breakfasts and husband is just generally not good at rushing). So maybe we’re better off if it stays at just a 7:30 slot!


----------



## Lisa F

WaterLinds said:


> I’m curious too—trying to recall if there have been any single time slot days since they started doing the doubles?
> 
> Our March date is currently only showing 7:30, and it’s not sold out yet.  I’m guessing if it gets full they’ll open up a 7:00 slot too, so I’m keeping an eye on that.
> 
> It’s nice to see the recent reports of rides starting early. Although I’ve been worried that if breakfast IS open and my family wanders in there to grab something quickly I’m going to struggle to get all five of us back out the door for early rides (the little one likes his multi course breakfasts and husband is just generally not good at rushing). So maybe we’re better off if it stays at just a 7:30 slot!



I think most people just grab something light before the rides open and then have the full breakfast after.  You could make it very clear what the rules are, lol.  

I don't care so much about the early breakfast but it would be nice if they let people in starting more like 7:15 or whatever earlier they have been doing even for the 7:30 slot.  My date in January only has the 7:30 slot so I'm guessing lower crowds will compensate if they let people in at 7:30 on the dot but I'm hoping that since only breakfast is supposed to be open at 7 and rides not til 7:30 that the earlier open time will hold up even without the 7am slot.


----------



## MagicalMawMaw

We did EMM on Monday & it was awesome!

I pre scheduled Mears for 6:15 from AKL & we were at HS & waiting at security before they let us in. 

After security we were held again for alittle while till they let us into the park.

After we entered the park everyone was ushered to breakfast & not encouraged to stop. We went to the breakfast area , looked around & took a bathroom break.

We then exited & lined up with about 10 more people. Within minutes we were allowed into toy story land.

We were on SDD & my first photo was at 7:11. The second photo was at 7:20. (This one would of  been sooner, but we waited as a handle bar that holds you in wouldn’t come up & they had to work on getting it to unlatch before they loaded the ride again)

After these 2 rides it was still walk on & we could of rode it over & over , but hubby was done on that one.

We rode the other ride next. One time & the ride was empty besides us on it. Was okay but not worth a repeat for sure.

Then 3 times onToy Story. The second time we were able to stay on the ride. It was walk on but it’s a long walk back around each time.

After that hubby was done & we could of rode lots & lots more easily.

We went to breakfast & enjoyed what we ate & a nice glass of iced tea.

We ride one more SDD & then checked out the stores. As RD people were entering the parks we went to TOT & ride a 1/2 empty ride there.

EMM was great! Low crowds & a person could sure ride lots more than we did if they wanted to. 

We didn’t do any characters but Buzz had maybe 2 people in line were we passed by. The other character line grew steadily each time we passed by & it was getting really long.


----------



## MIAMouseketeer

Went this morning and it was great! I posted a lot of pics with time stamps on my Instastory and my handle is DisneyDaysShay. I will be writing a review soon for my blog, but now headed back to our hotel for a much needed nap


----------



## WaterLinds

Lisa F said:


> I think most people just grab something light before the rides open and then have the full breakfast after. You could make it very clear what the rules are, lol.



Oh how I wish that would work. I could probably get the kids to do it but the husband is another story...even just grabbing a pastry and a coffee will somehow eat up half an hour. And it’s almost certain they will have already made us run late getting there in the first place. Every once in a while I get to do stuff with just my older kid and it’s amazing how fast we can move and get stuff done!

I’m thinking if it is open early I’m going to try to hide that fact from my family and tell them we just have to line up for the land and eat a granola bar while we wait. Or maybe I can send them over to line up and big kid and I can duck in and grab pastries for everyone.

Looks like January 9 is the next time there’s only one time slot so we’ll be waiting a while for a report on how they handle it. I agree, I’d like to see the land open a bit early since it’s such a short event overall.  It seems like that’s becoming a more consistent feature so hopefully it continues!


----------



## Brett Wyman

We are going a second time (we went first on the 11-28 SDD is down day) on 2-25. So far its a 7:30 only sold out day. Interested to hear from others how the 7:30 only days work (or perhaps by then Disney will add a second slot ). We waited until 7:30 on the dot to walk into TSL last time. Seems like CMs are letting people in earlier and earlier now.


----------



## Sheree

our date in January is not sold out and only a 7:30 slot
still debating whether to use Lyft/Uber r wait on the bus.  We'll be at SSR

It'll be DS birthday that day, he's a big TS fan (and he'll be 25!)


----------



## ConnecticutNonna

Sheree said:


> our date in January is not sold out and only a 7:30 slot
> still debating whether to use Lyft/Uber r wait on the bus.  We'll be at SSR
> 
> It'll be DS birthday that day, he's a big TS fan (and he'll be 25!)


I don't care how old you are, who doesn't love Woody???


----------



## GADisneyDad14

FYI, there have been 7:30AM only dates so far (not many, but some) and they are handled the exact same way - no change to any times or processes.


----------



## PatrickN24

We did EMM this morning. It was absolutely worth it for us. 

We got to HS around 640am. We were probably the 5th group there. We were let into the park around 650am. They try really hard to get you to go to breakfast. Most people went for breakfast. We lined up to head for the land. We were the first group there. 

We were allowed into the land a little before 7:10am. I didn't note the exact time but I do know I was the first person into the SDD line and that was at 7:11am. Rode SDD 4 times and were off the 4th time at 7:52am. 

We went over to TSMM and rode 3 times in a row. No wait at all...just the long queue and exit to walk through. If lucky enough to not have anyone waiting for your seat, they allowed guests to go again without exiting. We got off the 3rd time at 8:35am. 

Back to SDD for what we thought would be the last ride before rope drop crowd arrived. We actually got off the ride at 8:51am, in time to line up for one last ride ahead of the rope drop crowd. We were off SDD for the 6th time at 9:02am. 

We chose to exit toy story land and head to tower of terror instead of getting in line for woody. There were maybe 10 families in line at that point. 

Breakfast last.

All in all, SDDx6, TSMMx3, ToT, and breakfast.


----------



## Lisa F

GADisneyDad14 said:


> FYI, there have been 7:30AM only dates so far (not many, but some) and they are handled the exact same way - no change to any times or processes.


they had breakfast open at 7am?


----------



## Lisa F

actually they have recently added a 7am time to my date. boo  but 7:30 is not sold out either so I guess we will see!  We'll just get there super early and get the double breakfast thing going.  I'm sure my kid will be happy to have pastries first and mama's gonna need some coffee at that time of morning.


----------



## burger315

Hello All,

Maybe I have missed this in the thread - My day has both 7:00 and 7:30. I purchased 7:30.

Does this mean that the area will be already crowded when they let us in at 7:30?

Thanks


----------



## GADisneyDad14

burger315 said:


> Hello All,
> 
> Maybe I have missed this in the thread - My day has both 7:00 and 7:30. I purchased 7:30.
> 
> Does this mean that the area will be already crowded when they let us in at 7:30?
> 
> Thanks



Everyone is let in at the exact same time regardless of reservation time.  So far, they are generally letting folks in the park 6:45/50ish and into the land 7:15-7:20ish.  The commissary is open for folks to grab a quick bite before heading into the land, if so desired.  The exact timing has been a bit variable based on reports, so take those as approx times.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Lisa F said:


> they had breakfast open at 7am?



Yes.


----------



## duck524

Eve & Wall-e said:


> DH and I did EMM on Monday, 12/3. We really enjoyed it. We were let into Toy Story Land at 7:10 am. We went directly to SDD and were riding after just a few minutes wait. It was once and done for me. For some reason I got a little queasy towards the end of the ride. DH and I were sitting in the last row. Was that the reason? I don't know. Then we rode AS2. Neither one of us liked this one at all. Then I spotted a short line and got in it, knowing Woody and Jessie were going to be there. After about five minutes they arrived. Later that line was quite long. So was the Buzz line. We rode Toy Story Mania three times in a row after that. We took a lot of photos of Toy Story Land. Then the rope drop crowd arrived. Wow, so glad we did EMM! We really appreciated the low crowds. After that we headed to breakfast.


I think we were behind you in the Woody/Jessie line. We were the big group with the kiddo in a Jessie dress.


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## mlnbabies

We are booked for 7:30 since that was the only time for 2-13. Looking forward to it.


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## KCF1216

Hello,
We (family of 5) went to this event this morning so I thought I’d add a post with our experience.

We left the Boardwalk Inn at 7am (late start!) and the kids were super excited so practically ran the whole way.  We were through security by 7:16. I guess there is a new walkway as of today (and new bathrooms).  We don’t know what the old one was but were told this as we walked by.

We went straight into toy story land, it was already open.  I have is getting in there at 7:25.

We did Toy Story Mania twice (we didn’t have to get off).  Then we met Woody and Jesse (line wasn’t too bad then).  Then 2 rides on Slinky, first had about 10 minute wait, second was much faster.  Then 2 rides on the Aliens.  Then 2 more Slinky rides with no wait. We stopped for some drinks at the coffee/water station, bathrooms, and also to buy souvenirs.  We did the Toy Story photo pass on the way out.  

We were at the rope drop for Rock n Roller coaster before 8:45 and made it into the second car. We rode this again and then tower of terror which also didn’t have a wait yet. 

My husband and oldest son went back on tower of terror with a posted wait of 13 minutes while I took the other 2 for breakfast.

We tried the eggs/avocado and all of the kids meals.  They were still taking orders at 10am.  

Overall a great experience and we would definitely do it again to avoid those lines!


----------



## NotTheBatesMotel

Buying tickets today for the 1/21 date! I was hoping to catch DAH at HS but there aren't any dates for my trip. We are looking forward to experiencing this again!


----------



## MonaMN

KCF1216 said:


> Hello,
> We (family of 5) went to this event this morning so I thought I’d add a post with our experience.
> 
> We left the Boardwalk Inn at 7am (late start!) and the kids were super excited so practically ran the whole way.  We were through security by 7:16. I guess there is a new walkway as of today (and new bathrooms).  We don’t know what the old one was but were told this as we walked by.
> 
> We went straight into toy story land, it was already open.  I have is getting in there at 7:25.
> 
> We did Toy Story Mania twice (we didn’t have to get off).  Then we met Woody and Jesse (line wasn’t too bad then).  Then 2 rides on Slinky, first had about 10 minute wait, second was much faster.  Then 2 rides on the Aliens.  Then 2 more Slinky rides with no wait. We stopped for some drinks at the coffee/water station, bathrooms, and also to buy souvenirs.  We did the Toy Story photo pass on the way out.
> 
> We were at the rope drop for Rock n Roller coaster before 8:45 and made it into the second car. We rode this again and then tower of terror which also didn’t have a wait yet.
> 
> My husband and oldest son went back on tower of terror with a posted wait of 13 minutes while I took the other 2 for breakfast.
> 
> We tried the eggs/avocado and all of the kids meals.  They were still taking orders at 10am.
> 
> Overall a great experience and we would definitely do it again to avoid those lines!


Sounds like an amazing morning! Looking forward to trying this in March!!!!


----------



## Ek0804

Hi all, just wanted to share my experience from yesterday (Friday, Dec. 14). My husband and I arrived ~6:45am (drove ourselves from POFQ). We quickly went through security (bag free, but no line either way) and headed toward ABC Commissary. We grabbed coffee, then headed over to the Chinese Theater. We were first in line there and held until 7:15, when we were slowly led by cast members to TSL. 

We were on the first SDD train (timestamp on pic was 7:22). We went on again right after, with a time stamp of 7:30. Then we took a restroom break (darn coffee!) and headed to AS2, which was a walk-on with only 2 other groups on it. Once on that was enough, so we headed to TSM. Rode that once with barely any wait, then headed back to SDD for a couple more rides (time stamps of 8:02 and 8:10). For these rides, the clock said it would be 15-minute waits, but both waits were ~5-6 min. My husband doesn’t love SDD (he’s afraid of heights, but a good sport about doing most of the Disney coasters with me), so we once again headed back to TSM. However, we’re pretty competitive and our shooting arms got tired quickly (lol), so to take another break, we went back to SDD again (time stamps of 8:32 and 8:38). It was obviously not the most efficient plan to go back and forth so many times. If we didn’t do that, we could have easily done another ride or two (or more). We then did several Photopass pictures before heading back to TSM for one last ride before the rope drop crowd appeared. 

In total:
SDD - 6 times
TSM - 3 times
AS2 - 1 time

After that, we headed to breakfast with no wait there. My husband and I are plant-based and got the chilaquiles made vegan. They were soo good! We also got the sweet potato tots, which were good, but a bit too sweet for me (tasted like they had a touch of powdered sugar on them?). Overall, a wonderful morning and absolutely worth the price to us. (The rope drop line for SDD was far enough back when we left that they weren’t even in TSL anymore. I can’t imagine waiting in that line!)


----------



## iujen94

I just wanted to say a quick thanks for this thread and all the trip reports!  We are going in February, and it’s been particularly helpful knowing how early guests can be let into TSL (and it sounds like it’s usually before the 7:30 start time - yay!)


----------



## jsmla

Ek0804 said:


> After that, we headed to breakfast with no wait there. My husband and I are plant-based and got the chilaquiles made vegan. They were soo good! We also got the sweet potato tots, which were good, but a bit too sweet for me (tasted like they had a touch of powdered sugar on them?). Overall, a wonderful morning and absolutely worth the price to us. (The rope drop line for SDD was far enough back when we left that they weren’t even in TSL anymore. I can’t imagine waiting in that line!)



Thanks for the review, nice to hear that you can “customize” the chilaquiles!


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

We’re planning this for our first park day.  We’ll have the military salute tickets.  If we don’t get a chance to get them activated the day before (which is our arrival day), will there be someone there at 6:30 or so to activate them?  Where would we go?
Thanks.


----------



## dachsie

PrincessArlena'sDad said:


> We’re planning this for our first park day.  We’ll have the military salute tickets.  If we don’t get a chance to get them activated the day before (which is our arrival day), will there be someone there at 6:30 or so to activate them?  Where would we go?
> Thanks.


you have to activate at guest services.  I don't think they are there that early.  activate them the day before, even if you have to go to DS to do it


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## TammyLynn33

Ok so we are going at Easter.. does anyone know when they usually release new dates by? Would it be before the 60 day fast pass day? 
I’m just wondering how everyone plans their day/Fastpass if they don’t I know if this is running during their planned day??
It’s already affecting ADRs because I will have to rearrange those lol but I’m flexible.. I’m just impatient I guess and planning is getting me through the stress of day to day life ha ha


----------



## GADisneyDad14

TammyLynn33 said:


> Ok so we are going at Easter.. does anyone know when they usually release new dates by? Would it be before the 60 day fast pass day?
> I’m just wondering how everyone plans their day/Fastpass if they don’t I know if this is running during their planned day??
> It’s already affecting ADRs because I will have to rearrange those lol but I’m flexible.. I’m just impatient I guess and planning is getting me through the stress of day to day life ha ha



Post #2 has what little historical date/release date info we have with DHS EMM so far:  https://www.disboards.com/threads/d...gic-emm-faq-discussion.3701980/#post-59644645

Unfortunately the pattern with this and MK EMM over time has been a bit lumpy in terms of when they release dates.  It’s often well before the 60 day mark, but that’s not always a given.  

I keep assuming we’ll get some April+ dates any time now, but for better or worse it’s a waiting game at this point.  

Personally, I’d make your plans as if it won’t be offered and then re-adjust later if dates do come out that work for you, that way you won’t be disappointed.


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## TammyLynn33

Thank you.. yes I feel like it should be any day if it is going to happen. That said I’m perfectly good with it being after Christmas bills are paid ha ha 
But it clearly would affect our entire day at HS as I’d prefer not to go to TSL at all during regular hours if it’s that crazy crowded  






GADisneyDad14 said:


> Post #2 has what little historical date/release date info we have with DHS EMM so far:  https://www.disboards.com/threads/d...gic-emm-faq-discussion.3701980/#post-59644645
> 
> Unfortunately the pattern with this and MK EMM over time has been a bit lumpy in terms of when they release dates.  It’s often well before the 60 day mark, but that’s not always a given.
> 
> I keep assuming we’ll get some April+ dates any time now, but for better or worse it’s a waiting game at this point.
> 
> Personally, I’d make your plans as if it won’t be offered and then re-adjust later if dates do come out that work for you, that way you won’t be disappointed.


----------



## djc9699

We went to EMM at HS yesterday, Dec 17th. We scheduled a Mears car for 6:15 and arrived at the bag check area at 6:28. we were through bag check at 6:40 and let into the park at about 6:50. We were second in line behind a couple that we chatted with and were held at the ramp until 7:15ish. We then were led into the land with no one pushing, running, or trying to move around anyone. It was a very smooth process at HS and MK could take lessons. We originally had planned to hit TSM first, but since we were at the front we went ahead and rode the first dog of the day. We went to TSM and then back to SDD for 3 more rides. We did one spin on AS2 and 2 more times on TSM. At that time it was 7:28, my girl was hungry so we headed to the commissary. We could have done more, but we kind of moseyed around. We did not like the breakfast. We tried the chicken and doughnut and I got the kids scrambled eggs. The chicken was nasty and tasted burnt in old oil. The eggs were fine. We did not care for the sweet potato barrels either. We were served quickly and asked for sodas since we don't drink juice. Just after everyone entered the park we made our way to TOT and rode with a ten minute wait. We checked RNR but the wait was already long so we walked over to Epcot. We did not go near the busses so I guess the walk is back to normal? Only took about 15-20 minutes walking at a somewhat slow pace.

There were two different people who came to tell the CMs that their res. was at 7 so they should be in the land. Both times were told 7 is for breakfast. One argued for a few minutes but eventually gave up. Just confirming no difference between res. times. We enjoyed the leisurely feel of this and will do it again on Wednesday.


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## TammyLynn33

Thanks for  sharing . How far in advance did you book mears? I think we may book them a couple times for ease of travel .. it went smooth? 


QUOTE="djc9699, post: 60048282, member: 511433"]We went to EMM at HS yesterday, Dec 17th. We scheduled a Mears car for 6:15 and arrived at the bag check area at 6:28. we were through bag check at 6:40 and let into the park at about 6:50. We were second in line behind a couple that we chatted with and were held at the ramp until 7:15ish. We then were led into the land with no one pushing, running, or trying to move around anyone. It was a very smooth process at HS and MK could take lessons. We originally had planned to hit TSM first, but since we were at the front we went ahead and rode the first dog of the day. We went to TSM and then back to SDD for 3 more rides. We did one spin on AS2 and 2 more times on TSM. At that time it was 7:28, my girl was hungry so we headed to the commissary. We could have done more, but we kind of moseyed around. We did not like the breakfast. We tried the chicken and doughnut and I got the kids scrambled eggs. The chicken was nasty and tasted burnt in old oil. The eggs were fine. We did not care for the sweet potato barrels either. We were served quickly and asked for sodas since we don't drink juice. Just after everyone entered the park we made our way to TOT and rode with a ten minute wait. We checked RNR but the wait was already long so we walked over to Epcot. We did not go near the busses so I guess the walk is back to normal? Only took about 15-20 minutes walking at a somewhat slow pace.

There were two different people who came to tell the CMs that their res. was at 7 so they should be in the land. Both times were told 7 is for breakfast. One argued for a few minutes but eventually gave up. Just confirming no difference between res. times. We enjoyed the leisurely feel of this and will do it again on Wednesday.[/QUOTE]


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## TISHLOVESDISNEY

Heads up for April peeps. Dates loaded, not bookable yet.


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## M SH

TISHLOVESDISNEY said:


> Heads up for April peeps. Dates loaded, not bookable yet.



i need May 1st! so close, yet so far..


----------



## canyoncam

Waiting for mid May. I was going to do this on my February trip but dates with all else I wanted to do didn’t mesh. Doing DAH at HS instead, figured too that EMM is more likely to stick around for May verses DAH.


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## PrincessArlena'sDad

Feels all that much closer to July 1.


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## GADisneyDad14

TISHLOVESDISNEY said:


> Heads up for April peeps. Dates loaded, not bookable yet.



Nice!


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## TammyLynn33

So are we thinking tomorrow at 7 or 8??? So excited


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## GADisneyDad14

TammyLynn33 said:


> So are we thinking tomorrow at 7 or 8??? So excited



It doesn't always follow a time pattern.  It might be 7am or it might just flip on at some random point... hard to tell.


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## GADisneyDad14

Great recent reviews by @djc9699, @KCF1216, @Ek0804, @PatrickN24, thank you guys so much for stopping by to share your experiences. I can't stress enough how helpful it is to see real-world time-stamped detail so we can collectively keep track of event logistics and timing strategies.  So helpful.  

Post #3 has been updated with links.  

Thanks again!


----------



## Sheree

has anyone used uber or lyft or just mears?  we'll be at saratoga


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## dachsie

Sheree said:


> has anyone used uber or lyft or just mears?  we'll be at saratoga


I called Uber Dec 5 when I went and it went fine.


----------



## djc9699

TammyLynn33 said:


> Thanks for sharing . How far in advance did you book mears?


I booked at about 11:00 the night before. It actually arrived about 5 mins to 6 but waited for us. It was worth it to us so we did not have to worry about when (and if) a bus would come and it dropped us very close to the entrance. Much closer than the buses. We are doing a repeat tomorrow.


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## TammyLynn33

April is bookable!! I just booked!!!
So relieved


----------



## Hezzy04

TammyLynn33 said:


> April is bookable!! I just booked!!!
> So relieved



Me too!!!!!! Yayyyy!!! Now just waiting for Magic Kingdom EMM....lol


----------



## vacapa

I see that the April dates are Monday and Wednesday. Any chance they will add on Fridays around Easter?


----------



## TammyLynn33

Ok so maybe this might be for another thread ?? But what do ppl rope drop and Fastpass? 
And no we won’t be going into TSL after to avoid crowds ..


----------



## wddub2015

Just booked for 4/1 - so excited!  Thanks to folks on this thread for all of the detailed reviews!


----------



## GADisneyDad14

TammyLynn33 said:


> Ok so maybe this might be for another thread ?? But what do ppl rope drop and Fastpass?
> And no we won’t be going into TSL after to avoid crowds ..



To me it depends on a lot of variables. Ages in your group.... your plan for the day... if you have hopper tickets or not.  

For us, we would go to Tot and RnR at Rope Drop... then go eat.... then hit any shows or other lower priority things at DHS, then call it a day - we’re more 1/2 day folks at DHS.   We have APs so can hop, so would keep our FPs for later in another park.  

But that’s not a one size fits all answer so might not fit your plans/style.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

vacapa said:


> I see that the April dates are Monday and Wednesday. Any chance they will add on Fridays around Easter?



I’m curious about this as well.  We haven’t seen the Friday dates added past December yet.  I’m wondering how bold Disney feels about this event and if they think they can continually support (fill) three days a week even during winter/spring.  Late March through Easter would seem like a good time for them to add Fridays, in my opinion.


----------



## Soccer Princess

We are here this morning. Arrived at 7am for bag check, grabbed juice and pastries to eat in line. Slinky didn’t start running until 8am so now the line is super long. We have been waiting for over 20 minutes now.  We were let in at 7:20 and rode Alien Saucers, were third family in line for Woody and Jessie, Met Buzz, did entry to TSL photo pass and then Toy Story Mania by 7:55ish.

Total wait for Slinky was 33 minutes for us.


----------



## TammyLynn33

So you had no probs rope dropping both then hitting breakfast? What did you Fastpass? Thanks  

QUOTE="GADisneyDad14, post: 


60050979, member: 522402"]To me it depends on a lot of variables. Ages in your group.... your plan for the day... if you have hopper tickets or not. 

For us, we would go to Tot and RnR at Rope Drop... then go eat.... then hit any shows or other lower priority things at DHS, then call it a day - we’re more 1/2 day folks at DHS.   We have APs so can hop, so would keep our FPs for later in another park. 

But that’s not a one size fits all answer so might not fit your plans/style.[/QUOTE]


----------



## rxbeth

Soccer Princess said:


> We are here this morning. Arrived at 7am for bag check, grabbed juice and pastries to eat in line. Slinky didn’t start running until 8am so now the line is super long. We have been waiting for over 20 minutes now.  We were let in at 7:20 and rode Alien Saucers, were third family in line for Woody and Jessie, Met Buzz, did entry to TSL photo pass and then Toy Story Mania by 7:55ish.
> 
> Total wait for Slinky was 33 minutes for us.



Oh no! Did they tell you slinky was down or were people wasting time in line? That's disappointing


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

TammyLynn33 said:


> So you had no probs rope dropping both then hitting breakfast? What did you Fastpass? Thanks


We haven't done it, but there are multiple reports of successfully:
Leaving EMM at 8:45
Riding RnRC first
Then ToT
Getting back for breakfast by 9:30

RnRC will build a line faster than ToT, and is a shorter ride, so we plan on doing that first.

Also, if any delays and tough have to skip ToT to get to breakfast, you are more likely to get ToT as a 4th FP, and the stand by line is shorter than RnRC, if all else fails.

We plan on getting FP for star tours and 2 shows. Maybe Indiana Jones and BatB. Little mermaid as 4th FP. Start tours again as 5th Fp if possible.  Our HS day is July 1, so it'll be crowded. We'll see how it goes.


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

Soccer Princess said:


> We are here this morning. Arrived at 7am for bag check, grabbed juice and pastries to eat in line. Slinky didn’t start running until 8am so now the line is super long. We have been waiting for over 20 minutes now.  We were let in at 7:20 and rode Alien Saucers, were third family in line for Woody and Jessie, Met Buzz, did entry to TSL photo pass and then Toy Story Mania by 7:55ish.
> 
> Total wait for Slinky was 33 minutes for us.


Did you ask for/ get extra FP to make up for it?


----------



## Avery&Todd

I have a food question (of course!!  ) - I've seen pictures that there are sweet potato "tots" included in some of the breakfast dishes -do they by chance have the option for just regular ones or are only sweet potato ones available?

Thanks!


----------



## MIAMouseketeer

Avery&Todd said:


> I have a food question (of course!!  ) - I've seen pictures that there are sweet potato "tots" included in some of the breakfast dishes -do they by chance have the option for just regular ones or are only sweet potato ones available?
> 
> Thanks!


Only regular ones


----------



## KrazeeK120

GADisneyDad14 said:


> To me it depends on a lot of variables. Ages in your group.... your plan for the day... if you have hopper tickets or not.
> 
> For us, we would go to Tot and RnR at Rope Drop... then go eat.... then hit any shows or other lower priority things at DHS, then call it a day - we’re more 1/2 day folks at DHS.   We have APs so can hop, so would keep our FPs for later in another park.
> 
> But that’s not a one size fits all answer so might not fit your plans/style.



I agree...there are a lot of variables regarding what makes the most sense for your group.

My son was just over 38 inches, so he couldn’t do any rides outside of TSL. My DH had a FP for RnRC later in the day (I didn’t want to ride alone, lol). My son’s top priority for the entire trip was meeting Chewie, so we opted to go do that first. He also really wanted to meet Olaf, so we went to him after that and then ate breakfast. It was nice to meet those characters with virtually no wait. We spent the rest of the day meeting lots of characters (which my son loved) and we also saw the Frozen show and Muppets 3D.

Your plan can definitely vary!


----------



## Avery&Todd

MIAMouseketeer said:


> Only regular ones



wait - so the tater tots at breakfast during the Early Morning Magic are ONLY regular potato tater tots, or they're ONLY sweet potato tater tots?

This picture from AllEars looks like sweet potato tater tots..


----------



## mrsxsparrow

Avery&Todd said:


> wait - so the tater tots at breakfast during the Early Morning Magic are ONLY regular potato tater tots, or they're ONLY sweet potato tater tots?
> 
> This picture from AllEars looks like sweet potato tater tots..



Only sweet potato tots.


----------



## NettieNolan

I rarely post, but I wanted to say THANK YOU to everyone who has posted reports of HS EMM.  

I went this morning & it was a rough start with SD being down.  

We got through bag check quickly & were in line pretty close to the front to enter the land.  Around 7:10 a CM said to go get breakfast bc they weren’t letting us in until 7:30.  My husband wanted to go get coffee, but I insisted we stay bc I knew they’d let us in early thanks to reading your reports and they did!  They let us in about 5 minutes later! 

Once in the land, the CMs said to go ride other rides bc SD wasn’t quite ready for us, but I wasn’t buying it & we were second in line for SD at 7:20ish.  Then the minutes started ticking by and by and by.  The line was building & people were getting frustrated including us.  At this point, I didn’t want to leave the line bc we were second, but I knew we were losing valuable time.  I seriously wanted to cry!  They blamed the cold weather, not sure if that was true, but it didn’t matter to me either way because at this point it was 7:45 and we were still waiting!!  They were testing SD so we knew it would be soon, and they finally let us on at 8:00.  We were on the first ride & when we got off, the posted wait time was 40 minutes & the line was super long.

After SD, we rode AS x2 & TSM x1.  At this point it was 8:30, and I knew we didn’t have much time left.  My daughter (6) loved SD, but my son (4) was one & done bc it kind of scared him.  At 8:30, the posted wait time at SD was 30 minutes & I knew we’d have to just suck it up & get in line if we wanted to do it again.  My daughter & I got in line for another SD while my husband & son did TSM x2 & AS x1. 

We were off at 8:50, and my husband & son were waiting for us.  At this point, the rope drop crowd was not there (I’m thinking they held them a few extra minutes bc I know they usually let them in around 8:45) so my husband & daughter went again.  My son & I just waited for them at the end and didn’t try to go on any other rides.  Rope drop crowd showed up right at 9:00 as they were getting off, but they let me & my daughter go 2 more times in the FP line. 

We were leaving the land at 9:15 knowing our plans to RD ToT & RnRC were shot, and I saw a CM talking to other guests.  From reading all of your wonderful reports, I knew they were probably giving out some FPs so I stopped to talk to them.  I was very nice but expressed frustration with the way it started.  They were very understanding & agreed it wasn’t the norm.  They gave us 3 anytime, any ride FPs, which is what I asked for and what I thought was fair.  After we went to breakfast which was a little crowded but very manageable.  We were able to use the anytime FPs during the day in addition to our already booked FPs, which was nice to have on a crowded day.

In total:
Me - SD x4, TSM x1 & AS x2
Daughter - SD x6, TSM x1 & AS x2
Son - SD x1, TSM x3, AS x3
Husband - SD x2, TSM x3, AS x3

Again, thanks to everyone for their previous reports, without them I wouldn’t have been able to have a plan or know how to adjust once things went sideways for a little while!


----------



## WaterLinds

GADisneyDad14 said:


> To me it depends on a lot of variables. Ages in your group.... your plan for the day... if you have hopper tickets or not.
> 
> For us, we would go to Tot and RnR at Rope Drop... then go eat.... then hit any shows or other lower priority things at DHS, then call it a day - we’re more 1/2 day folks at DHS.   We have APs so can hop, so would keep our FPs for later in another park.
> 
> But that’s not a one size fits all answer so might not fit your plans/style.



This is almost exactly our plan. In fact, this event is what pretty much sealed the deal for me on getting hoppers for this trip. (Although I am actually thinking we will do an evening at DHS during our trip too, so I guess we could do it all in one day...but my evening plan was to FP SDD after dark, and our EMM day is day one of our trip, so it would be tricky to get the FP that early.)


----------



## dclDream2018

TISHLOVESDISNEY said:


> Heads up for April peeps. Dates loaded, not bookable yet.


April open for booking!


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Not really sure if cancelling immediately adds spots back in the inventory, but I just cancelled 2 for 12/31 (which was previously sold out).  Maybe that can help someone, just FYI!


----------



## Soccer Princess

rxbeth said:


> Oh no! Did they tell you slinky was down or were people wasting time in line? That's disappointing



They told us it wasn’t up yet, but they didn’t know when it would be open.



PrincessArlena'sDad said:


> Did you ask for/ get extra FP to make up for it?



I went to guest relations later in the day and got 3 anytime fast passes added to our account.


----------



## WanderlustNZ

I found this thread so useful leading up to my trip, that I wanted to pass on my thanks by reporting on yesterday’s (Friday 21st December) event. 

I’ll start by saying that I loved it and felt it was worth the money.  We also did the Jingle Bell Jingle Bam dessert party yesterday, which we also enjoyed, but dollar for dollar, I think this Early Morning provided better value.

I checked Thursday night if our party was sold out and both slots were showing availability, so my guess is that this party was still quite some way from being at capacity. 

We are staying at Wilderness Lodge, and I started checking buses on the app from when we woke up.  The first left at 5:44, which we weren’t ready to catch, but another left shortly after 6 which turned out to be perfect.  We arrived just before 6:30 and shortly afterwards they checked us in and held us at the ticket scanners (we were second in the queue) until about 6:45 when we were let into the park for breakfast.
Despite not being too hungry that early in the morning, we made the less popular decision to eat the full breakfast straight away.  I wanted to maximise that first hour 9am - 10am of park opening, without wasting time eating and I think we definitely made the right decision (more about that later).  We were also second in the breakfast queue, so that helped speed things up. 

About 7:15 we headed over to Toy Story Land and it was already open.  I’m not sure how long it had been open, but there were still a lot of people over at breakfast so it was empty. 

We started on SDD and loved it.  I must admit I wasn’t expecting much as it looks like a kiddy coaster, but it is now my second favourite Disney ride after Everest.  It’s about the intensity of BTMR, but so much smoother.  The wait was about 5mins.  We then went straight back on and the wait time was now showing 20mins, but I’d say it was closer to about 8mins. 

I’d read on here that SDD tends to get quieter later on during morning magic, so we decided to go over to the Alien Twirling ride which was so quiet half the saucers didn’t have riders. 
What a disappointing, jerky ride.  Once was enough for that. 

On to TSMM, which was a complete walk on, but the walk onto the ride and off it again chewed up quite a bit of time.  We were using the fastpass queue, but it’s still feels quite long. 

Back onto Slinky Dog, which was now showing 15minutes, but was almost walk on.  I looked at my watch and it was showing 8:03 when we entered. Between 8:03 and 8:26, we rode SDD four times. 

At this stage, we decided to do TSMM one more time before rope drop and despite being walk on still, it took up the remainder of our time, walking on, riding and then walking off. 

So in total we did SDD x 6, TSMM x 2 and Aliens x 1.  I should also add, that we also spent quite a bit of time roaming and taking pics of the land.  We didn’t ever feel like we had to rush.

At 8:45 we tried to beat the rope drop crew to Rock n Roller Coaster, but we were about a minute too late.  Still we got on in about 5 minutes and when we got off the wait time was already about 40mins.  Walked over to ToT and did it on standby with a 5min wait. Walked off and did it again using our Fastpass as the wait time had rapidly climbed to 45mins.  Out of interest, I also checked the wait times on the app at 9:12am and SDD was already at 90mins.

We then went over to Launch Bay and got pics with Kylo Wren (10min wait), Chewbacca (about 10mins also) and 
BB-8 (walk on). 

The remainder of the morning, we watched the Star Wars stage show, rode Star Tours on Fastpass, found heaps of photopass photographers to get Xmas photos, and then checked in early for our midday ADR at Brown Derby. 

1pm: It was a crowd level 8 day, people were everywhere, popular rides were around 2hours, and we were heading out of the park for a midday nap having done everything we wanted with little to no wait. 

We then headed back in about 5:30.  Did a TSMM fastpass and laughed at the crazy crowds in Toy Story Land.  Enjoyed the Xmas festivities for an hour, before enjoying the dessert party and getting a lovely spacious sitting spot on the back wall for the fireworks (Another tip I have the DIS to thank for). 

In all a fantastic day!


----------



## OKC Disney Fan

We're planning a split day between HS and MK on our EMM Day in Feb.  Hoping to leave HS around noon.  Would it be better to use my FP's for that day at HS to make sure we can get on TOT, ST, and RnRC early, then hopefully get a few more at MK in the afternoon, or should we assume we can walk on those rides after EMM and book our initial FP's at MK?
My FP day is Wed so I'm trying to finalize plans.  Thanks!


----------



## WanderlustNZ

OKC Disney Fan said:


> We're planning a split day between HS and MK on our EMM Day in Feb.  Hoping to leave HS around noon.  Would it be better to use my FP's for that day at HS to make sure we can get on TOT, ST, and RnRC early, then hopefully get a few more at MK in the afternoon, or should we assume we can walk on those rides after EMM and book our initial FP's at MK?
> My FP day is Wed so I'm trying to finalize plans.  Thanks!



I would save my fastpasses for MK.  The afternoons are the busiest time in the parks and you should be able to do all 3 of those rides at rope drop.

The order I would do them in would be RnR, ToT and then ST last.


----------



## Jessirip

Following along for June 2019.  Does anyone think that they may add Fridays back in during the Summer?  I know it would only be speculation at this point.  We're going to do MK EMM also on a Tuesday as our first park day, and wondering if the kiddos can handle two super early days in a row.


----------



## chelynnah

WanderlustNZ said:


> I found this thread so useful leading up to my trip, that I wanted to pass on my thanks by reporting on yesterday’s (Friday 21st December) event.
> 
> I’ll start by saying that I loved it and felt it was worth the money.  We also did the Jingle Bell Jingle Bam dessert party yesterday, which we also enjoyed, but dollar for dollar, I think this Early Morning provided better value.
> 
> I checked Thursday night if our party was sold out and both slots were showing availability, so my guess is that this party was still quite some way from being at capacity.
> 
> We are staying at Wilderness Lodge, and I started checking buses on the app from when we woke up.  The first left at 5:44, which we weren’t ready to catch, but another left shortly after 6 which turned out to be perfect.  We arrived just before 6:30 and shortly afterwards they checked us in and held us at the ticket scanners (we were second in the queue) until about 6:45 when we were let into the park for breakfast.
> Despite not being too hungry that early in the morning, we made the less popular decision to eat the full breakfast straight away.  I wanted to maximise that first hour 9am - 10am of park opening, without wasting time eating and I think we definitely made the right decision (more about that later).  We were also second in the breakfast queue, so that helped speed things up.
> 
> About 7:15 we headed over to Toy Story Land and it was already open.  I’m not sure how long it had been open, but there were still a lot of people over at breakfast so it was empty.
> 
> We started on SDD and loved it.  I must admit I wasn’t expecting much as it looks like a kiddy coaster, but it is now my second favourite Disney ride after Everest.  It’s about the intensity of BTMR, but so much smoother.  The wait was about 5mins.  We then went straight back on and the wait time was now showing 20mins, but I’d say it was closer to about 8mins.
> 
> I’d read on here that SDD tends to get quieter later on during morning magic, so we decided to go over to the Alien Twirling ride which was so quiet half the saucers didn’t have riders.
> What a disappointing, jerky ride.  Once was enough for that.
> 
> On to TSMM, which was a complete walk on, but the walk onto the ride and off it again chewed up quite a bit of time.  We were using the fastpass queue, but it’s still feels quite long.
> 
> Back onto Slinky Dog, which was now showing 15minutes, but was almost walk on.  I looked at my watch and it was showing 8:03 when we entered. Between 8:03 and 8:26, we rode SDD four times.
> 
> At this stage, we decided to do TSMM one more time before rope drop and despite being walk on still, it took up the remainder of our time, walking on, riding and then walking off.
> 
> So in total we did SDD x 6, TSMM x 2 and Aliens x 1.  I should also add, that we also spent quite a bit of time roaming and taking pics of the land.  We didn’t ever feel like we had to rush.
> 
> At 8:45 we tried to beat the rope drop crew to Rock n Roller Coaster, but we were about a minute too late.  Still we got on in about 5 minutes and when we got off the wait time was already about 40mins.  Walked over to ToT and did it on standby with a 5min wait. Walked off and did it again using our Fastpass as the wait time had rapidly climbed to 45mins.  Out of interest, I also checked the wait times on the app at 9:12am and SDD was already at 90mins.
> 
> We then went over to Launch Bay and got pics with Kylo Wren (10min wait), Chewbacca (about 10mins also) and
> BB-8 (walk on).
> 
> The remainder of the morning, we watched the Star Wars stage show, rode Star Tours on Fastpass, found heaps of photopass photographers to get Xmas photos, and then checked in early for our midday ADR at Brown Derby.
> 
> 1pm: It was a crowd level 8 day, people were everywhere, popular rides were around 2hours, and we were heading out of the park for a midday nap having done everything we wanted with little to no wait.
> 
> We then headed back in about 5:30.  Did a TSMM fastpass and laughed at the crazy crowds in Toy Story Land.  Enjoyed the Xmas festivities for an hour, before enjoying the dessert party and getting a lovely spacious sitting spot on the back wall for the fireworks (Another tip I have the DIS to thank for).
> 
> In all a fantastic day!


Fantastic report.  We go in Feb.  Slightly OT, but can you point me in the direction where I could find out about this ‘back wall’ for the fireworks?

Thanks


----------



## WanderlustNZ

chelynnah said:


> Fantastic report.  We go in Feb.  Slightly OT, but can you point me in the direction where I could find out about this ‘back wall’ for the fireworks?
> 
> Thanks



Hi there,  
The ‘back wall’ is really more of a small raised concrete garden border in the roped-off viewing area where dessert party guests get to sit.  
In Feb, Jingle Bell Jingle Bam won’t be on, but I’m assuming Star Wars dessert guests would get ushered to the same area.  

The roped off area is quite close up to the action, so those in the know recommend that you go to the back of the viewing area to take in the wide angle view better.  If you get right at the back, the small wall makes for more comfortable sitting.  

I quickly discovered that not many party guests read the DIS, as while they rushed to stand at the front, we went to the back and were able to sit the whole oerformance with room to stretch out our legs.  

Meanwhile, behind us, outside of the area, was a packed sea of humanity stretching as far back as we could see.  I can only assume though that the general viewing area will be less crowded in February.  

I hope that helps.  The dessert party threads will give you any more info you need.


----------



## chelynnah

WanderlustNZ said:


> Hi there,
> The ‘back wall’ is really more of a small raised concrete garden border in the roped-off viewing area where dessert party guests get to sit.
> In Feb, Jingle Bell Jingle Bam won’t be on, but I’m assuming Star Wars dessert guests would get ushered to the same area.
> 
> The roped off area is quite close up to the action, so those in the know recommend that you go to the back of the viewing area to take in the wide angle view better.  If you get right at the back, the small wall makes for more comfortable sitting.
> 
> I quickly discovered that not many party guests read the DIS, as while they rushed to stand at the front, we went to the back and were able to sit the whole oerformance with room to stretch out our legs.
> 
> Meanwhile, behind us, outside of the area, was a packed sea of humanity stretching as far back as we could see.  I can only assume though that the general viewing area will be less crowded in February.
> 
> I hope that helps.  The dessert party threads will give you any more info you need.


Ahh, thanks. I somehow didn’t connect it to the dessert party in your post (though it clearly is) and thought it was a secret viewing spot for normal viewing. Splashing out for EMM at DHS and DAH at MK (OMGosh sooo many acronyms lol) I don’t think well swing a dessert party.

And yes it makes perfect sense to watch from the back. We’ve always marvelled at people crushing to the front of fireworks shows in particular. They’re in the air after all.  We always try and pick w spot further back.

Thanks so much


----------



## ConnecticutNonna

@WanderlustNZ
Are the bus times on MDE?  Do you have to be on property to see them?  (I don't see them on mine, but we aren't coming until February)
TIA


----------



## DWFamilyof6

My 60 day FP window is opening up in a few days.  
We hav EMM planned for HS (our only day at HS) with not other park plans that day.  How would you recommend your Fps for that day?  I was considering ToT and RR late morning. Leaving the park for an afternoon break.  Returning that evening to see Toy Story Land lite up and using our 3rd FP for Slinky Dog that evening.  Good plan?  Or just plan all 3 Fps for the am in case we didn't return, to be safe.


----------



## Ils

DWFamilyof6 said:


> My 60 day FP window is opening up in a few days.
> We hav EMM planned for HS (our only day at HS) with not other park plans that day.  How would you recommend your Fps for that day?  I was considering ToT and RR late morning. Leaving the park for an afternoon break.  Returning that evening to see Toy Story Land lite up and using our 3rd FP for Slinky Dog that evening.  Good plan?  Or just plan all 3 Fps for the am in case we didn't return, to be safe.


We doing EMM on Presidents day and going to use FPs on RnR, ST and TOT then get a couple of shows in and Muppets and then hopefully get out by 1.30pm. Although it was my favourite park growing up I just think i want to spend more time in the other parks as there is more to do.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

ConnecticutNonna said:


> @WanderlustNZ
> Are the bus times on MDE?  Do you have to be on property to see them.  (I don't see them on mine, but we aren't coming until February)
> TIA



FYI, they will only show on the app from your check-in through your check-out date.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

DWFamilyof6 said:


> My 60 day FP window is opening up in a few days.
> We hav EMM planned for HS (our only day at HS) with not other park plans that day.  How would you recommend your Fps for that day?  I was considering ToT and RR late morning. Leaving the park for an afternoon break.  Returning that evening to see Toy Story Land lite up and using our 3rd FP for Slinky Dog that evening.  Good plan?  Or just plan all 3 Fps for the am in case we didn't return, to be safe.



I will caveat this by saying we are 'terrible' at making late day FP plans in advance with the intention of 'going back' to the park later.  Always sounds good on paper in advance but we tend to let the day get away from us and 75/25 chance we ever make it back to the park as intended.  But, that's coming from someone with an AP with a few visits a year, so we're not all that disciplined in our approach.  Someone trying to make the most out of their days will likely feel differently.  

All of that aside, I vote having a FP in your pocket for SDD later that evening.  I enjoy the land at night and think it's worth seeing it with all the lights/etc.


----------



## chelynnah

DWFamilyof6 said:


> My 60 day FP window is opening up in a few days.
> We hav EMM planned for HS (our only day at HS) with not other park plans that day.  How would you recommend your Fps for that day?  I was considering ToT and RR late morning. Leaving the park for an afternoon break.  Returning that evening to see Toy Story Land lite up and using our 3rd FP for Slinky Dog that evening.  Good plan?  Or just plan all 3 Fps for the am in case we didn't return, to be safe.


I would do that.  The only reason I didn’t is we’re going to another park for the afternoon evening.  However I did book own extra for just before we leave the park for the day.  If you decide not to go back you can cancel it and make someone else happy that night.  That’s my plan if we decide we’ve done it enough during EMM, we’ll drop it early enough that someone else can pick it up.  I’d rather have and cancel it than not book and regret it.  Our FP day was this past Saturday and SD was already sold out for our first DHS day.


----------



## mtrib

DWFamilyof6 said:


> My 60 day FP window is opening up in a few days.
> We hav EMM planned for HS (our only day at HS) with not other park plans that day.  How would you recommend your Fps for that day?  I was considering ToT and RR late morning. Leaving the park for an afternoon break.  Returning that evening to see Toy Story Land lite up and using our 3rd FP for Slinky Dog that evening.  Good plan?  Or just plan all 3 Fps for the am in case we didn't return, to be safe.



I have similar question. But we might leave to take a break midday since we are staying at BWI. I know for sure we are coming back in the evening because we are doing the Star Wars dessert party.  So, the question for our plan is do we try to get an evening SDD or have three AM FPs (what would our third be after RnR and ToT?) so we can maybe refresh for repeats onto RnR?


----------



## princessebird

GADisneyDad14 said:


> *DHS EMM Past & Current Dates*​
> *Dates Posted/Made Available for Booking Notes*:
> _Sept-Dec 2018 dates were posted 8/22/2018
> Jan 2019 dates were posted 9/24/2018
> Feb and March 2019 were posted 10/6/2018
> 11/19, 11/21, 12/24 & 12/31 2018 & 1/2 2019 were posted 10/19/2018
> 11/5/2018 was posted 10/25/2018
> 11/23, 11/30, 12/7, 12/14, 12/21 2018 (all Fridays) were posted 11/5/2018
> April 2018 dates were posted 12/18/2018_




Moderator, I believe this is April 2019 dates.


----------



## TammyLynn33

I worry about crowds lol so if I use a late Fastpass I can’t make any other fast passes until the late one is used tho right? 
We will try and get our fill of toy story land during EMM if we happen upon a late day then bonus  
That’s what I’m currently thinking 




mtrib said:


> I have similar question. But we might leave to take a break midday since we are staying at BWI. I know for sure we are coming back in the evening because we are doing the Star Wars dessert party.  So, the question for our plan is do we try to get an evening SDD or have three AM FPs (what would our third be after RnR and ToT?) so we can maybe refresh for repeats onto RnR?


----------



## Daisy7425

DWFamilyof6 said:


> My 60 day FP window is opening up in a few days.
> We hav EMM planned for HS (our only day at HS) with not other park plans that day.  How would you recommend your Fps for that day?  I was considering ToT and RR late morning. Leaving the park for an afternoon break.  Returning that evening to see Toy Story Land lite up and using our 3rd FP for Slinky Dog that evening.  Good plan?  Or just plan all 3 Fps for the am in case we didn't return, to be safe.



Be prepared with a plan B if there are no more SDD FP+ available.  I just made our FP reservations at day 60+1 and there were no SDD FP available all day long, so we got one for TSM.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

princessebird said:


> Moderator, I believe this is April 2019 dates.



Thanks for the heads up.


----------



## mtrib

TammyLynn33 said:


> I worry about crowds lol so if I use a late Fastpass I can’t make any other fast passes until the late one is used tho right?
> We will try and get our fill of toy story land during EMM if we happen upon a late day then bonus
> That’s what I’m currently thinking



That's my concern, too. I think I'll just make early FPs and keep watching for a random late SDD to ride after dark. I know it's a slim chance but I hate to be boxed out of FP 4+ by having a later one. Thanks for helping me think through this. And enjoy EMM!


----------



## MonaMN

mtrib said:


> That's my concern, too. I think I'll just make early FPs and keep watching for a random late SDD to ride after dark. I know it's a slim chance but I hate to be boxed out of FP 4+ by having a later one. Thanks for helping me think through this. And enjoy EMM!


I am planning on doing mid-day FPs + evening SDD after the EMM. I just don’t anticipate needing that many FP after what should be a great morning start... and I really want to do SDD in the evening.  This will be our only evening at HS.


----------



## DWFamilyof6

GADisneyDad14 said:


> I will caveat this by saying we are 'terrible' at making late day FP plans in advance with the intention of 'going back' to the park later.  Always sounds good on paper in advance but we tend to let the day get away from us and 75/25 chance we ever make it back to the park as intended.  But, that's coming from someone with an AP with a few visits a year, so we're not all that disciplined in our approach.  Someone trying to make the most out of their days will likely feel differently.
> 
> All of that aside, I vote having a FP in your pocket for SDD later that evening.  I enjoy the land at night and think it's worth seeing it with all the lights/etc.


I actually agree that it’s hard to get motivated to head back after a break.  But, I think I’ve decided it would be worth it to do SDD at night. I’m going to give it a try. Thanks for the input.


----------



## DWFamilyof6

chelynnah said:


> I would do that.  The only reason I didn’t is we’re going to another park for the afternoon evening.  However I did book own extra for just before we leave the park for the day.  If you decide not to go back you can cancel it and make someone else happy that night.  That’s my plan if we decide we’ve done it enough during EMM, we’ll drop it early enough that someone else can pick it up.  I’d rather have and cancel it than not book and regret it.  Our FP day was this past Saturday and SD was already sold out for our first DHS day.


Yes, I think I’ll book SDD at night.  There aren’t really any other FPs we need for that morning.  Definitely better to have it as an option than not.


----------



## DWFamilyof6

mtrib said:


> I have similar question. But we might leave to take a break midday since we are staying at BWI. I know for sure we are coming back in the evening because we are doing the Star Wars dessert party.  So, the question for our plan is do we try to get an evening SDD or have three AM FPs (what would our third be after RnR and ToT?) so we can maybe refresh for repeats onto RnR?


Exactly, picking a 3rd other than a Toy Story Land FP doesn’t make sense.... so why not just book one in case you need it.


----------



## DWFamilyof6

Daisy7425 said:


> Be prepared with a plan B if there are no more SDD FP+ available.  I just made our FP reservations at day 60+1 and there were no SDD FP available all day long, so we got one for TSM.


It will be 60+4 so hopefully we’ll get lucky.


----------



## MeeskaMooska13

djc9699 said:


> I booked at about 11:00 the night before. It actually arrived about 5 mins to 6 but waited for us. It was worth it to us so we did not have to worry about when (and if) a bus would come and it dropped us very close to the entrance. Much closer than the buses. We are doing a repeat tomorrow.


Do you know if Mears can accommodate an ECV rental?


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Sort of curious how the 12/24 DHS EMM went - first time in the history of any EMM event (at either MK or DHS) where we have seen EMM during such a busy holiday time.    

Next up is 12/31 - looking forward to seeing how that goes.  

From my somewhat inconsistent on/off checking, seems like 12/24, 12/31, & 1/2 have been sold out for awhile now.


----------



## djc9699

MeeskaMooska13 said:


> Do you know if Mears can accommodate an ECV rental?


I don't know . I know the website asked if we needed car seats. The number for the luxury vehicles (what we set up) is 866-435-5686. Maybe you can call and ask them what options they have.


----------



## czmom

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Sort of curious how the 12/24 DHS EMM went - first time in the history of any EMM event (at either MK or DHS) where we have seen EMM during such a busy holiday time.
> 
> Next up is 12/31 - looking forward to seeing how that goes.
> 
> From my somewhat inconsistent on/off checking, seems like 12/24, 12/31, & 1/2 have been sold out for awhile now.



I’m curious too!! We are going 1/2.


----------



## frisbeego

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Sort of curious how the 12/24 DHS EMM went - first time in the history of any EMM event (at either MK or DHS) where we have seen EMM during such a busy holiday time.
> 
> Next up is 12/31 - looking forward to seeing how that goes.
> 
> From my somewhat inconsistent on/off checking, seems like 12/24, 12/31, & 1/2 have been sold out for awhile now.



4 of us went on 12/24.  I don't have a detailed breakdown of what we did, but here's a summary...

Led into TSL about 7:10-7:15.  SDD was not up.  No word on when it would be.
Rode Aliens twice before 7:30.
Rode TSM 3x.  That long exit is KILLER when you're trying to maximize rides.
When we came out of TSM the third time, SDD was up.  Wait time said 25 minutes; felt like 20.

At that point, it was 8:40.  My parents stayed for one more SDD.  Son and I left for RnR/TOT.  

I overheard that we got an anytime FP because SDD was down.  When I tried to use it at Star Tours at 10:15, they said it expired at 10 am.  They let us FP Star Tours anyway, so no harm no foul.

Overall, the crowd was about what I was expecting.  I've done the MK EMM before, but not this one.  The crowds seemed comparable.  If I have one quibble, I think the anytime FP should have lasted past 10 am (and loaded into your MDE account).  I enjoyed it and would do it again.


----------



## mtrib

I am getting a little nervous about this EMM thing if SDD is going to continue to be down for a significant portion of the event. Feels like Disney should give out multiple anytime SDD FPP (or Anytime FPP to those who are park hopping) to make up for it. When you charge $80 for a ticketed event and your headliner is down it's time to make serious amends with the guests.


----------



## MeeskaMooska13

djc9699 said:


> I don't know . I know the website asked if we needed car seats. The number for the luxury vehicles (what we set up) is 866-435-5686. Maybe you can call and ask them what options they have.


Thank you!!


----------



## Jasperann

Just wanted to come back and give a report of our EMM on 12/24.  

We were staying at Saratoga and arrived at the bus stop around 6am.  Our bus arrived at 6:38am.  We got dropped off at Hollywood Studios at about 6:55am and were up near the theater by 7:08am.  We opted to go grab a couple pastries before going to Toy story land.  The CM's were guiding everyone towards the rope for toy story land this morning but we ignored them.

My husband misunderstood and grabbed a huge plate of pastries and cereal that I made him eat while walking to Toy story land.  LOL  

We arrived at 7:22am to TSL and were told Slinky was down.  So we rode Aliens.  It was still down when we got off so we walked onto TSMM.  When it was still down again we opted to ride Aliens.  Then we went back to check on Slinky dog and were told that it was still down and they were not sure when it would be up.  They were testing it by that point.  We were also told that from 9-10am that we could use our wrist bands for FPs for ANY rides in Hollywood studios.  

We did Toy Story Midway again and when we came back out Slinky was up.  It was posted 30 min wait and it was about 8:33 at that point.  We were out of the ride before the rope drop crowds arrived and decided to head towards breakfast and come back to ride Slinky some more after we eat.  We met buzz and did a photopass on the way out and ran into the rope drop crowds coming in.  VERY thankful to not be in that mess.  It was never ending and people towards the back were still trying to run like it would do them any good at that point.

We went back over to Slinky around 9:25 and were able to ride it three times before 10:00am our last pass through was at 9:59am.  We could have gone and rode ToT or Rockin Roller coaster or Star Tours but we wanted to ride Slinky some more and had done the others on a previous day.  

We were on a boat to Epcot by 10:35am.

In total:
Aliens x2
TSMM x2
Slinky x4
Buzz
Photopass 
Breakfast

We were disappointed in Slinky being down so much or the party but even with it down we felt it was very worth it to skip the crazy crowds that arrived.  We will be doing EMM in the future and hope they have one for Star Wars when it opens.


----------



## Jasperann

frisbeego said:


> 4 of us went on 12/24.  I don't have a detailed breakdown of what we did, but here's a summary...
> 
> Led into TSL about 7:10-7:15.  SDD was not up.  No word on when it would be.
> Rode Aliens twice before 7:30.
> Rode TSM 3x.  That long exit is KILLER when you're trying to maximize rides.
> When we came out of TSM the third time, SDD was up.  Wait time said 25 minutes; felt like 20.
> 
> At that point, it was 8:40.  My parents stayed for one more SDD.  Son and I left for RnR/TOT.
> 
> I overheard that we got an anytime FP because SDD was down.  When I tried to use it at Star Tours at 10:15, they said it expired at 10 am.  They let us FP Star Tours anyway, so no harm no foul.
> 
> Overall, the crowd was about what I was expecting.  I've done the MK EMM before, but not this one.  The crowds seemed comparable.  If I have one quibble, I think the anytime FP should have lasted past 10 am (and loaded into your MDE account).  I enjoyed it and would do it again.



It wasn't actually an anytime FP it was access to FP for any rides until 10am.  So you could have done any and all rides as FP until 10am.


----------



## NotTheBatesMotel

Does anyone know if SDD being down so much during EMM lately has anything to do with the cooler weather? I’ve already been trying to prepare my son for SDD closures (he has ASD and has a hard time coping with changes to plans), but I’m wondering if it will likely be down when we go on 1/21. I guess prepare for the worst and hope for the best? I just don’t recall seeing so many reports of SDD issues in the warmer months.


----------



## Jasperann

NotTheBatesMotel said:


> Does anyone know if SDD being down so much during EMM lately has anything to do with the cooler weather? I’ve already been trying to prepare my son for SDD closures (he has ASD and has a hard time coping with changes to plans), but I’m wondering if it will likely be down when we go on 1/21. I guess prepare for the worst and hope for the best? I just don’t recall seeing so many reports of SDD issues in the warmer months.



They didn't say but I assumed it was due to the condensation on the coaster that they had to run it a few times after the sun was up to get it ready.  I know that is what they need to do at Cedar Point (my daughter worked there for a few summers as a ride operator and she also thinks that was the case.).  But it could be anything really.  Just guessing.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Not sure what I was thinking booking this on 12/31 (long day!), but great EMM this AM.  4 SDD rides ranging from no to 7 min wait, plus 1 TSM and 1 AS2.  I know that’s not a impressive list, we could have done much more but we’ve done this before and slowly meander around for the atmostphere more than try to max rides.

TSM must have been down or had problems late.  Got in line which was pretty long and not moving, so bailed after 7 mins. Only one track was running, I think.  That was about the only low point.

Woodie and Jessie line was long throughout but Buzz was very lonely.

SDD waits and the overall experience were better this morning than when we did this in October. 

Land was open early - I didn’t see exactly but I estimate 7:05-7:10.  Our first ride on SDD was 7:15.

Fun way to start NYE.


----------



## CAStevens218

I'm sure this is answered somewhere, so sorry for the repeat, but can I pay for EMM with a gift card?  Booking online doesn't give me this option, but what if I call? 

Thanks!


----------



## Dmwc484

Yes you can call and pay with a gift card!


----------



## Branderson610

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Not sure what I was thinking booking this on 12/31 (long day!), but great EMM this AM.  4 SDD rides ranging from no to 7 min wait, plus 1 TSM and 1 AS2.  I know that’s not a impressive list, we could have done much more but we’ve done this before and slowly meander around for the atmostphere more than try to max rides.
> 
> TSM must have been down or had problems late.  Got in line which was pretty long and not moving, so bailed after 7 mins. Only one track was running, I think.  That was about the only low point.
> 
> Woodie and Jessie line was long throughout but Buzz was very lonely.
> 
> SDD waits and the overall experience were better this morning than when we did this in October.
> 
> Land was open early - I didn’t see exactly but I estimate 7:05-7:10.  Our first ride on SDD was 7:15.
> 
> Fun way to start NYE.



I am glad you posted this. You went on a very busy day and EMM was still a success. This gives me hope for my EMM during spring break!


----------



## mmouse50

How far in advance do they add dates?  I am looking for the end of June - currently dates are through April


----------



## Branderson610

mmouse50 said:


> How far in advance do they add dates?  I am looking for the end of June - currently dates.
> 
> For me, the EMM March dates were avaible for March very early on for Toy Story Land. However, the EMM magic dates for March for Fantasyland became available mid December.


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

mmouse50 said:


> How far in advance do they add dates?  I am looking for the end of June - currently dates are through April


We're looking at Monday, July 1.

April dates came out on Dec 18.  That's really the best hint we have.  

Maybe May will come out in a couple of weeks, June in mid Feb, and July in Mid March?


----------



## TammyLynn33

How was breakfast ? 
What time were you let in? 
Glad to hear Buzz line wasn’t awful .. “space bob “ is the boys absolute favourite.. and No I have no idea why they call him that lol




QUOTE="GADisneyDad14, post: 60081489, member: 522402"]Not sure what I was thinking booking this on 12/31 (long day!), but great EMM this AM.  4 SDD rides ranging from no to 7 min wait, plus 1 TSM and 1 AS2.  I know that’s not a impressive list, we could have done much more but we’ve done this before and slowly meander around for the atmostphere more than try to max rides.

TSM must have been down or had problems late.  Got in line which was pretty long and not moving, so bailed after 7 mins. Only one track was running, I think.  That was about the only low point.

Woodie and Jessie line was long throughout but Buzz was very lonely.

SDD waits and the overall experience were better this morning than when we did this in October.

Land was open early - I didn’t see exactly but I estimate 7:05-7:10.  Our first ride on SDD was 7:15.

Fun way to start NYE.[/QUOTE]


----------



## czmom

We did EMM on 1/2. Left AKL and caught the bus at 6:36, arrived at DHS just before 7. Bag check and wristbands took no time, and we arrived at the Chinese Theater at 7:10. They kept announcing TSL wouldn’t open until 7:30, so we went to grab muffins and a drink. I needed a gluten free one, so it took awhile. When we came out at 7:20, the land was already open. My kids could not wait to ride SDD, so we went straight there. Only waited 8 minutes! Then went to AS2 and rode right away. Bathroom break, then back to SDD for maybe a 10 min wait?? Then rode Slinky again with a 5 min wait. Next we walked onto TSM, and did one more SDD with a 2 min wait. As we were leaving TSL, the masses were coming in! 
Our plan was to do RNRC and ToT before breakfast. Crowds were crazy and we could only do rnrc. We went back for breakfast at 9:30 and it was great!!! Everyone agreed that this was totally worth the cost


----------



## GADisneyDad14

czmom said:


> They kept announcing TSL wouldn’t open until 7:30



They were doing this 12/31 too.  Probably was told by 2-3 CMs along the way.  I was soooo glad I knew better and was back out to head in the land well before that. 

I can’t decide if those CMs are just saying 7:30pm because that is the ‘official’ start time, or if it’s part of a overall plan to subtly spread crowds around and prevent everyone from heading towards SDD at once.


----------



## Taka

We did EMM on 1/2.
TSL opened 7:10 - 7:15ish.
We did
SDD x 3
TSMM x 2
AS2 x 2
W&J M&G
Buzz M&G
When leaving TSL around 8:45, mass crowd came into TSL.
After TSL, we signed up JEDI training. It was 30mins wait. And all slots were still opened except first two shows.


----------



## TammyLynn33

Did you grab breakfast? How was it?
Thanks




Taka said:


> We did EMM on 1/2.
> TSL opened 7:10 - 7:15ish.
> We did
> SDD x 3
> TSMM x 2
> AS2 x 2
> W&J M&G
> Buzz M&G
> When leaving TSL around 8:45, mass crowd came into TSL.
> After TSL, we signed up JEDI training. It was 30mins wait. And all slots were still opened except first two shows.


----------



## PlutosNumberOneFan

Looks like the 28th and 30th Jan is sold out - letting me book other dates but not these 2.


----------



## wdwplanner13

If we do EMM and finish up tsl, am I right in thinking we will finish off the park by the afternoon? Would that be a good day to park hop over MK?


----------



## GADisneyDad14

wdwplanner13 said:


> If we do EMM and finish up tsl, am I right in thinking we will finish off the park by the afternoon? Would that be a good day to park hop over MK?



Totally personal preference of course.  If you really want to do everything at DHS (shows, etc), then it’s going to be more than a half-day park.  

For us, we’re probably on the other extreme and both times we’ve done EMM we’ve been out of the park by 10:30am...so it’s less than a 1/2 day park for us - but we’re not that into the other rides and shows there and would rather have FPs somewhere else and hop.


----------



## Ils

wdwplanner13 said:


> If we do EMM and finish up tsl, am I right in thinking we will finish off the park by the afternoon? Would that be a good day to park hop over MK?


My plan exactly but ending up at Epcot. Once TSL is done, FP RnR, ToT and Star Tours and then do Muppets, Indy, Mermaid and Jedi Training for my lads, I think we will be done by 3pm. Got an ADR booked at Rose and Crown for 5pm.


----------



## KrazeeK120

wdwplanner13 said:


> If we do EMM and finish up tsl, am I right in thinking we will finish off the park by the afternoon? Would that be a good day to park hop over MK?



We were in the park until dinner time and there were things we didn’t do. We don’t ride ToT. We didn’t see Beauty & the Beast or Indiana Jones (my DH wanted to see Jones but it just didn’t end up fitting in), and the new Disney Jr show wasn’t open yet or we would have seen it.


----------



## poohey

We did it on NYE and I would say it was definitely worth it!  Yes, it's expensive, but vs. the time factor that's what makes the difference in spending the $$$.  We rode all the rides several times and they even let us stay on one time on AS2 with no other people on the ride but us!  We only did TSMM once because we are DL passholders so we wanted to see what was different than ours (only small differences really)  I think the walk out of that ride was longer than any line we stood in.  And the lines for characters was decent and not too bad.  They let the other people back there early and the mad dash to the line for SDD was crazy.  Since it wasn't quite 9 yet they let us through the fast pass line to ride SDD one additional time.   By the time we got off SDD the character lines were the average length they usually are and the SDD line was way out past the land.  The sign the person was holding out where the line was had a wait time of 150 minutes when we left for breakfast.

As far as the food our kids were hungry on the way there (we walked from Dolphin) so we let them grab a pastry and I grabbed a coffee on the way into TSL.  There was a table set up in the land with water and coffee for us (nice touch) and then we went back at around 9ish for the real breakfast.  Kids grabbed a table (it was very crowded then as I think most everyone waited to eat)  They didn't care what or how much/many things you ordered so we were able to try a few things.


----------



## wddub2015

wdwplanner13 said:


> If we do EMM and finish up tsl, am I right in thinking we will finish off the park by the afternoon? Would that be a good day to park hop over MK?



This is exactly what I am planning.  We’ll go to RnR when the park opens, then plan to try to hit ToT, see Star Wars Galaxy Far, Far Away, and the 12:00 Indy show, then Sci Fi ressie for lunch, then hop to MK and use our FPs there.


----------



## PlutosNumberOneFan

The dates I mentioned yesterday are still not available to purchase and a couple more in Feb too... are these definitely sold out? If so, makes me concerned about crowds on our whole trip if they've sold out this early!


----------



## GADisneyDad14

PlutosNumberOneFan said:


> The dates I mentioned yesterday are still not available to purchase and a couple more in Feb too... are these definitely sold out? If so, makes me concerned about crowds on our whole trip if they've sold out this early!



Most of the DHS EMM dates will eventually sell out, or come very close to it - if current patterns hold.  The land is still new and reviews of this are reasonably positive - so a lot of demand.   I’m not surprised your dates are sold out less than a month in advance.

I wouldn’t read into it as indicative of crowds, more that it’s a popular product right now and Disney can sell things very well. 

And if it is the most crowded park day ever, you will have had 1.5 hours of mostly free reign of TSL.


----------



## PlutosNumberOneFan

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Most of the DHS EMM dates will eventually sell out, or come very close to it - if current patterns hold.  The land is still new and reviews of this are reasonably positive - so a lot of demand.   I’m not surprised your dates are sold out less than a month in advance.
> 
> I wouldn’t read into it as indicative of crowds, more that it’s a popular product right now and Disney can sell things very well.
> 
> And if it is the most crowded park day ever, you will have had 1.5 hours of mostly free reign of TSL.



Just glad we purchased well in advance as I didn't think many were selling out!

With that in mind, do you think the After Hours nights are in as much demand? We were considering that but wanted to wait until closer to the time...considering getting that booked now too!


----------



## pal6860

I’ve skimmed through most of the pages of this great thread, so I apologize in advance if it’s already been mentioned.

Does anyone know when parking opens for EMM?  And with all the construction, how far away is the parking from the front gate nowadays?

Thanks!


----------



## FCDub

pal6860 said:


> I’ve skimmed through most of the pages of this great thread, so I apologize in advance if it’s already been mentioned.
> 
> Does anyone know when parking opens for EMM?  And with all the construction, how far away is the parking from the front gate nowadays?
> 
> Thanks!



The parking lots will be open when you arrive. If you beat the guards there, then you'll just get to park for free.


----------



## pal6860

FCDub said:


> The parking lots will be open when you arrive. If you beat the guards there, then you'll just get to park for free.



Thx!


----------



## fumipappa

We went there 1/2, had great time.   We left BLT around 6:40AM by Mears. $28+tip but it was worth that we did not have to worry about bus coming or not. There was no traffic at all, so we arrived at DHS around 6:50AM.  It was good plus to use Mears as it could park right in front of entrance.  Currently, bus depot in DHS is pretty far from entrance area.
Security, entrance was empty, within 5min, we went through the gate.  We took a few pictures at Hollywood Blvd(nice to have pics in almost empty park!).

Then headed to ABC Commissary to grab some pastries and coffee. 
There were people lining up in front of Chinese theater already, waiting for getting into TSL.  It was around 7AM.
Around 7:10AM, we headed to Chinese theater, joined to the line.  There was not much different for line before and after we grabbed foods. 
There were still people heading into ABC-C to get some food.
Around 7:15AM, they let people start walking toward TSL, around 7:20AM, we started getting on line of SSD.  SSD was running fully, whole time during EMM. 7:25AM, we were on 1st ride of SDD.  Immediately after that, we got back to line of SDD, 5min wait.

Then we headed to Alien Saucers, rode once.  Once was enough for us for the ride.  Then we headed to Toy Story Mania, rode twice.  Both time, 5min wait.   Then headed back to SDD again.  SDD line was a bit longer than 1st time, but still 10min wait, so we rode twice again. 
We headed back to Toystory Mania again, rode once, 5min wait.  At that time, it was already around 8:45AM. So we decided to head back to ABC-C to get full breakfast.
On the way going back for the breakfast, the line for SSD by rope drop people were already reaching in front of Chinese theater. (TSL -> in front of Walt Disney Presents -> the location we lined up at the beginning) It was loooooong line.

The breakfast, we order 6 items, 2 Charcuterie Platter, 1 Smashed Avocado Toast and Egg Plate and 3 Fried Chicken and Cinnamon-Sugar French Donut Bowl.  6 plates for 4 people.
Charcuterie was OK, not perfect.  Avocado Toast was good.  Fried Chicken plate was good,but it was too heavy for us in the morning.  Unlimited coffee, OJ/AJ, milk, pastries, yogurt were served.

Overall, it was not cheap but worked out really well for us.  It may be difficult with family with young kids as it is hustle to wake up that early. 
Also we intentionally avoided taking pics with characters because:

1. My kids are all teenagers, so not like "we die if I do not take pic with Woody and Jess"
2. The line for characters are the time killer.  It looked like it took more than half hour to complete one character line. 

We were lucky that SSD was running fully all the time, contrast to the report people posted here in past.  I also saw somebody posted as condensation with cold weather might make trouble to run SSD.  The weather on 2nd was really nice, 72-3F already at 7AM and reached to 80 at 9AM so we probably could avoid the potential condensation issue(if it was the reason for problem)


----------



## Lisa F

a week from tomorrow I am doing this and I am SO excited.

I'm not sure anyone cares but figured the odds were higher here than anywhere else.

edited to add: it's actually 2 weeks from tomorrow. I am truly losing my mind.  1 week from tomorrow I am going to the airport hotel for the night before our early morning flight!

still not sold out for my date either.
Come on Disney trip, get here already!!!


----------



## ilanakan

We did Early morning magic on 1/7.  It was amazing.  We are staying at AOA, so I ordered us a Mears taxi for 6:30am.  Arrived at 6:40am, and let into the park before 6:45am.  Went to have a coffee and danish, and by 7:20 were let into Toy Story Land.  All rides were up and running.  All together we managed the following before the rope drop crowds were let in:
3 times on TSM
5 Slinky dog
1 Aliens
and a meeting with Woody and Jesse, including Woody giving my 12 year old a Happy Birthday dance - priceless.

When rope drop crowd craze arrived, we went to meet Mickey & Minnie, and then off to breakfast and do our fastpasses.
All in all, we had a wonderful day.  Totally worth the money.


----------



## Lisa F

ilanakan said:


> We did Early morning magic on 1/7.  It was amazing.  We are staying at AOA, so I ordered us a Mears taxi for 6:30am.  Arrived at 6:40am, and let into the park before 6:45am.  Went to have a coffee and danish, and by 7:20 were let into Toy Story Land.  All rides were up and running.  All together we managed the following before the rope drop crowds were let in:
> 3 times on TSM
> 5 Slinky dog
> 1 Aliens
> and a meeting with Woody and Jesse, including Woody giving my 12 year old a Happy Birthday dance - priceless.
> 
> When rope drop crowd craze arrived, we went to meet Mickey & Minnie, and then off to breakfast and do our fastpasses.
> All in all, we had a wonderful day.  Totally worth the money.


about what time did you meet woody and jesse and about how long was the wait?

Thanks for taking the time to report back!


----------



## ninafeliz

We attended on January 2nd, it was our second time at this event and both times were excellent.  Our experience was similar to the previous recent reviews of the event, nothing earth shattering to report (which is good )!

We were at the CBR, and I scheduled a mears sedan for 6:15 AM.  I got a text when I scheduled it, a text when the driver was dispatched, and one when he approached the resort.  it was $18 and I think money well spent for ease and peace of mind to not worry about the bus schedule.  We did mess up, though, and had no small bills to tip the driver.  We had only used minnie vans other days, where you tip on the app, so gave him a $20   Lucky ride for him, expensive one for us.  Oh well.  

We waited a couple of minutes for bag check to open, there was a small but decent crowd there already.  Then we waited at the tapstyles until 6:45.  However, this time when they let us in they didn't hold us anywhere inside the park, we went straight to ABC Commissary.  We got a little bit from the buffet and went to the bathroom, and went out to wait for TSL by 7:10.  They let the crowd go to TSL at exactly 7:15, there were more people waiting this time than back in October.  


We rode SDD first, the time entering the line said 7:20, with a very short wait- 1-2 trains maybe.  When we exited we were going to ride TSM, but I noticed a photopass photographer standing where Woody and Jessie meet, and no line.  We asked when they come out and she said usually around 7:30, and it was 7:27, so we waited an they came out within 2 minutes.  There was one woman and her daughter in front of us, so we met them with essentially no wait.  I would have skipped them, but wanted the Christmas outfits and this was the ideal way to do it! We then rode TSM with no line, exited and rode again, and this time they let us ride a third time without getting off.  After the third ride we did AS2, and to my surprise there was a decent line.  It didn't end up being long, though.  We got in line at 8:15 and I have a photo on the ride at 8:22.  We did get to ride during the Christmas song, which didn't matter but made me happy .  We went back and rode SDD 3 more times before the rope drop crowd came.  Each time we asked for the back, so a couple of times we did wait one extra train (dog).  As we were on for the third time the RD crowd came, and when we walked out of the land the line was already out of TSL, into the courtyard, and ended in front of the Chinese theater with a 150 min wait!  I enjoy the ride, but that's nuts!

We walked down to RNRC after that but because we didn't leave to beat the RD crowd the line said 45 min, so we just walked back and ate breakfast.  I got shrimp and grits and the mexican dish.  I did not care for the shrimp and grits, I enjoyed the Mexican one (blanking on the actual name and too lazy to look it up) like I did last time.  When we got there it was pretty full, I had to walk around the entire restaurant to find a seat.  we took our time eating and left a little before 10.  

I think this is a great event, and I am definitely not a morning person!  This is worth getting up for, and I hope it's always offered when we come down.  it helps that we currently have APs, when we no longer do it will be a little tougher since it will have to be on either our DHS day or at least a park day, but i still think we will try our best to always fit it into our schedule.


----------



## MemoryMakers

Sorry if this has been asked/answered already but with a 9:00 park open, what’s the best time to “beat” rope drop down to RnRC and ToT?  Hoping to be amongst the first down there even though I know we’ll be leaving TSL a little early.  Thanks


----------



## omniscientmommy

I bit the bullet and paid for the EMM at HS. My oldest would be more then happy to go back and do star wars stuff but the youngest doesn't like HS bc he's scared of the storm-troopers so I figured EMM would be better for him since that we be 'closed'.


----------



## magickingdomprincess

Just curious, what time does the breakfast open?  It seems pretty early from reading the reports but wasn't sure if it was before 7 am or not.  

All of these reports are so making me want to book this when it comes out for June!  But I also want to do EMM at MK!  DH will probably not be very happy with me having to get up that early twice but it feels worth it!


----------



## ninafeliz

magickingdomprincess said:


> Just curious, what time does the breakfast open?  It seems pretty early from reading the reports but wasn't sure if it was before 7 am or not.
> 
> All of these reports are so making me want to book this when it comes out for June!  But I also want to do EMM at MK!  DH will probably not be very happy with me having to get up that early twice but it feels worth it!


 I would seriously recommend both as long as your budget allows!  I haven’t done the new format MK EMM, but did the old format multiple times and based on reviews it’s even better now, and the DHS one is great.  I am as far from a morning person as you can get, but these events are very worth getting up for.  I would have happily done both if they had offered the MK one during our New Years trip even coming from a moderate resort so getting there was more of an issue!


----------



## bosspringsteen

We’ll  be doing EMM at HS and MK next month. I see everyone has a plan for MK and that’s usually go ride Peter Pan or Pooh before 7DMT are there similar suggestions for HS as well? Should we avoid SDD and hit TSM or Aliens first or just tackle SDD right off the bat because it’s busy no matter what?


----------



## ninafeliz

bosspringsteen said:


> We’ll  be doing EMM at HS and MK next month. I see everyone has a plan for MK and that’s usually go ride Peter Pan or Pooh before 7DMT are there similar suggestions for HS as well? Should we avoid SDD and hit TSM or Aliens first or just tackle SDD right off the bat because it’s busy no matter what?



Before our first DHS EMM I had planned to do one of the other rides prior to SDD to let the initial swell die down, but when the time came we were so close to the front of the line entering the land at 7:15 that we just went ahead and rode, figuring we would be on one of the first 2-3 cars going out regardless of the line behind us.  Then we rode the other rides before circling back and finishing with SDD as many times as time allowed after we were done with everything else.  The second time, on 1/2, we did the same thing.  Honestly it's kind of mentally difficult to not run to SDD, particularly for kids, so as long as the line wasn't too long (we were waiting for the crowd to be let in to TSL from in front of the theater both times) we just went ahead and rode SDD to get it out of our system, then did whatever else we wanted to do, making sure there was time for at least 1-2 rides on SDD before the end of the event.  That worked for us both times.  We saw Woody and Jessie both times, never saw Buzz.  The character lines are what will kill your time if you aren't lucky or careful!  I can't say that I ever experienced a line for SDD that was longer than pushing 10 min, even when it looked long it turned out to be roughly the same length (I can picture in my head where it ends, but don't know how to explain it haha.  Just before the bend that is prior to where the CM splits you into odd (right) or even (left) groups seemed to always be where the "long" lines settled down at).


----------



## ConnecticutNonna

MemoryMakers said:


> Sorry if this has been asked/answered already but with a 9:00 park open, what’s the best time to “beat” rope drop down to RnRC and ToT?  Hoping to be amongst the first down there even though I know we’ll be leaving TSL a little early.  Thanks


I wanted to know this as well, thanks for asking!


----------



## GADisneyDad14

magickingdomprincess said:


> Just curious, what time does the breakfast open?  It seems pretty early from reading the reports but wasn't sure if it was before 7 am or not.
> 
> All of these reports are so making me want to book this when it comes out for June!  But I also want to do EMM at MK!  DH will probably not be very happy with me having to get up that early twice but it feels worth it!



Generally speaking, people report being let in the front gates 6:45ish.  Breakfast will be open at that point as well.


----------



## mtrib

ConnecticutNonna said:


> I wanted to know this as well, thanks for asking!



Wondering kind of the same. Trying to figure out if it's realistic to hit ToT then RNRC (or should we reverse that?) AND get back to ABC before they close breakfast? We have a RNRC FP for a little later in the morning so we could skip it here but seems like golden opportunity to get in another ride before the lines build.


----------



## RachaelA

Has there been a consistent set time that the characters have been coming out?


----------



## ninafeliz

RachaelA said:


> Has there been a consistent set time that the characters have been coming out?



Woody and Jessie have always, to my knowledge, come out "around" 7:30.  When we were there and asked the PP photographer what time they came out, she was very careful to say they "usually" come out "around" 7:30, and that day they did come out pretty much at exactly 7:30.  I think they want to leave the door open for something to happen and for them to be later, so they are careful to not have a times guide and/or lots of CMs saying they will be out right at 7:30


----------



## chaoskids

ConnecticutNonna said:


> I wanted to know this as well, thanks for asking!


Us too!!  Wondering if RnR and ToT are possible before breakfast ends.


----------



## sjberg79

chaoskids said:


> Us too!!  Wondering if RnR and ToT are possible before breakfast ends.



We did HS EMM back on the 12/10/18 date and we RP ToT and RnR then went back for breakfast no problem. We didn't even plan on doing RnR, we just saw it was such a low wait after we did ToT we figured, why not? That was the date we went though, I think it's probably the date you go and see how it works out. We are going again for HS EMM on 1/28 and we plan to RP RnR again and then head back to breakfast but we will skip ToT because it turns out our 5 year old hated it.


----------



## DisHeels

Finally got a reservation for 1/21. Had been unavailable since I've been looking. I've only done the MK After Hours so looking forward to a EMM.


----------



## Jimminy Cricket 123

I’m trying to book the March 20th date, but it appears already sold out. But it also only shows a 7:30 time as an option. Hoping the extra 7:00 slot opens. Wonder what the idea is behind not opening both slots immediately.


----------



## suzywindy

My family and friends did this in early December and it was great.  We stayed at the Yacht Club but took a Mears van over since we were not sure the boats started running by 7.   Since it appears some of the buses from resorts start that early I am wondering if anyone has stayed at any Epcot resort and gone to this has been able to use the Friendship boat to get there.   I am going back in April and booked this again for 7:30 so that is why I am asking.  Thanks!


----------



## alisen96

We are heading to WDW the first week of June 2019.  We are arriving on Saturday June 1st and departing on Friday June 7th.  Sunday June 2 is a MMH for HS and Monday June 3 is a MMH for AK.  In order to do the EMM at HS we would either have to switch up the days in the HS and AK and forgo MMH OR we could do EMM on Wednesday June 5th but then have to do Epcot on our departure day.  Tuesday and Thursday of that week is devoted MK.  Our drive home is 5 hours so it would not be a total loss BUT I think my oldest son (9 years) would totally enjoy Epcot.  We are also staying at Yacht Club so Epcot is really close by.  Thoughts?  Is EMM worth completely planning around?  We have boys who are 6 and 9 year old.  TIA for feedback.


----------



## Michael Goldstein

My wife and i are trying I book emm for February 4th but both the 7 and 730 slots have no availability. Has anyone heard of continuing to check the site and slots becoming available? We are really hoping something becomes available. Thanks everyone.


----------



## DisHeels

Michael Goldstein said:


> My wife and i are trying I book emm for February 4th but both the 7 and 730 slots have no availability. Has anyone heard of continuing to check the site and slots becoming available? We are really hoping something becomes available. Thanks everyone.



Happened to me for my 1/21 date. No availability then one morning it was there. Not sure if the site is the issue or maybe someone cancelled and a spot opened. Maybe an expert in this thread knows more.


----------



## StacyStrong

I think I'm doing this again on 4/8. I went back in December and had a great time. Now I'm going back to the parks with 3 additional people who haven't done TSL yet.


----------



## bigeyedfish

This is like a dining reservation and easily cancelled.  I’d just keep checking and I bet spots would open eventually


----------



## Necroking

I will be doing this towards the end of February. Can't wait. Thanks for all the advice in this thread.


----------



## Steph1673

We have this booked in March over Spring Break; meeting Buzz and Woody are my three year olds top requests of the entire trip. I see a lot of posts about meeting Woody & Jessie, but not Buzz. My son was Buzz for Halloween and is obsessed! Is Buzz not out there as much? Just not as popular? Just trying to plan out where we should go first, since the character meets are just as important to us as the rides. Thanks!


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Steph1673 said:


> We have this booked in March over Spring Break; meeting Buzz and Woody are my three year olds top requests of the entire trip. I see a lot of posts about meeting Woody & Jessie, but not Buzz. My son was Buzz for Halloween and is obsessed! Is Buzz not out there as much? Just not as popular? Just trying to plan out where we should go first, since the character meets are just as important to us as the rides. Thanks!



On 12/31, Buzz was meeting more towards the entrance to the land / the entrance corridor.  Around 8:40ish, W/J had a pretty darn long line and Buzz was all alone.  You can’t see him when in the land, you have to start making your way out - maybe that’s why?  Maybe 1 character vs 2?  I don’t quite get it myself.  Both EMMs we’ve done, Buzz has been similar.  Maybe we just got lucky with timing.


----------



## Steph1673

GADisneyDad14 said:


> On 12/31, Buzz was meeting more towards the entrance to the land / the entrance corridor.  Around 8:40ish, W/J had a pretty darn long line and Buzz was all alone.  You can’t see him when in the land, you have to start making your way out - maybe that’s why?  Maybe 1 character vs 2?  I don’t quite get it myself.  Both EMMs we’ve done, Buzz has been similar.  Maybe we just got lucky with timing.



Thanks! Does he also come out around 7:30am like W&J, or not until later.

Does this sound like an OK plan of action? Meeting both sets of characters is a must. Would love two rides on both SDD and TSM as well  


1.    Coffee/Pastry before TSL opens

2.    Slinky Dog Dash

3.    Meet Woody & Jesse

4.    Toy Story Mania

5.    Alien Saucer Swirl

6.    Repeat SDD

7.    Repeat TSM

8.    Meet Buzz (is he on the way back towards breakfast?)

10.  Breakfast at 9:45am


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Steph1673 said:


> Thanks! Does he also come out around 7:30am like W&J, or not until later.
> 
> Does this sound like an OK plan of action? Meeting both sets of characters is a must. Would love two rides on both SDD and TSM as well
> 
> 
> 1.    Coffee/Pastry before TSL opens
> 
> 2.    Slinky Dog Dash
> 
> 3.    Meet Woody & Jesse
> 
> 4.    Toy Story Mania
> 
> 5.    Alien Saucer Swirl
> 
> 6.    Repeat SDD
> 
> 7.    Repeat TSM
> 
> 8.    Meet Buzz (is he on the way back towards breakfast?)
> 
> 10.  Breakfast at 9:45am



That sounds legit to me, and is close to what we did 12/31.  However I'd caution to stay flexible based on what you see on the ground.  We did it in October and went to SDD first, but so did a few hundred of my newest friends and that first line rush ate into event time.  We did the same thing 12/31 and that first ride line was like 6 minutes, so pretty much nothing.   The only difference between dates is they opened the land roughly 10-15 mins earlier.

Point being, don't be afraid to adjust if you 'see' something with any ride that looks like an unusually long line.  There will be time later to come back, in all likelihood.

Yes, Buzz would be a good "last stop" as you head out to breakfast.

I assume you mean breakfast at 8:45?  Or did you mean 9:45 and you're going to hit some other DHS rides between 9-9:45?

I have not witnessed what time Buzz comes out, but I think it's 7:30am'ish like Woodie and Jessie.

Hope that helps!


----------



## MonaMN

GADisneyDad14 said:


> On 12/31, Buzz was meeting more towards the entrance to the land / the entrance corridor.  Around 8:40ish, W/J had a pretty darn long line and Buzz was all alone.  You can’t see him when in the land, you have to start making your way out - maybe that’s why?  Maybe 1 character vs 2?  I don’t quite get it myself.  Both EMMs we’ve done, Buzz has been similar.  Maybe we just got lucky with timing.


I think Woody/Jessie are more popular in part because Jessie wasn't easy to meet before.  We've met Woody and Buzz together in Pixar Place, but Jessie was not meeting regularly on our other trips... so perhaps that's part of the equation.


----------



## dachsie

I wish they would open up the May dates.  I went in Dec and loved it so want to do it again in May


----------



## Jimminy Cricket 123

So before this weekend, for the 3/20/2019 early morning magic, it was only showing the 7:30 slot. Now all of a sudden this morning, it shows both time slots, but still no availability. Perhaps it's a slow load and the timeslot will be available for booking soon? Has anyone noticed if this is how the process works when adding the 2nd timeslot?


----------



## MonaMN

Jimminy Cricket 123 said:


> So before this weekend, for the 3/20/2019 early morning magic, it was only showing the 7:30 slot. Now all of a sudden this morning, it shows both time slots, but still no availability. Perhaps it's a slow load and the timeslot will be available for booking soon? Has anyone noticed if this is how the process works when adding the 2nd timeslot?


I know this is how it has worked for dessert parties, so I would keep checking - I would guess they will open for booking in the next day or so.


----------



## Jimminy Cricket 123

MonaMN said:


> I know this is how it has worked for dessert parties, so I would keep checking - I would guess they will open for booking in the next day or so.


Makes sense, thought that's how some of the other things worked. Thanks


----------



## I-man

Has anyone driven and parked to do this? If so, how early can we park and did you get close to the front of parking? Ty!


----------



## KrazeeK120

I-man said:


> Has anyone driven and parked to do this? If so, how early can we park and did you get close to the front of parking? Ty!



We have. Anyone driving to this event is going to be close to the front of parking...no one else is getting to the park at that hour! I want to say we were the 3rd or 4th car in the lot when we arrived at about 6:40 on our day.


----------



## Steph1673

GADisneyDad14 said:


> That sounds legit to me, and is close to what we did 12/31.  However I'd caution to stay flexible based on what you see on the ground.  We did it in October and went to SDD first, but so did a few hundred of my newest friends and that first line rush ate into event time.  We did the same thing 12/31 and that first ride line was like 6 minutes, so pretty much nothing.   The only difference between dates is they opened the land roughly 10-15 mins earlier.
> 
> Point being, don't be afraid to adjust if you 'see' something with any ride that looks like an unusually long line.  There will be time later to come back, in all likelihood.
> 
> Yes, Buzz would be a good "last stop" as you head out to breakfast.
> 
> I assume you mean breakfast at 8:45?  Or did you mean 9:45 and you're going to hit some other DHS rides between 9-9:45?
> 
> I have not witnessed what time Buzz comes out, but I think it's 7:30am'ish like Woodie and Jessie.
> 
> Hope that helps!




Ok, thank, I'll definitely remain flexible. Before reading these threads, I was thinking of lining up for characters first, since most people will run for SDD, but now I switched that around since the characters don't' seem to be out right away.


----------



## Steph1673

Jimminy Cricket 123 said:


> So before this weekend, for the 3/20/2019 early morning magic, it was only showing the 7:30 slot. Now all of a sudden this morning, it shows both time slots, but still no availability. Perhaps it's a slow load and the timeslot will be available for booking soon? Has anyone noticed if this is how the process works when adding the 2nd timeslot?



I booked for 3/18 last week, and the only slot it showed for my was 7am.


----------



## MIAMouseketeer

StacyStrong said:


> I think I'm doing this again on 4/8. I went back in December and had a great time. Now I'm going back to the parks with 3 additional people who haven't done TSL yet.



Us too. Just booked 4/8 because I'm afraid of it selling out. We loved it in December even though it was 40 degrees. We will only cancel if my son doesn't reach 38". In December he was 37", so didn't get to ride Slinky Dog Dash


----------



## Steph1673

Also, we plan to walk from BCV. What time would you suggest leaving?


----------



## Jimminy Cricket 123

Steph1673 said:


> I booked for 3/18 last week, and the only slot it showed for my was 7am.



Yeah, but if you do the dropdown for March 18th, it shows 7:00 and 7:30. March 20th has been only showing 7:30 in the dropdown. No availability though when you search.

If you look at April 10th, that's how it looked a few days ago. It only shows 7:30 in the dropdown.

So really, I'm obviously not 100% sure, but I'm hoping that means that 7:00 will be available soon. Not that the time matters between the two, because it doesn't, but just so there's some availability.


----------



## cakebaker

dachsie said:


> I wish they would open up the May dates.  I went in Dec and loved it so want to do it again in May




Same here! We have an early May trip and im hoping one falls on a day we’re there and they open before our fp window!


----------



## KrazeeK120

MIAMouseketeer said:


> Us too. Just booked 4/8 because I'm afraid of it selling out. We loved it in December even though it was 40 degrees. We will only cancel if my son doesn't reach 38". In December he was 37", so didn't get to ride Slinky Dog Dash



Just a word of warning - that ride can be scary for little kids. My son was a week shy of his 3rd birthday when we went and he ran right for SDD, and then ended up scared on the ride. He wasn’t traumatized or anything, but he definitely didn’t want to ride again. He did the same thing on SDMT the next day...

All kids are different, but just wanted to share my experience with a 38.5 inch kid!


----------



## Steph1673

Also, has anyone had luck rushing over to sign up for Jedi training at the end of EMM and beating the rope drop crowd? Asking for a friend who may join us on our date, but has Jedi training as a high priority.


----------



## lostangel52577

Has anyone experienced or heard about any issues taking the buses to this event?  I have been following this thread and it seems there’s been no issues, but I’m still slightly nervous about it.  Going February 11 from the Poly.


----------



## Slick519

lostangel52577 said:


> Has anyone experienced or heard about any issues taking the buses to this event?  I have been following this thread and it seems there’s been no issues, but I’m still slightly nervous about it.  Going February 11 from the Poly.


We are also going that day from the Poly! Hoping we’ll get an early bus!!


----------



## Jimminy Cricket 123

And I was right, Early Morning Magic at Hollywood Studios opened up availability this morning for 3/20/2019. The other time suddenly appeared yesterday morning and today it is bookable, woot.


----------



## TammyLynn33

I haven’t seen any but I worry ha ha we are going from CBR I booked mears it was only $17.. I figured with the 5 of us what I paid what’s another $17 for peace of mind imo





lostangel52577 said:


> Has anyone experienced or heard about any issues taking the buses to this event?  I have been following this thread and it seems there’s been no issues, but I’m still slightly nervous about it.  Going February 11 from the Poly.


----------



## iujen94

Jimminy Cricket 123 said:


> And I was right, Early Morning Magic at Hollywood Studios opened up availability this morning for 3/20/2019. The other time suddenly appeared yesterday morning and today it is bookable, woot.



Not sure if it’s related, but there’s also availability this morning for April 17 (there wasn’t yesterday). Thanks for posting this and inspiring me to double check!


----------



## NotTheBatesMotel

lostangel52577 said:


> Has anyone experienced or heard about any issues taking the buses to this event?  I have been following this thread and it seems there’s been no issues, but I’m still slightly nervous about it.  Going February 11 from the Poly.



I can’t speak for Poly, but we had no issues with the bus from POFQ taking us to EMM. I was worried too but it showed up!


----------



## Maine Disney First Timer

For those of you booking Mears, what time are you choosing for pick up time? I am at Poly


----------



## TammyLynn33

I booked 635 


QUOTE="Maine Disney First Timer, post: 60144511, member: 562742"]For those of you booking Mears, what time are you choosing for pick up time? I am at Poly[/QUOTE]


----------



## MIAMouseketeer

KrazeeK120 said:


> Just a word of warning - that ride can be scary for little kids. My son was a week shy of his 3rd birthday when we went and he ran right for SDD, and then ended up scared on the ride. He wasn’t traumatized or anything, but he definitely didn’t want to ride again. He did the same thing on SDMT the next day...
> 
> All kids are different, but just wanted to share my experience with a 38.5 inch kid!


oh I know. But this kid is a daredevil. He would ride Barnstormer over and over again if he could. But we are always cautious. Thanks!


----------



## neverenoughtime

Maine Disney First Timer said:


> For those of you booking Mears, what time are you choosing for pick up time? I am at Poly


I booked for 6:15 at Contemporary.


----------



## ninafeliz

Maine Disney First Timer said:


> For those of you booking Mears, what time are you choosing for pick up time? I am at Poly



I had them come at 6:15 at CBR on Jan 2.


----------



## nate538

Hi All,  

We're going to Disney for the first time next week.  Very exciting.  Also, intimidating.  This is my first post, but I've been referencing the boards as our plans evolved.  Very helpful.  And, again, intimidating...

I've done a little reading, and I think I know my options, but I wanted to specifically run it by you all if you don't mind. 

We have TSL EMM booked for Mon 1/21.  We also need to register 4 kids for JTA.  We have some flexibility on the time, but we also have some strong preferences.  

Touringplans predicts Hollywood Studios will be at crowd level 9.  It's MLK day. 

Would you agree that the following statements are "probably" accurate?  

JTA registation opens at 8am.
Expect to spend ~30 min of precious TSL EMM time if we want run over there to register <=8am and then dash back to TSL. 
At 8am, all JTA time slots should be available and registration should only take a few min. 
At 8:45am, we should be prepared to wait ~30+ min at JTA registration and a few of the time slots may already be full.  
By 9:20 or so (after an 8:45 JTA registration), the line for RnR could be 35+ min.
Flipping that, registering for JTA after RnR, "should" still have available spots, but options may be limited.  

I've mostly resigned myself to spending the EMM time to register at or just before 8 so we can get the best time slot and also get to RnR as early as possible (and maybe even ToT, but we have a FP for ToT later in the day.)  

I don't think I can risk missing JTA, however small the risk, by registering later in the morning.  

If there's a better way, I'd love to hear it.  Any chance they will allow JTA registration at 7:15?  'Cause that would be rad.  

Thanks so much!


----------



## Ils

nate538 said:


> Hi All,
> 
> We're going to Disney for the first time next week.  Very exciting.  Also, intimidating.  This is my first post, but I've been referencing the boards as our plans evolved.  Very helpful.  And, again, intimidating...
> 
> I've done a little reading, and I think I know my options, but I wanted to specifically run it by you all if you don't mind.
> 
> We have TSL EMM booked for Mon 1/21.  We also need to register 4 kids for JTA.  We have some flexibility on the time, but we also have some strong preferences.
> 
> Touringplans predicts Hollywood Studios will be at crowd level 9.  It's MLK day.
> 
> Would you agree that the following statements are "probably" accurate?
> 
> JTA registation opens at 8am.
> Expect to spend ~30 min of precious TSL EMM time if we want run over there to register <=8am and then dash back to TSL.
> At 8am, all JTA time slots should be available and registration should only take a few min.
> At 8:45am, we should be prepared to wait ~30+ min at JTA registration and a few of the time slots may already be full.
> By 9:20 or so (after an 8:45 JTA registration), the line for RnR could be 35+ min.
> Flipping that, registering for JTA after RnR, "should" still have available spots, but options may be limited.
> 
> I've mostly resigned myself to spending the EMM time to register at or just before 8 so we can get the best time slot and also get to RnR as early as possible (and maybe even ToT, but we have a FP for ToT later in the day.)
> 
> I don't think I can risk missing JTA, however small the risk, by registering later in the morning.
> 
> If there's a better way, I'd love to hear it.  Any chance they will allow JTA registration at 7:15?  'Cause that would be rad.
> 
> Thanks so much!


Everything I have read states you can't sign up for JTA until after rope drop which is usually after 8.45. We're doing EMM on Pres Day so hopefully will take advantage of already being in the park to get over there around 8.30 and sign up.


----------



## otten

Ils said:


> Everything I have read states you can't sign up for JTA until after rope drop which is usually after 8.45. We're doing EMM on Pres Day so hopefully will take advantage of already being in the park to get over there around 8.30 and sign up.



That's not correct. People with PPO breakfasts have been able to sign up when they enter for breakfast. I don't know what time EMM would be able to sign up though.


----------



## Ils

otten said:


> That's not correct. People with PPO breakfasts have been able to sign up when they enter for breakfast. I don't know what time EMM would be able to sign up though.


Fair enough, but even so there are plenty shows throughout the day which arent going be taken up by people having breakfast.

We have spent over 300 on EMM and I'm going to get my money worth and if we can get to sign up for JTA earlier... It's a bonus.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

lostangel52577 said:


> Has anyone experienced or heard about any issues taking the buses to this event?  I have been following this thread and it seems there’s been no issues, but I’m still slightly nervous about it.  Going February 11 from the Poly.



FWIW, here was a screen shot of the bus times from Poly in the app on 12/31/2018 at 6:09AM.  I opted to cab on this particular morning, but the bus would have been an option too.  Of course, YMMV!


----------



## GADisneyDad14

nate538 said:


> Hi All,
> 
> We're going to Disney for the first time next week.  Very exciting.  Also, intimidating.  This is my first post, but I've been referencing the boards as our plans evolved.  Very helpful.  And, again, intimidating...
> 
> I've done a little reading, and I think I know my options, but I wanted to specifically run it by you all if you don't mind.
> 
> We have TSL EMM booked for Mon 1/21.  We also need to register 4 kids for JTA.  We have some flexibility on the time, but we also have some strong preferences.
> 
> Touringplans predicts Hollywood Studios will be at crowd level 9.  It's MLK day.
> 
> Would you agree that the following statements are "probably" accurate?
> 
> JTA registation opens at 8am.
> Expect to spend ~30 min of precious TSL EMM time if we want run over there to register <=8am and then dash back to TSL.
> At 8am, all JTA time slots should be available and registration should only take a few min.
> At 8:45am, we should be prepared to wait ~30+ min at JTA registration and a few of the time slots may already be full.
> By 9:20 or so (after an 8:45 JTA registration), the line for RnR could be 35+ min.
> Flipping that, registering for JTA after RnR, "should" still have available spots, but options may be limited.
> 
> I've mostly resigned myself to spending the EMM time to register at or just before 8 so we can get the best time slot and also get to RnR as early as possible (and maybe even ToT, but we have a FP for ToT later in the day.)
> 
> I don't think I can risk missing JTA, however small the risk, by registering later in the morning.
> 
> If there's a better way, I'd love to hear it.  Any chance they will allow JTA registration at 7:15?  'Cause that would be rad.
> 
> Thanks so much!




 to the DIS!  You guys must be serious about JTA.  I'm a little stressed for you just reading your post.  

Unfortunately JTA is not a topic I know very much about.  You may have seen these, but there are three JTA reports (which isn't that many) posted at the bottom of Post #3, which I'm also cutting/pasting below: 

*Jedi Training Sign-Up Experiences*
@TinkerBeth18 on 10/1/2018 said: *Went immediately at 8:45 to sign up for Jedi training and had to wait 30 minutes. The earliest time they had available was 11:40.*

@pangyal on 10/3/2018 said: *We asked about signups for Jedi Training and were told that nobody would be stationed until PPO breakfast time started (8am). We decided not to leave toy story land just to sign up when we had such little time there anyway.*

@Taka on 1/2/2019 said: *When leaving TSL around 8:45, mass crowd came into TSL. After TSL, we signed up JEDI training. It was 30mins wait. And all slots were still opened except first two shows.*

Not sure if that helps, but maybe it does.  Good luck.


----------



## Lisa F

ok so no one kill me but I am packing right now and heading on the ferry to go to airport after work for 6am flight tomorrow after working the last 7 days straight due to a work crisis so I know I've read this but I just am spacing at the moment. 

how do you book Mears? lol.  We are going to this thing a week from today, very excited!  The low is expected to be 55 and we are coming from 30 degrees less so hoping it's comfortable!


----------



## zeferjen

Lisa F said:


> how do you book Mears? lol. We are going to this thing a week from today, very excited! The low is expected to be 55 and we are coming from 30 degrees less so hoping it's comfortable!


You can book online or they have an app
https://services.taxihail.com/MearsTaxi/


----------



## Maine Disney First Timer

GADisneyDad14 said:


> to the DIS!  You guys must be serious about JTA.  I'm a little stressed for you just reading your post.
> 
> Unfortunately JTA is not a topic I know very much about.  You may have seen these, but there are three JTA reports (which isn't that many) posted at the bottom of Post #3, which I'm also cutting/pasting below:
> 
> *Jedi Training Sign-Up Experiences*
> @TinkerBeth18 on 10/1/2018 said: *Went immediately at 8:45 to sign up for Jedi training and had to wait 30 minutes. The earliest time they had available was 11:40.*
> 
> @pangyal on 10/3/2018 said: *We asked about signups for Jedi Training and were told that nobody would be stationed until PPO breakfast time started (8am). We decided not to leave toy story land just to sign up when we had such little time there anyway.*
> 
> @Taka on 1/2/2019 said: *When leaving TSL around 8:45, mass crowd came into TSL. After TSL, we signed up JEDI training. It was 30mins wait. And all slots were still opened except first two shows.*
> 
> Not sure if that helps, but maybe it does.  Good luck.



Wow I had no idea there would be a 30 min wait for Jedi Training sign ups!


----------



## neverenoughtime

Maine Disney First Timer said:


> Wow I had no idea there would be a 30 min wait for Jedi Training sign ups!


Took around 20 minutes on 12/17/18. We also left toy story land around 8:45. I will say there were a ton of signups available when we got up to the front.


----------



## lostangel52577

Slick519 said:


> We are also going that day from the Poly! Hoping we’ll get an early bus!!



Yes hoping. See you there.  



NotTheBatesMotel said:


> I can’t speak for Poly, but we had no issues with the bus from POFQ taking us to EMM. I was worried too but it showed up!



Thanks.  I am a worry wart.  I obsessively worry about everything.  If I did Mears, I’d worry about them showing up.  



GADisneyDad14 said:


> FWIW, here was a screen shot of the bus times from Poly in the app on 12/31/2018 at 6:09AM.  I opted to cab on this particular morning, but the bus would have been an option too.  Of course, YMMV!
> 
> View attachment 375814



Thank you!  That is super helpful.


----------



## mtrib

Help me plan my RD!!

We plan to bug out of TSL and RD ToT. Will we have time for RnRC also before heading back to ABC for breakfast? What if I got a 9:15 RnRC FP so we don't have to wait in SB? Or better to RD ToT, do breakfast, and get RnRC FPP a little later (there's a 10:05 and 10:55)?


----------



## limace

Is there a benefit to taking Mears vs Uber or Lyft?


----------



## chelynnah

limace said:


> Is there a benefit to taking Mears vs Uber or Lyft?


I think people are just worried about buses being a no show or terrible late. Of the ones who’ve taken buses the overall reports have been good.

We’re taking a bus from POFQ in Feb because I have a scooter and Uber/lyft/Mears isn’t really a viable option.  All bus time reports from FQ have been good (fingers crossed)


----------



## dachsie

limace said:


> Is there a benefit to taking Mears vs Uber or Lyft?


I took Uber in Dec and it worked fine.


----------



## Maine Disney First Timer

So with Minnie Vans not starting until 6:30 I would assume that is not a good option? Does that mean we cant book until 630 which means they might not get there til 645 or later?


----------



## Rachel GB

Maine Disney First Timer said:


> So with Minnie Vans not starting until 6:30 I would assume that is not a good option? Does that mean we cant book until 630 which means they might not get there til 645 or later?



Following, have the same question!


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

mtrib said:


> Help me plan my RD!!
> 
> We plan to bug out of TSL and RD ToT. Will we have time for RnRC also before heading back to ABC for breakfast? What if I got a 9:15 RnRC FP so we don't have to wait in SB? Or better to RD ToT, do breakfast, and get RnRC FPP a little later (there's a 10:05 and 10:55)?


I haven't been, yet, but based upon earlier reports, this is my plan:
Leave TSL at 8:45 sharp (or a few minutes earlier)
Beeline to RnRC
Stand by ToT
Split the group up: Adult and teen DD go to ABC to order breakfast for family. Other adult take kids to sign up for JTA
Meet at ABC for food

RnRC gets a line faster than ToT, and RnRC is the shorter ride, so that is the one to do first, if you want to do both.  

Those that reported in this thread trying this strategy for RnRC and ToT had all been successful.


----------



## MeeskaMooska13

chelynnah said:


> I think people are just worried about buses being a no show or terrible late. Of the ones who’ve taken buses the overall reports have been good.
> 
> We’re taking a bus from POFQ in Feb because I have a scooter and Uber/lyft/Mears isn’t really a viable option.  All bus time reports from FQ have been good (fingers crossed)


Looking for info on this, if someone in my party has a portable scooter, our only option is the bus?


----------



## chelynnah

MeeskaMooska13 said:


> Looking for info on this, if someone in my party has a portable scooter, our only option is the bus?


Minnie vans (which take scooters) don’t open until 6:30, so I think you’d be struggling to get one.

People said there were different categories of vehicles and requirements on the Mears website that you could pre-book.  I haven’t investigated as I’m hopeful the bus will work for us based on reports.


----------



## mtrib

PrincessArlena'sDad said:


> I haven't been, yet, but based upon earlier reports, this is my plan:
> Leave TSL at 8:45 sharp (or a few minutes earlier)
> Beeline to RnRC
> Stand by ToT
> Split the group up: Adult and teen DD go to ABC to order breakfast for family. Other adult take kids to sign up for JTA
> Meet at ABC for food
> 
> RnRC gets a line faster than ToT, and RnRC is the shorter ride, so that is the one to do first, if you want to do both.
> 
> Those that reported in this thread trying this strategy for RnRC and ToT had all been successful.



Thank you so much! That will be our plan. I have a RNRC FPP later in the day but we’d love to ride more than once.


----------



## suzywindy

My husband has a scooter so with Minnie Vans he calls ahead because they have a limited amount of vans that can take scooters.  Mears also has vans that take scooters but same thing - you just call ahead to let them know.  We went to the early opening in December and pre-ordered Mears one week out and then confirmed it.  They were there about 4 mins ahead of time.   During normal times we don't order ahead and never really waited long at all.  But at 6:30am we did not want to take a chance so we went with Mears.  We have used both to get around - Mears is cheaper though.


----------



## chelynnah

suzywindy said:


> My husband has a scooter so with Minnie Vans he calls ahead because they have a limited amount of vans that can take scooters.  Mears also has vans that take scooters but same thing - you just call ahead to let them know.  We went to the early opening in December and pre-ordered Mears one week out and then confirmed it.  They were there about 4 mins ahead of time.   During normal times we don't order ahead and never really waited long at all.  But at 6:30am we did not want to take a chance so we went with Mears.  We have used both to get around - Mears is cheaper though.


Thanks.  Did you call to order or book online.  What specifically did you ask for?

Thanks


----------



## Mrjoshua

MeeskaMooska13 said:


> Looking for info on this, if someone in my party has a portable scooter, our only option is the bus?


There is a service in FLA that offers rides with ECVs. I will look for it, and I cannot remember the name, but they'll pick you and the scooter up, and drop you off wherever.


----------



## Rachel GB

We would like to leave our resort by 6:30 a.m. and were counting on a Minnie Van (we need a car seat and really like their service, too).  I see that we can't request a Minnie Van until 6:30 though, as mentioned by others. I researched Mears online and found many frighteningly negative reviews, so I do not want to use them. Would the resort buses be a safe bet, or would we likely get the Minnie Van before the bus came?  TY!


----------



## TammyLynn33

I’ve used them several times in the past with no problems and will be using again this time .. 
if you look at reviews you’d never stay in a hotel or eat at any restaurants ..I know the only time I find time to post a review is if I’m upset .. 
good luck I think you’d be fine either way  





Rachel GB said:


> We would like to leave our resort by 6:30 a.m. and were counting on a Minnie Van (we need a car seat and really like their service, too).  I see that we can't request a Minnie Van until 6:30 though, as mentioned by others. I researched Mears online and found many frighteningly negative reviews, so I do not want to use them. Would the resort buses be a safe bet, or would we likely get the Minnie Van before the bus came?  TY!


----------



## Rachel GB

TammyLynn33 said:


> I’ve used them several times in the past with no problems and will be using again this time ..
> if you look at reviews you’d never stay in a hotel or eat at any restaurants ..I know the only time I find time to post a review is if I’m upset ..
> good luck I think you’d be fine either way



Good to know, thank you!


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Rachel GB said:


> We would like to leave our resort by 6:30 a.m. and were counting on a Minnie Van (we need a car seat and really like their service, too).  I see that we can't request a Minnie Van until 6:30 though, as mentioned by others. I researched Mears online and found many frighteningly negative reviews, so I do not want to use them. Would the resort buses be a safe bet, or would we likely get the Minnie Van before the bus came?  TY!



Granted this event has only been going on since 9/2018, but I've seen many people on this thread report scheduling their transportation with Mears and I've yet to see a negative report about their experience.  I'm sure YMMV on any given day and driver, but it seems to be work reasonably well for EMM according to reports. 

If I weren't using Mears, I'd have both the MDE app going to check bus times and the Lyft app open checking for Minnie Vans and make a decision on the fly based on conditions.  FWIW on 12/31 I didn't see much Minnie Van availability close to Poly at the moment in time I was checking, so we opted for a cab (I know not an option for you).  There was a bus at the Poly when we got in a cab, so I could have taken a bus as well.


----------



## Rachel GB

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Granted this event has only been going on since 9/2018, but I've seen many people on this thread report scheduling their transportation with Mears and I've yet to see a negative report about their experience.  I'm sure YMMV on any given day and driver, but it seems to be work reasonably well for EMM according to reports.
> 
> If I weren't using Mears, I'd have both the MDE app going to check bus times and the Lyft app open checking for Minnie Vans and make a decision on the fly based on conditions.  FWIW on 12/31 I didn't see much Minnie Van availability close to Poly at the moment in time I was checking, so we opted for a cab (I know not an option for you).  There was a bus at the Poly when we got in a cab, so I could have taken a bus as well.



Thank you for your reply, @GADisneyDad14 .  When I say overwhelmingly negative, there were countless horror story reviews.  It was shocking!  It's good to hear of so many good reports on this thread, though.  However, I can definitely live with refreshing Minnie Van availability and bus wait times.  We are staying at OKW this time and the HS bus ride is supposedly only 16 minutes, so we might actually be okay if we catch the bus at the right time... I think they run at 6:30?


----------



## DWFamilyof6

Soooo, I just realized the new Incredibles party, Edna, and Mike/Sully MG do not open until 10am and 10:30 am right now.  Seems a little crazy it doesn't open at park opening. My plan was to head to this area right after EMM in Toy Story Land before breakfast.  Do you think the odds are good that they'll move up the open time by first of March?  If not, I need some ideas for 9-9:30.  We have Fps for ToT and Rockin.  I guess we could do Star Tours.


----------



## MeeskaMooska13

chelynnah said:


> Minnie vans (which take scooters) don’t open until 6:30, so I think you’d be struggling to get one.
> 
> People said there were different categories of vehicles and requirements on the Mears website that you could pre-book.  I haven’t investigated as I’m hopeful the bus will work for us based on reports.


Thank you!


----------



## MeeskaMooska13

suzywindy said:


> My husband has a scooter so with Minnie Vans he calls ahead because they have a limited amount of vans that can take scooters.  Mears also has vans that take scooters but same thing - you just call ahead to let them know.  We went to the early opening in December and pre-ordered Mears one week out and then confirmed it.  They were there about 4 mins ahead of time.   During normal times we don't order ahead and never really waited long at all.  But at 6:30am we did not want to take a chance so we went with Mears.  We have used both to get around - Mears is cheaper though.


Thank you!  Still hoping for June dates to open. They haven’t opened May yet.   Starting to worry they are discontinuing it.


----------



## MeeskaMooska13

chelynnah said:


> Minnie vans (which take scooters) don’t open until 6:30, so I think you’d be struggling to get one.
> 
> People said there were different categories of vehicles and requirements on the Mears website that you could pre-book.  I haven’t investigated as I’m hopeful the bus will work for us based on reports.


Thank you for this info!


----------



## GADisneyDad14

MeeskaMooska13 said:


> Thank you!  Still hoping for June dates to open. They haven’t opened May yet.   Starting to worry they are discontinuing it.



Could be wrong, but I don’t think discontinuing is a concern.  I did some checking yesterday and 14 out of 20 DHS EMM dates through the end of March are sold out right now.  If you want to look at MK EMM for comparison, 0 events out of 18 are sold out covering the same time period.  “Sold out” may not necessarily = success for Disney if there are other factors in play, but it certainly seems to be the hot hand right now in terms of EMM offerings.


----------



## Branderson610

MeeskaMooska13 said:


> Thank you!  Still hoping for June dates to open. They haven’t opened May yet.   Starting to worry they are discontinuing it.


Its too early the probably wont release dates for June until March.


----------



## MeeskaMooska13

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Could be wrong, but I don’t think discontinuing is a concern.  I did some checking yesterday and 14 out of 20 DHS EMM dates through the end of March are sold out right now.  If you want to look at MK EMM for comparison, 0 events out of 18 are sold out covering the same time period.  “Sold out” may not necessarily = success for Disney if there are other factors in play, but it certainly seems to be the hot hand right now in terms of EMM offerings.


Fingers crossed!


----------



## MeeskaMooska13

Branderson610 said:


> Its too early the probably wont release dates for June until March.


I guess I’m overly worrying because I thought May’s dates would be out by now and they aren’t.


----------



## Sheree

Thank you for everyone's reviews. We were there the 14th  Everything worked perfectly. Called Uber, he was there in 5 minutes.  Dropped off at the entrance and in we walked.  Going down an empty main blvd empty was surreal.  Christmas tree on the lake was still up and a cast member let me go over and take a picture.  Then grabbed pastries and coffee and waited with maybe 20 others to be let in.  Approx 7:15 we were let in.  Did 3x on slinky dog, 1 tsm and both sets of characters.  We chose not to do asm.  Walked around the park, took pictures etc.  Very leisurely.
Then around 8:45 left to head towards RnRC.  to see the swarm of people waiting for rope drop was intense.  We were in the first set of cars on rock n roller coaster.  o pre show!

If it wasn't for these boards I wouldn't have had it all done so easily

thank you


----------



## jkwilliams

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Could be wrong, but I don’t think discontinuing is a concern.  I did some checking yesterday and 14 out of 20 DHS EMM dates through the end of March are sold out right now.  If you want to look at MK EMM for comparison, 0 events out of 18 are sold out covering the same time period.  “Sold out” may not necessarily = success for Disney if there are other factors in play, but it certainly seems to be the hot hand right now in terms of EMM offerings.


----------



## jkwilliams

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Could be wrong, but I don’t think discontinuing is a concern.  I did some checking yesterday and 14 out of 20 DHS EMM dates through the end of March are sold out right now.  If you want to look at MK EMM for comparison, 0 events out of 18 are sold out covering the same time period.  “Sold out” may not necessarily = success for Disney if there are other factors in play, but it certainly seems to be the hot hand right now in terms of EMM offerings.



Thanks so much for this info. I'm anxiously hoping to come across 3 tickets for the March 6th EMM that appears sold out at this point. After many attempts daily of checking availability,  so far i was able to purchase just 1 ticket. Just wanted to make sure I'm not wasting my time trying - am i correct in thinking that if anyone cancels their ticket between now and March 6th,  then those tickets will pop up on the webpage as available? I'm thinking I have a better chance of finding them one at a time rather than all 3. Here's to hoping!


----------



## BWVPam

WooHoo. Booked my April dates today. Now hoping we don’t have to cancel because of the government shutdown!


----------



## RachaelA

Sheree said:


> Thank you for everyone's reviews. We were there the 14th  Everything worked perfectly. Called Uber, he was there in 5 minutes.  Dropped off at the entrance and in we walked.  Going down an empty main blvd empty was surreal.  Christmas tree on the lake was still up and a cast member let me go over and take a picture.  Then grabbed pastries and coffee and waited with maybe 20 others to be let in.  Approx 7:15 we were let in.  Did 3x on slinky dog, 1 tsm and both sets of characters.  We chose not to do asm.  Walked around the park, took pictures etc.  Very leisurely.
> Then around 8:45 left to head towards RnRC.  to see the swarm of people waiting for rope drop was intense.  We were in the first set of cars on rock n roller coaster.  o pre show!
> 
> If it wasn't for these boards I wouldn't have had it all done so easily
> 
> thank you


What time did you do the characters at?


----------



## Branderson610

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Could be wrong, but I don’t think discontinuing is a concern.  I did some checking yesterday and 14 out of 20 DHS EMM dates through the end of March are sold out right now.  If you want to look at MK EMM for comparison, 0 events out of 18 are sold out covering the same time period.  “Sold out” may not necessarily = success for Disney if there are other factors in play, but it certainly seems to be the hot hand right now in terms of EMM offerings.


I bet they let more people into the EMM magic for MK. So, it may take longer to sell out.  TSL only has three rides open so, they can't sell too many tickets. I am glad they keep it small, because it is not cheap.  We are doing both in March, I will update the differences when we go.


----------



## M SH

I wonder why they are a month behind on MK EMM dates.
April open for TSL but closed for MK.
Going there end of April / beginning of May and looking for April 28 for MK EMM and May 1st TSL.
Can’t book either.. I’m not worried about discontinuation, but curious about their thinking.


----------



## Branderson610

M SH said:


> I wonder why they are a month behind on MK EMM dates.
> April open for TSL but closed for MK.
> Going there end of April / beginning of May and looking for April 28 for MK EMM and May 1st TSL.
> Can’t book either.. I’m not worried about discontinuation, but curious about their thinking.


When, I booked EMM for MK it was the same way. TSL tickets were released before MK dates. I couldn't book MK for EMM until mid December  for March.


----------



## Eeyore54 fred

Doing EMM tomorrow and the temperature is supposed to be around 38 degrees. Fortunately we have our winter coats with us.


----------



## alrushton

Eeyore54 fred said:


> Doing EMM tomorrow and the temperature is supposed to be around 38 degrees. Fortunately we have our winter coats with us.


We are heading in tomorrow as well. Can't believe the temp that we will have. I'm curious if the wind from riding SDD will freeze us.


----------



## DisHeels

Good news buses are running early at POFQ. Bad news is the one I saw pass by picked up the 2 people waiting then took off immediately. I was halfway from the entrance to the bus stop. Ding dang.

Also I saw Minnie Van's picking up guests before 6:30am.


----------



## Eeyore54 fred

Did EMM this morning. Eating breakfast now. They let us into the park around 6:50. Went to the Commissary and had some tea and coffee and pastries then went to stand in line by the Chinese theater. It was cold this morning (38 degrees) but every one was bundled up. Except some of the CM’s. They looked frozen. They let us into Toy Story Land around 7:17. Since we were near the front we went straight to SDD and was on the 3rd train. Could have been more efficient with our time but we wandered back and forth between the rides, admiring the theming everywhere. All in all we did SDD 3 times with no wait longer than 6 minutes, TSM 3 times and AS2 twice. Both those rides were walk on.


----------



## DisHeels

I attended EMM this morning, 01/21. My timeline if it helps anyone. It was just me solo but I dont think it would be much of a time difference unless you have a large group:

Left POFQ at 6:49 by bus
Arrived HS at 7:03
Through security, wrist band line, ticketing line and in line in front of Chinese Theater to enter Toy story land at 7:14.
CMs walking us to Toy Story Land 7:19
In line for SDD 7:24
Off SDD ride #1 7:30
Off SDD ride #2 7:38
Off SDD ride #3 7:51
On ASM 7:53
Off ASM ride #1 7:57
Stopped for photopass by ASM
On TSM 7:59
Off TSM ride #1 8:10
On SDD 8:13
Off SDD ride #4 8:21
Off SDD ride #5 8:27
Off SDD ride #6 8:36
Left to beat the mad rush into TSL and everyone leaving for breakfast.

Breakfast:
Had the chicken and donuts, charcuterie, and shrimp and grits. I thought all were very good.

Meet and greets:
Buzz is meeting just outside of TSL. Thought he wasnt meeting today because I couldn't see him from inside the land. I think this may already be known but just in case someone didn't know like me.

Woody and Jesse had about 20 people in line everytime I saw them.

EMM Toy Story Land worth it? Yes!


----------



## Branderson610

DisHeels said:


> I attended EMM this morning, 01/21. My timeline if it helps anyone. It was just me solo but I dont think it would be much of a time difference unless you have a large group:
> 
> Left POFQ at 6:49 by bus
> Arrived HS at 7:03
> Through security, wrist band line, ticketing line and in line in front of Chinese Theater to enter Toy story land at 7:14.
> CMs walking us to Toy Story Land 7:19
> In line for SDD 7:24
> Off SDD ride #1 7:30
> Off SDD ride #2 7:38
> Off SDD ride #3 7:51
> On ASM 7:53
> Off ASM ride #1 7:57
> Stopped for photopass by ASM
> On TSM 7:59
> Off TSM ride #1 8:10
> On SDD 8:13
> Off SDD ride #4 8:21
> Off SDD ride #5 8:27
> Off SDD ride #6 8:36
> Left to beat the mad rush into TSL and everyone leaving for breakfast.
> 
> Breakfast:
> Had the chicken and donuts, charcuterie, and shrimp and grits. I thought all were very good.
> 
> Meet and greets:
> Buzz is meeting just outside of TSL. Thought he wasnt meeting today because I couldn't see him from inside the land. I think this may already be known but just in case someone didn't know like me.
> 
> Woody and Jesse had about 20 people in line everytime I saw them.
> 
> EMM Toy Story Land worth it? Yes!


How fun! I like that you got to sample different breakfast items. I have a few items I would like to try as well.


----------



## chelynnah

DisHeels said:


> I attended EMM this morning, 01/21. My timeline if it helps anyone. It was just me solo but I dont think it would be much of a time difference unless you have a large group:
> 
> Left POFQ at 6:49 by bus
> Arrived HS at 7:03
> Through security, wrist band line, ticketing line and in line in front of Chinese Theater to enter Toy story land at 7:14.
> CMs walking us to Toy Story Land 7:19
> In line for SDD 7:24
> Off SDD ride #1 7:30
> Off SDD ride #2 7:38
> Off SDD ride #3 7:51
> On ASM 7:53
> Off ASM ride #1 7:57
> Stopped for photopass by ASM
> On TSM 7:59
> Off TSM ride #1 8:10
> On SDD 8:13
> Off SDD ride #4 8:21
> Off SDD ride #5 8:27
> Off SDD ride #6 8:36
> Left to beat the mad rush into TSL and everyone leaving for breakfast.
> 
> Breakfast:
> Had the chicken and donuts, charcuterie, and shrimp and grits. I thought all were very good.
> 
> Meet and greets:
> Buzz is meeting just outside of TSL. Thought he wasnt meeting today because I couldn't see him from inside the land. I think this may already be known but just in case someone didn't know like me.
> 
> Woody and Jesse had about 20 people in line everytime I saw them.
> 
> EMM Toy Story Land worth it? Yes!


Thanks for that.  Good to know if we miss the earlier bus that we can still make it even if leaving as late as 6:50.  I’ll still aim for 6:30.


----------



## DisHeels

chelynnah said:


> Thanks for that.  Good to know if we miss the earlier bus that we can still make it even if leaving as late as 6:50.  I’ll still aim for 6:30.


I agree with going earlier as a safety net. The bus driver this morning was all about get on and go/get off and go. No waiting around.


----------



## chelynnah

He’ll have to wait.  I’ll be on a scooter . Hopefully the extra load time will mean a few extra people can make it on board if they’re cutting it close.


----------



## WaterLinds

When did they open the second set of time slots for the March dates, did anyone notice? We’re going March 6, and when I checked a month ago it was still just 7:30 but now I see both times listed. No spaces open for either one, so I guess they sold out fast when they did open up! I figured the crowds expected that week would mean they’d need to open a second time slot, I just hadn’t noticed it actually happen.

(I know it doesn’t matter much, but I saw someone post upthread looking for tickets for our date and I thought “oh, I’ll tell them to keep an eye out in case the second time opens up!” And then I checked and realized that wasn’t helpful after all. Unless they’re a very very new addition and haven’t become bookable yet?)


----------



## suzywindy

My husband went on line to order Mears a week out but other times he just called the main number or talked to the valet folks outside of the hotel to get a Van that takes a scooter.  We went with Mears because there were 6 of us and a scooter and the minivan can't hold that many.  We have used both many times and have never had a problem with either!


----------



## Sheree

RachaelA said:


> What time did you do the characters at?


we did Woodyk Jessie at 7:30, 2 families in line before us.  line was crazy after that.  Buzz line was never crazy


----------



## TISHLOVESDISNEY

What is the cancellation? 2 days? Is it midnight, do you think?
I ask because we are doing DAH March 16th, and have EMM scheduled for the 18th. If DD17 and her BFF17 feel they get enough accomplished, they are skipping the EMM, but they are hoping to see how DAH goes first.
Wondering if we can chance it.


----------



## audrey2580

Do you think they will add Friday dates back in for July?  The website still says Friday but it doesn't seem like any have been opened in 2019


----------



## pangyal

jkwilliams said:


> Thanks so much for this info. I'm anxiously hoping to come across 3 tickets for the March 6th EMM that appears sold out at this point. After many attempts daily of checking availability,  so far i was able to purchase just 1 ticket. Just wanted to make sure I'm not wasting my time trying - am i correct in thinking that if anyone cancels their ticket between now and March 6th,  then those tickets will pop up on the webpage as available? I'm thinking I have a better chance of finding them one at a time rather than all 3. Here's to hoping!



Just noticed that nobody has responded to this yet, and didn’t want to leave you hanging .

Yes, any cancellations would show up on the site in real-time. Good luck!


----------



## mamamelody2

We are going to try to do less early mornings this September and take things more easy, but if there is HS EMM offered while we are there, I will be very tempted!  We really liked MK EMM last year.


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## GADisneyDad14

audrey2580 said:


> Do you think they will add Friday dates back in for July?  The website still says Friday but it doesn't seem like any have been opened in 2019



I don't know, hard to say.  Haven't seen any yet in 2019 - not sure if that was just something added to the very busy fall/holiday season, or if we may see it again.  If we don't see Fridays added through March spring break season, my guess is it's a long shot for July.  TBD of course!


----------



## GADisneyDad14

TISHLOVESDISNEY said:


> What is the cancellation? 2 days? Is it midnight, do you think?
> I ask because we are doing DAH March 16th, and have EMM scheduled for the 18th. If DD17 and her BFF17 feel they get enough accomplished, they are skipping the EMM, but they are hoping to see how DAH goes first.
> Wondering if we can chance it.



It's the same as an ADR - 1 day.


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## GADisneyDad14

WaterLinds said:


> When did they open the second set of time slots for the March dates, did anyone notice?



I thought I saw this reported relatively recently, like within the last 1-2 weeks.  But I'm not totally sure about that, sorry!


----------



## TISHLOVESDISNEY

GADisneyDad14 said:


> It's the same as an ADR - 1 day.



Thank you!!!


----------



## alrushton

We were also there yesterday morning. We were the only two on Alien for the 1st ride and then we stayed on to ride again. Meet Woody and Jesse, Toy Story Mania, Slinky Dog Dash 4 times, then meet Buzz on the way out. We then went to Rockin and was back off the ride 14 minutes after we got in line. I count that in as part of the advantage of doing EMM. I think it was worth every penny. It was a great morning for us!


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## Grasshopper2016

Quick report from yesterday (Monday, 1/21).

It was COLD -- 37 degrees.  I was initially afraid that the cold would ruin the event for us.  But (1) it was sunny, (2) there was no wind, and (3) we were prepared for it and were dressed accordingly.  So it didn't actually bother us at all.  

Arrived at DHS around 7:10.  No problem getting into the park.  Went straight to the line for Toy Story Land.  Around 7:17, we were walked back into the land.  Walked to SDD and rode with virtually no wait.  

By the end, we had done SDD (x4), AS2 (x1), and TSM (x4).  Never really waited more than a couple of minutes for anything.  When we exited TSM the last time, the rope drop crowd had descended and the line for SDD was already 85 minutes.  Walked over to Star Tours and rode it twice with zero wait.  

Then went over to ABC Commissary around 9:20 for breakfast.  The Mexican bowl thing was tasty --- kind of like tortilla soup, but with eggs instead of the soup.  The other items didn't impress much.  Overall, we thought it probably would be better for them just to provide the standard Disney breakfast buffet.  But it was totally fine, and nice to try something different.  

Overall, this was totally worth it.  We would definitely do it again!


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## LMO429

Any idea when May dates will be released????


----------



## Melissa1977

LMO429 said:


> Any idea when May dates will be released????


I would love to know this too! I've been checking daily!


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## Rachel GB

I'm over here waiting for September to be released !


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

LMO429 said:


> Any idea when May dates will be released????


I'm right between you waiting for July. 


Rachel GB said:


> I'm over here waiting for September to be released !


----------



## cakebaker

Waiting for May too, but really hoping they open it before my 60 day FP window opens!


----------



## Icecoldpenguin

I am considering doing this for our trip in June-July does anyone know when they typically open the dates up? Also, what food options are available if anyone has a run down of that it would be great?  Do you get a special little badge or something so ABC knows that you are an EMM person and not a regular guest if you go to breakfast after the park opens? Also can you go grab juice and pastry then go ride rides and then go back and eat again later?


----------



## bperk3

Steph1673 said:


> Also, we plan to walk from BCV. What time would you suggest leaving?



Didn't see an answer to this yet, but I have the same (or similar) question. We will be at Beach Club and trying to decide best way to get there. Walking is certainly an option, but that would be a relatively inexpensive Uber, right?.. and it would save some steps on what will be a long day.

Anyway, I am pretty sure we will just walk it. I plan on leaving out the front door of BC no later than 6:30. Hopefully the rest of the family is in line with this plan.


----------



## AntJulie

Icecoldpenguin said:


> Do you get a special little badge or something so ABC knows that you are an EMM person and not a regular guest if you go to breakfast after the park opens? Also can you go grab juice and pastry then go ride rides and then go back and eat again later?



Everyone gets a wristband...yes you can grab juice and pastry and go back later to eat again.


----------



## Rachel GB

We’re going to this event for the first time in two weeks!  I know this can (and will) change, but it’s currently forecasted to rain that day. What happens to the event if it’s pouring/ lightning? Because we’re counting on it, we don’t have any TSL FPs- can’t imagine what we would do if it were to be cancelled !
TIA!
P.S. I see this has been discussed previously on this thread, but I haven’t read any actual accounts of it happening and what Disney did as a result.


----------



## RachaelA

Waiting on May dates as well here!


----------



## Suejacken

Icecoldpenguin said:


> I am considering doing this for our trip in June-July does anyone know when they typically open the dates up? Also, what food options are available if anyone has a run down of that it would be great?  Do you get a special little badge or something so ABC knows that you are an EMM person and not a regular guest if you go to breakfast after the park opens? Also can you go grab juice and pastry then go ride rides and then go back and eat again later?


I’m waiting for the same dates lol. We will be there 6/27 and leave 7/3


----------



## Suejacken

Wow. Thanks to everyone who posted about their experience. I really want to do this when I go. I have a group of 11 so I think this is the best way to do the toy story land rides


----------



## GADisneyDad14

So this is a really delayed report from 12/31/18.  I posted a brief comments at the time that I've also cut/paste below:

_Not sure what I was thinking booking this on 12/31 (long day!), but great EMM this AM. 4 SDD rides ranging from no to 7 min wait, plus 1 TSM and 1 AS2. I know that’s not a impressive list, we could have done much more but we’ve done this before and slowly meander around for the atmosphere more than try to max rides.

TSM must have been down or had problems late. Got in line which was pretty long and not moving, so bailed after 7 mins. Only one track was running, I think. That was about the only low point.

Woodie and Jessie line was long throughout but Buzz was very lonely.

SDD waits and the overall experience were better this morning than when we did this in October. 

Land was open early - I didn’t see exactly but I estimate 7:05-7:10. Our first ride on SDD was 7:15.

Fun way to start NYE._

I had previously done TSL EMM on the Monday of Columbus Day weekend (10/8) and I thought this morning was a more enjoyable experience overall, although I can't pinpoint exactly why.  If I had to bet, I'd say the crowd was slightly less than 10/8.  Both were sold out for both time slots.   These events are funny in crowds can be lumpy or spread out in different areas and it's hard to get a true picture of just how many people are there, so really hard to tell.

Anyway, we were at Poly.  Eyeballed the bus wait (one was coming at 6:39pm for a 6:50am estimated park arrival), but opted to take a taxi instead.  There is 'usually' at least a taxi or two at the deluxes in my experience even at off/early hours, can't speak for other resort types.  On this morning there was one taxi waiting.

6:45am.


6:49am outside the tapstyles.  It looked to me they started letting people in right around/a few mins before this time, but was a bit hard to tell exactly.  Always makes me laugh - no matter how much you think you're the only person crazy enough to be there this early, there are ALWAYS many others that beat you to it! 


6:51am, inside the park.


6:54am.


They were directing folks to the ABC Commissary, time is 6:54am.


6:57am.  We grabbed a cup of coffee and quick pastry, but knew we didn't want to linger here too long.  People were in line getting the real food plates - to me that's not a good strategy.  Just spend a few minutes in here and then head out.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

We headed out quickly.  This pic was 7:09am and the land was open at this point.  I'm pretty sure it had just opened.



7:11am


7:13am in front of SDD.  Posted 10 min wait time.  Actual was <5 mins (I didn't time it exactly).


End of the line was around here.  7:14am.


After SDD ride #1 we got right back on and had a 6 minute, 37 second wait this time around.  So, two rides before 7:30am.  I was surprised that the early SDD crowd was so low as I expected it to be much longer based on our Oct experience.

7:30am.  Can't wait for this to be open and improve traffic flow in TSL.


Also 7:30am.  Pretty empty.


I have a selfie pic of us on AS2 at 7:33am, effectively a walk on - the only wait being for the next ride to start.

This pic was 7:37am - a decent line for Woody/Jessie.  It was like this and longer for much/most of the event.  For folks that are trying to balance time and need/want to see Woody/Jessie, I'd be inclined to come up with a strategy of what to do.... such as timing it right around 7:30am when they come out, or maybe wait until the end and just know you'll be in line a bit while the rope drop crowds arrive - but at least at that point you're not 'wasting' valuable event time. 


From there one I stopped taking many pics and we mostly just bounced around between rides.

I timed a 6 minute, 41 second wait for SDD at 7:58am. (Ride #3)

This was the SDD line at 8:25am, effectively a walk on. (Ride #4)


We tried to do one more ride on TSM but it must have been down because the line inside was crazy backed up, so we bailed.

Met Buzz at 8:34am with no wait.

We had a long day ahead (it was New Years Eve after all) and had had our fill of TSL, so we decided to head out a bit early and grab breakfast.  Four rides on SDD with mostly coffee in the tank gets to me, so we were hungry.

Pic is 8:41am.  No wait for food at all.  Very pleasant CMs throughout the ABC Commissary.  I see bad comments about the "egg puck" - but I thought the eggs/avocado toast were very good for Disney standards.


The shrimp and grits were very good too - decent sized shrimp, good flavor.  Presentation is a bit lacking given it sits for a time under a hot lamp and the oil rises to the top, the grits get a film on them, etc - but good taste (if not too rich).



Anyway - that was our morning on 12/31.  With a few bumps (eg, TSL backup late in the event), it was a well worth-it morning for us and a great way to start off New Years Eve at WDW.  Still surprised at the contrast with October.  I guess the takeaway being these events can have different ebbs/flows in terms of crowds on any given EMM morning.


----------



## schmass

This looks like a great event!  I'm hoping that they will have EMM on May 6th!


----------



## Iowamomof4

Has the continental part of the breakfast changed at all since it opened? I really don't like the looks of any of the hot dishes and I'm trying to decide if we could make a meal out of the other options or if we would feel it just isn't worth it.


----------



## LMO429

cakebaker said:


> Waiting for May too, but really hoping they open it before my 60 day FP window opens!



Yes this is my biggest concern as well!


----------



## otten

Also waiting for May. I have 3 more things to book: EMM for MK and HS, and the Star Wars Dessert party. Come on Disney!


----------



## Branderson610

GADisneyDad14 said:


> We headed out quickly.  This pic was 7:09am and the land was open at this point.  I'm pretty sure it had just opened.
> View attachment 377841
> 
> 
> 7:11am
> View attachment 377842
> 
> 7:13am in front of SDD.  Posted 10 min wait time.  Actual was <5 mins (I didn't time it exactly).
> View attachment 377845
> 
> End of the line was around here.  7:14am.
> View attachment 377855
> 
> After SDD ride #1 we got right back on and had a 6 minute, 37 second wait this time around.  So, two rides before 7:30am.  I was surprised that the early SDD crowd was so low as I expected it to be much longer based on our Oct experience.
> 
> 7:30am.  Can't wait for this to be open and improve traffic flow in TSL.
> View attachment 377859
> 
> Also 7:30am.  Pretty empty.
> View attachment 377861
> 
> I have a selfie pic of us on AS2 at 7:33am, effectively a walk on - the only wait being for the next ride to start.
> 
> This pic was 7:37am - a decent line for Woody/Jessie.  It was like this and longer for much/most of the event.  For folks that are trying to balance time and need/want to see Woody/Jessie, I'd be inclined to come up with a strategy of what to do.... such as timing it right around 7:30am when they come out, or maybe wait until the end and just know you'll be in line a bit while the rope drop crowds arrive - but at least at that point you're not 'wasting' valuable event time.
> View attachment 377862
> 
> From there one I stopped taking many pics and we mostly just bounced around between rides.
> 
> I timed a 6 minute, 41 second wait for SDD at 7:58am. (Ride #3)
> 
> This was the SDD line at 8:25am, effectively a walk on. (Ride #4)
> View attachment 377866
> 
> We tried to do one more ride on TSM but it must have been down because the line inside was crazy backed up, so we bailed.
> 
> Met Buzz at 8:34am with no wait.
> 
> We had a long day ahead (it was New Years Eve after all) and had had our fill of TSL, so we decided to head out a bit early and grab breakfast.  Four rides on SDD with mostly coffee in the tank gets to me, so we were hungry.
> 
> Pic is 8:41am.  No wait for food at all.  Very pleasant CMs throughout the ABC Commissary.  I see bad comments about the "egg puck" - but I thought the eggs/avocado toast were very good for Disney standards.
> View attachment 377867
> 
> The shrimp and grits were very good too - decent sized shrimp, good flavor.  Presentation is a bit lacking given it sits for a time under a hot lamp and the oil rises to the top, the grits get a film on them, etc - but good taste (if not too rich).
> View attachment 377868
> 
> 
> Anyway - that was our morning on 12/31.  With a few bumps (eg, TSL backup late in the event), it was a well worth-it morning for us and a great way to start off New Years Eve at WDW.  Still surprised at the contrast with October.  I guess the takeaway being these events can have different ebbs/flows in terms of crowds on any given EMM morning.


Thank you for this review! You put a lot of time a detail into this post!


----------



## RachaelA

schmass said:


> This looks like a great event!  I'm hoping that they will have EMM on May 6th!


That’s the day we are planning too if it follows the same schedule!


----------



## ConnecticutNonna

@jkwilliams 
I just wanted to add, that whatever time you see tickets for, grab them.  It doesn't seem to matter at all about the actual start times, everyone is let in to TSL at the same time.  
Also, come back to this thread and let us know if you scored enough tickets.


----------



## mtrib

GADisneyDad14 said:


> We headed out quickly.  This pic was 7:09am and the land was open at this point.  I'm pretty sure it had just opened.
> View attachment 377841
> 
> 
> 7:11am
> View attachment 377842
> 
> 7:13am in front of SDD.  Posted 10 min wait time.  Actual was <5 mins (I didn't time it exactly).
> View attachment 377845
> 
> End of the line was around here.  7:14am.
> View attachment 377855
> 
> After SDD ride #1 we got right back on and had a 6 minute, 37 second wait this time around.  So, two rides before 7:30am.  I was surprised that the early SDD crowd was so low as I expected it to be much longer based on our Oct experience.
> 
> 7:30am.  Can't wait for this to be open and improve traffic flow in TSL.
> View attachment 377859
> 
> Also 7:30am.  Pretty empty.
> View attachment 377861
> 
> I have a selfie pic of us on AS2 at 7:33am, effectively a walk on - the only wait being for the next ride to start.
> 
> This pic was 7:37am - a decent line for Woody/Jessie.  It was like this and longer for much/most of the event.  For folks that are trying to balance time and need/want to see Woody/Jessie, I'd be inclined to come up with a strategy of what to do.... such as timing it right around 7:30am when they come out, or maybe wait until the end and just know you'll be in line a bit while the rope drop crowds arrive - but at least at that point you're not 'wasting' valuable event time.
> View attachment 377862
> 
> From there one I stopped taking many pics and we mostly just bounced around between rides.
> 
> I timed a 6 minute, 41 second wait for SDD at 7:58am. (Ride #3)
> 
> This was the SDD line at 8:25am, effectively a walk on. (Ride #4)
> View attachment 377866
> 
> We tried to do one more ride on TSM but it must have been down because the line inside was crazy backed up, so we bailed.
> 
> Met Buzz at 8:34am with no wait.
> 
> We had a long day ahead (it was New Years Eve after all) and had had our fill of TSL, so we decided to head out a bit early and grab breakfast.  Four rides on SDD with mostly coffee in the tank gets to me, so we were hungry.
> 
> Pic is 8:41am.  No wait for food at all.  Very pleasant CMs throughout the ABC Commissary.  I see bad comments about the "egg puck" - but I thought the eggs/avocado toast were very good for Disney standards.
> View attachment 377867
> 
> The shrimp and grits were very good too - decent sized shrimp, good flavor.  Presentation is a bit lacking given it sits for a time under a hot lamp and the oil rises to the top, the grits get a film on them, etc - but good taste (if not too rich).
> View attachment 377868
> 
> 
> Anyway - that was our morning on 12/31.  With a few bumps (eg, TSL backup late in the event), it was a well worth-it morning for us and a great way to start off New Years Eve at WDW.  Still surprised at the contrast with October.  I guess the takeaway being these events can have different ebbs/flows in terms of crowds on any given EMM morning.



Thank you! So helpful.


----------



## carolann210

I snatched tickets for our date in March when I was not able to get FP+ for SDD. So glad I did because our date is now sold out. I am concerned about a large crowd for the event - what does sold out mean? Any guesses on how many tickets are sold? The appeal of EMM is low crowds but now I’m concerned about a sold out crowd for the event...

Also, we will have our car so I was just considering driving ourselves, guessing we could leave the Poly around 6:45? I thought I read about construction at the HS entrance. Any one have insight into the parking/entrance situation?

Thanks in advance!


----------



## WaterLinds

carolann210 said:


> I snatched tickets for our date in March when I was not able to get FP+ for SDD. So glad I did because our date is now sold out. I am concerned about a large crowd for the event - what does sold out mean? Any guesses on how many tickets are sold? The appeal of EMM is low crowds but now I’m concerned about a sold out crowd for the event...
> 
> Also, we will have our car so I was just considering driving ourselves, guessing we could leave the Poly around 6:45? I thought I read about construction at the HS entrance. Any one have insight into the parking/entrance situation?
> 
> Thanks in advance!


Most of these have been selling out lately I think, so the reviews you read here generally reflect sold out crowds. I don’t think they’ve publicly said what the max is for EMM, but it seems to be a few hundred people...nothing too huge. The bigger factor in getting lots done seems to be all the rides being operational (seems to have been better lately?) and having a good plan.

I’m not sure about the entrance situation, although I haven’t seen any reports of problems. The few people who have mentioned driving seem to have gotten in fine. We’re now staying offsite so we’ll be driving over on March 6! I’ll be happy to report back after.


----------



## dachsie

RachaelA said:


> That’s the day we are planning too if it follows the same schedule!


I am looking at May 8 but may consider the 6th then hop to MK


----------



## Lisa F

We did the event on 1/23 and had a great time.

It was a little rough going for me because the night before I got very bad news from work and was on the phone with my boss and ended up waking up at 3:30am thinking about it and could not get back to sleep. 4 hours of sleep after a week of touring hard at Disney is pretty rough!

I booked a Lyft in advance for a 6:15-6:30 pickup the night before but ended up canceling it when I saw the bus was available at the Poly.  We got on it at 6:11 I believe (enough time to cancel the Lyft since it hadn't been matched up) and I checked the app a few times - there were 3 buses that would have gotten us there in time for the event... we arrived about 6:20-something, there was another that arrived at 6:39 and then another when I checked later that would have gotten you there at 7:15 - later than most like but still doable.  There was probably in between.  Overall I would have to say that the need for alternate transportation if staying at a Disney resort is VASTLY overstated on this thread - we found the buses running consistently in the early morning both at VWL and at the Poly and I only took a Lyft once to AK for EMH because I was so unsure of the bus system and it seemed like we'd just missed one.

Anyway I was feeling pretty rough but we got there early, were near the front of the line, and they started letting people in at 6:49.  We made our way to breakfast and I told my son we were going to be Hobbits today, with first breakfast and second breakfast.  I think that was his favorite part of the whole event!  He ate two bowls of cereal and a pile of pastries and I had a chocolate croissant and some of the honeyed yogurt with blueberries, strawberries mined from the fruit salad and some of the mixed nuts.  It was a good way to start the day without eating too heavily and my kid spent a bit longer eating than I would have liked with seconds of everything for "first breakfast" but we ended up leaving breakfast and going into TSL around 7:20ish and people were in and things were up and running.  SDD had a posted 10 minute wait and we went on it and were on the Woody and Jessie line by 7:33 and it took 13 minutes to get through the line that had formed (about 10-12 parties, it was hard to tell because parties are not always easily identifiable).  By 7:46 we were done with the meet and greet and the line was about 3x as long for the remainder of the event.  We did SDD 3 more times (total of 4), ASMx2 (kid actually enjoyed it) and TSM x2.  We were NOT moving fast and that was all of the SDD I could take - we could have ridden it more but on 4 hours of sleep my stomach was not having it.

We rode TSM last and got on right before the RD crowds hit - got off of it at 9:05 and the line for SDD was clear down to the voyage of the little mermaid sign (I have a pic I can post later) and a 120 minute wait (it briefly said 140 minutes but went back to 120).  It was insane!

We went straight to breakfast at that point having no real RD plans - it was the warmest day of the week and we were both toast (me in particular) so we planned to head back to enjoy the pool at the Poly.  We got to breakfast around 9:15 and my stomach was still feeling off from the rides so I didn't eat that much really.  I kind of wish we waited til later because by closer to 10 I was feeling fine and hungry, but a popcorn refill (that ended up being free because her register wouldn't open for change) did the trick.

The kid had chicken and donuts with no glaze and devoured the chicken and donuts.  Neither of us liked the sweet potato tots. blech.

I got both the egg bowl and the shrimp and grits.  The shrimp and grits were watery but tasty and I mined the 3 shrimp out of there with some grits with it and pitched the rest.  The egg bowl was delicious and I wish I could have enjoyed more of it.

Afterward we went over to launch bay and my kid met BB-8 with a posted 20 minute wait but we were out and done in 8.  We had a 10am ToT FP that we used and then we hit the road and spent the rest of the day at the pool where there was a dole whip swirl with coconut rum and tie dye tshirts made.

It is a great event - we had been to TSL the day before and it was packed wall to wall with people - even though we were able to manage seeing all 3 rides with the DAS pass for SDD and grabbing ASM last minute, I could not believe how crowded it was... so it was really nice to do the rides without tripping over people.  It is a mellow vibe without the stressy people and screaming kids and people who are not experienced at operating scooters trying to operate them in wall to wall crowds... there were a few scooters of course, but with room to move there wasn't that stress vibe that you get in crowded situations.

The food was good and I like the opportunity to have a light breakfast before, ride, and then the real breakfast - next time I would just give my stomach a half hour to settle after SDD a few times in a row... but second breakfast was the thing my kid was looking forward to most so he wasn't going to be put off of it to do something else first (I wish we did launch bay first but he was agitating for food).  He also ate 3.5 mickey bars and a load of popcorn at DAH MK so I guess he is in that bottomless pit stage.

I have photos of a bunch of stuff and will update when I get home... we are having a lazy morning after DAH MK so I wanted to just post an update while I still remembered times.


----------



## carolann210

WaterLinds said:


> Most of these have been selling out lately I think, so the reviews you read here generally reflect sold out crowds. I don’t think they’ve publicly said what the max is for EMM, but it seems to be a few hundred people...nothing too huge. The bigger factor in getting lots done seems to be all the rides being operational (seems to have been better lately?) and having a good plan.
> 
> I’m not sure about the entrance situation, although I haven’t seen any reports of problems. The few people who have mentioned driving seem to have gotten in fine. We’re now staying offsite so we’ll be driving over on March 6! I’ll be happy to report back after.




Our date is March 4, so I’ll be just ahead of you!


----------



## veronica13

Hey There, I am waiting on pins and needles for May dates to come up. I check before I am out of bed - should I be checking throughout the day too? Wondering if they are up at 6:00am or put up randomly. Honestly, the waiting is driving the planner in me crazy. 
Thanks!


----------



## GADisneyDad14

veronica13 said:


> Hey There, I am waiting on pins and needles for May dates to come up. I check before I am out of bed - should I be checking throughout the day too? Wondering if they are up at 6:00am or put up randomly. Honestly, the waiting is driving the planner in me crazy.
> Thanks!



It has historically been random.   Sometimes first thing, sometimes on a random afternoon.   These things don’t sell out right away so no need to stress too much.


----------



## disneydreamer1211

Does anyone have experience with the bus transport from All Star Movies?


----------



## Eeyore54 fred

carolann210 said:


> I snatched tickets for our date in March when I was not able to get FP+ for SDD. So glad I did because our date is now sold out. I am concerned about a large crowd for the event - what does sold out mean? Any guesses on how many tickets are sold? The appeal of EMM is low crowds but now I’m concerned about a sold out crowd for the event...
> 
> Also, we will have our car so I was just considering driving ourselves, guessing we could leave the Poly around 6:45? I thought I read about construction at the HS entrance. Any one have insight into the parking/entrance situation?
> 
> Thanks in advance!


We drove there from AKL and had no problems. Took about 10 minutes to drive but there is a bit of a walk from the parking lot to the front of the park because you are parked on the left side and can only go in on the right side.


----------



## ilanakan

Lisa F said:


> about what time did you meet woody and jesse and about how long was the wait?
> 
> Thanks for taking the time to report back!


Sorry took me so long to get back to you... We did Woody and Jesse right after getting off STM, at approx. 7:45.  There was one family infront of us.


----------



## detroitdad

I'm almost positive I'm going to cancel EMM (2/21) and book DAH instead on our arrival day 2/16.  With the DVC discount I can tolerate the price.  I like the longer time frame and additional rides.  EMM seems to be a little rushed.  I already booked DAH-MK booked for 2/21 and will probably do the trifecta and add DAH-AK on 2/19.  A small fortune for the 3 of us, but the thought of being able to soak so much more in of the overall WDW atmosphere during the day, knowing I'll get multiple rides at night in less crowded parks is personally worth it for me.


----------



## RachaelA

detroitdad said:


> I'm almost positive I'm going to cancel EMM (2/21) and book DAH instead on our arrival day 2/16.  With the DVC discount I can tolerate the price.  I like the longer time frame and additional rides.  EMM seems to be a little rushed.  I already booked DAH-MK booked for 2/21 and will probably do the trifecta and add DAH-AK on 2/19.  A small fortune for the 3 of us, but the thought of being able to soak so much more in of the overall WDW atmosphere during the day, knowing I'll get multiple rides at night in less crowded parks is personally worth it for me.


How does DAH work with the regular park people still in line at park close? That’s been my hold up with considering doing it.


----------



## ems58

We did EMM on 1/21. We arrived later than I would have liked and were walking into TSL right around 7:30. We hopped in line for Woody and Jessie and waited maybe 10 minutes to meet them. When we finished the line to meet them was easily double what we waited in. We rode SDD three times - we had an infant so we were swapping groups in between each ride. We had to take a potty break after that (yay toddlers) and then rode Midway Mania as rope drop crowds were coming in. We didn’t accomplish as much as most people here, but we still felt like it was 100% worth it!


----------



## Suejacken

I’m hoping they offer this when I go. I am torn though because I want to get an annual pass while I am there and would be able to save a lot of money if I wait to get tickets close to day of but I’m afraid they will sell out. There are 11 of us so I think I have to just get them no matter that it’s more expensive. The 11 includes my great nephew who will still be under 2 so I don’t think I have to pay for him so that will save some money. I just think the morning would be better than night for my great nephew and his sisters who are 5 and 7. I love reading about everyone’s experience


----------



## limace

I didn’t think there were AP or DVC discounts on this one?


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Suejacken said:


> I’m hoping they offer this when I go. I am torn though because I want to get an annual pass while I am there and would be able to save a lot of money if I wait to get tickets close to day of but I’m afraid they will sell out. There are 11 of us so I think I have to just get them no matter that it’s more expensive. The 11 includes my great nephew who will still be under 2 so I don’t think I have to pay for him so that will save some money. I just think the morning would be better than night for my great nephew and his sisters who are 5 and 7. I love reading about everyone’s experience



Just FYI, there are no AP discounts for Early Morning Magic.  Sorry to be the bearer of bad news!


----------



## MaggieBags

Lisa F said:


> Overall I would have to say that the need for alternate transportation if staying at a Disney resort is VASTLY overstated on this thread - we found the buses running consistently in the early morning



Thank you for mentioning this! I'd been wondering if renting a car was necessary after reading many people on this thread doing so. I had forgotten bus times are on the app now. Thank you for your review!


----------



## veronica13

GADisneyDad14 said:


> It has historically been random.   Sometimes first thing, sometimes on a random afternoon.   These things don’t sell out right away so no need to stress too much.


Thank you


----------



## 5forDis

Has anyone been able to get last minute reservations for this event/breakfast? I am looking for last week of February for 4-6 people.


----------



## Lisa F

MaggieBags said:


> Thank you for mentioning this! I'd been wondering if renting a car was necessary after reading many people on this thread doing so. I had forgotten bus times are on the app now. Thank you for your review!



Yes I think somewhere along the line it became common knowledge that you had to take a private car to get to this event.  I arranged it but decided to check the bus times on the app and they were showing up before 6am for HS on EMM morning (not on other mornings).  So Disney is running buses.

I wish that they would revise their official policy to reflect real policy.  They say they are running buses on hour before park opening but really it's an hour before PPO breakfasts start and up to 1.5 hours before any early morning events start.   That said we had no trouble for anything either PPO or way past park closing using Disney bus transport.  It's just unnerving that the official policy is 8am for a 9am park opening when you've got an 8am breakfast, or are planning some other special event.


----------



## schmass

Does anyone who booked this know if the purchase coded as "travel" on your credit card?  I'm hoping to use a CC that will erase part of the charge but can only do this if it codes as travel.  Thanks!


----------



## GADisneyDad14

schmass said:


> Does anyone who booked this know if the purchase coded as "travel" on your credit card?  I'm hoping to use a CC that will erase part of the charge but can only do this if it codes as travel.  Thanks!



My Amex codes Disney events such as these as “Travel”, not sure how other credit cards handle.


----------



## schmass

GADisneyDad14 said:


> My Amex codes Disney events such as these as “Travel”, not sure how other credit cards handle.


Awesome - thanks!!


----------



## detroitdad

limace said:


> I didn’t think there were AP or DVC discounts on this one?



Yes.  I was able to book with a DVC discount.


----------



## detroitdad

RachaelA said:


> How does DAH work with the regular park people still in line at park close? That’s been my hold up with considering doing it.



I figured that this would really only affect maybe one ride for an hour tops waiting for the non-event people to get through the line.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

detroitdad said:


> Yes.  I was able to book with a DVC discount.



Just to avoid any confusion, this is the DHS Early Morning Magic thread.  AP/DVC discounts aren’t available for Early Morning Magic events.


----------



## Suejacken

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Just FYI, there are no AP discounts for Early Morning Magic.  Sorry to be the bearer of bad news!


Thanks, that’s actually great news because I don’t have to worry about waiting. I wasn’t sure if there was a discount, l just thought there was . I don’t want to get the annual pass until later in my trip to make it last longer


----------



## LMO429

Finally got a EMM for 4/29.  I was holding off waiting for a May date so never got the 4/29 and it sold out i guess? but been stalking the website for 4/29 and finally got lucky and got reservations for it yesterday

We did EMM in October but we were at the beach club and walked over.

This time we are staying at the Grand, what time would you recommend reserving a cab/towncar/uber etc to be there on time?


----------



## azgumidrop

As I don't get to The World very often, but I do go to DL all the time, would you do EMM twice in the same trip for MK? I already have one booked and the HS one is booked. I am just not sure as I am going solo to the parks while DH is at the convention if I should go the 2nd day.


----------



## Iowamomof4

Hey, @GADisneyDad14 -- there's a big change coming to the breakfast location! https://www.orlandoparksnews.com/2019/01/disney-early-morning-magic-breakfast-to.html


----------



## LMO429

azgumidrop said:


> As I don't get to The World very often, but I do go to DL all the time, would you do EMM twice in the same trip for MK? I already have one booked and the HS one is booked. I am just not sure as I am going solo to the parks while DH is at the convention if I should go the 2nd day.



thank you for the update wish they would change the breakfast menu for EMM at toy story land instead of the venue. But we are not paying for the breakfast in the first place. But some of the toy story choices are not my favorite food wise.

Hopefully this was the hold up to upcoming dates being released?


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Iowamomof4 said:


> Hey, @GADisneyDad14 -- there's a big change coming to the breakfast location! https://www.orlandoparksnews.com/2019/01/disney-early-morning-magic-breakfast-to.html



Interesting, thanks. Backlot is pretty far from TSL, wonder how that will work with the whole pre-land opening setup. 

Not that ABC Commissary is some stellar space, but seems like a downgrade in location/venue, no?


----------



## Mrjoshua

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Interesting, thanks. Backlot is pretty far from TSL, wonder how that will work with the whole pre-land opening setup.
> 
> Not that ABC Commissary is some stellar space, but seems like a downgrade in location/venue, no?


Yes, why move it further away? I'm disappointed.


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

Does backlot have as much seating as ABC?


----------



## rteetz

PrincessArlena'sDad said:


> Does backlot have as much seating as ABC?


Backlot has indoor and outdoor seating. Its a pretty decent sized area.


----------



## Rachel GB

So our date is 2/6- first day of location change! Not sure how/ if this will affect us at all?


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

Rachel GB said:


> So our date is 2/6- first day of location change! Not sure how/ if this will affect us at all?


Good luck! 

If you could report back how it went we'd all appreciate it!


----------



## Rachel GB

PrincessArlena'sDad said:


> Good luck!
> 
> If you could report back how it went we'd all appreciate it!



I will do that. I am wondering if they’re making a change to start enforcing the 7:30 official start time (vs. 6:45 as reported here). Purely speculation- any thoughts? TIA!


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

Rachel GB said:


> I will do that. I am wondering if they’re making a change to start enforcing the 7:30 official start time (vs. 6:45 as reported here). Purely speculation- any thoughts? TIA!


I don't see why change in time would correlate change in venue for breakfast. They could change the time and keep ABC just as easily, i'd think


----------



## Rachel GB

PrincessArlena'sDad said:


> I don't see why change in time would correlate change in venue for breakfast. They could change the time and keep ABC just as easily, i'd think



Thank you for your reply!
I did call Disney and was told:
1. 7:00 and 7:30 reservations are treated the same (as reported on this thread).  We booked 7:30 a.m. some time ago, as it was the only time slot available.  I noticed today they added a 7:00 a.m. and was kind of wanting to switch, but was told it's unnecessary.  EDIT: Switched to 7 am haha. Just made me feel better! 
2. ACCORDING TO DISNEY, the breakfast location for the event has no planned location changes/ refurbishments/ etc.


----------



## TammyLynn33

Interesting 





Rachel GB said:


> Thank you for your reply!
> I did call Disney and was told:
> 1. 7:00 and 7:30 reservations are treated the same (as reported on this thread).  We booked 7:30 a.m. some time ago, as it was the only time slot available.  I noticed today they added a 7:00 a.m. and was kind of wanting to switch, but was told it's unnecessary.  I still feel a little funny about it, honestly...
> 2. ACCORDING TO DISNEY, the breakfast location for the event has no planned location changes/ refurbishments/ etc.


----------



## Branderson610

Well if Disney did change the location. Maybe they will e-mail us about the change.


----------



## MonaMN

Rachel GB said:


> Thank you for your reply!
> I did call Disney and was told:
> 1. 7:00 and 7:30 reservations are treated the same (as reported on this thread).  We booked 7:30 a.m. some time ago, as it was the only time slot available.  I noticed today they added a 7:00 a.m. and was kind of wanting to switch, but was told it's unnecessary.  EDIT: Switched to 7 am haha. Just made me feel better!
> 2. ACCORDING TO DISNEY, the breakfast location for the event has no planned location changes/ refurbishments/ etc.


Phone CMs are notorious for not knowing about changes until longer after those of us who are Disnerds know about them...


----------



## Rachel GB

MonaMN said:


> Phone CMs are notorious for not knowing about changes until longer after those of us who are Disnerds know about them...



I believe it! It didn't really inspire confidence when the CM thought TSL was in Epcot .  But they were very nice and helpful, as always!


----------



## DisneyDogFan

Quick report from EMM this morning. Totally worth it!!!  Although cold!

We left Pop a few minutes behind schedule, at 6:38 and got to HS at 6:53 (short construction detour that left me a little stressed). Got more worried because there was quite a backup at security. But we made it through, got our wristbands, and were in the park at 7:05. Cast members insisted we had to go to ABC and TSL wouldn’t open until 7:30.

We went inside, had some OJ and a pastry, packed a second pastry for later, and headed back out at 7:15. Line was stretched out along theater but not moving. I think they started letting people in at 7:20. We went straight to Slinky and were boarding at 7:28. SO MUCH FUN!!  I think I finally found my perfect roller coaster.

We then checked Woody and Jessie but  the line was already too long (I would guess 30 minutes). We then rode AS2 totally by ourselves and were given opportunity to stay seated.  It was fun but we both thought the Mater ride at CA is whippier and a bit more fun as far as theming and music). Thought about staying on but once is more than enough for my head so we got off.

W&J line was crazy at this point so we rode TSMM and then checked on Buzz. We were second in a line of three but he had to go in to check on Andy so we waited about five minutes at the front of the line. Quick photo and he was done and on to the kid behind us. Kind of sad he didn’t seem interested in interacting but sometimes that is just the way it is.

We then rode Slinky again with a ten minute wait, took a bunch of photos, and left the land about 8:30. We easily could have gotten several more rides of everything in but we’re having more fun enjoying the environment and the lack of crowds everywhere.

DH then rope-dropped RnR (no opportunity for a head start but at front of line) and rode twice while I met Olaf, Minnie, and Mickey. No PhotoPass at either meet - photographers were there but said they were having technical difficulties.

Met back up for breakfast at ABC at 9:25. Chilaquiles were DELICIOUS. We ordered a shrimp and grits with no sausage and got grits with vegetables. Very good but a warning that no sausage means no shrimp would have been helpful. We also tried the guacamole toast and it was really good. Egg was warm and tender, tomatoes were tasty, and the guacamole had lots of lime just how u like it.

DH then went for Star Tours while I went to meet Mike and Sully (lots of fun but, like Olaf, they don’t sign). We then met up for the muppets and were back in the car at 1:30.

All in all, I was really happy with the experience. Particularly because the crowds have been crazy and it was nice to have some low-stress time at the parks. If I had it to do over again, I would have started with W&J since we would never have managed more than five or six rides anyway before my motion sickness kicked in.

I still don’t like the way upcharge events are the new norm but if this is how things are going to be, this one was fun!

Edited - typos and time.


----------



## Apopper74

Did TSL EMM this past Monday 1/28.  Set up Mears for a 6:35 pick up time 2 weeks ago from CBR, but he was actually 10 min early so we pulled up around 6:35.  Walked up to the front got our bands and they let us in at 6:50 with instructions to go to ABC Commissary.  We used bathroom, got a small bite to eat and coffee.  Walked out to Chinese theater around 7:10.  We waited around 10 minutes then they walked us to TSL.  We were in the front of the crowd so we headed straight to SDD.  We rode it once and the initial crowd had the queue backed up so we walked on AS2 did it once and then went over to TSMM for a go around.  We decided to go back to SDD and rode it 4 more times with less than a 10 minute from to finish each time.  We started to exit TSL around 8:40 and headed towards TOT.  As we just made the left on Sunset the rope drop crowd was released at 7:45.  Wow, just wow at the sight.  Thank goodness we left TSL when we did.  Managed to do TOT once getting off at 9:00 exactly.  We weren't feeling RRC so we went to Star Tours.  Again, we walked right on, as a bonus for the first time ever I was the Rebel Spy, off at 9:29.  At this point we decided to grab breakfast.  I got the charcuterie platter and the chilequiles.  Both we really good.  My sister got the chicken and donut (?), she really enjoyed hers as well.  After breakfast we finished the morning off with M3D and then did some shopping.  We had left the park by 11:30 knowing we were coming back at night for SDD FP and Fantasmic.  All in all very pleased with the event.  Had a lot of fun, did a lot of rides using no FPs what so ever, ate a good meal.  If your budget allows, I really think this will not be an event you will regret.  I strongly recommend.


----------



## MudQueen22

Apopper74 said:


> At this point we decided to grab breakfast.  I got the charcuterie platter and the chilequiles.  Both we really good.  My sister got the chicken and donut (?), she really enjoyed hers as well.



They let you order more than one hot breakfast per ticket?  If so, that's awesome!  

Loving these reviews.  Hoping we can get the tickets.  Called the other night for July, but they weren't released yet.


----------



## AntJulie

Anyone looking for March 6th? There are 4 open spots available.


----------



## Suejacken

Thanks to everyone posting about their experience. I really want to do this with my group since there are 11 of us. I assume it will be a while until July opens up


----------



## dachsie

So its 3 months til May and they still haven't opened any dates.  Do you think they are not going to offer it?


----------



## WaterLinds

AntJulie said:


> Anyone looking for March 6th? There are 4 open spots available.


@jkwilliams wasnlooking for spots that date, I think?


----------



## WaterLinds

MudQueen22 said:


> They let you order more than one hot breakfast per ticket?  If so, that's awesome!
> 
> Loving these reviews.  Hoping we can get the tickets.  Called the other night for July, but they weren't released yet.


Yes, it sounds like breakfast ordering is pretty informal, they’re not counting the number of people in your party or if you’ve made more than one trip to the line to order.

 I think our group will probably split up—one adult will take the kids to the cold buffet while the other two order the hot food for the table. And then maybe we’ll do a second round of orders depending on appetites.


----------



## WaterLinds

dachsie said:


> So its 3 months til May and they still haven't opened any dates.  Do you think they are not going to offer it?


I would be surprised if they didn’t, it’s been a big success and May isn’t usually the busiest month so I can’t see why they wouldn’t run it. All of these hard ticket events seem to run on a pretty random schedule of dates being released...sometimes it’s months ahead, sometimes a big block opens all at once, sometimes it’s one month at a time, etc. If it’s not released by your FP day then that’s annoying for sure, but even that happens sometimes so I wouldn’t worry yet.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

MudQueen22 said:


> They let you order more than one hot breakfast per ticket? If so, that's awesome!



Yup, you can make as many visits to the counter to pick up a hot item as you'd like.


----------



## Ariel620

MudQueen22 said:


> They let you order more than one hot breakfast per ticket?



Yes, they even mentioned it to me, to try out more than one hot entree when I was ordering. You can order multiple even your first time thru the line, but then you can go back and order more if you want to try something else later (just make your second order before they close the line at 10)


----------



## Rangers67

Has anyone tried to sign up for Jedi training after eating breakfast--around 10? I know it depends a lot on crowd levels but wondering if anyone has had success with this. Thx


----------



## MeeskaMooska13

dachsie said:


> So its 3 months til May and they still haven't opened any dates.  Do you think they are not going to offer it?


I’m getting anxious too. We’ll be there in June but with no May dates yet, it makes me nervous for June. The April dates were up by mid-December. I check everyday.


----------



## Branderson610

MeeskaMooska13 said:


> I’m getting anxious too. We’ll be there in June but with no May dates yet, it makes me nervous for June. The April dates were up by mid-December. I check everyday.


I am sure they will release more. Its kinda early.


----------



## Branderson610

Edited


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Branderson610 said:


> They released March and April at mid December. So, it can be said that March came out late , so it is still early for June to be relrased.



Just FYI, Feb & March 2019 dates were posted 10/6; April 2019 dates were posted 12/18.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

LMO429 said:


> Finally got a EMM for 4/29.  I was holding off waiting for a May date so never got the 4/29 and it sold out i guess? but been stalking the website for 4/29 and finally got lucky and got reservations for it yesterday
> 
> We did EMM in October but we were at the beach club and walked over.
> 
> This time we are staying at the Grand, what time would you recommend reserving a cab/towncar/uber etc to be there on time?



We just did EMM while staying at Poly back on 12/31.  I find there is usually at least one cab always around the deluxes, and there was one when we walked out front our morning so took it.  Driver told me I was his first fare of the day. 

We arrived at DHS at around 6:45am, which means we probably got in the cab at Poly 6:30ish (I didn't check the time exactly). 

I was rolling the dice a bit just 'assuming' a cab would be there, but I was comfortable with that decission.  There was a DHS bus at Poly as I was getting in the cab, so that was my backup plan (just would have taken longer).  



Rachel GB said:


> So our date is 2/6- first day of location change! Not sure how/ if this will affect us at all?



This makes you our Designated DIS Reporter!  Congrats on your new role!


----------



## cakebaker

As long as they release dates before my FP window opens 3/2 for May, I’m a happy camper. It’s impossible to know how to book FP’s if EMM’s aren’t released.


----------



## jkwilliams

WaterLinds said:


> @jkwilliams wasnlooking for spots that date, I think?


Thank yall so much for the heads up on tickets becoming available for March 6th! I have been checking nonstop and was able to get my last tickets today. What a relief! Also just fyi, if you are having to buy tickets one at a time (as they pop up available) like me, I had to actually call Disney Dining to buy over the phone because otherwise online it would recognize that I already had a ticket for the event and was automatically giving me the message that I had "other plans" at the exact same time.


----------



## Herbst20

We have EMM for March 20th at Hollywood Studios.  With it being Spring Break and TSL being relatively new, it was worth it to us to splurge on the special ticket for HS and we actually did it for Magic Kingdom as well.


----------



## M SH

Still waiting for May 1st...


----------



## GADisneyDad14

M SH said:


> Still waiting for May 1st...


----------



## RachaelA

Rangers67 said:


> Has anyone tried to sign up for Jedi training after eating breakfast--around 10? I know it depends a lot on crowd levels but wondering if anyone has had success with this. Thx


We signed up before we went to breakfast. No issues.


----------



## Kmgordon

Rangers67 said:


> Has anyone tried to sign up for Jedi training after eating breakfast--around 10? I know it depends a lot on crowd levels but wondering if anyone has had success with this. Thx


This is my biggest concern with our HS day. I’m not willing to wait in line for 30 mins to sign up for Jedi Training, but we are hopping to another park so need a show time before 1pm. Right now I’m planning to check on the line just after 9 and if it’s long we’ll swing by again after breakfast. I will be there in a week and will report back on how it works out.


----------



## Rachel GB

This makes you our Designated DIS Reporter!  Congrats on your new role!  [/QUOTE]

@GADisneyDad14 , I gladly accept this role! Although Disney is still telling me there’s no change on the 6th, I’m preparing for it anyway in my plans!


----------



## JessM

Just wanted to share our EMM experience, hearing from others really helped me decide whether to schedule it or not. We did EMM Monday 1/28, it was a sold out day. We are 2 adults so we could move quickly.

We were staying at the Swan so we walked over, I don't believe the boats were running yet, we didn't see any. We arrived just before 7am and went to grab a coffee and pastry. We joined the line into TSL around 7:15am, we were held until 7:22am. We went straight to Slinky and only waited a few minutes. We were on one of the first few trains.

We were able to accomplish the following:

SDD - 3 min wait
TSM - Walk on
Aliens - Waited for the current cycle to finish
SDD - 10 mins wait 
TSM - Walk on
SDD - 5 min wait
TSM - Walk On

Lines for Jessie and Woody were long. Buzz was out by the TSL sign so I'm not sure how long his wait was. This was our second DHS day so we went and saw Minnie and Mickey at 9am (no wait). We had FPs for RNRC and TOT so we had breakfast at 9am before hitting the end of our RNRC window (9-10am) and doing TOT at the beginning of that window (10-11am). 

We order multiple entree's for breakfast, they were all pretty good. We also both had fountain drinks. We thought the whole event was great and well worth the money


----------



## vacapa

Now that the April dates are posted, any chance that Fridays for April will be added, or will it just be Mondays and Wednesdays?


----------



## Rangers67

Kmgordon said:


> This is my biggest concern with our HS day. I’m not willing to wait in line for 30 mins to sign up for Jedi Training, but we are hopping to another park so need a show time before 1pm. Right now I’m planning to check on the line just after 9 and if it’s long we’ll swing by again after breakfast. I will be there in a week and will report back on how it works out.



I’m also planning to park hop in the late afternoon and want to save our FP for then. So need to ride ToT and Star Tours at 9. Don’t want to waste 30 min of prime ride time in Jedi line! Will wait to hear how it goes!


----------



## MeeskaMooska13

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Just FYI, Feb & March 2019 dates were posted 10/6; April 2019 dates were posted 12/18.


Thanks!  That helps!


----------



## Avery&Todd

JessM said:


> Just wanted to share our EMM experience, hearing from others really helped me decide whether to schedule it or not. We did EMM Monday 1/28, it was a sold out day. We are 2 adults so we could move quickly.
> 
> We were staying at the Swan so we walked over, I don't believe the boats were running yet, we didn't see any. We arrived just before 7am and went to grab a coffee and pastry. We joined the line into TSL around 7:15am, we were held until 7:22am. We went straight to Slinky and only waited a few minutes. We were on one of the first few trains.
> 
> We were able to accomplish the following:
> 
> SDD - 3 min wait
> TSM - Walk on
> Aliens - Waited for the current cycle to finish
> SDD - 10 mins wait
> TSM - Walk on
> SDD - 5 min wait
> TSM - Walk On
> 
> Lines for Jessie and Woody were long. Buzz was out by the TSL sign so I'm not sure how long his wait was. This was our second DHS day so we went and saw Minnie and Mickey at 9am (no wait). We had FPs for RNRC and TOT so we had breakfast at 9am before hitting the end of our RNRC window (9-10am) and doing TOT at the beginning of that window (10-11am).
> 
> We order multiple entree's for breakfast, they were all pretty good. We also both had fountain drinks. We thought the whole event was great and well worth the money




Quick question - we are staying at the Swan for the first time next weekend and wanted to ask how long it took for you to walk from the Swan to HS?  Its just DH and I and we are avid walkers so I was trying to guess what time we should leave the hotel for this event as we have it booked 2/18.

Your review was very helpful!!

Thanks!!


----------



## TreeFalls

MudQueen22 said:


> They let you order more than one hot breakfast per ticket?  If so, that's awesome!
> 
> Loving these reviews.  Hoping we can get the tickets.  Called the other night for July, but they weren't released yet.



We did it 1/30.  They were so flexible about ordering, some of our group got hot food both before and after riding.   I ordered two dishes, my 2yo with no ticket got a breakfast, and my daughter was able to go back and order a plate of just donuts when she decided she liked them better than the chicken.

It was perfect- we ate breakfast before (I did not want to order but others in our group did, so I sat there not-very-patiently while they ate).  We did SDD, AS2, then TSM, met Buzz then until the end half our group rode SDD and the other half TSM over and over again (line got shorter toward the end) until the rope drop crowds came.  By the time we exited TSL around 9:00, the SDD wait was 70 minutes.  We were so happy to be walking out of that crowd!  

We did Jedi training sign ups right after, it took about 15 minutes, only the very first show was full by the time we signed up.  Then we rode Star Tours and ate second breakfast.

The only thing was I wished I had brought a travel mug or water bottle to pour my soda into- as was common around WDW, they had open top cups with no lids or straws, and I would have liked to save a drink to sip for an hour or so after.


----------



## TammyLynn33

When you were walking out did you notice how long lines were for Buzz? Or what they were like throughout the event ? 
Big kids are making aneelune to rock n roll coaster then meeting the littles and I at breakfast but the littles will def want to see buzz




TreeFalls said:


> We did it 1/30.  They were so flexible about ordering, some of our group got hot food both before and after riding.   I ordered two dishes, my 2yo with no ticket got a breakfast, and my daughter was able to go back and order a plate of just donuts when she decided she liked them better than the chicken.
> 
> It was perfect- we ate breakfast before (I did not want to order but others in our group did, so I sat there not-very-patiently while they ate).  We did SDD, AS2, then TSM, met Buzz then until the end half our group rode SDD and the other half TSM over and over again (line got shorter toward the end) until the rope drop crowds came.  By the time we exited TSL around 9:00, the SDD wait was 70 minutes.  We were so happy to be walking out of that crowd!
> 
> We did Jedi training sign ups right after, it took about 15 minutes, only the very first show was full by the time we signed up.  Then we rode Star Tours and ate second breakfast.
> 
> The only thing was I wished I had brought a travel mug or water bottle to pour my soda into- as was common around WDW, they had open top cups with no lids or straws, and I would have liked to save a drink to sip for an hour or so after.


----------



## TreeFalls

TammyLynn33 said:


> When you were walking out did you notice how long lines were for Buzz? Or what they were like throughout the event ?
> Big kids are making aneelune to rock n roll coaster then meeting the littles and I at breakfast but the littles will def want to see buzz



On the way out the Buzz line was behind the SDD line, so I didn't see it.  But he generally had a very short line during the EMM period- we waited maybe 5 minutes when we met him.


----------



## Suejacken

TreeFalls said:


> We did it 1/30.  They were so flexible about ordering, some of our group got hot food both before and after riding.   I ordered two dishes, my 2yo with no ticket got a breakfast, and my daughter was able to go back and order a plate of just donuts when she decided she liked them better than the chicken.
> 
> It was perfect- we ate breakfast before (I did not want to order but others in our group did, so I sat there not-very-patiently while they ate).  We did SDD, AS2, then TSM, met Buzz then until the end half our group rode SDD and the other half TSM over and over again (line got shorter toward the end) until the rope drop crowds came.  By the time we exited TSL around 9:00, the SDD wait was 70 minutes.  We were so happy to be walking out of that crowd!
> 
> We did Jedi training sign ups right after, it took about 15 minutes, only the very first show was full by the time we signed up.  Then we rode Star Tours and ate second breakfast.
> 
> The only thing was I wished I had brought a travel mug or water bottle to pour my soda into- as was common around WDW, they had open top cups with no lids or straws, and I would have liked to save a drink to sip for an hour or so after.


I will have a two year old with our group if this is offerednwhen we go in July. Did you have to show any proof that the child was under 2.


----------



## TreeFalls

Nobody asked his age at EMM... it was similar to when we entered the park on non-EMM days, occasionally someone would ask how old he was but usually we just went right in with him in the stroller.  No proof needed.

Although, I do think they included him in our group count.  When I booked the tickets, I did include him, and he showed up in the list as "infant- $0".  So you probably want to include the 2yo when you make the reservation, like you would for a dining reservation.


----------



## MemoryMakers

Avery&Todd said:


> Quick question - we are staying at the Swan for the first time next weekend and wanted to ask how long it took for you to walk from the Swan to HS?  Its just DH and I and we are avid walkers so I was trying to guess what time we should leave the hotel for this event as we have it booked 2/18.
> 
> Your review was very helpful!!
> 
> Thanks!!



Around 10 min...give or take a min or two depending on your pace (although pace is always faster on the way to the park due to the anticipation)


----------



## cakebaker

M SH said:


> Still waiting for May 1st...


My planning sheet looks like a jigsaw puzzle trying to list every possible strategy depending on the availability of EMM’s in May. If they don’t get published before my FP window it’s going to be a train wreck. Open...open...open....


I don’t even want to think about the possibility of after hours.....


----------



## TammyLynn33

I think I need liquid paper ha ha 





cakebaker said:


> My planning sheet looks like a jigsaw puzzle trying to list every possible strategy depending on the availability of EMM’s in May. If they don’t get published before my FP window it’s going to be a train wreck. Open...open...open....
> 
> 
> I don’t even want to think about the possibility of after hours.....


----------



## KrazeeK120

Suejacken said:


> I will have a two year old with our group if this is offerednwhen we go in July. Did you have to show any proof that the child was under 2.



My son was a week shy of his 3rd birthday when we went and we didn’t have to show any kind of proof of age for him anywhere...not at the tapstiles, not at ADRs, nowhere. I didn’t even bring proof with me. If they’d asked, I’d have just told them he was 2 and moved on.


----------



## rxbeth

We did it 1/30 and out tally was sddx4,TSMMx2 and as2x1.

Personally, I'm a bit disappointed that the lines for sdd are 10-15 minutes. I definitely think they are selling too many tickets. I also dislike that unless you are one of the first few in line, you won't see woody and Jessie without a very long wait, cutting into ride time. I feel like maybe you should be able to have some kind of return ticket for later in the day to meet the characters. 

Even before they started with all the new rides offered for mk EMM, was thekine for 7dmt 10-15 minutes pretty consistently?


----------



## GADisneyDad14

rxbeth said:


> Even before they started with all the new rides offered for mk EMM, was thekine for 7dmt 10-15 minutes pretty consistently?



That's about right early on / first thing at MK EMM, then it starts to trail off later on, generally speaking from reports.  Our last pre-change MK EMM we were getting kind of grumbly over the wait because it was consistently back to the cave/mine entrance.  Of course, this kind of thing (just like SDD waits) can vary event-to-event based on the whims of the crowd at that particular moment in time.


----------



## Suejacken

TreeFalls said:


> Nobody asked his age at EMM... it was similar to when we entered the park on non-EMM days, occasionally someone would ask how old he was but usually we just went right in with him in the stroller.  No proof needed.
> 
> Although, I do think they included him in our group count.  When I booked the tickets, I did include him, and he showed up in the list as "infant- $0".  So you probably want to include the 2yo when you make the reservation, like you would for a dining reservation.[/QUOTE
> Thank you so much for the information


----------



## Maine Disney First Timer

We did EMM this morning. 

Was at poly bus stop at 6:20. Bus came at 6:36 and we were at HS around 6:50. Got through the long walk and then security and scanning in. Got wristbands and headed to wait by Chinese theater around 7:07. Encouraged us to eat breakfast and that the rides don’t open til 7:30 but thanks to you all I knew better. right at 7:15 they led us back and we were towards front of pack. Did slinky and was maybe 2nd car for that and then went to where Jessie and woody meet. Got there at 7:28 and they showed up at 7:33. We waited a good 10-15 min even with being there right at 7:30

After that meet we did saucers once then slinky two more times (10 min wait and 7 min wait for slinky). Posted wait was 15 min .  We then had to take a kid to bathroom (I’m like really do you know how much I paid we don’t have time for this! Lol) 
Met buzz 
Then did tsm once and ended with slinky at about a 3 min wait. Wanted to go back on again but by 7:51 rope drop crowd was already there.
Here’s the rundown:
Saucers 1x
Tsm 1x
Met woody and Jessie
Met buzz
Slinky 4x

We left and went straight to jedi signups and were in line by 8:58. We waited 38 min to sign up for jedi training. 

Got the breakfast around 9:45.

It was worth it ...great event although with kids ages 4, 7 and 8 it is tough having a 5:30 alarm but still worth it.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

@Maine Disney First Timer - Thanks for the report, and for the Jedi Training detail.  Do you happen to remember what the earliest time available was when you got to the sign-up?  Just tracking for informational purposes.  Txs!


----------



## Maine Disney First Timer

GADisneyDad14 said:


> @Maine Disney First Timer - Thanks for the report, and for the Jedi Training detail.  Do you happen to remember what the earliest time available was when you got to the sign-up?  Just tracking for informational purposes.  Txs!



Around 1pm was the earliest available. We chose 3:00 bc of our fp schedule. Had to be there by 2:30.


----------



## Avery&Todd

MemoryMakers said:


> Around 10 min...give or take a min or two depending on your pace (although pace is always faster on the way to the park due to the anticipation)


FABULOUS!!!  I will plan on 10 minutes but give us a few more to get DH out the door - he doesn't know we have a 7am reservation at DH that morning!!

Thank you!!


----------



## jsmla

I was there last Wednesday.
-Bus from CSR arrived at 6:05 and, at 6:17, I was one of the first few parties to arrive at DHS.  You could probably take a later bus but I was worried about how often they came that early.


----------



## Disneylovingmomof2

rxbeth said:


> We did it 1/30 and out tally was sddx4,TSMMx2 and as2x1.
> 
> Personally, I'm a bit disappointed that the lines for sdd are 10-15 minutes. I definitely think they are selling too many tickets. I also dislike that unless you are one of the first few in line, you won't see woody and Jessie without a very long wait, cutting into ride time. I feel like maybe you should be able to have some kind of return ticket for later in the day to meet the characters.
> 
> Even before they started with all the new rides offered for mk EMM, was thekine for 7dmt 10-15 minutes pretty consistently?


We did it on 1/30 and I agree with this. For a special event I don’t think SDD lines should be at 15 minutes. I know people are big on character interaction, but in my opinion Jessie and Woody were taking way too much time with each family. Everyone who has tickets should at least be able to get a photo, and I know there were people behind me who had to wait through 2-3 breaks that they took to even get their turn. That isn’t right when the event is only slightly over an hour.


----------



## jsmla

(I was there last Wednesday, cont from post 2390)


Those not eating lined up in front of the Chinese Theater.At 7:18 we were walked into Toy Story Land.


-I boarded Slinky Dog for my first ride at 7:23.



During the the event I was able to ride:

Slinky Dog X 3

1st and 2nd rides were walk ons, 3rd trip (after riding TSMM X 3) had maybe a 10 minute wait.
 


Toy Story X 3



Alien Saucers X 1





I then rope dropped Rock-n-Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror.  There was a short wait for RnRC to start up, TOT was a walk on.


I arrived at ABC Commissary at 9:25 and it was fairly full.  I had the shrimp and grits and the avocado toast.  Both were absolutely fine although I preferred the old buffet-style setup at Pinocchio’s.  I ended up wasting a lot of my grits.


I thought the event was great and well run.  I probably won’t do it again but that’s because the included attractions don’t appeal to me as much as some others.  If you’re a Slinky Dog or Toy Story Fan I say go for it!


----------



## jsmla

My breakfast pix won’t load.  Error message says “file too large”.  Any tips?


----------



## GADisneyDad14

jsmla said:


> ETA:  My breakfast pix won’t upload.  Error message says “file too large”.  Any tips?



A simple trick I do if I need to do it quickly and/or am not at my computer is to email pics to myself and pick the medium or large file size.  When I get the email, I then save those image files, then upload those to post.  

This is for an iPhone, not sure if other platforms give you the option to lower the file size when emailing.  

Hope that makes sense.


----------



## 1DISNEYLVR

I’d like to do this for our trip in September. How far in advance can you buy tickets for this? What’s the best way to be alerted when they go on sale?
Thanks!


----------



## GADisneyDad14

1DISNEYLVR said:


> I’d like to do this for our trip in September. How far in advance can you buy tickets for this? What’s the best way to be alerted when they go on sale?
> Thanks!



This post tracks the date release history:  https://www.disboards.com/threads/d...gic-emm-faq-discussion.3701980/#post-59644645

EMM (both this one and the MK EMM one) tends to be all over the place in terms of when dates are released for booking.  One of the better ways to ‘track’ when dates are released is to watch this thread and keep an eyeball on it from time to time.  When dates are released, it’ll get noted/discussed quickly around here.  There are some that make “checking” for new dates part of their morning routine, not that I know anything about that.


----------



## rxbeth

Disneylovingmomof2 said:


> We did it on 1/30 and I agree with this. For a special event I don’t think SDD lines should be at 15 minutes. I know people are big on character interaction, but in my opinion Jessie and Woody were taking way too much time with each family. Everyone who has tickets should at least be able to get a photo, and I know there were people behind me who had to wait through 2-3 breaks that they took to even get their turn. That isn’t right when the event is only slightly over an hour.



Good to know I'm not alone. I might drop a note to Disney with my specific concerns as well as suggestion that the character someone have some sort of fast pass for later (I understand they don't have fastpasses).


----------



## rxbeth

Also, no one once asked to see our wristband in line for entry to tsl.  Seems like once you're past the gates, no one asks to see it other than to enter the commissary. What is to stop people from walking out of h&v and entering tsl at 8am? (I'm not quite sure what time PPO reservations start) I know I posted before an account of someone who did that a few months ago.


----------



## TISHLOVESDISNEY

I wonder if they have a rope keeping them from getting that far-?


rxbeth said:


> Also, no one once asked to see our wristband in line for entry to tsl.  Seems like once you're past the gates, no one asks to see it other than to enter the commissary. What is to stop people from walking out of h&v and entering tsl at 8am? (I'm not quite sure what time PPO reservations start) I know I posted before an account of someone who did that a few months ago.


----------



## Disneylovingmomof2

rxbeth said:


> Good to know I'm not alone. I might drop a note to Disney with my specific concerns as well as suggestion that the character someone have some sort of fast pass for later (I understand they don't have fastpasses).


I was thinking of emailing them too - and I know we’re not the only ones because my family was the last one to go up to Woody/Jessie (they had already taken a break while we were waiting) and so the families behind me had to go through another break and I know they weren’t happy about it - especially after we had already been waiting for about 25 minutes. If I knew they were going to be spending that much time with each group I wouldn’t have gotten in line.


----------



## magickingdomprincess

I haven't been to this event yet (planning to hopefully going in June if available).  I was thinking the same about the characters, that's a lot of time to spend in line waiting for such a short event.  Also, I would be upset that the rope drop crowd is allowed in before opening.  I would think on EMM days they shouldn't be let in until the posted opening time.  That's just my opinion though


----------



## GADisneyDad14

magickingdomprincess said:


> Also, I would be upset that the rope drop crowd is allowed in before opening. I would think on EMM days they shouldn't be let in until the posted opening time.



I would normally agree with you here, but in fairness Disney does advertise ride access ending at 8:45am for DHS EMM (MK EMM is 9am, for reference).


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

GADisneyDad14 said:


> I would normally agree with you here, but in fairness Disney does advertise ride access ending at 8:45am for DHS EMM (MK EMM is 9am, for reference).


Also, HS EMM starts earlier than MK EMM


----------



## JessM

Avery&Todd said:


> Quick question - we are staying at the Swan for the first time next weekend and wanted to ask how long it took for you to walk from the Swan to HS?  Its just DH and I and we are avid walkers so I was trying to guess what time we should leave the hotel for this event as we have it booked 2/18.
> 
> Your review was very helpful!!
> 
> Thanks!!



It probably took us around 10mins but we walk fast. I passed a couple families on our way over.


----------



## Avery&Todd

JessM said:


> It probably took us around 10mins but we walk fast. I passed a couple families on our way over.



DH and I are also fast walkers so it's nice to have a time frame!  thank you!


----------



## magickingdomprincess

GADisneyDad14 said:


> I would normally agree with you here, but in fairness Disney does advertise ride access ending at 8:45am for DHS EMM (MK EMM is 9am, for reference).





PrincessArlena'sDad said:


> Also, HS EMM starts earlier than MK EMM



Thank you both for pointing this out, that does make a difference and makes me feel better.  I've only been to the MK version which I think ended at 9.


----------



## Maine Disney First Timer

magickingdomprincess said:


> Thank you both for pointing this out, that does make a difference and makes me feel better.  I've only been to the MK version which I think ended at 9.



We had prepark BOG breakfast on Sunday and they held us back from mine train until 9am when the early morning magic was over. Yesterday at early morning magic at HS the rope drop crowds were already in line and entering slinky at 7:50


----------



## TammyLynn33

Wait what? If that’s a 7 start that’s only 50 mins or 730 start 20.. pls tell me you mean 8:50

QUOTE="Maine Disney First Timer, post: 60229871, member: 562742"]We had prepark BOG breakfast on Sunday and they held us back from mine train until 9am when the early morning magic was over. Yesterday at early morning magic at HS the rope drop crowds were already in line and entering slinky at 7:50[/QUOTE]


----------



## ninafeliz

TammyLynn33 said:


> Wait what? If that’s a 7 start that’s only 50 mins or 730 start 20.. pls tell me you mean 8:50
> 
> QUOTE="Maine Disney First Timer, post: 60229871, member: 562742"]We had prepark BOG breakfast on Sunday and they held us back from mine train until 9am when the early morning magic was over. Yesterday at early morning magic at HS the rope drop crowds were already in line and entering slinky at 7:50


[/QUOTE]

Not the OP, but I’m sure they meant 8:50


----------



## dachsie

GADisneyDad14 said:


> This post tracks the date release history:  https://www.disboards.com/threads/d...gic-emm-faq-discussion.3701980/#post-59644645
> 
> EMM (both this one and the MK EMM one) tends to be all over the place in terms of when dates are released for booking.  One of the better ways to ‘track’ when dates are released is to watch this thread and keep an eyeball on it from time to time.  When dates are released, it’ll get noted/discussed quickly around here.  There are some that make “checking” for new dates part of their morning routine, not that I know anything about that.


Will you post something in the rutile the next time dates are released? Even if just for a few days


----------



## GADisneyDad14

dachsie said:


> Will you post something in the rutile the next time dates are released? Even if just for a few days



I assume you mean ‘title’ - but yes, I sometimes/usually do (if I think about it!).


----------



## dachsie

GADisneyDad14 said:


> I assume you mean ‘title’ - but yes, I sometimes/usually do (if I think about it!).


Yes I hate autocorrect sometimes. Lol


----------



## JediMom43014

Here now. Breakfast has been moved to Backlot Express. I saw earlier the speculation but didn’t see that anyone confirmed. Not yet sure if that will change the time we are let into the land.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

JediMom43014 said:


> Here now. Breakfast has been moved to Backlot Express. I saw earlier the speculation but didn’t see that anyone confirmed. Not yet sure if that will change the time we are let into the land.



Yeah, today is the first AM using Backlot.  Looking forward to hearing about your morning if you have time after your trip.


----------



## Rachel GB

Just checked in- rumors were true! Backlot Express is new breakfast location!


----------



## Maine Disney First Timer

Not the OP, but I’m sure they meant 8:50 [/QUOTE]
Yes sorry. Meant 8:50.


----------



## TISHLOVESDISNEY

Anxious to hear how the bf change affects the morning, forgot all about that-thanks for the reports so far.


----------



## TammyLynn33

I’m at work and can’t really pull up maps? Is backlot farther? Is the menu changing?


----------



## LMO429

For those of you who have reserved the mears how was the car seat they provided?


----------



## Iowamomof4

TammyLynn33 said:


> I’m at work and can’t really pull up maps? Is backlot farther? Is the menu changing?


Backlot is farther. It's between Indiana Jones and Jedi Training.


----------



## Dkcook

We have this booked for 2/20.  Sounds like the lines for Woody & Jessie are really long.  Should we plan to line up right when the characters show up? I read they come out about 7:30 is that still correct?  Thx


----------



## carolann210

JediMom43014 said:


> Here now. Breakfast has been moved to Backlot Express. I saw earlier the speculation but didn’t see that anyone confirmed. Not yet sure if that will change the time we are let into the land.


Please let us know how it goes with the new location!


----------



## TammyLynn33

Yes wondering how this affects everyone’s plans .im guessing less ppl will go get anything prior and more ppl will just finish up TSL and head to rope drop other rides and forgo breakfast totally? 
Saves Disney money if that’s the case


----------



## Rachel GB

Here today. Different breakfast location had no real effect on our plans.


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

TammyLynn33 said:


> Yes wondering how this affects everyone’s plans .im guessing less ppl will go get anything prior and more ppl will just finish up TSL and head to rope drop other rides and forgo breakfast totally?
> Saves Disney money if that’s the case


I don't think the venue change, alone, will change peoples plans.  It is further away, but not by that much, really.  I measured it on google maps, and I came to a difference of about 270 feet.  So, less than 100 steps.


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## TammyLynn33

K I’m at work and still 70 days out so I haven’t  really looked at maps
Thanks 


QUOTE="PrincessArlena'sDad, post: 60231131, member: 247601"]I don't think the venue change, alone, will change peoples plans.  It is further away, but not by that much, really.  I measured it on google maps, and I came to a difference of about 270 feet.  So, less than 100 steps.[/QUOTE]


----------



## bebec22

Dkcook said:


> We have this booked for 2/20.  Sounds like the lines for Woody & Jessie are really long.  Should we plan to line up right when the characters show up? I read they come out about 7:30 is that still correct?  Thx


I'll be there on 2/20 as well.  My plan is to get in line for Woody and Jessie right away before doing anything else.  See you there!


----------



## ama223

I'm trying to get tickets for 5 of us for 2/27 - should I keep checking each day?  Fingers crossed we get them - just found out about this, so I missed early booking!


----------



## JediMom43014

Full review from this morning: they let us in at 6:58. Walked to the new location at Backlot for coffee and a pastry. We then went over to the Chinese Theater where they were holding everyone. A good amount of people went right to the theater. They walked us to the land at 7:15. Everyone walked directly on to SDD. The cast members grabbed our stroller telling us to just stay in line. Rode SDD and AS2. Then went to meet Woody and Jesse at 7:36. It took 20 minutes for that. The line was MUCH longer after we finished. We then did TSM, back to SDD and AS2. We then met Buzz and took a picture in front of the TSL sign. It was 8:42. The CMs told us to book it out of there before the RD crowd came. And we did just make it. Went over to sign up for Jedi Training then breakfast. It was about 9:15. Not too crowded but at 9:30 a rush of people came through. So maybe people that RD something else. We left at 9:45 and they were refilling food trays and there were plenty of people there still eating. 

I think the new location may cause people to not grab that coffee and pastry first because Backlot is across the park from TSL. It was more than 100 steps different from the Commissary, IMO. 

Overall, I loved the experience. It was well worth it for us even though we could have done more. We did it at my 4 year old’s pace and she loved it. 

Summary:
SDD x 2
AS2 x 2
TSM x 2
Met Woody, Jesse & Buzz


----------



## TammyLynn33

Thank you .. I can’t imagine my older kids wanting to stop for snack on the way to TSL. Especially if it’s in a diff direction 
Then I worry as soon as they see RD crowd they will be gone to RnR and tower of terror and I’ll never get them back fir breakfast lol
How long was the Buzz wait? 
Thank you again




JediMom43014 said:


> Full review from this morning: they let us in at 6:58. Walked to the new location at Backlot for coffee and a pastry. We then went over to the Chinese Theater where they were holding everyone. A good amount of people went right to the theater. They walked us to the land at 7:15. Everyone walked directly on to SDD. The cast members grabbed our stroller telling us to just stay in line. Rode SDD and AS2. Then went to meet Woody and Jesse at 7:36. It took 20 minutes for that. The line was MUCH longer after we finished. We then did TSM, back to SDD and AS2. We then met Buzz and took a picture in front of the TSL sign. It was 8:42. The CMs told us to book it out of there before the RD crowd came. And we did just make it. Went over to sign up for Jedi Training then breakfast. It was about 9:15. Not too crowded but at 9:30 a rush of people came through. So maybe people that RD something else. We left at 9:45 and they were refilling food trays and there were plenty of people there still eating.
> 
> I think the new location may cause people to not grab that coffee and pastry first because Backlot is across the park from TSL. It was more than 100 steps different from the Commissary, IMO.
> 
> Overall, I loved the experience. It was well worth it for us even though we could have done more. We did it at my 4 year old’s pace and she loved it.
> 
> Summary:
> SDD x 2
> AS2 x 2
> TSM x 2
> Met Woody, Jesse & Buzz


----------



## JediMom43014

There was one family ahead of us for Buzz. So I would say less than 5 minutes.


----------



## Dkcook

bebec22 said:


> I'll be there on 2/20 as well.  My plan is to get in line for Woody and Jessie right away before doing anything else.  See you there!



Sounds like a good idea.  I may have to do the same.  Hope it's not to crazy on the 20th.


----------



## WaterLinds

JediMom43014 said:


> Went over to sign up for Jedi Training then breakfast. It was about 9:15. Not too crowded but at 9:30 a rush of people came through. So maybe people that RD something else. We left at 9:45 and they were refilling food trays and there were plenty of people there still eating.



Thanks for the review and the update about the new location!

Did you get to Jedi sign ups ahead of the RD crowd, if there was much crowd? I had been hearing it wasn’t too busy at RD but then last week someone reported waiting over half an hour to sign up, and I saw another recent report about the early shows all booking up pretty fast. My kid isn’t 100% sure he wants to do it anyway, but if we do it on our EMM day we’re hoping to be out of the park by 12 or 1, so we probably need to sign up early to get a time that works.


----------



## Maine Disney First Timer

WaterLinds said:


> Thanks for the review and the update about the new location!
> 
> Did you get to Jedi sign ups ahead of the RD crowd, if there was much crowd? I had been hearing it wasn’t too busy at RD but then last week someone reported waiting over half an hour to sign up, and I saw another recent report about the early shows all booking up pretty fast. My kid isn’t 100% sure he wants to do it anyway, but if we do it on our EMM day we’re hoping to be out of the park by 12 or 1, so we probably need to sign up early to get a time that works.


We were there Monday. We were in jedi line at 8:58 after EMM and we waited at least 35 min 
Touring plans had that day as a 9 though


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## bosspringsteen

We were there this morning as well, loved it. Hit SDD twice Aliens once and TSM 4 times. We were going to hit up Woody and Jessie but my son only wanted to meet Buzz, who had no wait. Then we took a picture at the Toy Story Land sign and at 8:30 I sent my wife and son off to Backlot so they could eat breakfast and I went to Jedi Training to sign him up and there was only 1 other parent there at the time. Ate breakfast then went to TOT with no wait a little after 9. Stayed until park closing and had an amazing day. 

I’d also like to say this is our 5th day here, 2 to go, and HS had by far the nicest, most fun, cast members we encountered this entire trip. We had such a blast with the interactions there and all of them seemed to be genuinely happy to be there.


----------



## WaterLinds

Maine Disney First Timer said:


> We were there Monday. We were in jedi line at 8:58 after EMM and we waited at least 35 min
> Touring plans had that day as a 9 though


Thanks for that report, good to have some sense of what to expect. I think TP currently has our day forecast as a 5 but it’s been yo-yoing around so much who knows what it will actually be! I’ll cross my fingers that it will be noticeably lighter than that, although if the kid decides he’s definitely set on it maybe we’ll consider ducking out of EMM a few minutes early to be at the head of the line.


----------



## Farro

We just booked May 2020 and even though I know it's early, I'm just so thrilled to read these threads again with a real purpose! 

carry on.


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## denecarter

bosspringsteen said:


> Then we took a picture at the Toy Story Land sign and at 8:30 I sent my wife and son off to Backlot so they could eat breakfast and I went to Jedi Training to sign him up and there was only 1 other parent there at the time.



Cool!  I thought the kid had to be present to sign up.


----------



## bosspringsteen

denecarter said:


> Cool!  I thought the kid had to be present to sign up.



Nope, when they sign you up they just put question marks next to the last letter of your name and then when you arrive to check in 30 minutes before show time that’s when they ask your child the safety questions. It worked out really nice, they could go relax for a minutes while I signed him up. The cast member sigining me up was training 2 others and he got really excited to show them how to sign people up when the child isn’t present.


----------



## TammyLynn33

What were the safety questions? 





bosspringsteen said:


> Nope, when they sign you up they just put question marks next to the last letter of your name and then when you arrive to check in 30 minutes before show time that’s when they ask your child the safety questions. It worked out really nice, they could go relax for a minutes while I signed him up. The cast member sigining me up was training 2 others and he got really excited to show them how to sign people up when the child isn’t present.


----------



## cakebaker

TammyLynn33 said:


> What were the safety questions?


It’s just questions to make sure they’re old enough and can follow instructions. Not hard at all.


----------



## bosspringsteen

cakebaker said:


> It’s just questions to make sure they’re old enough and can follow instructions. Not hard at all.



Exactly this, but they tell you “we have very serious safety questions for them that only they can answer and if they can’t they can’t participate” it was just how old are you? Can you follow instructions? And are you able to take on and help defeat the dark side?


----------



## TammyLynn33

K my little guy is on the spectrum .. tough call .


----------



## bperk3

Dkcook said:


> Sounds like a good idea.  I may have to do the same.  Hope it's not to crazy on the 20th.


I will be there the 20th too, but probably not heading to Woody and Jessie first. My boys are older now and probably aren't going to want to meet them at all. Unless we bribe my DS10 to recreate the picture of him kissing Jessie on his first trip 8 years ago.


----------



## Jfletch106

bosspringsteen said:


> We were there this morning as well, loved it. Hit SDD twice Aliens once and TSM 4 times. We were going to hit up Woody and Jessie but my son only wanted to meet Buzz, who had no wait. Then we took a picture at the Toy Story Land sign and at 8:30 I sent my wife and son off to Backlot so they could eat breakfast and I went to Jedi Training to sign him up and there was only 1 other parent there at the time. Ate breakfast then went to TOT with no wait a little after 9. Stayed until park closing and had an amazing day.
> 
> I’d also like to say this is our 5th day here, 2 to go, and HS had by far the nicest, most fun, cast members we encountered this entire trip. We had such a blast with the interactions there and all of them seemed to be genuinely happy to be there.



How many people would you say were at the event? Headed there 2/20 and SO excited to experience TSL for the first time!


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## otten

MK EMM dates just went up this morning so hopefully TSL is coming soon too.


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## cakebaker

otten said:


> MK EMM dates just went up this morning so hopefully TSL is coming soon too.



MK is up, but not available to book yet. Hoping soon for both!


----------



## carolann210

I’d imagine this has been addressed before but wanted to ask if there are photopass photograhers with Woody/Jessie and Buzz?


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## GADisneyDad14

carolann210 said:


> I’d imagine this has been addressed before but wanted to ask if there are photopass photograhers with Woody/Jessie and Buzz?



Yep, there are PP photographers at both.


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## carolann210

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Yep, there are PP photographers at both.



Thanks so very much!


----------



## bosspringsteen

Jfletch106 said:


> How many people would you say were at the event? Headed there 2/20 and SO excited to experience TSL for the first time!



It honestly wasn’t bad at all the worst we saw was the line for Woody and Jessie. It didn’t seem, to me at least, that SDD hit more than a 5 minute wait. Well worth it, imo, because after that the park was pretty well packed. Every Indiana Jones showing seemed to even be at capacity, which I was shocked to see. Our show was definitely completely filled. For anyone curious about EMM or even considering I’d say go for it. We had a blast being able to take our time and check it all out and ride at our leisure. And we also loved the breakfast as well.


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## cakebaker

MK MM is bookable now for May forward, hopefully TSL follows soon.


----------



## Rachel GB

2/6 event report! Due to the app not displaying bus times correctly, we decided to take a Minnie Van. We arrived around 6:40 and there was already a good-sized line to check in, etc., but things moved quickly. They let us in at 7, and we did feel as if CMs were guiding us solely towards breakfast. We grabbed coffee and were walking to TSL at 7:15, when it opened. Did SDD once with a five minute wait, then waited a few minutes for Woody and Jesse to come out (minimal wait), and went straight to Buzz and another nice PhotoPass after Buzz, also with minimal waits. We did SDD two more times (10 minute wait posted but it was more like five), TSM twice (walk-on), and Alien SS (walk-on). We were walking out of the land at 8:45 and had to squeeze to the side in single file as the INSANE, famed RD “wall” was coming. Our party split to RD Aerosmith and Celebrity Spotlight, both with very low waits. Then we met up for a leisurely breakfast, which was better than expected. We didn’t have to wait in line to order, although it was busy there. We even had time for bathroom/ sunscreen breaks before our 10 am FP. We all talked about how ‘worth it’ this event was. Wouldn’t hesitate to do it again!
P.S. It wasn’t a long walk from Backlot Express to TSL, we didn’t mind it.


----------



## LMO429

Why is 4/29 already sold out?  It does not make sense to me the week of spring break has availability still 4/22 4/24 dates but 4/29 is sold out????  do you think they did not release all the tickets for that date yet???


----------



## Candlelady

Not sure if anyone has the answer, but wondering if Mondays sell out quicker than Wednesdays.


----------



## Iowamomof4

LMO429 said:


> Why is 4/29 already sold out?  It does not make sense to me the week of spring break has availability still 4/22 4/24 dates but 4/29 is sold out????  do you think they did not release all the tickets for that date yet???


Delete


----------



## poetz

Happened to glance at the calendar today, and the dates for May are blue but not yet bookable. Looks like they should be opening reservations in the next day or two, though they haven't gone past May yet.


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## otten

poetz said:


> Happened to glance at the calendar today, and the dates for May are blue but not yet bookable. Looks like they should be opening reservations in the next day or two, though they haven't gone past May yet.



Yay!

Eta well darn the date we want doesn’t appear to be offered. I don’t think we’re going to move stuff around for it so I think we’re out of luck.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

poetz said:


> Happened to glance at the calendar today, and the dates for May are blue but not yet bookable. Looks like they should be opening reservations in the next day or two, though they haven't gone past May yet.



Nice...FIRST!  Thanks for the heads up!


----------



## cakebaker

poetz said:


> Happened to glance at the calendar today, and the dates for May are blue but not yet bookable. Looks like they should be opening reservations in the next day or two, though they haven't gone past May yet.



That must have just happened. I’ve been popping in and out all morning and May wasn’t blue yet. If it follows anything like the MK, it will be late this evening or in the morning before it can be booked. Thanks for the catch!


----------



## M SH

Where is May 1st?? what's going on that day?


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

LMO429 said:


> Why is 4/29 already sold out?  It does not make sense to me the week of spring break has availability still 4/22 4/24 dates but 4/29 is sold out????  do you think they did not release all the tickets for that date yet???


Are you sure Apr 29 was blue before this morning?  Or did it turn blue with May?


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

Anyone else notice Friday's in March are now blue?


----------



## GADisneyDad14

PrincessArlena'sDad said:


> Are you sure Apr 29 was blue before this morning?  Or did it turn blue with May?



4/29 was blue before today's changes.  It is one of the few April dates that doesn't have the two reservation times, so it's possible the 7:30am group is legit sold out - or there's something else going on.  



PrincessArlena'sDad said:


> Anyone else notice Friday's in March are now blue?



Nice, good eyes!  Lots of changes this AM!


----------



## TISHLOVESDISNEY

No July yet...  I hate stalking...


----------



## dachsie

ok so they does are there but not bookable as of yet, correct?  Just panicked that I missed May 8 as I was traveling back home from WDW yesterday and there was no availability


----------



## otten

M SH said:


> Where is May 1st?? what's going on that day?


 It does seem weird that that one day isn’t offered (figures that it’s the one I need).


----------



## M SH

otten said:


> It does seem weird that that one day isn’t offered (figures that it’s the one I need).



it's the day i need too.. it's my only HS day, and was planning on doing EMM there..
It's the first day of the month and happens to be on Wednesday so I hope it's just an oversight and they realize and correct it soon.


----------



## otten

M SH said:


> it's the day i need too.. it's my only HS day, and was planning on doing EMM there..
> It's the first day of the month and happens to be on Wednesday so I hope it's just an oversight and they realize and correct it soon.


 Yea I am also hoping it’s an error.


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## Tinkerbellmom43

And...my week is already sold out both days  Just checked at 7am and they weren't up


----------



## schmass

Tinkerbellmom43 said:


> And...my week is already sold out both days  Just checked at 7am and they weren't up


If they are new dates that were just added they probably aren't bookable yet - probably tomorrow morning.


----------



## anpeck

LMO429 said:


> Why is 4/29 already sold out?  It does not make sense to me the week of spring break has availability still 4/22 4/24 dates but 4/29 is sold out????  do you think they did not release all the tickets for that date yet???



I’ve been watching this day for the last  couple weeks and the 7am choice wasn’t available until today but it’s saying it’s not available. I’m hoping it’ll open up with the May dates. The 7:30 time has been sold out. Those other days you mentioned already have the 7am slot open so that might be why they’re available.


----------



## Tinkerbellmom43

schmass said:


> If they are new dates that were just added they probably aren't bookable yet - probably tomorrow morning.


YAY!!! Thank you


----------



## veronica13

Tinkerbellmom43 said:


> And...my week is already sold out both days  Just checked at 7am and they weren't up[/QUOTE
> Could this be a fluke? I have checked daily for months and this is the first day May was blue - Tried several times May 6 - sold out. called - CM said sold out. I was able to get Magic Kingdom May 7 - no problem? ‍


----------



## SaharanTea

Apologies in advance since this question has probably already been asked.

How does EMM affect normal rope drop procedures for Toy Story Land?  Are the waits for regular rope droppers much higher right off the bat on those days?  

I've googled around and can't find anything from the non-EMM side of things.


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

SaharanTea said:


> Apologies in advance since this question has probably already been asked.
> 
> How does EMM affect normal rope drop procedures for Toy Story Land?  Are the waits for regular rope droppers much higher right off the bat on those days?
> 
> I've googled around and can't find anything from the non-EMM side of things.


No effect at all.  EMM folks high tail it out of there before the RD stampede comes.  And, RD time is not changed at all.


----------



## RachaelA

So are they actually loaded? Or not bookable yet for May?


----------



## RachaelA

That’s the day I’ve been waiting on for months. I check literally 3 times a day.  I feel like it’s just not bookable yet


----------



## SaharanTea

PrincessArlena'sDad said:


> No effect at all.  EMM folks high tail it out of there before the RD stampede comes.  And, RD time is not changed at all.



I appreciate the reply.  We're early rope droppers so we're usually near the front of the mass.  Having read Josh's latest account (easywdw), I know TSL RD is crazy, but so was FOP.  Touring Plans seemed to treat EMM and non-EMM waits about the same for RD, but it's good to hear from other folks about what they've seen.


----------



## DarthGallifrey

TISHLOVESDISNEY said:


> No July yet...  I hate stalking...



I'm waiting on July too


----------



## ninafeliz

Darn it, I need June.  When they opened June for MK EMM and I saw they opened dates for this I just assumed June would be included.  Silly me, why would I be able to plan my meals at 6 months out but not my actual days in the parks yet.  It’s making it difficult for us to nail down which days we’re going where, since we want lots of resort time and are trying to decide if we should renew our APs or just go to the parks a few days.   In addition, if they happen to add any DAH to our time that will really change things- but I will be willing to adjust our schedule for that!

  Every time this happens it gets me all fired up!  How can they expect us to be crazy and have to plan meals and where we’ll be at 6 months and rides at 2 months,  but then not release things ahead of time to let us plan?  Then they have the audacity to change park hours a few weeks ahead,
Change extra magic hours within the 60 days, and add events like this AFTER the time that  they make you feel you should have your entire trip planned to the minute.  It’s crazy,  and we’re all crazy for putting up with it.  But we do, myself included 

Ok, I’m done


----------



## SaintsManiac

Fridays in March have been added.

Thanks, @AntJulie !


----------



## Sarahslay

RachaelA said:


> That’s the day I’ve been waiting on for months. I check literally 3 times a day.  I feel like it’s just not bookable yet


This is literally me for the last several months. I check multiple times a day since it's the only area of HS that my mom has any interest in, it shows up today and I had a heart attack when it said there wasn't anything available when I checked times. Now I'm going to have to jump on every day early just to check and see if they've opened yet.


----------



## maiapapaya

Sarahslay said:


> This is literally me for the last several months. I check multiple times a day since it's the only area of HS that my mom has any interest in, it shows up today and I had a heart attack when it said there wasn't anything available when I checked times. Now I'm going to have to jump on every day early just to check and see if they've opened yet.


You shouldn't have to wait long. When our dates went blue it was within 24 hrs that it was bookable. Good luck!


----------



## cakebaker

There’s really no reason to panic. These events don’t sell out quickly and as long as they’re released before the fp window opens, it’s not an issue. Last trip, FEA dessert buffet didn’t open until just a day or so before my 60 day window. That was a nail biter! I’ll be glad when it dies become available to book, but I just check a couple of times a day. It’s just not going to sell out that fast.


----------



## LMO429

otten said:


> It does seem weird that that one day isn’t offered (figures that it’s the one I need).



May 1st is the 30th anniversary of Hollywood studios I assume that is why they are not offering it that morning


----------



## LMO429

M SH said:


> it's the day i need too.. it's my only HS day, and was planning on doing EMM there..
> It's the first day of the month and happens to be on Wednesday so I hope it's just an oversight and they realize and correct it soon.



May 1 is the 30th anniversary I would assume no emm that day because they probably with do something special for the 30th?


----------



## M SH

LMO429 said:


> May 1 is the 30th anniversary I would assume no emm that day because they probably with do something special for the 30th?



Ouch... you’re right, I’ve missed that. Although they have made no indication of any events that day, but all the announcements were all through the year events.
Now I’m thinking whether I should move our DHS day to Monday for EMM, or keep it for Wednesday and maybe we get lucky with something new / different during that day at HS..


----------



## Megsmachine

PrincessArlena'sDad said:


> Are you sure Apr 29 was blue before this morning?  Or did it turn blue with May?




I purchased 4 tickets a couple of weeks ago for 4/29 so its been up for awhile.


----------



## RachaelA

May dates are open! Just booked the 6th!


----------



## cakebaker

Just booked May 6. Looks like only May is open, anything beyond was greyed out. April 29th now has availability as well.


----------



## cakebaker

RachaelA said:


> May dates are open! Just booked the 6th!


Lol Same time, same date.


----------



## Candlelady

Booked for May!


----------



## schmass

RachaelA said:


> May dates are open! Just booked the 6th!


Me too! So excited!


----------



## louey

Tried to book Early Morning last night for May it was unavailable, but it's now open to book.
Just got a reservation for May 8th


----------



## tamuexpress

SaintsManiac said:


> Fridays in March have been added.
> 
> Thanks, @AntJulie !



Fridays in March are bookable now. I just booked 3/15.

I also just cancelled a party of 5 for 3/11, in case anyone was looking for that day.


----------



## Tinkerbellmom43

Just booked the 15th!!


----------



## Mellymc

Tinkerbellmom43 said:


> Just booked the 15th!!



I just booked that date also! So excited


----------



## Live4theMagic

Did anyone have the choice between 7am and 7:30am? I only had 7:30 option


----------



## cakebaker

Live4theMagic said:


> Did anyone have the choice between 7am and 7:30am? I only had 7:30 option



They only open 7 if the 7:30 option sells out as I understand it. It makes no difference which time you have, everyone gets in at the same time.


----------



## dachsie

louey said:


> Tried to book Early Morning last night for May it was unavailable, but it's now open to book.
> Just got a reservation for May 8th


Me too!


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Live4theMagic said:


> Did anyone have the choice between 7am and 7:30am? I only had 7:30 option



FYI, here's a cut/paste from Post #1 with an explanation of how the 7/7:30 time slots works.  In short, it makes no difference from a guest experience perspective: 

*What's Up with the 7AM & 7:30AM Reservation Times? *

Disney is doing something different with reservation slots for DHS/TSL EMM compared to MK EMM.
For most dates, Disney has first been making a 7:30AM time slot available to book.
When/if the 7:30AM slot sells out or gets close to selling out, Disney has been adding a 7:00AM time slot for booking.
Most (but not all) dates so far have ultimately had "both" time slots bookable.
To date, there is NO difference in how Disney handles 7AM or 7:30AM reservations at the event - everyone is treated the same.
It appears this is a "slow loading" technique to encourage a more gradual arrival of guests vs all at once.
Note! Disney's website contains the following language: _"Guests with a 7:30 AM reservation will first enjoy Toy Story Land followed by breakfast, served until 10:00 AM. Based on capacity, we may make other reservation times available, with breakfast preceding the park experience for these Guests."_
Again, in practice, anyone can arrive early and eat before the event and anyone can eat up until 10am - there has been absolutely no difference in how 7AM and 7:30AM reservations are treated so far.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

*Thread Update:*

*Post #2* has a past and current EMM date chart, as well as when dates were released - https://www.disboards.com/threads/d...n-news-may-dates-added.3701980/#post-59644645

*Post #3 *has been updated with the latest in-thread links to DISer review/experience posts - https://www.disboards.com/threads/d...n-news-may-dates-added.3701980/#post-59644645

Experiences with Jedi Training sign-ups are also posted at the bottom of Post #3 as well.  

A huge thank you to those who contribute to this thread - there are nearly 100 review links on Post #3, that's a pretty incredibly number of folks who have stooped by the share their experiences over the relatively short run of this event.  I know many of us come to the DIS to research trip planning/help make a judgement on the "worth it" factor for these types of events, and I'd like to think this thread provides a helpful resource for those looking to do EMM for the first time and for repeat guests.  Again, many thanks to all who contribute.


----------



## Melissa1977

Just booked May 13th!  Does anyone have a copy of their confirmation that they'd be willing to share (obviously with important info blacked out) stating the cancellation policy?  I booked over the phone because I wanted to use a disney gift card but apparently you don't get a confirmation email.  The reservation hasn't even showed up in my account yet but the guy said it could take an hour.  I know this thread says you can cancel up to the day before but I am OCD and like to actually read it for myself!  LOL.  Or if it may help if someone who has cancelled in the past tells me it was all ok


----------



## iujen94

Melissa1977 said:


> Just booked May 13th!  Does anyone have a copy of their confirmation that they'd be willing to share (obviously with important info blacked out) stating the cancellation policy?  I booked over the phone because I wanted to use a disney gift card but apparently you don't get a confirmation email.  The reservation hasn't even showed up in my account yet but the guy said it could take an hour.  I know this thread says you can cancel up to the day before but I am OCD and like to actually read it for myself!  LOL.  Or if it may help if someone who has cancelled in the past tells me it was all ok



I booked the MK EMM over the phone with a gift card and also didn’t get a confirmation email (although the CM told me I would ...) but it has shown up in MDE. In giving me the standard terms and conditions spiel, my CM told me 5 days to cancel. Everyone on the MK EMM thread assured me that it’s 1 day.

It sure would be nice if they put this information where you could actually find it - like in the MDE reservation information!!


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Melissa1977 said:


> Just booked May 13th!  Does anyone have a copy of their confirmation that they'd be willing to share (obviously with important info blacked out) stating the cancellation policy?  I booked over the phone because I wanted to use a disney gift card but apparently you don't get a confirmation email.  The reservation hasn't even showed up in my account yet but the guy said it could take an hour.  I know this thread says you can cancel up to the day before but I am OCD and like to actually read it for myself!  LOL.  Or if it may help if someone who has cancelled in the past tells me it was all ok



EMM is like any ADR, many book/cancel/change dates all the time.  

From the confirmation e-mail:

*Guest Policies*

*Cancel*

There is a 1 day cancellation policy. Full price will be charged / forfeited if Guest cancels within 1 day or no shows for the reservation.


----------



## Melissa1977

iujen94 said:


> I booked the MK EMM over the phone with a gift card and also didn’t get a confirmation email (although the CM told me I would ...) but it has shown up in MDE. In giving me the standard terms and conditions spiel, my CM told me 5 days to cancel. Everyone on the MK EMM thread assured me that it’s 1 day.
> 
> It sure would be nice if they put this information where you could actually find it - like in the MDE reservation information!!



5 days!  It's amazing to me how inaccurate phone CMs can be! Mine said cancel by 11pm the night before.  Also said if we didn't show up we'd be charged $10 a person (which i don't think is true since we already paid the full price of the event so I don't know why we'd be penalized more for not showing up when they already got our money!


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

Melissa1977 said:


> Just booked May 13th!  Does anyone have a copy of their confirmation that they'd be willing to share (obviously with important info blacked out) stating the cancellation policy?  I booked over the phone because I wanted to use a disney gift card but apparently you don't get a confirmation email.  The reservation hasn't even showed up in my account yet but the guy said it could take an hour.  I know this thread says you can cancel up to the day before but I am OCD and like to actually read it for myself!  LOL.  Or if it may help if someone who has cancelled in the past tells me it was all ok


Did you get the confirmation number over the phone?  If so,you can manually put the link into your MDE,and see the reservation.  Then, I think there’s an option to send a confirmation email, which should then have the cancellation policy attached.


----------



## Sarahslay

I just booked the 15th! yay!!


----------



## Newcastle

GADisneyDad14 said:


> FYI, here's a cut/paste from Post #1 with an explanation of how the 7/7:30 time slots works.  In short, it makes no difference from a guest experience perspective:
> 
> *What's Up with the 7AM & 7:30AM Reservation Times? *
> 
> Disney is doing something different with reservation slots for DHS/TSL EMM compared to MK EMM.
> For most dates, Disney has first been making a 7:30AM time slot available to book.
> When/if the 7:30AM slot sells out or gets close to selling out, Disney has been adding a 7:00AM time slot for booking.
> Most (but not all) dates so far have ultimately had "both" time slots bookable.
> To date, there is NO difference in how Disney handles 7AM or 7:30AM reservations at the event - everyone is treated the same.
> It appears this is a "slow loading" technique to encourage a more gradual arrival of guests vs all at once.
> Note! Disney's website contains the following language: _"Guests with a 7:30 AM reservation will first enjoy Toy Story Land followed by breakfast, served until 10:00 AM. Based on capacity, we may make other reservation times available, with breakfast preceding the park experience for these Guests."_
> Again, in practice, anyone can arrive early and eat before the event and anyone can eat up until 10am - there has been absolutely no difference in how 7AM and 7:30AM reservations are treated so far.


Thank you for posting this!  It's odd because I had been trying to book April 29th for a while and the only option that was showing was the 7:30 a.m. time slot which has been unavailable.  They opened the 7:00 a.m. time slot for booking today but now when I go back on the website, it is saying that both the 7:00 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. time slots are available.  I'm wondering if some people cancelled their 7:30 a.m. reservation when the 7:00 a.m. time slot opened up?  Personally, we are not early risers so I was hoping for the later start but if there is no difference in terms of the guest experience, I'm probably not going to bother changing the reservation (being Canadian, we lose a bit of money on the reverse exchange whenever we have to cancel or change a pre-paid reservation).  Anyhoo, if we are running a bit late for our 7:00 a.m. reservation and arrive closer to 7:30 a.m., does anyone know if that will be a problem?


----------



## Melissa1977

PrincessArlena'sDad said:


> Did you get the confirmation number over the phone?  If so,you can manually put the link into your MDE,and see the reservation.  Then, I think there’s an option to send a confirmation email, which should then have the cancellation policy attached.


Thank you!  I was able to add the confirmation number to at least see my reservation!  I couldn't figure out how to email the confirmation but that's ok.  I really don't have any plans to cancel, just like to know it all in advance, just in case


----------



## dachsie

Newcastle said:


> Thank you for posting this!  It's odd because I had been trying to book April 29th for a while and the only option that was showing was the 7:30 a.m. time slot which has been unavailable.  They opened the 7:00 a.m. time slot for booking today but now when I go back on the website, it is saying that both the 7:00 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. time slots are available.  I'm wondering if some people cancelled their 7:30 a.m. reservation when the 7:00 a.m. time slot opened up?  Personally, we are not early risers so I was hoping for the later start but if there is no difference in terms of the guest experience, I'm probably not going to bother changing the reservation (being Canadian, we lose a bit of money on the reverse exchange whenever we have to cancel or change a pre-paid reservation).  Anyhoo, if we are running a bit late for our 7:00 a.m. reservation and arrive closer to 7:30 a.m., does anyone know if that will be a problem?


The only problem will be that you cut yourself short on time there


----------



## Brett Wyman

Does anyone know if the EMM breakfast moving to Backlot Express is permanent or not?


----------



## Iowamomof4

Brett Wyman said:


> Does anyone know if the EMM breakfast moving to Backlot Express is permanent or not?


As permanent as anything ever is at Disney.


----------



## cakebaker

Brett Wyman said:


> Does anyone know if the EMM breakfast moving to Backlot Express is permanent or not?



Nothing is permanent at WDW, but that’s where it is today.


----------



## WaterLinds

This Fridays in March thing has me debating changing up our schedule...we’re booked for March 6, but we arrive the day before and I’m not sure we’re going to want an early morning right away, and because we have Canadian tickets EMM means we have to go to Disney Springs the night we arrive to activate them. If we had a lazier morning we could activate them when we arrive at a park and just eat at the hotel that night. I’d have to change all our FPs and things but we don’t have anything too hard to get for either of those days so I can probably do some flip flopping. Hmmm...here I was thinking I was done tinkering with plans!


----------



## Kimberly Fogarty

WaterLinds said:


> This Fridays in March thing has me debating changing up our schedule...we’re booked for March 6, but we arrive the day before and I’m not sure we’re going to want an early morning right away, and because we have Canadian tickets EMM means we have to go to Disney Springs the night we arrive to activate them. If we had a lazier morning we could activate them when we arrive at a park and just eat at the hotel that night. I’d have to change all our FPs and things but we don’t have anything too hard to get for either of those days so I can probably do some flip flopping. Hmmm...here I was thinking I was done tinkering with plans!



I am looking for tickets for March 6th. It’s my daughter’s birthday and we decided to plan a last minute 2day trip (so Friday doesn’t work for us). If you do switch would you mind messaging me?


----------



## WaterLinds

Kimberly Fogarty said:


> I am looking for tickets for March 6th. It’s my daughter’s birthday and we decided to plan a last minute 2day trip (so Friday doesn’t work for us). If you do switch would you mind messaging me?


Will do! We’re talking it over now, I’m going to play with our plans and see what works and I’ll let you know.

Update: ok, the one possible sticking point is we have PPO breakfast at GG booked on Friday, none currently bookable on Wednesday. I have a search set up so we’ll see if it finds us one. Otherwise it looks pretty straightforward, we’d just be moving our Epcot FPs later in the day and they’re all easily available. Heck, under 30 days I see even FEA has a full afternoon of availability still!


----------



## Kimberly Fogarty

WaterLinds said:


> Will do! We’re talking it over now, I’m going to play with our plans and see what works and I’ll let you know.
> 
> Update: ok, the one possible sticking point is we have PPO breakfast at GG booked on Friday, none currently bookable on Wednesday. I have a search set up so we’ll see if it finds us one. Otherwise it looks pretty straightforward, we’d just be moving our Epcot FPs later in the day and they’re all easily available. Heck, under 30 days I see even FEA has a full afternoon of availability still!



Thanks for the update!


----------



## 4vrdreamin

Does anyone wonder if the reason for the smaller date release of EMM at TSL (only May opening this week vs MK EMM dates opened thru August) has anything to do with Disney's statement this past week of SWGE opening no later than September?  Wonder if they are still waiting to see how far along they get prior to summer release dates?


----------



## Iowamomof4

4vrdreamin said:


> Does anyone wonder if the reason for the smaller date release of EMM at TSL (only May opening this week vs MK EMM dates opened thru August) has anything to do with Disney's statement this past week of SWGE opening no later than September?  Wonder if they are still waiting to see how far along they get prior to summer release dates?



Disney made no such statement. The woman who said that misspoke and was immediately corrected by Iger in the call. She meant to say calendar year instead of fiscal year.

I was listening to the call with earbuds and could hear all of that very clearly. Some "journalists" and bloggers ran with the slip-up as if she "let the cat out of the bag". Ugh.


----------



## MamaMaleficent2016

Just booked for May 15th. I’ve already done an After Hours event at HS but my daughter hasn’t seen TSL. This will be a great way for her to do that On our May trip. Yay!!!!


----------



## 4vrdreamin

Iowamomof4 said:


> Disney made no such statement. The woman who said that misspoke and was immediately corrected by Iger in the call. She meant to say calendar year instead of fiscal year.
> 
> I was listening to the call with earbuds and could hear all of that very clearly. Some "journalists" and bloggers ran with the slip-up as if she "let the cat out of the bag". Ugh.


And this is why I'm on disboards!


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

4vrdreamin said:


> Does anyone wonder if the reason for the smaller date release of EMM at TSL (only May opening this week vs MK EMM dates opened thru August) has anything to do with Disney's statement this past week of SWGE opening no later than September?  Wonder if they are still waiting to see how far along they get prior to summer release dates?


Even if this were the case, and they weren't sure about Aug, SWGE would have nothing to do with June or July EMM.  

My complete guess is that's a more a question of how many times per week to offer it.


----------



## ashmac8

PrincessArlena'sDad said:


> Even if this were the case, and they weren't sure about Aug, SWGE would have nothing to do with June or July EMM.
> 
> My complete guess is that's a more a question of how many times per week to offer it.



Good guess. I was also worried that it was selling well enough that they’d make a modest change, repackage it and up the price. Waiting for August so  I guess I’ll keep waiting.


----------



## Jfletch106

Anyone know if the merchandise stands are open during EMM? Or do they open when the park opens


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Jfletch106 said:


> Anyone know if the merchandise stands are open during EMM? Or do they open when the park opens



The one just before the SDD bridge has been open when we've done EMM, at least later on in the event.  I think the other one more towards the land entrance has been open too, but not totally sure about that.


----------



## cakebaker

Now that I got this booked, how to get there! We’re staying at the YC. Do the boats run early enough and if not, I would guess Uber or Minnie Van?  Definitely do not want to walk there. Also, is the temporary entrance situation over? Last trip the walk from the drop off to the gate was a hike!


----------



## LMO429

cakebaker said:


> Now that I got this booked, how to get there! We’re staying at the YC. Do the boats run early enough and if not, I would guess Uber or Minnie Van?  Definitely do not want to walk there. Also, is the temporary entrance situation over? Last trip the walk from the drop off to the gate was a hike!



We did the walk with al the construction and it was not bad at all would do again in a second we stayed at the beach club, I would plan on an uber/mears.  Minnie vans sometimes are hard to come by esp so early in the morning. i don't think the boats were running that early


----------



## ninafeliz

cakebaker said:


> Now that I got this booked, how to get there! We’re staying at the YC. Do the boats run early enough and if not, I would guess Uber or Minnie Van?  Definitely do not want to walk there. Also, is the temporary entrance situation over? Last trip the walk from the drop off to the gate was a hike!



I know you said you don’t want to walk, but I’ll say that unless you have mobility issues and no ECV walking is by far the easiest and would be my recommendation.  We did it from the BCV and I wanted to stay in that area just so we could walk.  Easy, and no reliance on anyone else or anything else to make sure you arrive, and when you arrive.

If you really can’t walk, I would schedule a mears or take an uber/Lyft/Minnie van.  It’s very close, so I can’t imagine it would cost that (except the Minnie van would be more).  It is technically a lot further distance to drive than walk though, since you can walk right along the waterway.  When we went from CBR we scheduled mears and it worked perfectly, and was $18 plus tip.

From my reading a Disney bus would likely work just fine, I’m just too nervous to chance Missing it or being late since it’s short and expensive! The boats do not run early enough.


----------



## cakebaker

Thanks, looks like Uber for us then.


ninafeliz said:


> I know you said you don’t want to walk, but I’ll say that unless you have mobility issues and no ECV walking is by far the easiest and would be my recommendation.  We did it from the BCV and I wanted to stay in that area just so we could walk.  Easy, and no reliance on anyone else or anything else to make sure you arrive, and when you arrive.
> 
> If you really can’t walk, I would schedule a mears or take an uber/Lyft/Minnie van.  It’s very close, so I can’t imagine it would cost that (except the Minnie van would be more).  It is technically a lot further distance to drive than walk though, since you can walk right along the waterway.  When we went from CBR we scheduled mears and it worked perfectly, and was $18 plus tip.
> 
> From my reading a Disney bus would likely work just fine, I’m just too nervous to chance Missing it or being late since it’s short and expensive! The boats do not run early enough.



From what I can gather, it would seem the walk from the bus stops and where Uber would drop off is still a decent walk. I was hoping that had changed. So it may just be walking from the resort is not a bad option afterall. We don't have any serious issues about walking, it's just that it's only my grandson and I ( he's  7 today) and  he's a bit of a challenge to get in gear early  in the morning. Guess I'll just dangle riding SDD as much as he wants as a carrot to get him to move. lol

Edited to add- Just watched a video of the walk. I didn't realize walking would put you in the temporary bus stop. Definitely going to Uber it. Thanks for the replies. Sure wish the boats were up at that time to avoid all of it.


----------



## Kmgordon

Just did EMM today. We were able to ride Slinky 5 times, Saucers once, and Toy Story Mania twice and met Buzz on our way out.  We then walked onto Tower of Terror and back for breakfast by around 9:30. For those wondering about Jedi Training, we headed to sign up at 10:20, waited about 15minutes and the only shows left were 4:20 or later.  My kids got in the 11:40 show as alternates and at that time there were spots left in the 7pm show. I hope that’s helpful, I found this thread very helpful during my planning.


----------



## Newcastle

dachsie said:


> The only problem will be that you cut yourself short on time there


This is an excellent point.  However, the more I thought about it and after a little research, my understanding is that the land still doesn't open until 7:30 a.m. so having the earlier 7:00 a.m. only means that you can eat breakfast earlier but we have no interest in eating before we go on the rides (we plan to eat after).  That being said, the 7:30 time slot would probably be better for us but does anyone know if we keep our 7:00 a.m. time slot, will there be any issues with us arriving slightly later (i.e. closer to the 7:30 time slot)?  I won't bother changing our reservation time if they are somewhat flexible on the entry times.  Sorry if I didn't explain that very well .


----------



## cakebaker

Newcastle said:


> This is an excellent point.  However, the more I thought about it and after a little research, my understanding is that the land still doesn't open until 7:30 a.m. so having the earlier 7:00 a.m. only means that you can eat breakfast earlier but we have no interest in eating before we go on the rides (we plan to eat after).  That being said, the 7:30 time slot would probably be better for us but does anyone know if we keep our 7:00 a.m. time slot, will there be any issues with us arriving slightly later (i.e. closer to the 7:30 time slot)?  I won't bother changing our reservation time if they are somewhat flexible on the entry times.  Sorry if I didn't explain that very well .



The time slots mean nothing. Everyone enters at the same time. The two time slots are just for booking purposes. Most reports I’ve read is guests wait at the Chinese Theatre and are being allowed in 7:10-7:20. Personally, the time is so short that I wouldn’t  do it at all if I couldn’t be there well before that time. If you don’t mind cutting your time short, you’re free to get there whenever you want, regardless of your reservation time.


----------



## Newcastle

cakebaker said:


> The time slots mean nothing. Everyone enters at the same time. The two time slots are just for booking purposes. Most reports I’ve read is guests wait at the Chinese Theatre and are being allowed in 7:10-7:20. Personally, the time is so short that I wouldn’t t do it at all if I couldn’t be there well before that time. If you don’t mind cutting your time short, you’re free to get there whenever you want, regardless of your reservation time.


Thanks very much for the clarification! That is definitely helpful .


----------



## Suejacken

Kmgordon said:


> Just did EMM today. We were able to ride Slinky 5 times, Saucers once, and Toy Story Mania twice and met Buzz on our way out.  We then walked onto Tower of Terror and back for breakfast by around 9:30. For those wondering about Jedi Training, we headed to sign up at 10:20, waited about 15minutes and the only shows left were 4:20 or later.  My kids got in the 11:40 show as alternates and at that time there were spots left in the 7pm show. I hope that’s helpful, I found this thread very helpful during my planning.


Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I keep,hoping they will open up for when I am there. I need 7/1 and I am afraid they won’t offer it because it’s 4th of July week


----------



## OKC Disney Fan

We are doing EMM on Mon, 2/25 (planning on moving to MK in the afternoon so that's where we booked our FP's for the day).  We would like to hit TSL at EMM, rope drop RnRC and TOT, then eat breakfast near the end of the food time, and hit Star Tours after that.  We have a BOG ADR at 1:25 and then FP's are after that.  Does that all sound doable or am I overestimating what I can get done at HS in the morning?  I'm willing to take a Lyft to MK if that makes it more possible.
Thanks!


----------



## GADisneyDad14

cakebaker said:


> Thanks, looks like Uber for us then.
> 
> 
> From what I can gather, it would seem the walk from the bus stops and where Uber would drop off is still a decent walk. I was hoping that had changed. So it may just be walking from the resort is not a bad option afterall. We don't have any serious issues about walking, it's just that it's only my grandson and I ( he's  7 today) and  he's a bit of a challenge to get in gear early  in the morning. Guess I'll just dangle riding SDD as much as he wants as a carrot to get him to move. lol
> 
> Edited to add- Just watched a video of the walk. I didn't realize walking would put you in the temporary bus stop. Definitely going to Uber it. Thanks for the replies. Sure wish the boats were up at that time to avoid all of it.



FYI, you saw an old video - the walking path from the Epcot resorts to DHS is no longer detoured around/through the temporary bus stop.  It’s back to the “normal” old path as of mid December. 

We did EMM from YC and in my opinion walking is the best option if able.  Uber/Taxi/etc are also options of course, although the drive takes longer than you might think despite the close distance.  The drop off point is currently closer than the temporary bus stop by roughly a 1-2 minute walk (depending on your speed).  Note the front entrance plaza area is a big construction scene and the exact ride-share/taxi drop off point is subject to change by your date.  The current location is better/closer than it was awhile back.  

Good luck!


----------



## MonaMN

OKC Disney Fan said:


> We are doing EMM on Mon, 2/25 (planning on moving to MK in the afternoon so that's where we booked our FP's for the day).  We would like to hit TSL at EMM, rope drop RnRC and TOT, then eat breakfast near the end of the food time, and hit Star Tours after that.  We have a BOG ADR at 1:25 and then FP's are after that.  Does that all sound doable or am I overestimating what I can get done at HS in the morning?  I'm willing to take a Lyft to MK if that makes it more possible.
> Thanks!


I think that is doable.  Biggest question is probably whether you can get both ToT and RnRC in before eating... will depend on crowds.


----------



## cakebaker

GADisneyDad14 said:


> FYI, you saw an old video - the walking path from the Epcot resorts to DHS is no longer detoured around/through the temporary bus stop.  It’s back to the “normal” old path as of mid December.
> 
> We did EMM from YC and in my opinion walking is the best option if able.  Uber/Taxi/etc are also options of course, although the drive takes longer than you might think despite the close distance.  The drop off point is currently closer than the temporary bus stop by roughly a 1-2 minute walk (depending on your speed).  Note the front entrance plaza area is a big construction scene and the exact ride-share/taxi drop off point is subject to change by your date.  The current location is better/closer than it was awhile back.
> 
> Good luck!


Thank you, that’s very helpful!


----------



## zeferjen

MonaMN said:


> I think that is doable. Biggest question is probably whether you can get both ToT and RnRC in before eating... will depend on crowds.



I hope for the same. Which order are you going to do it in?


----------



## TammyLynn33

Please share if you guys are able to do both 

M





zeferjen said:


> I hope for the same. Which order are you going to do it in?


----------



## MonaMN

zeferjen said:


> I hope for the same. Which order are you going to do it in?


We will be there in early March and will be trying to do this... we have a FP for RnRC later, so we'll do ToT first, and then hope we can do RnRC as well.  The key will be getting ahead of the other rope droppers and leaving TSL in time.


----------



## TammyLynn33

I think that’s our plan too as all of us can ride ToT and only bid kids and I can do RnR .. I will fast pass that for them and I’ll try single rider after they are done and use the extra fastpaaa for a show for littles and I maybe oh heck I don’t know lol




MonaMN said:


> We will be there in early March and will be trying to do this... we have a FP for RnRC later, so we'll do ToT first, and then hope we can do RnRC as well.  The key will be getting ahead of the other rope droppers and leaving TSL in time.


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

zeferjen said:


> I hope for the same. Which order are you going to do it in?


We're planning rnrc first then tot because: 
1. Rnrc takes less time, so we'll get in the 2nd line sooner
2. Rnrc line builds faster than tot


----------



## MonaMN

PrincessArlena'sDad said:


> We're planning rnrc first then tot because:
> 1. Rnrc takes less time, so we'll get in the 2nd line sooner
> 2. Rnrc line builds faster than tot


Good to know... if we get over there with what looks like a lot of time, maybe we'll to RnRC first, too... to be determined!


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

MonaMN said:


> Good to know... if we get over there with what looks like a lot of time, maybe we'll to RnRC first, too... to be determined!


If you try it, please report back how it went.


----------



## Rangers67

Jeez didn't think there was a huge rush to book May 6. Just tried and it's sold out. Is it a for sure thing that they will open up more reservation spots with the 7:00 time slot?


----------



## Rangers67

Kmgordon said:


> Just did EMM today. We were able to ride Slinky 5 times, Saucers once, and Toy Story Mania twice and met Buzz on our way out.  We then walked onto Tower of Terror and back for breakfast by around 9:30. For those wondering about Jedi Training, we headed to sign up at 10:20, waited about 15minutes and the only shows left were 4:20 or later.  My kids got in the 11:40 show as alternates and at that time there were spots left in the 7pm show. I hope that’s helpful, I found this thread very helpful during my planning.



Did you sign up as alternates for that time or do you show up and see if there are open spots? thx


----------



## cakebaker

Rangers67 said:


> Jeez didn't think there was a huge rush to book May 6. Just tried and it's sold out. Is it a for sure thing that they will open up more reservation spots with the 7:00 time slot?



I’m really surprised. I didn’t think they sold out quickly either. That’s my date as well, wonder if there’s something going on that day? It’s the only date in May sold out. Can’t help you on the frequency on releasing more spots, but hope they do! It looks like all the April dates have 2 time slots, so would seems likely they would.


----------



## M SH

Rangers67 said:


> Jeez didn't think there was a huge rush to book May 6. Just tried and it's sold out. Is it a for sure thing that they will open up more reservation spots with the 7:00 time slot?



usually when dates are booked, they open 7 am slots, so i wouldn't worry too much.
Also remember this is an ADR basically that is cancellable till 1 day before. so if they don't open the 7am slot, keep checking a few times a day, and you will get lucky at some point.


----------



## Rangers67

M SH said:


> usually when dates are booked, they open 7 am slots, so i wouldn't worry too much.
> Also remember this is an ADR basically that is cancellable till 1 day before. so if they don't open the 7am slot, keep checking a few times a day, and you will get lucky at some point.



Yes, I was able to book 2 tix shortly after my post and another 2 just now. Had to call to add the additional 2 though as the online system wouldn’t allow it without cancelling my initial 2 tix.


----------



## mtrib

PrincessArlena'sDad said:


> We're planning rnrc first then tot because:
> 1. Rnrc takes less time, so we'll get in the 2nd line sooner
> 2. Rnrc line builds faster than tot



I think this will be our plan, too.  And, of course, there's a chance I'll chicken out of ToT and I would hate to have wasted that time in line!


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

mtrib said:


> I think this will be our plan, too.  And, of course, there's a chance I'll chicken out of ToT and I would hate to have wasted that time in line!


Don’t chicken out! The ride really is fantastic. It’s not nearly as scary as a free fall ride. You’re in an enclosed elevator, and it’s not free fall (it controls your movement up and down, but never actually drops you). Though, at times you do go down fast. Up is pretty fast too,though!


----------



## kerepka625

Attended Monday morning's event (2/11) with my husband and two young boys (4 and 2). We left CCV at 6:30am and waited until close to 7am for a bus to DHS. Once we arrived, it was a seamless process to get through bag check, security, and park entry. Because we arrived a little later, we walked straight to TSL without a wait. I was seriously surprised by just how limited the event was. I knew the waits would be almost nonexistent, but you really felt like you had the land almost to yourself. In less than 90 minutes, we rode SDD 5 times, AS2 once, and TSM once. We also met Buzz, Woody, and Jessie. We didn't have time for breakfast as I had booked this event on our departure day and we had to hurry back to catch DME. This event was completely worth the price for my family. With my boys being so young, the lack of waiting for anything made it so valuable. 

This board was so helpful with information and planning advice. Thank you to everyone who took time to post their experience. I'm already looking forward to booking this for our next trip in October!


----------



## TammyLynn33

Ok I’m booked the week of Easter and I’m getting terrified of the pics of the walls of rope droppers converging. Is there another way out without getting trampled or what time do you leave by


----------



## kerepka625

TammyLynn33 said:


> Ok I’m booked the week of Easter and I’m getting terrified of the pics of the walls of rope droppers converging. Is there another way out without getting trampled or what time do you leave by


The crowds started coming around 8:50. It was a wave of people, super chaotic and kind of scary to see everyone running in like that. Luckily, they all went right to the queue for SDD. We were on the exit bridge for SDD when we saw everyone. We had no problem getting out of TSL at all. I couldn't help but laugh when the line for SDD was instantly to the entrance of TSL. It had to be at least a 90 min wait as soon as the park officially opened.


----------



## TheJRock300

Question: Why do I see many posts on eating breakfast at 9:30, when the park is open and all other rides are available. Based on page 1, I am seeing that people are being allowed in at 645-650 and breakfast is available then. Why is that not the ideal plan to maximize your time since rides aren't available til 730?


----------



## Iowamomof4

TheJRock300 said:


> Question: Why do I see many posts on eating breakfast at 9:30, when the park is open and all other rides are available. Based on page 1, I am seeing that people are being allowed in at 645-650 and breakfast is available then. Why is that not the ideal plan to maximize your time since rides aren't available til 730?



I think they've been consistently opening the rides before 7:30, more like 7:15-7:20. Some people end up with just enough time to grab a coffee and a pastry before heading back to wait, but others prefer to just be right at the front of the line and get into TSL as early as possible to maximize ride time there.


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

TheJRock300 said:


> Question: Why do I see many posts on eating breakfast at 9:30, when the park is open and all other rides are available. Based on page 1, I am seeing that people are being allowed in at 645-650 and breakfast is available then. Why is that not the ideal plan to maximize your time since rides aren't available til 730?


Rides open between 7:15 and 7:20, but it takes a few minutes to walk from the food to the line for TSL, which is by the Chinese theater.  So, people want to leave Backlot (where the food is) by 7:10 or so.  Also, if they open at 6:45, you won't get to Backlot until 6:50.  20 min is not enough time to order a hot meal and eat.  So, people grab a quick something (pastry/fruit) as a snack.  Then, by 9:30 (after a couple of rope drop rides with super short waits) they are hungry for a large meal.

Yes, that is giving up the last part of short lines. But, it is maximizing EMM time.  

For maximum ride time, you would eat breakfast at your hotel before coming to EMM at all, but most don't want to get up extra early for breakfast, and then give up the included breakfast.


----------



## TheJRock300

Ahh, understood. rides opening early- didn't know that and yes, that makes a difference!


----------



## Eeyore's the Best

We did EMM this morning in the pouring rain.  We walked right on to a bus at Pop Century at 6:30, we were planning to Uber if there wasn’t a bus coming in good time.  Did bag check, got our wristbands and then we held and the turnstiles until 7 am.   We opted not to go for breakfast first we went straight to the holding are just outside of the theatre.  

They started to walk us back at 7:25.  We did Toy Story mania first, then went to Slinky dog, it said a 15 mins queue but it was more like 5. Then we did Aliens and back to Slinky dog again.  It was basically a walk on the second time.  It was about 8:30 at this point, it started to rain harder and going on slinky dog was not particularly pleasant the rain felt like ice pellets on your face.  We probably could have ridden 4 or 5 more times if it wasn’t for the rain.  

We decided to beat the rush to breakfast and walked over to the backlot express.  The breakfast was really good.  We could tell when the crowds must have came in because there was a rush of people coming in for breakfast just around 9 when we were finishing.  We then went over to Tower of Terror, did it twice as a walk on, Rockin Roller coaster wasn’t opened when we first went by but was on the way back out.  

Probably could have walked on that as well but we opted not to.  Because of the rain we decided to do shows, caught Frozen at 10:30 and then the Little Mermaid and are now on the way out at 12.  Despite the rain I think it was worth it.


----------



## Newcastle

PrincessArlena'sDad said:


> Rides open between 7:15 and 7:20, but it takes a few minutes to walk from the food to the line for TSL, which is by the Chinese theater.  So, people want to leave Backlot (where the food is) by 7:10 or so.  Also, if they open at 6:45, you won't get to Backlot until 6:50.  20 min is not enough time to order a hot meal and eat.  So, people grab a quick something (pastry/fruit) as a snack.  Then, by 9:30 (after a couple of rope drop rides with super short waits) they are hungry for a large meal.
> 
> Yes, that is giving up the last part of short lines. But, it is maximizing EMM time.
> 
> For maximum ride time, you would eat breakfast at your hotel before coming to EMM at all, but most don't want to get up extra early for breakfast, and then give up the included breakfast.


 I would add that the idea of consuming a full breakfast and then riding SDD multiple times, is not very appealing


----------



## TOONTOWN

Rangers67 said:


> Jeez didn't think there was a huge rush to book May 6. Just tried and it's sold out. Is it a for sure thing that they will open up more reservation spots with the 7:00 time slot?



Why is May 1 and 3rd not options!!! Its the only time we are there and those are the 2 days that the Wed/Fri is not available. Is there something else going on ?


----------



## ninafeliz

TOONTOWN said:


> Why is May 1 and 3rd not options!!! Its the only time we are there and those are the 2 days that the Wed/Fri is not available. Is there something else going on ?


I think someone upthread said May 1st is DHSs 30th Anniversary?  If that's the case, and they plan on a small ceremony or something bigger I haven't heard about, I can see why they might not have an early entry event that AM.  I didn't take the time to even goole if that is actually the anniversary, so I'm sorry if I'm misremembering and passing on bad info!


----------



## otten

TOONTOWN said:


> Why is May 1 and 3rd not options!!! Its the only time we are there and those are the 2 days that the Wed/Fri is not available. Is there something else going on ?


Fridays haven't been available for awhile and aren't for all of May. There are rumors that May 1st isn't available because it's the 30th anniversary of the park. (I have also seen speculation that that may be the opening date of the new Mickey ride). Some of us are also holding out hope that it's just a mistake.


----------



## Stasieki

Eeyore's the Best said:


> We did EMM this morning in the pouring rain.  We walked right on to a bus at Pop Century at 6:30, we were planning to Uber if there wasn’t a bus coming in good time.  Did bag check, got our wristbands and then we held and the turnstiles until 7 am.   We opted not to go for breakfast first we went straight to the holding are just outside of the theatre.
> 
> They started to walk us back at 7:25.  We did Toy Story mania first, then went to Slinky dog, it said a 15 mins queue but it was more like 5. Then we did Aliens and back to Slinky dog again.  It was basically a walk on the second time.  It was about 8:30 at this point, it started to rain harder and going on slinky dog was not particularly pleasant the rain felt like ice pellets on your face.  We probably could have ridden 4 or 5 more times if it wasn’t for the rain.
> 
> We decided to beat the rush to breakfast and walked over to the backlot express.  The breakfast was really good.  We could tell when the crowds must have came in because there was a rush of people coming in for breakfast just around 9 when we were finishing.  We then went over to Tower of Terror, did it twice as a walk on, Rockin Roller coaster wasn’t opened when we first went by but was on the way back out.
> 
> Probably could have walked on that as well but we opted not to.  Because of the rain we decided to do shows, caught Frozen at 10:30 and then the Little Mermaid and are now on the way out at 12.  Despite the rain I think it was worth it.



So I was there yesterday too, and Rocking was down for most of the morning?  We probably got there at 9:05-9:10.  Was it open right at 9:00 and then shut down?  That rain was tough on Slinky.  We could have done it a 5th time but our two daughters were done being pelted by the rain - LOL.  We did TOT and then breakfast.  When we walked back to that area the gates were closed to Rockin?  Sad we didn't get to do Rockin.  It was our daughters birthday trip and it's here favorite.  She did get to ride it once the day before thank goodness.  But the plan was to ride it a few times for her before we left for MK.


----------



## carolann210

kerepka625 said:


> Attended Monday morning's event (2/11) with my husband and two young boys (4 and 2). We left CCV at 6:30am and waited until close to 7am for a bus to DHS. Once we arrived, it was a seamless process to get through bag check, security, and park entry. Because we arrived a little later, we walked straight to TSL without a wait. I was seriously surprised by just how limited the event was. I knew the waits would be almost nonexistent, but you really felt like you had the land almost to yourself. In less than 90 minutes, we rode SDD 5 times, AS2 once, and TSM once.



Thanks so much for sharing this part! My son is SDD obsessed and I’ve been worried that crowds would still be bad since our 7:00 and 7:30 tickets sold out on our date.

My plan is quick muffin/coffee at Backlot, get to TSL for 7:20, SDD then Woody and Jessie as soon as the come out.  Then SDD as many times as we can tolerate. TSM and AS2 then Buzz on the way out before the rope drop stampede. Our plan would then be on to either TOT or breakfast.


----------



## Stasieki

None of our Slinky Dog pictures are showing up from our EMM on 2/13.  Is it typical for the camera not to be working during EMM?  Trying to figure out if it's worth a call.


----------



## dachsie

Stasieki said:


> None of our Slinky Dog pictures are showing up from our EMM on 2/13.  Is it typical for the camera not to be working during EMM?  Trying to figure out if it's worth a call.


I got them when I went. Cant hurt to call


----------



## Brett Wyman

Stasieki said:


> None of our Slinky Dog pictures are showing up from our EMM on 2/13.  Is it typical for the camera not to be working during EMM?  Trying to figure out if it's worth a call.



We never got any shots from Slinky Dog back on our EMM in November.


----------



## blueant315

Brett Wyman said:


> We never got any shots from Slinky Dog back on our EMM in November.


My husband and son did when they went in December.  Not sure if it's too late for you, but you may want to contact Disney.


----------



## SpykeYs

NOOOOOO !!

I waited too long and now March 6th is SOLD OUT 

How common is it that some spots will become available due to cancellations ?


----------



## GADisneyDad14

SpykeYs said:


> NOOOOOO !!
> 
> I waited too long and now March 6th is SOLD OUT
> 
> How common is it that some spots will become available due to cancellations ?



Yikes, hard to say.  They just opened up Fridays in March last week, so maybe people will shuffle things around.  There's a one day cancellation policy and people do change things... but you might want to be persistent in your checking.


----------



## TammyLynn33

Oh no I’m sorry .. keep checking .. good luck 


UOTE="SpykeYs, post: 60266577, member: 630046"]NOOOOOO !!

I waited too long and now March 6th is SOLD OUT 

How common is it that some spots will become available due to cancellations ?[/QUOTE]


----------



## blueant315

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Yikes, hard to say.  They just opened up Fridays in March last week, so maybe people will shuffle things around.  There's a one day cancellation policy and people do change things... but you might want to be persistent in your checking.


Check frequently!  I decided kind of last minute to add Toy Story EMM for my husband and son for our December trip and it was sold out.  But we were fortunately able to book it a few weeks before our trip.  I think Disney added dates in my case, but people cancel all the time.  Don't give up!  And follow FB groups and disboards for your travel month - I think that's how I found out extra spots opened up for me.  I've had very bad luck booking ADRs at the 180 mark for our trips, but I've always been able to get everything we wanted after checking the Disney site relentlessly (and signing up for touring plan alerts) - people rearrange their plans like crazy.  Good luck!!!


----------



## vacapa

Any thoughts on if/when they will add Fridays for April??


----------



## mlnbabies

Stasieki said:


> None of our Slinky Dog pictures are showing up from our EMM on 2/13.  Is it typical for the camera not to be working during EMM?  Trying to figure out if it's worth a call.




We were also there on 2-13. My slinky pictures didn’t show up and I submitted a lost photo form Thursday night and they found them on Friday.


----------



## mlnbabies

We went to EMM on Wednesday 2-13. We had a 7:30 slot. It was raining all morning and cold. We left CBR at 6:33 on the bus. Dropped off, got band and thru the turnstiles around 7a. We skipped breakfast and were held at the theater. A wall of Toy story mania cast members lead us back to the land at 7:23 or so. Cast members lead us the whole way. We got to slinky at 7:29. We were the first people on the second train. Pelting rain made the ride uncomfortable. It was cool and we enjoyed it. Rode Slinky 4 times, alien once and Mania twice. We left at 8:45a to get breakfast. We saw the wall of rope droppers coming. We had a FP for Rock at 9:20 but it was closed until about 11:30a. Timed it right and got in the standby line even though I had a multiple experience FP. The rained stopped around 12:30. We had a good time and well worth it.


----------



## TammyLynn33

Question
How do you get your bands ? Is it attached to your MDE account? Photo ID or ??

Thanks 




mlnbabies said:


> We went to EMM on Wednesday 2-13. We had a 7:30 slot. It was raining all morning and cold. We left CBR at 6:33 on the bus. Dropped off, got band and thru the turnstiles around 7a. We skipped breakfast and were held at the theater. A wall of Toy story mania cast members lead us back to the land at 7:23 or so. Cast members lead us the whole way. We got to slinky at 7:29. We were the first people on the second train. Pelting rain made the ride uncomfortable. It was cool and we enjoyed it. Rode Slinky 4 times, alien once and Mania twice. We left at 8:45a to get breakfast. We saw the wall of rope droppers coming. We had a FP for Rock at 9:20 but it was closed until about 11:30a. Timed it right and got in the standby line even though I had a multiple experience FP. The rained stopped around 12:30. We had a good time and well worth it.


----------



## Where'sPiglet?

SpykeYs said:


> NOOOOOO !!
> 
> I waited too long and now March 6th is SOLD OUT
> 
> How common is it that some spots will become available due to cancellations ?



Well, yesterday I checked for the two potential dates on my trip and ....nothing. I had waited too long, also. This morning? Snagged one! 

I'd keep checking.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

While we have NO information on if the recent breakfast location move from ABC Commissary to Backlot Express is temporary or not, this MAY (or may not) explain the logic: 

https://twitter.com/wdwnt/status/1096952053425942529?s=21

Although it doesn’t necessarily look like the work going on would prevent it from hosting EMM breakfast, but maybe it’s somehow a factor? 

I guess we’ll see.


----------



## RedK

I did EMM at HS on Monday 2/11. I ubered over from French Quarter about 6:30, arriving about 6:45, and found only a few other people there before me. Having read the reviews, I went to grab a quick pastry and juice, and got in line in front of the theater about 7:10. At that point, there were only 6 other people in line, but shortly after, the cast members told people it wasn't a line, and to fill in all space across the path. At 7:15, the cast members began walking us to Toy Story Land, arriving there about 7:26. 

I ended up being one of the first 2 people on SDD, and even got the back car. It was so fun! I loved that ride. I walked off SDD and immediately got back in line to ride SDD a second time,this time in the front car. By the time I got off, the rest of the crowd had begun to arrive, so I road AS2, which I enjoyed a lot more than I thought I would. Then over to TSMx2, back to SDD x 3, and to AS2 for a second ride. At 8:43 I was almost out of Toy Story Land as the rope drop crowds began pouring in. As others have said, seeing those crowds walking towards you is almost scary!

I road Star Tours x2, then got my real breakfast at BackLot Express. The cast members were very friendly and cheerful, and so were the other guests. However at 9:30, the inside of Back Lot Express was full and people were having to sit outside. The chilaquiles were tasty, but the chicken and donuts were weird. The maple syrup made the chicken fingers soggy, and the sweet potato barrels were not good. I didn't like them at all. However with enough pastries and fruit, I was full. At that point, I took one of the portable coffee cups and lids, filled it with soda, and went on about my day. With such an early morning, caffeine is your friend!

My summary:

SDD x 5
AS2 x 2
TSM x2
Breakfast x 2

For me, it was completely worth the money, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. 

One thing that did annoy me happened after, as I had planned to leave the park after breakfast for some pool time back at my resort. There were others at the resort bus stop waiting to go back as well. Unfortunately the bus driver dropping people off refused to take us back to the resort, saying that the buses didn't do return service in the morning and that a van would eventually pick us up and take us back. 45 minutes later with no van showing up, we spoke to a bus driver at another stop who said we'd been given incorrect information. He made sure the next bus picked us up and took us back to our resort. We were all pretty frustrated. Next time, I would plan to uber back to my resort if I wasn't going to stay in the park.


----------



## dachsie

RedK said:


> I did EMM at HS on Monday 2/11. I ubered over from French Quarter about 6:30, arriving about 6:45, and found only a few other people there before me. Having read the reviews, I went to grab a quick pastry and juice, and got in line in front of the theater about 7:10. At that point, there were only 6 other people in line, but shortly after, the cast members told people it wasn't a line, and to fill in all space across the path. At 7:15, the cast members began walking us to Toy Story Land, arriving there about 7:26.
> 
> I ended up being one of the first 2 people on SDD, and even got the back car. It was so fun! I loved that ride. I walked off SDD and immediately got back in line to ride SDD a second time,this time in the front car. By the time I got off, the rest of the crowd had begun to arrive, so I road AS2, which I enjoyed a lot more than I thought I would. Then over to TSMx2, back to SDD x 3, and to AS2 for a second ride. At 8:43 I was almost out of Toy Story Land as the rope drop crowds began pouring in. As others have said, seeing those crowds walking towards you is almost scary!
> 
> I road Star Tours x2, then got my real breakfast at BackLot Express. The cast members were very friendly and cheerful, and so were the other guests. However at 9:30, the inside of Back Lot Express was full and people were having to sit outside. The chilaquiles were tasty, but the chicken and donuts were weird. The maple syrup made the chicken fingers soggy, and the sweet potato barrels were not good. I didn't like them at all. However with enough pastries and fruit, I was full. At that point, I took one of the portable coffee cups and lids, filled it with soda, and went on about my day. With such an early morning, caffeine is your friend!
> 
> My summary:
> 
> SDD x 5
> AS2 x 2
> TSM x2
> Breakfast x 2
> 
> For me, it was completely worth the money, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.
> 
> One thing that did annoy me happened after, as I had planned to leave the park after breakfast for some pool time back at my resort. There were others at the resort bus stop waiting to go back as well. Unfortunately the bus driver dropping people off refused to take us back to the resort, saying that the buses didn't do return service in the morning and that a van would eventually pick us up and take us back. 45 minutes later with no van showing up, we spoke to a bus driver at another stop who said we'd been given incorrect information. He made sure the next bus picked us up and took us back to our resort. We were all pretty frustrated. Next time, I would plan to uber back to my resort if I wasn't going to stay in the park.


That was totally not my experience in Dec.  I had to go back to catch DME and went to the buses and got one with no problem


----------



## ashmac8

RedK said:


> One thing that did annoy me happened after, as I had planned to leave the park after breakfast for some pool time back at my resort. There were others at the resort bus stop waiting to go back as well. Unfortunately the bus driver dropping people off refused to take us back to the resort, saying that the buses didn't do return service in the morning and that a van would eventually pick us up and take us back. 45 minutes later with no van showing up, we spoke to a bus driver at another stop who said we'd been given incorrect information. He made sure the next bus picked us up and took us back to our resort. We were all pretty frustrated. Next time, I would plan to uber back to my resort if I wasn't going to stay in the park.



We like to rope drop parks, grab a few rides and a coffee and head back to the resort from time to time and have definitely experienced this. I agree beyond frustrating. We’ve mostly had this happen to us at AK when the bus schedulers don’t plan on people leaving. We also heard about a bus that never materialized. I think, like you, we wasted about an hour before we were finally picked up. We were annoyed but rolled with it.


----------



## cakebaker

ashmac8 said:


> We like to rope drop parks, grab a few rides and a coffee and head back to the resort from time to time and have definitely experienced this. I agree beyond frustrating. We’ve mostly had this happen to us at AK when the bus schedulers don’t plan on people leaving. We also heard about a bus that never materialized. I think, like you, we wasted about an hour before we were finally picked up. We were annoyed but rolled with it.



Same here. Return busses can be few and far between early in the morning. On the bright side, they’re almost always empty! We’re staying at the YC, so boats should be running normally when we leave, otherwise I’d walk. I hate wasting time waiting on busses.


----------



## jsmla

OKC Disney Fan said:


> We are doing EMM on Mon, 2/25 (planning on moving to MK in the afternoon so that's where we booked our FP's for the day).  We would like to hit TSL at EMM, rope drop RnRC and TOT, then eat breakfast near the end of the food time, and hit Star Tours after that.  We have a BOG ADR at 1:25 and then FP's are after that.  Does that all sound doable or am I overestimating what I can get done at HS in the morning?  I'm willing to take a Lyft to MK if that makes it more possible.
> Thanks!



I did almost exactly this last month but headed to Epcot.  According to my phone I was at breakfast at 9:30 and out of DHS and on the bus by 10:30.  It was a surprisingly busy day but I pretty much walked on at ToT, RnRC and ST.  I was solo so probably moving a bit quicker but I never rushed, there was no need.


----------



## mlnbabies

TammyLynn33 said:


> Question
> How do you get your bands ? Is it attached to your MDE account? Photo ID or ??
> 
> Thanks



The EMM tickets were in my MDE account. When we got to the turn styles, a CM asked for my name and checked us in. Another lady gave us our wristbands. They were checked when we went to eat breakfast.


----------



## TammyLynn33

Perfect thank you 

QUOTE="mlnbabies, post: 60277562, member: 358903"]The EMM tickets were in my MDE account. When we got to the turn styles, a CM asked for my name and checked us in. Another lady gave us our wristbands. They were checked when we went to eat breakfast.[/QUOTE]


----------



## Ils

Was there this morning from 7pm. Walked on to SDD and then on to AS which my 9 year old was not impressed with yet my five year old thought it was Awesome!! Stopped and got a water and breakfast bar. On to TSM and we all loved this. Back over to SDD. .10 min wait and then back over to TSM. We left the area at 8.30 which myself and my eldest headed to RnR and were the first two on it this morning right at the front. Wife went over and got the 5 year old signed up to Jedi Training... 20 min wait. All of us went in to Backlot for breakfast at 9am and had a great time. By the time we did Muppets, Indy and FP both TOT and ST we were out of the park at 1.30pm as the heat and crowds were getting to us.

All in all a fantastic morning but I do wonder how that park is going to cope when GE opens.


----------



## Stasieki

GADisneyDad14 said:


> While we have NO information on if the recent breakfast location move from ABC Commissary to Backlot Express is temporary or not, this MAY (or may not) explain the logic:
> 
> https://twitter.com/wdwnt/status/1096952053425942529?s=21
> 
> Although it doesn’t necessarily look like the work going on would prevent it from hosting EMM breakfast, but maybe it’s somehow a factor?
> 
> I guess we’ll see.



I feel so bad... on 2/13 someone asked me where breakfast was and I told them ABC... then realized when we went there at 9:00 it had moved.  Whoops.


----------



## ludakris10

I also waited too long on 03/04/19 is sold out.  I'm going to keep checking just in case since they can be cancelled up until the day before.



SpykeYs said:


> NOOOOOO !!
> 
> I waited too long and now March 6th is SOLD OUT
> 
> How common is it that some spots will become available due to cancellations ?


----------



## WRLeGrand

Sorry, I tried to comb the responses, but did not see the answer to this:

Is there any idea if they will have the TSL EMM during the summer months? My family has been waiting on that for quite a while but it has not shown up. I see they have it until the end of May, but that obviously is not that far out.

Thanks in advance!


----------



## Dracarys

WRLeGrand said:


> Sorry, I tried to comb the responses, but did not see the answer to this:
> 
> Is there any idea if they will have the TSL EMM during the summer months? My family has been waiting on that for quite a while but it has not shown up. I see they have it until the end of May, but that obviously is not that far out.
> 
> Thanks in advance!


I’m wondering the same. I’m looking for June. I booked the Fantasyland EMM and just keep hoping they open up the Toy Storyland EMM.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

WRLeGrand said:


> Sorry, I tried to comb the responses, but did not see the answer to this:
> 
> Is there any idea if they will have the TSL EMM during the summer months? My family has been waiting on that for quite a while but it has not shown up. I see they have it until the end of May, but that obviously is not that far out.
> 
> Thanks in advance!



My 'guess' is that you'll see TSL EMM every month until SWGE opens.  That will likely be the end of TSL EMM as we know it.  

I bet summer dates will be added eventually.


----------



## WRLeGrand

GADisneyDad14 said:


> My 'guess' is that you'll see TSL EMM every month until SWGE opens.  That will likely be the end of TSL EMM as we know it.
> 
> I bet summer dates will be added eventually.



I definitely agree with you, just found it curious that they released Summer dates for MK EMM but not TSL. We sort of built our plan assuming it would happen, but can work around it if not. I would just think Summertime would be really popular because people could get in before the heat and rain that most summer days present...


----------



## GADisneyDad14

WRLeGrand said:


> I definitely agree with you, just found it curious that they released Summer dates for MK EMM but not TSL. We sort of built our plan assuming it would happen, but can work around it if not. I would just think Summertime would be really popular because people could get in before the heat and rain that most summer days present...



One thing we do know from looking at the date history/schedule (click here) is that TSL EMM has been offered - with only a few exceptions - every Monday & Wednesday since it was introduced late Sept 2018.  It has been a far more regular pattern than MK EMM has ever been.  The only major variable has been Fridays.... we saw a run of them Nov-Dec and now again in March. 

Since DHS is not 'typically' a park that gets pre-9am opening hours, my guess is they barrel on through the entire summer with Mon/Wed dates, eventually.  Unless they are planning a run of pre-9am openings, like what they have done at DAK, for example, at times in the summer months in the post-Pandora era.  

All speculation though.


----------



## mydisneyanytime

We are doing this twice in one week.  On our upcoming trip for a few days it will just me and DS.  We had scheduled to do it together.  Then later in the week DD and Grandmother are joining us.  They want to do it as well.  I could cancel the first one but he is so excited for mommy and son time!  So... twice it is!  I will try to remember and report back how the two days compared.  This forum has been very helpful in our decision to do it at all!
We were going to do the afterhours at DHS but all we want to do there is ToyStoryLand and my kids aren't really night owls so hopefully this will be great!


----------



## dachsie

WRLeGrand said:


> Sorry, I tried to comb the responses, but did not see the answer to this:
> 
> Is there any idea if they will have the TSL EMM during the summer months? My family has been waiting on that for quite a while but it has not shown up. I see they have it until the end of May, but that obviously is not that far out.
> 
> Thanks in advance!


They just released May so who knows when they will add more


----------



## Suejacken

WRLeGrand said:


> Sorry, I tried to comb the responses, but did not see the answer to this:
> 
> Is there any idea if they will have the TSL EMM during the summer months? My family has been waiting on that for quite a while but it has not shown up. I see they have it until the end of May, but that obviously is not that far out.
> 
> Thanks in advance!


I hope they offer it in the summer too. I really want to do it


----------



## cakebaker

Suejacken said:


> I hope they offer it in the summer too. I really want to do it



We’re going to get to do both HS and MK in May. We finally timed it right! I’m not sure if it wasn’t offered in the summer or we just missed the dates.


----------



## Suejacken

cakebaker said:


> We’re going to get to do both HS and MK in May. We finally timed it right! I’m not sure if it wasn’t offered in the summer or we just missed the dates.


Cool. I thought about the MK one but the date doesn’t work with my plans. I’m sure you will enjoy both of them .


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

GADisneyDad14 said:


> One thing we do know from looking at the date history/schedule (click here) is that TSL EMM has been offered - with only a few exceptions - every Monday & Wednesday since it was introduced late Sept 2018.  It has been a far more regular pattern than MK EMM has ever been.  The only major variable has been Fridays.... we saw a run of them Nov-Dec and now again in March.
> 
> Since DHS is not 'typically' a park that gets pre-9am opening hours, my guess is they barrel on through the entire summer with Mon/Wed dates, eventually.  Unless they are planning a run of pre-9am openings, like what they have done at DAK, for example, at times in the summer months in the post-Pandora era.
> 
> All speculation though.


My guess is they're waiting to see how Friday EMM ticket sales go in March, and then decide what days to have it on going forward.  If so, summer dates would come out beginning of March (they don't need to wait until the event dates to know how ticket sales are).


----------



## TheyCallMeStacey

I feel like we might have waited too long to book for our trip in may.  Is there a reservation finder that would help track this? I've heard of a 7:00am time vs the 7:30am time I've seen. Is there a chance they'll open more spots?  I was kind of on the fence about it, so I'm wondering if this is still an option or if the cosmos are telling me to save my money


----------



## SpykeYs

SpykeYs said:


> NOOOOOO !!
> 
> I waited too long and now March 6th is SOLD OUT
> 
> How common is it that some spots will become available due to cancellations ?



BOOM ! I kept looking over and over and over every hour or so and today.. MAGIC 2 spots opened up ! 

I have successfully booked my early morning magic at toy story land on March 6th ! WHOOHOOOOOO   

Thank you so much to the family who cancelled their reservation !!


----------



## iujen94

We did EMM at TSL this morning (2/20). I didn’t keep great notes like many do, but just a few highlights - they didn’t start walking us back to TSL until around 7:25, which was kind of a bummer. I was glad we had lined up outside the theater on the early side (around 7), because we were pretty close to the front. Our first SDD we waited maybe 2-3 trains. Our second SDD was the longest wait (maybe 10-12 minutes?). Then we did AS2 and TSM and then SDD x3.  The lines for SDD were MUCH shorter at the end of the event. We left TSL around 8:40 and headed to RNR. Posted wait was 15 minutes but we were on in more like 7-8. Headed to TOT around 9:10. Posted wait was 25 minutes and looked like that could be close. We got super lucky and snagged a 9:20 FP while standing in line, so we hopped out of line and tapped in with our FP. We rode and made it to Backlot for breakfast by about 9:40/9:45. If we had done TOT standby, I’m not sure we would have made it for breakfast. BUT, it’s Presidents’ Week and SUPER crowded here. For breakfast, the chilaquiles (spelling?) were delicious. I never would have ordered them but for the great reviews I’ve read. The avocado toast was gross and the egg was like a hockey puck. All in all, worth every penny and we will do it again!!!!


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

iujen94 said:


> We did EMM at TSL this morning (2/20). I didn’t keep great notes like many do, but just a few highlights - they didn’t start walking us back to TSL until around 7:25, which was kind of a bummer. I was glad we had lined up outside the theater on the early side (around 7), because we were pretty close to the front. Our first SDD we waited maybe 2-3 trains. Our second SDD was the longest wait (maybe 10-12 minutes?). Then we did AS2 and TSM and then SDD x3.  The lines for SDD were MUCH shorter at the end of the event. We left TSL around 8:40 and headed to RNR. Posted wait was 15 minutes but we were on in more like 7-8. Headed to TOT around 9:10. Posted wait was 25 minutes and looked like that could be close. We got super lucky and snagged a 9:20 FP while standing in line, so we hopped out of line and tapped in with our FP. We rode and made it to Backlot for breakfast by about 9:40/9:45. If we had done TOT standby, I’m not sure we would have made it for breakfast. BUT, it’s Presidents’ Week and SUPER crowded here. For breakfast, the chilaquiles (spelling?) were delicious. I never would have ordered them but for the great reviews I’ve read. The avocado toast was gross and the egg was like a hockey puck. All in all, worth every penny and we will do it again!!!!



Regarding post EMM plans;

Per easywdw, ToT is going to be running at half capacity for months (I think he said into the summer even) for maintenance. 

This might explain the above review; while others posted doing exactly what was attempted, including riding ToT standby, and making it back to breakfast, the above review suggests otherwise.

I’m strongly leaning towards changing my plans to getting FPs for RnRC and ToT, instead of doing them at RD.  Instead, we’ll to Star Tours and characters from 8:45 through 9:30.  An added benefit to this is that we won’t have to worry about high tailing it out of there to beat RD crowds.

Hoping to read more reports of RDing RnRC and ToT between now and my FP day to help me make a final decision.


----------



## iujen94

PrincessArlena'sDad said:


> Regarding post EMM plans;
> 
> Per easywdw, ToT is going to be running at half capacity for months (I think he said into the summer even) for maintenance.
> 
> This might explain the above review; while others posted doing exactly what was attempted, including riding ToT standby, and making it back to breakfast, the above review suggests otherwise.
> 
> I’m strongly leaning towards changing my plans to getting FPs for RnRC and ToT, instead of doing them at RD.  Instead, we’ll to Star Tours and characters from 8:45 through 9:30.  An added benefit to this is that we won’t have to worry about high tailing it out of there to beat RD crowds.
> 
> Hoping to read more reports of RDing RnRC and ToT between now and my FP day to help me make a final decision.



I think if we’d left TSL even 5 minutes earlier, we might have beat the rope drop crowd to RNR, which would have shaved a few minutes off of our RNR wait time and then maybe TOT would have been shorter if we’d gotten there a few minutes earlier. But I hated the thought of skipping out on something I paid good money for, especially because we were having a ball on SDD!  If TOT was running at reduced capacity, it wasn’t obvious (not that I’d necessarily notice anyway!)


----------



## MonaMN

SpykeYs said:


> BOOM ! I kept looking over and over and over every hour or so and today.. MAGIC 2 spots opened up !
> 
> I have successfully booked my early morning magic at toy story land on March 6th ! WHOOHOOOOOO
> 
> Thank you so much to the family who cancelled their reservation !!


That’s our morning too - see you there in about two weeks!


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

iujen94 said:


> I think if we’d left TSL even 5 minutes earlier, we might have beat the rope drop crowd to RNR, which would have shaved a few minutes off of our RNR wait time and then maybe TOT would have been shorter if we’d gotten there a few minutes earlier. But I hated the thought of skipping out on something I paid good money for, especially because we were having a ball on SDD!  If TOT was running at reduced capacity, it wasn’t obvious (not that I’d necessarily notice anyway!)


Your times look pretty similar to previous reports/reviews.  

Easywdw said work started on 2/18.  Did you notice if they were loading both sets of elevators?  (All 4 elevators, or only 2).


----------



## iujen94

PrincessArlena'sDad said:


> Your times look pretty similar to previous reports/reviews.
> 
> Easywdw said work started on 2/18.  Did you notice if they were loading both sets of elevators?  (All 4 elevators, or only 2).



Honestly I didn’t notice, so I defer to easywdw!  Our elevator did make a really weird stop/reposition at the bottom that I’ve never experienced before, so maybe some maintenance explains why that was.


----------



## mykidsmom

TheyCallMeStacey said:


> I feel like we might have waited too long to book for our trip in may.  Is there a reservation finder that would help track this? I've heard of a 7:00am time vs the 7:30am time I've seen. Is there a chance they'll open more spots?  I was kind of on the fence about it, so I'm wondering if this is still an option or if the cosmos are telling me to save my money



Im wondering the same thing.  I didn't realize that May had opened and just saw where our May dates are already sold out (7:30 is the only time open currently).   Does anyone have any information on how soon they starting offering 7 am slots?  Should I start checking every day to see if 7 am becomes available?


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

mykidsmom said:


> Im wondering the same thing.  I didn't realize that May had opened and just saw where our May dates are already sold out (7:30 is the only time open currently).   Does anyone have any information on how soon they starting offering 7 am slots?  Should I start checking every day to see if 7 am becomes available?


I think it’s random when/if they add the 7:00 slot. I would check every day.  It only takes a minute, and you’ll be crying if you miss it again.


----------



## aimes0105

mykidsmom said:


> Im wondering the same thing.  I didn't realize that May had opened and just saw where our May dates are already sold out (7:30 is the only time open currently).   Does anyone have any information on how soon they starting offering 7 am slots?  Should I start checking every day to see if 7 am becomes available?



Take the 7:30. You can get in at the same time, your reservation time makes absolutely no difference.

Edited..... Sorry I misread what you were saying. I thought you were waiting for more 7 slots but there were 7:30 open. Nevermind! I would keep checking because it seems they almost always eventually add that 7am time slot after the 7:30 sells out


----------



## holden

I just booked my ADRs counting on TS EMM being offered in August.  We are doing a short trip, and I made our DHS day on day 2 of our trip (a Monday) in the hopes EMM will be offered.  Is there any reason to think they won't extend it through summer?


----------



## OKC Disney Fan

We are doing the event on Monday, but our FP's are for MK later in the afternoon.  We had originally planned to try to do standby for RnRC and TOT between TSL and breakfast (8:45-9:30-ish).  I hope we can still get those accomplished!  If not, we may hit TOT first and the RnRC after breakfast.  Is there a long standby line for RnRC in the mornings or are most still headed for TSL?


----------



## GADisneyDad14

holden said:


> I just booked my ADRs counting on TS EMM being offered in August.  We are doing a short trip, and I made our DHS day on day 2 of our trip (a Monday) in the hopes EMM will be offered.  Is there any reason to think they won't extend it through summer?



I tend to think DHS EMM will continue unabated until we get towards SWGE. That will be the end of EMM as we know it.   But for now, the pattern is pretty darn consistent.

Could be wrong, just my feeling.


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

OKC Disney Fan said:


> We are doing the event on Monday, but our FP's are for MK later in the afternoon.  We had originally planned to try to do standby for RnRC and TOT between TSL and breakfast (8:45-9:30-ish).  I hope we can still get those accomplished!  If not, we may hit TOT first and the RnRC after breakfast.  Is there a long standby line for RnRC in the mornings or are most still headed for TSL?


Good luck!  If you get the chance, please report back how it all works out.


----------



## Mrspeaks

With Galaxys edge not opening until late fall, I just can’t see a reason not to continue EMM until it opens. I’m hoping for firing our Labor Day trio.


----------



## SpykeYs

I do not like what I just saw..

Mondays and Wednesdays were all sold out for February and March. Now as of this morning, there are remaining tickets for ALL DATES in February and March. It looks like they are adding more tickets.

I have been looking 4-5 times a day for the past 2 weeks and everything was always sold out (Although I managed to finally grab  a spot on March 6th).

Thoughts ?


----------



## SecretPoohLove

I see dates in August but can’t book...has anyone been able to book it?


----------



## chaoskids

July too!  Hopefully they open up later today or early tomorrow!!


----------



## princessebird

Yea! Looks like dates are up through August!!


----------



## TISHLOVESDISNEY

Finally looks like we can book soon. I've never seen them turn blue in the am, and on Sunday.

As for the openings now in March, yep, my March 18th date now has openings, was sold out.
I am going to hope it is because of the Fridays, but I fear it is just more people.


----------



## RachaelA

Whoever was looking for May 6th, they opened up 7am spots now.


----------



## dachsie

SpykeYs said:


> I do not like what I just saw..
> 
> Mondays and Wednesdays were all sold out for February and March. Now as of this morning, there are remaining tickets for ALL DATES in February and March. It looks like they are adding more tickets.
> 
> I have been looking 4-5 times a day for the past 2 weeks and everything was always sold out (Although I managed to finally grab  a spot on March 6th).
> 
> Thoughts ?


did you test to see how many tickets were available?


----------



## PlutoIsHerFav

SecretPoohLove said:


> I see dates in August but can’t book...has anyone been able to book it?


I just checked too and saw my August date "open" but when I tried to book it said there were no tickets available (need 4)....so I came here! Do we think it's already sold out or the tickets aren't actually released yet?! Hoping it's the latter.


----------



## dachsie

PlutoIsHerFav said:


> I just checked too and saw my August date "open" but when I tried to book it said there were no tickets available (need 4)....so I came here! Do we think it's already sold out or the tickets aren't actually released yet?! Hoping it's the latter.


Probably not released yet.  It took a day when they opened up May dates


----------



## Cookie Princess

I am confused.  We have tickets for this morning event for 4/29.  I have read that the breakfast is at the commissary, and then i read that it was at the backlog express.  What is the current status of this?  THANKS!


----------



## denecarter

The typical pattern is to have dates turn blue, but if you try to book it says that no tables are available.  Then within a day or so, you can actually book those dates for a 7:30 am slot.  

Once those 7:30 slots are sold, they may or may not add 7:00 slots.

EVERYONE is let in at the same time, so 7:00 vs. 7:30 makes NO difference.  And from reports, it is still a great experience, even with both time slots open.

The breakfast has been at Backlot Express for a little while now.  Same food, new location.


----------



## princessebird

dachsie said:


> did you test to see how many tickets were available?



I poked around a bit for late March, and it seemed as though every morning had 14 tickets available (that's total, not for 7am and 7:30 separately).


----------



## Avery&Todd

Just a quick review of our experience with this event on Monday, Feb. 18th - overall it was FANTASTIC!!!  this trip was just DH and I and I wasn't sure how he would feel about me buying extra tickets for this so I kept it quiet and then let him know I had a "surprise" for him..

We stayed at the Swan and left the room about 6:35am-ish and it took 10-12 minutes to get there and basically walked right up to a CM and got our bands and then walked right through the gates into the park!

We headed to Backlot express for coffee and a danish and then back to the area in front of the Chinese theater and waited with everyone else.  They let us in just before 7:20am and we went with the whole crowd to Slinky Dog  - we were able to ride 4 times in a row!!

We then headed to TSM and rode that 4 times in a row with the last 2 rides we didnt have to get off the ride!

When we got off TSM the last time at 8:45am we were greeted with the Slinky Dog line stretching all the way out of Toy Story Land and up to the Little Mermaid ride!!  YIKES!!

We then we went back to Backlot Express and got breakfast - DH and I both ordered the kids meal scrambled eggs w/ potato barrels and the chicken and waffle - both were DELICIOUS!!  

I then had a FP+ for TSM which brought our ride total to 5 times on TSM.

I then had a FP+ for Muppets, then got a FP+ for the 12pm Indiana Jones.  During the show I checked FP+ and was able to get a FP+ for Slinky Dog at 2:30 (which was ride #5 for the day) and then after that got a FP+ for Alien Saucers at 4:05pm.

It was a successful day!

Total rides for the day:
Slinky Dog x 5
TSM x 5
Alien Saucers x 1
Muppets x 1
Indiana Jones x 1

and a lunch at Sci-Fi

DH has already asked that I make sure I book this again when we come with the boys in June 2020..

Can't wait!


----------



## mykidsmom

Yes I've been hoping for the 7 am slot to open for a May trip.  And just this morning that time is there but it says "no tables available". Surely it didn't sell out so fast?   So for those of you with experience is this typical?  They put the time there but it's not actually able to be booked yet?  Fingers crossed that this is the case.


----------



## acgardne

Avery&Todd said:


> Just a quick review of our experience with this event on Monday, Feb. 18th - overall it was FANTASTIC!!!  this trip was just DH and I and I wasn't sure how he would feel about me buying extra tickets for this so I kept it quiet and then let him know I had a "surprise" for him..



Thanks for the report! Did you have a 7:00am or 7:30am ticket? Was it checked/did it seem to matter?


----------



## NiceOneSimba

We did the event on 2/20 (I think--my trip has become a blur). It was a great event, especially during a busy week!

We got to the park right around 6:55, and check in was a breeze. We went straight to the line by the Chinese Theater, and was a bit disappointed that they didn't lead us back until right at 7:30.

We went to Swirling Saucers and rode twice without getting off, then went to Slinky Dog. Rode 3 or 4 times--had to get off each time, but the wait was short. Then, we went to Midway Mania and rode once. 

At that point, it was 8:40 or so, and decided to leave and head to Rockin Rollercoaster, hoping to avoid the rope drop crush. We didn't pass the rope drop crowd until we were at the main hub area--so it seems like they didn't let them back until right at 9. I appreciated that they really did give the breakfast folks the full time, even if we didn't get another ride in before leaving Toy Story Land.

We rode Rockin Rollercoaster and then Tower of Terror, then headed back to breakfast.

I had the shrimp and grits, which was quite good. My DD had the chicken and donuts with the sauce on the side. The donuts were AMAZING. We also had the avocado toast and chillaquiles--both were also good. 

At that point, we were super pleased with all we had been able to accomplish in such, and we headed back to the condo to take a nap before heading back out to the parks later in the day. 

We'd definitely do it again, especially during busy times. It's brutal to get up and going that early in the morning for my family, but we were definitely glad to be able to ride SDD multiple times, as well as all the other rides.


----------



## LMO429

What time do Woody and Jessie come out?  Last EMM that was the longest line even though it was a paid event i felt it was excessing i think we waited 30 minutes towards the end of EMM. I am getting that out of the way first for sure this go round


----------



## jenjersnap

Still hoping for DAHs to be announced for this summer but at least I can make my back up EMM plans for this soon!


----------



## jenjersnap

LMO429 said:


> What time do Woody and Jessie come out?  Last EMM that was the longest line even though it was a paid event i felt it was excessing i think we waited 30 minutes towards the end of EMM. I am getting that out of the way first for sure this go round



Following. Waiting for Woody and Jessie was by far the biggest mistake we made during our first DHS EMM. We hope to see them first this time before moving onto rides.


----------



## MeeskaMooska13

mykidsmom said:


> Yes I've been hoping for the 7 am slot to open for a May trip.  And just this morning that time is there but it says "no tables available". Surely it didn't sell out so fast?   So for those of you with experience is this typical?  They put the time there but it's not actually able to be booked yet?  Fingers crossed that this is the case.


See Previous poster’s comment about this (post #2630).


----------



## dachsie

LMO429 said:


> What time do Woody and Jessie come out?  Last EMM that was the longest line even though it was a paid event i felt it was excessing i think we waited 30 minutes towards the end of EMM. I am getting that out of the way first for sure this go round


Around 7:30.  When I went in Dec, I went to AS2 then got in line for them and was 5th in line so was done by 7:40


----------



## Avery&Todd

acgardne said:


> Thanks for the report! Did you have a 7:00am or 7:30am ticket? Was it checked/did it seem to matter?


We had a 7am reservation and it did not seem to matter at check-in what time our ticket was for.  When we got to the CM's with the electronic tablets that checked us in, they just asked for our name, and once she confirmed us, we went to the next CM who gave us the wristband.

then we walked right up to the kiosk where we magic-banned it and finger scanned....

Super easy and super quick check-in process!!


----------



## WuvEeyore

I called to check on dates for June that just showed up and she said they were all unavailable.  Can't believe it already sold out for ALL DATES in June.


----------



## dachsie

WuvEeyore said:


> I called to check on dates for June that just showed up and she said they were all unavailable.  Can't believe it already sold out for ALL DATES in June.


try checking tomorrow when the dates open up


----------



## mykidsmom

dachsie said:


> try checking tomorrow when the dates open up


Thats my plan.  Just wondering how quickly these events sell out?  Same morning? or days to weeks later?  Thank you!


----------



## Bayoumouse

dachsie said:


> try checking tomorrow when the dates open up


I called in too because I’ve also been waiting for June dates. The CM I spoke with said those dates opened up on the 9th despite the fact that they didn’t appear online until today. From the post I’ve just read today, I’m hoping that was wrong info and plan to keep checking. Best of luck to both of us!


----------



## ashmac8

SecretPoohLove said:


> I see dates in August but can’t book...has anyone been able to book it?





chaoskids said:


> July too!  Hopefully they open up later today or early tomorrow!!





princessebird said:


> Yea! Looks like dates are up through August!!





PlutoIsHerFav said:


> I just checked too and saw my August date "open" but when I tried to book it said there were no tickets available (need 4)....so I came here! Do we think it's already sold out or the tickets aren't actually released yet?! Hoping it's the latter.



Put a reminder on my calendar to try to book first thing tomorrow. Looks like the date I expected is blue (aug 14). Hoping to finalize my plans tomorrrow morning. Good luck all!


----------



## WuvEeyore

Bayoumouse said:


> I called in too because I’ve also been waiting for June dates. The CM I spoke with said those dates opened up on the 9th despite the fact that they didn’t appear online until today. From the post I’ve just read today, I’m hoping that was wrong i go and plan to keep checking. Best of luck to both of us!



I hope they were mistaken because that would be totes uncool (as the young ones say) to those of us who have been stalking the website for the last 3 months.  And I plan to keep on stalking it.  Fingers crossed for us all!


----------



## mommajo143

UGH!  i have been trying to book JULY for awhile and they randomly show up today, and they are all sold out?!


----------



## holden

The CM I spoke with today said that the dates aren't available for booking yet. I'm guessing they aren't loaded in the system.


----------



## Suejacken

Can someone confirm for me that I don’t have to include my not quite 2 1/2 year old great nephew in my total number of guests. I want to book as soon as I can tomorrow and don’t want to mess it up


----------



## rlk

Where do you see the new dates?
Nevermind, I was looking at the HS After Hours schedule.


----------



## holden

rlk said:


> Where do you see the new dates?



If you go to the Disney website and try to book it, you'll see dates through the end of August.  When you try to book it says, "No tables available..."  I'm assuming it will be open for booking tomorrow.


----------



## AndreaDanger

Suejacken said:


> Can someone confirm for me that I don’t have to include my not quite 2 1/2 year old great nephew in my total number of guests. I want to book as soon as I can tomorrow and don’t want to mess it up



You will want to include him in your total number of guests but will not be charged anything for his ticket.


----------



## cakebaker

It usually takes a day or so for dates to be bookable once they show up. Same thing happened when my May date opened up for both the MK and HS.


----------



## Suejacken

AndreaDanger said:


> You will want to include him in your total number of guests but will not be charged anything for his ticket.


Thank you very much for the information.


----------



## AndreaDanger

Suejacken said:


> Thank you very much for the information.


You're very welcome! We brought my 2-year-old DD to this in January, and she had a blast (all of us did!) I hope you all have a wonderful time as well.


----------



## Mrspeaks

So happy to see these dates come up. Now if they will add two more weeks to get me to Labor Day week!


----------



## WuvEeyore

mykidsmom said:


> Thats my plan.  Just wondering how quickly these events sell out?  Same morning? or days to weeks later?  Thank you!



Well, EMM for Fantasyland opened up around the 9th and it still has availability.    Toy Story Land is more popular at the moment though, so don't know if it will stay available that long.


----------



## Suejacken

AndreaDanger said:


> You're very welcome! We brought my 2-year-old DD to this in January, and she had a blast (all of us did!) I hope you all have a wonderful time as well.


Thanks. I think this is the best way for the kids in our group to enjoy toy story land since we have one day scheduled for the studios


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

I almost had a heart attack. I’ve been checking numerous times a day everyday since Jan 1 (my 180 ADR day) and today was the one day I didn’t check (until just now). And I thought it was sold out.

So glad I came here to confirm it just didn’t open yet. Saved me a trip to the ER for the paddles to restart my heart.

I am ecstatic that there will be EMM for July 1st. I was a bit nervous they wouldn’t have it for July 4th week.


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

cakebaker said:


> It usually takes a day or so for dates to be bookable once they show up. Same thing happened when my May date opened up for both the MK and HS.


Do you remember what time it went live?


----------



## M SH

PrincessArlena'sDad said:


> Do you remember what time it went live?



Just check tomorrow morning when you wake up. Don’t loose any sleep over it, they don’t sell out that fast.


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

M SH said:


> Just check tomorrow morning when you wake up. Don’t loose any sleep over it, they don’t sell out that fast.


But, I have to be the first to book. And then come here to be the first to announce the dates are live!


----------



## Iowamomof4

PrincessArlena'sDad said:


> But, I have to be the first to book. And then come here to be the first to announce the dates are live!


----------



## cakebaker

PrincessArlena'sDad said:


> Do you remember what time it went live?


I don’t, but you can read back in this thread and find the discussion about it. They don’t sell out that fast. Just check in every few hours and you’ll be fine.


----------



## TammyLynn33

I don’t think dates or holidays are relevant anymore as they are money making opportunities. I never in my wildest dreams expected it on Easter Sunday but that’s when we are attending at MK



PrincessArlena'sDad said:


> I almost had a heart attack. I’ve been checking numerous times a day everyday since Jan 1 (my 180 ADR day) and today was the one day I didn’t check (until just now). And I thought it was sold out.
> 
> So glad I came here to confirm it just didn’t open yet. Saved me a trip to the ER for the paddles to restart my heart.
> 
> I am ecstatic that there will be EMM for July 1st. I was a bit nervous they wouldn’t have it for July 4th week.


----------



## Bayoumouse

I think the new dates are now live. I was able to snag a reservation for 5 people on the first day in June this morning.


----------



## Jessirip

Bayoumouse said:


> I think the new dates are now live. I was able to snag a reservation for 5 people on the first day in June this morning.


  Yep I got our June date this morning also.


----------



## figmentvinny

Just booked for the 31st of July


----------



## Suejacken

I just booked for 7/1 for my group of 11. Thanks to everyone for their help especially with figuring out how to handle booking for my great nephew who is under 2.


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

Suejacken said:


> I just booked for 7/1 for my group of 11. Thanks to everyone for their help especially with figuring out how to handle booking for my great nephew who is under 2.


Just got July 1 also!  We'll be there with you!


----------



## denecarter

PrincessArlena'sDad said:


> But, I have to be the first to book. And then come here to be the first to announce the dates are live!





Bayoumouse said:


> I think the new dates are now live. I was able to snag a reservation for 5 people on the first day in June this morning.



Looks like Bayoumouse is the winner! 

Gotta admit, I was kinda hoping I was!


----------



## Suejacken

PrincessArlena'sDad said:


> Just got July 1 also!  We'll be there with you!


Cool I am so excited. I have been checking for this for a while.


----------



## ashmac8

Booked for August. Thanks all for the heads up. I’ll be monitoring the thread even more to fine tune our plan for that morning.


----------



## Bayoumouse

denecarter said:


> Looks like Bayoumouse is the winner!
> 
> Gotta admit, I was kinda hoping I was!


Lol. I’m savoring the sweet victory


----------



## Brett Wyman

The 6:30 am bus from the Poly is empty except us. Weather looks great. On the way.


----------



## tseitel

I’m really hoping they continue this, even if it’s only till GE opens.   I would love to book this for the first week in October.  Till then, I’m watching and hoping, with fingers crossed.


----------



## holden

Got August!


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

denecarter said:


> Looks like Bayoumouse is the winner!
> 
> Gotta admit, I was kinda hoping I was!





Bayoumouse said:


> Lol. I’m savoring the sweet victory



I'm calling for a redo!  I went to get mine, but it wasn't live yet.  Came here, saw Bayoumouse had posted about 20 min earlier,  went back, and it still wasn't live!  I wasn't able to book until 6:01!


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

GRRRRRRR I didn't get my email confirmation.  It's showing up in MDE though, so I guess I'm ok.  There used to be a way to send a duplicate confirmation email of the reservations, but I can't find it anymore.  Anyone know if it is still there somewhere?


----------



## Suejacken

Brett Wyman said:


> The 6:30 am bus from the Poly is empty except us. Weather looks great. On the way.


Cool have a great time. Do you plan on doing tower of terror or rock and roller coaster after without using fast passes? I was curious about what the wait times would be


----------



## alhurricane

Went to book for July but have a question. My son is currently 9 but will be 10 by the time we visit in July. The system is charging him for a child ticket and not taking into account he’ll be a Disney adult at the time of visit. Not sure what to do.


----------



## Suejacken

PrincessArlena'sDad said:


> GRRRRRRR I didn't get my email confirmation.  It's showing up in MDE though, so I guess I'm ok.  There used to be a way to send a duplicate confirmation email of the reservations, but I can't find it anymore.  Anyone know if it is still there somewhere?


I did get an email confirmation immediately. I printed it out like I do all my plans. Hopefully you get yours soon.


----------



## TISHLOVESDISNEY

Suejacken said:


> I just booked for 7/1 for my group of 11. Thanks to everyone for their help especially with figuring out how to handle booking for my great nephew who is under 2.


See ya there with my party of 8.


----------



## dachsie

alhurricane said:


> Went to book for July but have a question. My son is currently 9 but will be 10 by the time we visit in July. The system is charging him for a child ticket and not taking into account he’ll be a Disney adult at the time of visit. Not sure what to do.


Book it and done worry about it.  They have his date of birth and aren't making the correction


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

alhurricane said:


> Went to book for July but have a question. My son is currently 9 but will be 10 by the time we visit in July. The system is charging him for a child ticket and not taking into account he’ll be a Disney adult at the time of visit. Not sure what to do.


There's no easy straight forward way to fix this. 

Children who turn 10 in between booking prepaid events/shows/meals and the actual date get charged the child rate when booking. When you show up, it won't be an issue.

If you are uncomfortable with this, you can ask at check in to change the price for him from child to adult.  However, I would wager the CM would say not to worry about it.

Do NOT try to get it fixed after he turns 10, but before arrival.  They would have to cancel and rebook you, and there's always a chance you could lose the ADR completely when they do this.


----------



## Mac30188

Booked June 5th this AM.  Excited as our first trip to Toy Story Land.


----------



## Suejacken

TISHLOVESDISNEY said:


> See ya there with my party of 8.


Awesome. Hope you are as excited as I am


----------



## PlutoIsHerFav

alhurricane said:


> Went to book for July but have a question. My son is currently 9 but will be 10 by the time we visit in July. The system is charging him for a child ticket and not taking into account he’ll be a Disney adult at the time of visit. Not sure what to do.



I had this same issue with my youngest who is now 2, but will be 3 at the time of arrival. It wasn't charging me for her. I wish that'd be the case, but I know it won't be. I called and the CM modified my reservation and I just paid for her separately. So, now it's showing as a random 4th child guest on MDE. I'll add her as the family member after she turns 3 if the CM update of her name doesn't stick. My situation is probably a little different, though, as I there's a big difference of $69 and $10 differences! I was afraid they would say she didn't have a ticket and it'd be sold out, and unable to get in.


----------



## Dracarys

Yay! Booked for June 3 for 7! Looking forward to this event! We've done the old style Fantasyland EMM and loved it. Now I just need to figure out the game plan for what to do at 8:45. I would love to go rope drop Rock 'n Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror then do breakfast, but I have 3 kids 6, 3, & 2 in tow.  Some how I think they will slow us down with the stroller and then not make it all they way to breakfast in time. Maybe just do Star Tours then breakfast.


----------



## ninafeliz

Yay, I was finally able to schedule this for June 17th, the last piece of the puzzle to fit in (except for the possibility of DAH, which I suspect won't happen during our trip).  Now if only they hadn't done the huge cluster with FPs and split stays a couple of days ago, this trip would have all fallen into place nicely.  Disney always manages to throw in some kind to curve ball at the last minute (Disney speak last minute lol)


----------



## Lease257

Here this morning 2/25.

Quick overview

Left all stars movies by car at 6:30.
Arrived in Hs parking at 6:40. Parking attendants are great

Through all check in by 7.

They DEFINITELY try to steer you to the breakfast. Don’t go!!

We were like first five families on line for entry and we started walking by 7:20. They do try to keep it fair if you have strollers.

But by the time we were IN the land we were not ahead at all so we headed right to TSM. We did it twice in a row. 

By 7:50 we went to do Aliens. 

Then we split. I took my 7 year old on slinky. We got online at 8:02 and were off by 8:14. My dh took 4 and 2 year old on aliens.

Then we switched. He took 7 year old on slinky and he was off much quicker and me and other two kids did aliens 2x.

It was now 8:35. We went back on two more times to TSM. Then the crowds came in by 8:50.

Soooooo worth it!!!! We lingered and took pictures the whole time. I didn’t feel rushed at all.

We prob should have headed over to Jedi signups quicker. When we left at 9 it was a 35-40 min wait. And then we got breakfast. It was ok although I loved the Spanish egg dish with avocado.


----------



## PlutoIsHerFav

Lease257 said:


> Here this morning 2/25.
> 
> Quick overview
> 
> Left all stars movies by car at 6:30.
> Arrived in Hs parking at 6:40. Parking attendants are great
> 
> Through all check in by 7.
> 
> They DEFINITELY try to steer you to the breakfast. Don’t go!!
> 
> We were like first five families on line for entry and we started walking by 7:20. They do try to keep it fair if you have strollers.
> 
> But by the time we were IN the land we were not ahead at all so we headed right to TSM. We did it twice in a row.
> 
> By 7:50 we went to do Aliens.
> 
> Then we split. I took my 7 year old on slinky. We got online at 8:02 and were off by 8:14. My dh took 4 and 2 year old on aliens.
> 
> Then we switched. He took 7 year old on slinky and he was off much quicker and me and other two kids did aliens 2x.
> 
> It was now 8:35. We went back on two more times to TSM. Then the crowds came in by 8:50.
> 
> Soooooo worth it!!!! We lingered and took pictures the whole time. I didn’t feel rushed at all.
> 
> We prob should have headed over to Jedi signups quicker. When we left at 9 it was a 35-40 min wait. And then we got breakfast. It was ok although I loved the Spanish egg dish with avocado.


Thanks for this review! I'm not sure if my (very tall) three year old will ride SDD or not, so glad to hear it all worked out switching off. Did you also do the Woody & Jesse and Buzz M&Gs? I'm wondering at what point we should try and fit those in. I just don't want to waste too much precious time during EMM in their lines.


----------



## WRLeGrand

Thanks for the thread, I just booked for my family for July 1! Looking forward to it!

Hope everyone else got their dates!


----------



## aimes0105

Great morning at EMM today!

Arrived on foot from Dolphin. Left about 6:25 and arrived at bag check about 6:40-6:45. Once through got our wrist bands and headed straight into breakfast for a coffee and pastry. We were slowed by a two year old who didn't sleep well last night with a tantrum in the middle of back lot but walked outside to hear the announcement at 7:18 that Andy's backyard was open. Arrived in the land at 7:25 to see at least 8 parties already lined up for Woody and Jesse. Said two year old was not going to do well with that and 7 year old wanted to maximize rides so change of plans, got on TSM instead. Walked through and right on to next cart. Off at 7:42 and on to SDD. Posted wait was 15 minutes and I was worried because the line started at the entrance but obviously not even close to all the switchbacks were in use and we were on in 8 minutes. A little regrouping to swap the 2 year old (who rode AS2 while waiting) and a few pictures then one group headed to SDD about 8:05 while the other did AS2 twice. By then it was 8:20. One group went for another SDD ride while the other repeated TSM. SDD group was done first but I didn't get exact wait time. They strolled checking out the land, looking at W&J and Buzz greeting others which was enough for the 2 year old. At 8:40 TSM group rejoined and we got a group photo in front of the Toy Story Land sign and headed out. We were headed up the ramp to the front of the theater when the masses turned the corner after the archway right at 8:45. It really was a sight and my group then realized why I'd been shooing them along after our last picture. We headed to Jedi training sign ups and got there about 8:55. Decent sized line but were through at 9:10 and had a choice of any show time. The line was significantly longer at 9:10 than when we got in it, probably by double. We headed off to eat and relax and enjoy the cooler more seasonable temps today compared to almost 90 yesterday. Then did 10:20 Jedi Training, met Olaf and now 11:30 Frozen sing along before getting out for a rest.

I really can't stress enough how great we thought this was, even without getting in tons of rides. Each person got at least one turn on each ride, some two, a chance to check out the land at a leisurely pace without crowds and minimal to no waits. Really awesome!

Sorry for the stream of conscious write up, just wanted to get it down quickly before I forgot since others' write-ups really helped me.


----------



## sabrecmc

Okay, after all the glowing reviews, I booked it for us on July 8.  It will be our first time at TSL, so wanted to make it nice.  

Question for those who have done it:  Is it possible/advisable to leave when the main crowd arrives and go do Rockin' Roller Coaster or should we not try to do that and go directly to breakfast?  Seems like there is a good hour or so in there where we could pop over and do RRC, but I'd love to hear experiences.  We don't want to miss breakfast b/c this will be our brunch, basically, since we'll just skip lunch and have an early dinner.


----------



## JennLTX

Mac30188 said:


> Booked June 5th this AM.  Excited as our first trip to Toy Story Land.


Ditto and ditto!!!  See you there!!!


----------



## Suejacken

Lease257 said:


> Here this morning 2/25.
> 
> Quick overview
> 
> Left all stars movies by car at 6:30.
> Arrived in Hs parking at 6:40. Parking attendants are great
> 
> Through all check in by 7.
> 
> They DEFINITELY try to steer you to the breakfast. Don’t go!!
> 
> We were like first five families on line for entry and we started walking by 7:20. They do try to keep it fair if you have strollers.
> 
> But by the time we were IN the land we were not ahead at all so we headed right to TSM. We did it twice in a row.
> 
> By 7:50 we went to do Aliens.
> 
> Then we split. I took my 7 year old on slinky. We got online at 8:02 and were off by 8:14. My dh took 4 and 2 year old on aliens.
> 
> Then we switched. He took 7 year old on slinky and he was off much quicker and me and other two kids did aliens 2x.
> 
> It was now 8:35. We went back on two more times to TSM. Then the crowds came in by 8:50.
> 
> Soooooo worth it!!!! We lingered and took pictures the whole time. I didn’t feel rushed at all.
> 
> We prob should have headed over to Jedi signups quicker. When we left at 9 it was a 35-40 min wait. And then we got breakfast. It was ok although I loved the Spanish egg dish with avocado.


Thanks for sharing your experience


----------



## Suejacken

WRLeGrand said:


> Thanks for the thread, I just booked for my family for July 1! Looking forward to it!
> 
> Hope everyone else got their dates!


I’m going 7/1 too. I’m so excited


----------



## Suejacken

aimes0105 said:


> Great morning at EMM today!
> 
> Arrived on foot from Dolphin. Left about 6:25 and arrived at bag check about 6:40-6:45. Once through got our wrist bands and headed straight into breakfast for a coffee and pastry. We were slowed by a two year old who didn't sleep well last night with a tantrum in the middle of back lot but walked outside to hear the announcement at 7:18 that Andy's backyard was open. Arrived in the land at 7:25 to see at least 8 parties already lined up for Woody and Jesse. Said two year old was not going to do well with that and 7 year old wanted to maximize rides so change of plans, got on TSM instead. Walked through and right on to next cart. Off at 7:42 and on to SDD. Posted wait was 15 minutes and I was worried because the line started at the entrance but obviously not even close to all the switchbacks were in use and we were on in 8 minutes. A little regrouping to swap the 2 year old (who rode AS2 while waiting) and a few pictures then one group headed to SDD about 8:05 while the other did AS2 twice. By then it was 8:20. One group went for another SDD ride while the other repeated TSM. SDD group was done first but I didn't get exact wait time. They strolled checking out the land, looking at W&J and Buzz greeting others which was enough for the 2 year old. At 8:40 TSM group rejoined and we got a group photo in front of the Toy Story Land sign and headed out. We were headed up the ramp to the front of the theater when the masses turned the corner after the archway right at 8:45. It really was a sight and my group then realized why I'd been shooing them along after our last picture. We headed to Jedi training sign ups and got there about 8:55. Decent sized line but were through at 9:10 and had a choice of any show time. The line was significantly longer at 9:10 than when we got in it, probably by double. We headed off to eat and relax and enjoy the cooler more seasonable temps today compared to almost 90 yesterday. Then did 10:20 Jedi Training, met Olaf and now 11:30 Frozen sing along before getting out for a rest.
> 
> I really can't stress enough how great we thought this was, even without getting in tons of rides. Each person got at least one turn on each ride, some two, a chance to check out the land at a leisurely pace without crowds and minimal to no waits. Really awesome!
> 
> Sorry for the stream of conscious write up, just wanted to get it down quickly before I forgot since others' write-ups really helped me.


Thanks for sharing your experience .


----------



## disneyshan

I just booked for April 10!  I'm so excited - thank you for all the information posted in this thread!


----------



## anricat

Well, I'm probably crazy, but I booked this for our trip in June. We have Fantasyland EMM and then the next day Toy Story Land EMM. Anyone done one the day after the other? Are we going to be exhausted? I have to try to figure out when to watch HEA now. We were going to go Tuesday night but with an early day Tuesday and Wednesday, now I'm not sure. Ugh. We have a short trip (only 4 days). I really should know I can't cram everything in. Something has to give!


----------



## ninafeliz

anricat said:


> Well, I'm probably crazy, but I booked this for our trip in June. We have Fantasyland EMM and then the next day Toy Story Land EMM. Anyone done one the day after the other? Are we going to be exhausted? I have to try to figure out when to watch HEA now. We were going to go Tuesday night but with an early day Tuesday and Wednesday, now I'm not sure. Ugh. We have a short trip (only 4 days). I really should know I can't cram everything in. Something has to give!


Sounds fun!  I would definitely do both (in fact we are, but not back to back), but personally I would not do HEA the night before TSL EMM.  That’s the earlier of the 2 EMM, and I know my family (DH included) would revolt if I kept them up that late and got them up at 5:30 am!  I guess with older kids and not doing a full day after the TSL one I might be tempted (leaving the parks noonish or so after TSL EMM) but as it is now for us it wouldn’t fly.  Good luck juggling it all!  There’s often next time, I don’t see HEA going away anytime soon since it’s pretty new


----------



## KrazeeK120

anricat said:


> Well, I'm probably crazy, but I booked this for our trip in June. We have Fantasyland EMM and then the next day Toy Story Land EMM. Anyone done one the day after the other? Are we going to be exhausted? I have to try to figure out when to watch HEA now. We were going to go Tuesday night but with an early day Tuesday and Wednesday, now I'm not sure. Ugh. We have a short trip (only 4 days). I really should know I can't cram everything in. Something has to give!



We did it on our last trip in reverse...TSL on Monday and Fantasyland on Tuesday. It was the first 2 days of our trip, so we were pretty fresh. Also, our son wasn’t quite 3 yet and is up early every day anyway. We chose not to do any nighttime entertainment on favor of keeping his bedtime the same.


----------



## Lease257

PlutoIsHerFav said:


> Thanks for this review! I'm not sure if my (very tall) three year old will ride SDD or not, so glad to hear it all worked out switching off. Did you also do the Woody & Jesse and Buzz M&Gs? I'm wondering at what point we should try and fit those in. I just don't want to waste too much precious time during EMM in their lines.



We did not do M and G.  My 7 year old does NOT like the characters either fake large heads .  And after one trip through TSM the line was super long and hearing from people here it moves slow.  The Characters were already leaving for a break when we passed at7:50


----------



## Ermise

Just back from our February vacation trip last week.  We attended the Hollywood Studios EMM on Wednesday, 2/20.  Overall our experience was similar to most of the reviews on this thread.  I was surprised that they didn't start walking us down until 7:25 based on some other reports, but we were still in the queue for SDD before 7:30.  I tried typing in the times of when everything occurred on my phone as it happened since I knew I wouldn't remember it when I got back.  Here is the run down:

We caught a bus from Fort Wilderness at 6:30 and arrived at Hollywood Studios at 6:50.  I was checking the transportation times while we were getting ready to go and there was an even earlier bus expected to arrive at Fort Wilderness at 6:16am - so it seems like bus transportation is readily available.

Getting through bag-check, scanning magic bands and getting the wristbands was all very quick.  There were many cast members available to help.  All during the event it seemed like there were cast members at every turn available to assist.

As previously posted, cast members were all directing everyone to the breakfast.  Since we had time to spare (it wasn't quite 7am yet) we walked down to the Backlot Express so our kids could get a quick pastry and juice.  They were so mad when I told them we didn't have a lot of time to eat!  There were some folks eating when we got there - a few ordering hot meals, but overall not very crowded.  At 7:10 we walked back down to the Chinese Theater and there was a single file line formed with about 50-60 or so people ahead of us.  I was expecting them to walk us down at 7:15 or so, but we ended up standing there until 7:25.  Everyone was very orderly walking down.  We entered the queue for SDD at 7:28 and were on the ride at 7:38.

I think this has been mentioned on the post before, but they split the line into two just before you get on.  Even numbered parties (2,4, etc.) on the left and odd numbered parties on the right.  Our experience was that the cast member took more 2-4 folks because quite frankly I think it was easier to assign rows for them.  It was a little frustrating being a party of 5 trying to do as much as possible in the time we had.  I did notice the cast member who asks "how many" occasionally signal to the cast member assigning rows to take more of the "odd" people because the line was backing up.

We decided to ride SDD again right away (it was so much fun!) and the line was a little longer the second time.  We were off by 7:54.  We then decided to ride Alien Saucers (We had to to try it once!).  We must not have timed that great because we had to wait for one ride before we got on.  We were off by 8:07 and then headed to Toy Story Mania.  As previously mentioned walking through the queue to get to the loading area, and again to exit the ride is such a time waster.  We were able to ride it twice, and then did one final SDD.  Our boys are a little older (14,12,9) so they weren't interested in any of the meet and greets.

In summary:
SDD x 3
TMM x 2
Saucers x 1

I'm sure we could have gotten at least one more ride in, if not two, if we stayed a little longer, but we left the area at 8:40 to head over to Tower of Terror as we wanted to get there before the crowd.

As we were leaving there were several cast members providing information/assistance with where to go for breakfast, etc.  We told them we were headed to Tower of Terror and they directed us to Sunset Boulevard where cast members where holding the EMM attendees until the park opened.  There were only a handful of people waiting with us from EMM (maybe 20 or so?).  It was quite a sight seeing the regular ticket crowd being held on Hollywood Boulevard.  We had maybe a 100ft head start on them.  Once the park opened at 9am we were walked up to the rides.  I'd say the split was 65%/35% Aerosmith Coaster/Tower of Terror.  We were among the first 20 or so people on Tower of Terror so it worked out great.  We chose Tower of Terror over Aerosmith because we had a 9:15am Fastpass for Aerosmith, but either ride is doable at rope drop.

After riding both rides we headed back to the Backlot Express for a fuller breakfast and arrived at 9:40.  It was very crowded, so clearly everyone understood the benefit of waiting to eat.  There were no lines for anything, but it seemed like all of the tables were full.  My family stuck to the pastries, but I tried the chicken/cronut and I thought it was very good.  The cronut in particular was really tasty and light.  I could have eaten many more.  Right at 10am the crew started removing the pastries, cereal and juices so it seemed like they were sticking closely to the 10am close.   Our son has Celiac and they did have some gluten free muffins (chocolate and blueberry) and a type of donut for him which they brought out from the back.  He wasn't interested in the hot options so I'm not sure what would be available.

Overall I thought the experience was worth the money being a new area/attraction that we wouldn't have had the opportunity to enjoy fully otherwise.

Thank you to everyone that posted their experiences previously.  I found them all extremely useful in preparing for our day at the park!


----------



## jbethel77

Just booked a EMM for Toy Story...the price was hard to swallow especially without any DVC or AP discounts! But, the benefit outweighed the price for our family...

Question: Can you get more than one of the hot breakfast entrée options? They all sound so strange to us, and while we are open to trying something different.. I'm afraid we'll get something we don't like. Just curious if we'd have to opportunity to go back to the counter & order something else?
Could always fill up on the cold portion offerings....but after paying so much, I'd like to get something warm that we enjoy!

Thanks!


----------



## chris benton

We went back a few times for more. No big deal.
I told the fam to go get a seat, and peruse the buffet offerings while I waited at the counter for the entrees. I asked for one of each, and loaded up my tray. After we tried everything, we went back to the counter for the entrees and got more of what we liked-no big deal.


----------



## mcurran

Looking at July dates myself. Is this something that sells out quick?  Or can I wait on this for a while?


----------



## holden

sabrecmc said:


> Okay, after all the glowing reviews, I booked it for us on July 8.  It will be our first time at TSL, so wanted to make it nice.
> 
> Question for those who have done it:  Is it possible/advisable to leave when the main crowd arrives and go do Rockin' Roller Coaster or should we not try to do that and go directly to breakfast?  Seems like there is a good hour or so in there where we could pop over and do RRC, but I'd love to hear experiences.  We don't want to miss breakfast b/c this will be our brunch, basically, since we'll just skip lunch and have an early dinner.



Our plan is to head over to RNR and TOT around 8:40 or so in order to avoid the massive crowds that will be entering TSL.  We figure we can do those two rides and then grab breakfast around 9:30.


----------



## cakebaker

Sounds like if you’re early enough, there’s more than enough time to grab something quick to eat before going over to wait for TSL. 

I’m really torn about spending time eating early in the morning and wasting the shorter wait times, but hate to blow off a breakfast we paid for!


----------



## chris benton

holden said:


> Our plan is to head over to RNR and TOT around 8:40 or so in order to avoid the massive crowds that will be entering TSL.  We figure we can do those two rides and then grab breakfast around 9:30.



You have the right plan, imo. EMM is also a way to be at the very front of the pack for RNR, and a possible walk on of TOT.  
Pay attention to Star Tours. If TOT is a quick walk on after RNR,  you might be able to sneak Star Tours in before you eat as well! You also might be able to get two rides of TOT in - depending on the crowd that day. Assume RNR will fill up after your first ride though. I doubt two rides on RNR will be possible, but a RNR + TOT is very possible.


----------



## RachaelA

So do we think I’ll be able to park my stroller, ride SDD once and then get in line for W&J with still being one of the first sets of families for W&J?

I totally forgot I’m going to have to deal with a stroller (mommy and me trip with my 5 year old who cannot walk a whole trip without crying). 

Or is there somewhere I can park my stroller early before they even let us into TSL?


----------



## jodi90

I'm late to the planning for the Toy Story EMM. I want to book on 4/29 and it appears to be sold out. Do dates ever open up again?


----------



## Suejacken

mcurran said:


> Looking at July dates myself. Is this something that sells out quick?  Or can I wait on this for a while?


I booked mine immediately for July 1st for two reasons. One is I have a party of 11, the other is that since it’s 4th of July week, I was afraid it would sell out faster.


----------



## dachsie

jbethel77 said:


> Just booked a EMM for Toy Story...the price was hard to swallow especially without any DVC or AP discounts! But, the benefit outweighed the price for our family...
> 
> Question: Can you get more than one of the hot breakfast entrée options? They all sound so strange to us, and while we are open to trying something different.. I'm afraid we'll get something we don't like. Just curious if we'd have to opportunity to go back to the counter & order something else?
> Could always fill up on the cold portion offerings....but after paying so much, I'd like to get something warm that we enjoy!
> 
> Thanks!


yes you can


----------



## Brett Wyman

Brett Wyman said:


> The 6:30 am bus from the Poly is empty except us. Weather looks great. On the way.




Great day! SDD x 6, 3 x TSM, and a couple AS2s. Crowds were definitely on the lighter side based on our EMM here back in November. The rope drop line at 9:05 was all the way back to Little Mermad entrance. Pure insanity. It says 75 minutes from there but that can’t be right is it?



Suejacken said:


> Cool have a great time. Do you plan on doing tower of terror or rock and roller coaster after without using fast passes? I was curious about what the wait times would be



It’s just me and my young daughter this trip so I can’t ride anything she can’t. But I’ve heard people have had great success walking on to those two at rope drop. And I see why. The entire park ar RD heads to SDD.


----------



## dachsie

mcurran said:


> Looking at July dates myself. Is this something that sells out quick?  Or can I wait on this for a while?


I would book now and cancel it you need to.  It will probably fill pretty fast

ETA - I booked May 8 when they opened a couple of weeks ago.  My date at 7:30 is full and they have now opened a 7am slot


----------



## SinCityMMAFan

Just booked for 5/13 (7AM) after reading mostly positive reviews for this experience.  Looking forward to riding SDD, TSM, and AS2 without much of a wait.  

Kudos to everyone who has posted about their experience with this event.  Much appreciated.


----------



## Suejacken

Brett Wyman said:


> Great day! SDD x 6, 3 x TSM, and a couple AS2s. Crowds were definitely on the lighter side based on our EMM here back in November. The rope drop line at 9:05 was all the way back to Little Mermad entrance. Pure insanity. It says 75 minutes from there but that can’t be right is it?
> 
> 
> 
> It’s just me and my young daughter this trip so I can’t ride anything she can’t. But I’ve heard people have had great success walking on to those two at rope drop. And I see why. The entire park ar RD heads to SDD.


Thank you so much for your reply. You certainly got a lot done. Hope we get to do as much when we go


----------



## trishadono

I booked myself and dh for 5/27. I tried to book a separate one for Ds and dd in case they decide to go too.

Disney won't let you do that. You can only have one reservation at a time. 

However dd has her own account so I used her log in and booked them that way.

What if you had teens etc or other family members that were ONLY on your account? 

My concern was if we needed to cancel . If I booked for 4 and 2 didn't want to go I didn't want to get stuck paying for 4.


----------



## WuvEeyore

PrincessArlena'sDad said:


> I wasn't able to book until 6:01!



Same here.


----------



## Lease257

RachaelA said:


> So do we think I’ll be able to park my stroller, ride SDD once and then get in line for W&J with still being one of the first sets of families for W&J?
> 
> I totally forgot I’m going to have to deal with a stroller (mommy and me trip with my 5 year old who cannot walk a whole trip without crying).
> 
> Or is there somewhere I can park my stroller early before they even let us into TSL?


Stroller parking is as soon as you get in the land on the left. Right at the entrance to TSM.  Park quick and keep walking and M and G line for WJ is on the left.


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

mcurran said:


> Looking at July dates myself. Is this something that sells out quick?  Or can I wait on this for a while?


It sells out rather quickly. I’d book it, and then cancel if you decide not to go. You’d get a full refund if you cancel.  I think it’s 24 hours?


----------



## GADisneyDad14

PrincessArlena'sDad said:


> It sells out rather quickly. I’d book it, and then cancel if you decide not to go. You’d get a full refund if you cancel.  I think it’s 24 hours?



Yes, one day cancellation policy.  

I agree, I would not mess around with TSL EMM sell-outs.  This doesn't have to be booked right when available, but I wouldn't linger more than 1-2 weeks.


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Yes, one day cancellation policy.
> 
> I agree, I would not mess around with TSL EMM sell-outs.  This doesn't have to be booked right when available, but I wouldn't linger more than 1-2 weeks.


For July 4th week, I’m not sure I’d wait that long.

If I remember correctly, isn’t there about 30 people booked for July 1, on these last couple pages alone?


----------



## ninafeliz

trishadono said:


> I booked myself and dh for 5/27. I tried to book a separate one for Ds and dd in case they decide to go too.
> 
> Disney won't let you do that. You can only have one reservation at a time.
> 
> However dd has her own account so I used her log in and booked them that way.
> 
> What if you had teens etc or other family members that were ONLY on your account?
> 
> My concern was if we needed to cancel . If I booked for 4 and 2 didn't want to go I didn't want to get stuck paying for 4.



This also happens when you try to book on a sold out date and then manage to snag 2 spots, and on a later date find an additional 2. You can’t have 2 reservations each for 2 people, and unless there are then 4 slots available you can’t just replace the reservation.   You can call in and they are able to do it over the phone, though.  The problem would be if it were not during Disney phone hours, which would be likely, or if someone booked it while you were waiting on hold for a CM.  It is an annoying byproduct of this being treated like a regular ADR.  Just so you know, you can also call and have them drop some people from your reservation while leaving others alone.  So not nearly as easy as doing it online, but you wouldn’t be stuck paying for 4.


----------



## Dancemom

After reading all the positive post about this event and since our dates opened up, I booked June 17th for my daughter and me.  We missed TSL opening by a week last year so we are excited to see it this year.


----------



## cadawson

Need advice on picking Mon or Wed for EMM. We’re coming late July - would you put it toward the beginning or middle of your visit, or does it matter?


----------



## GADisneyDad14

trishadono said:


> I booked myself and dh for 5/27. I tried to book a separate one for Ds and dd in case they decide to go too.
> 
> Disney won't let you do that. You can only have one reservation at a time.
> 
> However dd has her own account so I used her log in and booked them that way.
> 
> What if you had teens etc or other family members that were ONLY on your account?
> 
> My concern was if we needed to cancel . If I booked for 4 and 2 didn't want to go I didn't want to get stuck paying for 4.



I did the same when we went 12/31 when I wasn't sure if DW and DD would be joining.  I have DW's login info and just booked me and DS with my account, DW and DD with DW's account.  It means keeping up with more 'stuff' but easier to tinker with things online later without having to call.


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

cadawson said:


> Need advice on picking Mon or Wed for EMM. We’re coming late July - would you put it toward the beginning or middle of your visit, or does it matter?


We are doing it at the beginning of the trip, with the thought being that the harder to get FPs will be easier later in the trip, so we "need" the EMM less.

Also, early in the trip we are more rested, and I think it'll be easier to get out so early.


----------



## cakebaker

anricat said:


> Well, I'm probably crazy, but I booked this for our trip in June. We have Fantasyland EMM and then the next day Toy Story Land EMM. Anyone done one the day after the other? Are we going to be exhausted? I have to try to figure out when to watch HEA now. We were going to go Tuesday night but with an early day Tuesday and Wednesday, now I'm not sure. Ugh. We have a short trip (only 4 days). I really should know I can't cram everything in. Something has to give!



We’re doing TSL EMM on a Monday and MK EMM on Tuesday- the day we fly out. Our Sunday night will be a relatively early evening at Epcot, but these were the days that fit our trip, so that’s what we’re doing. Sleep is highly over rated. lol And this is the trip that started out with me saying “ we’re NOT overbooking this time”. Famous last words!


----------



## mmastro719

Dates were added for the last week in August if anyone was waiting for those.


----------



## WaterLinds

RachaelA said:


> So do we think I’ll be able to park my stroller, ride SDD once and then get in line for W&J with still being one of the first sets of families for W&J?
> 
> I totally forgot I’m going to have to deal with a stroller (mommy and me trip with my 5 year old who cannot walk a whole trip without crying).
> 
> Or is there somewhere I can park my stroller early before they even let us into TSL?



It seemed like people WERE having luck riding SDD and then going to see W&J when they were opening the land early. But all the reports for the last few weeks have been consistent that it’s not opening before 7:20 and most days more like 7:25. Ther must have been strict directions to stop letting people in so early, given how consistent it has been for a few weeks.

 I’m leaning towards getting in line for the meet and greet immediately, because it seems like that just keeps building, whereas SDD dies down again midway into the event. Not sure, my kids might decide they don’t want to do the meet after all, so we’ll see...just over a week away now!


----------



## trishadono

ninafeliz said:


> This also happens when you try to book on a sold out date and then manage to snag 2 spots, and on a later date find an additional 2. You can’t have 2 reservations each for 2 people, and unless there are then 4 slots available you can’t just replace the reservation.   You can call in and they are able to do it over the phone, though.  The problem would be if it were not during Disney phone hours, which would be likely, or if someone booked it while you were waiting on hold for a CM.  It is an annoying byproduct of this being treated like a regular ADR.  Just so you know, you can also call and have them drop some people from your reservation while leaving others alone.  So not nearly as easy as doing it online, but you wouldn’t be stuck paying for 4.


Thx . Good to know.


----------



## smallsy

mmastro719 said:


> Dates were added for the last week in August if anyone was waiting for those.


Anxiously waiting for that next week (Labor Day)


----------



## bebec22

anricat said:


> Well, I'm probably crazy, but I booked this for our trip in June. We have Fantasyland EMM and then the next day Toy Story Land EMM. Anyone done one the day after the other? Are we going to be exhausted? I have to try to figure out when to watch HEA now. We were going to go Tuesday night but with an early day Tuesday and Wednesday, now I'm not sure. Ugh. We have a short trip (only 4 days). I really should know I can't cram everything in. Something has to give!


I just did both EMM back to back last week and it worked out well for us.  However, my kids are little and still take mid-day naps.  We did HEA dessert party the night that we did EMM at HS but HEA fireworks were at 8 so we weren't up super late.  Plus we were staying at BLT so easy walk back after fireworks.  I know the feeling of wanting to cram everything in!


----------



## TISHLOVESDISNEY

Out of curiosity, is this now on a rolling 180? @GADisneyDad14, can you see dates?


----------



## GADisneyDad14

TISHLOVESDISNEY said:


> Out of curiosity, is this now on a rolling 180? @GADisneyDad14, can you see dates?



Yeah, so I just checked.  My +10 window goes through 9/4.  8/26 & 8/28 are in that window and are bookable, but nothing past then.


----------



## TISHLOVESDISNEY

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Yeah, so I just checked.  My +10 window goes through 9/4.  8/26 & 8/28 are in that window and are bookable, but nothing past then.



Thanks for checking. I guess with SW:GE, things are going to be iffy on this one.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

TISHLOVESDISNEY said:


> Thanks for checking. I guess with SW:GE, things are going to be iffy on this one.



Yeah, SWGE, whenever it opens, will likely be the end of our little fun thread here.


----------



## NJlauren

Looks like this is on a rolling 180 days.  I am in my 180 days window and before I signed in my dates weren’t available when I signed in I could see my dates.  August 28th


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Yeah, SWGE, whenever it opens, will likely be the end of our little fun thread here.


Not necessarily.  Ceretainly aound the craziness of opening, this will be on hiatus.

But, once things die down a bit (read:no longer have 8 am openings), it could start up a bit.

Imagine the popularity of this if TSL EMM gets you into SWGE before the RD crowd hits (like it gets you onto Sunset Blvd before RD crowd).  They could significantly raise the price.

The key would be whether they can manage the rd crowds that arrive before 7:30 in such a way that allows the EMM folks room to enter. Maybe once Skyliner construction is done, there will be room to hold the rd crowds back from the entrance until 7:40?


----------



## RachaelA

WaterLinds said:


> It seemed like people WERE having luck riding SDD and then going to see W&J when they were opening the land early. But all the reports for the last few weeks have been consistent that it’s not opening before 7:20 and most days more like 7:25. Ther must have been strict directions to stop letting people in so early, given how consistent it has been for a few weeks.
> 
> I’m leaning towards getting in line for the meet and greet immediately, because it seems like that just keeps building, whereas SDD dies down again midway into the event. Not sure, my kids might decide they don’t want to do the meet after all, so we’ll see...just over a week away now!


I might do this and just wait for W&J from the start if it’s 7:20 or later. 
My 5 year old is TS obsessed and has a cowgirl themed dress for our May EMM so W&J and then SDD are the two real priorities. 

We did EMM in October but they let us in earlier and I had my husband deal with the stroller. I’m not used to being on my own with a stroller and a kid lol


----------



## MomDoc_99

cakebaker said:


> Sounds like if you’re early enough, there’s more than enough time to grab something quick to eat before going over to wait for TSL.
> 
> I’m really torn about spending time eating early in the morning and wasting the shorter wait times, but hate to blow off a breakfast we paid for!



We actually ate twice on our recent trip. We got to the Commissary a little before 7, sat down and had a light "breakfast" - cereal, juice, pastry. We got to TSL about 7:30, rode TSM twice without having to get off, then did SDD twice and AS2 once. Got to the rope drop for the rest of the park about 7:40 and were let in after 5 minutes. We were then able to ride ToT 4 times with very little waiting! (Crowds may have been a little light because it was cold.) One of our party also did RRC in the single rider line which was a walk-on. Got back to the Commissary at 9:50 and grabbed a hot "brunch". They did close the hot food line right at 10, in fact the server encouraged us to take an extra serving since we would not be able to come back for more. They also apparently ran out of the sweet potato nuggets since we got regular ones - which was fine with us! They closed one of the buffet lines shortly after 10 but kept the other one open for another 15-20 minutes. 

All in all, thought it was a good value for us.


----------



## smallsy

aimes0105 said:


> Great morning at EMM today!
> 
> Arrived on foot from Dolphin. Left about 6:25 and arrived at bag check about 6:40-6:45. Once through got our wrist bands and headed straight into breakfast for a coffee and pastry. We were slowed by a two year old who didn't sleep well last night with a tantrum in the middle of back lot but walked outside to hear the announcement at 7:18 that Andy's backyard was open. Arrived in the land at 7:25 to see at least 8 parties already lined up for Woody and Jesse. Said two year old was not going to do well with that and 7 year old wanted to maximize rides so change of plans, got on TSM instead. Walked through and right on to next cart. Off at 7:42 and on to SDD. Posted wait was 15 minutes and I was worried because the line started at the entrance but obviously not even close to all the switchbacks were in use and we were on in 8 minutes. A little regrouping to swap the 2 year old (who rode AS2 while waiting) and a few pictures then one group headed to SDD about 8:05 while the other did AS2 twice. By then it was 8:20. One group went for another SDD ride while the other repeated TSM. SDD group was done first but I didn't get exact wait time. They strolled checking out the land, looking at W&J and Buzz greeting others which was enough for the 2 year old. At 8:40 TSM group rejoined and we got a group photo in front of the Toy Story Land sign and headed out. We were headed up the ramp to the front of the theater when the masses turned the corner after the archway right at 8:45. It really was a sight and my group then realized why I'd been shooing them along after our last picture. We headed to Jedi training sign ups and got there about 8:55. Decent sized line but were through at 9:10 and had a choice of any show time. The line was significantly longer at 9:10 than when we got in it, probably by double. We headed off to eat and relax and enjoy the cooler more seasonable temps today compared to almost 90 yesterday. Then did 10:20 Jedi Training, met Olaf and now 11:30 Frozen sing along before getting out for a rest.
> 
> I really can't stress enough how great we thought this was, even without getting in tons of rides. Each person got at least one turn on each ride, some two, a chance to check out the land at a leisurely pace without crowds and minimal to no waits. Really awesome!
> 
> Sorry for the stream of conscious write up, just wanted to get it down quickly before I forgot since others' write-ups really helped me.


I loved your report because we’ll have to do some switching off with younger kiddos and rush over to Jedi signups afterward too. Glad to hear your signup line went fast as some people are reporting 30min waits and that eats into so much valuable ride time. 

We’re debating between trying to beat the RD crowd to RnR and have DH and I switch off in the single rider line before heading to Jedi signups or just doing the Jedi signups right away and hope we can still get through the single rider line pretty quickly by 9:15 or so.


----------



## DisAlicia22

Hi everyone. My husband and I really wanted to do the EMM on 4/29 but it’s sold out. When/if people cancel do spots open up to book online again? I’ve been checking every day but now I’m wondering if I’m wasting my time


----------



## dachsie

DisAlicia22 said:


> Hi everyone. My husband and I really wanted to do the EMM on 4/29 but it’s sold out. When/if people cancel do spots open up to book online again? I’ve been checking every day but now I’m wondering if I’m wasting my time


Just keep checking.  They have until the day before to cancel so you never know


----------



## ninafeliz

DisAlicia22 said:


> Hi everyone. My husband and I really wanted to do the EMM on 4/29 but it’s sold out. When/if people cancel do spots open up to book online again? I’ve been checking every day but now I’m wondering if I’m wasting my time



I think you have a pretty good chance, just check frequently and IMO always check first thing in the AM also.  Last October the dates I wanted sold out before I committed, and one day they opened up a bunch of spots (too many to have been cancellations since it was multiple days and over 14 spots each day), and by afternoon of that day most of them were gone already.  Also, as mentioned, if you're up for a last minute change make sure you check the day before since people could cancel up until MN the night before and might be hedging their bets on weather, family plans, health, etc and wait until late to cancel.


----------



## iujen94

We attended EMM on February 20. I just got an email survey about the event. I rated it really highly, but everywhere that there was a box for comments, I begged them not to ruin the event by selling more tickets (like they’ve ruined the Halloween parties)! If you get a survey - please do the same!


----------



## ninafeliz

iujen94 said:


> We attended EMM on February 20. I just got an email survey about the event. I rated it really highly, but everywhere that there was a box for comments, I begged them not to ruin the event by selling more tickets (like they’ve ruined the Halloween parties)! If you get a survey - please do the same!



I've done it twice and never gotten a survey. 

 I don't like how when doing these surveys online you never know what's ahead in the survey, and sometimes they don't end with a comments box so you might miss your chance to freehand comments.  They just have the scale of 1-10, etc and consider anything less than a 10 a fail (I'm not just referring to Disney, I mean any survey like after you buy a car, etc...).  It's not always black and white, and their questions can be so vague or not the ones you want them to ask.  But at least they try, I guess... With Disney I'm sometimes afraid to answer honestly, since they might take advantage and take things away. Like the "would you still come if.... question, or "would you still find it worthwhile if..." type, or "would you return if".  Even if I truly would, I am loathe to put that in writing to them.


----------



## DisAlicia22

Thank you both for the advice. I will keep checking!


----------



## rxbeth

iujen94 said:


> We attended EMM on February 20. I just got an email survey about the event. I rated it really highly, but everywhere that there was a box for comments, I begged them not to ruin the event by selling more tickets (like they’ve ruined the Halloween parties)! If you get a survey - please do the same!



I wish I had gotten a survey! We had a great time but I do have comments for them.


----------



## ninafeliz

rxbeth said:


> I wish I had gotten a survey! We had a great time but I do have comments for them.


I’m curious- what are your comments?    What would you change?


----------



## GADisneyDad14

iujen94 said:


> We attended EMM on February 20. I just got an email survey about the event. I rated it really highly, but everywhere that there was a box for comments, I begged them not to ruin the event by selling more tickets (like they’ve ruined the Halloween parties)! If you get a survey - please do the same!



Ha!   FWIW, my personal conspiracy theory is I think it’s possible (very key word) that they actually dialed down the guest count just a tiny touch compared to the early events.  I have no basis for that other than gut feeling having done two events and reading every review on this thread and how the wait reports have trended over time.  Could absolutely be wrong though.


----------



## aimes0105

WaterLinds said:


> It seemed like people WERE having luck riding SDD and then going to see W&J when they were opening the land early. But all the reports for the last few weeks have been consistent that it’s not opening before 7:20 and most days more like 7:25. Ther must have been strict directions to stop letting people in so early, given how consistent it has been for a few weeks.
> 
> I’m leaning towards getting in line for the meet and greet immediately, because it seems like that just keeps building, whereas SDD dies down again midway into the event. Not sure, my kids might decide they don’t want to do the meet after all, so we’ll see...just over a week away now!



Agreed, we saw the last test Slinky on the track as we walked in at 7:25 and the line at W&J was already building 



smallsy said:


> I loved your report because we’ll have to do some switching off with younger kiddos and rush over to Jedi signups afterward too. Glad to hear your signup line went fast as some people are reporting 30min waits and that eats into so much valuable ride time.
> 
> We’re debating between trying to beat the RD crowd to RnR and have DH and I switch off in the single rider line before heading to Jedi signups or just doing the Jedi signups right away and hope we can still get through the single rider line pretty quickly by 9:15 or so.



We headed straight to training sign ups albeit at a slower pace and waited 15 minutes but it seemed anyone arriving 10 or more minutes later than us waited quite a bit longer as the line length just about doubled.


----------



## rxbeth

ninafeliz said:


> I’m curious- what are your comments?    What would you change?



When I went end of January, I definitely think too many tickets were sold. I feel like there should be a better system for the characters since it's such a short time period. No one should have to sacrifice 30 minutes plus to see woody and Jessie during a 75 minute EMM. Maybe some kind of return pass?


----------



## Lease257

RachaelA said:


> I might do this and just wait for W&J from the start if it’s 7:20 or later.
> My 5 year old is TS obsessed and has a cowgirl themed dress for our May EMM so W&J and then SDD are the two real priorities.
> 
> We did EMM in October but they let us in earlier and I had my husband deal with the stroller. I’m not used to being on my own with a stroller and a kid lol


You can easily park the stroller on your way in. When you line up outside the theater thy direct you towards the left to go down the ramp.  One CM leads the stroller group. Another goes down the steps to lead everyone else. Then they hold each line so the two catch up to each other.  Then Everyone goes together. Stay to the left and you can park your stroller by TSM. Then keep walking up to the left and get on line for woody and Jesse. Everyone else will be going to the right to slinky dog. 

We waited till 8 to ride slinky and got two rides in from 8:02-8:26


----------



## trishadono

DisAlicia22 said:


> Hi everyone. My husband and I really wanted to do the EMM on 4/29 but it’s sold out. When/if people cancel do spots open up to book online again? I’ve been checking every day but now I’m wondering if I’m wasting my time


I kept checking and just got mine for Memorial Day so it doesn't hurt to try.


----------



## ninafeliz

rxbeth said:


> When I went end of January, I definitely think too many tickets were sold. I feel like there should be a better system for the characters since it's such a short time period. No one should have to sacrifice 30 minutes plus to see woody and Jessie during a 75 minute EMM. Maybe some kind of return pass?


I agree with you about the characters! Our first time we got into what I thought was a short line for W&J and it ended up being almost 20 min.  I hadn’t realized how much more they interact than during character meals:  I expected them to just take a photo with each group and move on.  The second time was Jan 2 and we did SDD first and when we got off it was 7:27 and we got in line and were 2nd, they came out at 7:30 and we had very little wait.  Couldn’t have timed it better.  We never did see Buzz- didn’t want to give up time to wait twice for characters, we wanted to ride!  We looked at his line on our way out at 9 but the line was really long.  I didn’t feel like there were more people than October, though, if anything it felt lighter.  It’s almost like you have to choose- lots of rides or a ride on each and all 3 characters.  Which I guess, in a way, doesn’t sound too unfair when I write it like that.


----------



## MonaMN

We have two days at HS so I am thinking we may just save Woody and Jessie for some other part of our time there - even if it takes longer, it might be better than using event time!


----------



## Brett Wyman

This was at 9:05am. It seems to me that, unless you are at the very very front of the line, rope dropping SDD is a horrible idea. The waits were down to 65 mins in the afternoon. Of course EMM is still the best option to enjoy TSL.


----------



## WhitneyMB

Specific question— I have tickets for this EMM event the end of March, and I read elsewhere that cast members allow people with the EMM wristbands to use the FastPass lines in TSL until 10am, as that is the official hour the event ends.

Has anyone else heard or experienced this? Is it a myth? I count on DIS-ers to know the truth!

Considering an extra ride on TSM if this is true.


----------



## Iowamomof4

WhitneyMB said:


> Specific question— I have tickets for this EMM event the end of March, and I read elsewhere that cast members allow people with the EMM wristbands to use the FastPass lines in TSL until 10am, as that is the official hour the event ends.
> 
> Has anyone else heard or experienced this? Is it a myth? I count on DIS-ers to know the truth!
> 
> Considering an extra ride on TSM if this is true.



That may have happened a couple times when SDD was down during the event or something. As a rule, that is definitely not the normal practice.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

WhitneyMB said:


> Specific question— I have tickets for this EMM event the end of March, and I read elsewhere that cast members allow people with the EMM wristbands to use the FastPass lines in TSL until 10am, as that is the official hour the event ends.
> 
> Has anyone else heard or experienced this? Is it a myth? I count on DIS-ers to know the truth!
> 
> Considering an extra ride on TSM if this is true.



Definite myth, with the exception of an isolated circumstance where a ride may be down during the bulk of pre park opening hours as the PP notes.

You can still get a lot of mileage with AS2 and TSM at/after rope drop.  Literally 1% of the people there go to those two rides, 99% go to SDD.


----------



## WhitneyMB

Thanks for the responses! I've read SO many of the posts on this thread and had never heard of this, so I thought odds were high it was a myth. Now, to figured out if I can "gently" correct the person giving out misinformation.


----------



## Iowamomof4

WhitneyMB said:


> Thanks for the responses! I've read SO many of the posts on this thread and had never heard of this, so I thought odds were high it was a myth. Now, to figured out if I can "gently" correct the person giving out misinformation.



Eh, I'd probably not bother. People like you will hear that information and want to double-check it because it sounds a little too good to be true. Others won't believe you because they WANT it to be true. They'll find out for themselves when the time comes. I used to try to correct people but quickly realized they don't appreciate it for the most part and often just don't believe me.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

WhitneyMB said:


> Thanks for the responses! I've read SO many of the posts on this thread and had never heard of this, so I thought odds were high it was a myth. Now, to figured out if I can "gently" correct the person giving out misinformation.



Ha!  Good luck with that.

In those situations on the DIS, I usually just stay in my lane and offer a counter experience if I have some direct knowledge of something.   I also read a lot of things where I just pull an Elsa and move on.


----------



## Brett Wyman

Iowamomof4 said:


> That may have happened a couple times when SDD was down during the event or something. As a rule, that is definitely not the normal practice.



We were there for this in November and I'm 99% sure that's where the rumour came from. SDD was down this day until nearly 8:30. That day that held the rope drop crowd back a few extra minutes, and for Id say no more than 5-10 minutes after 9am they'd left those with an EMM wristband into the FP line. It wasn't announced you just had to see other people doing it and give it a try. ALSO they gave out either 1 or 3 anytime FPs for the outage so a lot of the people were just using these FPs right then making it look like they extended the time for the EMM folks. In reality they were just being really lenient with people who didn't have those extra FPs and had bands. Once they let the horde of RDers in line it was all over with.


----------



## WaterLinds

Well, I finally snagged the breakfast reservation I needed to switch my EMM day next week, and now the Friday time slot is sold out so I can’t move our plans anyway. They only have 7:30 available for the Friday so maybe they’ll still open the 7:00 for booking in the next week? Or maybe we’ll stick with the plan as we have it...it’s getting kind of late to be rearranging fast passes.


----------



## Brett Wyman

WaterLinds said:


> Well, I finally snagged the breakfast reservation I needed to switch my EMM day next week, and now the Friday time slot is sold out so I can’t move our plans anyway. They only have 7:30 available for the Friday so maybe they’ll still open the 7:00 for booking in the next week? Or maybe we’ll stick with the plan as we have it...it’s getting kind of late to be rearranging fast passes.



7:00 vs 7:30 is irrelevant for EMM. Everyone goes in at the same time.


----------



## WaterLinds

Brett Wyman said:


> 7:00 vs 7:30 is irrelevant for EMM. Everyone goes in at the same time.


Right, but they only have 7:30 for that date and it’s sold out. So the only way to get tickets is to wait and see if they open up a 7:00. 

Looking at the weather forecast (dicey almost a week ahead, I know) I’m thinking if they do open it I might switch, because SDD at 45 degrees  sounds a lot less pleasant than at 60! I’ll keep stalking.


----------



## kamash

First, a quick thank you to everyone on this thread! I have literally read every post and while I think our party would have enjoyed the event either way, having a thorough understanding of the event and using all of the advice on this board made it that much more successful! 

On to our experience...

We attended the event on Monday, February 25 and had 7:00AM tickets (although as noted many times on this thread, the time does not matter). We were a party of 6 adults staying at Boardwalk Inn.

The night before my party asked me what time we needed to leave and I told them to first answer me whether they wanted a pastry and coffee first (since breakfast is all you can eat) or if they just wanted to arrive in time for the opening of the rides and eat once after. We all agreed on skipping the first coffee/pastry in favor of a little extra sleep. With that decision, we agreed to leave the hotel at 6:40AM to make the walk over. (I gave that time preemptively knowing full well we would all be running 5-10 minutes late!)

We ended up heading out at 6:45AM and were at the park right about 7. We are fast and able walkers, though. If you have children or take a more leisurely pace, I would give yourself closer to 20-25 minutes for the walk vs 15 and definitely a bit more if on the other side at Yacht/Beach Club.

Check in was very easy and we were through the gates by 7:05AM. Walked slowly up street and arrived at the Chinese Theatre. They directed us to breakfast (as I expected), but we ignored them and went to wait with the small crowd behind the stage. At about 7:10AM a CM came around and told us that TSL would not open until 7:30AM, again pushing us to go get coffee, etc. My party got antsy and didn't want to wait for 20 minutes if that was true, but I assured them that they were just saying that and we had a good chance of getting in a bit early if we just waited! Luckily I convinced them as we were let back at 7:20AM!

The crowd was very pleasant and kind to one another and we had an easy walk back in to the land. One thing we got lucky with was being on the right had side of the crowd. If you are headed to SDD be on the right side, as that is where the push people going to SDD. The crowd was so small it didn't really matter, but being on the correct side already got us on the VERY FIRST RIDE of the event!  

With my knowledge from this board I felt we could ride once more and still have a short wait, so we did. We ended up getting off our second ride just after 7:30AM. At this point the wait had "ballooned' to 15 minutes so I suggested we move on to a quick ride on AS2, then TSM and then back to SDD at the end. Luckily everyone agreed and we moved on! (I will say skipping breakfast and being at the "rope drop" is key to maximize rides, it definitely helped us get those two extra rides on SDD and our count may have only been 6 rides total if not for these key 10 minutes at the start.)

AS2 was a true walk on. We go through the queue and they just had us go pick any seat we wanted. We rode it once. It was fun, but didn't need to ride again. For anyone who is worried about it being like Teacups/making you motion sick, my DH hesitantly rode it and said he was pleasantly surprised and that it was definitely not as bad as other spinning rides. It more swings you back and forth than around in lots of little circles.

We then went to TSM. Rode once and almost could have stayed on to ride again, but couldn't get the group to agree and stay seated fast enough, so out the long exit we went. At that point everyone needed a quick bathroom break and some grabbed coffee in the land. 

Our group then wanted to ride SDD again, but I saw the wait was still 15 minutes and knew it would go back down eventually. One couple really preferred to ride again over TSM, so we split up and met back up exactly at the same time! (So we ended up both getting a ride in in that time frame, but TSM is a longer ride and has a longer exit, so we definitely waited less.)

Then we all road SDD back to back two more times with about a 10 minute wait and then a 5 minute wait.

At that point it was 8:44AM so we rushed to TSM to get one last ride it!

My MIL wanted to get another coffee and relax so she waited outside and saw the mass of humanity that was the rope drop crowd come in! She said it was at about 8:50AM. This line for SDD was INSANE as we left the land. Extended all the way out past One Man's Dream/The Mike and Sully M&G.

We had gotten a 4th FP for TOT the evening before when we were at HS for dinner and fireworks, so we only were looking to ride RNRC. We walked to RNRC and it had a 5 minute wait at 9AM. It took more like 15 though, so I think the sign had not caught up to the line. We emerged to a 35 min wait at TOT so we headed back to breakfast. (Had we needed/wanted to ride TOT I think you need to cut your time in TSL a bit short and leave the land closer to 8:40AM. Especially with TOT sometimes running at half capacity now for maintenance it looked like the waits ballooned a lot faster.)

We really enjoyed breakfast and all of our party got multiple entrees and thought it was really fun you could try all of them. I know some people wish it was a little more basic of dishes, but we liked the variety and those that wanted plain eggs just got the kids meal.

In summary our ride count was:

*Party #1: 9 Total (8 in TSL)*
SDD - 4
TSM - 3
AS2 - 1
RNRC - 1

*Party #2: 9 Total (8 in TSL)*
SDD - 5
TSM - 2
AS2 - 1
RNRC - 1

We loved the event and honestly could have probably hustled to do a bit more, but we took a bathroom and coffee break and enjoyed having those moments to experience the land with low crowds. 

Thank you everyone again!


----------



## Suejacken

kamash said:


> First, a quick thank you to everyone on this thread! I have literally read every post and while I think our party would have enjoyed the event either way, having a thorough understanding of the event and using all of the advice on this board made it that much more successful!
> 
> On to our experience...
> 
> We attended the event on Monday, February 25 and had 7:00AM tickets (although as noted many times on this thread, the time does not matter). We were a party of 6 adults staying at Boardwalk Inn.
> 
> The night before my party asked me what time we needed to leave and I told them to first answer me whether they wanted a pastry and coffee first (since breakfast is all you can eat) or if they just wanted to arrive in time for the opening of the rides and eat once after. We all agreed on skipping the first coffee/pastry in favor of a little extra sleep. With that decision, we agreed to leave the hotel at 6:40AM to make the walk over. (I gave that time preemptively knowing full well we would all be running 5-10 minutes late!)
> 
> We ended up heading out at 6:45AM and were at the park right about 7. We are fast and able walkers, though. If you have children or take a more leisurely pace, I would give yourself closer to 20-25 minutes for the walk vs 15 and definitely a bit more if on the other side at Yacht/Beach Club.
> 
> Check in was very easy and we were through the gates by 7:05AM. Walked slowly up street and arrived at the Chinese Theatre. They directed us to breakfast (as I expected), but we ignored them and went to wait with the small crowd behind the stage. At about 7:10AM a CM came around and told us that TSL would not open until 7:30AM, again pushing us to go get coffee, etc. My party got antsy and didn't want to wait for 20 minutes if that was true, but I assured them that they were just saying that and we had a good chance of getting in a bit early if we just waited! Luckily I convinced them as we were let back at 7:20AM!
> 
> The crowd was very pleasant and kind to one another and we had an easy walk back in to the land. One thing we got lucky with was being on the right had side of the crowd. If you are headed to SDD be on the right side, as that is where the push people going to SDD. The crowd was so small it didn't really matter, but being on the correct side already got us on the VERY FIRST RIDE of the event!
> 
> With my knowledge from this board I felt we could ride once more and still have a short wait, so we did. We ended up getting off our second ride just after 7:30AM. At this point the wait had "ballooned' to 15 minutes so I suggested we move on to a quick ride on AS2, then TSM and then back to SDD at the end. Luckily everyone agreed and we moved on! (I will say skipping breakfast and being at the "rope drop" is key to maximize rides, it definitely helped us get those two extra rides on SDD and our count may have only been 6 rides total if not for these key 10 minutes at the start.)
> 
> AS2 was a true walk on. We go through the queue and they just had us go pick any seat we wanted. We rode it once. It was fun, but didn't need to ride again. For anyone who is worried about it being like Teacups/making you motion sick, my DH hesitantly rode it and said he was pleasantly surprised and that it was definitely not as bad as other spinning rides. It more swings you back and forth than around in lots of little circles.
> 
> We then went to TSM. Rode once and almost could have stayed on to ride again, but couldn't get the group to agree and stay seated fast enough, so out the long exit we went. At that point everyone needed a quick bathroom break and some grabbed coffee in the land.
> 
> Our group then wanted to ride SDD again, but I saw the wait was still 15 minutes and knew it would go back down eventually. One couple really preferred to ride again over TSM, so we split up and met back up exactly at the same time! (So we ended up both getting a ride in in that time frame, but TSM is a longer ride and has a longer exit, so we definitely waited less.)
> 
> Then we all road SDD back to back two more times with about a 10 minute wait and then a 5 minute wait.
> 
> At that point it was 8:44AM so we rushed to TSM to get one last ride it!
> 
> My MIL wanted to get another coffee and relax so she waited outside and saw the mass of humanity that was the rope drop crowd come in! She said it was at about 8:50AM. This line for SDD was INSANE as we left the land. Extended all the way out past One Man's Dream/The Mike and Sully M&G.
> 
> We had gotten a 4th FP for TOT the evening before when we were at HS for dinner and fireworks, so we only were looking to ride RNRC. We walked to RNRC and it had a 5 minute wait at 9AM. It took more like 15 though, so I think the sign had not caught up to the line. We emerged to a 35 min wait at TOT so we headed back to breakfast. (Had we needed/wanted to ride TOT I think you need to cut your time in TSL a bit short and leave the land closer to 8:40AM. Especially with TOT sometimes running at half capacity now for maintenance it looked like the waits ballooned a lot faster.)
> 
> We really enjoyed breakfast and all of our party got multiple entrees and thought it was really fun you could try all of them. I know some people wish it was a little more basic of dishes, but we liked the variety and those that wanted plain eggs just got the kids meal.
> 
> In summary our ride count was:
> 
> *Party #1: 9 Total (8 in TSL)*
> SDD - 4
> TSM - 3
> AS2 - 1
> RNRC - 1
> 
> *Party #2: 9 Total (8 in TSL)*
> SDD - 5
> TSM - 2
> AS2 - 1
> RNRC - 1
> 
> We loved the event and honestly could have probably hustled to do a bit more, but we took a bathroom and coffee break and enjoyed having those moments to experience the land with low crowds.
> 
> Thank you everyone again!


Thanks for sharing your experience. I booked this for my group of 11 on 7/1 and can’t wait


----------



## ml sumner

Mac30188 said:


> Booked June 5th this AM.  Excited as our first trip to Toy Story Land.


We also booked for June 5th!  Hoping we have a great experience with nice weather.


----------



## canyoncam

Booked May 13th. If DAH comes out for the 11th I might switch. Not sure. I’ve done DAH and loved it but at the time considered it a once and done for the price. I would like to try a new experience. I just love SDD better in the dark. Oh, who am I kidding, I’ll probably find a way to do both!!!


----------



## carolann210

The forecast looks crummy for Monday (80% chance of rain) and I’m bummed. No plans to cancel but the thought of being pummeled by rain on SDD makes me second guess.


----------



## SinCityMMAFan

canyoncam said:


> Booked May 13th. If DAH comes out for the 11th I might switch. Not sure. I’ve done DAH and loved it but at the time considered it a once and done for the price. I would like to try a new experience. I just love SDD better in the dark. Oh, who am I kidding, I’ll probably find a way to do both!!!



I'm in the same boat as you.  I was hoping they would drop a DAH event for May 11th as I would much rather do that but I rather be safe than sorry in case this event on the 13th would sell out so I booked the EMM therefore I know we'll be able to experience the attractions at TSL multiple times with no wait not to mention we had this day planned for the HS anyways.


----------



## Kimberly Fogarty

Has anyone done the breakfast with a peanut allergy? If so, what was your experience? My 3 year old has the allergy and she is very picky. She has had a cross contamination reaction so we avoid anything that may be at risk. Thanks!


----------



## MonaMN

Kimberly Fogarty said:


> Has anyone done the breakfast with a peanut allergy? If so, what was your experience? My 3 year old has the allergy and she is very picky. She has had a cross contamination reaction so we avoid anything that may be at risk. Thanks!


We have a kid with peanut/tree nut allergies and are going next week.  I will try to report back on our experience!


----------



## MudQueen22

We are booked for July 15.  Enjoying reading everyone's reports of their experience.  It is helping us plan our strategy.  Thank you!


----------



## cakebaker

Brett Wyman said:


> This was at 9:05am. It seems to me that, unless you are at the very very front of the line, rope dropping SDD is a horrible idea. The waits were down to 65 mins in the afternoon. Of course EMM is still the best option to enjoy TSL.



It is beyond me why anyone thinks doing rope drop and then getting in the longest line of the day is the smartest strategy. The wait times are less later in the day than you’ll spend waiting outside the area at the crack of dawn.


----------



## Candycane83

MudQueen22 said:


> We are booked for July 15.  Enjoying reading everyone's reports of their experience.  It is helping us plan our strategy.  Thank you!


We’re booked for the 15th too!


----------



## OKC Disney Fan

sabrecmc said:


> Okay, after all the glowing reviews, I booked it for us on July 8.  It will be our first time at TSL, so wanted to make it nice.
> 
> Question for those who have done it:  Is it possible/advisable to leave when the main crowd arrives and go do Rockin' Roller Coaster or should we not try to do that and go directly to breakfast?  Seems like there is a good hour or so in there where we could pop over and do RRC, but I'd love to hear experiences.  We don't want to miss breakfast b/c this will be our brunch, basically, since we'll just skip lunch and have an early dinner.




We were there on Monday and did just that.  We left TSL just before the rope drop crowds arrived and made our way over to RnRC area.  We were held for just a moment by the Pixar store until the main RD crowd was let in.  Straight to RnRC where we were probably the 3 or 4th car on the ride.  Then went to TOT and rode with basically no wait.  Headed to breakfast at that point.  There was plenty of food and everything was still being prepared at 9:45-ish.


----------



## cakebaker

OKC Disney Fan said:


> We were there on Monday and did just that.  We left TSL just before the rope drop crowds arrived and made our way over to RnRC area.  We were held for just a moment by the Pixar store until the main RD crowd was let in.  Straight to RnRC where we were probably the 3 or 4th car on the ride.  Then went to TOT and rode with basically no wait.  Headed to breakfast at that point.  There was plenty of food and everything was still being prepared at 9:45-ish.



This what I’d like to do as well, glad to hear it’s doable.


----------



## mydisneyanytime

Does anyone know if you can go through the handicap line at TSMM during EMM?  My son is in a wheelchair though he can ride in a normal car (he is mobile for short distances) but it is easier for him to use the button rather than the pull string on the ride.  The continual motion for the string is much tougher on him than the button.  It is one of his favorite rides and last time we were there we waited about 15 minutes while they cleaned up an accident on the car so that we could ride it with the push button rather than go through the fast pass line.  Thanks!


----------



## Mrspeaks

Was hoping for 9/2 this morning, it wasn't available yet.  I did get MK EMM for 9/3!


----------



## michelepa

Thank you to the person who released 2 tickets for 3/27. 
Now to get one more for DH!

So in total we have two evening hours events (AK) and (MK) and this morning event. 

Couldn’t have afforded it if I wasn’t staying at WBC!

Getting excited now that plans are almost finalized.


----------



## DisneyMomma930

I really want to book this for our August trip...preferably for Sunday 8/18.  I just can't spare the extra cost today...how much longer do you think I have before it sells out?


----------



## GADisneyDad14

DisneyMomma930 said:


> I really want to book this for our August trip...preferably for Sunday 8/18.  I
> just can't spare the extra cost today...how much longer do you think I have before it sells out?



Really tough to say with any degree of certainty, unfortunately.  Many if not most dates have been selling out along the way, but it’s pretty dynamic so hard to be specific.


----------



## pal6860

EMM REPORT 3/4/19:

Family of 5 (2 adults, 3 preteens) had a great time! Here are my notes I took today: (We were interested in rides only, not meet and greets, so no info there, sorry)

0645: arrive parking lot.

0650: Arrive security

0655: through the gates

Walk towards the Chinese Theater.  Multiple CM’s direct us to breakfast.  We linger by the stage, and at...

0701: We walk left and then behind stage, and go directly in front of Chinese theater.  We are first with another 2 families.

0712: about 75 people in line.

0715: TSL CM’s arrive.

0718: over 100 people now waiting.

0723: start walking back to TSL. Over 200 people??? This pic was taken on our walk TO TSL




***WE STAY ON THE FAR RIGHT AS WE WALK TOWARDS TSL***In doing so, we end up...

0727: First in line for SDD.

0733: SDD for 2nd time. Wait time says 15 min. We wait 14min.

0751: alien swirling saucers. No wait

0758: TSM. No wait.

0812: SDD for third time. Wait time says 15 min wait.  Actual 8.5 min

0823: bathroom break

0828: SDD (4th time). ONLY 5 min wait max.

0839: walk to rope drop for RnRC.  We walk and see this.




We veer left and wait with the ToT and RnRC CM’s to await rope drop.

0845 (?): Rope Drop starts.
0848: RnR
0859: RnR again using FP (standby was about 5-10 min long at this point). Ride was down for about 10 min.
0930: breakfast.  A lot of great reviews, so I’ll bypass this.

Overall:
1. SDD x 4 (easily could’ve done one more before RD)
2. Alien Saucers x 1
3. TSM x 1
4. Rope drop
5. RnR x 2 (using FP although it wasn’t necessary)
6. Breakfast

Thank you all for your GREAT advice!!!! We used this message board to:
1. Bypass breakfast and wait in front of the theater at 0700.
2. Stay to the FAR RIGHT as you walk towards TSL with the Cast Members (especially if you are at or near the front)
3. Rope Drop your favorite ride, and re-ride it.
4. Then eat breakfast.

Thanks!!


----------



## SinCityMMAFan

@pal6860 Thank you for the amazing detailed review of your experience.


----------



## michelepa

yes thank you@pal6860
I was looking at MDE this morning and looks like right after event TSM went down for quite awhile if the app is to be believed! Also love the photos.  Looks like tons of people heading to event but your report makes it seems like it wasn't a problem.
RD crowds yikes.
Our plan for 3/27 is same as yours heading over to RnR and ToT before RD
I have your plan written down to follow!


----------



## Suejacken

pal6860 said:


> EMM REPORT 3/4/19:
> 
> Family of 5 (2 adults, 3 preteens) had a great time! Here are my notes I took today: (We were interested in rides only, not meet and greets, so no info there, sorry)
> 
> 0645: arrive parking lot.
> 
> 0650: Arrive security
> 
> 0655: through the gates
> 
> Walk towards the Chinese Theater.  Multiple CM’s direct us to breakfast.  We linger by the stage, and at...
> 
> 0701: We walk left and then behind stage, and go directly in front of Chinese theater.  We are first with another 2 families.
> 
> 0712: about 75 people in line.
> 
> 0715: TSL CM’s arrive.
> 
> 0718: over 100 people now waiting.
> 
> 0723: start walking back to TSL. Over 200 people??? This pic was taken on our walk TO TSL
> 
> View attachment 386365
> 
> 
> ***WE STAY ON THE FAR RIGHT AS WE WALK TOWARDS TSL***In doing so, we end up...
> 
> 0727: First in line for SDD.
> 
> 0733: SDD for 2nd time. Wait time says 15 min. We wait 14min.
> 
> 0751: alien swirling saucers. No wait
> 
> 0758: TSM. No wait.
> 
> 0812: SDD for third time. Wait time says 15 min wait.  Actual 8.5 min
> 
> 0823: bathroom break
> 
> 0828: SDD (4th time). ONLY 5 min wait max.
> 
> 0839: walk to rope drop for RnRC.  We walk and see this.
> 
> View attachment 386367
> 
> 
> We veer left and wait with the ToT and RnRC CM’s to await rope drop.
> 
> 0845 (?): Rope Drop starts.
> 0848: RnR
> 0859: RnR again using FP (standby was about 5-10 min long at this point). Ride was down for about 10 min.
> 0930: breakfast.  A lot of great reviews, so I’ll bypass this.
> 
> Overall:
> 1. SDD x 4 (easily could’ve done one more before RD)
> 2. Alien Saucers x 1
> 3. TSM x 1
> 4. Rope drop
> 5. RnR x 2 (using FP although it wasn’t necessary)
> 6. Breakfast
> 
> Thank you all for your GREAT advice!!!! We used this message board to:
> 1. Bypass breakfast and wait in front of the theater at 0700.
> 2. Stay to the FAR RIGHT as you walk towards TSL with the Cast Members (especially if you are at or near the front)
> 3. Rope Drop your favorite ride, and re-ride it.
> 4. Then eat breakfast.
> 
> Thanks!!


Thanks for the info. We are doing it on 7/1 and I was planning on skipping breakfast too


----------



## cakebaker

pal6860 said:


> EMM REPORT 3/4/19:
> 
> Family of 5 (2 adults, 3 preteens) had a great time! Here are my notes I took today: (We were interested in rides only, not meet and greets, so no info there, sorry)
> 
> 0645: arrive parking lot.
> 
> 0650: Arrive security
> 
> 0655: through the gates
> 
> Walk towards the Chinese Theater.  Multiple CM’s direct us to breakfast.  We linger by the stage, and at...
> 
> 0701: We walk left and then behind stage, and go directly in front of Chinese theater.  We are first with another 2 families.
> 
> 0712: about 75 people in line.
> 
> 0715: TSL CM’s arrive.
> 
> 0718: over 100 people now waiting.
> 
> 0723: start walking back to TSL. Over 200 people??? This pic was taken on our walk TO TSL
> 
> View attachment 386365
> 
> 
> ***WE STAY ON THE FAR RIGHT AS WE WALK TOWARDS TSL***In doing so, we end up...
> 
> 0727: First in line for SDD.
> 
> 0733: SDD for 2nd time. Wait time says 15 min. We wait 14min.
> 
> 0751: alien swirling saucers. No wait
> 
> 0758: TSM. No wait.
> 
> 0812: SDD for third time. Wait time says 15 min wait.  Actual 8.5 min
> 
> 0823: bathroom break
> 
> 0828: SDD (4th time). ONLY 5 min wait max.
> 
> 0839: walk to rope drop for RnRC.  We walk and see this.
> 
> View attachment 386367
> 
> 
> We veer left and wait with the ToT and RnRC CM’s to await rope drop.
> 
> 0845 (?): Rope Drop starts.
> 0848: RnR
> 0859: RnR again using FP (standby was about 5-10 min long at this point). Ride was down for about 10 min.
> 0930: breakfast.  A lot of great reviews, so I’ll bypass this.
> 
> Overall:
> 1. SDD x 4 (easily could’ve done one more before RD)
> 2. Alien Saucers x 1
> 3. TSM x 1
> 4. Rope drop
> 5. RnR x 2 (using FP although it wasn’t necessary)
> 6. Breakfast
> 
> Thank you all for your GREAT advice!!!! We used this message board to:
> 1. Bypass breakfast and wait in front of the theater at 0700.
> 2. Stay to the FAR RIGHT as you walk towards TSL with the Cast Members (especially if you are at or near the front)
> 3. Rope Drop your favorite ride, and re-ride it.
> 4. Then eat breakfast.
> 
> Thanks!!



Thanks for such detail! I’m using your methods for our EMM in May!


----------



## WaterLinds

The 7:00 Friday time for this week is now showing in the drop down menu, but doesn’t seem to be bookable yet. I’d hope at such short notice they’d enable it right away! Fingers crossed it’s up tomorrow.

Is there anyone here still who is searching a time for this Wednesday, 3/6? Assuming Friday becomes bookable we will be switching, so I can try to coordinate—but I know a lot of folks already found their Wednesday slot.

Now back to packing...


----------



## WaterLinds

@Kimberly Fogarty i can’t PM you because you don’t have enough posts, I think? But you were the first one who had asked me about the Wednesday date. Are you still looking for tickets? I know it’s last minute and you’re probably in the parks now, so I hope you see this.

I’m hoping the Friday slot opens up first thing tomorrow so I’ll tentatively plan to cancel my Wednesday tickets at 7 am tomorrow if that happens...if it’s not open tomorrow it’s going to be too late for me to cancel!


----------



## DWFamilyof6

Reporting back our experience today. 3/4.
2 adults, 4 kids (7-10)
Left POp at 6:51, had just missed the bus at 6:35. Bummer but we were fine. Made it in easily by 7:10.  All the CMs were super friendly and offered breakfast or we could wait to enter TSL.  We were maybe 100 people back. They let us in at 7:22.
As we headed past the M&G for where Woody and Jesse would meet no one was lined up yet. I was so tempted to stop but we kept going. Later the line was so so long the entire EMM. Rode Slinky Dog 3xs with very little wait. Maybe 7-8 min each.  On to ALiens Saucers. Restroom break. Snapped pictures as we walked but we moved pretty briskly. Toy Story Mania next. Then Slinky Dog 4 more times. By the end I think we waited 5 min or less each. Hit up Toy Story Mania as the rope drop came in. Just as our game finished the ride broke down and we emergency exited. Crazy. I felt
 so bad for rope droppers that had just got on. Stopped to get a CM pic in front of the entrance to Toy Story Land. Buzz had quite a long line but no one was getting Entry to the land pics. Family was hungry so we went to breakfast instead of Star Tours as I had planned. Everyone enjoyed breakfast a lot, or they were just starving.
We rode Star Tours, RR (FP), TT (FP), Nom NOm cookies and Incredibles Dance Party, stoped to watch the Galaxy Far Away stage show and back at the resort about 1:30.  We are now at the pool relaxing before heading back tonight for our Slinky Dog FP and to see the land at night.
Thanks for all the tips from this thread! My family and I really loved it!
Ride count 
SDD -7
ALiens - 1
TSM - 2


----------



## Lease257

kamash said:


> First, a quick thank you to everyone on this thread! I have literally read every post and while I think our party would have enjoyed the event either way, having a thorough understanding of the event and using all of the advice on this board made it that much more successful!
> 
> On to our experience...
> 
> We attended the event on Monday, February 25 and had 7:00AM tickets (although as noted many times on this thread, the time does not matter). We were a party of 6 adults staying at Boardwalk Inn.
> 
> The night before my party asked me what time we needed to leave and I told them to first answer me whether they wanted a pastry and coffee first (since breakfast is all you can eat) or if they just wanted to arrive in time for the opening of the rides and eat once after. We all agreed on skipping the first coffee/pastry in favor of a little extra sleep. With that decision, we agreed to leave the hotel at 6:40AM to make the walk over. (I gave that time preemptively knowing full well we would all be running 5-10 minutes late!)
> 
> We ended up heading out at 6:45AM and were at the park right about 7. We are fast and able walkers, though. If you have children or take a more leisurely pace, I would give yourself closer to 20-25 minutes for the walk vs 15 and definitely a bit more if on the other side at Yacht/Beach Club.
> 
> Check in was very easy and we were through the gates by 7:05AM. Walked slowly up street and arrived at the Chinese Theatre. They directed us to breakfast (as I expected), but we ignored them and went to wait with the small crowd behind the stage. At about 7:10AM a CM came around and told us that TSL would not open until 7:30AM, again pushing us to go get coffee, etc. My party got antsy and didn't want to wait for 20 minutes if that was true, but I assured them that they were just saying that and we had a good chance of getting in a bit early if we just waited! Luckily I convinced them as we were let back at 7:20AM!
> 
> The crowd was very pleasant and kind to one another and we had an easy walk back in to the land. One thing we got lucky with was being on the right had side of the crowd. If you are headed to SDD be on the right side, as that is where the push people going to SDD. The crowd was so small it didn't really matter, but being on the correct side already got us on the VERY FIRST RIDE of the event!
> 
> With my knowledge from this board I felt we could ride once more and still have a short wait, so we did. We ended up getting off our second ride just after 7:30AM. At this point the wait had "ballooned' to 15 minutes so I suggested we move on to a quick ride on AS2, then TSM and then back to SDD at the end. Luckily everyone agreed and we moved on! (I will say skipping breakfast and being at the "rope drop" is key to maximize rides, it definitely helped us get those two extra rides on SDD and our count may have only been 6 rides total if not for these key 10 minutes at the start.)
> 
> AS2 was a true walk on. We go through the queue and they just had us go pick any seat we wanted. We rode it once. It was fun, but didn't need to ride again. For anyone who is worried about it being like Teacups/making you motion sick, my DH hesitantly rode it and said he was pleasantly surprised and that it was definitely not as bad as other spinning rides. It more swings you back and forth than around in lots of little circles.
> 
> We then went to TSM. Rode once and almost could have stayed on to ride again, but couldn't get the group to agree and stay seated fast enough, so out the long exit we went. At that point everyone needed a quick bathroom break and some grabbed coffee in the land.
> 
> Our group then wanted to ride SDD again, but I saw the wait was still 15 minutes and knew it would go back down eventually. One couple really preferred to ride again over TSM, so we split up and met back up exactly at the same time! (So we ended up both getting a ride in in that time frame, but TSM is a longer ride and has a longer exit, so we definitely waited less.)
> 
> Then we all road SDD back to back two more times with about a 10 minute wait and then a 5 minute wait.
> 
> At that point it was 8:44AM so we rushed to TSM to get one last ride it!
> 
> My MIL wanted to get another coffee and relax so she waited outside and saw the mass of humanity that was the rope drop crowd come in! She said it was at about 8:50AM. This line for SDD was INSANE as we left the land. Extended all the way out past One Man's Dream/The Mike and Sully M&G.
> 
> We had gotten a 4th FP for TOT the evening before when we were at HS for dinner and fireworks, so we only were looking to ride RNRC. We walked to RNRC and it had a 5 minute wait at 9AM. It took more like 15 though, so I think the sign had not caught up to the line. We emerged to a 35 min wait at TOT so we headed back to breakfast. (Had we needed/wanted to ride TOT I think you need to cut your time in TSL a bit short and leave the land closer to 8:40AM. Especially with TOT sometimes running at half capacity now for maintenance it looked like the waits ballooned a lot faster.)
> 
> We really enjoyed breakfast and all of our party got multiple entrees and thought it was really fun you could try all of them. I know some people wish it was a little more basic of dishes, but we liked the variety and those that wanted plain eggs just got the kids meal.
> 
> In summary our ride count was:
> 
> *Party #1: 9 Total (8 in TSL)*
> SDD - 4
> TSM - 3
> AS2 - 1
> RNRC - 1
> 
> *Party #2: 9 Total (8 in TSL)*
> SDD - 5
> TSM - 2
> AS2 - 1
> RNRC - 1
> 
> We loved the event and honestly could have probably hustled to do a bit more, but we took a bathroom and coffee break and enjoyed having those moments to experience the land with low crowds.
> 
> Thank you everyone again!


I was there that day too. Everyone was so nice and pleasant. It was such a calm and peaceful atmosphere !!


----------



## Branderson610

DWFamilyof6 said:


> Reporting back our experience today. 3/4.
> 2 adults, 4 kids (7-10)
> Left POp at 6:51, had just missed the bus at 6:35. Bummer but we were fine. Made it in easily by 7:10.  All the CMs were super friendly and offered breakfast or we could wait to enter TSL.  We were maybe 100 people back. They let us in at 7:22.
> As we headed past the M&G for where Woody and Jesse would meet no one was lined up yet. I was so tempted to stop but we kept going. Later the line was so so long the entire EMM. Rode Slinky Dog 3xs with very little wait. Maybe 7-8 min each.  On to ALiens Saucers. Restroom break. Snapped pictures as we walked but we moved pretty briskly. Toy Story Mania next. Then Slinky Dog 4 more times. By the end I think we waited 5 min or less each. Hit up Toy Story Mania as the rope drop came in. Just as our game finished the ride broke down and we emergency exited. Crazy. I felt
> so bad for rope droppers that had just got on. Stopped to get a CM pic in front of the entrance to Toy Story Land. Buzz had quite a long line but no one was getting Entry to the land pics. Family was hungry so we went to breakfast instead of Star Tours as I had planned. Everyone enjoyed breakfast a lot, or they were just starving.
> We rode Star Tours, RR (FP), TT (FP), Nom NOm cookies and Incredibles Dance Party, stoped to watch the Galaxy Far Away stage show and back at the resort about 1:30.  We are now at the pool relaxing before heading back tonight for our Slinky Dog FP and to see the land at night.
> Thanks for all the tips from this thread! My family and I really loved it!
> Ride count
> SDD -7
> ALiens - 1
> TSM - 2


Wow SDD 7 times! That is amazing! I will be doing EMM next Monday. I can't wait. I have been noticing the Land has been opening around 7:20ish. I think I will get a pastry and a drink in time to get over there around 7:20.


----------



## crazycheryl

mydisneyanytime said:


> Does anyone know if you can go through the handicap line at TSMM during EMM?  My son is in a wheelchair though he can ride in a normal car (he is mobile for short distances) but it is easier for him to use the button rather than the pull string on the ride.  The continual motion for the string is much tougher on him than the button.  It is one of his favorite rides and last time we were there we waited about 15 minutes while they cleaned up an accident on the car so that we could ride it with the push button rather than go through the fast pass line.  Thanks!


My mom can’t do stairs so we went through the handicap line and they were using the handicap cars. I didn’t realize there was a push button option, but it was fully staffed.


----------



## pal6860

michelepa said:


> yes thank you@pal6860
> I was looking at MDE this morning and looks like right after event TSM went down for quite awhile if the app is to be believed! Also love the photos.  Looks like tons of people heading to event but your report makes it seems like it wasn't a problem.
> RD crowds yikes.
> Our plan for 3/27 is same as yours heading over to RnR and ToT before RD
> I have your plan written down to follow!



I think as long as leave TSL by 0840 (before the massive RD crowds descend upon TSL) you should be good to ride both Tot and RnRC at rope drop.  Good luck!
Oh, and by the way, it seemed ridiculously crowded on the slow CM guided walk to TSL, but once there, it really didn’t seem too crowded for us.


----------



## pal6860

Suejacken said:


> Thanks for the info. We are doing it on 7/1 and I was planning on skipping breakfast too


 
Thanks to the wonderful advice of many here, that one nugget of gold was a valuable one.  In skipping breakfast, and being in line early, it really saved us a bit of time to do TSL more leisurely and to our liking.


----------



## pal6860

cakebaker said:


> Thanks for such detail! I’m using your methods for our EMM in May!



Good luck!  Have fun!


----------



## Kimberly Fogarty

WaterLinds said:


> @Kimberly Fogarty i can’t PM you because you don’t have enough posts, I think? But you were the first one who had asked me about the Wednesday date. Are you still looking for tickets? I know it’s last minute and you’re probably in the parks now, so I hope you see this.
> 
> I’m hoping the Friday slot opens up first thing tomorrow so I’ll tentatively plan to cancel my Wednesday tickets at 7 am tomorrow if that happens...if it’s not open tomorrow it’s going to be too late for me to cancel!


Thanks for reaching out! I found tickets about 2 weeks ago, so I’m all set. Thanks again!


----------



## Suejacken

pal6860 said:


> Thanks to the wonderful advice of many here, that one nugget of gold was a valuable one.  In skipping breakfast, and being in line early, it really saved us a bit of time to do TSL more leisurely and to our liking.


awesome


----------



## anricat

Branderson610 said:


> I think I will get a pastry and a drink in time to get over there around 7:20.



I was thinking the same thing. I just want a quick pastry to hold me over and then I'll be golden. Has anyone done a quick pastry grab and been back over there in time to get right on?


----------



## ninafeliz

anricat said:


> I was thinking the same thing. I just want a quick pastry to hold me over and then I'll be golden. Has anyone done a quick pastry grab and been back over there in time to get right on?


We’ve done that twice, always at ABC Commisary.  We were let in at 6:45, went and had a pastry and cereal and ran to the batheroom, and back out to wait by 7:10.  There were some people already there but not a ton, and we were always led to TSL at 7:15 on the dot.  However it seems that the more recent reviews were not being led down until after 7:20, so maybe things have been pushed back a few minutes.


----------



## dachsie

anricat said:


> I was thinking the same thing. I just want a quick pastry to hold me over and then I'll be golden. Has anyone done a quick pastry grab and been back over there in time to get right on?


I did that in Dec when it was at ABC.  A croissant and coffee and waited in line.


----------



## DWFamilyof6

Branderson610 said:


> Wow SDD 7 times! That is amazing! I will be doing EMM next Monday. I can't wait. I have been noticing the Land has been opening around 7:20ish. I think I will get a pastry and a drink in time to get over there around 7:20.


So amazing! I had decided 4 times on SDD was our goal but 7 was really cool.


----------



## WaterLinds

Woohoo! Friday was open for booking! So there are now five tickets available for tomorrow morning if anyone is looking. (And also more spots for Friday if anyone else is trying to dodge the cooler weather tomorrow...)

And reviewing my FPs I think we might be ok leaving most things as they are, so not too much stress caused by swapping days. I’ll be glad we got hoppers for this trip, though!


----------



## michelepa

OKC Disney Fan said:


> We were there on Monday and did just that.  We left TSL just before the rope drop crowds arrived and made our way over to RnRC area.  We were held for just a moment by the Pixar store until the main RD crowd was let in.  Straight to RnRC where we were probably the 3 or 4th car on the ride.  Then went to TOT and rode with basically no wait.  Headed to breakfast at that point.  There was plenty of food and everything was still being prepared at 9:45-ish.



Were you let go to go toward RnR and ToT before the RD crowd was released toward those two rides?

My fam can’t stand the rope drop savagery so I need to know what to expect to plan accordingly.


----------



## OKC Disney Fan

michelepa said:


> Were you let go to go toward RnR and ToT before the RD crowd was released toward those two rides?
> 
> My fam can’t stand the rope drop savagery so I need to know what to expect to plan accordingly.



Yes.  We were in a smaller group of about 10 people separate from the main "mayhem" rope drop.  They were held on Hollywood Blvd between the Starbucks and Keystone Clothiers, while we were held around the bend between the side door to Starbucks and the Beverly Sunset boutique.  No issue at all.  They let both lines go about the same time, but only about 25 more people joined our group up Sunset.  The rest headed toward TSL.


----------



## michelepa

OKC Disney Fan said:


> Yes.  We were in a smaller group of about 10 people separate from the main "mayhem" rope drop.  They were held on Hollywood Blvd between the Starbucks and Keystone Clothiers, while we were held around the bend between the side door to Starbucks and the Beverly Sunset boutique.  No issue at all.  They let both lines go about the same time, but only about 25 more people joined our group up Sunset.  The rest headed toward TSL.



Thank you so much!


----------



## smallsy

My ADR window opened today but I can’t book for the first week in September yet. Is it not on the 180 day schedule?

ETA I can book MK EMM but not TSL
Maybe I’m getting my EMM experiences mixed up and TSL is a little delayed? Anyone able to book Sept yet?


----------



## minnie-may

We went to TSL EMM on Monday, February 25, 2019.

When we decided to make reservations for this event, there was no availability for the 4 of us.  I kept trying off and on with no luck. One day I decided to try for 2 people, and it showed up for 2 people.  I booked it for 2, then tried for 2 more, and it came up as available for 2 more people. As others have stated, keep trying.

We left Pop Century at 6:30 am by car.  I don't have exact times for arrival and entering, but cast members were encouraging everyone to go to Backlot Express which was 6:50 am when we got at that point.  We did go and got a pastry and coffee/soda. Went to line up at 7:10am. As soon as we got in front of Chinese Theatre, 7:10 am, we were let into TSL.

We were able to ride SDD 5 times, Alien SS 2 times, and TSM 1 time, with a restroom break somewhere in there. At 8:50am, while on SDD, we saw the massive crowd being led in TSL. The line extended all the way up to The Little Mermaid. The cast member told us we could ride SDD another time since it wasn't yet 9:00 am, but we passed and went back to Backlot Express for a brunch. I know there are mixed reviews on the food, but we found it to be pretty good.

We thoroughly enjoyed the event. The rides were literally walk-ons. This was our first time experiencing TSL.


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

I'm debating our post-EMM strategy for July 1 (It'll be a VERY busy day).

My original plan:
Leave TSL by 8:40 to line up for Sunset Blvd rope drop
RNRC
TOT
Back to breakfast (but maybe have 1 parent go with kids to sign up for JTA while other parent orders food, or sign up after breakfast)
This will leave us 3 FP to use after breakfast, one of which will be Star Tours

But, we'll have to walk back down Sunset for Beauty and the Beast show, as well as the new Cars show.  

I'm wondering if we should instead get FP for RNRC and ToT, and then:

Stay at EMM until the end (1 or 2 extra rides, maybe), but not have to watch the clock
2 rides on Star Tours
Breakfast and sign up for JTA
All 3 FP will be after breakfast, but two will be RnRC and ToT

I'm hoping we can arrange things so that we can do RnRC, ToT, B and the B, and Cars with one trip down Sunset.  We plan on staying at HS from EMM through Fantasmic (and Star Wars fireworks if they are an hour apart).  So it'll be a very long day.  Cutting down on walking back and forth is a must.


----------



## NJlauren

Has anyone done the meets during EMM?  

My daughter loves meeting characters, and assuming that stays the same for our trip, our priorities will be SDD (2-3 times), TSMM, AS2 and both meets.  Trying to figure out the timing, do we do Woody/Jesse first then AS, then TSMM then SDD then buzz?  Thoughts opinions? 

Or do we do the rides and meets later?


----------



## rtdiva2006

kamash said:


> First, a quick thank you to everyone on this thread! I have literally read every post and while I think our party would have enjoyed the event either way, having a thorough understanding of the event and using all of the advice on this board made it that much more successful!
> 
> On to our experience...
> 
> We attended the event on Monday, February 25 and had 7:00AM tickets (although as noted many times on this thread, the time does not matter). We were a party of 6 adults staying at Boardwalk Inn.
> 
> The night before my party asked me what time we needed to leave and I told them to first answer me whether they wanted a pastry and coffee first (since breakfast is all you can eat) or if they just wanted to arrive in time for the opening of the rides and eat once after. We all agreed on skipping the first coffee/pastry in favor of a little extra sleep. With that decision, we agreed to leave the hotel at 6:40AM to make the walk over. (I gave that time preemptively knowing full well we would all be running 5-10 minutes late!)
> 
> We ended up heading out at 6:45AM and were at the park right about 7. We are fast and able walkers, though. If you have children or take a more leisurely pace, I would give yourself closer to 20-25 minutes for the walk vs 15 and definitely a bit more if on the other side at Yacht/Beach Club.
> 
> Check in was very easy and we were through the gates by 7:05AM. Walked slowly up street and arrived at the Chinese Theatre. They directed us to breakfast (as I expected), but we ignored them and went to wait with the small crowd behind the stage. At about 7:10AM a CM came around and told us that TSL would not open until 7:30AM, again pushing us to go get coffee, etc. My party got antsy and didn't want to wait for 20 minutes if that was true, but I assured them that they were just saying that and we had a good chance of getting in a bit early if we just waited! Luckily I convinced them as we were let back at 7:20AM!
> 
> The crowd was very pleasant and kind to one another and we had an easy walk back in to the land. One thing we got lucky with was being on the right had side of the crowd. If you are headed to SDD be on the right side, as that is where the push people going to SDD. The crowd was so small it didn't really matter, but being on the correct side already got us on the VERY FIRST RIDE of the event!
> 
> With my knowledge from this board I felt we could ride once more and still have a short wait, so we did. We ended up getting off our second ride just after 7:30AM. At this point the wait had "ballooned' to 15 minutes so I suggested we move on to a quick ride on AS2, then TSM and then back to SDD at the end. Luckily everyone agreed and we moved on! (I will say skipping breakfast and being at the "rope drop" is key to maximize rides, it definitely helped us get those two extra rides on SDD and our count may have only been 6 rides total if not for these key 10 minutes at the start.)
> 
> AS2 was a true walk on. We go through the queue and they just had us go pick any seat we wanted. We rode it once. It was fun, but didn't need to ride again. For anyone who is worried about it being like Teacups/making you motion sick, my DH hesitantly rode it and said he was pleasantly surprised and that it was definitely not as bad as other spinning rides. It more swings you back and forth than around in lots of little circles.
> 
> We then went to TSM. Rode once and almost could have stayed on to ride again, but couldn't get the group to agree and stay seated fast enough, so out the long exit we went. At that point everyone needed a quick bathroom break and some grabbed coffee in the land.
> 
> Our group then wanted to ride SDD again, but I saw the wait was still 15 minutes and knew it would go back down eventually. One couple really preferred to ride again over TSM, so we split up and met back up exactly at the same time! (So we ended up both getting a ride in in that time frame, but TSM is a longer ride and has a longer exit, so we definitely waited less.)
> 
> Then we all road SDD back to back two more times with about a 10 minute wait and then a 5 minute wait.
> 
> At that point it was 8:44AM so we rushed to TSM to get one last ride it!
> 
> My MIL wanted to get another coffee and relax so she waited outside and saw the mass of humanity that was the rope drop crowd come in! She said it was at about 8:50AM. This line for SDD was INSANE as we left the land. Extended all the way out past One Man's Dream/The Mike and Sully M&G.
> 
> We had gotten a 4th FP for TOT the evening before when we were at HS for dinner and fireworks, so we only were looking to ride RNRC. We walked to RNRC and it had a 5 minute wait at 9AM. It took more like 15 though, so I think the sign had not caught up to the line. We emerged to a 35 min wait at TOT so we headed back to breakfast. (Had we needed/wanted to ride TOT I think you need to cut your time in TSL a bit short and leave the land closer to 8:40AM. Especially with TOT sometimes running at half capacity now for maintenance it looked like the waits ballooned a lot faster.)
> 
> We really enjoyed breakfast and all of our party got multiple entrees and thought it was really fun you could try all of them. I know some people wish it was a little more basic of dishes, but we liked the variety and those that wanted plain eggs just got the kids meal.
> 
> In summary our ride count was:
> 
> *Party #1: 9 Total (8 in TSL)*
> SDD - 4
> TSM - 3
> AS2 - 1
> RNRC - 1
> 
> *Party #2: 9 Total (8 in TSL)*
> SDD - 5
> TSM - 2
> AS2 - 1
> RNRC - 1
> 
> We loved the event and honestly could have probably hustled to do a bit more, but we took a bathroom and coffee break and enjoyed having those moments to experience the land with low crowds.
> 
> Thank you everyone again!




Thank you for this! Love the detailed information. Very helpful....I have a question I am hoping someone can answer. If the park doesn't open until 9am and EMM is rides from 7:30-9:00, why are they letting rope drop people back to TSL as early as 8:40 or 8:50????? I have seen many posts on this saying the massive rope drop crowds were coming back at 8:50 and a few that even said as early as 8:40... That's cutting people who paid for this event time by 10-20 minutes of rides that they could and should be getting. We will do the EMM as long as it is offered when we go this year, just trying to understand why they are doing that and if it is the normal now.


----------



## TheyCallMeStacey

PrincessArlena'sDad said:


> Stay at EMM until the end (1 or 2 extra rides, maybe), but not have to watch the clock
> 2 rides on Star Tours
> Breakfast and sign up for JTA
> All 3 FP will be after breakfast, but two will be RnRC and ToT



This is our plan!


----------



## ninafeliz

rtdiva2006 said:


> Thank you for this! Love the detailed information. Very helpful....I have a question I am hoping someone can answer. If the park doesn't open until 9am and EMM is rides from 7:30-9:00, why are they letting rope drop people back to TSL as early as 8:40 or 8:50????? I have seen many posts on this saying the massive rope drop crowds were coming back at 8:50 and a few that even said as early as 8:40... That's cutting people who paid for this event time by 10-20 minutes of rides that they could and should be getting. We will do the EMM as long as it is offered when we go this year, just trying to understand why they are doing that and if it is the normal now.



I think the actual times of this event are listed as 7:30-8:45.  I was also annoyed until I realized that.  The MK EMM is 7:45-9:00.


----------



## rtdiva2006

ninafeliz said:


> I think the actual times of this event are listed as 7:30-8:45.  I was also annoyed until I realized that.  The MK EMM is 7:45-9:00.



Thank you! I just went back to the website and saw that! Crazy! I thought it was until 9 as well, not 8:45. Good to be in the know and to help plan it out better.


----------



## Dracarys

PrincessArlena'sDad said:


> I'm debating our post-EMM strategy for July 1 (It'll be a VERY busy day).
> 
> My original plan:
> Leave TSL by 8:40 to line up for Sunset Blvd rope drop
> RNRC
> TOT
> Back to breakfast (but maybe have 1 parent go with kids to sign up for JTA while other parent orders food, or sign up after breakfast)
> This will leave us 3 FP to use after breakfast, one of which will be Star Tours
> 
> But, we'll have to walk back down Sunset for Beauty and the Beast show, as well as the new Cars show.
> 
> I'm wondering if we should instead get FP for RNRC and ToT, and then:
> 
> Stay at EMM until the end (1 or 2 extra rides, maybe), but not have to watch the clock
> 2 rides on Star Tours
> Breakfast and sign up for JTA
> All 3 FP will be after breakfast, but two will be RnRC and ToT
> 
> I'm hoping we can arrange things so that we can do RnRC, ToT, B and the B, and Cars with one trip down Sunset.  We plan on staying at HS from EMM through Fantasmic (and Star Wars fireworks if they are an hour apart).  So it'll be a very long day.  Cutting down on walking back and forth is a must.



I am trying to figure out a plan that reduces the amount of back and forth walking as well. I'm still playing with my plans, but I think I have settled on a basic plan.

8:45- Go to breakfast
9:30- First Lightning McQueen show
10- FP RNRC with Rider Swap
11- Beauty and Beast
11:30- FP TOT with Rider Swap
12:30- FP Star Tours with Rider Swap (still trying to decide if I want to do this before breakfast, since we have to do Rider Swap and I want to make it to the first Cars show)
1:15- Maybe Disney Junior

We just want to be leaving by 2:00pm which means we need to try for the first shows for Cars and Beauty and the Beast. The Rider Swap also adds more time to each ride, so it reduces the benefit of rope drop before breakfast for us.


----------



## KrazeeK120

NJlauren said:


> Has anyone done the meets during EMM?
> 
> My daughter loves meeting characters, and assuming that stays the same for our trip, our priorities will be SDD (2-3 times), TSMM, AS2 and both meets.  Trying to figure out the timing, do we do Woody/Jesse first then AS, then TSMM then SDD then buzz?  Thoughts opinions?
> 
> Or do we do the rides and meets later?



We met the characters when we did EMM. Woody and Jessie come out right about 7:30, so it’s best to be in line at that time to meet them. Buzz never had much of a wait the day we were there.

We did SDD once as a family. My (at the time) nearly 3 year old didn’t like it. We did TSMM as a family and DH and DS rode AS2 (I opted not to ride that one). Then, I rode SDD solo while DH and DS did AS2 again and DH rode SDD while DS and I rode TSMM again. We probably could have done more rides if it weren’t for all of the switching around, but we got to experience all of TSL and were pleased with the event. I’d do it again, but I’m not sure it will exist the next time I go as SWGE will be open at that time.


----------



## NJlauren

KrazeeK120 said:


> We met the characters when we did EMM. Woody and Jessie come out right about 7:30, so it’s best to be in line at that time to meet them. Buzz never had much of a wait the day we were there.
> 
> We did SDD once as a family. My (at the time) nearly 3 year old didn’t like it. We did TSMM as a family and DH and DS rode AS2 (I opted not to ride that one). Then, I rode SDD solo while DH and DS did AS2 again and DH rode SDD while DS and I rode TSMM again. We probably could have done more rides if it weren’t for all of the switching around, but we got to experience all of TSL and were pleased with the event. I’d do it again, but I’m not sure it will exist the next time I go as SWGE will be open at that time.



Thank you!  Very helpful!

Do you happen to know where the meet is?  I should make sure I know!  I’ll plan on the meet first then the rides.


----------



## KrazeeK120

NJlauren said:


> Thank you!  Very helpful!
> 
> Do you happen to know where the meet is?  I should make sure I know!  I’ll plan on the meet first then the rides.



The Buzz meet is just as you enter TSL. Woody & Jessie meet just past the TSMM entrance, across from SDD if I remember correctly (on the left if you’re coming from the TSL entrance).


----------



## GADisneyDad14

smallsy said:


> My ADR window opened today but I can’t book for the first week in September yet. Is it not on the 180 day schedule?
> 
> ETA I can book MK EMM but not TSL
> Maybe I’m getting my EMM experiences mixed up and TSL is a little delayed? Anyone able to book Sept yet?



Yeah, it's MK EMM that's in a rolling 180 day pattern right now.  DHS EMM is only available through 8/28.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

minnie-may said:


> We went to TSL EMM on Monday, February 25, 2019.
> 
> When we decided to make reservations for this event, there was no availability for the 4 of us.  I kept trying off and on with no luck. One day I decided to try for 2 people, and it showed up for 2 people.  I booked it for 2, then tried for 2 more, and it came up as available for 2 more people. As others have stated, keep trying.
> 
> We left Pop Century at 6:30 am by car.  I don't have exact times for arrival and entering, but cast members were encouraging everyone to go to Backlot Express which was 6:50 am when we got at that point.  We did go and got a pastry and coffee/soda. Went to line up at 7:10am. As soon as we got in front of Chinese Theatre, 7:10 am, we were let into TSL.
> 
> We were able to ride SDD 5 times, Alien SS 2 times, and TSM 1 time, with a restroom break somewhere in there. At 8:50am, while on SDD, we saw the massive crowd being led in TSL. The line extended all the way up to The Little Mermaid. The cast member told us we could ride SDD another time since it wasn't yet 9:00 am, but we passed and went back to Backlot Express for a brunch. I know there are mixed reviews on the food, but we found it to be pretty good.
> 
> We thoroughly enjoyed the event. The rides were literally walk-ons. This was our first time experiencing TSL.



Thanks for the report @minnie-may, and to the DIS!


----------



## hdrolfe

Considering this for a trip in August (or doing the one at MK). The problem I see with this is my kiddo does not like the TSM, and probably doesn't want to meet the characters. He really wants to ride Slinky Dog, and I am hopeful we'd be able to get fast passes at least one day of our trip. I'm just not sure it's worth it, I mean how many times could we really get to ride? And the saucer swirl one too I think. Two rides and breakfast... maybe better off doing MK?


----------



## Dmwc484

hdrolfe said:


> Considering this for a trip in August (or doing the one at MK). The problem I see with this is my kiddo does not like the TSM, and probably doesn't want to meet the characters. He really wants to ride Slinky Dog, and I am hopeful we'd be able to get fast passes at least one day of our trip. I'm just not sure it's worth it, I mean how many times could we really get to ride? And the saucer swirl one too I think. Two rides and breakfast... maybe better off doing MK?





We did this Monday. You can ride slinky several times back to back. I'll write up more next week when I get home but we ride slinky dog 4 times, as2 1 time and tsmn 2 times. And that was with a slow moving 5 year old and a bathroom break.


----------



## dachsie

hdrolfe said:


> Considering this for a trip in August (or doing the one at MK). The problem I see with this is my kiddo does not like the TSM, and probably doesn't want to meet the characters. He really wants to ride Slinky Dog, and I am hopeful we'd be able to get fast passes at least one day of our trip. I'm just not sure it's worth it, I mean how many times could we really get to ride? And the saucer swirl one too I think. Two rides and breakfast... maybe better off doing MK?


When I went in Dec I rose AS2 once, met W&J, and then road SDD 6 times.  I could have gone once more before RD crowds but needed to go eat and get back to hotel for MDE to airport.  So I would say you can definitely get more than 2 rides in


----------



## kamash

rtdiva2006 said:


> Thank you! I just went back to the website and saw that! Crazy! I thought it was until 9 as well, not 8:45. Good to be in the know and to help plan it out better.



Yes, this event is listed as ending at 8:45. Our day they came a little after, as we walked into TSL right at 8:45/46 assuming we needed to rush to make sure we didn’t get caught in the crowd.   My MIL stayed outside drinking coffee and said she thought it was around 8:50. I do think it fluctuates a little, but it seems like the majority of reports are getting the full Tim until 8:45 at least.


----------



## Suejacken

I was checking wait times since today is a toy story land early morning and slinky dog isn’t running. I feel so bad for anyone who is there. It looks like they opened up Star tours instead


----------



## cakebaker

Suejacken said:


> I was checking wait times since today is a toy story land early morning and slinky dog isn’t running. I feel so bad for anyone who is there. It looks like they opened up Star tours instead



While rides aren’t guaranteed to be open, I’d be first in line at guest services for a refund. SDD is THE reason to book this for us. I would be so disappointed, especially since ours is booked for our last full day with no chance for a re-do. Hopefully they’re handing out FP’s for EMM guests.

Edited to add- looks like it’s running now with a 20 minute wait?


----------



## michelepa

TSM has been closed for a bit of time according to the MDE and it was showing RnR  with a wait wonder if that's true and they opened Star Tours and RnR after SDD and TSM went down and this isn't even the height of the spring break crowds and WDW is already having problems keeping things running


----------



## mtrib

Our TSL EMM review for 2/27 (of note we had the 7:30 reservation):

Walked out of Boardwalk 6:26 AM with two tired teenagers. Weather was spectacular. 

Short line at security and I have us halfway down Hollywood Blvd at 6:51. 

We went to Backlot Express for pastries and coffee first. Stopped to talk with a manager about DD's food allergy, sat for 5 minutes to eat, and were out at 7:09. Lined up in front of Chinese Theater at 7:11AM with a few dozen people in front of us. A little shuffling and we were close to the front of the pack. 

Started walking back to TSL at 7:22. **As you head toward SDD stay to the right under the green umbrellas and you will end up in the best position to funnel into the line**  At 7:29 we were on the first car of the day on SDD!! What a fun ride. Line was about 15 minutes long when we got off so we headed to TSMM at 7:34 and rode once. DS17's gun wasn't working most of the time. They offered to let us stay on and ride again but we all wanted to get back on SDD (and DH doesn't love the ride). 

I didn't record the time for SDD #2 but I then have us on AS at 8:12. DS17 was less than amused. 8:16 pic in front of the Buzz statue. Ride was "meh" for adults and teens. I'd skip it unless you have younger kids. There were SDFP that I saw several times during the day that you could get instead. I think there are better uses of your EMM time. 

Then back to SDD two more times. Line was probably 5 minutes each time. The back car on the left side is really the most fun. 

I wanted one more ride but the line looked about 10 minutes long and we were trying to get to RnRC for RD. Grabbed some water and granola bars from the little break station by *** and headed out of TSL. As we turned onto Sunset at 8:44 the TSL RD crowd was heading in and it was definitely a sight to see. 

We were the first people in the RD line on Sunset at 8:45 and walked on to RnRC at 8:54. Third car of the day because we waited for front row. Off at 9:03.

DD and I walked on to ToT at 9:08. 

Got back to Backlot Express at about 9:30 and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast. We particularly enjoyed the Chilaquiles bowl and the chicken and donuts. We got 6 entrees between the four of us plus fruit and cereal from the buffet. We had TSMM FPP for 9:40-10:40 but it was down for the whole morning. Felt bad for all those RD people who planned to do SDD then TSMM without a FP. 

Overall:
breakfast x 2
SDD x 4
TSMM x 1
*** X 1
RD RnRC and ToT

All by 9:15 AM. I think this event is definitely worth the price.


----------



## WhitneyMB

michelepa said:


> TSM has been closed for a bit of time according to the MDE and it was showing RnR with a wait wonder if that's true and they opened Star Tours and RnR after SDD and TSM went down and this isn't even the height of the spring break crowds and WDW is already having problems keeping things running



Yikes! Yeah, that's a bad situation. I'm glad they opened other rides--but I hope they also gave out lots of anytime FPs to come back and ride Slinky Dog and TSM once they got up and going again. I remember other people saying that SD has seemed to have occasional problems in the cold--I wonder if that was causing problems this morning? What bad timing with TSM too.


----------



## schmass

mtrib said:


> We went to Backlot Express for pastries and coffee first. Stopped to talk with a manager about DD's food allergy, sat for 5 minutes to eat, and were out at 7:09. Lined up in front of Chinese Theater at 7:11AM with a few dozen people in front of us. A little shuffling and we were close to the front of the pack.


How did they handle the food allergy?  Were there allergy-friendly pastries available?  Both of my kids have multiple food allergies so I've been wondering about this.


----------



## Disney fan 345

Hi!! I was wondering if anyone has used Uber with the car seat option to get to the Hollywood studios that early for the event?
Did you have issues finding one that early?

I was worried with bus transportation.
We would need a car seat for a two year old if we don’t use the bus.
I’m not sure what time buses start running from art of animation.... 
Thanks!!


----------



## rxbeth

Disney fan 345 said:


> Hi!! I was wondering if anyone has used Uber with the car seat option to get to the Hollywood studios that early for the event?
> Did you have issues finding one that early?
> 
> I was worried with bus transportation.
> We would need a car seat for a two year old if we don’t use the bus.
> I’m not sure what time buses start running from art of animation....
> Thanks!!



I didn't take Uber but took a bus from Pop. They seem to be running buses starting 6am from various reports. I caught a bus at 6:30.


----------



## mtrib

schmass said:


> How did they handle the food allergy?  Were there allergy-friendly pastries available?  Both of my kids have multiple food allergies so I've been wondering about this.



When we got there the person who greeted us called the manager out and he brought the binder. I was disappointed that they only had labels for 2 of the 6 pastries. But my DD only wanted a croissant and Froot Loops, so it was fine. There were loose nuts on the buffet but not near the pastries so we declined the offer to bring us fresh ones from the back as I thought the chance of cross contamination was pretty low. We've sometimes waited a long time for allergy info and I was particularly worried about the time issue for this event. But he was very efficient and helpful. I did not ask about Big 8 free pastries as we are only TN allergic.


----------



## Candycane83

Is walking the only way to get from YC to DHS that early in the morning? Or do they have buses too? Or is my only choice Uber?  thanks!!


----------



## Candycane83

KrazeeK120 said:


> We met the characters when we did EMM. Woody and Jessie come out right about 7:30, so it’s best to be in line at that time to meet them. Buzz never had much of a wait the day we were there.
> 
> We did SDD once as a family. My (at the time) nearly 3 year old didn’t like it. We did TSMM as a family and DH and DS rode AS2 (I opted not to ride that one). Then, I rode SDD solo while DH and DS did AS2 again and DH rode SDD while DS and I rode TSMM again. We probably could have done more rides if it weren’t for all of the switching around, but we got to experience all of TSL and were pleased with the event. I’d do it again, but I’m not sure it will exist the next time I go as SWGE will be open at that time.


Thanks for this review! My 4 year old seems excited to ride SDD but he was scared on RSR at DL so I’m not sure if he would really like it or not. Great to know it’s still a great experience even if he doesn’t like SDD!


----------



## schmass

mtrib said:


> When we got there the person who greeted us called the manager out and he brought the binder. I was disappointed that they only had labels for 2 of the 6 pastries. But my DD only wanted a croissant and Froot Loops, so it was fine. There were loose nuts on the buffet but not near the pastries so we declined the offer to bring us fresh ones from the back as I thought the chance of cross contamination was pretty low. We've sometimes waited a long time for allergy info and I was particularly worried about the time issue for this event. But he was very efficient and helpful. I did not ask about Big 8 free pastries as we are only TN allergic.


Thanks - this is helpful information!


----------



## Mrspeaks

Just saw the August 29th opening for Star Wars, thinking my hopes for EMM for our Labor Day trip might not happen now.


----------



## Kristen23

Disney fan 345 said:


> Hi!! I was wondering if anyone has used Uber with the car seat option to get to the Hollywood studios that early for the event?
> Did you have issues finding one that early?
> 
> I was worried with bus transportation.
> We would need a car seat for a two year old if we don’t use the bus.
> I’m not sure what time buses start running from art of animation....
> Thanks!!


We booked a Mears car online (late) the night prior to out event. It was $19, you could reserve a car seat, and the driver showed even up a few minutes early. Mears texted us his direct telephone # that morning in case we needed to contact him. It worked perfectly and I would recommend!


----------



## TISHLOVESDISNEY

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Yeah, it's MK EMM that's in a rolling 180 day pattern right now.  DHS EMM is only available through 8/28.



Now we know why no rolling after the 28th.


----------



## smallsy

Mrspeaks said:


> Just saw the August 29th opening for Star Wars, thinking my hopes for EMM for our Labor Day trip might not happen now.


 we booked through rented DVC and can’t cancel 


TISHLOVESDISNEY said:


> Now we know why no rolling after the 28th.


Ughhhh I really thought by going early we were avoiding this


----------



## hdrolfe

Looks like I will be doing the EMM for my August trip, before Galaxy's Edge opens, so we can get all the toy story rides done. And redoing my trip's plans for the week. At least we'll get to ride Slinky dog!


----------



## jamieluvsdisney

Is the opinion that there will be no EMM at Toy Story Land in September?  I was trying to look for it this morning before the announcement was made.


----------



## dachsie

jamieluvsdisney said:


> Is the opinion that there will be no EMM at Toy Story Land in September?  I was trying to look for it this morning before the announcement was made.


They way everyone is so hyped about SWGE you probably won't need EMM to ride


----------



## Disney fan 345

rxbeth said:


> I didn't take Uber but took a bus from Pop. They seem to be running buses starting 6am from various reports. I caught a bus at 6:30.


Thank you!!


----------



## Disney fan 345

Kristen23 said:


> We booked a Mears car online (late) the night prior to out event. It was $19, you could reserve a car seat, and the driver showed even up a few minutes early. Mears texted us his direct telephone # that morning in case we needed to contact him. It worked perfectly and I would recommend!


Thank you! Is it the mears transportation site?


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

jamieluvsdisney said:


> Is the opinion that there will be no EMM at Toy Story Land in September?  I was trying to look for it this morning before the announcement was made.


I think there will be, just not right away.  Unless they get rid of H&V PPO also, they still need to clear a way through for early morning access.  And, EMM would be easier, as it is quite a bit earlier.

Imagine if TSL EMM let you get into SWGE in front of the rope drop crowd (like you can now with sunset blvd).  They could double the price and still sell out.

However, like with Pandora, they may have daily 8 am openings (regular or EMH) for awhile.  Obviously, EMM would have to be on hiatus until the daily 8 am openings come to an end (which they eventually will, I think).


----------



## cakebaker

jamieluvsdisney said:


> Is the opinion that there will be no EMM at Toy Story Land in September?  I was trying to look for it this morning before the announcement was made.



I’d bet money there won’t be with SWGE opening.


----------



## Suejacken

PrincessArlena'sDad said:


> I think there will be, just not right away.  Unless they get rid of H&V PPO also, they still need to clear a way through for early morning access.  And, EMM would be easier, as it is quite a bit earlier.
> 
> Imagine if TSL EMM let you get into SWGE in front of the rope drop crowd (like you can now with sunset blvd).  They could double the price and still sell out.
> 
> However, like with Pandora, they may have daily 8 am openings (regular or EMH) for awhile.  Obviously, EMM would have to be on hiatus until the daily 8 am openings come to an end (which they eventually will, I think).


Last year they opened toy story land early for the whole month of July


----------



## smallsy

Yeah I was hoping for EMM on Sept 2 so that’s definitely not happening now. Ugh! I think we’re just going to skip HS altogether which is a bummer since SDD was the ride my kiddos were most excited about. Not sure if it’s worth hopping over there in that mess for one ride even if we could get a FP.


----------



## DisneyMomma930

With the announcement of SWGE opening 8/29, Im hoping HS wont be too busy in mid-August....wishful thinking?  We are going 8/14-8/21 and not SW people so Im relieved that we are missing that chaos.  We are still going to do EMM for TSL because Im sure people will still be flocking to SDD at RD.


----------



## cakebaker

DisneyMomma930 said:


> With the announcement of SWGE opening 8/29, Im hoping HS wont be too busy in mid-August....wishful thinking?  We are going 8/14-8/21 and not SW people so Im relieved that we are missing that chaos.  We are still going to do EMM for TSL because Im sure people will still be flocking to SDD at RD.



Probably wishful thinking. Most people’s plans are set further in advance. No doubt it won’t be as crazy then, but I wouldn’t look for a big reduction in numbers.


----------



## Kristen23

Disney fan 345 said:


> Thank you! Is it the mears transportation site?


yes!


----------



## JK World

Our trip is not until mid November, so I'm really hoping EMM is back by then. My whole plan for HS is contingent on knocking out TSL early through EMM so we can focus our FP on other things.

Not looking forward to the increased crowds. They will definitely spill into the whole park. I specifically schedule our trips during lower crowd times for DS, who will be turning 5 on this trip.

I just hope Disney lets us know what type of paid event options there will be in time for planning purposes. I'll have to book multiple ADRs since I won't be able to plan park days properly without details from Disney.


----------



## dachsie

smallsy said:


> Yeah I was hoping for EMM on Sept 2 so that’s definitely not happening now. Ugh! I think we’re just going to skip HS altogether which is a bummer since SDD was the ride my kiddos were most excited about. Not sure if it’s worth hopping over there in that mess for one ride even if we could get a FP.


I would think if you avoided SWGE you would be fine at HS


----------



## Suejacken

It looks like toy story mania isn’t working for early magic hours today


----------



## cakebaker

Suejacken said:


> It looks like toy story mania isn’t working for early magic hours today



Seems like Star Tours is the default ride to open when 1 goes down.


----------



## Brett Wyman

Do we know for a fact there won't be any September EMM dates? Was it officially stated?


----------



## cakebaker

Brett Wyman said:


> Do we know for a fact there won't be any September EMM dates? Was it officially stated?



No, no official word.


----------



## rxbeth

cakebaker said:


> Seems like Star Tours is the default ride to open when 1 goes down.



Which doesn't seem like a good replacement because it has a height restriction. Although I guess they have no other options.


----------



## Brett Wyman

rxbeth said:


> Which doesn't seem like a good replacement because it has a height restriction. Although I guess they have no other options.



Yeah there are literally no more rides in the park outside of ToT and RnR.


----------



## Suejacken

The other day when Slinky Dog was down they opened Star tours. Then at some point they opened rock and roller coaster. Then slinky started working and toy story mania went down


----------



## CAStevens218

We attended on 3/6.  They didn't get Slinky Dog working until after 8:00...maybe 8:15?  I can't say for sure because we went to rise Toy Story Mania and it was working when we came out.  I see reports of other rides being open, but if that is true then no one told us and we spoke to several cast members for updates.  They should really find a better way to communicate these things, there are certainly enough cast members standing around that they could walk around telling people.  

We got right in line for Woody and Jessie when they opened Toy Story land and we were the second family.  After that was when we realized slinky dog was down, so we went and did alien swirling saucers twice.  We then had some hot chocolate because it was chilly and looked around the land.  Since slinky was still down we went to do toy story mania and slinky was working when we came out.  We rode slinky dog twice before rope drop crown arrived.  

I spoke to a cast member on our way out and he said we could ride slinky dog through 10AM in the fastpass line.  I nicely explained that this wasn't acceptable for me because we had other plans from 9:00-10:00 (we wanted to go ride Tower of Terror and do a few other things before lines got crazy) but he said that he couldn't give us fastpasses.  We continued on with our day, rode tower of terror twice and met some characters.  Then I sent my husband and son over to do their star wars fastpass and I went to guest relations, where I explained to them why their solution didn't work for me and asked for two additional fastpasses for each member of my family.  They agreed and loaded them onto our account.  I was happy with that solution.  

So, while it was disappointing that we didn't get to ride slinky dog more, it ended up working out and it was nice to be able to go over for a couple more slinky dog rides later in the afternoon.


----------



## Suejacken

CAStevens218 said:


> We attended on 3/6.  They didn't get Slinky Dog working until after 8:00...maybe 8:15?  I can't say for sure because we went to rise Toy Story Mania and it was working when we came out.  I see reports of other rides being open, but if that is true then no one told us and we spoke to several cast members for updates.  They should really find a better way to communicate these things, there are certainly enough cast members standing around that they could walk around telling people.
> 
> We got right in line for Woody and Jessie when they opened Toy Story land and we were the second family.  After that was when we realized slinky dog was down, so we went and did alien swirling saucers twice.  We then had some hot chocolate because it was chilly and looked around the land.  Since slinky was still down we went to do toy story mania and slinky was working when we came out.  We rode slinky dog twice before rope drop crown arrived.
> 
> I spoke to a cast member on our way out and he said we could ride slinky dog through 10AM in the fastpass line.  I nicely explained that this wasn't acceptable for me because we had other plans from 9:00-10:00 (we wanted to go ride Tower of Terror and do a few other things before lines got crazy) but he said that he couldn't give us fastpasses.  We continued on with our day, rode tower of terror twice and met some characters.  Then I sent my husband and son over to do their star wars fastpass and I went to guest relations, where I explained to them why their solution didn't work for me and asked for two additional fastpasses for each member of my family.  They agreed and loaded them onto our account.  I was happy with that solution.
> 
> So, while it was disappointing that we didn't get to ride slinky dog more, it ended up working out and it was nice to be able to go over for a couple more slinky dog rides later in the afternoon.


Good for you for being persistent. I only noticed those rides because I check the wait times on my Disney experience every time they have the early Toy Story event. I am trying to plan my day when we do it on 7/1. I am trying to determine the wait times for other rides after the toy story event ends.


----------



## cakebaker

CAStevens218 said:


> We attended on 3/6.  They didn't get Slinky Dog working until after 8:00...maybe 8:15?  I can't say for sure because we went to rise Toy Story Mania and it was working when we came out.  I see reports of other rides being open, but if that is true then no one told us and we spoke to several cast members for updates.  They should really find a better way to communicate these things, there are certainly enough cast members standing around that they could walk around telling people.
> 
> We got right in line for Woody and Jessie when they opened Toy Story land and we were the second family.  After that was when we realized slinky dog was down, so we went and did alien swirling saucers twice.  We then had some hot chocolate because it was chilly and looked around the land.  Since slinky was still down we went to do toy story mania and slinky was working when we came out.  We rode slinky dog twice before rope drop crown arrived.
> 
> I spoke to a cast member on our way out and he said we could ride slinky dog through 10AM in the fastpass line.  I nicely explained that this wasn't acceptable for me because we had other plans from 9:00-10:00 (we wanted to go ride Tower of Terror and do a few other things before lines got crazy) but he said that he couldn't give us fastpasses.  We continued on with our day, rode tower of terror twice and met some characters.  Then I sent my husband and son over to do their star wars fastpass and I went to guest relations, where I explained to them why their solution didn't work for me and asked for two additional fastpasses for each member of my family.  They agreed and loaded them onto our account.  I was happy with that solution.
> 
> So, while it was disappointing that we didn't get to ride slinky dog more, it ended up working out and it was nice to be able to go over for a couple more slinky dog rides later in the afternoon.



Good to know that using the FP line is a possibility if it’s down. Good for you for taking it to guest services. That’s usually the place that if it can be done, it will be. I would’ve done the same thing. Undoubtedly the CM just didn’t have the authority to do it. 

I actually kind of like the idea of having FPS later in the day to stretch out riding SDD rather than back to back.


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## CAStevens218

Suejacken said:


> Good for you for being persistent. I only noticed those rides because I check the wait times on my Disney experience every time they have the early Toy Story event. I am trying to plan my day when we do it on 7/1. I am trying to determine the wait times for other rides after the toy story event ends.



We got over to Tower of Terror a little after 9 and walked on the first ride, then my son wanted to go again so we got back in line and waited maybe 5-10 minutes.  I didn't notice the times for Rockin Roller Coaster because my son isn't tall enough so I wasn't looking.  



cakebaker said:


> Good to know that using the FP line is a possibility if it’s down. Good for you for taking it to guest services. That’s usually the place that if it can be done, it will be. I would’ve done the same thing. Undoubtedly the CM just didn’t have the authority to do it.
> 
> I actually kind of like the idea of having FPS later in the day to stretch out riding SDD rather than back to back.



Yes, the CM was very nice but definitely couldn't have done anything for me even if he wanted to.  It actually worked out very nicely because we had a Toy Story Mania fastpass for later in the afternoon so we were able venture back into Toy Story Land for 2x slinky dog and 1x Toy Story Mania.  

Even with slinky dog being down, we thought the event was worth it, and can imagine how amazing it would be if slinky were open and we could have ridden it over and over and over like we planned.  Even with this experience we will do this and similar events in the future.  

It was pretty chilly (low to mid 40s), so it does seem like cold weather is a common denominator most times that slinky dog has been down, at least from what I've seen.  So hopefully with more consistent warm weather coming others won't have this problem.


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## Jennie2003

We are booked for TS EMM on 8/26 (did it before the announcement lol). Maybe they will let us into GE as a way to test the land without people flipping about a soft opening g (crossing my fingers!)


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## Woody412

We went to the MK EMM over the summer, before they expanded it, and they were offering unlimited fast passes until noon for 7DMT if it was down during EMM. I’m not sure if they’re still doing it now that they have more attractions open but it seems like a far better solution than 2 fast passes for SDD. Although I can see the appeal of using them at any time during the day.


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## CAStevens218

Yup, I would have taken that as a solution!  But 9:00-10:00 was not enough of a service recovery for me to be satisfied.  Aside from short lines in Toy Story Land, the other part of the appeal is that you knock those rides out and can rope drop other things.  If I was riding slinky dog from 9:00-10:00 then I miss that opportunity.  

Since riding until noon wasn't the option offered, and I didn't want to take that morning time standing at guest services, the two to use any time that day ended up being the best solution for us.  

I will also add that no one was loudly announcing that we could ride in the fastpass line from 9:00-10:00, or seeking guests out to tell them.  We only found out because we went up to a cast member to see if he could load extra fastpasses for later on to our account.  So who knows how many people left Toy Story Land without knowing they had an option.


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## Brett Wyman

Woody412 said:


> We went to the MK EMM over the summer, before they expanded it, and they were offering unlimited fast passes until noon for 7DMT if it was down during EMM. I’m not sure if they’re still doing it now that they have more attractions open but it seems like a far better solution than 2 fast passes for SDD. Although I can see the appeal of using them at any time during the day.



They did this for us in November when SDD was down until about 8:30 or so. Oddly enough they didn't announce the free anytime FP at all. You just had to see the line forming in front of the lady with the ipad. I knew exactly what it meant, but I can imagine tons of guests would not. On top of that if you didn't ask they gave you ONE anytime FP, but if you said "I heard some people got 3", they would give you THREE. I only knew about the three from overhearing someone in the SDD queue. I guess they try to limit the FPs only to those who seek them out.


----------



## TheDisneyNurse

I’ll be there with my brother on 3/27! We finally found a reservation after about a week of checking and checking.... and checking. Lol. 

We have the 7am reservation, but from what I’m reading, it doesn’t really matter. This event’s perfect for us because I have to be back in South Florida by the early afternoon for a presentation. At least we’ll have something fun to do before we leave!


----------



## Suejacken

CAStevens218 said:


> We got over to Tower of Terror a little after 9 and walked on the first ride, then my son wanted to go again so we got back in line and waited maybe 5-10 minutes.  I didn't notice the times for Rockin Roller Coaster because my son isn't tall enough so I wasn't looking.
> 
> 
> 
> Yes, the CM was very nice but definitely couldn't have done anything for me even if he wanted to.  It actually worked out very nicely because we had a Toy Story Mania fastpass for later in the afternoon so we were able venture back into Toy Story Land for 2x slinky dog and 1x Toy Story Mania.
> 
> Even with slinky dog being down, we thought the event was worth it, and can imagine how amazing it would be if slinky were open and we could have ridden it over and over and over like we planned.  Even with this experience we will do this and similar events in the future.
> 
> It was pretty chilly (low to mid 40s), so it does seem like cold weather is a common denominator most times that slinky dog has been down, at least from what I've seen.  So hopefully with more consistent warm weather coming others won't have this problem.


Thanks for the info. I was hoping those lines would be within the 15 min range after toy story land early magic hours


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## Iowamomof4

Well, the lack of DAH announcement for May has surely thrown a wrench in my plans. We had a family meeting this morning and decided to book EMM at both TSL and NFL for now and will switch to DAH if they end up announcing new events during our trip.

We'll be doing DHS EMM on 5/15!

What is everyone doing about fastpasses for their EMM day? Clearly I need to go back and read through some of your event reports since I have been up to this point 100% sure I was NOT going to do this! lol


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## francie57

Iowamomof4 said:


> Well, the lack of DAH announcement for May has surely thrown a wrench in my plans. We had a family meeting this morning and decided to book EMM at both TSL and NFL for now and will switch to DAH if they end up announcing new events during our trip.
> 
> We'll be doing DHS EMM on 5/15!
> 
> What is everyone doing about fastpasses for their EMM day? Clearly I need to go back and read through some of your event reports since I have been up to this point 100% sure I was NOT going to do this! lol


We are going the same morning. We changed our whole trip and added a day just so we could do this. We did it in Nov. and had so much fun.  We will get out of TSL about 8:45 since we were almost run over waiting for buzz by the rope drop masses in Nov.  We will run to Tower and Rockin then have breakfast.We will make fastpasses for Epcot since we have annual passes and do a lot of park hopping. We will do Studio fastpasses another day.


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## GADisneyDad14

Been away for several days so totally behind on Disney/SWGE news.  Continuing the discussion above, I guess 8/29 will be the end of DHS EMM as we know it.  My guess is it'll be on either a very long and/or permanent hiatus for awhile, although purely a guess on my part.  Will be interesting to watch.


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## DLo

Just switched my trip from early Sept ( thought I would be avoiding SWGE craziness then ) to mid May . Booked 5/15 EMM 7:00 am. Can’t wait. Now if a miracle would happen and they would announce DAH for May ......


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## canyoncam

Iowamomof4 said:


> Well, the lack of DAH announcement for May has surely thrown a wrench in my plans. We had a family meeting this morning and decided to book EMM at both TSL and NFL for now and will switch to DAH if they end up announcing new events during our trip.
> 
> We'll be doing DHS EMM on 5/15!
> 
> What is everyone doing about fastpasses for their EMM day? Clearly I need to go back and read through some of your event reports since I have been up to this point 100% sure I was NOT going to do this! lol



I am going May 13th EMM due to lack of DAH announcement. But I will switch around if they are announced.

 For my FP+ that day I am sticking around HS for the morning and booked 9:30 RNRC, 10:30 ToT, and 11:35 SDD. I wanted to spend most of the EMM on SDD and catch TSMM as rope drop arrives. Assuming breakfast is still at Backlot I didn’t feel I’d want to criss cross park in hurry for RDing the sunset blvd rides and catching breakfast in time. I plan to hop to Epcot later and am solo so easy to ride TT and Soarin is usually an easy 4th FP.


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## RMaas1

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Been away for several days so totally behind on Disney/SWGE news.  Continuing the discussion above, I guess 8/29 will be the end of DHS EMM as we know it.  My guess is it'll be on either a very long and/or permanent hiatus for awhile, although purely a guess on my part.  Will be interesting to watch.



I hope this isn't the case, we just decided to join my mom on a trip 9/9-9/15 and are hoping they will extend this.  It seems that it saves so much time.


----------



## Candlelady

Just canceled for 4 on Wednesday, May 15th.  7:30AM  
Hope someone here can grab it.


----------



## spamuel

Long time lurker,  first time poster.  But I did get a fair bit out of the posts in this thread so thought I would contribute for once. Did EMM today, March 11 with a 7 , 5 and 3 year old. Took first bus out from CBR at 6:10,  arrived at security a few minutes before they opened at 6:30.  Held at entrance for a little while longer. Went to backlot and had some yogurt, pastries, coffee.  Went to holding area where we were held until about 7:20 or so.  Did the walk back to toy story land,  which was probably the worst part of the morning, wife pushing a double stroller, trying to leave enough space in front to not hit anyone,  but constantly being cut off. Can't even imagine the chaos of a regular rope drop to a priority attraction.  Don't cut off strollers. Started near front of line,  finished probably 100 people back.

Still got tonnes done. Don't have exact times but we did:
Slinky - 3 and 5 yr olds were not fans,  7 yr old loved it
AS2 x 3 - didn't have to get off - 5 and 3 yr old loved it
TSM - had to get off ride and walk all way around
TSM x 2 -  no one in line so was able to stay on - had to ask though.
Split up - wife and young ones did ASM x 3 without having to get off, 7yr old and I did SDDx2.  Last time we were in line the RD crowd entered.

Went to jedi training sign ups,  fairly long wait,  earliest show was 3:40.  If early show is important then you should maybe leave a bit earlier and try not to sneek in one more ride.  Went back to breakfast which was okay,  kids weren't huge fans of many of the dishes,  but there was enough variety to find something everyone was ok with.

Overall it was definetly worth it for us.  Kids had a blast and got to ride everything multiple times.  5 and 3 year olds ended up doing 10 rides ( 1x SDD, 6x AS2, 3x TSM),  7 year old did 9 (3 times on everything).  No character meets since nobody want to stop going on rides.  Bonus points to all the CMs that let us stay on so many rides in a row.  One actually remembered us later in the day when I was able to get a 4th FP for AS2 and he let the kids ride it twice in a row again even with an hour wait.  Still can't believe they did (or wanted to do) that ride 8 times.


----------



## Candycane83

spamuel said:


> Long time lurker,  first time poster.  But I did get a fair bit out of the posts in this thread so thought I would contribute for once. Did EMM today, March 11 with a 7 , 5 and 3 year old. Took first bus out from CBR at 6:10,  arrived at security a few minutes before they opened at 6:30.  Held at entrance for a little while longer. Went to backlot and had some yogurt, pastries, coffee.  Went to holding area where we were held until about 7:20 or so.  Did the walk back to toy story land,  which was probably the worst part of the morning, wife pushing a double stroller, trying to leave enough space in front to not hit anyone,  but constantly being cut off. Can't even imagine the chaos of a regular rope drop to a priority attraction.  Don't cut off strollers. Started near front of line,  finished probably 100 people back.
> 
> Still got tonnes done. Don't have exact times but we did:
> Slinky - 3 and 5 yr olds were not fans,  7 yr old loved it
> AS2 x 3 - didn't have to get off - 5 and 3 yr old loved it
> TSM - had to get off ride and walk all way around
> TSM x 2 -  no one in line so was able to stay on - had to ask though.
> Split up - wife and young ones did ASM x 3 without having to get off, 7yr old and I did SDDx2.  Last time we were in line the RD crowd entered.
> 
> Went to jedi training sign ups,  fairly long wait,  earliest show was 3:40.  If early show is important then you should maybe leave a bit earlier and try not to sneek in one more ride.  Went back to breakfast which was okay,  kids weren't huge fans of many of the dishes,  but there was enough variety to find something everyone was ok with.
> 
> Overall it was definetly worth it for us.  Kids had a blast and got to ride everything multiple times.  5 and 3 year olds ended up doing 10 rides ( 1x SDD, 6x AS2, 3x TSM),  7 year old did 9 (3 times on everything).  No character meets since nobody want to stop going on rides.  Bonus points to all the CMs that let us stay on so many rides in a row.  One actually remembered us later in the day when I was able to get a 4th FP for AS2 and he let the kids ride it twice in a row again even with an hour wait.  Still can't believe they did (or wanted to do) that ride 8 times.


Thanks for the report! Love that you weee able to rise AS2 so many times! I’m thinking my 5 year old might be like yours where SDD is a one and done. He loves maters jamboree in DL which is like AS2 so I’m guessing that would be a hit like with your younger kids


----------



## smallsy

spamuel said:


> Long time lurker,  first time poster.  But I did get a fair bit out of the posts in this thread so thought I would contribute for once. Did EMM today, March 11 with a 7 , 5 and 3 year old. Took first bus out from CBR at 6:10,  arrived at security a few minutes before they opened at 6:30.  Held at entrance for a little while longer. Went to backlot and had some yogurt, pastries, coffee.  Went to holding area where we were held until about 7:20 or so.  Did the walk back to toy story land,  which was probably the worst part of the morning, wife pushing a double stroller, trying to leave enough space in front to not hit anyone,  but constantly being cut off. Can't even imagine the chaos of a regular rope drop to a priority attraction.  Don't cut off strollers. Started near front of line,  finished probably 100 people back.
> 
> Still got tonnes done. Don't have exact times but we did:
> Slinky - 3 and 5 yr olds were not fans,  7 yr old loved it
> AS2 x 3 - didn't have to get off - 5 and 3 yr old loved it
> TSM - had to get off ride and walk all way around
> TSM x 2 -  no one in line so was able to stay on - had to ask though.
> Split up - wife and young ones did ASM x 3 without having to get off, 7yr old and I did SDDx2.  Last time we were in line the RD crowd entered.
> 
> Went to jedi training sign ups,  fairly long wait,  earliest show was 3:40.  If early show is important then you should maybe leave a bit earlier and try not to sneek in one more ride.  Went back to breakfast which was okay,  kids weren't huge fans of many of the dishes,  but there was enough variety to find something everyone was ok with.
> 
> Overall it was definetly worth it for us.  Kids had a blast and got to ride everything multiple times.  5 and 3 year olds ended up doing 10 rides ( 1x SDD, 6x AS2, 3x TSM),  7 year old did 9 (3 times on everything).  No character meets since nobody want to stop going on rides.  Bonus points to all the CMs that let us stay on so many rides in a row.  One actually remembered us later in the day when I was able to get a 4th FP for AS2 and he let the kids ride it twice in a row again even with an hour wait.  Still can't believe they did (or wanted to do) that ride 8 times.


Thanks for your report, but sorry about getting cut off. We’ll have a double stroller with us too and I’m also pretty mindful about leaving space in front. I have a question about how you were able to ride SDD. Did your 7yo ride alone or with a stranger? We will have a DS6, DD4, and DD4 with us and are trying to figure out how to ride this ride since DS6 can’t technically ride alone and may not even want to.


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## DisneyElite4

smallsy said:


> Thanks for your report, but sorry about getting cut off. We’ll have a double stroller with us too and I’m also pretty mindful about leaving space in front. I have a question about how you were able to ride SDD. Did your 7yo ride alone or with a stranger? We will have a DS6, DD4, and DD4 with us and are trying to figure out how to ride this ride since DS6 can’t technically ride alone and may not even want to.



I’m curious about this too. I have a DS6, DS4 and DD4. We were planning to ask the CMs if we could all 5 get in one row and essentially take up that row for 3 rides. Dad and one kiddo go first, that kid gets out and another gets in, then dad and two kids exit and mom rides with last kid. I know some would think this a waste of time, but our DS6 doesn’t want to ride with a stranger either.


----------



## Suejacken

spamuel said:


> Long time lurker,  first time poster.  But I did get a fair bit out of the posts in this thread so thought I would contribute for once. Did EMM today, March 11 with a 7 , 5 and 3 year old. Took first bus out from CBR at 6:10,  arrived at security a few minutes before they opened at 6:30.  Held at entrance for a little while longer. Went to backlot and had some yogurt, pastries, coffee.  Went to holding area where we were held until about 7:20 or so.  Did the walk back to toy story land,  which was probably the worst part of the morning, wife pushing a double stroller, trying to leave enough space in front to not hit anyone,  but constantly being cut off. Can't even imagine the chaos of a regular rope drop to a priority attraction.  Don't cut off strollers. Started near front of line,  finished probably 100 people back.
> 
> Still got tonnes done. Don't have exact times but we did:
> Slinky - 3 and 5 yr olds were not fans,  7 yr old loved it
> AS2 x 3 - didn't have to get off - 5 and 3 yr old loved it
> TSM - had to get off ride and walk all way around
> TSM x 2 -  no one in line so was able to stay on - had to ask though.
> Split up - wife and young ones did ASM x 3 without having to get off, 7yr old and I did SDDx2.  Last time we were in line the RD crowd entered.
> 
> Went to jedi training sign ups,  fairly long wait,  earliest show was 3:40.  If early show is important then you should maybe leave a bit earlier and try not to sneek in one more ride.  Went back to breakfast which was okay,  kids weren't huge fans of many of the dishes,  but there was enough variety to find something everyone was ok with.
> 
> Overall it was definetly worth it for us.  Kids had a blast and got to ride everything multiple times.  5 and 3 year olds ended up doing 10 rides ( 1x SDD, 6x AS2, 3x TSM),  7 year old did 9 (3 times on everything).  No character meets since nobody want to stop going on rides.  Bonus points to all the CMs that let us stay on so many rides in a row.  One actually remembered us later in the day when I was able to get a 4th FP for AS2 and he let the kids ride it twice in a row again even with an hour wait.  Still can't believe they did (or wanted to do) that ride 8 times.


Thanks for posting about your experience. I have it booked for my group which includes a 7, 5 and almost 2 year old. I’m glad to see how much your kids enjoyed it. I didn’t expect to like AS2 but I actually loved it so I can see why your kids did too.


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## hdrolfe

Booked for August 26 and can't wait! Kiddo will be excited to ride SDD multiple times, try out the Swirling Saucers  and I may be able to get him on TSM once (he doesn't like rides where you have to get a score). This will save us having to try for SDD FP. 

We are booked for 7:30, if they open a 7 time slot do we have to wait for 7:30? I'll have to read up more on that.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

hdrolfe said:


> We are booked for 7:30, if they open a 7 time slot do we have to wait for 7:30? I'll have to read up more on that.



Here you go, from Post #1: 

*What's Up with the 7AM & 7:30AM Reservation Times?  *

Disney is doing something different with reservation slots for DHS/TSL EMM compared to MK EMM.
For most dates, Disney has first been making a 7:30AM time slot available to book.
When/if the 7:30AM slot sells out or gets close to selling out, Disney has been adding a 7:00AM time slot for booking.
Most (but not all) dates so far have ultimately had "both" time slots bookable.
To date, there is NO difference in how Disney handles 7AM or 7:30AM reservations at the event - everyone is treated the same.
It appears this is a "slow loading" technique to encourage a more gradual arrival of guests vs all at once.
Note! Disney's website contains the following language:  _"Guests with a 7:30 AM reservation will first enjoy Toy Story Land followed by breakfast, served until 10:00 AM. Based on capacity, we may make other reservation times available, with breakfast preceding the park experience for these Guests."_
Again, in practice, anyone can arrive early and eat before the event and anyone can eat up until 10am - there has been absolutely no difference in how 7AM and 7:30AM reservations are treated so far.


Have fun!


----------



## Disney & ME

Brett Wyman said:


> They did this for us in November when SDD was down until about 8:30 or so. Oddly enough they didn't announce the free anytime FP at all. You just had to see the line forming in front of the lady with the ipad. I knew exactly what it meant, but I can imagine tons of guests would not. On top of that if you didn't ask they gave you ONE anytime FP, but if you said "I heard some people got 3", they would give you THREE. I only knew about the three from overhearing someone in the SDD queue. I guess they try to limit the FPs only to those who seek them out.


I wish they had done this for us in October,  but we got nothing except frustration with SDD being down.


----------



## Dbktmc

DisneyElite4 said:


> I’m curious about this too. I have a DS6, DS4 and DD4. We were planning to ask the CMs if we could all 5 get in one row and essentially take up that row for 3 rides. Dad and one kiddo go first, that kid gets out and another gets in, then dad and two kids exit and mom rides with last kid. I know some would think this a waste of time, but our DS6 doesn’t want to ride with a stranger either.



We did rider swap on this ride for opening day and what you are describing is exactly how it worked for us.  I don't know if it is the same for EMM but I would think so...


----------



## smallsy

DisneyElite4 said:


> I’m curious about this too. I have a DS6, DS4 and DD4. We were planning to ask the CMs if we could all 5 get in one row and essentially take up that row for 3 rides. Dad and one kiddo go first, that kid gets out and another gets in, then dad and two kids exit and mom rides with last kid. I know some would think this a waste of time, but our DS6 doesn’t want to ride with a stranger either.


Twin parents get it! This is our current plan as well, assuming of course that the CM will allow the swaps at boarding. Let’s hope this will work.


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## moose81

So happy I checked this thread today. I hadn't realized that August dates were already available so I just booked now. Very excited about this!


----------



## zoo2tycoon

My son and his friend are going tomorrow and have 7AM time. They are at All Star Sports- what time should they plan on arriving at Hollywood Studios and exactly where do they go? We have done the Fantasyland event but not the Toy Store one. 

I haven't read entire thread- are there 2 different times for this?


----------



## cincystamper

zoo2tycoon said:


> My son and his friend are going tomorrow and have 7AM time. They are at All Star Sports- what time should they plan on arriving at Hollywood Studios and exactly where do they go? We have done the Fantasyland event but not the Toy Store one.
> 
> I haven't read entire thread- are there 2 different times for this?



Check out the first post of this thread - everything you need is there!


----------



## GADisneyDad14

zoo2tycoon said:


> My son and his friend are going tomorrow and have 7AM time. They are at All Star Sports- what time should they plan on arriving at Hollywood Studios and exactly where do they go? We have done the Fantasyland event but not the Toy Store one.
> 
> I haven't read entire thread- are there 2 different times for this?



It’ll be obvious where to go, that’s the easy part.  

I’d plan to be at the front gates 6:45am.


----------



## Ginamom

spamuel said:


> Long time lurker,  first time poster.  But I did get a fair bit out of the posts in this thread so thought I would contribute for once. Did EMM today, March 11 with a 7 , 5 and 3 year old. Took first bus out from CBR at 6:10,  arrived at security a few minutes before they opened at 6:30.  Held at entrance for a little while longer. Went to backlot and had some yogurt, pastries, coffee.  Went to holding area where we were held until about 7:20 or so.  Did the walk back to toy story land,  which was probably the worst part of the morning, wife pushing a double stroller, trying to leave enough space in front to not hit anyone,  but constantly being cut off. Can't even imagine the chaos of a regular rope drop to a priority attraction.  Don't cut off strollers. Started near front of line,  finished probably 100 people back.
> 
> Still got tonnes done. Don't have exact times but we did:
> Slinky - 3 and 5 yr olds were not fans,  7 yr old loved it
> AS2 x 3 - didn't have to get off - 5 and 3 yr old loved it
> TSM - had to get off ride and walk all way around
> TSM x 2 -  no one in line so was able to stay on - had to ask though.
> Split up - wife and young ones did ASM x 3 without having to get off, 7yr old and I did SDDx2.  Last time we were in line the RD crowd entered.
> 
> Went to jedi training sign ups,  fairly long wait,  earliest show was 3:40.  If early show is important then you should maybe leave a bit earlier and try not to sneek in one more ride.  Went back to breakfast which was okay,  kids weren't huge fans of many of the dishes,  but there was enough variety to find something everyone was ok with.
> 
> Overall it was definetly worth it for us.  Kids had a blast and got to ride everything multiple times.  5 and 3 year olds ended up doing 10 rides ( 1x SDD, 6x AS2, 3x TSM),  7 year old did 9 (3 times on everything).  No character meets since nobody want to stop going on rides.  Bonus points to all the CMs that let us stay on so many rides in a row.  One actually remembered us later in the day when I was able to get a 4th FP for AS2 and he let the kids ride it twice in a row again even with an hour wait.  Still can't believe they did (or wanted to do) that ride 8 times.




Sounds great!!!  What other FPP did you get?


----------



## tookydo

I waited too long to book.  4 possible dates in June during my trip and no tickets available for a party of 6 (6/5, 6/7 and 6/10 or 6/12.


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

tookydo said:


> I waited too long to book.  4 possible dates in June during my trip and no tickets available for a party of 6 (6/5, 6/7 and 6/10 or 6/12.


Keep checking everyday. They will most likely open up the 7:00 slot. When they do, book that day asap. You can always cancel if you change your mind


----------



## ninafeliz

tookydo said:


> I waited too long to book.  4 possible dates in June during my trip and no tickets available for a party of 6 (6/5, 6/7 and 6/10 or 6/12.


There isn't one on 6/7 as of now, by the way.  They have occasionally added Friday dates late in the game, though.  After i saw your post I was curious so I went and checked, and for your dates there isn't availability, but we are going on 6/17 and it has availability for up to 14 people.  The 19th and 24th also have 14 spots open, and the 26th has 3 spots.  I wonder why such a big discrepancy between the first half of the month being booked and the second half almost wide open?

Also, as the pp mentioned, it's almost certain they will open the 7:00 slots and you'll be able to get in.  Just check every morning for openings.


----------



## MonaMN

CAStevens218 said:


> We attended on 3/6.  They didn't get Slinky Dog working until after 8:00...maybe 8:15?  I can't say for sure because we went to rise Toy Story Mania and it was working when we came out.  I see reports of other rides being open, but if that is true then no one told us and we spoke to several cast members for updates.  They should really find a better way to communicate these things, there are certainly enough cast members standing around that they could walk around telling people.
> 
> We got right in line for Woody and Jessie when they opened Toy Story land and we were the second family.  After that was when we realized slinky dog was down, so we went and did alien swirling saucers twice.  We then had some hot chocolate because it was chilly and looked around the land.  Since slinky was still down we went to do toy story mania and slinky was working when we came out.  We rode slinky dog twice before rope drop crown arrived.
> 
> I spoke to a cast member on our way out and he said we could ride slinky dog through 10AM in the fastpass line.  I nicely explained that this wasn't acceptable for me because we had other plans from 9:00-10:00 (we wanted to go ride Tower of Terror and do a few other things before lines got crazy) but he said that he couldn't give us fastpasses.  We continued on with our day, rode tower of terror twice and met some characters.  Then I sent my husband and son over to do their star wars fastpass and I went to guest relations, where I explained to them why their solution didn't work for me and asked for two additional fastpasses for each member of my family.  They agreed and loaded them onto our account.  I was happy with that solution.
> 
> So, while it was disappointing that we didn't get to ride slinky dog more, it ended up working out and it was nice to be able to go over for a couple more slinky dog rides later in the afternoon.


We were there on this day. It was chilly (probably around 42 degrees at EMM start), so I am guessing that is why SDD was down?  It was a bit of a chilly ride even once it got moving.

They held us back until close to 7:30, then we did AS2 twice and TSM once. Since SDD was down, those lines were longer than they probably would be usually. We checked on SDD before starting TSM at about 7:55 and were told we would be able to ride until 10 AM in the FP line.

After TSM, we got in line for SDD and rode it two times.  At that point, it was about rope drop time. We headed to RnRC, then back to do SDD twice before just barely making it to breakfast.

We were OK with how it ended up... we didn’t need another ride on SDD - four was enough (and we had another day at HS later with a SDD FP).  Even with all of that, I would do it again. So good to experience TSL without the masses - it was quite busy last week!


----------



## mackaylc

I am excited to be booked for HS EMM for August 28. I have done MK EMM so I am hoping it will be just as awesome as that! And this will be my chance to get into TSL before the craziness the next day will bring  So much for booking my trip the last week of August to avoid the crowds


----------



## Suejacken

mackaylc said:


> I am excited to be booked for HS EMM for August 28. I have done MK EMM so I am hoping it will be just as awesome as that! And this will be my chance to get into TSL before the craziness the next day will bring  So much for booking my trip the last week of August to avoid the crowds


I’m excited that I was able to book it for 7/1. I think it’s the best way for my crew to ride all three rides


----------



## NJlauren

mackaylc said:


> I am excited to be booked for HS EMM for August 28. I have done MK EMM so I am hoping it will be just as awesome as that! And this will be my chance to get into TSL before the craziness the next day will bring  So much for booking my trip the last week of August to avoid the crowds



See you there!


----------



## FigmentFinder

mackaylc said:


> I am excited to be booked for HS EMM for August 28. I have done MK EMM so I am hoping it will be just as awesome as that! And this will be my chance to get into TSL before the craziness the next day will bring  So much for booking my trip the last week of August to avoid the crowds



Me too!  I decided to alter my last week of August/Labor day plans and keep all the DHS before Star Wars opens.  I think the EMM on the 28th will make the day go better.  If the park starts getting crazy later in the day, I will have done all the major rides with the EMM and just after.


----------



## M SH

Has anyone cancelled an EMM reservation? Do you get a cancellation email and how long does it take to get a credit card refund?

I cancelled my reservation for end of April that I made as a placeholder in case I change my mind about my HS day, but I didn’t get any cancellation email like I usually do when I cancel/change ADRs. It’s 3 business days, no refund yet. I know it could take longer on the refund like a week or so, but was wondering more abt the email..


----------



## GADisneyDad14

M SH said:


> Has anyone cancelled an EMM reservation? Do you get a cancellation email and how long does it take to get a credit card refund?
> 
> I cancelled my reservation for end of April that I made as a placeholder in case I change my mind about my HS day, but I didn’t get any cancellation email like I usually do when I cancel/change ADRs. It’s 3 business days, no refund yet. I know it could take longer on the refund like a week or so, but was wondering more abt the email..



For the last month or so my cancellation emails have been hit or miss.  Used to be really solid - you cancel, email comes in rather quickly.  But sometimes of late I don’t get them at all. 

I have not seen a change in refunds though.  That can vary by credit card company.  For mine, it’s usually 3ish days. 

Hope that helps.


----------



## Mrs Grumpy

Just booked for 8/28 - now to read this thread to catch up!  My biggest concern is getting there (staying at POP).  Will get to the bus stop really early and hope the bus comes!


----------



## SaintsManiac

M SH said:


> Has anyone cancelled an EMM reservation? Do you get a cancellation email and how long does it take to get a credit card refund?
> 
> I cancelled my reservation for end of April that I made as a placeholder in case I change my mind about my HS day, but I didn’t get any cancellation email like I usually do when I cancel/change ADRs. It’s 3 business days, no refund yet. I know it could take longer on the refund like a week or so, but was wondering more abt the email..




It takes 5 days for me to get refunds from Disney. I have a Disney Visa.


----------



## MonaMN

GADisneyDad14 said:


> For the last month or so my cancellation emails have been hit or miss.  Used to be really solid - you cancel, email comes in rather quickly.  But sometimes of late I don’t get them at all.
> 
> I have not seen a change in refunds though.  That can vary by credit card company.  For mine, it’s usually 3ish days.
> 
> Hope that helps.


Same - I cancelled a couple of reservations during our trip a week ago and didn’t get an email - but it didn’t show up on the app or website, so I assume it cancelled appropriately.


----------



## Branderson610

Hi, I did EMM 3-11 and it was so worth it. Spring Break at Disney was extremely crowded. Without EMM we would not of had as much fun. The breakfast after was good as well. We did....
SDD × 5
TSM × 1
AS × 1


----------



## TongaToast21

I haven't read the entire thread, I'm sure its been said previously, but for those of you haven't read either-

I strongly recommend getting there at 7, have a pastry or coffee, and then when the land opens go right over and begin your riding. Before you know it, it will be 9:00 (or whenever the park opens that day) and there will be a massive flood of people charging into TSL. At this time you can then go back to backlot express and enjoy your hot/full breakfast. I don't think its worth taking time out of the "riding" portion of EMM to eat a full breakfast before the land itself opens. Just my 2 cents!

Also, don't panic if SDD line seems longer than you anticipated. Everyone rushes to it, and like every park, the queue will even out as the morning goes on.


----------



## Avery&Todd

Here's my review of EMM @ TSL - 100% worth it but it was a few pages back from mid-Feb! 
************* 

Just a quick review of our experience with this event on Monday, Feb. 18th - overall it was FANTASTIC!!! this trip was just DH and I and I wasn't sure how he would feel about me buying extra tickets for this so I kept it quiet and then let him know I had a "surprise" for him..

We stayed at the Swan and left the room about 6:35am-ish and it took 10-12 minutes to get there and basically walked right up to a CM and got our bands and then walked right through the gates into the park!

We headed to Backlot express for coffee and a danish and then back to the area in front of the Chinese theater and waited with everyone else. They let us in just before 7:20am and we went with the whole crowd to Slinky Dog - we were able to ride 4 times in a row!!

We then headed to TSM and rode that 4 times in a row with the last 2 rides we didnt have to get off the ride!

When we got off TSM the last time at 8:45am we were greeted with the Slinky Dog line stretching all the way out of Toy Story Land and up to the Little Mermaid ride!! YIKES!!

We then we went back to Backlot Express and got breakfast - DH and I both ordered the kids meal scrambled eggs w/ potato barrels and the chicken and waffle - both were DELICIOUS!! 

I then had a FP+ for TSM which brought our ride total to 5 times on TSM.

I then had a FP+ for Muppets, then got a FP+ for the 12pm Indiana Jones. During the show I checked FP+ and was able to get a FP+ for Slinky Dog at 2:30 (which was ride #5 for the day) and then after that got a FP+ for Alien Saucers at 4:05pm.

It was a successful day!

Total rides for the day:
Slinky Dog x 5
TSM x 5
Alien Saucers x 1
Muppets x 1
Indiana Jones x 1

and a lunch at Sci-Fi

DH has already asked that I make sure I book this again when we come with the boys in June 2020..

Can't wait!


----------



## Candycane83

Avery&Todd said:


> Here's my review of EMM @ TSL - 100% worth it but it was a few pages back from mid-Feb!
> *************
> 
> Just a quick review of our experience with this event on Monday, Feb. 18th - overall it was FANTASTIC!!! this trip was just DH and I and I wasn't sure how he would feel about me buying extra tickets for this so I kept it quiet and then let him know I had a "surprise" for him..
> 
> We stayed at the Swan and left the room about 6:35am-ish and it took 10-12 minutes to get there and basically walked right up to a CM and got our bands and then walked right through the gates into the park!
> 
> We headed to Backlot express for coffee and a danish and then back to the area in front of the Chinese theater and waited with everyone else. They let us in just before 7:20am and we went with the whole crowd to Slinky Dog - we were able to ride 4 times in a row!!
> 
> We then headed to TSM and rode that 4 times in a row with the last 2 rides we didnt have to get off the ride!
> 
> When we got off TSM the last time at 8:45am we were greeted with the Slinky Dog line stretching all the way out of Toy Story Land and up to the Little Mermaid ride!! YIKES!!
> 
> We then we went back to Backlot Express and got breakfast - DH and I both ordered the kids meal scrambled eggs w/ potato barrels and the chicken and waffle - both were DELICIOUS!!
> 
> I then had a FP+ for TSM which brought our ride total to 5 times on TSM.
> 
> I then had a FP+ for Muppets, then got a FP+ for the 12pm Indiana Jones. During the show I checked FP+ and was able to get a FP+ for Slinky Dog at 2:30 (which was ride #5 for the day) and then after that got a FP+ for Alien Saucers at 4:05pm.
> 
> It was a successful day!
> 
> Total rides for the day:
> Slinky Dog x 5
> TSM x 5
> Alien Saucers x 1
> Muppets x 1
> Indiana Jones x 1
> 
> and a lunch at Sci-Fi
> 
> DH has already asked that I make sure I book this again when we come with the boys in June 2020..
> 
> Can't wait!


Thanks for the review! Did you walk there from Swan? We’re staying at YC and I’m trying to figure out how to get to EMM


----------



## Brett Wyman

Candycane83 said:


> Thanks for the review! Did you walk there from Swan? We’re staying at YC and I’m trying to figure out how to get to EMM



We always walk it from the Beach Club, especially if it’s a comfortable morning, but I know everyone’s different. Once it heats up take the boat back.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Candycane83 said:


> Thanks for the review! Did you walk there from Swan? We’re staying at YC and I’m trying to figure out how to get to EMM



I wouldn’t rely on the boat being available that early, I’d plan to walk if able.


----------



## Candycane83

Brett Wyman said:


> We always walk it from the Beach Club, especially if it’s a comfortable morning, but I know everyone’s different. Once it heats up take the boat back.





GADisneyDad14 said:


> I wouldn’t rely on the boat being available that early, I’d plan to walk if able.



Thank you both! I’ll plan on walking. Was hoping there was some other way.


----------



## WaterLinds

I will post a more detailed review once I’ve slept, but we had a great EMM this morning! Our ride counts were on the low side due to group dynamics (c’mon, family, can’t we tour efficiently?!) but everyone got everything they wanted more than once, plus we met Woody and Jesse.

They held the rope drop crowds off late again today—it was about 8:55! Anyone who wanted got 1-2 extra rides out of that. I think our longest wait was about 12 minutes for SDD? And we did manage to do TSM back to back without walking back around, which was really nice!

It did appear in MDE that Star Tours was running during EMM, but no announcement was made and afaik no TSL rides were down, so not sure if that was true.


----------



## Avery&Todd

Candycane83 said:


> Thanks for the review! Did you walk there from Swan? We’re staying at YC and I’m trying to figure out how to get to EMM


YES!!  we walked and it was super easy!! There is a paved path that runs along side the Boardwalk and takes you right to the front entrance of HS!!!  it was a 10-12 min walk from leaving the Swan, so maybe a few more minutes added to that if you're coming from the YC..

Have a great time!!


----------



## Dmwc484

We did EMM on 3/4.  We drove to Hollywood Studios and were through the entrance at 6:53. We headed to Backlot Express and ate a little bit.  We have a 5 year old that was hungry plus my husband has to eat to take his medicine.  After that we went to line up at the Chinese Theater.  They started laying us back at 7:23.  Thanks to this board we stayed to the left and dropped off the stroller at the beginning of the land. 

We headed to TSMM first. Then rode AS2. We got in line for our first Slinky Dog ride at 7:58. We rode it three times before taking a break. We then rode TSMM again.  No one was in line when it was time to get off but they wouldn't let us stay on. Around 8:50 we could see the rope drop crowds heading our way so we hopped in line for 1 last Slinky ride.

We had another HS day planned for later in the week, so we headed back to breakfast. We tried a few different entrees and they were all pretty good. 

We loved doing this and I think we accomplished a decent amount considering my son`s two favorite rides are TSMM and Slinky.

We didn't do the characters since my son is terrified.  Our final ride count was:
TSMM x 2
AS2 x 1
SDD x 4

We could have done more but we moved at my 5 year olds pace plus had to take bathroom breaks.


----------



## Suejacken

Dmwc484 said:


> We did EMM on 3/4.  We drove to Hollywood Studios and were through the entrance at 6:53. We headed to Backlot Express and ate a little bit.  We have a 5 year old that was hungry plus my husband has to eat to take his medicine.  After that we went to line up at the Chinese Theater.  They started laying us back at 7:23.  Thanks to this board we stayed to the left and dropped off the stroller at the beginning of the land.
> 
> We headed to TSMM first. Then rode AS2. We got in line for our first Slinky Dog ride at 7:58. We rode it three times before taking a break. We then rode TSMM again.  No one was in line when it was time to get off but they wouldn't let us stay on. Around 8:50 we could see the rope drop crowds heading our way so we hopped in line for 1 last Slinky ride.
> 
> We had another HS day planned for later in the week, so we headed back to breakfast. We tried a few different entrees and they were all pretty good.
> 
> We loved doing this and I think we accomplished a decent amount considering my son`s two favorite rides are TSMM and Slinky.
> 
> We didn't do the characters since my son is terrified.  Our final ride count was:
> TSMM x 2
> AS2 x 1
> SDD x 4
> 
> We could have done more but we moved at my 5 year olds pace plus had to take bathroom breaks.


Thanks for posting about your experience. I am going on 7/1 and it’s fun to see how many rides people are doing in that time frame. We have a group of 11 including an almost 2 year old,  5 and 7 so that will be  a good way for them to see toy story land


----------



## CoCoMo

What is the latest time that you should leave TS Land to get to Rockin Roller Coaster before rope drop crowds?  We are doing this on Monday 3/18.


----------



## MonaMN

CoCoMo said:


> What is the latest time that you should leave TS Land to get to Rockin Roller Coaster before rope drop crowds?  We are doing this on Monday 3/18.


Others have reported about 8:40.


----------



## cakebaker

Candycane83 said:


> Thanks for the review! Did you walk there from Swan? We’re staying at YC and I’m trying to figure out how to get to EMM



Us too and I’m trying to figure out the best way to get there. I’ll have a morning at HS before the EMM day and I think we’ll give walking a test run when it’s not a disaster if my grandson doesn’t handle it well. If walking doesn’t work, I think we’ll just Uber. I sure wish the boats were up and running at that hour.


----------



## michelepa

CoCoMo said:


> What is the latest time that you should leave TS Land to get to Rockin Roller Coaster before rope drop crowds?  We are doing this on Monday 3/18.



Please report back with your experience. We’re going 3/27 and I’d like to hear everyone’s take especially as spring break crowds build to see when to head over to RnR to beat rope drop crowds.


----------



## WaterLinds

Ok, will try to do the detailed review of this Friday (3/15) now, although I didn’t take screenshots or make note so my details will be fuzzy.

We drove from WBC and arrived by 7. I was surprised the parking attendants were there collecting money as they hadn’t been for our slightly later arrival at MK earlier in the week. But we ended up parked in basically the first row of the lot. It’s still a hike in from there right now with the construction, but bag check was quick (the only time all week I was sent through the metal detector—I had the stroller so usually got waved on). We were into the park being held to the left of the theatre about 7:10, at 7:15 they walked us across, held us briefly, and then walked us into the land around 7:20 or just after.

It was 7:23 when we parked the stroller, and we quickly debated whether to line up for W&J or do a ride first. I suggested a quick ride and the rest of my family instead decided TSM...so of course by the time we came out there were 5-10 people in line for the meet and greet!

Big kid said he didn’t care that much about the meet, but little wanted to do it, so we split up and he and I headed for SDD. It was probably about a 15 minute wait, and we came back to find little kid was next in line for the meet and greet, so big kid hopped in for pictures and hugs after all.

Then all together to AS2, and back to TSM x2. They let us reboard directly the second time, there were people slowly trickling in but no lineup (although as soon as they loaded us in the cars again it got longer,so we were lucky I think). They had people all lined up for the cars when we returned so we couldn’t stay on but we just had to wait on the platform for the next set of cars, only took a minute.

Big kid and I went back to SDD and little went to AS2. It was maybe 8 minutes for SDD? This is where our plans derailed slightly...we picked a meeting spot for after that ride so we could book it out of the land ahead of the crowds. When big and I got off it was after 8:45 but they hadn’t let the crowds in, so we quickly discussed hopping back on but he said he’d rather try to get RnR and ToT in, so we went to the meeting spot...and my mom and little weren’t there. We waited and waited and waited, watched the crowds pour in about 8:55 (Woody jumped out of the meet and greet and ran in front of them like he was afraid for his life, it was adorable!), chatted with some CMs, then started to get worried. Turns out they stayed on AS2 for two rides and then the little one announced it was potty time, of course.

So it was 9 by the time we left the land and headed for RnR. Wait was about 20 minutes, so no time for ToT before breakfast—but we’d done it earlier in the week at least. My mom took the little one to meet Mickey and Minnie and we met up with them at backlot about 9:40. The kids devoured the chicken tenders, we all liked the Cronuts, I liked the chilaquiles and my mom liked the kids eggs. Lots of the sweet potato tots went to waste although I didn’t think they were bad. Like everyone else has reported, they happily gave out as many hot entrees as you wanted, and encouraged us to order extra when it was close to 10. The beverages and cold food stayed out (and was even refreshed) until about 10:10 and then very rapidly disappeared. We bagged up some pastries and headed out to watch the Muppets.

We went to see the Incredibles, refilled our popcorn bucket and grabbed giant cookies for an afternoon snack, and then headed out of the park...just in time to catch the March of the First Order at noon. It was a hot day so we were happy to be done with our touring and poolside for the afternoon! 

So even with inefficient touring and badly timed potty breaks, we accomplished the following before breakfast:
3x TSM
1 AS2 (plus 2 more for little kid)
2 x SDD
Woody and Jesse
RnR/Mickey and Minnie 

We could have easily gotten in another SDD and/or ToT if we’d worked it out right, and probably more if we’d just waited for the meet and greet first or just done AS2 first instead for TSM. But we were all happy with what we got, and the event ran really smoothly.


----------



## WaterLinds

CoCoMo said:


> What is the latest time that you should leave TS Land to get to Rockin Roller Coaster before rope drop crowds?  We are doing this on Monday 3/18.



I think it’s a bit hard to know because it seems like the RD timing has been a bit unpredictable lately. It was about 8:55 when they let the crowds in yesterday, so 8:50 would have probably been safe, but other days it’s been earlier.

Even having fallen behind due to potty breaks and not leaving the land until 9 the wait for RnR was still only 20 minutes—but if your goal is to do both rides over there obviously you’d need better timing than we had. (And why wait 20 when you could wait 5?)


----------



## Disney fan 345

Hi!
I was wondering What you use to get into the park for the emm hours?
Do we show the confirmation email? Or is it linked to the magic bands?
Also is the breakfast a buffet style? Or more pastries?
Thanks!!


----------



## TammyLynn33

It shows up in my MDE so I assume it will also load to our magic bands? I could be wrong tho lol 





Disney fan 345 said:


> Hi!
> I was wondering What you use to get into the park for the emm hours?
> Do we show the confirmation email? Or is it linked to the magic bands?
> Also is the breakfast a buffet style? Or more pastries?
> Thanks!!


----------



## Candycane83

cakebaker said:


> Us too and I’m trying to figure out the best way to get there. I’ll have a morning at HS before the EMM day and I think we’ll give walking a test run when it’s not a disaster if my grandson doesn’t handle it well. If walking doesn’t work, I think we’ll just Uber. I sure wish the boats were up and running at that hour.


Yeah I get where you’re coming from. DS will be 5 when we go. I think we can walk but he needs to be in the stroller or it’ll be 45 min walk instead of a 15 min walk. Haha


----------



## TongaToast21

TammyLynn33 said:


> It shows up in my MDE so I assume it will also load to our magic bands? I could be wrong tho lol


I think you might give your name to the CM's working the gate, but it is on your magic bands! It is a help yourself continental breakfast, and you have the option of ordering an "entree"  such as:

Mexican Corn Chilaquiles and Eggs Bowl
Shrimp and Southern Grits Bowl
Fried Chicken and Cinnamon Sugar French Donut Bowl
Smashed Avocado Toast Egg Plate
Breakfast Charcuterie Platter
*obviously subject to change!
** I quoted the wrong person, I'm sorry! meant to quote Disney Fan 3 4 5


----------



## Disney fan 345

TongaToast21 said:


> I think you might give your name to the CM's working the gate, but it is on your magic bands! It is a help yourself continental breakfast, and you have the option of ordering an "entree"  such as:
> 
> Mexican Corn Chilaquiles and Eggs Bowl
> Shrimp and Southern Grits Bowl
> Fried Chicken and Cinnamon Sugar French Donut Bowl
> Smashed Avocado Toast Egg Plate
> Breakfast Charcuterie Platter
> *obviously subject to change!
> ** I quoted the wrong person, I'm sorry! meant to quote Disney Fan 3 4 5


Thank you!!


----------



## StacyStrong

Mrs Grumpy said:


> Just booked for 8/28 - now to read this thread to catch up!  My biggest concern is getting there (staying at POP).  Will get to the bus stop really early and hope the bus comes!


I stayed at AoA in December and had no issues getting to HS. There was a bus that got us there by 7 without issue.


----------



## mydisneyanytime

We attended this morning.  We left Pop Century on the bus about 6.35.  We arrived pretty quickly and made the long walk to the gate.  Security was a breeze.  There were lots of people directing us to breakfast or the line.  We headed to pick up a pastry and drink then got in line.  My son is in a wheelchair and they told us to stay to the left for the ramp.

We were let in about 7.20.  We went straight for Woody and Jesse as that was a priority for us.  We were first in line and they came out about 7.35.  We rode Toy Story in the handicap car twice, without getting off.  Slinky dog one time, 20 minute wait.  Aliens, two times without getting off.

At this point it was 8.30 so we headed to sign up for Jedi Training.  There was very little line and we had our choice of times.  Sign ups actually opened at 7.45.  About this time they announced the park was open so we got in line for Olaf and were the first family.

After Olaf we went to breakfast.  It was more crowded but service was super quick and they continued to refill pastries.

We are doing this again on Friday with two more people added to our party.  Though it was super early, I am excited to do it again!


----------



## FigmentFinder

Mrs Grumpy said:


> Just booked for 8/28 - now to read this thread to catch up!  My biggest concern is getting there (staying at POP).  Will get to the bus stop really early and hope the bus comes!



We are staying at POP and going on 8/28.  I've heard the buses come nice and early, if the Skyliner isn't open yet.

How many people in this thread are going on 8/28 before the DHS craziness happens?


----------



## ellbell

FigmentFinder said:


> We are staying at POP and going on 8/28.  I've heard the buses come nice and early, if the Skyliner isn't open yet.
> 
> How many people in this thread are going on 8/28 before the DHS craziness happens?


I got my tickets for 8/26 after they announced the opening.  My original HS day was 8/30.  Because I moved it to the 3rd day of our trip I didn't want to chance getting sdd fastpass so bought  EMM


----------



## Suejacken

mydisneyanytime said:


> We attended this morning.  We left Pop Century on the bus about 6.35.  We arrived pretty quickly and made the long walk to the gate.  Security was a breeze.  There were lots of people directing us to breakfast or the line.  We headed to pick up a pastry and drink then got in line.  My son is in a wheelchair and they told us to stay to the left for the ramp.
> 
> We were let in about 7.20.  We went straight for Woody and Jesse as that was a priority for us.  We were first in line and they came out about 7.35.  We rode Toy Story in the handicap car twice, without getting off.  Slinky dog one time, 20 minute wait.  Aliens, two times without getting off.
> 
> At this point it was 8.30 so we headed to sign up for Jedi Training.  There was very little line and we had our choice of times.  Sign ups actually opened at 7.45.  About this time they announced the park was open so we got in line for Olaf and were the first family.
> 
> After Olaf we went to breakfast.  It was more crowded but service was super quick and they continued to refill pastries.
> 
> We are doing this again on Friday with two more people added to our party.  Though it was super early, I am excited to do it again!


Thanks for sharing your experience.


----------



## Mrs Grumpy

FigmentFinder said:


> We are staying at POP and going on 8/28.  I've heard the buses come nice and early, if the Skyliner isn't open yet.
> 
> How many people in this thread are going on 8/28 before the DHS craziness happens?



We might see you at the bus stop then!


----------



## Aj1129

FigmentFinder said:


> We are staying at POP and going on 8/28.  I've heard the buses come nice and early, if the Skyliner isn't open yet.
> 
> How many people in this thread are going on 8/28 before the DHS craziness happens?



We will be there 8/28! Reserved our EMM this weekend


----------



## DSMama

Is there any advantage to doing the 7am or 7:30am EMM at Toy Story land?  Not sure which to pick.


----------



## KrazeeK120

There’s no difference. Everyone is let in at the same time.


----------



## jennab

Anyone think they will add more spots for Mon 8/26?   I see they only have a 7:30am option but it appears to be booked....


----------



## ninafeliz

jennab said:


> Anyone think they will add more spots for Mon 8/26?   I see they only have a 7:30am option but it appears to be booked....


based on history I think they will, but you just never know...  I would be checking every AM at least.


----------



## disneymagicgirl

I attended with DD3 on 3/15/19. It was in my top 2 WDW paid events...competing with DAH MK...I'm undecided which takes the top spot. Ha! EMM MK comes in 3rd. MK EMM drops behind EMM DHS b/c of food.

We were attending on our first full day after a late arrival night, so I didn't get out the door of the hotel until probably 6:45. A bus came quickly (POR) and we got to the park around 7:15. We waited about 5 mins to get checked in. We went to get pastries and COFFEE!! Momma needed some coffee since I saw the bus coming as I was going to head to fill my mug, so I skipped it at the resort. 

We kept walking and waited by the frozen stage show for them to let us go. A few minutes later we were walked to TSL. DD3 and I went to TSM first. Then I wanted to do Jesse and Woody b/c there were only about 5 families in line but she wanted SDD. We probably waited 15 mins for SDD that first time, maybe 20. The line got shorter each time we rode from then on. We rode 3 more times in a row. Then we did AS2 twice in a row. Lastly we hopped on SDD one last time. Then it was close to 9 so we headed towards breakfast. As we passed in front of the Chinese theatre I saw the mob coming. Wow, thank goodness we weren't in that!
Breakfast was amazing. I had shrimp and grits and the avocado toast plate. DD3 did the donuts plate but didn't eat much. We also had fresh fruit from the buffet area. 

After we ate we went to do a couple shows in a row...frozen, LM, met Doc Stuffins, and seems like something else I am forgetting. Then we were tired from a late night/early morning so we bailed around 11:30 to go take a nap. It was a great morning!


----------



## abuck75

Does anyone know if there are any websites that provide notifications if a time opens up (similar to ***********)?  I just started planning a trip in June, and they are all booked during our trip, but after the TSL RD experience last October, this seems like a bargain at twice the price.


----------



## Wanna be Ariel

abuck75 said:


> Does anyone know if there are any websites that provide notifications if a time opens up (similar to ***********)?  I just started planning a trip in June, and they are all booked during our trip, but after the TSL RD experience last October, this seems like a bargain at twice the price.


I am hoping they add more for June too. Just the 7:30 am option so far. Hoping they add the 7:00 am. I have June 24 booked, got lucky today, but really need the 17th. If I see more June pop up, I’ll make sure to comment here . Good Luck.


----------



## abuck75

Wanna be Ariel said:


> I am hoping they add more for June too. Just the 7:30 am option so far. Hoping they add the 7:00 am. I have June 24 booked, got lucky today, but really need the 17th. If I see more June pop up, I’ll make sure to comment here . Good Luck.



I'm looking for the 24th, so give me a heads up if you are able to change.


----------



## ninafeliz

abuck75 said:


> Does anyone know if there are any websites that provide notifications if a time opens up (similar to ***********)?  I just started planning a trip in June, and they are all booked during our trip, but after the TSL RD experience last October, this seems like a bargain at twice the price.


I have never heard of any sites that watch for anything but a basic ADR.  You can't even set up a watch for things like Candlelight processional dinner packages or dessert parties, either.


----------



## Wanna be Ariel

abuck75 said:


> I'm looking for the 24th, so give me a heads up if you are able to change.


Absolutely I will. Keep checking though. It was there this morning when I tried to grab it. Then disappear when I went to pay, but it came back later so I grab it.


----------



## TammyLynn33

So what is everyone’s thoughts do SDD first or do the others first as the lines go down as the morning goes on ?


----------



## 3darlings

We went on March 8th and while I can see it is definitely worth it normally, it wasn't on our morning because TSM was closed the entire time.  So here was our experience:  we got there at 7 and had to wait until 7:20 when they walked us back.  We immediately went on SDD and did that 4 times before 8.  We waited for maybe one car each time so it was very fast.  We then did AS once (we had done it the day before).  Then we went on SDD once again but basically we were done by a little after 8 because TSM never came on line and you can only do SDD so many times (although it is a lot of fun).  They announced that to make up for no TSM we would have unlimited FP to TOT and RNRC between 9 and 10.  To me that wasn't even close to an even compensation.  We walked on to TOT and RNR until close to 9:45 so having a FP until 10 only really gave us 1 extra ride on those.  And we had purposely not gone on TSM the day before because we waited for EMM when we thought we could go on multiple times.  So I was not happy!  I personally didn't like the breakfast offerings either but my kids did.  So in summary, if everything is working, I think it is worth it.  But if one of the two rides that you pay all this money for it down, it isn't worth it.


----------



## Angela Mclaughlin

Does anyone know if they will still offer Disney Early Morning magic to Toy Story land once GE opens? I was thinking that that could be a good way to get an edge on the crowds, and line up for the Star Wars land after riding some Toy Story rides, and before the park actually opens.


----------



## TammyLynn33

Yeah fastpasses to rides too big for my littled to ride wouldn’t really compensate imo 


QUOTE="3darlings, post: 60405156, member: 105401"]We went on March 8th and while I can see it is definitely worth it normally, it wasn't on our morning because TSM was closed the entire time.  So here was our experience:  we got there at 7 and had to wait until 7:20 when they walked us back.  We immediately went on SDD and did that 4 times before 8.  We waited for maybe one car each time so it was very fast.  We then did AS once (we had done it the day before).  Then we went on SDD once again but basically we were done by a little after 8 because TSM never came on line and you can only do SDD so many times (although it is a lot of fun).  They announced that to make up for no TSM we would have unlimited FP to TOT and RNRC between 9 and 10.  To me that wasn't even close to an even compensation.  We walked on to TOT and RNR until close to 9:45 so having a FP until 10 only really gave us 1 extra ride on those.  And we had purposely not gone on TSM the day before because we waited for EMM when we thought we could go on multiple times.  So I was not happy!  I personally didn't like the breakfast offerings either but my kids did.  So in summary, if everything is working, I think it is worth it.  But if one of the two rides that you pay all this money for it down, it isn't worth it.[/QUOTE]


----------



## Runnsally

No - it won’t be offered.  There will likely be frequent (daily?) HS EMH after SWGE opens.  I imagine there will eventually be a paid early morning SWGE event as well.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Angela Mclaughlin said:


> Does anyone know if they will still offer Disney Early Morning magic to Toy Story land once GE opens? I was thinking that that could be a good way to get an edge on the crowds, and line up for the Star Wars land after riding some Toy Story rides, and before the park actually opens.



Yeah, while anything is possible I guess, I suspect 8/29 will be the end of DHS EMM as we know it.


----------



## disneymagic246

We attended this event on 3/6. Unfortunately, SDD was not operating that morning until around 8:20. When they told us SDD was down I was devastated, as that was the main reason I had booked the event. It was my son’s birthday and I had booked this so he would be able to ride SDD multiple times. I was very upset but tried to keep a positive attitude. Fortunately I knew from reading this forum to go ask the cast members about fastpasses for later. They told me I could use my EMM wristband as a fastpass from 9:00-10:00. While waiting for SDD to open we went and rode TSM 2 times and AS2 2 times. At 8:25 once SDD was finally running we got into line and waited 16 minutes to get on. Then we were able to ride again with another 16 minute wait before the rope drop crowds arrived. Then from 9:00-9:45 we rode SDD 3 more times using the wristband as a fastpass. That was the highlight of the event…riding SDD over and over during that hour. My son was giggling and having a blast, and that made the event worth it. At 9:45 we left and walked to the breakfast. It was a long 10 minute walk to get there, and we barely made it in time. The breakfast was good. The kids and I loved the chicken tenders and eggs, and my husband loved all the pastries from the buffet. We liked how you could refill your own drinks. Despite a stressful start, everything worked out okay, and I would book the event again in the future. In summary we rode

SDD x 5
TSM x 2
AS2 x 2


----------



## disneymagicgirl

3darlings said:


> We went on March 8th and while I can see it is definitely worth it normally, it wasn't on our morning because TSM was closed the entire time.  So here was our experience:  we got there at 7 and had to wait until 7:20 when they walked us back.  We immediately went on SDD and did that 4 times before 8.  We waited for maybe one car each time so it was very fast.  We then did AS once (we had done it the day before).  Then we went on SDD once again but basically we were done by a little after 8 because TSM never came on line and you can only do SDD so many times (although it is a lot of fun).  They announced that to make up for no TSM we would have unlimited FP to TOT and RNRC between 9 and 10.  To me that wasn't even close to an even compensation.  We walked on to TOT and RNR until close to 9:45 so having a FP until 10 only really gave us 1 extra ride on those.  And we had purposely not gone on TSM the day before because we waited for EMM when we thought we could go on multiple times.  So I was not happy!  I personally didn't like the breakfast offerings either but my kids did.  So in summary, if everything is working, I think it is worth it.  But if one of the two rides that you pay all this money for it down, it isn't worth it.



Oh gosh I wouldn’t have settled for that since we couldn’t have ridden either tot or rnrc anyways. What a bummer! I’m sorry that happened and they thought that was acceptable compensation.


----------



## bit413

TammyLynn33 said:


> So what is everyone’s thoughts do SDD first or do the others first as the lines go down as the morning goes on ?


I have been thinking this exact same thing. We love TMM. I was thinking do that a few times, aliens and then SDD.


----------



## MonaMN

disneymagic246 said:


> We attended this event on 3/6. Unfortunately, SDD was not operating that morning until around 8:20. When they told us SDD was down I was devastated, as that was the main reason I had booked the event. It was my son’s birthday and I had booked this so he would be able to ride SDD multiple times. I was very upset but tried to keep a positive attitude. Fortunately I knew from reading this forum to go ask the cast members about fastpasses for later. They told me I could use my EMM wristband as a fastpass from 9:00-10:00. While waiting for SDD to open we went and rode TSM 2 times and AS2 2 times. At 8:25 once SDD was finally running we got into line and waited 16 minutes to get on. Then we were able to ride again with another 16 minute wait before the rope drop crowds arrived. Then from 9:00-9:45 we rode SDD 3 more times using the wristband as a fastpass. That was the highlight of the event…riding SDD over and over during that hour. My son was giggling and having a blast, and that made the event worth it. At 9:45 we left and walked to the breakfast. It was a long 10 minute walk to get there, and we barely made it in time. The breakfast was good. The kids and I loved the chicken tenders and eggs, and my husband loved all the pastries from the buffet. We liked how you could refill your own drinks. Despite a stressful start, everything worked out okay, and I would book the event again in the future. In summary we rode
> 
> SDD x 5
> TSM x 2
> AS2 x 2


That was our day too - I suspect the delay may have been because it was so chilly (something like 42 degrees).  We ended up riding SDD twice during the 9-10 hour, with a ride on RnRC tossed in... and we made it to breakfast with just a couple minutes to spare! We probably saw you there!


----------



## DisneyMomma930

Just booked this for 8/14, our day after we arrive.  SO EXCITED!  I was afraid it would sell out before I could book it.  Great way to start our trip.  Woot woot!  This will help with FP+ planning too.


----------



## Disney & ME

It's disappointing to hear there are still issues with rides beingclosed during this event. SDD was down when we went in October but eventually came up. However we didn't get to ride as much as we hoped and we weren't offered any accommodations due to the delay. At least they are now offering FP for other rides or using the EMM wristband in the FP line. 

I am hoping for EMM in September but doubtful.


----------



## TreyQ3

TammyLynn33 said:


> So what is everyone’s thoughts do SDD first or do the others first as the lines go down as the morning goes on ?



We have done this twice (Oct & Mar).  Back in October we went to SDD first.  We were about 30th at the Chinese theater line but felt like we were further back after the stop at Little Mermaid and then to SDD.  The first ride on SDD was ~10 min wait and they dropped after that.  After 4 SDD rides we went to TSMM and the waits were 5-10 min each.  After my arm gave out at TSMM, we went back to SDD and the waits were under 5 min.

Last week we went to TSMM first.  We were probably further back after the Little Mermaid stop (strategy tip:  use the entrances on the right.  They are bigger and allow more people through.  We were on the left and the funneling effect through the smaller arch slowed down our merge).  When we entered TSMM we were the 3-11th people there and they walked us back to the ride.  The rest of the thundering hoard went to SDD.  After we initially rode TSMM, the CM asked us if we wanted to ride again because there wasn't anyone in line.  So we rode TSMM a second time without getting out of the car!  After the second ride we left and went to SDD where the wait was ~5 min.  To me the longest portion of the wait between TSMM rides is the exit/entrance walk.  We hardly stood still at TSMM.

IMO, if you are maximizing the # of SDD + TSMM rides, go to TSMM first.  But of course, YMMV.


----------



## GAN

Just got a reservation for 4/17 ....had been checking for a couple weeks with no luck and tonight it opened up.  So excited because this is a somewhat last minute trip and we had no SDD FP+.  Should prove to be a fun day as MK is open till 2AM with EMH.  Appreciate all the tips for this event ....


----------



## Suejacken

I just saw availability for 4/29 and 5/6 or 7 I think. There wasn’t availability when I checked two days ago for a friend


----------



## writersblock

Is this likely to happen in November?


----------



## ellbell

writersblock said:


> Is this likely to happen in November?


No.  With Galaxies Edge opening EMM for toy story seems to be going the way of the Dodo


----------



## Nixon128

Slinky is down this morning


----------



## TISHLOVESDISNEY

We did this the 18th. We did TSMM first, 2x without getting off, SDD 4x, could have done it 1 more time but we were hungry. Waits were 7 minutes at the longest. We skipped AS2, did it at DAH Saturday.
Did Buzz, then headed to breakfast after the mass of humanity passed us.
We arrived at 7:25, and walked straight back. We weren't rushing, and I enjoyed it. Doing it again in July.


----------



## Iowamomof4

Nixon128 said:


> Slinky is down this morning


If it doesn't get up and running in time, be sure to stop by Guest relations at the front of the park to see if they will do anything for you. I'd be asking for a partial refund or 3 fastpasses for SDD if I never got to ride it during EMM.


----------



## TammyLynn33

Thank you for sharing . How long was your wait for Buzz




TISHLOVESDISNEY said:


> We did this the 18th. We did TSMM first, 2x without getting off, SDD 4x, could have done it 1 more time but we were hungry. Waits were 7 minutes at the longest. We skipped AS2, did it at DAH Saturday.
> Did Buzz, then headed to breakfast after the mass of humanity passed us.
> We arrived at 7:25, and walked straight back. We weren't rushing, and I enjoyed it. Doing it again in July.


----------



## Megan138

Suejacken said:


> I just saw availability for 4/29 and 5/6 or 7 I think. There wasn’t availability when I checked two days ago for a friend


Thanks for the heads up - I booked it for 4/29 this morning!


----------



## DisAlicia22

Suejacken said:


> I just saw availability for 4/29 and 5/6 or 7 I think. There wasn’t availability when I checked two days ago for a friend


Thank you so much for posting about this! I also got a reservation for 4/29 and I’m so happy!!!


----------



## Katrina Y

Nixon128 said:


> Slinky is down this morning


This is the reason I am nervous about booking this. Did Disney compensate you in anyway?


----------



## Wanna be Ariel

Nixon128 said:


> Slinky is down this morning


Yep, little worried about this too.  We booked, but I am watching this thread to see how much this happens.  We have done MK EMM 3 times before they changed the breakfast location and have LOVED it every time.


----------



## Nixon128

Slinky didn’t begin working until around 8:30. We were told that our wristbands could be used as fast passes anywhere in the park until 10 am. We still were able to ride twice before the rope drop crowd got there. I was happy with this, but it is upsetting when slinky is down. Of course it’s the most popular ride, but t makes all the other character meets and attractions even more crowded.


----------



## WaterLinds

I feel like they need to rethink the “FP access until 10 am” compensation given that most people are heading to breakfast for some chunk of the 9-10 window.


----------



## SaintsManiac

WaterLinds said:


> I feel like they need to rethink the “FP access until 10 am” compensation given that most people are heading to breakfast for some chunk of the 9-10 window.




Indeed

This is not a good resolution at all. I would push for more.


----------



## Suejacken

Megan138 said:


> Thanks for the heads up - I booked it for 4/29 this morning!





Megan138 said:


> Thanks for the heads up - I booked it for 4/29 this morning!


welcome. Glad you were able to get tickets


----------



## Suejacken

DisAlicia22 said:


> Thank you so much for posting about this! I also got a reservation for 4/29 and I’m so happy!!!


Welcome glad you were able to get tickets


----------



## rteetz

Early Morning Magic Extended at Both Magic Kingdom and Disney's Hollywood Studios


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

rteetz said:


> Early Morning Magic Extended at Both Magic Kingdom and Disney's Hollywood Studios


But they weren’t extended at HS. Still only until the end of Aug, which it has been for a couple weeks now.


----------



## jhoannam

rteetz said:


> Early Morning Magic Extended at Both Magic Kingdom and Disney's Hollywood Studios


I'm confused... how is it extended?


----------



## rteetz

PrincessArlena'sDad said:


> But they weren’t extended at HS. Still only until the end of Aug, which it has been for a couple weeks now.





jhoannam said:


> I'm confused... how is it extended?


@WebmasterJackie Clarification on this?


----------



## Iowamomof4

PrincessArlena'sDad said:


> But they weren’t extended at HS. Still only until the end of Aug, which it has been for a couple weeks now.





jhoannam said:


> I'm confused... how is it extended?



Old news that for whatever reason some sites are pretending is NEW news today. Sigh.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

IMO since I’ve seen it on a few blog/news feeds, it’s just a random Friday afternoon Disney press release stating something that was already available (as us on this thread know all too well) but is likely done for marketing/advertising purposes.  We all know there is zero chance DHS EMM gets any new dates beyond the 8/28 already available.


----------



## jennab

jhoannam said:


> I'm confused... how is it extended?



Me too!  Dang it I went to check to see if more times were added to 8/26 but nope


----------



## Iowamomof4

GADisneyDad14 said:


> IMO since I’ve seen it on a few blog/news feeds, it’s just a random Friday afternoon Disney press release stating something that was already available (as us on this thread know all too well) but is likely done for marketing/advertising purposes.



I would be inclined to agree with you, except why would Disney release a press release about dates that they aren't booking right now? I'm thinking someone at wdwnt (the first place I saw it today) noticed the new blue dates at MK and got all excited without realizing they can't be booked or something. I don't know, it's a mystery.


----------



## jhoannam

Iowamomof4 said:


> I would be inclined to agree with you, except why would Disney release a press release about dates that they aren't booking right now? I'm thinking someone at wdwnt (the first place I saw it today) noticed the new blue dates at MK and got all excited without realizing they can't be booked or something. I don't know, it's a mystery.


I'm not seeing any dates pass 8/28 for HS, and nothing pass 8/27 is bookable for MK.


----------



## Iowamomof4

jhoannam said:


> I'm not seeing any dates pass 8/28 for HS, and nothing pass 8/27 is bookable for MK.



Yes, exactly. It's old news and they didn't even realize you can't book the September MK dates.


----------



## TammyLynn33

Or push breakfast back an hour to compensate or give a free lunch voucher something 



WaterLinds said:


> I feel like they need to rethink the “FP access until 10 am” compensation given that most people are heading to breakfast for some chunk of the 9-10 window.


----------



## WebmasterJackie

Sorry for any confusion, guys. The August and September dates for both locations were new to us - didn't mean to cause a ruckus!


----------



## CaleCakes

Is there a thread about extra morning hours for hollywood studios? I will be going in June with my kids (3.5 and 1.5) and my father. We got the EMM for MK one of the days but haven't been able to get EMM for HS. What is the overall thought of EMH for HS if we don't get EMM? Will it be so crowded it won't be worth the early arrival? I don't think my son (3.5) will even want to go on SDD but I was thinking it would be fun to be in the land before it got super crowded. We are staying at BC and were thinking about going to the EMH on the 2nd.


----------



## vacapa

I'm still stalking the site in hopes that Fridays will be added for April. Do I even have a chance?


----------



## M SH

I’m still hoping they will offer for May 1st.. but at this point it seems highly unlikely..
this is my HS day and I couldn’t move it. Too bad it’s the only Wednesday in May they decided not to offer this.
We were hoping to try this but it doesn’t seem we will get to ever, considering after swge, this will probably be discontinued.


----------



## dachsie

CaleCakes said:


> Is there a thread about extra morning hours for hollywood studios? I will be going in June with my kids (3.5 and 1.5) and my father. We got the EMM for MK one of the days but haven't been able to get EMM for HS. What is the overall thought of EMH for HS if we don't get EMM? Will it be so crowded it won't be worth the early arrival? I don't think my son (3.5) will even want to go on SDD but I was thinking it would be fun to be in the land before it got super crowded. We are staying at BC and were thinking about going to the EMH on the 2nd.


keep checking.  Plans change and they may add the 7:00 slot as well, if they haven't already


----------



## TammyLynn33

Are there Photopass Photographers our for EMM meet and greets?


----------



## jennab

TammyLynn33 said:


> Are there Photopass Photographers our for EMM meet and greets?



Yes!! There was one for Woody/Jesse, Buzz, the entrance to TSL sign and I want to say also one in front of aliens when we were there.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

jennab said:


> Yes!! There was one for Woody/Jesse, Buzz, the entrance to TSL sign and I want to say also one in front of aliens when we were there.



Agree with this, but I think YMMV with the one in front of AS2 - there was one sort of towards AS2 (more in between the SDD bridge and AS2) with some kind of hold up sign in October, but they weren’t there 12/31.  Not sure how regular that one is?


----------



## DisneyMomma930

HELP!  I booked this for 8/14.  When I booked it the charge was pending on my credit card for a few days and I just checked and the charge is gone.  But in my MDE it still says confirmed and pre-paid.  Im just nervous about why the charge disappeared.  Anyone know what's going on with that?


----------



## magickingdomprincess

DisneyMomma930 said:


> HELP!  I booked this for 8/14.  When I booked it the charge was pending on my credit card for a few days and I just checked and the charge is gone.  But in my MDE it still says confirmed and pre-paid.  Im just nervous about why the charge disappeared.  Anyone know what's going on with that?



I've had that happen with charges on my Chase cards.  I think it's more of a website issue.  I wouldn't worry too much, just check again in a day or two.  You could call your cc co too for peace of mind.


----------



## DisneyMomma930

magickingdomprincess said:


> I've had that happen with charges on my Chase cards.  I think it's more of a website issue.  I wouldn't worry too much, just check again in a day or two.  You could call your cc co too for peace of mind.



Oh good.  I just want to make sure I don't lose the reservation.  If it doesn't show up in a few days I will call.


----------



## GillianP1301

Iowamomof4 said:


> Yes, exactly. It's old news and they didn't even realize you can't book the September MK dates.



I've got an ADR for EMM at MK on Sept 1 that I was able to book a couple weeks ago.


----------



## ksunwb

My wife and I are going to Hollywood Studios on the 8th of May this year, and I hadn't even looked into this event until just recently, and now I feel like we have to do it, all the reviews just rave about the experience. Unfortunately, both 7:00 and 7:30 are sold out. What are the odds that if I keep checking a couple times a day from now until then that something will open up? I know you all can't predict the future, just wondering if people have some experience with this situation. Thanks.


----------



## ninafeliz

ksunwb said:


> My wife and I are going to Hollywood Studios on the 8th of May this year, and I hadn't even looked into this event until just recently, and now I feel like we have to do it, all the reviews just rave about the experience. Unfortunately, both 7:00 and 7:30 are sold out. What are the odds that if I keep checking a couple times a day from now until then that something will open up? I know you all can't predict the future, just wondering if people have some experience with this situation. Thanks.


I would say pretty good


----------



## Iowamomof4

GillianP1301 said:


> I've got an ADR for EMM at MK on Sept 1 that I was able to book a couple weeks ago.


Right, but by the time these articles started popping up, the September dates were no longer bookable.


----------



## EatMoreVeg

Really hoping for EMM or AH event to be announced for Hollywood Studios in September but I'm torn on which to do assuming both are announced and this is an actual choice! Has anyone done both and recommend one over the other?


----------



## chaoskids

EatMoreVeg said:


> Really hoping for EMM or AH event to be announced for Hollywood Studios in September but I'm torn on which to do assuming both are announced and this is an actual choice! Has anyone done both and recommend one over the other?



The consensus seems to be with SWGE opening they are unlikely to be offered.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

EatMoreVeg said:


> Really hoping for EMM or AH event to be announced for Hollywood Studios in September but I'm torn on which to do assuming both are announced and this is an actual choice! Has anyone done both and recommend one over the other?



Don’t mean to be a downer, but I agree with the PP and doubt there will be any EMM or DAH type events at DHS in the near to mid term after SWGE opens 8/29.   At least that’s my guess/opinion at the moment.


----------



## ninafeliz

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Don’t mean to be a downer, but I agree with the PP and doubt there will be any EMM or DAH type events at DHS in the near to mid term after SWGE opens 7/29.   At least that’s my guess/opinion at the moment.


I think you mean 8/29!  You’re going to give some people heart attacks and make a group of people upset who hope for a “quiet” August!


----------



## GADisneyDad14

ninafeliz said:


> I think you mean 8/29!  You’re going to give some people heart attacks and make a group of people upset who hope for a “quiet” August!



OOOPPPS!  My bad.  Phones fault!  

Thanks for pointing that out.


----------



## EatMoreVeg

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Don’t mean to be a downer, but I agree with the PP and doubt there will be any EMM or DAH type events at DHS in the near to mid term after SWGE opens 8/29.   At least that’s my guess/opinion at the moment.



I think I assumed that too, but who knows with Disney! In the unlikely event either are offered though, it would be nice to know if there are preferences between the two for those who have experienced both and why. Thanks though! I've got a touring plan either way: with DAH, with EMM and without either lol.


----------



## GillianP1301

Iowamomof4 said:


> Right, but by the time these articles started popping up, the September dates were no longer bookable.



Yes, thank you and thanks to this thread I went and looked into it because I had no idea. I guess I'll just keep an eye on it to see of it ends up cancelled. Thankfully I have another EMM at MK scheduled during my trip, so it wont be a total loss for me if the Sept one disappears.


----------



## WaterLinds

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Agree with this, but I think YMMV with the one in front of AS2 - there was one sort of towards AS2 (more in between the SDD bridge and AS2) with some kind of hold up sign in October, but they weren’t there 12/31.  Not sure how regular that one is?



I can confirm that there was one by AS2 on March 15. No sign to hold, though.


----------



## tookydo

Do they always have a 7:00 and 7:30 reservation? So far for June it’s only 7:30 and that’s sold out for my dates.  I check every day but still no 7:00 reservation is offered.  I’m beginning to think there will no longer be a 7:00.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

tookydo said:


> Do they always have a 7:00 and 7:30 reservation? So far for June it’s only 7:30 and that’s sold out for my dates.  I check every day but still no 7:00 reservation is offered.  I’m beginning to think there will no longer be a 7:00.



'Nearly' every EMM date has eventually had 7am and 7:30am slots.  I'd bet on them being added, keep checking (in my opinion).


----------



## DisHeels

Im watching for June 7am times too. If they do add 7am times for June I hope they do it before our 60 day window for fastpasses.


----------



## Katrina Y

This morning during EMM, the my Disney experience app showed a 30 minute wait time for SDD. That doesn’t seem very good when EMM only last 1 hr. 30 mins. Does anyone know why the wait was so long this morning or is Disney starting to add too many people to EMM?


----------



## Disney fan 345

Hi! We are going this Wednesday morning and it looks like it’ll be raining.
Does slinky dog still run in the rain?


----------



## ccsmith312

We have tickets for tomorrow as well. All this talk about getting there at 6:45am and waiting makes me nervous. It's no fun to wait in the rain. I would think they would shut down SDD if it's raining as well. Wondering if anyone has had rain on their day? How was it handled?


----------



## jennab

I just saw an opening for 2 on Mon 8/26 if anyone is looking.  I am looking for 3 people which is not available so thought I would pass along the info..


----------



## ninafeliz

jennab said:


> I just saw an opening for 2 on Mon 8/26 if anyone is looking.  I am looking for 3 people which is not available so thought I would pass along the info..


If it were me I would book the 2 and keep checking for 1 additional, and just cancel the 2 if I never found the 3rd opening!


----------



## jennab

ninafeliz said:


> If it were me I would book the 2 and keep checking for 1 additional, and just cancel the 2 if I never found the 3rd opening!



Good point!  Guess I thought they should all be together for some reason but I suppose it doesn't matter since they are all for the same time


----------



## ninafeliz

jennab said:


> Good point!  Guess I thought they should all be together for some reason but I suppose it doesn't matter since they are all for the same time


Yep, it's the same event, not like an ADR where you either get a table for a group your size or you don't.  However, when you do find the additional openings you have to either call in to book it or use someone else's MDE account, because the site does treat it like an ADR and will say you have a conflicting one. I would still book what you found, the only problem is the anxiety of waiting to call in and book the next time hoping someone doesn't take it first .


----------



## jennab

Oh good point!  Well I went back and someone already took the 2 spots (hope it was someone on here waiting!), so I'll keep my eye out and know at least I can do that in the future.  Thanks for letting me know about calling in too, I wouldn't have thought to do that.  That's odd though if I have 3 people linked to my MDE and only assign 2 of them the reservation for EMM it should still let me assign the other person online and see it's not an overlap?  Seems odd it wouldn't notice that!


----------



## Dr Gunnie

We will be going tomorrow as well with a good chance of rain - here are a couple former reports during rainy days - looks like Slinky Dog still runs:



Eeyore's the Best said:


> We did EMM this morning in the pouring rain.  We walked right on to a bus at Pop Century at 6:30, we were planning to Uber if there wasn’t a bus coming in good time.  Did bag check, got our wristbands and then we held and the turnstiles until 7 am.   We opted not to go for breakfast first we went straight to the holding are just outside of the theatre.
> 
> They started to walk us back at 7:25.  We did Toy Story mania first, then went to Slinky dog, it said a 15 mins queue but it was more like 5. Then we did Aliens and back to Slinky dog again.  It was basically a walk on the second time.  It was about 8:30 at this point, it started to rain harder and going on slinky dog was not particularly pleasant the rain felt like ice pellets on your face.  We probably could have ridden 4 or 5 more times if it wasn’t for the rain.
> 
> We decided to beat the rush to breakfast and walked over to the backlot express.  The breakfast was really good.  We could tell when the crowds must have came in because there was a rush of people coming in for breakfast just around 9 when we were finishing.  We then went over to Tower of Terror, did it twice as a walk on, Rockin Roller coaster wasn’t opened when we first went by but was on the way back out.
> 
> Probably could have walked on that as well but we opted not to.  Because of the rain we decided to do shows, caught Frozen at 10:30 and then the Little Mermaid and are now on the way out at 12.  Despite the rain I think it was worth it.





mlnbabies said:


> We went to EMM on Wednesday 2-13. We had a 7:30 slot. It was raining all morning and cold. We left CBR at 6:33 on the bus. Dropped off, got band and thru the turnstiles around 7a. We skipped breakfast and were held at the theater. A wall of Toy story mania cast members lead us back to the land at 7:23 or so. Cast members lead us the whole way. We got to slinky at 7:29. We were the first people on the second train. Pelting rain made the ride uncomfortable. It was cool and we enjoyed it. Rode Slinky 4 times, alien once and Mania twice. We left at 8:45a to get breakfast. We saw the wall of rope droppers coming. We had a FP for Rock at 9:20 but it was closed until about 11:30a. Timed it right and got in the standby line even though I had a multiple experience FP. The rained stopped around 12:30. We had a good time and well worth it.


----------



## ninafeliz

jennab said:


> Oh good point!  Well I went back and someone already took the 2 spots (hope it was someone on here waiting!), so I'll keep my eye out and know at least I can do that in the future.  Thanks for letting me know about calling in too, I wouldn't have thought to do that.  That's odd though if I have 3 people linked to my MDE and only assign 2 of them the reservation for EMM it should still let me assign the other person online and see it's not an overlap?  Seems odd it wouldn't notice that!


I agree with you, it seems like it shouldn't be a problem, but I'm pretty sure I've read about that being an issue on here.  I would try to book online, but if you get the issue then call.


----------



## CoCoMo

We did the EMM on Monday 3/18 at TSL and I would like to share my experience.  I found the information others posted extremely helpful when planning our trip.

6:30 am - Mears shuttle pick up from Caribbean Beach Old Port Royale.  I used the Mears shuttle because it was recommended on here and I wanted to schedule it in advance.  In the end I think taking the bus would have been fine but I would have definitely left earlier.  The timing of the Mears shuttle was perfect and cost $15 plus tip.
6:47 am - We were at the gate of Hollywood Studios.
6:51 am - Headed for breakfast #1 at Backlot Express.  We only had buffet items and hot chocolate.  Plenty of time.
7:14 am - Arrived at Chinese theater.  There was a small(ish) group of people waiting in a crowd.  We were clearly ahead of everyone else participating because it seemed most people stayed behind for breakfast or had not yet arrived.  In fact on our way to the Chinese theater we passed many people who were just heading in to get breakfast.
7:20 am - Opening of TSL announced and we were walked back to the Land.  Stroller people should go off to the left because of the ramp and walkers off to the right for the steps.
7:25 am - In line SDD first ride, couple minutes wait.
7:25-7:56 - rode SDD and TSMM.
7:57 - In line for 2nd SDD, waited until 8:12 to be loaded in coaster.
Rode SDD 3X, TSMM 2X and *** 1X until exactly 7:40.
8:40 - Headed out to get ahead of rope drop crowd for Rockin' Rollercoaster.
8:46 - Arrived in line for Sunset Blvd. Timing was perfect.
Approx. 8:50-55 (detailed notes stop here ) we were walked back to RR and TT, just ahead of the rope drop MASSES (crazy amount of people)!
We were in the first group to get on RR.  Immediately after we went to TT and had a minimal wait of approximately 10 minutes.
Headed to breakfast after TT (not sure what time we arrived but we left there right at 10 am).  We had plenty of time to eat and relax a bit before continuing on.
I thought the breakfast choices were kind of odd but DD and I both ordered the Smashed Avocado Toast and Egg Plate and we shared a Charcuterie Platter because we were curious.  The Avocado Toast was really good!  The Charcuterie was mostly good as well (it included a couple items we did not care for).  I loved the fact that they had the soda machines so you could get a refill!
Considered the experience a complete SUCCESS!  I was not a fan of having to spend the extra money to basically get to ride SDD more than once but I did think it was an awesome experience and made our day so much more enjoyable.  Would definitely recommend if the budget allows.  To get the most value it is imperative to get there EARLY and enjoy all the benefits (2 breakfasts, riding rides at TSL multiple times, being ahead of the crowd to get on RR and TT).
If anyone has any specific questions, please feel free to ask!


----------



## Suejacken

CoCoMo said:


> We did the EMM on Monday 3/18 at TSL and I would like to share my experience.  I found the information others posted extremely helpful when planning our trip.
> 
> 6:30 am - Mears shuttle pick up from Caribbean Beach Old Port Royale.  I used the Mears shuttle because it was recommended on here and I wanted to schedule it in advance.  In the end I think taking the bus would have been fine but I would have definitely left earlier.  The timing of the Mears shuttle was perfect and cost $15 plus tip.
> 6:47 am - We were at the gate of Hollywood Studios.
> 6:51 am - Headed for breakfast #1 at Backlot Express.  We only had buffet items and hot chocolate.  Plenty of time.
> 7:14 am - Arrived at Chinese theater.  There was a small(ish) group of people waiting in a crowd.  We were clearly ahead of everyone else participating because it seemed most people stayed behind for breakfast or had not yet arrived.  In fact on our way to the Chinese theater we passed many people who were just heading in to get breakfast.
> 7:20 am - Opening of TSL announced and we were walked back to the Land.  Stroller people should go off to the left because of the ramp and walkers off to the right for the steps.
> 7:25 am - In line SDD first ride, couple minutes wait.
> 7:25-7:56 - rode SDD and TSMM.
> 7:57 - In line for 2nd SDD, waited until 8:12 to be loaded in coaster.
> Rode SDD 3X, TSMM 2X and *** 1X until exactly 7:40.
> 7:40 - Headed out to get ahead of rope drop crowd for Rockin' Rollercoaster.
> 7:46 - Arrived in line for Sunset Blvd. Timing was perfect.
> Approx. 7:50-55 (detailed notes stop here ) we were walked back to RR and TT, just ahead of the rope drop MASSES (crazy amount of people)!
> We were in the first group to get on RR.  Immediately after we went to TT and had a minimal wait of approximately 10 minutes.
> Headed to breakfast after TT (not sure what time we arrived but we left there right at 10 am).  We had plenty of time to eat and relax a bit before continuing on.
> I thought the breakfast choices were kind of odd but DD and I both ordered the Smashed Avocado Toast and Egg Plate and we shared a Charcuterie Platter because we were curious.  The Avocado Toast was really good!  The Charcuterie was mostly good as well (it included a couple items we did not care for).  I loved the fact that they had the soda machines so you could get a refill!
> Considered the experience a complete SUCCESS!  I was not a fan of having to spend the extra money to basically get to ride SDD more than once but I did think it was an awesome experience and made our day so much more enjoyable.  Would definitely recommend if the budget allows.  To get the most value it is imperative to get there EARLY and enjoy all the benefits (2 breakfasts, riding rides at TSL multiple times, being ahead of the crowd to get on RR and TT).
> If anyone has any specific questions, please feel free to ask!


Thanks for sharing your experience. I read all of them to get a better plan for my day there.


----------



## Iowamomof4

CoCoMo said:


> We did the EMM on Monday 3/18 at TSL and I would like to share my experience.  I found the information others posted extremely helpful when planning our trip.
> 
> 6:30 am - Mears shuttle pick up from Caribbean Beach Old Port Royale.  I used the Mears shuttle because it was recommended on here and I wanted to schedule it in advance.  In the end I think taking the bus would have been fine but I would have definitely left earlier.  The timing of the Mears shuttle was perfect and cost $15 plus tip.
> 6:47 am - We were at the gate of Hollywood Studios.
> 6:51 am - Headed for breakfast #1 at Backlot Express.  We only had buffet items and hot chocolate.  Plenty of time.
> 7:14 am - Arrived at Chinese theater.  There was a small(ish) group of people waiting in a crowd.  We were clearly ahead of everyone else participating because it seemed most people stayed behind for breakfast or had not yet arrived.  In fact on our way to the Chinese theater we passed many people who were just heading in to get breakfast.
> 7:20 am - Opening of TSL announced and we were walked back to the Land.  Stroller people should go off to the left because of the ramp and walkers off to the right for the steps.
> 7:25 am - In line SDD first ride, couple minutes wait.
> 7:25-7:56 - rode SDD and TSMM.
> 7:57 - In line for 2nd SDD, waited until 8:12 to be loaded in coaster.
> Rode SDD 3X, TSMM 2X and *** 1X until exactly 7:40.
> 7:40 - Headed out to get ahead of rope drop crowd for Rockin' Rollercoaster.
> 7:46 - Arrived in line for Sunset Blvd. Timing was perfect.
> Approx. 7:50-55 (detailed notes stop here ) we were walked back to RR and TT, just ahead of the rope drop MASSES (crazy amount of people)!
> We were in the first group to get on RR.  Immediately after we went to TT and had a minimal wait of approximately 10 minutes.
> Headed to breakfast after TT (not sure what time we arrived but we left there right at 10 am).  We had plenty of time to eat and relax a bit before continuing on.
> I thought the breakfast choices were kind of odd but DD and I both ordered the Smashed Avocado Toast and Egg Plate and we shared a Charcuterie Platter because we were curious.  The Avocado Toast was really good!  The Charcuterie was mostly good as well (it included a couple items we did not care for).  I loved the fact that they had the soda machines so you could get a refill!
> Considered the experience a complete SUCCESS!  I was not a fan of having to spend the extra money to basically get to ride SDD more than once but I did think it was an awesome experience and made our day so much more enjoyable.  Would definitely recommend if the budget allows.  To get the most value it is imperative to get there EARLY and enjoy all the benefits (2 breakfasts, riding rides at TSL multiple times, being ahead of the crowd to get on RR and TT).
> If anyone has any specific questions, please feel free to ask!



I think you need to change some of your "7"'s to "8"'s. Maybe beginning with "Rode SDD 3X, TSMM 2X and AS2 1X until exactly..." (should probably read 8:40).


----------



## Katrina Y

CoCoMo said:


> We did the EMM on Monday 3/18 at TSL and I would like to share my experience.  I found the information others posted extremely helpful when planning our trip.
> 
> 6:30 am - Mears shuttle pick up from Caribbean Beach Old Port Royale.  I used the Mears shuttle because it was recommended on here and I wanted to schedule it in advance.  In the end I think taking the bus would have been fine but I would have definitely left earlier.  The timing of the Mears shuttle was perfect and cost $15 plus tip.
> 6:47 am - We were at the gate of Hollywood Studios.
> 6:51 am - Headed for breakfast #1 at Backlot Express.  We only had buffet items and hot chocolate.  Plenty of time.
> 7:14 am - Arrived at Chinese theater.  There was a small(ish) group of people waiting in a crowd.  We were clearly ahead of everyone else participating because it seemed most people stayed behind for breakfast or had not yet arrived.  In fact on our way to the Chinese theater we passed many people who were just heading in to get breakfast.
> 7:20 am - Opening of TSL announced and we were walked back to the Land.  Stroller people should go off to the left because of the ramp and walkers off to the right for the steps.
> 7:25 am - In line SDD first ride, couple minutes wait.
> 7:25-7:56 - rode SDD and TSMM.
> 7:57 - In line for 2nd SDD, waited until 8:12 to be loaded in coaster.
> Rode SDD 3X, TSMM 2X and *** 1X until exactly 7:40.
> 7:40 - Headed out to get ahead of rope drop crowd for Rockin' Rollercoaster.
> 7:46 - Arrived in line for Sunset Blvd. Timing was perfect.
> Approx. 7:50-55 (detailed notes stop here ) we were walked back to RR and TT, just ahead of the rope drop MASSES (crazy amount of people)!
> We were in the first group to get on RR.  Immediately after we went to TT and had a minimal wait of approximately 10 minutes.
> Headed to breakfast after TT (not sure what time we arrived but we left there right at 10 am).  We had plenty of time to eat and relax a bit before continuing on.
> I thought the breakfast choices were kind of odd but DD and I both ordered the Smashed Avocado Toast and Egg Plate and we shared a Charcuterie Platter because we were curious.  The Avocado Toast was really good!  The Charcuterie was mostly good as well (it included a couple items we did not care for).  I loved the fact that they had the soda machines so you could get a refill!
> Considered the experience a complete SUCCESS!  I was not a fan of having to spend the extra money to basically get to ride SDD more than once but I did think it was an awesome experience and made our day so much more enjoyable.  Would definitely recommend if the budget allows.  To get the most value it is imperative to get there EARLY and enjoy all the benefits (2 breakfasts, riding rides at TSL multiple times, being ahead of the crowd to get on RR and TT).
> If anyone has any specific questions, please feel free to ask!


So you were allowed to order an extra Entrée to try. They didn’t limit you to one each.


----------



## Iowamomof4

Katrina Y said:


> So you were allowed to order an extra Entrée to try. They didn’t limit you to one each.



From everything I've read, yes. You can get whatever you want.


----------



## Davkind76

Going in June this year. First time during a month other than August. REALLY hoping to get EMM for DHS on June 10 or 12 but both are booked solid. I keep checking everyday so hopefully something opens up


----------



## CoCoMo

Iowamomof4 said:


> I think you need to change some of your "7"'s to "8"'s. Maybe beginning with "Rode SDD 3X, TSMM 2X and AS2 1X until exactly..." (should probably read 8:40).


Ahhh Yes!  Edited and thank you!


----------



## Iowamomof4

CoCoMo said:


> Ahhh Yes!  Edited and thank you!


Thank YOU for the wonderful report! I'm certain it will be very helpful to many of us!


----------



## Herbst20

We did the EMM on March 20th and it was a great experience.

We used Disney Transportation and arrived at the park at 7 and were let into the park around 7:20.  They allowed those who wanted to go to eat breakfast at the Backlot and held the rest of us in the main area while they set up the stages for the Star Wars performances. At 7:30 the let us go in Toy Story Land.  As you can expect most rushed toward Slinky Dog.  We on the other hand went to Toy Story Mania and got right on.  After we did the meet and greets with Buzz, Woody and Jessie.

By the time we finished with the meet and greets we headed over to Slinky Dog and rode it 3 times in 30 minutes.  We then proceeded over to Alien Swirling Saucers.  We rode it once and the Cast Member said we could stay on and we rode it again.  After exiting the ride we went back to Toy Story Mania.  We got on about 8:57 and by the time we exited the ride, the park opened to the public.  The line at 9:05 for slinky dog extended past Voyage of the Little Mermaid.

We bypassed the breakfast as my little girl ( 7 years old) couldnt wait to get over to Rockin Roller Coaster.  

For us who dont make it to Disney World very often ( last there Oct 2016), this was extremely worth it and I would do it again in a heartbeat.


----------



## CoCoMo

Katrina Y said:


> So you were allowed to order an extra Entrée to try. They didn’t limit you to one each.


Yes!  They were not keeping track in any way.  There were 2 of us in line to order 3 entrees.  Our Cast Member could not have cared less.  I did not do it but you also could have just gone through the line multiple times.  They checked wrist bands before you went into the restaurant.


----------



## TammyLynn33

Thank you so much. What were the lines like for meet and greet? 



Herbst20 said:


> We did the EMM on March 20th and it was a great experience.
> 
> We used Disney Transportation and arrived at the park at 7 and were let into the park around 7:20.  They allowed those who wanted to go to eat breakfast at the Backlot and held the rest of us in the main area while they set up the stages for the Star Wars performances. At 7:30 the let us go in Toy Story Land.  As you can expect most rushed toward Slinky Dog.  We on the other hand went to Toy Story Mania and got right on.  After we did the meet and greets with Buzz, Woody and Jessie.
> 
> By the time we finished with the meet and greets we headed over to Slinky Dog and rode it 3 times in 30 minutes.  We then proceeded over to Alien Swirling Saucers.  We rode it once and the Cast Member said we could stay on and we rode it again.  After exiting the ride we went back to Toy Story Mania.  We got on about 8:57 and by the time we exited the ride, the park opened to the public.  The line at 9:05 for slinky dog extended past Voyage of the Little Mermaid.
> 
> We bypassed the breakfast as my little girl ( 7 years old) couldnt wait to get over to Rockin Roller Coaster.
> 
> For us who dont make it to Disney World very often ( last there Oct 2016), this was extremely worth it and I would do it again in a heartbeat.


----------



## Herbst20

TammyLynn33 said:


> Thank you so much. What were the lines like for meet and greet?



The meet and greets werent bad.  I didnt time them but couldnt have been more than 10-15 minutes.  Most people rushed to SDD


----------



## Disney & ME

Katrina Y said:


> So you were allowed to order an extra Entrée to try. They didn’t limit you to one each.


 When we went in the fall we had one of each option to share and went back for an extra grits. I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the food and the ability to ask for special orders! We hope this is available in September to go again.


----------



## Avery&Todd

Katrina Y said:


> So you were allowed to order an extra Entrée to try. They didn’t limit you to one each.



I know others have responded to you but I also wanted to chime in and say that DH and I walked up to order together and were lost so we obviously didnt know what we could order  - both DH and I ordered the chicken n' waffles and the kids meal scrambled eggs.  The cashier said we could order whatever we wanted - and then the drinks and sides were on the buffet....

the food was DELICIOUS!!!

DH was SUPER impressed and that he and I alone ordered almost $40 in food and it was included...such the "deal" according to him...whatever it takes I say!


----------



## Davkind76

was just able to get 2 tickets for June 12 that opened up today


----------



## DisneyWalle

What is the best way to arrive at HS for the party before 7am?  We are staying at the contemporary.

I've never used Lyft cars or minnie Vans but I will if those are the better options over using the buses or driving ourselves.


----------



## SaintsManiac

DisneyWalle said:


> What is the best way to arrive at HS for the party before 7am?  We are staying at the contemporary.
> 
> I've never used Lyft cars or minnie Vans but I will if those are the better options over using the buses or driving ourselves.




I would take Lyft. I say this because the transportation from Contemporary was terrible in September. It was our worst experience with transportation of any trip we've taken.


----------



## Brett Wyman

We successfully used the bus for EMM at HS studios from the Poly. We arrived at the bus stop at 6:25am.


----------



## MaggieBags

Our recap for today's EMM at HS:

Success!

Used the bus app to see that the first bus would be at Fort Wilderness at 6:26. It picked up promptly and another bus was right behind to wait for anyone else. Didn't note when we arrived but we were plenty early.

Had pastries, fruit, yogurt and drinks before heading to wait to be released into Toy Story Land.

Rode TSM, Saucers, Slinky x2, then TSM again, met Buzz. Could have done more but Slinky made me slightly motion sick so we called it good.

I wish I could properly explain the site of the rope drop crowd coming in TSL...it was both vaguely frightening and impressive at the same time. The cast members did a great job walking everyone in. I wasn't prepared and was looking at toys at a kiosk with our little one when they descended, grabbed her and ran across the path to get back to our stroller. We would have been stuck for a while!

Rain held out until about 10 minutes (?) after EMM was over. I truly felt sorry for the hoards who rope dropped. It was really coming down good for a while. I checked the wait times a little later in the morning and Slinky was down. I'm afraid those folks did not have a very good morning.

Went back and had entrees and more drinks. We liked the chicken/donuts and the sweet potato barrels.

All in all we had a great time and felt it was well worth it!  Without EMM, Toy Story Land would have been a bit of bust for us. No way would we have waited in that line for Slinky.

Thanks to all for your recaps and advice!


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Wow @MaggieBags, I looked at the radar this AM and figured this mornings EMM would be a disaster!  Sounds like the timing was just perfect vs Mother Nature.  Thanks for posting!


----------



## MaggieBags

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Wow @MaggieBags, I looked at the radar this AM and figured this mornings EMM would be a disaster!  Sounds like the timing was just perfect vs Mother Nature.  Thanks for posting!


 
Yes, we totally lucked out!


----------



## Brett Wyman

MaggieBags said:


> I wish I could properly explain the site of the rope drop crowd coming in TSL...it was both vaguely frightening and impressive at the same time. The cast members did a great job walking everyone in. I wasn't prepared and was looking at toys at a kiosk with our little one when they descended, grabbed her and ran across the path to get back to our stroller. We would have been stuck for a while!



I wish anyone planning on RDing SDD would see what those leaving a TSL EMM have seen! They would very quickly realize the error of their ways.


----------



## canyoncam

Brett Wyman said:


> I wish anyone planning on RDing SDD would see what those leaving a TSL EMM have seen! They would very quickly realize the error of their ways.



But if planned properly it can work. Last September when I had a short three night trip that was one of my options in order to get to ride SDD. They did let us back into TSL about 8:45. The ride camera wasn’t working so I don’t have the exact time I rode SDD but my photo from ToT is time stamped 9:37 am. Consider the length of time for walking over (and I stopped for the bathroom I remember) preshow, loading and ride before the photo I must have been on and off SDD within the first 15-20 minutes. 

However I booked DAH for HS on my last trip and EMM for my next, plus have been able to get FP so no need to repeat the RD crush again!!!!


----------



## dachsie

Brett Wyman said:


> I wish anyone planning on RDing SDD would see what those leaving a TSL EMM have seen! They would very quickly realize the error of their ways.


Just wait til SWGE opens.  I cant wait to see pics of that crowd.


----------



## WaterLinds

DisneyWalle said:


> What is the best way to arrive at HS for the party before 7am?  We are staying at the contemporary.
> 
> I've never used Lyft cars or minnie Vans but I will if those are the better options over using the buses or driving ourselves.


If you have your car anyway than driving yourself isn’t terrible for HS. I was surprised to discover they were taking payment that early for parking (not a factor if you’re onsite), but there was no traffic, we parked in the first row of the lot, and then it’s a few minutes walk to the gate.


----------



## ninafeliz

canyoncam said:


> But if planned properly it can work. Last September when I had a short three night trip that was one of my options in order to get to ride SDD. They did let us back into TSL about 8:45. The ride camera wasn’t working so I don’t have the exact time I rode SDD but my photo from ToT is time stamped 9:37 am. Consider the length of time for walking over (and I stopped for the bathroom I remember) preshow, loading and ride before the photo I must have been on and off SDD within the first 15-20 minutes.
> 
> However I booked DAH for HS on my last trip and EMM for my next, plus have been able to get FP so no need to repeat the RD crush again!!!!



You must have been at the front of the crowd!  The last time we did EMM the line for SDD was to
VotLMM before it settled down, and then very shortly after that was back to the left side of the Chinese theater.  It was amazing, and I can’t believe anyone would wait in that.
 It’s a fun ride, but IMO no ride is worth that much time in line !


----------



## canyoncam

ninafeliz said:


> You must have been at the front of the crowd!  The last time we did EMM the line for SDD was to
> VotLMM before it settled down, and then very shortly after that was back to the left side of the Chinese theater.  It was amazing, and I can’t believe anyone would wait in that.
> It’s a fun ride, but IMO no ride is worth that much time in line !



I was at front. Think I got there at 7:30 a.m. So yes I waited a while but I always use my rope drop wait times to communicate back home before I am go go go all day.


----------



## Brett Wyman

ninafeliz said:


> You must have been at the front of the crowd!  The last time we did EMM the line for SDD was to
> VotLMM before it settled down, and then very shortly after that was back to the left side of the Chinese theater.  It was amazing, and I can’t believe anyone would wait in that.
> It’s a fun ride, but IMO no ride is worth that much time in line !



 I think it's become much worse since September as well.

We did EMM late November and one late February and both times the RD crowds were beyond belief.


----------



## Lisa75

Ugh.  Sat on fence too long about EMM the morning after MNSSHP and now 8/21 showing booked.  Maybe they’ll add the 7:00.


----------



## Banana22

Any idea when the September dates will be available to purchase?   Assuming it will follow the Monday/Wednesday pattern.   Thanks.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Banana22 said:


> Any idea when the September dates will be available to purchase?   Assuming it will follow the Monday/Wednesday pattern.   Thanks.



With SWGE opening 8/28, I suspect the end is in sight for DHS EMM and our fun little thread.  

I think the likelihood of EMM continuing (certainly in its current form) is pretty low. 

Sorry to be a downer!


----------



## abuck75

Just got 3 for June 24th, so at least the wife and kids can go ... now I just need to hope 1 opens up and we're golden.


----------



## Davkind76

abuck75 said:


> Just got 3 for June 24th, so at least the wife and kids can go ... now I just need to hope 1 opens up and we're golden.


 Keep checking… They opened up DAH today for DHS in June so some of the EMM people may do that instead...

Was that too many abbreviations?


----------



## Davkind76

FYI there are at least 2 spots (maybe more) open right now for June 19


----------



## ekendall2

looking for tips on doing this with a stroller.  Our plan is to park the stroller in the land somewhere for the event and go without it.  Where is the best/fastest/most convenient place to park it?


----------



## WaterLinds

ekendall2 said:


> looking for tips on doing this with a stroller.  Our plan is to park the stroller in the land somewhere for the event and go without it.  Where is the best/fastest/most convenient place to park it?


Keep to the left as you enter the land (depending on the walking route you may be on the left anyway, it sounds like they usually go down the ramp/stairs path, although on our day I swear we walked around in a less direct path that avoided that).

There is stroller parking on the left almost immediately after you enter the land, right before the woody and Jessie meet and greet and TSM.


----------



## ekendall2

WaterLinds said:


> Keep to the left as you enter the land (depending on the walking route you may be on the left anyway, it sounds like they usually go down the ramp/stairs path, although on our day I swear we walked around in a less direct path that avoided that).
> 
> There is stroller parking on the left almost immediately after you enter the land, right before the woody and Jessie meet and greet and TSM.




THANKS!!!!!!!!!


----------



## poohfriend77

Davkind76 said:


> FYI there are at least 2 spots (maybe more) open right now for June 19


 Were the spots you saw for June 12 and 19 still the 7:30 a.m. slots? Or 7 a.m.? 

I can see 7 a.m. in the pulldown menu, but it's still showing no times available. I can't tell whether I missed out again (I didn't check at all yesterday), or if they've been loaded but aren't bookable yet (fingers crossed!) I haven't seen anyone specifically say they booked 7 a.m. slots in June yet, so I'm holding out a bit of hope! Thanks!


----------



## Katrina Y

poohfriend77 said:


> Were the spots you saw for June 12 and 19 still the 7:30 a.m. slots? Or 7 a.m.?
> 
> I can see 7 a.m. in the pulldown menu, but it's still showing no times available. I can't tell whether I missed out again (I didn't check at all yesterday), or if they've been loaded but aren't bookable yet (fingers crossed!) I haven't seen anyone specifically say they booked 7 a.m. slots in June yet, so I'm holding out a bit of hope! Thanks!


I called Disney to check and see if I missed  something because that 7:00 drop down menu time was just added this morning. The cast member told no, nothing was available, but I am hoping something will open up.


----------



## poohfriend77

Katrina Y said:


> I called Disney to check and see if I missed  something because that 7:00 drop down menu time was just added this morning. The cast member told no, nothing was available, but I am hoping something will open up.


Oh Thank you!!! I will just keep checking obsessively! I saw the times listed but not available, then I saw the PP post that "new slots opened," and jumped to the conclusion that they were all released and snatched up in one day. Sounds like maybe PP saw some from cancellations, but new slots may be available soon. I was kicking myself, because I've been checking every day, and of course yesterday was the ONE day I didn't, lol.


----------



## elgerber

Katrina Y said:


> I called Disney to check and see if I missed  something because that 7:00 drop down menu time was just added this morning. The cast member told no, nothing was available, but I am hoping something will open up.


I am seeing the same for August.  The 7am showed up in the drop down this morning, but it only pulls up 7:30 when you search for a time.


----------



## Iowamomof4

Remember, when new times show up it often takes a few hours before those become bookable.


----------



## Ariel620

poohfriend77 said:


> Oh Thank you!!! I will just keep checking obsessively! I saw the times listed but not available, then I saw the PP post that "new slots opened," and jumped to the conclusion that they were all released and snatched up in one day. Sounds like maybe PP saw some from cancellations, but new slots may be available soon. I was kicking myself, because I've been checking every day, and of course yesterday was the ONE day I didn't, lol.


Those  7am times were just posted today, I’ve been checking every day.  They should be available for booking later today or tomorrow.


----------



## Katrina Y

Lol, glad to know I’m not the only one watching early morning magic hours so closely.


----------



## Suejacken

I booked for 7/1 and couldn’t book them until the day after they showed as available. I think I did it around 6 or 7 am est


----------



## vacapa

Does anyone recall when the Fridays were added in March? Still watching for April to have Fridays added.


----------



## fumipappa

Tried to reserve at end of August.  nothing available.  Probably because of Jedi?


----------



## jennab

fumipappa said:


> Tried to reserve at end of August.  nothing available.  Probably because of Jedi?



They added the 7am timeslots today but still showing no availability. Hoping tomorrow those spots will open.


----------



## michelepa

We went on 3/27 and really enjoyed ourselves. We also did evening events at MK and AK and frankly there’s no going back to daytime crazy spring break crowds for us!  These events were all worth the money

We picked up DD at 6:15 from CB since that’s when her softball team had to leave for airport. Left her luggage  at bell services and headed over to HS in Uberaround 6:40

No one in line for baggage check or wrist bands so we were in early and DH and DD insisted we go to backlot  where we just got some yogurt topped with granola, big blueberries, cashews, and pumpkin seeds, coffee and waters.

Stopped at bathroom and then got in line near theater around 7:20

It started out as a beautiful sunny morning so we were very lucky.

We kind of hung back because it was a lot like the regular crazy rope drop nuts that we abhor but just a lot less of them. I think they started walking us back around 7:20 ish. We stayed to right since all the stroller people were told to stay left.  We took our time walking back and taking photos and enjoying the calm of the morning.

DD loves TSM so we rode that first and stayed on for a second ride. Then 2xs on slinky dog dash which was really cute. The tails were back on the dogs. Then DD and DH rode the Alien ride which was meh and DD didn’t want to ride it again. Took more photos in the area. The bathroom is even cute. They had a table with water and coffee and some granola bars back in the land. On way out took a photo with Buzz because there was no line. They should move him into the land and not st entrance because no one knew he was there.

We then went and lined up around 8:30 for RnR and ToT. I didn’t even look back at the rope drop people and was disappointed to find out that we would not be moving until they were let in and joined our group and then we would all be walked  back. Did I tell you yet how much I can’t stand rope droppers. At least we were towards the front and it wasn’t a long walk. Did RnR twice then a bit  of a drizzle over to ToT. DD ride it once with DH and then fast passed it with me. At 9:45 it was pouring so we put on our rain ponchos and went to backlot for a proper breakfast. We liked all the food offerings and ordered and tried everything except charcuterie platter. DH was disappointed that the blueberries and mixed nuts were finished but everything else was still available on the breakfast buffet bar. We had no trouble finding seats and relaxed there for a bit before heading out. We caught CB bus back to pick up DD’s luggage then Ubered back to WBC where DD luckily could nap a bit before we went to watch DS’s rain delayed baseball game in the Braves stadium.

We really liked this event and felt it was worth every penny.

We won’t need to do it again. But we are  Looking forward to what will be offered for Stars Wars since we’ll be back for spring break next year.


----------



## DisHeels

6/12 7am finally letting us book! System is being it's weird self. I could see up to 5 people. My friend could only see for 8 people. Kept trying and finally got what we wanted.


----------



## Dr Gunnie

We were there on 3/27. I will try to save you from reading my personal details (which nobody cares about) and just give you the info that might help you on your trip:

We got down to the French Quarter bus stop at 6:25 - waited about 4 min for the bus and we were the only family on board. It went straight to HS.

Got inside around 6:45. Went got drinks and danish (better than expected) and left around 7:05 to get in line.

Arrived in front of the theater around 7:10. We were about the 15th/20th people there and were in the front. Right side is better if you are going for Slinky as eventually everyone is going to have to merge right.

We were let in about 7:25. Most went to Slinky as did we. We are not runners or the fast walkers that try and pass everyone. We walked regular pace, and still made it on the first Slinky of the day.

After that we did pics with Woody/Jesse - line was about 8 min max. Ended up taking pics at 7:45. Line looked much longer at the end of the day. Probably double the wait time.

Rode rides the next hour. Got another Slinky, 2 aliens, 2 midway. We weren’t rushing by any means.

Headed out about 8:45 and got a pic with Buzz. He had just come out from break so we lucked out a bit. Wait was about 3 min.

Headed to star tours to ride at rope drop. The mass of people were going to Toy Story Land. It’s quite a sight to see. Got right on star tours and then went next door for breakfast. Breakfast was very good. I’m a shrimp and grits fan and was very pleased. We ordered one of everything to try. It was all pretty good. Had some dry donuts with the chicken.

While we were eating, the rains came. It rained pretty heavy for a few hours. Felt really bad for the Toy Story Land rope drop people. We ended up leaving and going back to the resort before heading to Epcot later in the day.

100% worth it for us.


----------



## Katrina Y

Yay, I was able to book June 5th for 4 people.


----------



## UTVOLS

So excited! Booked 8 for June 3rd


----------



## Davkind76

Booked for June 10 and gave up my tix for June 12 which was our backup


----------



## Wolfli

Booked 6/26 for 6 people!


----------



## Katrina Y

Lisa75 said:


> Ugh.  Sat on fence too long about EMM the morning after MNSSHP and now 8/21 showing booked.  Maybe they’ll add the 7:00.


They opened up more slots for this date early this morning.


----------



## Katrina Y

abuck75 said:


> Just got 3 for June 24th, so at least the wife and kids can go ... now I just need to hope 1 opens up and we're golden.


They opened up more slots this morning.


----------



## Wanna be Ariel

YAY!!! Just got the 17th of June and canceled our 24th.  Thank you for posting!


----------



## Suejacken

DisHeels said:


> 6/12 7am finally letting us book! System is being it's weird self. I could see up to 5 people. My friend could only see for 8 people. Kept trying and finally got what we wanted.


Cool. Glad you got it to work for you


----------



## Suejacken

Davkind76 said:


> Booked for June 10 and gave up my tix for June 12 which was our backup


Awesome


----------



## Lisa75

Katrina Y said:


> They opened up more slots for this date early this morning.


 
Thank you so much!   I ended up booking DAH for May.  I think that will do and we can sleep in after the party in August.  Excited for our first DAH ever.  Pricier but discount helped.


----------



## cakebaker

I booked DAH’s when they finally opened for May 4 but hitting the cancel button on this is hard! lol I’ve gone to do it twice and haven’t been able to. We don’t need both!


----------



## fumipappa

jennab said:


> They added the 7am timeslots today but still showing no availability. Hoping tomorrow those spots will open.




Yes, I got the spot for 5 on 8/26 7AM!


----------



## wendlle

So what do you guys think about them opening slots for September?
I'm guessing they won't because of SWGE but I really wanted to take my DD3 to TSL before the crowds rolled in.


----------



## jennab

wendlle said:


> So what do you guys think about them opening slots for September?
> I'm guessing they won't because of SWGE but I really wanted to take my DD3 to TSL before the crowds rolled in.



The consensus has been very doubtful. I bet they open HS early everyday for awhile after SWGE opens.


----------



## jennab

Anyone have an issue reserving online then calling later and switching payment type to gift card?  I wasn’t at home so booked online with credit card but I want to pay with giftcard instead…. Wasn’t sure how easy it is to switch payment type or if they have to fully rebook.


----------



## poohfriend77

Wanna be Ariel said:


> YAY!!! Just got the 17th of June and canceled our 24th.  Thank you for posting!



I booked June 17 too! I’m so excited!

Thank you to everyone posting mini reviews. I love reading them all!


----------



## wendlle

jennab said:


> The consensus has been very doubtful. I bet they open HS early everyday for awhile after SWGE opens.


Yeah I guessed as much. 
It really sucks for those of us who have zero interest in SWGE. I'm already worried about how long it will take us to even get into HS. With an infant and toddler I just don't have the time nor patience to wait in such long lines in the heat with them. I wanted to be able to pay for the EMM so we could enjoy TSL without the crush.


----------



## 123SA

I have a 730 booking for August 7th.    I'd like to arrive early and grab some quick food before it starts.   Is it correct to say there is no need for me to switch to the 7am time?


----------



## ninafeliz

123SA said:


> I have a 730 booking for August 7th.    I'd like to arrive early and grab some quick food before it starts.   Is it correct to say there is no need for me to switch to the 7am time?


Correct, it makes no difference at all which time you book!


----------



## WhitneyMB

Here's our review from last Monday (3/25) in case it's helpful for those going in the next few months. Our times were a bit different than some, so I figured I'd post them. I kept exact track through taking photos.

6:26 Bus for HS leaves POR, but we missed it when we arrived at the bus stop at 6:29 
6:42 Lyft picked us up at POR -- we arrived at HS at 6:56
7:06 Arrived at Backlot express after quickly going through security & getting wristbands; grabbed coffee & pastries
7:16 Arrived in front of the Chinese Theater. Still in the front 20% of people. 
7:30 They began walking us back toward TSL, we kept right (no stroller) and were in the front 10% of people when we arrived at SDD
7:38 First ride on SDD--lots of fun and only a 3 minute wait! 
7:44 First ride on TSM (walk on)
8:03 Second ride on TSM (walk on)
(quick bathroom break)
8:20 First & only ride on AS - cute ride for younger kids, but one and done for us--teens and adults
8:26 Back in line for SDD, waited 12 minutes--wait time was posted for 30 minutes
8:48 Took PhotoPass photos with TSL sign--no one was around--no wait!
8:52 Took photos with Buzz, 2 minute wait at this point!
8:55 Family did 3rd ride on TSM & I waited to see rope drop crowds 
9:03 Rope Drop Crowd hit Toy Story Land
9:08 We made it to Star Tours & waited about 5 minutes

Total = a relaxed pace, 2 SDD, 3 TSM, 1 AS, & met Buzz. 
Thoughts-- Lyft/Uber worked as a great back up, so there was no reason to stress the transportation. The lines to meet Woody & Jesse were crazy long the whole time, but Buzz had almost no wait.  We enjoyed the food. We ordered 4 entrees for the 3 of us with no problems.


----------



## Castlequeen5

Thank you for all these reports.  We have plans right now to do EMM on July 8.  The only option was 7:30 for my reservation.  From what I've been reading, it looks like they add a 7:00 option after the 7:30 fills up.  So my question is are they letting everyone in at 7:00 or only the ones with the 7:00 reservations?  If so, is breakfast always available at 7:00.  I know the event isn't supposed to start until 7:30, so that's why I'm confused. It looks like lots of people are able to grab a bite before it even starts.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Castlequeen5 said:


> Thank you for all these reports.  We have plans right now to do EMM on July 8.  The only option was 7:30 for my reservation.  From what I've been reading, it looks like they add a 7:00 option after the 7:30 fills up.  So my question is are they letting everyone in at 7:00 or only the ones with the 7:00 reservations?  If so, is breakfast always available at 7:00.  I know the event isn't supposed to start until 7:30, so that's why I'm confused. It looks like lots of people are able to grab a bite before it even starts.



Here you go, these blurbs from Post #1 should help.  Some of the exact park entry/TSL opening times have kind of varied a bit, but this is directionally accurate:  

*What's Up with the 7AM & 7:30AM Reservation Times?  *

Disney is doing something different with reservation slots for DHS/TSL EMM compared to MK EMM.
For most dates, Disney has first been making a 7:30AM time slot available to book. 
When/if the 7:30AM slot sells out or gets close to selling out, Disney has been adding a 7:00AM time slot for booking. 
Most (but not all) dates so far have ultimately had "both" time slots bookable. 
To date, there is NO difference in how Disney handles 7AM or 7:30AM reservations at the event - everyone is treated the same.
It appears this is a "slow loading" technique to encourage a more gradual arrival of guests vs all at once. 
Note! Disney's website contains the following language:  _"Guests with a 7:30 AM reservation will first enjoy Toy Story Land followed by breakfast, served until 10:00 AM. Based on capacity, we may make other reservation times available, with breakfast preceding the park experience for these Guests."_
Again, in practice, anyone can arrive early and eat before the event and anyone can eat up until 10am - there has been absolutely no difference in how 7AM and 7:30AM reservations are treated so far. 


*How Does It Work When I Arrive / Event Logistics? *

These details can vary by a few minutes on any given day, but generally speaking:
6:45-6:50'ish - they'll let you in the front park gate
Breakfast is available at this point if so inclined
7:10-7:25'ish - they'll let you past the Chinese Theater and head towards TSL

Hope it helps!


----------



## Castlequeen5

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Here you go, these blurbs from Post #1 should help.  Some of the exact park entry/TSL opening times have kind of varied a bit, but this is directionally accurate:
> 
> *What's Up with the 7AM & 7:30AM Reservation Times?  *
> 
> Disney is doing something different with reservation slots for DHS/TSL EMM compared to MK EMM.
> For most dates, Disney has first been making a 7:30AM time slot available to book.
> When/if the 7:30AM slot sells out or gets close to selling out, Disney has been adding a 7:00AM time slot for booking.
> Most (but not all) dates so far have ultimately had "both" time slots bookable.
> To date, there is NO difference in how Disney handles 7AM or 7:30AM reservations at the event - everyone is treated the same.
> It appears this is a "slow loading" technique to encourage a more gradual arrival of guests vs all at once.
> Note! Disney's website contains the following language:  _"Guests with a 7:30 AM reservation will first enjoy Toy Story Land followed by breakfast, served until 10:00 AM. Based on capacity, we may make other reservation times available, with breakfast preceding the park experience for these Guests."_
> Again, in practice, anyone can arrive early and eat before the event and anyone can eat up until 10am - there has been absolutely no difference in how 7AM and 7:30AM reservations are treated so far.
> 
> 
> *How Does It Work When I Arrive / Event Logistics? *
> 
> These details can vary by a few minutes on any given day, but generally speaking:
> 6:45-6:50'ish - they'll let you in the front park gate
> Breakfast is available at this point if so inclined
> 7:10-7:25'ish - they'll let you past the Chinese Theater and head towards TSL
> 
> Hope it helps!


Thank you!  It does help!!!


----------



## Suejacken

WhitneyMB said:


> Here's our review from last Monday (3/25) in case it's helpful for those going in the next few months. Our times were a bit different than some, so I figured I'd post them. I kept exact track through taking photos.
> 
> 6:26 Bus for HS leaves POR, but we missed it when we arrived at the bus stop at 6:29
> 6:42 Lyft picked us up at POR -- we arrived at HS at 6:56
> 7:06 Arrived at Backlot express after quickly going through security & getting wristbands; grabbed coffee & pastries
> 7:16 Arrived in front of the Chinese Theater. Still in the front 20% of people.
> 7:30 They began walking us back toward TSL, we kept right (no stroller) and were in the front 10% of people when we arrived at SDD
> 7:38 First ride on SDD--lots of fun and only a 3 minute wait!
> 7:44 First ride on TSM (walk on)
> 8:03 Second ride on TSM (walk on)
> (quick bathroom break)
> 8:20 First & only ride on AS - cute ride for younger kids, but one and done for us--teens and adults
> 8:26 Back in line for SDD, waited 12 minutes--wait time was posted for 30 minutes
> 8:48 Took PhotoPass photos with TSL sign--no one was around--no wait!
> 8:52 Took photos with Buzz, 2 minute wait at this point!
> 8:55 Family did 3rd ride on TSM & I waited to see rope drop crowds
> 9:03 Rope Drop Crowd hit Toy Story Land
> 9:08 We made it to Star Tours & waited about 5 minutes
> 
> Total = a relaxed pace, 2 SDD, 3 TSM, 1 AS, & met Buzz.
> Thoughts-- Lyft/Uber worked as a great back up, so there was no reason to stress the transportation. The lines to meet Woody & Jesse were crazy long the whole time, but Buzz had almost no wait.  We enjoyed the food. We ordered 4 entrees for the 3 of us with no problems.


Thanks for sharing your experience. I am reading every report I can to try to try to plan out my morning there. Glad you had a great tine


----------



## trackchik6

Thanks for these reports!  I am going in August (a week before Star Wars opens) & originally was not planning to book TSL EMM (early / $$$). Anyway, then I started getting “nervous” about crowds and when I went to consider TSL EMM it was booked!  This was a week or two ago, but I kept checking and 4 tix at 7am were available today and I snagged them!  And, I just found out my 4 y/o DD is 40 inches so she can ride SDD!  I hope she likes it!


----------



## aebeauregard

WhitneyMB said:


> Here's our review from last Monday (3/25) in case it's helpful for those going in the next few months. Our times were a bit different than some, so I figured I'd post them. I kept exact track through taking photos.
> 
> 6:26 Bus for HS leaves POR, but we missed it when we arrived at the bus stop at 6:29
> 6:42 Lyft picked us up at POR -- we arrived at HS at 6:56
> 7:06 Arrived at Backlot express after quickly going through security & getting wristbands; grabbed coffee & pastries
> 7:16 Arrived in front of the Chinese Theater. Still in the front 20% of people.
> 7:30 They began walking us back toward TSL, we kept right (no stroller) and were in the front 10% of people when we arrived at SDD
> 7:38 First ride on SDD--lots of fun and only a 3 minute wait!
> 7:44 First ride on TSM (walk on)
> 8:03 Second ride on TSM (walk on)
> (quick bathroom break)
> 8:20 First & only ride on AS - cute ride for younger kids, but one and done for us--teens and adults
> 8:26 Back in line for SDD, waited 12 minutes--wait time was posted for 30 minutes
> 8:48 Took PhotoPass photos with TSL sign--no one was around--no wait!
> 8:52 Took photos with Buzz, 2 minute wait at this point!
> 8:55 Family did 3rd ride on TSM & I waited to see rope drop crowds
> 9:03 Rope Drop Crowd hit Toy Story Land
> 9:08 We made it to Star Tours & waited about 5 minutes
> 
> Total = a relaxed pace, 2 SDD, 3 TSM, 1 AS, & met Buzz.
> Thoughts-- Lyft/Uber worked as a great back up, so there was no reason to stress the transportation. The lines to meet Woody & Jesse were crazy long the whole time, but Buzz had almost no wait.  We enjoyed the food. We ordered 4 entrees for the 3 of us with no problems.


Thanks for the detailed post!  I’m curious when you missed the bus at 6:26 did you notice how long it said it would be until another one would be arriving?


----------



## MeeskaMooska13

Davkind76 said:


> Booked for June 10 and gave up my tix for June 12 which was our backup


We’re going this date too!


----------



## WaterLinds

trackchik6 said:


> And, I just found out my 4 y/o DD is 40 inches so she can ride SDD!  I hope she likes it!



Not super important for you (and you might know and just be reporting her actual height), but for anyone following along with smaller kids...SDD is a 38 inch minimum! (My little was just barely tall enough for both SDD and SDMT, it was a nice surprise that he made it on both.)


----------



## Where'sPiglet?

I'm at breakfast right now!

I did 
Slinky 3x
Saucers 1x
Toy Story 3x

I'll write up a more detailed post with time stamps later. The rope drop line for Slinky is 120 minutes!


----------



## Wanna be Ariel

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Here you go, these blurbs from Post #1
> *How Does It Work When I Arrive / Event Logistics? *
> 
> These details can vary by a few minutes on any given day, but generally speaking:
> 6:45-6:50'ish - they'll let you in the front park gate
> Breakfast is available at this point if so inclined
> 7:10-7:25'ish - they'll let you past the Chinese Theater and head towards TSL
> 
> Hope it helps!



Wait so I could eat breakfast Possibly between 6:45-6:50ish am? Or at least grab a coffee and something for the kids quick?


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Wanna be Ariel said:


> Wait so I could eat breakfast Possibly between 6:45-6:50ish am? Or at least grab a coffee and something for the kids quick?



Yup.  Some opt to go grab a quick bite if there early enough.  It’s not a bad idea to eat _something_ before riding SDD several times.  

ETA, I should note that with the walk to/from Backlot Express, you don’t have a ton of time to work with.  A small window.  If you’re running late, I’d waive off Backlot and just go wait to get in the land.


----------



## ccw

With EMM this morning (arriving  a little after 7, after coffee and muffins in our room at Beach Club), we rode SDD twice, Saucers twice, and TSM twice...all before 9 am at which point the wait for SDD was over 120 minutes!  Then we walked over to the breakfast which was very good, easy, and offered plenty of hearty breakfast options. Not cheap to pay for the extra hour and a half in HS but, honestly, it was worth every penny to not have to fight crowds and wait in crazy long lines.


----------



## WhitneyMB

aebeauregard said:


> Thanks for the detailed post!  I’m curious when you missed the bus at 6:26 did you notice how long it said it would be until another one would be arriving?



Once we missed the 6:26 bus, it was going to be a really long time. I don't remember when the app said it would arrive back in POR, but I know that it said that the next bus wouldn't get us to Hollywood Studios until 7:15-20--and we thought that would be too late. They seemed to just have one bus at that point going back and forth, so it was coming about every apx 25-30 minutes.


----------



## aebeauregard

WhitneyMB said:


> Once we missed the 6:26 bus, it was going to be a really long time. I don't remember when the app said it would arrive back in POR, but I know that it said that the next bus wouldn't get us to Hollywood Studios until 7:15-20--and we thought that would be too late. They seemed to just have one bus at that point going back and forth, so it was coming about every apx 25-30 minutes.


Thanks for the response. When we go in May from FQ we have two little ones that still need car seats and I’m trying to avoid paying the extra for a Minnie van. Good to know we need to make that first bus or we will be out of luck.


----------



## aebeauregard

Of those who have gone what seems to be the best strategy for meeting Woody and Jesse. It’s important to my little kids. Should we line up there right away even if they don’t come out for 10 mins or so?  Should we try to squeeze in one ride then do the meet and greet?  We will come back that evening also. Is the meet and greet any less busy around 7:00pm at night?


----------



## djc9699

Wanna be Ariel said:


> YAY!!! Just got the 17th of June and canceled our 24th.  Thank you for posting!


We are going the 17th, too! 3rd time for HS EMM for me and my daughter, but I'm bringing my 12 year old niece for her first visit. We are excited!


----------



## Where'sPiglet?

*Here are my timestamps from Monday, April 1:*

6:09    I caught the bus from the Polynesian

6:23    I arrived at DHS

*Note*: There are open bathrooms by the bus stops, but the ones right by the entrance are closed. A boy was wanting to use the bathroom in the line for the touch points and he needed to wait until they let us into the park. The open bathrooms at that time are inside Backlot Express.

6:34    I was in line at the touchpoints; I was third in line.

*6:45    They let us in to the park* and directed us to Backlot Express

7:06    I went over by the theater to wait for the rope drop

*Note*: When I left Backlot Express just after 7, a cast member let me know that they wouldn’t take us back until 7:30; basically she was encouraging me to keep eating.

7:13    The cast members from Toy Story Land starting come out to the waiting area by the theater.

*7:30    They started leading us back.* I’ve read reports of them letting people back early; but this was not one of those days.

7:34    We arrived at Slinky Dog Dash

7:38    I was on the first train of the day!

7:56    I rode Slinky Dog for the second time - I think the line was posted 10 minutes

8:01    I got in line for Alien Swirling Saucers; it was posted 5 minutes - it was a walk on (8:03)

[Quick bathroom break]

8:09    I entered the Toy Story Mania line; posted 10 minutes; got on at 8:12

8:21    I entered the TSM line; posted 10 minutes; got on at 8:24

8:34    I entered the TSM line; posted 10 minutes; got on at 8:38

8:46    The rope drop crowd wasn’t to TSL yet (yay!)

8:49    I entered the Slinky Dog line; posted 20 minutes

*8:52    From the queue of SDD, I saw the rope drop stampede *

8:59    I boarded Slinky Dog

9:01    Posted wait for SDD was 95 minutes; by 9:18 it was 120


Tower of Terror was down, so the RnR line was building fast; I decided to just go straight to breakfast. You are able to request getting a partial entree, such as just getting the chicken.

For most of the event, the line for SDD was posted 15, TSM 10, and ASSau 5. I found the lines to be a bit shorter than what was posted, at least for TSM and ASSau.
*
Total ride count: 
Slinky Dog 3x
Alien Swirling Saucers 1x
Toy Story Mania 3x*

I was chatting with the person in line behind me when the rope drop crowd came; their ride count was 4x SDD, 1x ASSau, and 1x TSM. They may have also done a character line.


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

Where'sPiglet? said:


> *Here are my timestamps from Monday, April 1:*
> 
> 6:09    I caught the bus from the Polynesian
> 
> 6:23    I arrived at DHS
> 
> *Note*: There are open bathrooms by the bus stops, but the ones right by the entrance are closed. A boy was wanting to use the bathroom in the line for the touch points and he needed to wait until they let us into the park. The open bathrooms at that time are inside Backlot Express.
> 
> 6:34    I was in line at the touchpoints; I was third in line.
> 
> *6:45    They let us in to the park* and directed us to Backlot Express
> 
> 7:06    I went over by the theater to wait for the rope drop
> 
> *Note*: When I left Backlot Express just after 7, a cast member let me know that they wouldn’t take us back until 7:30; basically she was encouraging me to keep eating.
> 
> 7:13    The cast members from Toy Story Land starting come out to the waiting area by the theater.
> 
> *7:30    They started leading us back.* I’ve read reports of them letting people back early; but this was not one of those days.
> 
> 7:34    We arrived at Slinky Dog Dash
> 
> 7:38    I was on the first train of the day!
> 
> 7:56    I rode Slinky Dog for the second time - I think the line was posted 10 minutes
> 
> 8:01    I got in line for Alien Swirling Saucers; it was posted 5 minutes - it was a walk on (8:03)
> 
> [Quick bathroom break]
> 
> 8:09    I entered the Toy Story Mania line; posted 10 minutes; got on at 8:12
> 
> 8:21    I entered the TSM line; posted 10 minutes; got on at 8:24
> 
> 8:34    I entered the TSM line; posted 10 minutes; got on at 8:38
> 
> 8:46    The rope drop crowd wasn’t to TSL yet (yay!)
> 
> 8:49    I entered the Slinky Dog line; posted 20 minutes
> 
> *8:52    From the queue of SDD, I saw the rope drop stampede *
> 
> 8:59    I boarded Slinky Dog
> 
> 9:01    Posted wait for SDD was 95 minutes; by 9:18 it was 120
> 
> 
> Tower of Terror was down, so the RnR line was building fast; I decided to just go straight to breakfast. You are able to request getting a partial entree, such as just getting the chicken.
> 
> For most of the event, the line for SDD was posted 15, TSM 10, and ASSau 5. I found the lines to be a bit shorter than what was posted, at least for TSM and ASSau.
> *
> Total ride count:
> Slinky Dog 3x
> Alien Swirling Saucers 1x
> Toy Story Mania 3x*
> 
> I was chatting with the person in line behind me when the rope drop crowd came; their ride count was 4x SDD, 1x ASSau, and 1x TSM. They may have also done a character line.


Thanks.

I have been debating my post EMM strategy.  Either:
a. RNRC + ToT then breakfast (and FP Star Tours)
b. Star Tours then breakfast (and FP RNRC and ToT).

You just convinced me to do Star Tours after EMM.  With ToT being down to one elevator, the chance if it being down at RD are too high, and messing things up.

With multiple theaters, it is much less likely for Star Tours to be completely down.  Plus, this will make the morning much less stressful.  Additionally, we maybe could get in line for SDD or TSM one extra time before the RD crown comes, if we're not worried about beating the RD crown down sunset blvd.


----------



## Dr Gunnie

aebeauregard said:


> Of those who have gone what seems to be the best strategy for meeting Woody and Jesse. It’s important to my little kids. Should we line up there right away even if they don’t come out for 10 mins or so?  Should we try to squeeze in one ride then do the meet and greet?  We will come back that evening also. Is the meet and greet any less busy around 7:00pm at night?



I think you can get a ride in before getting in line and expect to wait 10 min or less. We did it last week (went and rode SDD first thing) and got in line for pics with about a 6 or 7 min wait.


----------



## trackchik6

I’m not going until mid August so I have some time on this, but we also really want to do Jedi training.  Can anyone advise what time I should try to leave TSL EMM to sign up for Jedi training?  Thanks!


----------



## jennab

trackchik6 said:


> I’m not going until mid August so I have some time on this, but we also really want to do Jedi training.  Can anyone advise what time I should try to leave TSL EMM to sign up for Jedi training?  Thanks!



We did one last ride on TSMM then went to Jedi training probably right after rope drop crowd came in and it was a 30min wait at least.


----------



## blackpearl77

Where can I find a menu for the breakfast? Anyone have any food pictures they can share? Thanks!


----------



## Katrina Y

blackpearl77 said:


> Where can I find a menu for the breakfast? Anyone have any food pictures they can share? Thanks!


Touring Plans has a YouTube video of EMM Toy Story, he discusses the food and I thought he showed pictures. On pg. 115 of this forum there were a couple pictures of the food.


----------



## Iowamomof4

I just cancelled 7 tickets for May 15. Not sure if it was sold out or not, but maybe check if you've been wanting that date. The time for our tickets was 7:00.

Good luck!


----------



## Dracarys

jennab said:


> We did one last ride on TSMM then went to Jedi training probably right after rope drop crowd came in and it was a 30min wait at least.



Were a lot of the times still available? We are going in June and I would like to get an early time before it gets really hot.


----------



## blackpearl77

Katrina Y said:


> Touring Plans has a YouTube video of EMM Toy Story, he discusses the food and I thought he showed pictures. On pg. 115 of this forum there were a couple pictures of the food.


Thanks!!!!


----------



## Connecticute

We went to EMM on 3/22, and the hot meals were chilaquiles, avocado toast with eggs, and fried chicken and cronut rings. I took some photos, but they don’t seem to be uploading. I’ll keep trying. On the self-serve bar, they had pastries, cereal (froot loops and Frosted Flakes) yogurt, fruit, and drinks were also self-serve. 




blackpearl77 said:


> Where can I find a menu for the breakfast? Anyone have any food pictures they can share? Thanks!


----------



## trackchik6

Dracarys said:


> Were a lot of the times still available? We are going in June and I would like to get an early time before it gets really hot.



I also want to try to get an early-ish Jedi training slot so we can get out of the park by lunchtime.  Last Friday, 3/22 my friend was at DHS.  At 10:39am she took a photo for me of a sign saying there were still Jedi training slots available (but who knows what times - probably later ones).  That said, I want to get in line for Jedi training around park opening so we can get an early slot.  A few of the posts here in this thread seem to say they wait around 30 mins in line for Jedi training at park opening but only around the first 1-2 sessions are filled up by the time they get up there.


----------



## jennab

Dracarys said:


> Were a lot of the times still available? We are going in June and I would like to get an early time before it gets really hot.



I want to say we got a spot around 11ish. We were the last one for that time (only 1 kid).


----------



## tangled1010

Curious, anyone have a rough idea the amount people on average attend EMM a day?


----------



## cakebaker

Staying at the Yacht Cl and it occurred to me, since the boats don’t run that early, do they have bus service to HS? We’re going to try the walk on a different morning, but if my grandson doesn’t handle it well, I need other options!


----------



## disneyfan150

cakebaker said:


> Staying at the Yacht Cl and it occurred to me, since the boats don’t run that early, do they have bus service to HS? We’re going to try the walk on a different morning, but if my grandson doesn’t handle it well, I need other options!


Yay!  A question I can answer!  We are staying at Yacht Club and I called the hotel directly with this question.  The boats will not be running early enough for EMM.  But I was told there would be a bus and to let the  concierge know that we had EMM reservations.


----------



## cakebaker

disneyfan150 said:


> Yay!  A question I can answer!  We are staying at Yacht Club and I called the hotel directly with this question.  The boats will not be running early enough for EMM.  But I was told there would be a bus and to let the  concierge know that we had EMM reservations.



Thanks! I’ve stayed at the YC several times but have never done EMM and never thought about the fact that they normally don’t have busses.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

cakebaker said:


> Thanks! I’ve stayed at the YC several times but have never done EMM and never thought about the fact that they normally don’t have busses.



I’d def leave yourself extra time.  Start checking the app when you wake up for bus times.  If things aren’t going your way, don’t hesitate to pull the rip cord and walk or taxi/Minnie Van, etc (if an option).  I’ve always been spooked by the bus from there!


----------



## cakebaker

GADisneyDad14 said:


> I’d def leave yourself extra time.  Start checking the app when you wake up for bus times.  If things aren’t going your way, don’t hesitate to pull the rip cord and walk or taxi/Minnie Van, etc (if an option).  I’ve always been spooked by the bus from there!



I am definitely considering Uber or a Minnie Van. I loved using the Minnie Vans back when they had the fixed price, but with the rate increase and the fact that there’s just 2 of us, Uber might be the better choice. Not sure what the car seat laws are though. My grandson is 7, but is still required to be in a booster seat here and actually still uses his car seat.

In the end, I’d prefer just to walk it, so definitely taking a test run for our evening we have at HS.


----------



## disneycat321

Just booked for Monday 7/22. Several reviews and posts on here convinced me to do this even though the up charge was hard to swallow. We've never been to TSL and are super excited.  We'd considered trying to do DAH at HS if it's happening in July, but Friday (the day it is in June) doesn't work well with our plans. This was much easier to add.


----------



## SaintsManiac

I'm sorry if I missed it, but do we know how long ToT will be running at half capacity? We really want to head there for RD before breakfast, but I'm worried about cutting things too close now.


----------



## Jfsag123

disneycat321 said:


> Just booked for Monday 7/22. Several reviews and posts on here convinced me to do this even though the up charge was hard to swallow. We've never been to TSL and are super excited.  We'd considered trying to do DAH at HS if it's happening in July, but Friday (the day it is in June) doesn't work well with our plans. This was much easier to add.



We’re booked for this day as well! We have done TSL before, but the recent rope drop pictures terrify me, so this seems like it would be worth it.


----------



## Dracarys

jennab said:


> I want to say we got a spot around 11ish. We were the last one for that time (only 1 kid).


I would love to get the first show of the day, but sounds like that most likely won’t happen if we get in line at the very end of the EMM event. 

My son did the first show last November. Even with it being in the morning it still felt really warm to be wearing those robes and there wasn’t a whole lot of shade. I can only imagine how hot it will be around lunch time in June! Oh well, we’ll just have to roll with it when there!


----------



## disneycat321

Jfsag123 said:


> We’re booked for this day as well! We have done TSL before, but the recent rope drop pictures terrify me, so this seems like it would be worth it.


That’s pretty much what did it for me, as well. We’re already going to be dealing with a crazy RD at AK. One is enough!


----------



## blackpearl77

Connecticute said:


> We went to EMM on 3/22, and the hot meals were chilaquiles, avocado toast with eggs, and fried chicken and cronut rings. I took some photos, but they don’t seem to be uploading. I’ll keep trying. On the self-serve bar, they had pastries, cereal (froot loops and Frosted Flakes) yogurt, fruit, and drinks were also self-serve.



Thanks!!!!


----------



## jennab

Dracarys said:


> I would love to get the first show of the day, but sounds like that most likely won’t happen if we get in line at the very end of the EMM event.
> 
> My son did the first show last November. Even with it being in the morning it still felt really warm to be wearing those robes and there wasn’t a whole lot of shade. I can only imagine how hot it will be around lunch time in June! Oh well, we’ll just have to roll with it when there!



Yeah that’s the crappy part!  You don’t want to waste money spent on EMM but it’s nice to get a morning spot when hot out. I’m going to need to figure this out too if we end up doing it in Aug.


----------



## ninafeliz

cakebaker said:


> I am definitely considering Uber or a Minnie Van. I loved using the Minnie Vans back when they had the fixed price, but with the rate increase and the fact that there’s just 2 of us, Uber might be the better choice. Not sure what the car seat laws are though. My grandson is 7, but is still required to be in a booster seat here and actually still uses his car seat.
> 
> In the end, I’d prefer just to walk it, so definitely taking a test run for our evening we have at HS.



In Florida kids have to be in some type of car seat or booster through age 5.  In our experience Minnie Van drivers will ask the kids age, and get out the seats automatically if any are 5 or under.  If you want your 7 yr old in the seat as a booster they will do it if you request it.  If you take a taxi they don't seem to care, they leave it up to you to have a travel seat if you want one of your kids in a car seat or booster.  We have't taken plain uber or Lyft to know what they do, assuming you didn't use one that does provide a car seat.  

My advice would be to walk, hands down.  It's not a bad walk, and then you can set the leaving time and pace as you go.  We walked it twice for EMM and a few times from DHS to Epcot or vice versa with a 5 yr old and he was fine, even though he would gladly use a stroller if we still let him and didn't now need the double for his little brothers!


----------



## cakebaker

ninafeliz said:


> In Florida kids have to be in some type of car seat or booster through age 5.  In our experience Minnie Van drivers will ask the kids age, and get out the seats automatically if any are 5 or under.  If you want your 7 yr old in the seat as a booster they will do it if you request it.  If you take a taxi they don't seem to care, they leave it up to you to have a travel seat if you want one of your kids in a car seat or booster.  We have't taken plain uber or Lyft to know what they do, assuming you didn't use one that does provide a car seat.
> 
> My advice would be to walk, hands down.  It's not a bad walk, and then you can set the leaving time and pace as you go.  We walked it twice for EMM and a few times from DHS to Epcot or vice versa with a 5 yr old and he was fine, even though he would gladly use a stroller if we still let him and didn't now need the double for his little brothers!



Thanks for the information. We’ve only used Minnie Vans in the past and had him in a full car seat. I’m on my own with him this trip and I’m not comfortable not having him in at least a booster. 

I’m hoping the walking works. I took him last October, first time stroller-less and he did just fine. Besides, I need to walk off all the junk food I’m going to consume anyway!


----------



## princessebird

cakebaker said:


> I am definitely considering Uber or a Minnie Van. I loved using the Minnie Vans back when they had the fixed price, but with the rate increase and the fact that there’s just 2 of us, Uber might be the better choice. Not sure what the car seat laws are though. My grandson is 7, but is still required to be in a booster seat here and actually still uses his car seat.



We use a booster seat called a mifold for our 7 year old. It's tiny and fits easily into our backpack. (Hope it's okay to mention that here.)


----------



## WhitneyMB

aebeauregard said:


> Of those who have gone what seems to be the best strategy for meeting Woody and Jesse. It’s important to my little kids. Should we line up there right away even if they don’t come out for 10 mins or so?  Should we try to squeeze in one ride then do the meet and greet?  We will come back that evening also. Is the meet and greet any less busy around 7:00pm at night?



I just wanted to let you know that recently the Cast Members seem to be waiting until 7:30am to bring us into TSL (such as when I was there on 3/25, or per the review from 4/1). On my day, Buzz, Woody and Jesse were already out ready to greet the EMM people at 7:33 when we got to TSL. Some people made a beeline to the Woody and Jesse line and they were smart. After I came off of the first ride on SDD there were at least 8-10 families in line, and for the rest of the time it would have been at least a 30 minute wait. By 9am there was at least 20 families waiting--but some of those families may have just gotten in line, thinking that their "paid" time was up anyway.

If you get to Toy Story Land at 7:30, rather than 7:20, I would hop in line for Woody and Jesse. Just my two cents! Enjoy your trip


----------



## Suejacken

WhitneyMB said:


> I just wanted to let you know that recently the Cast Members seem to be waiting until 7:30am to bring us into TSL (such as when I was there on 3/25, or per the review from 4/1). On my day, Buzz, Woody and Jesse were already out ready to greet the EMM people at 7:33 when we got to TSL. Some people made a beeline to the Woody and Jesse line and they were smart. After I came off of the first ride on SDD there were at least 8-10 families in line, and for the rest of the time it would have been at least a 30 minute wait. By 9am there was at least 20 families waiting--but some of those families may have just gotten in line, thinking that their "paid" time was up anyway.
> 
> If you get to Toy Story Land at 7:30, rather than 7:20, I would hop in line for Woody and Jesse. Just my two cents! Enjoy your trip


Thanks for the two cents. Lol. I was thinking about having the kids in my group  wet the characters first. Your post confirmed I was correct with that plan


----------



## disneyfan150

GADisneyDad14 said:


> I’d def leave yourself extra time.  Start checking the app when you wake up for bus times.  If things aren’t going your way, don’t hesitate to pull the rip cord and walk or taxi/Minnie Van, etc (if an option).  I’ve always been spooked by the bus from there!


Thanks for the heads up!


----------



## GADisneyDad14

cakebaker said:


> I am definitely considering Uber or a Minnie Van. I loved using the Minnie Vans back when they had the fixed price, but with the rate increase and the fact that there’s just 2 of us, Uber might be the better choice. Not sure what the car seat laws are though. My grandson is 7, but is still required to be in a booster seat here and actually still uses his car seat.
> 
> In the end, I’d prefer just to walk it, so definitely taking a test run for our evening we have at HS.



Yeah, my guy is 8.  We use a booster seat or similar seat at home.  On occasion at WDW we've just used a taxi without one.  He's fine and legal, I just prefer a real booster if I had a choice.  

One word of caution, it now takes longer to drive from the Epcot resorts to DHS given the way they've reconfigured the DHS entrance.  Not quite as easy as it used to be.


----------



## disneyfan150

cakebaker said:


> I am definitely considering Uber or a Minnie Van. I loved using the Minnie Vans back when they had the fixed price, but with the rate increase and the fact that there’s just 2 of us, Uber might be the better choice. Not sure what the car seat laws are though. My grandson is 7, but is still required to be in a booster seat here and actually still uses his car seat.
> 
> In the end, I’d prefer just to walk it, so definitely taking a test run for our evening we have at HS.


If you think about it and have a chance, I would be most appreciative if you reported back on what you ended up doing. We don't leave until July. Have a great trip!


----------



## cakebaker

disneyfan150 said:


> If you think about it and have a chance, I would be most appreciative if you reported back on what you ended up doing. We don't leave until July. Have a great trip!



Thank you, I will!


----------



## Drcbelle

Piggybacking on the transportation issue, we'll be staying at Pop and will have a car.  I was thinking we would drive to the park for EMM.  Is there any reason this is a bad idea?  This will be our first trip so I'm totally clueless!  Thanks!


----------



## Where'sPiglet?

This is a card that they gave at the entrance that lists basic information and the food options:


----------



## Suejacken

Thanks for posting this


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Drcbelle said:


> Piggybacking on the transportation issue, we'll be staying at Pop and will have a car.  I was thinking we would drive to the park for EMM.  Is there any reason this is a bad idea?  This will be our first trip so I'm totally clueless!  Thanks!



No, not really. If you prefer to drive, go for it.  People report pretty good experiences with buses, but driving can be less stressful if you’re at all worried about timing.


----------



## Where'sPiglet?

I meant to hit EDIT and hit QUOTE instead, and quoted myself. 

@blackpearl77 asked about the food options several posts ago, but I didn't quote their question originally. This is what happens when I try to do things on mobile. 



Where'sPiglet? said:


> This is a card that they gave at the entrance that lists basic information and the food options:


----------



## jhoannam

Looks like the event is going to be even more crowded, they opened up 7AM reservations for all August (that's all that I checked) and all the 7:30AM reservations that were sold old for August now have availability too. Even 8/28 has 7:30 reservations available.


----------



## SaintsManiac

jhoannam said:


> Looks like the event is going to be even more crowded, they opened up 7AM reservations for all August (that's all that I checked) and all the 7:30AM reservations that were sold old for August now have availability too. Even 8/28 has 7:30 reservations available.




I think this is pretty normal procedure.


----------



## jhoannam

SaintsManiac said:


> I think this is pretty normal procedure.


Usually when the 7:30 slots sell out they open up the 7AM slots, this time it appears that more 7:30 slots have opened.


----------



## DisneyMomma930

jhoannam said:


> Usually when the 7:30 slots sell out they open up the 7AM slots, this time it appears that more 7:30 slots have opened.



This worries me.  We booked 8/13 and I hope they dont oversell.  Its only an hour and a half and it would upset me if we didnt get to do the rides at least a few times without long waits.


----------



## Iowamomof4

jhoannam said:


> Usually when the 7:30 slots sell out they open up the 7AM slots, this time it appears that more 7:30 slots have opened.



It could be that they opened more slots for 7:30, or it could also be that people switched from 7:30 to 7:00 slot, which also caused some 7:30 slots to open up. Right? Or no?


----------



## elgerber

Iowamomof4 said:


> It could be that they opened more slots for 7:30, or it could also be that people switched from 7:30 to 7:00 slot, which also caused some 7:30 slots to open up. Right? Or no?


That would make sense.  7:30 was never sold out for my date, so I can't say one way or the other for early August.


----------



## jhoannam

Iowamomof4 said:


> It could be that they opened more slots for 7:30, or it could also be that people switched from 7:30 to 7:00 slot, which also caused some 7:30 slots to open up. Right? Or no?


It could be, I hope you are right and not that they've added more slots.


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

Suejacken said:


> Thanks for the two cents. Lol. I was thinking about having the kids in my group  *wet* the characters first. Your post confirmed I was correct with that plan


Um...   maybe you should use the restrooms before they open up TSL?


----------



## Suejacken

PrincessArlena'sDad said:


> Um...   maybe you should use the restrooms before they open up TSL?


Lol


----------



## blackpearl77

Where'sPiglet? said:


> This is a card that they gave at the entrance that lists basic information and the food options:


Thanks for the picture of the menu!!!!!!


----------



## MeeskaMooska13

Iowamomof4 said:


> It could be that they opened more slots for 7:30, or it could also be that people switched from 7:30 to 7:00 slot, which also caused some 7:30 slots to open up. Right? Or no?


Except they let everyone in at the same time so I don’t know why anyone would switch purposely (unless they don’t know this. - which is entirely possible).


----------



## Iowamomof4

MeeskaMooska13 said:


> Except they let everyone in at the same time so I don’t know why anyone would switch purposely (*unless they don’t know this. - which is entirely possible).*


You got it.


----------



## JerseyTraveler

Reading this thread has been super helpful and informative. We are doing this on Weds (4/10) - 2 adults and kids (7 &4) and will report back.

Our strategy is mostly to ride Slinky Dog and TSM as many times as we can, ride AS once, and maybe meet a character if it make sense, but not priority. Around 8:45am, we are hoping to head to RnR coaster before the RD crowd hits Toy Story Land, do rider switch and let my husband and my 7 year old ride, then go on the standby line for ToT (depending on wait), and then will go on RnR with the rider switch (myself and my 7 y/o). At this point, we will head to eat breakfast before 10am, then do a few more things before taking a break. Hopefully this is doable!


----------



## DisneyMomma930

JerseyTraveler said:


> Reading this thread has been super helpful and informative. We are doing this on Weds (4/10) - 2 adults and kids (7 &4) and will report back.
> 
> Our strategy is mostly to ride Slinky Dog and TSM as many times as we can, ride AS once, and maybe meet a character if it make sense, but not priority. Around 8:45am, we are hoping to head to RnR coaster before the RD crowd hits Toy Story Land, do rider switch and let my husband and my 7 year old ride, then go on the standby line for ToT (depending on wait), and then will go on RnR with the rider switch (myself and my 7 y/o). At this point, we will head to eat breakfast before 10am, then do a few more things before taking a break. Hopefully this is doable!


Looking forward to your review! Your plan is similar to ours. Do as many rides as possible in TSL then head to RnRC and ToT at RD and then breakfast. Hope you have a great time!


----------



## Ferrentinos

We are heading to this EMM in August - one of the last before GE opens - any thoughts about whether the new M&G for Bo Peep will be available during EMM?  DD8 has no desire to ride SDD - so we will do AS and TSM as well as Buzz, Woody and Jessie during EMM - would love to add her to our list too!


----------



## cincystamper

JerseyTraveler said:


> Reading this thread has been super helpful and informative. We are doing this on Weds (4/10) - 2 adults and kids (7 &4) and will report back.
> 
> Our strategy is mostly to ride Slinky Dog and TSM as many times as we can, ride AS once, and maybe meet a character if it make sense, but not priority. Around 8:45am, we are hoping to head to RnR coaster before the RD crowd hits Toy Story Land, do rider switch and let my husband and my 7 year old ride, then go on the standby line for ToT (depending on wait), and then will go on RnR with the rider switch (myself and my 7 y/o). At this point, we will head to eat breakfast before 10am, then do a few more things before taking a break. Hopefully this is doable!



We're doing this tomorrow (4/10), too, and really appreciate everyone's input!


----------



## GADisneyDad14

michelepa said:


> We went on 3/28 and really enjoyed ourselves. We also did evening events at MK and AK and frankly there’s no going back to daytime crazy spring break crowds for us!  These events were all worth the money
> 
> We picked up DD at 6:15 from CB since that’s when her softball team had to leave for airport. Left her luggage  at bell services and headed over to HS in Uberaround 6:40
> 
> No one in line for baggage check or wrist bands so we were in early and DH and DD insisted we go to backlot  where we just got some yogurt topped with granola, big blueberries, cashews, and pumpkin seeds, coffee and waters.
> 
> Stopped at bathroom and then got in line near theater around 7:20
> 
> It started out as a beautiful sunny morning so we were very lucky.
> 
> We kind of hung back because it was a lot like the regular crazy rope drop nuts that we abhor but just a lot less of them. I think they started walking us back around 7:20 ish. We stayed to right since all the stroller people were told to stay left.  We took our time walking back and taking photos and enjoying the calm of the morning.
> 
> DD loves TSM so we rode that first and stayed on for a second ride. Then 2xs on slinky dog dash which was really cute. The tails were back on the dogs. Then DD and DH rode the Alien ride which was meh and DD didn’t want to ride it again. Took more photos in the area. The bathroom is even cute. They had a table with water and coffee and some granola bars back in the land. On way out took a photo with Buzz because there was no line. They should move him into the land and not st entrance because no one knew he was there.
> 
> We then went and lined up around 8:30 for RnR and ToT. I didn’t even look back at the rope drop people and was disappointed to find out that we would not be moving until they were let in and joined our group and then we would all be walked  back. Did I tell you yet how much I can’t stand rope droppers. At least we were towards the front and it wasn’t a long walk. Did RnR twice then a bit  of a drizzle over to ToT. DD ride it once with DH and then fast passed it with me. At 9:45 it was pouring so we put on our rain ponchos and went to backlot for a proper breakfast. We liked all the food offerings and ordered and tried everything except charcuterie platter. DH was disappointed that the blueberries and mixed nuts were finished but everything else was still available on the breakfast buffet bar. We had no trouble finding seats and relaxed there for a bit before heading out. We caught CB bus back to pick up DD’s luggage then Ubered back to WBC where DD luckily could nap a bit before we went to watch DS’s rain delayed baseball game in the Braves stadium.
> 
> We really liked this event and felt it was worth every penny.
> 
> We won’t need to do it again. But we are  Looking forward to what will be offered for Stars Wars since we’ll be back for spring break next year.



Hi there, quick question - was this 3/27 or 3/29?  Thanks!


----------



## princessbride6205

Just booked for June mother-daughter trip. Glad for this thread's info to help me make an informed decision about booking.


----------



## michelepa

Sorry we did so many of the special ticket things i should have looked at my itinerary rather than trying to remember the date which was actually 3/27


----------



## JerseyTraveler

Okay this morning’s EMM (4/10) was not worth it. I’ll post more details later. Also RnR coaster is not open and they don’t know when, so that plan is bust.


----------



## DisneyMomma930

JerseyTraveler said:


> Okay this morning’s EMM (4/10) was not worth it. I’ll post more details later. Also RnR coaster is not open and they don’t know when, so that plan is bust.


Ohhh nooooooo.....sorry to hear!!!  Awaiting your review...


----------



## buteraa

Do you guys think they will continue EMM in Sept/October with the opening of Star Wars?


----------



## GADisneyDad14

buteraa said:


> Do you guys think they will continue EMM in Sept/October with the opening of Star Wars?



My guess is there is a slim to none chance it continues.  I think the need for longer park hours will prevent an EMM-type event in the near/mid term.  Just my guess though.


----------



## jhoannam

JerseyTraveler said:


> Okay this morning’s EMM (4/10) was not worth it. I’ll post more details later. Also RnR coaster is not open and they don’t know when, so that plan is bust.


I’m sorry, I ver how many tickets they are selling?


----------



## TammyLynn33

Oh no so sorry 




DisneyMomma930 said:


> Ohhh nooooooo.....sorry to hear!!!  Awaiting your review...


----------



## JerseyTraveler

Okay I’m waiting for the Frozen sing a long to start and part of the issue is that my four year old was not cooperating and that bus from pop didn’t arrive until 6:47am and we didn’t get to TSL due to my kids not cooperating this early. If I ever did this again, I would definitely Uber it to get there at 6:45am or earlier. 

By the time we got into TSL at 7:35, the line for SDD was 40 min long. I thought that might be a joke, but the line looked long and was moving very slowly. We opted to go to TSM instead, which was very quick, but it takes time to walk through. We went back to SDD and the wait said 45 min, but we decided to go for it. It was about 25. (Got on like at 7:55, ride at 8:25). Toward the end, they brought another car out and started loading a lot faster. 

After that ride, we went to AS which was quick. It was around 8:40am at this point and my 7 year old wanted to go to RnR. So we left TSL having only gone on each ride once. We took a quick pic with Buzz and the TSL sign. We get to Hollywood Blvd and see the rope drop crowd. The CM tell us both ToT and RnR coaster are not open. It would have been nice if the CM who asked us where we were going and directed us to those rides to let us know that, but whatever. 

So we went back to TSL and went on SDD, it took about 5 mins this time since they had more cars and were loading much faster. This is what I would have expected in the first place. 

While we were on the RD crowd arrived so we tried going back to RnR but it was close. My kids didn’t want to to ToT, but that would have been a 5-10 min wait. RnR still wasn’t open around 9:25am, so we decided to go by the Disney Jr characters since my 4 y/o wanted to do that. We met Vampirina and Sofia then went to breakfast by 9:45am. The food was pretty good and they do let you order as much as you want. 

After breakfast, around 10:15am, we headed to the Frozen sing along and that’s where I am now.


----------



## JeninTexas

Thank you for the info, @JerseyTraveler. Sorry your morning didn't go better. I can't understand why they wouldn't have had the other car running on SDD. That would have made things go much smoother. I hope you enjoy the rest of your day!


----------



## Brett Wyman

I've never heard of that long of a wait for SDD during EMM. Sounds like a mechanical issues maybe? There was one less coaster operating?


----------



## JerseyTraveler

Brett Wyman said:


> I've never heard of that long of a wait for SDD during EMM. Sounds like a mechanical issues maybe? There was one less coaster operating?



I went by guest relations and they said there was one less coaster operating and then they added a fourth later on, which is when I went the second time. They gave me 6 paper fastpasses to use, not for TSL, but for anything else. That was fine because we wanted to do RnR and are on the FP line now. 

I hope everyone has better luck. SDD is a lot of fun!


----------



## SaintsManiac

JerseyTraveler said:


> I went by guest relations and they said there was one less coaster operating and then they added a fourth later on, which is when I went the second time. *They gave me 6 paper fastpasses to use, not for TSL, but for anything else.* That was fine because we wanted to do RnR and are on the FP line now.
> 
> I hope everyone has better luck. SDD is a lot of fun!




Unacceptable, IMO. That would not have worked for me.


----------



## JerseyTraveler

SaintsManiac said:


> Unacceptable, IMO. That would not have worked for me.



You definitely could have asked for something different, but because my kids were already tired and because we were leaving HS soon to go to Epcot after a mid day break, it worked so that my older one could go on RnR before we left. It is what it is, but I am definitely hesitant about doing EMM toy story land. Next time I’ll try the MK one instead since there are more rides. Since TSL EMM is only 3 rides and with SDD being the most popular, if something doesn’t go smoothly with SDD, it will definitely mess up your experience. Anyway, hope my review helped.


----------



## cincystamper

Have to agree about SDD issues this morning. We waited 20 minutes in a very slow line....even the cast members in line said they thought it was unacceptable for a special event. I honestly didn't even think about going to guest relations because we were done for the day at HS.  Only rode it once and it was a LOT of fun but not worth waiting that long line again.

On the plus side, we got 4 rides on TSMM which is my favorite!!


----------



## djc9699

When we went in December, SDD was down for the first 30 minutes. We went ahead and did TSM several times and went to wait for RNR (you can be at the front of the rope drop crowd, but it does not open until the park opens). I emailed customer service when I got back to the room that night and told them how disappointed I was. They called me back a day later and loaded 2 anytime SDD and 2 anytime TSM FPs on my account for Christmas day. That is exactly what I asked for when I explained that we could not get the rides we anticipated. Of course, I was going back to HS later in my trip. This would not work for anyone who is leaving or not returning to that park. Disney is normally very good about trying to meet guest expectations and to work out concerns.


----------



## DisneyMomma930

JerseyTraveler said:


> Okay I’m waiting for the Frozen sing a long to start and part of the issue is that my four year old was not cooperating and that bus from pop didn’t arrive until 6:47am and we didn’t get to TSL due to my kids not cooperating this early. If I ever did this again, I would definitely Uber it to get there at 6:45am or earlier.
> 
> By the time we got into TSL at 7:35, the line for SDD was 40 min long. I thought that might be a joke, but the line looked long and was moving very slowly. We opted to go to TSM instead, which was very quick, but it takes time to walk through. We went back to SDD and the wait said 45 min, but we decided to go for it. It was about 25. (Got on like at 7:55, ride at 8:25). Toward the end, they brought another car out and started loading a lot faster.
> 
> After that ride, we went to AS which was quick. It was around 8:40am at this point and my 7 year old wanted to go to RnR. So we left TSL having only gone on each ride once. We took a quick pic with Buzz and the TSL sign. We get to Hollywood Blvd and see the rope drop crowd. The CM tell us both ToT and RnR coaster are not open. It would have been nice if the CM who asked us where we were going and directed us to those rides to let us know that, but whatever.
> 
> So we went back to TSL and went on SDD, it took about 5 mins this time since they had more cars and were loading much faster. This is what I would have expected in the first place.
> 
> While we were on the RD crowd arrived so we tried going back to RnR but it was close. My kids didn’t want to to ToT, but that would have been a 5-10 min wait. RnR still wasn’t open around 9:25am, so we decided to go by the Disney Jr characters since my 4 y/o wanted to do that. We met Vampirina and Sofia then went to breakfast by 9:45am. The food was pretty good and they do let you order as much as you want.
> 
> After breakfast, around 10:15am, we headed to the Frozen sing along and that’s where I am now.


Oh man. How disappointing. EMM costs too much to have a ride be 40 minute wait. I wouldn’t be happy. I don’t understand why they didn’t get the issue fixed sooner. They should be testing the rides before EMM even starts to make sure there are no issues. I would have complained for sure. But it sounds like you guys made the best of it. Thanks for the heads up about the bus at Pop. Our first morning we are doing EMM at MK and coming from Pop, our second morning for EMM at HS we are coming from AoA. Now I’m thinking we should just do a Minnie van so we don’t take any chances. I guess it’s hit or miss because I have seen people say they have caught a bus at 630 am before but you just never know. And I can’t believe RnRC was down for that long. I mean cmon, HS only has a handful of rides and for 2 of them to be down at RD is not acceptable. 
I hope you have a great rest of the day! Thanks again for your review!


----------



## Katrina Y

JerseyTraveler said:


> Okay I’m waiting for the Frozen sing a long to start and part of the issue is that my four year old was not cooperating and that bus from pop didn’t arrive until 6:47am and we didn’t get to TSL due to my kids not cooperating this early. If I ever did this again, I would definitely Uber it to get there at 6:45am or earlier.
> 
> By the time we got into TSL at 7:35, the line for SDD was 40 min long. I thought that might be a joke, but the line looked long and was moving very slowly. We opted to go to TSM instead, which was very quick, but it takes time to walk through. We went back to SDD and the wait said 45 min, but we decided to go for it. It was about 25. (Got on like at 7:55, ride at 8:25). Toward the end, they brought another car out and started loading a lot faster.
> 
> After that ride, we went to AS which was quick. It was around 8:40am at this point and my 7 year old wanted to go to RnR. So we left TSL having only gone on each ride once. We took a quick pic with Buzz and the TSL sign. We get to Hollywood Blvd and see the rope drop crowd. The CM tell us both ToT and RnR coaster are not open. It would have been nice if the CM who asked us where we were going and directed us to those rides to let us know that, but whatever.
> 
> So we went back to TSL and went on SDD, it took about 5 mins this time since they had more cars and were loading much faster. This is what I would have expected in the first place.
> 
> While we were on the RD crowd arrived so we tried going back to RnR but it was close. My kids didn’t want to to ToT, but that would have been a 5-10 min wait. RnR still wasn’t open around 9:25am, so we decided to go by the Disney Jr characters since my 4 y/o wanted to do that. We met Vampirina and Sofia then went to breakfast by 9:45am. The food was pretty good and they do let you order as much as you want.
> 
> After breakfast, around 10:15am, we headed to the Frozen sing along and that’s where I am now.


I am so sorry, that is not acceptable. It makes me wonder if I should cancel my EMM for June 5th.


----------



## Katrina Y

cincystamper said:


> Have to agree about SDD issues this morning. We waited 20 minutes in a very slow line....even the cast members in line said they thought it was unacceptable for a special event. I honestly didn't even think about going to guest relations because we were done for the day at HS.  Only rode it once and it was a LOT of fun but not worth waiting that long line again.
> 
> On the plus side, we got 4 rides on TSMM which is my favorite!!


What time did they let you into the land?


----------



## cakebaker

Katrina Y said:


> I am so sorry, that is not acceptable. It makes me wonder if I should cancel my EMM for June 5th.



 In fairness, they did arrive late enough to be at the back of the crowd and the worst choice to make is to ride SDD first. As she pointed out, they did ride with a 5 minute wait at one point. I wouldn’t  cancel over one or two experiences.

That said, I don’t think the line should ever reach that kind of a wait and I would’ve complained too. I’m still keeping mine unless this kind of thing seems to become the norm.


----------



## cincystamper

Katrina Y said:


> What time did they let you into the land?



Well, I was with my 71 year old mother so we were walking pretty slow. She also wanted a first breakfast before heading over. That said, we left Backlot Express at 7:24 and as we walked, we heard the announcement that TSL was now open. Wasn't there to see if folks were actually let in earlier or not.



cakebaker said:


> In fairness, they did arrive late enough to be at the back of the crowd and the worst choice to make is to ride SDD first.



I know this wasn't in response to my earlier post, but for the record, MY party did NOT go to SDD first.  By my notes, we got in line at SDD at 7:59. By all reports here, that should have been a pretty quick moving line by then. However, we waited in line for 20 minutes and even the CMs were commenting on how it didn't seem right for a special event. We've been here since 3/31 and have had great success with FP+....Ironically the SDD line was the longest wait we've had since we've been here. Definitely not right.

I'm not going to post my time breakdowns because I doubt they'd be very helpful to anyone planning....as I said, I was with my older mother who uses a walker and walks slowly. So on TSMM, for instance, our times were different than they would be for anyone going through the normal line because we went through the accessible line and had to wait a bit for the cars to come back.

Our very general report:
Getting through security and check in took all of 10 minutes, which included our very slow walk from the bus
First breakfast was pastries and cereal
Rode TSMM
Rode SDD (skipped Aliens....not fans of whippy/spinny rides)
Back to TSMM, rode 3x
Photopass in the exit line after our last time off
Photopass at the TSL ride
Second (full) breakfast at 9:30

If you want to know specific times, let me know...I did write them down!


----------



## Katrina Y

cincystamper said:


> Well, I was with my 71 year old mother so we were walking pretty slow. She also wanted a first breakfast before heading over. That said, we left Backlot Express at 7:24 and as we walked, we heard the announcement that TSL was now open. Wasn't there to see if folks were actually let in earlier or not.
> 
> 
> 
> I know this wasn't in response to my earlier post, but for the record, MY party did NOT go to SDD first.  By my notes, we got in line at SDD at 7:59. By all reports here, that should have been a pretty quick moving line by then. However, we waited in line for 20 minutes and even the CMs were commenting on how it didn't seem right for a special event. We've been here since 3/31 and have had great success with FP+....Ironically the SDD line was the longest wait we've had since we've been here. Definitely not right.
> 
> I'm not going to post my time breakdowns because I doubt they'd be very helpful to anyone planning....as I said, I was with my older mother who uses a walker and walks slowly. So on TSMM, for instance, our times were different than they would be for anyone going through the normal line because we went through the accessible line and had to wait a bit for the cars to come back.
> 
> Our very general report:
> Getting through security and check in took all of 10 minutes, which included our very slow walk from the bus
> First breakfast was pastries and cereal
> Rode TSMM
> Rode SDD (skipped Aliens....not fans of whippy/spinny rides)
> Back to TSMM, rode 3x
> Photopass in the exit line after our last time off
> Photopass at the TSL ride
> Second (full) breakfast at 9:30
> 
> If you want to know specific times, let me know...I did write them down!


Thank you for all the information. I appreciate it.


----------



## jhoannam

JerseyTraveler said:


> Okay I’m waiting for the Frozen sing a long to start and part of the issue is that my four year old was not cooperating and that bus from pop didn’t arrive until 6:47am and we didn’t get to TSL due to my kids not cooperating this early. If I ever did this again, I would definitely Uber it to get there at 6:45am or earlier.
> 
> By the time we got into TSL at 7:35, the line for SDD was 40 min long. I thought that might be a joke, but the line looked long and was moving very slowly. We opted to go to TSM instead, which was very quick, but it takes time to walk through. We went back to SDD and the wait said 45 min, but we decided to go for it. It was about 25. (Got on like at 7:55, ride at 8:25). Toward the end, they brought another car out and started loading a lot faster.
> 
> After that ride, we went to AS which was quick. It was around 8:40am at this point and my 7 year old wanted to go to RnR. So we left TSL having only gone on each ride once. We took a quick pic with Buzz and the TSL sign. We get to Hollywood Blvd and see the rope drop crowd. The CM tell us both ToT and RnR coaster are not open. It would have been nice if the CM who asked us where we were going and directed us to those rides to let us know that, but whatever.
> 
> So we went back to TSL and went on SDD, it took about 5 mins this time since they had more cars and were loading much faster. This is what I would have expected in the first place.
> 
> While we were on the RD crowd arrived so we tried going back to RnR but it was close. My kids didn’t want to to ToT, but that would have been a 5-10 min wait. RnR still wasn’t open around 9:25am, so we decided to go by the Disney Jr characters since my 4 y/o wanted to do that. We met Vampirina and Sofia then went to breakfast by 9:45am. The food was pretty good and they do let you order as much as you want.
> 
> After breakfast, around 10:15am, we headed to the Frozen sing along and that’s where I am now.


Gosh that sounds like a rough start, 40 minute wait is unacceptable for a special event.


----------



## cakebaker

cincystamper said:


> Well, I was with my 71 year old mother so we were walking pretty slow. She also wanted a first breakfast before heading over. That said, we left Backlot Express at 7:24 and as we walked, we heard the announcement that TSL was now open. Wasn't there to see if folks were actually let in earlier or not.
> 
> 
> 
> I know this wasn't in response to my earlier post, but for the record, MY party did NOT go to SDD first.  By my notes, we got in line at SDD at 7:59. By all reports here, that should have been a pretty quick moving line by then. However, we waited in line for 20 minutes and even the CMs were commenting on how it didn't seem right for a special event. We've been here since 3/31 and have had great success with FP+....Ironically the SDD line was the longest wait we've had since we've been here. Definitely not right.
> 
> I'm not going to post my time breakdowns because I doubt they'd be very helpful to anyone planning....as I said, I was with my older mother who uses a walker and walks slowly. So on TSMM, for instance, our times were different than they would be for anyone going through the normal line because we went through the accessible line and had to wait a bit for the cars to come back.
> 
> Our very general report:
> Getting through security and check in took all of 10 minutes, which included our very slow walk from the bus
> First breakfast was pastries and cereal
> Rode TSMM
> Rode SDD (skipped Aliens....not fans of whippy/spinny rides)
> Back to TSMM, rode 3x
> Photopass in the exit line after our last time off
> Photopass at the TSL ride
> Second (full) breakfast at 9:30
> 
> If you want to know specific times, let me know...I did write them down!



Thanks for more details. Please email guest services about your experience.if they start getting complaints, it might help stop this before it becomes the norm.


----------



## Mrjoshua

I went on 4/3, and it was pretty smooth.

Between 7:25 and 9am:
- Slinky Dog Dash x 8
- Alien Swirling Saucers x 1
- Toy Story Mania x 1

After 9am:
- breakfast at Backlot Express
- Met Mike & Sully
- Met Edna Mode
- Fastpasses 

A few notes... It was more crowded than when we attended in December. This time, castmembers tried to steer us toward breakfast first thing, but we politely declined. Our decision to visit Mike & Sully after breakfast paid off, because there was only a 15 minute wait. By the time we left, the wait was 50 minutes!

I'm sorry to hear about the bad experiences yesterday. During my first After Hours event, Space Mountain and 7 Dwarfs Mine Train were down for most of the evening, which was a bummer.


----------



## EEva

Mrjoshua said:


> I went on 4/3, and it was pretty smooth.
> 
> Between 7:25 and 9am:
> - Slinky Dog Dash x 8
> - Alien Swirling Saucers x 1
> - Toy Story Mania x 1
> 
> *After 9am:
> - breakfast at Backlot Express
> - Met Mike & Sully
> - Met Edna Mode
> - Fastpasses *
> 
> A few notes... It was more crowded than when we attended in December. This time, castmembers tried to steer us toward breakfast first thing, but we politely declined. Our decision to visit Mike & Sully after breakfast paid off, because there was only a 15 minute wait. By the time we left, the wait was 50 minutes!
> 
> I'm sorry to hear about the bad experiences yesterday. During my first After Hours event, Space Mountain and 7 Dwarfs Mine Train were down for most of the evening, which was a bummer.



Hi! This is exactly what we are hoping to do after EMM when we go in July. Can you share what time you lined up for Mike and Sully? Did they start earlier than the posted 10am?


----------



## Mrjoshua

EEva said:


> Hi! This is exactly what we are hoping to do after EMM when we go in July. Can you share what time you lined up for Mike and Sully? Did they start earlier than the posted 10am?



Mike & Sully started at 10am per the other people there. We did not arrive until 10:10 am due to eating and bathroom breaks. Get there asap after breakfast, and the wait shouldn't be very long.


----------



## rxbeth

How many trains are usually running for sdd? I find it interesting that there is such a variance in how many times people can get on sdd. 

Btw, I did send feedback to Disney about our experience and what I think could work better. They said they would forward the info to the appropriate people and that was that. I figured I would hear back from the "appropriate people" but nope.


----------



## JerseyTraveler

rxbeth said:


> How many trains are usually running for sdd? I find it interesting that there is such a variance in how many times people can get on sdd.
> 
> Btw, I did send feedback to Disney about our experience and what I think could work better. They said they would forward the info to the appropriate people and that was that. I figured I would hear back from the "appropriate people" but nope.



There should be four, but during the event I went to on 4/10, there were only three for the first half or more of the event. Once the 4th car was out, the lines went very quickly, but the event was pretty much over. 

I also decided to send feedback about the event. I guess they saw I had a few more days left in our trip, so they responded that they appreciated our feedback and are always trying to improve and loaded some extra fastpasses onto our magicbands (doesn’t include avatar or TSL rides). That really made our trip amazing though because we were able to meet some more princesses for my little one and go on a few other rides that we otherwise may not have. So in the end, we’re all happy and having a great time.


----------



## rxbeth

JerseyTraveler said:


> There should be four, but during the event I went to on 4/10, there were only three for the first half or more of the event. Once the 4th car was out, the lines went very quickly, but the event was pretty much over.
> 
> I also decided to send feedback about the event. I guess they saw I had a few more days left in our trip, so they responded that they appreciated our feedback and are always trying to improve and loaded some extra fastpasses onto our magicbands (doesn’t include avatar or TSL rides). That really made our trip amazing though because we were able to meet some more princesses for my little one and go on a few other rides that we otherwise may not have. So in the end, we’re all happy and having a great time.



I'm glad they responded to you. My email was after we were back so maybe that's why they didn't quite care to respond. No way did we have 4 trains running our day. I didn't pay too much attention but it seemed like only 2, but likely 3.  Never was there a backlog of trains.


----------



## Woody412

I’ve been catching up on this thread and I’ve gathered that families with strollers are directed to the left because of the ramp, but I’ve also noticed some people mention that they parked their strollers inside the entrance. Is this because they’ve made TSL stroller free? Or do people find it’s just easier to navigate the crowds without the stroller?


----------



## tamerbelles

Woody412 said:


> I’ve been catching up on this thread and I’ve gathered that families with strollers are directed to the left because of the ramp, but I’ve also noticed some people mention that they parked their strollers inside the entrance. Is this because they’ve made TSL stroller free? Or do people find it’s just easier to navigate the crowds without the stroller?



You can't take strollers in the ride queues. So most people want to get in and park their stroller quickly so they can go get in line. If you are there just to explore the land, you can definitely walk around with a stroller, but for this event most people want to get on the attractions right away. 

There's only one stroller parking area in the land and it's located just past the entrance. Not the best location in relation to the attractions, but at least you can drop it off and go ... then pick up your stroller on the way out.


----------



## princessbride6205

Mrjoshua said:


> I went on 4/3, and it was pretty smooth.
> 
> Between 7:25 and 9am:
> - Slinky Dog Dash x 8
> - Alien Swirling Saucers x 1
> - Toy Story Mania x 1
> 
> After 9am:
> - breakfast at Backlot Express
> - Met Mike & Sully
> - Met Edna Mode
> - Fastpasses
> 
> A few notes... It was more crowded than when we attended in December. This time, castmembers tried to steer us toward breakfast first thing, but we politely declined. Our decision to visit Mike & Sully after breakfast paid off, because there was only a 15 minute wait. By the time we left, the wait was 50 minutes!
> 
> I'm sorry to hear about the bad experiences yesterday. During my first After Hours event, Space Mountain and 7 Dwarfs Mine Train were down for most of the evening, which was a bummer.


Wow - your itinerary for that morning is amazing! Do you (or others here) have tips on the best strategy for the event? More specifically, is there a best order to do the rides?


----------



## RachaelA

If SDD ends up 25-40 minutes during our EMM, I will be complaining until I get a refund. Thats our last day and we are only at DHS until 11am-ish. 

It’s insane how much it varies per EMM as to wait times. 

Our plan is still to just head to roost/Jessie first.


----------



## disneyshan

JerseyTraveler said:


> Okay I’m waiting for the Frozen sing a long to start and part of the issue is that my four year old was not cooperating and that bus from pop didn’t arrive until 6:47am and we didn’t get to TSL due to my kids not cooperating this early. If I ever did this again, I would definitely Uber it to get there at 6:45am or earlier.
> 
> By the time we got into TSL at 7:35, the line for SDD was 40 min long. I thought that might be a joke, but the line looked long and was moving very slowly. We opted to go to TSM instead, which was very quick, but it takes time to walk through. We went back to SDD and the wait said 45 min, but we decided to go for it. It was about 25. (Got on like at 7:55, ride at 8:25). Toward the end, they brought another car out and started loading a lot faster.
> 
> After that ride, we went to AS which was quick. It was around 8:40am at this point and my 7 year old wanted to go to RnR. So we left TSL having only gone on each ride once. We took a quick pic with Buzz and the TSL sign. We get to Hollywood Blvd and see the rope drop crowd. The CM tell us both ToT and RnR coaster are not open. It would have been nice if the CM who asked us where we were going and directed us to those rides to let us know that, but whatever.
> 
> So we went back to TSL and went on SDD, it took about 5 mins this time since they had more cars and were loading much faster. This is what I would have expected in the first place.
> 
> While we were on the RD crowd arrived so we tried going back to RnR but it was close. My kids didn’t want to to ToT, but that would have been a 5-10 min wait. RnR still wasn’t open around 9:25am, so we decided to go by the Disney Jr characters since my 4 y/o wanted to do that. We met Vampirina and Sofia then went to breakfast by 9:45am. The food was pretty good and they do let you order as much as you want.
> 
> After breakfast, around 10:15am, we headed to the Frozen sing along and that’s where I am now.



We were there that day as well.  My two boys and I were on the first SDD train of the day, but never got to ride again due to HUGE lines!  I was not super impressed... but we did ride the other two rides alot.


----------



## ninafeliz

disneyshan said:


> We were there that day as well.  My two boys and I were on the first SDD train of the day, but never got to ride again due to HUGE lines!  I was not super impressed... but we did ride the other two rides alot.


So what happened this day?  We did this twice, once Jan 2, and lines were under 10 min the entire time AFAIK.  I would be unhappy with the morning you guys describe.


----------



## BWVPam

We did this on the first day of our trip on April 8.  It was a little crowded but great compared to rope drop lines.  I would definitely do it again.  It was the first day of our trip and were still trying to adjust to the 2 hour time change.  Dummy me didn't realize that the entrance had changed to Disney Studios and we were staying at Beach Club.  Had to drive around to figure out where to go.  we got the the gates at about 6:55 a.m. We went straight back to the theater and got in line.  We were fairly close to the front when they started walking us back at about 7:25 a.m.  We got on Slinky Dog at 7:35 a.m for the first time, got off and got back in line.  Lots more people this time, so it was 7:55 am when we got on it for the second time  We rode it again for a third time before we went on the saucers and then TSM.  Stopped for a bathroom break and got water and granola bars they had set out and then went back for two more times on Slinky Dog.  By this time, they were walking the rope drop people back to get in line.  we could have rode Slinky Dog one more time, but we wanted to try one more on TSM.  we walked up and it was 3 minutes till 9 and they let us walk through the Fast Pass entrance.  We then walked over for breakfast.  They let us order multiple hot food items and then several items on the buffet.  we loved it and hope they continue to do more of these.  Going back in November but don't think they will be offered then.


----------



## jhoannam

BWVPam said:


> We did this on the first day of our trip on April 8.  It was a little crowded but great compared to rope drop lines.  I would definitely do it again.  It was the first day of our trip and were still trying to adjust to the 2 hour time change.  Dummy me didn't realize that the entrance had changed to Disney Studios and we were staying at Beach Club.  Had to drive around to figure out where to go.  we got the the gates at about 6:55 a.m. We went straight back to the theater and got in line.  We were fairly close to the front when they started walking us back at about 7:25 a.m.  We got on Slinky Dog at 7:35 a.m for the first time, got off and got back in line.  Lots more people this time, so it was 7:55 am when we got on it for the second time  We rode it again for a third time before we went on the saucers and then TSM.  Stopped for a bathroom break and got water and granola bars they had set out and then went back for two more times on Slinky Dog.  By this time, they were walking the rope drop people back to get in line.  we could have rode Slinky Dog one more time, but we wanted to try one more on TSM.  we walked up and it was 3 minutes till 9 and they let us walk through the Fast Pass entrance.  We then walked over for breakfast.  They let us order multiple hot food items and then several items on the buffet.  we loved it and hope they continue to do more of these.  Going back in November but don't think they will be offered then.


That's a great experience! Thanks for reporting back.


----------



## anl

Are people having luck with more slots coming open even after the 7:00 is opened and full?


----------



## Katrina Y

anl said:


> Are people having luck with more slots coming open even after the 7:00 is opened and full?


I was only able to book when the 7:00 time slot opened up. Once the 7:00 time is full, it is way more difficult to get a reservation. People could possibly still cancel, so just keep checking.


----------



## Hezzy04

Does anyone think after my family gets done with EMM, we can rush to RNR and still get to the Frozen sing along for the 9:30 show?

What time does the rope drop crowd usually get in?


----------



## Mrjoshua

princessbride6205 said:


> Wow - your itinerary for that morning is amazing! Do you (or others here) have tips on the best strategy for the event? More specifically, is there a best order to do the rides?


It really depends what you want to do...

Slinky Dog Dash is a priority for us, and we try to get as many rides as possible. Mania and Swirling Saucers are less of a priority, and MUCH easier to get fastpasses for. So we skip the early breakfast, line up for ASAP entry into Toy Story Land, and ride Slink until the rope drop crowd arrives... like an unstoppable rebel force. After basically boarding Slink a few times with little or no wait, we exit to suddenly discover a 65 minute wait at the entry. This happens around 8:50am, and marks the official end of our rides on SDD.

The great part is that while the rope drop crowd runs to Slinky Dog, Alien Swirling Saucers is largely ignored. We casually walk over to the Saucers, which has less than a 5 minute wait.

It's possible to do both Alien Swirling Saucers AND Toy Story Mania quickly during the rope drop madness, but I'd only plan on 1 of the 2 with almost no wait. Anything more is a bonus.

If you want to do all 3 rides during EMM, I would personally ride Mania first (however many times), Slinky Dog second (however many times), and Saucers last during rope drop.

If you want to meet characters, I would meet Woody and Jessie first thing, or after 1 ride on Toy Story Mania. Earlier is best for meeting them quickly. Buzz is a much shorter wait, so maybe when you're leaving EMM?

I think Toy Story Mania is a waste of EMM time. I love the ride, but we had to walk through a fairly long que (NOT the fastpass entrance) before and after the ride. It really guzzles your limited time. If you decide to ride it, I would recommend doing
it once, either at the beginning or the end of EMM.

If possible, try to avoid going back to rides after you've left to ride something else. Unnecessary walking back and forth across Toy Story Land will cut into your ride time. 

The first time we attended EMM (December), we decided to meet the characters also.

- Met Woody and Jessie
- Met Buzz
- Rode Slinky Dog Dash x 9
- Rode Alien Swirling Saucers x 1

If I were to do that morning over again, I would've rode Toy Story Mania first, before meeting the characters. Woody and Jessie meet between Mania and Slink, and we waited (first in line) 10 or 15 minutes before they came out. It proved to be an unnecessary waste of time. Woody and Jessie's line remained very short for a few minutes after we met them.


----------



## TammyLynn33

We went yesterday Apr21..it was amazing I think a highlight of the trip.
They def do try to posh breakfast first we did go used restrooms grabbed pastries a bowl dry fruit loops and drinks . 
We were at the front of the stroller line side so we immediately stopped to meet Jessie and woody. We were first while big kids went to Slinky and it was down first few minutes...
In the end we did Slinky x4, met woody and Jessie , Aliens x2, TSM x3 . 
We then rope dropped RnR and walked around the huge line headed to TSL..and were so thankful.. big kids walked on to rock 3X while littles and I met Chewy and Olaf and did star tours x1. 
Then we all met for breakfast and it was good.kids had chicken and donuts and I had avocado toast. 
Imo def worth it and much better than the EMM at fantasyland we did the day before


----------



## aebeauregard

TammyLynn33 said:


> We went yesterday Apr21..it was amazing I think a highlight of the trip.
> They def do try to posh breakfast first we did go used restrooms grabbed pastries a bowl dry fruit loops and drinks .
> We were at the front of the stroller line side so we immediately stopped to meet Jessie and woody. We were first while big kids went to Slinky and it was down first few minutes...
> In the end we did Slinky x4, met woody and Jessie , Aliens x2, TSM x3 .
> We then rope dropped RnR and walked around the huge line headed to TSL..and were so thankful.. big kids walked on to rock 3X while littles and I met Chewy and Olaf and did star tours x1.
> Then we all met for breakfast and it was good.kids had chicken and donuts and I had avocado toast.
> Imo def worth it and much better than the EMM at fantasyland we did the day before


Thanks for the report. We are planning to do both fantasyland and toy story land EMM in a couple weeks back to back also. Did you guys use resort busses to get to both?  Any issues there?  Also curious how long you had to wait for Jessie and Woody to come out. That’s important to us and I think we will just wait there first. Did you have a bad experience at fantasyland at all or just a better one at toy story land?


----------



## TammyLynn33

They were there when we walking in. Big kids didn’t want to stop but I stopped with the littles. 
Fantasyland seemed way more crowded . 25 min waits for 7 dwarfs and Winnie was down for I think the whole time. I just wasn’t as impressed. Breakfast at MK was as good but they def weren’t refreshing things with 15 mins left, I didn’t feel as rushed at HS





aebeauregard said:


> Thanks for the report. We are planning to do both fantasyland and toy story land EMM in a couple weeks back to back also. Did you guys use resort busses to get to both?  Any issues there?  Also curious how long you had to wait for Jessie and Woody to come out. That’s important to us and I think we will just wait there first. Did you have a bad experience at fantasyland at all or just a better one at toy story land?


----------



## Hezzy04

TammyLynn33 said:


> We went yesterday Apr21..it was amazing I think a highlight of the trip.
> They def do try to posh breakfast first we did go used restrooms grabbed pastries a bowl dry fruit loops and drinks .
> We were at the front of the stroller line side so we immediately stopped to meet Jessie and woody. We were first while big kids went to Slinky and it was down first few minutes...
> In the end we did Slinky x4, met woody and Jessie , Aliens x2, TSM x3 .
> We then rope dropped RnR and walked around the huge line headed to TSL..and were so thankful.. big kids walked on to rock 3X while littles and I met Chewy and Olaf and did star tours x1.
> Then we all met for breakfast and it was good.kids had chicken and donuts and I had avocado toast.
> Imo def worth it and much better than the EMM at fantasyland we did the day before



What time did you leave and head over to RNR?


----------



## princessbride6205

Mrjoshua said:


> It really depends what you want to do...
> 
> Slinky Dog Dash is a priority for us, and we try to get as many rides as possible. Mania and Swirling Saucers are less of a priority, and MUCH easier to get fastpasses for. So we skip the early breakfast, line up for ASAP entry into Toy Story Land, and ride Slink until the rope drop crowd arrives... like an unstoppable rebel force. After basically boarding Slink a few times with little or no wait, we exit to suddenly discover a 65 minute wait at the entry. This happens around 8:50am, and marks the official end of our rides on SDD.
> 
> The great part is that while the rope drop crowd runs to Slinky Dog, Alien Swirling Saucers is largely ignored. We casually walk over to the Saucers, which has less than a 5 minute wait.
> 
> It's possible to do both Alien Swirling Saucers AND Toy Story Mania quickly during the rope drop madness, but I'd only plan on 1 of the 2 with almost no wait. Anything more is a bonus.
> 
> If you want to do all 3 rides during EMM, I would personally ride Mania first (however many times), Slinky Dog second (however many times), and Saucers last during rope drop.
> 
> If you want to meet characters, I would meet Woody and Jessie first thing, or after 1 ride on Toy Story Mania. Earlier is best for meeting them quickly. Buzz is a much shorter wait, so maybe when you're leaving EMM?
> 
> I think Toy Story Mania is a waste of EMM time. I love the ride, but we had to walk through a fairly long que (NOT the fastpass entrance) before and after the ride. It really guzzles your limited time. If you decide to ride it, I would recommend doing
> it once, either at the beginning or the end of EMM.
> 
> If possible, try to avoid going back to rides after you've left to ride something else. Unnecessary walking back and forth across Toy Story Land will cut into your ride time.
> 
> The first time we attended EMM (December), we decided to meet the characters also.
> 
> - Met Woody and Jessie
> - Met Buzz
> - Rode Slinky Dog Dash x 9
> - Rode Alien Swirling Saucers x 1
> 
> If I were to do that morning over again, I would've rode Toy Story Mania first, before meeting the characters. Woody and Jessie meet between Mania and Slink, and we waited (first in line) 10 or 15 minutes before they came out. It proved to be an unnecessary waste of time. Woody and Jessie's line remained very short for a few minutes after we met them.


Amazing advice! Thanks for all the tips and strategies!


----------



## TammyLynn33

Hezzy04 said:


> What time did you leave and head over to RNR?




I would say we left TSL around 845


----------



## Megan138

Hi. We are doing this tomorrow and I’m staying at the Beach Club. The front desk told me the boats will be running to HS at 6:30. Does anyone have experience with transportation to HS for this experience from the Beach Club that can confirm? Thanks


----------



## Mcky36

Megan138 said:


> Hi. We are doing this tomorrow and I’m staying at the Beach Club. The front desk told me the boats will be running to HS at 6:30. Does anyone have experience with transportation to HS for this experience from the Beach Club that can confirm? Thanks



We just did this on Wednesday from the Yacht Club. We got the boat at the lighthouse dock at 6:45 a.m. and they told us it was the 2nd boat of the day.  Have fun!


----------



## ninafeliz

Mcky36 said:


> We just did this on Wednesday from the Yacht Club. We got the boat at the lighthouse dock at 6:45 a.m. and they told us it was the 2nd boat of the day.  Have fun!


When we did it we were walking down Hollywood Boulevard at 6:45 AM, I wouldn’t want to wait and be getting on a slow boat at that time.


----------



## Mcky36

ninafeliz said:


> When we did it we were walking down Hollywood Boulevard at 6:45 AM, I wouldn’t want to wait and be getting on a slow boat at that time.



The boat was very fast. There was only one stop and one family since it was so early. We were at Hollywood Studios by 6:55 and going through the gates around 7:05 (after stopping to check in, get wrist bands etc.)  They held everyone outside Toy Story Land until about 7:25, so we ended up standing around for about 20 minutes even after we took the 6:45 boat.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

They must be starting the boat earlier these days.  Last Oct, it wasn’t an option pre-7am.


----------



## cantwaitvaca09

Mcky36 said:


> The boat was very fast. There was only one stop and one family since it was so early. We were at Hollywood Studios by 6:55 and going through the gates around 7:05 (after stopping to check in, get wrist bands etc.)  They held everyone outside Toy Story Land until about 7:25, so we ended up standing around for about 20 minutes even after we took the 6:45 boat.


Thank you for this!


----------



## writersblock

I wish they’d release the next load, I really want to book for November!


----------



## ellbell

writersblock said:


> I wish they’d release the next load, I really want to book for November!


They probably won't have them in HS past the end of August because of GE


----------



## mercydisney

I have the event booked for Aug. 28th.  I am getting nervous that it may be more crowded then usual and the strategies that have been posted might not work. Anyone else feel this way?


----------



## pryzeless

mercydisney said:


> I have the event booked for Aug. 28th.  I am getting nervous that it may be more crowded then usual and the strategies that have been posted might not work. Anyone else feel this way?


I am in the exact same boat. I am hoping Star Wars people won’t be at Disney that early but that is just wishful thinking.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

writersblock said:


> I wish they’d release the next load, I really want to book for November!



Granted no one knows, but I wouldn’t hold your breath.  My ‘assumption’ is that once SWGE opens, that’ll be the end of DHS TSL EMM.  Likely do to what could be a lengthy run of pre-9am openings and/or any sort of new EMM-type event they may eventually incorporate into the new land (although I feel like that’ll be a ways down the road).  

Sorry to be a downer!


----------



## dachsie

mercydisney said:


> I have the event booked for Aug. 28th.  I am getting nervous that it may be more crowded then usual and the strategies that have been posted might not work. Anyone else feel this way?


They should still sell the same number of tickets and all the other dates sell out so I would not worry about this


----------



## NJlauren

mercydisney said:


> I have the event booked for Aug. 28th.  I am getting nervous that it may be more crowded then usual and the strategies that have been posted might not work. Anyone else feel this way?





pryzeless said:


> I am in the exact same boat. I am hoping Star Wars people won’t be at Disney that early but that is just wishful thinking.



Same!  See you there!!


----------



## Megan138

Mcky36 said:


> We just did this on Wednesday from the Yacht Club. We got the boat at the lighthouse dock at 6:45 a.m. and they told us it was the 2nd boat of the day.  Have fun!





ninafeliz said:


> When we did it we were walking down Hollywood Boulevard at 6:45 AM, I wouldn’t want to wait and be getting on a slow boat at that time.





Mcky36 said:


> The boat was very fast. There was only one stop and one family since it was so early. We were at Hollywood Studios by 6:55 and going through the gates around 7:05 (after stopping to check in, get wrist bands etc.)  They held everyone outside Toy Story Land until about 7:25, so we ended up standing around for about 20 minutes even after we took the 6:45 boat.





GADisneyDad14 said:


> They must be starting the boat earlier these days.  Last Oct, it wasn’t an option pre-7am.



Thanks for all the replies! We were at the dock at 6:30am and the first boat was waiting. It was super fast and easy. We had such a great experience. We got on all the rides multiple times with no or minimal waits. The breakfast was amazing. We did the MK EMM yesterday morning and it was great but the breakfast was pretty boring. This breakfast was really impressive. I’m so glad we did this event.


----------



## Woody412

We went on the 24th and it was great. We jumped on the Woody/Jessie line immediately and it was the longest wait of the morning. There were maybe 5 or 6 families ahead of us and it took a little over 25 minutes but I can’t complain because the character interaction was great, especially Woody. AS2 was down all morning but it didn’t seem like it increased the wait anywhere else. TMM was a walk-on and we rode SDD 3x. The first time was maybe a 15 min wait, the last about 5 min. I checked a couple of days prior and it was completely sold out but it didn’t seem crowded at all. Breakfast was great and it seemed completely empty. The only problem we encountered was I lost track of time and we got caught near the entrance when the RD stampede came through. A CM pulled one of my kids to the side and put him on a bench, terrifying DW because we couldn’t see him through the crowd, but it kept him from getting trampled. I would absolutely do it again if they continue after galaxy’s edge opens.


----------



## jhoannam

Woody412 said:


> RD stampede came through. A CM pulled one of my kids to the side and put him on a bench, terrifying DW because we couldn’t see him through the crowd, but it kept him from getting trampled.


This is why we decided to do EMM, RD is still crazy and people continue to be rude. 

Glad it was great even during a sold out event.


----------



## Katrina Y

Woody412 said:


> We went on the 24th and it was great. We jumped on the Woody/Jessie line immediately and it was the longest wait of the morning. There were maybe 5 or 6 families ahead of us and it took a little over 25 minutes but I can’t complain because the character interaction was great, especially Woody. AS2 was down all morning but it didn’t seem like it increased the wait anywhere else. TMM was a walk-on and we rode SDD 3x. The first time was maybe a 15 min wait, the last about 5 min. I checked a couple of days prior and it was completely sold out but it didn’t seem crowded at all. Breakfast was great and it seemed completely empty. The only problem we encountered was I lost track of time and we got caught near the entrance when the RD stampede came through. A CM pulled one of my kids to the side and put him on a bench, terrifying DW because we couldn’t see him through the crowd, but it kept him from getting trampled. I would absolutely do it again if they continue after galaxy’s edge opens.


How many times were you able to ride Toy Story?


----------



## Woody412

jhoannam said:


> This is why we decided to do EMM, RD is still crazy and people continue to be rude.
> 
> Glad it was great even during a sold out event.



Completely agree. Any crowd that needs 15 CMs at the front trying to slow people down is a crowd I don’t need to be a part of.


----------



## Woody412

Katrina Y said:


> How many times were you able to ride Toy Story?



We only went once. We kept a semi-relaxed pace. If I knew AS2 was down beforehand we probably would’ve done it again.


----------



## Woody412

Katrina Y said:


> How many times were you able to ride Toy Story?



It seemed like the queue was completely empty the whole morning.


----------



## Katrina Y

Woody412 said:


> It seemed like the queue was completely empty the whole morning.


Thanks, that is my kids favorite, but we have never ridden slinky dog yet.


----------



## RachaelA

Woody412 said:


> We went on the 24th and it was great. We jumped on the Woody/Jessie line immediately and it was the longest wait of the morning. There were maybe 5 or 6 families ahead of us and it took a little over 25 minutes but I can’t complain because the character interaction was great, especially Woody. AS2 was down all morning but it didn’t seem like it increased the wait anywhere else. TMM was a walk-on and we rode SDD 3x. The first time was maybe a 15 min wait, the last about 5 min. I checked a couple of days prior and it was completely sold out but it didn’t seem crowded at all. Breakfast was great and it seemed completely empty. The only problem we encountered was I lost track of time and we got caught near the entrance when the RD stampede came through. A CM pulled one of my kids to the side and put him on a bench, terrifying DW because we couldn’t see him through the crowd, but it kept him from getting trampled. I would absolutely do it again if they continue after galaxy’s edge opens.


Was the land already open when you got there or a whole bunch of people went for W&J first? 

We are going on Monday and plan on W&J first. 25 minutes waiting for them first thing would slash into my plan.


----------



## michelepa

Hezzy04 said:


> Does anyone think after my family gets done with EMM, we can rush to RNR and still get to the Frozen sing along for the 9:30 show?
> 
> What time does the rope drop crowd usually get in?




When we went we headed out of TSL around 8:30 and lined up for RnR.  They held TSL ticket people in an area in front of the rope drop people.  However the rope drop people were walked up to our group then we were ALL walked back together to the RnR and ToT.  I hate rope droppers and as usual they were trying to run trying to push in front which we didn’t want to be a part of. We did get on fairly quickly however they did not stop us to watch the little video. It was playing but we walked right through which DD didn’t like but if she stopped to watch  we’d be waiting 45 minutes.  So we were able to basically just walk on and right over to ToT.

So you should have no trouble getting on RnR and over to  Frozen by 9:30 if you follow our schedule.

Notably, although this thread is helpful it makes you feel frantic when you arrive that morning but there really is no reason for that. 

Yes you can get in line and wait until they let you in TSL but we went against the advice here at my husbands insistence and grabbed a bite to eat and coffee and went to the restrooms before lining up and then got in line about 5-10 minutes before we were lead back. It did not seem to effect our rides times at all. Indeed, we walked to the right because all the Stroller’s had to go to the left and they were backing up that area. So we got in before many of the stroller people that were ahead of us in the line.   We didn’t push or walk fast and neither did most of those around us.  Everyone was enjoying the wonderful land. It is so cute. 

The event really is enjoyable and relaxing like Disney circa 1990’s and earlier. So unless you need to post that you rode SDD 50 times during this event you will enjoy your experience without the craziness.

Also, since the land is not that large and there are only a few rides and meet and greets I really think the amount guests cannot really be expanded. 

We were there on a sold out morning.


----------



## Woody412

RachaelA said:


> Was the land already open when you got there or a whole bunch of people went for W&J first?
> 
> We are going on Monday and plan on W&J first. 25 minutes waiting for them first thing would slash into my plan.



They let everyone into TSL a little after 7:20, while we were in the bathroom. We were there by 7:25 but by then we were behind the 8-ball so to speak. Woody & Jessie didn’t come out until 7:35 ish. I’ve read on here that the wait builds throughout the morning so we wanted to get that done first.


----------



## hmnec

any reviews taking a child that can’t ride SDD?


----------



## DduzDis

hmnec said:


> any reviews taking a child that can’t ride SDD?



Not a review, but we are attending one in July and will take our 3yo DD. She has also already met Woody and Jessie on a previous trip. So, we just plan to take her on the Saucers and TSMM more. MY DW doesn't like SDD anyway so it works out.


----------



## Katrina Y

hmnec said:


> any reviews taking a child that can’t ride SDD?


My friend’s son is 4 years old and he loved it.


----------



## Megan138

hmnec said:


> any reviews taking a child that can’t ride SDD?


We were there on Monday with 4 kids, 2 who didn’t want to ride. They still had a great time riding Aliens and TSMM. I would definitely recommend it if there are others that want to ride SDD. My husband and I traded off so we both got to ride SDD 3 times each.


----------



## hmnec

Megan138 said:


> We were there on Monday with 4 kids, 2 who didn’t want to ride. They still had a great time riding Aliens and TSMM. I would definitely recommend it if there are others that want to ride SDD. My husband and I traded off so we both got to ride SDD 3 times each.


Thanks 
Did you have any plan. We’ll want to meet the characters but I guess we’ll just swap on & off.


----------



## Megan138

hmnec said:


> Thanks
> Did you have any plan. We’ll want to meet the characters but I guess we’ll just swap on & off.



We got to the land at 7:25 and there was already 10 families in line to meet the characters. That wasn’t part of our plan but I imagine it would have been a 20 minute wait just for that if you arrived at a similar time. We all went on TSMM together and then I took the 2 kids and did SSD 2 times in a row while my husband took the other 2 on Aliens multiple times. Then we switched and I took 2 into TSMM twice. I went into SDD another time before the end. We could have done the rides More times but we were all happy and had enough by about 8:35. We hung out just marveling at all the details until the rope drop crowd entered at 8:50. Then we got a picture under the entrance sign and went to breakfast.


----------



## Suejacken

Megan138 said:


> We got to the land at 7:25 and there was already 10 families in line to meet the characters. That wasn’t part of our plan but I imagine it would have been a 20 minute wait just for that if you arrived at a similar time. We all went on TSMM together and then I took the 2 kids and did SSD 2 times in a row while my husband took the other 2 on Aliens multiple times. Then we switched and I took 2 into TSMM twice. I went into SDD another time before the end. We could have done the rides More times but we were all happy and had enough by about 8:35. We hung out just marveling at all the details until the rope drop crowd entered at 8:50. Then we got a picture under the entrance sign and went to breakfast.


Thanks for sharing your experience. We are doing it on 7/1


----------



## Dmwc484

https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/b...lywood-studios/?CMP=SOC-DPFY19Q3wo0425190029A


----------



## RachaelA

Here now eating at backlot. 

They aren’t restocking the cups past 9:45 today which was so weird. 

We were the front of the pack and were first for J/W. Waited from 7:15ish-7:30 until they came out. Then 15 minute wait for Buzz. Then we did Slinky 4 times in a row until 8:45. Rope drop crowds still weren’t there. Did TSMM. Then Aliens with the rope droppers.

We had decided to not worry about Jedi Training and if the line was short we’d sign up. It was not short at 9:15. It was insanely long which we expected. 

So we waited and then bailed. Got to breakfast around 9:30. It was insane and taking forever, they were not restocking any cold bar stuff.


----------



## GillianP1301

hmnec said:


> any reviews taking a child that can’t ride SDD?



I haven't done the EMM at DHS since Toy Story Land opened, but a couple of years ago (pre-TSL) they did an EMM and TSM was one of the rides. My son (8 or 9 at the time) and I rode i over and over again (8 times total, didn't even have to get off) and had an absolute blast. So, it is definitely possible to still have a ton of fun with no SDD.


----------



## counselormom

I want to make sure I understand how this works before my family attends in July.  I understand that it doesn't matter if you have a 7:00 am or 7:30 am ticket but do they let you in at 7:00 if you want to go have breakfast first? If so, if you aren't allowed into TSL until 7:25 anyway what are the drawbacks of having breakfast from 7:00-7:25?  It just doesn't sound like many people do this and I figure there is a good reason why.  We have a Sci Fi ADR for noon so I'd rather eat breakfast early but I don't want to lose any EMM time either.  Any advice or clarification is appreciated.


----------



## Wanna be Ariel

counselormom said:


> I want to make sure I understand how this works before my family attends in July.  I understand that it doesn't matter if you have a 7:00 am or 7:30 am ticket but do they let you in at 7:00 if you want to go have breakfast first? If so, if you aren't allowed into TSL until 7:25 anyway what are the drawbacks of having breakfast from 7:00-7:25?  It just doesn't sound like many people do this and I figure there is a good reason why.  We have a Sci Fi ADR for noon so I'd rather eat breakfast early but I don't want to lose any EMM time either.  Any advice or clarification is appreciated.



I would not waste the time for breakfast first (except maybe a quick cup of coffee and some fruit)  We have never done HS EMM, but have done MK many times.  We always ride first and then go to breakfast.  If I was you, I would try of a later lunch or earlier dinner at Sci Fi.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

counselormom said:


> I want to make sure I understand how this works before my family attends in July.  I understand that it doesn't matter if you have a 7:00 am or 7:30 am ticket but do they let you in at 7:00 if you want to go have breakfast first? If so, if you aren't allowed into TSL until 7:25 anyway what are the drawbacks of having breakfast from 7:00-7:25?  It just doesn't sound like many people do this and I figure there is a good reason why.  We have a Sci Fi ADR for noon so I'd rather eat breakfast early but I don't want to lose any EMM time either.  Any advice or clarification is appreciated.



Here’s the summary from Page 1 that generally (key word) still applies:


*How Does It Work When I Arrive / Event Logistics? *

These details can vary by a few minutes on any given day, but generally speaking:
6:45-6:50'ish - they'll let you in the front park gate
Breakfast is available at this point if so inclined
7:10-7:25'ish - they'll let you past the Chinese Theater and head towards TSL


It seems like we’ve seen more 7:20+ land entering times lately, but this has tended to vary over time.   So in short, if you want to eat I’d arrive 6:30-40isg, be among the first in, go eat with some haste, then make your way over to the land.

How much you want to eat before multiple SDD and TSM rides is a personal choice - choose wisely!  Lol!


----------



## counselormom

Wanna be Ariel said:


> I would not waste the time for breakfast first (except maybe a quick cup of coffee and some fruit)  We have never done HS EMM, but have done MK many times.  We always ride first and then go to breakfast.  If I was you, I would try of a later lunch or earlier dinner at Sci Fi.


Good idea, we can at least grab something so I don't have any cranky ones. Thank you


----------



## counselormom

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Here’s the summary from Page 1 that generally (key word) still applies:
> 
> 
> *How Does It Work When I Arrive / Event Logistics? *
> 
> These details can vary by a few minutes on any given day, but generally speaking:
> 6:45-6:50'ish - they'll let you in the front park gate
> Breakfast is available at this point if so inclined
> 7:10-7:25'ish - they'll let you past the Chinese Theater and head towards TSL
> 
> 
> It seems like we’ve seen more 7:20+ land entering times lately, but this has tended to vary over time.   So in short, if you want to eat I’d arrive 6:30-40isg, be among the first in, go eat with some haste, then make your way over to the land.
> 
> How much you want to eat before multiple SDD and TSM rides is a personal choice - choose wisely!  Lol!


Okay, that makes sense.  So there are times it's earlier than 7:25 and people don't want to chance it. I figured there was a reason.  
I think I will take the advice to eat a little something before and come back later if we want more.  Thanks!


----------



## aebeauregard

Just attended this morning 5/6. 

We had a great time. I would highly recommend it if you can afford it. 

Arrived at FQ bus stop around 6:25 and a bus picked us up around 6:40. I was getting nervous because there was no “next bus” arrival listed for Hollywood Studios but one came anyway. 

We were checked in and through security by 7. We headed to backlot express and grabbed some quick food. We sat at a table outside til about 7:15 and I wish we would have just lined up. They announced it was opening while we were sitting and had let people in by the time we got there around 7:20. 

We got in line for woody and Jesse right away. They didn’t come out until closer to 7:30. We were about the 10th family in line and it took about 20 mins. The line got longer as the time went on.

Our ride counts are below ( we did switch off with kids a few times...one adult would do slinky while the other took the kids on TSM for example) 
Slinky x3
TSM x3
Aliens x1
Met woody and Jesse
Met buzz
Picture by the sign

They let everyone else in at about 8:45 but one cast member said our wristbands would let us through the FP line until 9. We didn’t test this though we were walking of our last rides around 8:55 and decided to be done. 

Around 9 we met Olaf and then had breakfast which was good at 9:20. We couldn’t find a table inside right away but eventually one opened up. 

We attended EMM at Fantasyland the day before and would highly recommend the Toy Story one more.   

Our group was me, DH, DD (4) and DS(2). If you were a group of older kids or adults I’m sure you could accomplish even more. 

I know this is getting long but I just wanted to add that the cast members were great this morning. Everyone was so cheerful and welcoming. At the MK one you are let in as a much bigger group with ADR people and it felt more like a cattle situation. HS felt so much more relaxed and special.


----------



## Euvatar

Does anyone have any breakfast allergy experiences with EMM?  Specifically, I am interested in Gluten for a Celiac.  Do they prepare items separately and bring them out to you as needed?  What GF options do they have?  Thanks!


----------



## Rjw615

So finally decided do this but I didn't realize the event sold out most mornings, I was looking at 06/03 and 06/05 but both show sold out. Should I keep checking up until the day or once they are sold out, times generally don't open back up?


----------



## 123SA

Rjw615 said:


> So finally decided do this but I didn't realize the event sold out most mornings, I was looking at 06/03 and 06/05 but both show sold out. Should I keep checking up until the day or once they are sold out, times generally don't open back up?



Keep checking. People do cancel.


----------



## Mermaidtails1323

First official post!!! My husband said I should comment here since it was so helpful in our recent planning.

We did EMM on April 30. Stayed at POP Century and decided to schedule a Mears shuttle because the OCD side of me didn’t want to have to worry about the bus. I also didn’t check on the buses that morning to not feel bad about my decision. We had 2 small kids as well, so wanted to boosters. Our driver arrived early (scheduled for 630 pickup, arrived around 610). He acknowledged he was early and waited for us. Total was $18 (I gave a $5 tip). Arrived to DHS around 640.

Once we got there, we waited maybe 10 minutes (took pics outside) before they let us back. Since it was still before 7, we took some pics and then went to grab a quick pastry and go. Headed to the waiting area and were let into TSL at 715. Thanks to my power walking skills (we were polite), we got on the second or third SDD of the day. There definitely weren’t a ton of people out waiting at that point, maybe about 100. They definitely direct you to food.

Ended up doing SDD x5, longest wait was maybe 5-8 minutes tops. One advantage that we had was being an odd numbered group. That line was consistently less than the even numbered line. However, there were some 20-something girls (just 2) that tried to take advantage of this by lying and telling the initial CM that they were 2 separate parties of 1. They were obviously together though, and the CM in front asked them to not do it again. I’d say the advantage honestly is minimal, maybe got on one train earlier than if we were an even group. This is also likely dependent on the day. 

Did AS2 x1 (and got in line at the wrong time and had to wait for one ride, which annoyed me). We did it to have the chance to try. My kids liked it, but for the purpose of our EMM, I would definitely skip it in the future. My girls (4 and 7) love coasters, so SDD would’ve been a bigger priority.

Also did TSMM x1 after our initial 3 SDD. No wait, which was nice.

Line for Jessie and Woody was always ridiculously long, so we didn’t do it. As much as my girls love coaster and characters, they hate lines more. 

We had a FP for ToT at 925, and my oldest want to try RNR (didn’t have a FP) for the first time. I didn’t want to chance meeting rope drop crowds, so we left at 840 (although likely could’ve gotten one more SDD). We split once they opened to RD crowds around 845 and were the very first people on RNR!! Met up with my 4 yo and mom who went on ToT while we were on RNR. By that time, the line for ToT was 45 mins, so we waited a couple of minutes, used our FP, and went back to breakfast.

They were not restocking cold bar, but we each ordered multiple hot entrees.

Definitely worth it and would do it again in a heartbeat. Although I’m looking forward to the day my girls can stay up later, as I think we’d transition to the after hours events to increase the number of ride options.

Thanks so much to these boards for helping prep me for our experience!!!


----------



## Mermaidtails1323

I should also mention, our trip was last minute (aka less than 60 days). Our date for EMM was already booked when I booked the trip. I checked back at least once a day most days and was able to get a reservation for 5 less than a month out. So it is possible.


----------



## snoopy352

Does anyone else think they should be restocking breakfast items during the window? if it's 7-10, then at 9:30 they should be restocking.  Especially knowing full well that's when the majority of people would eat their breakfast.


----------



## jhoannam

snoopy352 said:


> Does anyone else think they should be restocking breakfast items during the window? if it's 7-10, then at 9:30 they should be restocking.  Especially knowing full well that's when the majority of people would eat their breakfast.


Yup, it’s pretty annoying that you don’t get what others get because you get there at 9:45. I paid for an event that is scheduled until 10am not 9:30am.


----------



## RachaelA

snoopy352 said:


> Does anyone else think they should be restocking breakfast items during the window? if it's 7-10, then at 9:30 they should be restocking.  Especially knowing full well that's when the majority of people would eat their breakfast.


Yep and I complained about it to any ‘higher up’ I saw on Monday morning when we were there. It was ridiculous. You shouldn’t run out of freaking cups and refuse to restock.


----------



## SaintsManiac

RachaelA said:


> Yep and I complained about it to any ‘higher up’ I saw on Monday morning when we were there. It was ridiculous. You shouldn’t run out of freaking cups and refuse to restock.




Yep that's a really cheap move.


----------



## ninafeliz

RachaelA said:


> Yep and I complained about it to any ‘higher up’ I saw on Monday morning when we were there. It was ridiculous. You shouldn’t run out of freaking cups and refuse to restock.


That’s ridiculous!  I’ve never run into that, could it have just been a lazy CM?  What did the “higher up” have to say about it.  It can’t possibly be policy!!


----------



## Princess KP

Mermaidtails1323 said:


> They were not restocking cold bar, but we each ordered multiple hot entrees.


What were some of the hot entrees available? TIA!


----------



## louey

aebeauregard said:


> Just attended this morning 5/6.
> 
> We had a great time. I would highly recommend it if you can afford it.
> 
> Arrived at FQ bus stop around 6:25 and a bus picked us up around 6:40. I was getting nervous because there was no “next bus” arrival listed for Hollywood Studios but one came anyway.
> 
> We were checked in and through security by 7. We headed to backlot express and grabbed some quick food. We sat at a table outside til about 7:15 and I wish we would have just lined up. They announced it was opening while we were sitting and had let people in by the time we got there around 7:20.
> 
> We got in line for woody and Jesse right away. They didn’t come out until closer to 7:30. We were about the 10th family in line and it took about 20 mins. The line got longer as the time went on.
> 
> Our ride counts are below ( we did switch off with kids a few times...one adult would do slinky while the other took the kids on TSM for example)
> Slinky x3
> TSM x3
> Aliens x1
> Met woody and Jesse
> Met buzz
> Picture by the sign
> 
> They let everyone else in at about 8:45 but one cast member said our wristbands would let us through the FP line until 9. We didn’t test this though we were walking of our last rides around 8:55 and decided to be done.
> 
> Around 9 we met Olaf and then had breakfast which was good at 9:20. We couldn’t find a table inside right away but eventually one opened up.
> 
> We attended EMM at Fantasyland the day before and would highly recommend the Toy Story one more.
> 
> Our group was me, DH, DD (4) and DS(2). If you were a group of older kids or adults I’m sure you could accomplish even more.
> 
> I know this is getting long but I just wanted to add that the cast members were great this morning. Everyone was so cheerful and welcoming. At the MK one you are let in as a much bigger group with ADR people and it felt more like a cattle situation. HS felt so much more relaxed and special.



We did this this morning 5/8 and agree with you,  sooooooo worth it!!!   We did Slinky 4 times, Mania 2 times, Aliens once, breakfast was decent many many choices.  When we were leaving Toy Story area the wait for Slinky was 85 minutes and that was at like 9:10.  So glad we did this


----------



## MonaMN

Euvatar said:


> Does anyone have any breakfast allergy experiences with EMM?  Specifically, I am interested in Gluten for a Celiac.  Do they prepare items separately and bring them out to you as needed?  What GF options do they have?  Thanks!


We were there with peanut/tree nut allergies - we spoke to manager and had our food specially prepared . We got there at probably 9:55 when they were wrapping things up so it took a rather long time... long enough that they gifted my kid (she is the one with the allergies) a BB-8 sipper.  But yes - they prepared separately!


----------



## dachsie

Was at EMM yesterday. Arrived at bus stop at POFQ about 6:20. Waited with another young lady from England. Another family came over as they had been trying to get a Lyft car and they got notice for it so went back to front. Bus cam 6:33 and they were still waiting for Lyft. We thought bus would go to Riverside but it took us straight there. 

Arrived and they sent us to Backlot so grabbed a croissant and then went to get in line. They didn’t take us back until 7:27 which was disappointing. Went to TSM first and was on first car. Then went to SDD. This was were it was disappointing. There was long line almost the entire morning. At one point the line was out of the queue area. I rode 5 times before RD arrived and only the last ride did I not wait. Much different experience than I had in December. 

When got off the last ride the RD folks were in line so went to AS2 and rode. Then headed out of land. Stopped for pic at sign and then went to Mickey/Minnie meet. Then got to breakfast about 9:40. Overall a fun morning but was slightly disappointed about the later start and lines for SDD.


----------



## Smrtalec33

Hi,

I am doing this EMM with my 6-year-old daughter on May 27 (Memorial Day).  

After, we were hoping to head right to Rock n Roller Coaster, then Tower of Terror, then breakfast. 

After breakfast, we are planning to head to Epcot, which is where we have our fast passes.

It seems like wait times for Tower of terror have been up lately, plus it is a holiday. Is it realistic to expect to be able to get both of those done before breakfast? If so, what time should we leave toy story land, 840?

Thank you!


----------



## AdrianneB

Woo hoo! Just got our EMM:TSL tickets for June 10 after lurking and refreshing the reservation page for several days!!


----------



## AdrianneB

Rjw615 said:


> So finally decided do this but I didn't realize the event sold out most mornings, I was looking at 06/03 and 06/05 but both show sold out. Should I keep checking up until the day or once they are sold out, times generally don't open back up?


I don't know how many you have in your party, but 7:00 am times are open for 4 people for both of those dates. Probably should book ASAP.


----------



## Katrina Y

AdrianneB said:


> I don't know how many you have in your party, but 7:00 am times are open for 4 people for both of those dates. Probably should book ASAP.


It looks like they opened up a bunch of slots which isn’t good. I checked for 14 people and they had availability. I fear they are going to sell too many tickets and defeat the whole purpose of little wait times.


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

Katrina Y said:


> It looks like they opened up a bunch of slots which isn’t good. I checked for 14 people and they had availability. I fear they are going to sell too many tickets and defeat the whole purpose of little wait times.


When did they add the 7:00 times for late June/July?


----------



## princessebird

Katrina Y said:


> It looks like they opened up a bunch of slots which isn’t good. I checked for 14 people and they had availability. I fear they are going to sell too many tickets and defeat the whole purpose of little wait times.



Not good indeed. 6/5 had previously been sold out, and now it will let me choose 49 people and still give me a time. Makes me very wary.


----------



## Katrina Y

PrincessArlena'sDad said:


> When did they add the 7:00 times for late June/July?


I think within the last couple of days. The more they keep adding, the more the value of this experience is being watered down.


----------



## Katrina Y

princessebird said:


> Not good indeed. 6/5 had previously been sold out, and now it will let me choose 49 people and still give me a time. Makes me very wary.


They are watering down the experience, I am very disappointed. I never thought they would add more after they already added the 7:00 time slot at the end of March.


----------



## michelepa

Katrina Y said:


> They are watering down the experience, I am very disappointed. I never thought they would add more after they already added the 7:00 time slot at the end of March.



We went for the first time the end of March on a sold out morning and it was very nice- not crowded at all and it was a wonderful experience- not sure what you mean by watered down.  We were able to do everything we wanted.  I have a teenager and she didn’t want to do the meet and greets so really not sure how long the lines were.  However. since there was no line I did get a photo with Buzz. No problems finding seats at breakfast either. 

It would really be disappointing if they did add more capacity because the land is small with not much to do so long lines  wouldn’t make this worth the cost.


----------



## Katrina Y

michelepa said:


> We went for the first time the end of March on a sold out morning and it was very nice- not crowded at all and it was a wonderful experience- not sure what you mean by watered down.  We were able to do everything we wanted.  I have a teenager and she didn’t want to do the meet and greets so really not sure how long the lines were.  However. since there was no line I did get a photo with Buzz. No problems finding seats at breakfast either.
> 
> It would really be disappointing if they did add more capacity because the land is small with not much to do so long lines  wouldn’t make this worth the cost.


June 5th has already been sold out twice and now they have added more tickets a 3rd time. When does sold out really mean sold out. However, it does make me feel better that the day you went it was sold out and your family still a great experience.


----------



## louiesmom

I find all the extra tickets now available very concerning.  With only 3 rides the extra people will be noticeable.  While my event isn’t until mid-July I am curious how this will affect the crowds.  I sent an email expressing my concern to guest services.  It just reminds me of what the did to the parties.


----------



## QueenHeather

I finally did it! I didn’t decide soon enough for Memorial Day, and it was sold out by the time I talked my husband into it. We have a party of 9 traveling together. I’ve been checking 3-4 times a day for a month and a half now. Grabbed a party of 4 about a month ago, a party of 2 a couple weeks ago, and yesterday got the last 3 I needed! Woohoo!


----------



## RachaelA

We’ve done this twice and the wait for Slinky during both events has been 15-20 minutes for the first 45 minutes of the event. It’s never been a walk on or a one train wait at any point during the event either time we went.

I think Disney is a bit misleading in how they market it. 

We got 4 rides in on Slinky this week on Monday between 7:52 and 8:40.


----------



## Katrina Y

RachaelA said:


> We’ve done this twice and the wait for Slinky during both events has been 15-20 minutes for the first 45 minutes of the event. It’s never been a walk on or a one train wait at any point during the event either time we went.
> 
> I think Disney is a bit misleading in how they market it.
> 
> We got 4 rides in on Slinky this week on Monday between 7:52 and 8:40.


How many times were you able to ride Toy Story? What was the wait on Toy Story?


----------



## Wanna be Ariel

Smrtalec33 said:


> Hi,
> 
> I am doing this EMM with my 6-year-old daughter on May 27 (Memorial Day).
> 
> After, we were hoping to head right to Rock n Roller Coaster, then Tower of Terror, then breakfast.
> 
> After breakfast, we are planning to head to Epcot, which is where we have our fast passes.
> 
> It seems like wait times for Tower of terror have been up lately, plus it is a holiday. Is it realistic to expect to be able to get both of those done before breakfast? If so, what time should we leave toy story land, 840?
> 
> Thank you!


They are doing a refurb on TOT right now.  That is why the wait times are up and they have limited FP's. The ride is still up and running, but not using all the elevators.


----------



## Smrtalec33

Wanna be Ariel said:


> They are doing a refurb on TOT right now.  That is why the wait times are up and they have limited FP's. The ride is still up and running, but not using all the elevators.


 Thanks. Given that, do you think it is unrealistic to be able to leave EMM and do both Rockin roller coaster and Tower of terror at rope drop and get back in time to do breakfast before they stop serving?


----------



## Wanna be Ariel

Smrtalec33 said:


> Thanks. Given that, do you think it is unrealistic to be able to leave EMM and do both Rockin roller coaster and Tower of terror at rope drop and get back in time to do breakfast before they stop serving?


I really don't know.  We have never done HS EMM, but this was our exact plan too.  I think it still would work if you got to RRC ahead of the rope drop crowds.  Hopefully some that has just gone and did this plan will tell us how it worked for them.  I am a little worried about them not really refilling items past 9:30 now.  We have done MK EMM a few times and have always eaten around 9:45 and they were always refiling things.


----------



## hvanes

We have reservations for the end of July, and I'm going to be watching this thread closely for updates.  I appreciate everyone's willingness to share their experiences so we can determine whether or not it's worth the cost for our group.


----------



## RachaelA

Katrina Y said:


> How many times were you able to ride Toy Story? What was the wait on Toy Story?


We didn’t ride it until right before the rope drop crowds came at 8:45.

We did J/W and Buzz from 7:20-7:45ish. (We were first for J/W but we had to wait for them to come out). Then Slinky 4 times. Then Midway Mania right before the crowds came in. 

From talking to others it was a walk on the whole event. We went through the FP line at 8:45.


----------



## snoopy352

We are going June 3rd and i will report a week later how it went.  Does anyone know who has already done it if you go in the FP line for the entire event or just in the last 15 minutes when the RD crowd is included?


----------



## MeeskaMooska13

AdrianneB said:


> Woo hoo! Just got our EMM:TSL tickets for June 10 after lurking and refreshing the reservation page for several days!!


We’ll be there too!


----------



## RachaelA

snoopy352 said:


> We are going June 3rd and i will report a week later how it went.  Does anyone know who has already done it if you go in the FP line for the entire event or just in the last 15 minutes when the RD crowd is included?


Event only goes until 8:45 ride wise. It doesn’t overlap with the rope drop crowds. So no FP line.


----------



## Mermaidtails1323

Smrtalec33 said:


> Thanks. Given that, do you think it is unrealistic to be able to leave EMM and do both Rockin roller coaster and Tower of terror at rope drop and get back in time to do breakfast before they stop serving?




So we were able to do both, but it would’ve been pushing it had we not had a FP for ToT. The line had built pretty quickly by the time we finished RNR, and we had gotten on the first train at 845. Part of the problem that day may have been the fact that ToT didn’t open until closer to 9. I think it really depends on the day given the repairs on ToT. I’ve never seen the line as long that early, and we’ve always gone during less crowded times.


----------



## Mermaidtails1323

Katrina Y said:


> How many times were you able to ride Toy Story? What was the wait on Toy Story?



When we went, TSMM was a walk-on. Only did once cause we preferred SDD, but easily could’ve kept walking on.


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

Smrtalec33 said:


> Thanks. Given that, do you think it is unrealistic to be able to leave EMM and do both Rockin roller coaster and Tower of terror at rope drop and get back in time to do breakfast before they stop serving?


Given the ToT issues, we changed our plans for after emm. Originally we were going to do RnRC and ToT before breakfast.

Now, we have FP for both RnRC and ToT. Instead of rushing out to beat the RD crowds down sunset, we’re going to get that extra TSL ride in, and then ride Star Tours and sign up for Jedi before breakfast. Much more relaxing.

Only question I have is whether to do Star Tours first or sign up for Jedi training first.


----------



## RachaelA

PrincessArlena'sDad said:


> Given the ToT issues, we changed our plans for after emm. Originally we were going to do RnRC and ToT before breakfast.
> 
> Now, we have FP for both RnRC and ToT. Instead of rushing out to beat the RD crowds down sunset, we’re going to get that extra TSL ride in, and then ride Star Tours and sign up for Jedi before breakfast. Much more relaxing.
> 
> Only question I have is whether to do Star Tours first or sign up for Jedi training first.


Jedi Training. On Monday it was a 30 min+ wait by 9:15. Booking 12:20 shows and later.


----------



## mekay1012

I just booked this for my June trip. We have fp starting at 10:10 at Ak. Will we have enough time to make it to Ak for our first fp.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

mekay1012 said:


> I just booked this for my June trip. We have fp starting at 10:10 at Ak. Will we have enough time to make it to Ak for our first fp.



Depends. 

What is your plan come 9am?  Eat, then head to DAK?


----------



## Katrina Y

mekay1012 said:


> I just booked this for my June trip. We have fp starting at 10:10 at Ak. Will we have enough time to make it to Ak for our first fp.


Are you driving your own car? I don’t think you can make it on time with the Disney buses.


----------



## SaintsManiac

mekay1012 said:


> I just booked this for my June trip. We have fp starting at 10:10 at Ak. Will we have enough time to make it to Ak for our first fp.




If you skip the breakfast you could.


----------



## cakebaker

mekay1012 said:


> I just booked this for my June trip. We have fp starting at 10:10 at Ak. Will we have enough time to make it to Ak for our first fp.


You have until 11:10 for your FP not even including a few minutes grace period. If you eat right at 9, it shouldn’t be a problem.


----------



## mekay1012

mekay1012 said:


> I just booked this for my June trip. We have fp starting at 10:10 at Ak. Will we have enough time to make it to Ak for our first fp.



We will probably head out of toy story land as soon as the rope drop crowds come and head straight to breakfast. 

What time do they start serving breakfast? Would it be possible to eat first?


----------



## Katrina Y

mekay1012 said:


> We will probably head out of toy story land as soon as the rope drop crowds come and head straight to breakfast.
> 
> What time do they start serving breakfast? Would it be possible to eat first?


Yes, you can eat first. You can eat as soon as they let you into the park.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

mekay1012 said:


> We will probably head out of toy story land as soon as the rope drop crowds come and head straight to breakfast.
> 
> What time do they start serving breakfast? Would it be possible to eat first?



You could eat first, but I wouldn’t in your situation.

I’d hit TSL hard as early as you can and then head out 8:45-8:55ish when the rope drop crowd arrives.  Eat from 9-9:30ish, then off to DAK.

With a FP window from 10:10-11:10 (and 11:25 with the grace period), you should have plenty of time to make it to DAK/whatever ride this is under most normal circumstances, whether driving or park to park bus, unless you move particularly slowly or just have really crummy transportation luck.


----------



## Katrina Y

GADisneyDad14 said:


> You could eat first, but I wouldn’t in your situation.
> 
> I’d hit TSL hard as early as you can and then head out 8:45-8:55ish when the rope drop crowd arrives.  Eat from 9-9:30ish, then off to DAK.
> 
> With a FP window from 10:10-11:10 (and 11:25 with the grace period), you should have plenty of time to make it to DAK/whatever ride this is under most normal circumstances, whether driving or park to park bus, unless you move particularly slowly or just have really crummy transportation luck.


I didn’t know they had park to park buses.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Katrina Y said:


> I didn’t know they had park to park buses.



Yup.  For what they charge for hopper tickets, it’s the least they can do to actually help you move between parks.


----------



## Katrina Y

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Yup.  For what they charge for hopper tickets, it’s the least they can do to actually help you move between parks.


I thought you had to pay extra for that and Disney quit doing it. I have seen them mention it on Ryan’s forum News Roundup, but I thought they were always saying it was gone and they wished Disney would bring it back. I learned something new. Thanks!


----------



## Suejacken

Katrina Y said:


> I thought you had to pay extra for that and Disney quit doing it. I have seen them mention it on Ryan’s forum News Roundup, but I thought they were always saying it was gone and they wished Disney would bring it back. I learned something new. Thanks!


No you don’t pay for it. We used it a couple times last year. I think I read the one Disney used to charge for was in a special location. These busses were with the regular Disney busses. There were signs for them


----------



## Sandy Mouse

The buses/service that took you from inside one park to inside another park are gone.  They still do buses from outside the parks, near the resort buses, park to park.


----------



## mmackeymouse

I know this is probably the million dollar question, but...any speculation as to whether EMM will continue and/or change with the opening of SWGE? 

I know EMM will be on hiatus for the foreseeable future. Does anyone have any speculation as to when it would re-start, if ever? And what changes would be made to it, if any?

I tend to think that IF it comes back, they will probably keep it with Toy Story Land, just because it is a smaller area, easier to keep crowds contained to the 3 main attractions...I feel like SWGE will be so vast that it doesn't lend itself well to it. But that could just be wishful thinking on my part.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Katrina Y said:


> I thought you had to pay extra for that and Disney quit doing it. I have seen them mention it on Ryan’s forum News Roundup, but I thought they were always saying it was gone and they wished Disney would bring it back. I learned something new. Thanks!



Yeah, that was the paid "Express Pass Bus" (or something like that) that had pick-up and drop off points inside each park, so you could bypass security, etc.  It was short lived.  

There have always been (and continue to be) free park-to-park buses available "out front" where the resort buses are located, so that's what you'll want to use in your situation (if you're relying on Disney transportation).


----------



## Katrina Y

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Yeah, that was the paid "Express Pass Bus" (or something like that) that had pick-up and drop off points inside each park, so you could bypass security, etc.  It was short lived.
> 
> There have always been (and continue to be) free park-to-park buses available "out front" where the resort buses are located, so that's what you'll want to use in your situation (if you're relying on Disney transportation).


We plan to drive to the park for our EMM, but this is something we will definitely use during our trip.


----------



## Wanna be Ariel

PrincessArlena'sDad said:


> Given the ToT issues, we changed our plans for after emm. Originally we were going to do RnRC and ToT before breakfast.
> 
> Now, we have FP for both RnRC and ToT. Instead of rushing out to beat the RD crowds down sunset, we’re going to get that extra TSL ride in, and then ride Star Tours and sign up for Jedi before breakfast. Much more relaxing.
> 
> Only question I have is whether to do Star Tours first or sign up for Jedi training first.


This please post on how your plans worked for you.  I would be interested in hearing.


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

RachaelA said:


> Jedi Training. On Monday it was a 30 min+ wait by 9:15. Booking 12:20 shows and later.


We're planning on signing up for the 6:20 show.  Hopefully the heat will be a less intense (and it won't be raining).

If we get there around 9, and it's a 30 min wait, we wont' have time for star tours before breakfast.  

Maybe we should do star tours first, and one adult go order breakfast for the family, and the other take the kids to sign up. 

Gotta think this through...


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

Wanna be Ariel said:


> This please post on how your plans worked for you.  I would be interested in hearing.


I'll try to remember.


----------



## Wanna be Ariel

PrincessArlena'sDad said:


> I'll try to remember.


Never mind, I think you are going after us.  I will try and post to help you out


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

Wanna be Ariel said:


> Never mind, I think you are going after us.  I will try and post to help you out


Thanks! 

Our HS date is July 1.  You're in June?


----------



## huckabear

Booked EMM at DHS on June 26 - cannot wait!  Hoping to be able to RD RRC as soon as it's over although the comments about breakfast being picked over by 9:30 are worrisome!  From the videos I have seen on this event, the hot breakfast choices look great!  Fingers crossed for pixie dust!


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

OK: so right now, my post-EMM plan is to accomplish:
Sign up for jedi training (6:20 show)
Star Tours
Breakfast

After the above three, use our 10:30 little mermaid FP (for the 10:50 show).

So, we'd like to be sitting down eating by 9:30.   Is it possible to do jedi sign up and star tours by then?


----------



## DisneyandBeerLover

This event was great when we went in February! I really hope these continue in the future after SWGE opens, maybe with SWGE and TSL each having their own separate EMM. We'd love to do this at least one more time at TSL.


----------



## Wanna be Ariel

PrincessArlena'sDad said:


> Thanks!
> 
> Our HS date is July 1.  You're in June?


Yes, Ours is June 17th.


----------



## wiihoo888

Super stumped and trying to plan for my 50th on 8/7. Scored EMM tickets last night for all of my family on my birthday! Yay!!!! Couldn’t think of a better way to start the day. Here is my dilemma. I will want to be in Magic Kingdom for my birthday afternoon and evening. The kids really want to ride ToT and R&R before leaving the studios. Is it better for us to get those two rides right at 9 and make FP afternoon resi’s at the Kingdom? Or should we do our FP resi’s for those two rides at the end of the event, and just wing it in the afternoon? I’m thinking saving them for the MK, but wanted to see what type of experience you all may have with this quandary. Are the coaster and tower usually fairly easy at 9....and thanks in advance for helping in my birthday planning


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

wiihoo888 said:


> Super stumped and trying to plan for my 50th on 8/7. Scored EMM tickets last night for all of my family on my birthday! Yay!!!! Couldn’t think of a better way to start the day. Here is my dilemma. I will want to be in Magic Kingdom for my birthday afternoon and evening. The kids really want to ride ToT and R&R before leaving the studios. Is it better for us to get those two rides right at 9 and make FP afternoon resi’s at the Kingdom? Or should we do our FP resi’s for those two rides at the end of the event, and just wing it in the afternoon? I’m thinking saving them for the MK, but wanted to see what type of experience you all may have with this quandary. Are the coaster and tower usually fairly easy at 9....and thanks in advance for helping in my birthday planning


When can you make FPs?  On site, and if so, 60+?

Your problem will be ToT.  It's being refurbed, and capacity is reduced by 50%.  Unless your HS day is 60+3, at least, your chances of getting a morning ToT FP are slim to none, therefore, your decision would be made for you.

On the flip side, unless you hightail it out of TSL and beat the RD crowd to ToT, you're looking at a long wait.  Normally, if you were the first to ride RnRC, you could still ride ToT with a short wait.  Now, you're looking at longer wait by the time you get there.  You could ride ToT first, but then you might have a wait at RnRC, as ToT is a longish ride experience (including pre-show). Also, beating the RD crowd out of TSL means you are most likely skipping a last ride or two in TSL.

The other question is when you planned on eating the EMM breakfast.  If you rd ToT and RnRC, you may not make it back to Backlot in time for breakfast (again, this was a non-issue prior to the refurb).  Some have made it back post refurb, but not by much.  I think the timing would be iffy.  Less people seem to be trying it, though, so it's hard to say.  

Do you have another day at MK, to get the hard to get MK FP?  Or, would this be your only chance to get 7D?

Assuming you can get a morning ToT fp, I would say do this:
1. Stay in TSL to the bitter end and ride as much as you can
2. RD Star Tours
3. Eat breakfast at backlot
4. Get FP for RnRC and ToT, with FP times of 9:45 and 10:45. 
5. Use the 9:45 FP at 10:30, and you can get on the other right away without a wait.
6. Get your MK FP as soon as you scan your 2nd FP.  Make it for noon.


----------



## wiihoo888

PrincessArlena'sDad said:


> When can you make FPs?  On site, and if so, 60+?
> 
> Your problem will be ToT.  It's being refurbed, and capacity is reduced by 50%.  Unless your HS day is 60+3, at least, your chances of getting a morning ToT FP are slim to none, therefore, your decision would be made for you.
> 
> On the flip side, unless you hightail it out of TSL and beat the RD crowd to ToT, you're looking at a long wait.  Normally, if you were the first to ride RnRC, you could still ride ToT with a short wait.  Now, you're looking at longer wait by the time you get there.  You could ride ToT first, but then you might have a wait at RnRC, as ToT is a longish ride experience (including pre-show). Also, beating the RD crowd out of TSL means you are most likely skipping a last ride or two in TSL.
> 
> The other question is when you planned on eating the EMM breakfast.  If you rd ToT and RnRC, you may not make it back to Backlot in time for breakfast (again, this was a non-issue prior to the refurb).  Some have made it back post refurb, but not by much.  I think the timing would be iffy.  Less people seem to be trying it, though, so it's hard to say.
> 
> Do you have another day at MK, to get the hard to get MK FP?  Or, would this be your only chance to get 7D?
> 
> Assuming you can get a morning ToT fp, I would say do this:
> 1. Stay in TSL to the bitter end and ride as much as you can
> 2. RD Star Tours
> 3. Eat breakfast at backlot
> 4. Get FP for RnRC and ToT, with FP times of 9:45 and 10:45.
> 5. Use the 9:45 FP at 10:30, and you can get on the other right away without a wait.
> 6. Get your MK FP as soon as you scan your 2nd FP.  Make it for noon.


Sounds perfect! Thank you for putting together what I just couldn’t get my mind to wrap around


----------



## exnihilio13

We did EMM in April with every intent of park hopping to Magic Kingdom shortly afterwards since we had a Hollywood Studios day (actually 1/2 day) later in our week.
I think it's wiser to book fastpasses for MK to ensure you get the time slots and rides you want and roll the dice on being able to walk on ToT (which sounds like it could be trickier when you're going) or Star Tours (which should be no problem at all and is really near the Backlot for breakfast).

We actually screwed up and didn't get there until 7:30am so didn't really get into TSL until maybe 7:40am.
All the same we did:
Slinky x 3 (the last of which was right after ride #2 and going right back in line again before rope drop crowd got there)
Swirling Saucers x 2 (or 3..don't recall)
Toy Story Midway Mania x 2

We then snuck in a Star Tours shortly after 9am as a walk on and then went to Backlot for breakfast (worth noting it's basically all your can eat.  You can order several of each dish and have a mini buffet)
They closed down the breakfast buffet area as we finished eating but no one was asking anyone to leave the spot.
(Truthfully you may even be able to walk on Star Tours at that time too as it tends to get busier later in the morning and afternoon when people want out of the sun.  The turn around is quick on that ride.)
We then park hopped and easily made our 10:30 fastpass for Seven Dwarves.

The way we viewed it was that the EMM saved us from having to worry about getting any fastpasses for it on our proper Hollywood Studio day (although we actually did get Midway Mania again because our family *really* digs that ride *and* did a park opening walk on for Slinky which was only about 45 minutes.  Yeah..we loved Slinky *that* much).

In my opinion the BEST way to use EMM is to TSL until 9am
*Maybe* sneak ahead of the rope drop crowd for another ride like Star Tours or Tower of Terror
Have breakfast at Backlot 9:30-ish but grab several plates.  Don't be shy..they won't turn you down.
Park hop to another park entirely after 10am.

Then have a split park hop day on some other day with Hollywood Studios and some other park since Hollywood Studios likely won't fill a whole day for you if you have no need for TSL (we wound splitting HWS with Animal Kingdom that day and Magic Kingdom for the fireworks that night)

ex



wiihoo888 said:


> Sounds perfect! Thank you for putting together what I just couldn’t get my mind to wrap around


----------



## fumipappa

We are planning to do this at end of the August.  We are planning to stay Copper Creek/Wilderness Lodge this time.  I am wondering the Disney bus is reliable to get on time for this event as it is early for normal park hr. (I used Mears cab last time)  Is there any official info as when the bus starts running for this event?

Thanks for your advice!


----------



## wiihoo888

exnihilio13 said:


> We did EMM in April with every intent of park hopping to Magic Kingdom shortly afterwards since we had a Hollywood Studios day (actually 1/2 day) later in our week.
> I think it's wiser to book fastpasses for MK to ensure you get the time slots and rides you want and roll the dice on being able to walk on ToT (which sounds like it could be trickier when you're going) or Star Tours (which should be no problem at all and is really near the Backlot for breakfast).
> 
> We actually screwed up and didn't get there until 7:30am so didn't really get into TSL until maybe 7:40am.
> All the same we did:
> Slinky x 3 (the last of which was right after ride #2 and going right back in line again before rope drop crowd got there)
> Swirling Saucers x 2 (or 3..don't recall)
> Toy Story Midway Mania x 2
> 
> We then snuck in a Star Tours shortly after 9am as a walk on and then went to Backlot for breakfast (worth noting it's basically all your can eat.  You can order several of each dish and have a mini buffet)
> They closed down the breakfast buffet area as we finished eating but no one was asking anyone to leave the spot.
> (Truthfully you may even be able to walk on Star Tours at that time too as it tends to get busier later in the morning and afternoon when people want out of the sun.  The turn around is quick on that ride.)
> We then park hopped and easily made our 10:30 fastpass for Seven Dwarves.
> 
> The way we viewed it was that the EMM saved us from having to worry about getting any fastpasses for it on our proper Hollywood Studio day (although we actually did get Midway Mania again because our family *really* digs that ride *and* did a park opening walk on for Slinky which was only about 45 minutes.  Yeah..we loved Slinky *that* much).
> 
> In my opinion the BEST way to use EMM is to TSL until 9am
> *Maybe* sneak ahead of the rope drop crowd for another ride like Star Tours or Tower of Terror
> Have breakfast at Backlot 9:30-ish but grab several plates.  Don't be shy..they won't turn you down.
> Park hop to another park entirely after 10am.
> 
> Then have a split park hop day on some other day with Hollywood Studios and some other park since Hollywood Studios likely won't fill a whole day for you if you have no need for TSL (we wound splitting HWS with Animal Kingdom that day and Magic Kingdom for the fireworks that night)
> 
> ex


Good points! Having a gut feeling that it may be nearly impossible to get that early ToT FP. It is encouraging to hear how easy it was to make use of the EMM time, get a good meal in, and make it to the MK in good time. It’s one of those things where I don’t want to be too rushed, so pacing is a super good thing. 

Thinking we may end up lurking over by ToT close to rope drop to see what the wait will be....not feeling too encouraged on the HS FP availability. So, it will probably end up being a MK FP day, and that is never a bad thing. The Toy Story Land attractions are my favorite ones at HS , so no matter what, it will be a great day


----------



## wiihoo888

fumipappa said:


> We are planning to do this at end of the August.  We are planning to stay Copper Creek/Wilderness Lodge this time.  I am wondering the Disney bus is reliable to get on time for this event as it is early for normal park hr. (I used Mears cab last time)  Is there any official info as when the bus starts running for this event?
> 
> Thanks for your advice!


I’ll be doing my EMM at the beginning of August from Wilderness Lodge, and am wondering the same thing. Hoping that the busses start early enough that day (fingers crossed)


----------



## DisneyandBeerLover

fumipappa said:


> We are planning to do this at end of the August.  We are planning to stay Copper Creek/Wilderness Lodge this time.  I am wondering the Disney bus is reliable to get on time for this event as it is early for normal park hr. (I used Mears cab last time)  Is there any official info as when the bus starts running for this event?
> 
> Thanks for your advice!





wiihoo888 said:


> I’ll be doing my EMM at the beginning of August from Wilderness Lodge, and am wondering the same thing. Hoping that the busses start early enough that day (fingers crossed)



We went from WL in February and had no problem getting onto a bus super early. I'm sorry I can't remember what time it was, but I remember it being very easy and they were running to HS early enough that we didn't feel any stress at all! We were nervous before we did it but my mom was in an ECV so using Lyft wasn't a reasonable option but we're glad we went to Disney Transportation! We caught the first bus, and there was another family waiting with us. There was a second bus, according to the bus arrival board, on the way as well.


----------



## RachaelA

wiihoo888 said:


> Super stumped and trying to plan for my 50th on 8/7. Scored EMM tickets last night for all of my family on my birthday! Yay!!!! Couldn’t think of a better way to start the day. Here is my dilemma. I will want to be in Magic Kingdom for my birthday afternoon and evening. The kids really want to ride ToT and R&R before leaving the studios. Is it better for us to get those two rides right at 9 and make FP afternoon resi’s at the Kingdom? Or should we do our FP resi’s for those two rides at the end of the event, and just wing it in the afternoon? I’m thinking saving them for the MK, but wanted to see what type of experience you all may have with this quandary. Are the coaster and tower usually fairly easy at 9....and thanks in advance for helping in my birthday planning


I booked DHS FPs just in case but planned to hop to MK. We only ended up using one and I was able to grab same day FPs for Mine Train and Big Thunder on the boat for DHS to our hotel (we swam for a bit around lunch then headed to MK). This was a week ago.


----------



## Smrtalec33

PrincessArlena'sDad said:


> You could ride ToT first, but then you might have a wait at RnRC, as ToT is a longish ride experience (including pre-show). Also, beating the RD crowd out of TSL means you are most likely skipping a last ride or two in TSL.
> 
> The other question is when you planned on eating the EMM breakfast.  If you rd ToT and RnRC, you may not make it back to Backlot in time for breakfast (again, this was a non-issue prior to the refurb).  Some have made it back post refurb, but not by much.  I think the timing would be iffy.  Less people seem to be trying it, though, so it's hard to say.



We are doing this EMM in 2 weeks (5/27).  Our FP are at Epcot and we are hopping after breakfast. Original plan was RnRC and then ToT and then breakfast,  but I am not confident that would work at this point. So, our plan now is to do Tower of terror and then head to breakfast, and skip the roller coaster.   In the extremely unlikely event that we finish tower of terror and it is early enough and there is a short line at rock N roller coaster, we would do that before breakfast, but I seriously doubt that would work. 

 Regardless, my point in this post is that we will report back on here and let you know the timing and how that worked.


----------



## wiihoo888

DisneyandBeerLover said:


> We went from WL in February and had no problem getting onto a bus super early. I'm sorry I can't remember what time it was, but I remember it being very easy and they were running to HS early enough that we didn't feel any stress at all! We were nervous before we did it but my mom was in an ECV so using Lyft wasn't a reasonable option but we're glad we went to Disney Transportation! We caught the first bus, and there was another family waiting with us. There was a second bus, according to the bus arrival board, on the way as well.


Thank you and also reassured me about something I didn’t even think about. I use an ecv, so Lyft wouldn’t work for me either. Thanks for the reassurance on no stress


----------



## wiihoo888

RachaelA said:


> I booked DHS FPs just in case but planned to hop to MK. We only ended up using one and I was able to grab same day FPs for Mine Train and Big Thunder on the boat for DHS to our hotel (we swam for a bit around lunch then headed to MK). This was a week ago.


Wow! You got super lucky on those same day passes


----------



## wiihoo888

Smrtalec33 said:


> We are doing this EMM in 2 weeks (5/27).  Our FP are at Epcot and we are hopping after breakfast. Original plan was RnRC and then ToT and then breakfast,  but I am not confident that would work at this point. So, our plan now is to do Tower of terror and then head to breakfast, and skip the roller coaster.   In the extremely unlikely event that we finish tower of terror and it is early enough and there is a short line at rock N roller coaster, we would do that before breakfast, but I seriously doubt that would work.
> 
> Regardless, my point in this post is that we will report back on here and let you know the timing and how that worked.


Please do! Sounds like we have a similar thought of planning now going into this. Fingers crossed you at least get on ToT....and have a great time


----------



## LMO429

We have done EMM 3 times at TSL.  What are the odds they will offer this in October.  Would the answer be zero with the opening of galaxy edge????


----------



## SaintsManiac

LMO429 said:


> We have done EMM 3 times at TSL.  What are the odds they will offer this in October.  Would the answer be zero with the opening of galaxy edge????




It won’t be in October. There are EMH every day.


----------



## ninafeliz

LMO429 said:


> We have done EMM 3 times at TSL.  What are the odds they will offer this in October.  Would the answer be zero with the opening of galaxy edge????


The odds are zero, since there are EMH from 6-9 AM every day!  Unless you’re hoping for 4:30am-5:45am


----------



## AntJulie

ninafeliz said:


> Unless you’re hoping for 4:30am-5:45am



So funny...


----------



## DisneyandBeerLover

wiihoo888 said:


> Thank you and also reassured me about something I didn’t even think about. I use an ecv, so Lyft wouldn’t work for me either. Thanks for the reassurance on no stress



Cool! I'm glad to help.


----------



## fumipappa

DisneyandBeerLover said:


> We went from WL in February and had no problem getting onto a bus super early. I'm sorry I can't remember what time it was, but I remember it being very easy and they were running to HS early enough that we didn't feel any stress at all! We were nervous before we did it but my mom was in an ECV so using Lyft wasn't a reasonable option but we're glad we went to Disney Transportation! We caught the first bus, and there was another family waiting with us. There was a second bus, according to the bus arrival board, on the way as well.



Thank you!  We will try to use bus to save $


----------



## dk413

Is there any speculation in this 168 page thread as to what is going to happen to EMM/EMH after November 2? We've got a trip planned for Nov 14-18 and it looks like, according to touring plans, there's an EMH scheduled for the Sunday (not sure if that is official or not). But if it is correct, does that mean they may start offering EMM again? I've got to make my ADRs on Saturday and everything is riding on this one vital piece of information


----------



## SaintsManiac

dk413 said:


> Is there any speculation in this 168 page thread as to what is going to happen to EMM/EMH after November 2? We've got a trip planned for Nov 14-18 and it looks like, according to touring plans, there's an EMH scheduled for the Sunday (not sure if that is official or not). But if it is correct, does that mean they may start offering EMM again? I've got to make my ADRs on Saturday and everything is riding on this one vital piece of information




I wouldn’t count on it. That’s the hours from last year that they use as a guide.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Ok, real talk...  who of us would pay for 4:30am-5:45am EMM?


----------



## ninafeliz

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Ok, real talk...  who of us would pay for 4:30am-5:45am EMM?


I would!  Particularly if I was staying within walking distance.  However, I’m not so sure about my DH, and until my kids are older this would probably either be impossible or mess up a day or 2 of their schedules and make them bears to be around haha!  Good thing I won’t have to decide, because I would most likely take the chance 

ETA and I am far from a morning person!  I would probably have better luck staying up than trying to go to bed and get up at 2 or 2:30! But I would do it if need be haha.  The scarifices we make .  Those shirts that say “I’m only a morning person at Disney” - those could have been written with me in mind!!


----------



## ellbell

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Ok, real talk...  who of us would pay for 4:30am-5:45am EMM?


Definitely if it meant I didn't have to wait in a crazy line that people start lining up for at 4am.  Instead I'm opting out.


----------



## dk413

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Ok, real talk...  who of us would pay for 4:30am-5:45am EMM?



:: insert Pam “yup” gif:: 
My kids don’t sleep. Might as well put 4am to good use


----------



## SaintsManiac

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Ok, real talk...  who of us would pay for 4:30am-5:45am EMM?




For Galaxy’s Edge, yes.


----------



## Suejacken

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Ok, real talk...  who of us would pay for 4:30am-5:45am EMM?


I would do it. Not to wait in the heat


----------



## RachaelA

We’d do EMM that early too lol


----------



## jhoannam

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Ok, real talk...  who of us would pay for 4:30am-5:45am EMM?


But it’s only one ride, at least for now.


----------



## dachsie

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Ok, real talk...  who of us would pay for 4:30am-5:45am EMM?


Me!!!


----------



## wiihoo888

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Ok, real talk...  who of us would pay for 4:30am-5:45am EMM?


In a heartbeat. Would jump up and down like Donkey from Shrek to get picked for those hours. Lol!


----------



## bebec22

I just added 2 nights to my July trip specifically so I could book this event! We did it in Feb and really enjoyed it.  I really wanted to fit it in since it may never be offered again.  Also, in Feb my daughter was about half an inch too short to ride SDD.  I'm praying she makes it this time, it's all she talks about! 

Also, I'd totally pay to do EMM at 4am but they'd have to add another E.  Extra Early Morning Magic


----------



## DisneyandBeerLover

bebec22 said:


> I just added 2 nights to my July trip specifically so I could book this event! We did it in Feb and really enjoyed it.  I really wanted to fit it in since it may never be offered again.  Also, in Feb my daughter was about half an inch too short to ride SDD.  I'm praying she makes it this time, it's all she talks about!
> 
> Also, I'd totally pay to do EMM at 4am but they'd have to add another E.  Extra Early Morning Magic



I hope she makes it!!


----------



## Suejacken

bebec22 said:


> I just added 2 nights to my July trip specifically so I could book this event! We did it in Feb and really enjoyed it.  I really wanted to fit it in since it may never be offered again.  Also, in Feb my daughter was about half an inch too short to ride SDD.  I'm praying she makes it this time, it's all she talks about!
> 
> Also, I'd totally pay to do EMM at 4am but they'd have to add another E.  Extra Early Morning Magic


Hope she gets to ride it this time


----------



## SothrnChic

Smrtalec33 said:


> We are doing this EMM in 2 weeks (5/27). Our FP are at Epcot and we are hopping after breakfast.



Sounds like us!  We are going on 5/27 and will be hopping over to Epcot after breakfast and my son does Jedi Academy.


----------



## disneyfan150

bebec22 said:


> I just added 2 nights to my July trip specifically so I could book this event!


Same
We were just going to pop into the World for a couple days and just ride what we could before a cruise. Then I read about EMM at HS.  We added a night at Yacht Club to make an arrival day a park day at Epcot and EMM at HS.  Now, I am making my regular commando plans because I don't want to miss anything after all. I just can't plan a "relaxing" WDW trip.  We will just have to relax on the cruise.


----------



## Disney & ME

We did this event in October and are now trying to decide about the 5/27 event. We have a short visit that is supposed to be a relaxing trip and already have TSL FP on another date. Not sure if we want to get up early on our last day of a CL stay. But, I am torn since I know it is our last opportunity for it.


----------



## BlueLion

Trying to figure out how to maximize FP bookings after EMM for our family of four. We'll likely have 2 RNRC riders, 2 TOT riders and 3 Star Tours riders with no other FP rides at HS. Happily just found out I'm pregnant , sadly will be out of luck for all of these , so thinking I could book some or all of our FPs at a different park for later. That's doable, right? Booking for party members at different parks on the same day? Thinking about this:

RNRC at Rope Drop
TOT - FP (2 people) - book for second park once used
Breakfast
ST without FP
Book FP for other 2 people at later park
Not sure yet what the other park would be let alone which FP.

Would be even better to skip FP at HS entirely but not sure if we can fit in RNRC-TOT-Breakfast without it. I've been reading the updates to see how this works but it seems tight. We'll be there Aug 14 so not sure if one of the shafts will still be down. At least now we don't have to do rider switch with the younger son! I suppose another option would be for him and me to get to breakfast sooner and make sure we get food for the other guys if they're running late. 

Any thoughts? Thanks in advance!


----------



## JennLTX

So, here's my ridiculous situation:

My son loves EE with the white hot passion of a thousand burning suns.

We could both spend the majority of a day riding FOP and count ourselves fortunate.

My son loves ToT with the white hot passion of a thousand burning suns.  (It's a theme.)

We want to experience SDD without the stupid wait times.

Ergo, we have DAH AK booked for June 4, and EMM HS booked for June 5.

We know.  No, really, WE KNOW.

Since start times are changing at AK, and concerns of overbooking for EMM are prevalent, I will be TREMENDOUSLY grateful for ANY input in the next three weeks.

Thanks to all.


----------



## ninafeliz

JennLTX said:


> So, here's my ridiculous situation:
> 
> My son loves EE with the white hot passion of a thousand burning suns.
> 
> We could both spend the majority of a day riding FOP and count ourselves fortunate.
> 
> My son loves ToT with the white hot passion of a thousand burning suns.  (It's a theme.)
> 
> We want to experience SDD without the stupid wait times.
> 
> Ergo, we have DAH AK booked for June 4, and EMM HS booked for June 5.
> 
> We know.  No, really, WE KNOW.
> 
> Since start times are changing at AK, and concerns of overbooking for EMM are prevalent, I will be TREMENDOUSLY grateful for ANY input in the next three weeks.
> 
> Thanks to all.


Is there no DHS DAH during your stay?  That would include TOT also, and not involve a late night followed by an early morning.  Plus more exclusive time in DHS.


----------



## disneyfan150

BlueLion said:


> Trying to figure out how to maximize FP bookings after EMM for our family of four. We'll likely have 2 RNRC riders, 2 TOT riders and 3 Star Tours riders with no other FP rides at HS. Happily just found out I'm pregnant , sadly will be out of luck for all of these , so thinking I could book some or all of our FPs at a different park for later. That's doable, right? Booking for party members at different parks on the same day? Thinking about this:
> 
> RNRC at Rope Drop
> TOT - FP (2 people) - book for second park once used
> Breakfast
> ST without FP
> Book FP for other 2 people at later park
> Not sure yet what the other park would be let alone which FP.
> 
> Would be even better to skip FP at HS entirely but not sure if we can fit in RNRC-TOT-Breakfast without it. I've been reading the updates to see how this works but it seems tight. We'll be there Aug 14 so not sure if one of the shafts will still be down. At least now we don't have to do rider switch with the younger son! I suppose another option would be for him and me to get to breakfast sooner and make sure we get food for the other guys if they're running late.
> 
> Any thoughts? Thanks in advance!


Unless something has changed and/or you have something special, your first 3 FPs have to be at the same park.  I wasn't able to book a ToT FP for the morning at 61 days.

Congratulations on the baby news!!


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

BlueLion said:


> Trying to figure out how to maximize FP bookings after EMM for our family of four. We'll likely have 2 RNRC riders, 2 TOT riders and 3 Star Tours riders with no other FP rides at HS. Happily just found out I'm pregnant , sadly will be out of luck for all of these , so thinking I could book some or all of our FPs at a different park for later. That's doable, right? Booking for party members at different parks on the same day? Thinking about this:
> 
> RNRC at Rope Drop
> TOT - FP (2 people) - book for second park once used
> Breakfast
> ST without FP
> Book FP for other 2 people at later park
> Not sure yet what the other park would be let alone which FP.
> 
> Would be even better to skip FP at HS entirely but not sure if we can fit in RNRC-TOT-Breakfast without it. I've been reading the updates to see how this works but it seems tight. We'll be there Aug 14 so not sure if one of the shafts will still be down. At least now we don't have to do rider switch with the younger son! I suppose another option would be for him and me to get to breakfast sooner and make sure we get food for the other guys if they're running late.
> 
> Any thoughts? Thanks in advance!


ToT refurb is supposed to last through the summer, so you might have to plan for that.

First off: When is your FP booking day?  If you are booking FP for your emm day at 60+2 or less, you might have trouble getting a 9 am FP.  I booked at 60+1 at 7 am sharp (my first FP) and the earliest time was 2:10 pm for ToT.

I would reverse it: Do ToT at rope drop (but be sure to beat the RD crowd. Coming from EMM, you can do this if you are conscientious about leaving TSL on time.  First in line is first in line; you won't have to worry about 50% capacity.

Ride RnRC with FP at 9:20
Breaktast at 9:50 (it'll be tight getting back there for it)

Getting an early RnRC FP is much easier than an early ToT fp.

As you are riding Star Tours after breakfast, I think you should get a FP for that also, and wait until then to get your FP for your 2nd park.  I think saving time at Star Tours, and leaving for the 2nd park earlier, is more important than booking FP for the 2nd park an hour or so earlier.


----------



## BlueLion

disneyfan150 said:


> Unless something has changed and/or you have something special, your first 3 FPs have to be at the same park.  I wasn't able to book a ToT FP for the morning at 61 days.
> 
> Congratulations on the baby news!!


Thanks!!

Correct that an individual's FPs need to be at a single park. Wondering if we could split our party though and book husband and older son at DHS, younger son and me somewhere else. I think that would work from what I know?


----------



## BlueLion

PrincessArlena'sDad said:


> ToT refurb is supposed to last through the summer, so you might have to plan for that.
> 
> First off: When is your FP booking day?  If you are booking FP for your emm day at 60+2 or less, you might have trouble getting a 9 am FP.  I booked at 60+1 at 7 am sharp (my first FP) and the earliest time was 2:10 pm for ToT.
> 
> I would reverse it: Do ToT at rope drop (but be sure to beat the RD crowd. Coming from EMM, you can do this if you are conscientious about leaving TSL on time.  First in line is first in line; you won't have to worry about 50% capacity.
> 
> Ride RnRC with FP at 9:20
> Breaktast at 9:50 (it'll be tight getting back there for it)
> 
> Getting an early RnRC FP is much easier than an early ToT fp.
> 
> As you are riding Star Tours after breakfast, I think you should get a FP for that also, and wait until then to get your FP for your 2nd park.  I think saving time at Star Tours, and leaving for the 2nd park earlier, is more important than booking FP for the 2nd park an hour or so earlier.



So helpful, thank you! FP booking day is June 13 making our EMM day 60+2. Good to know about TOT vs. RnRC FP, hadn't even thought about availability on those being tough.

We'll probably do a couple other things at DHS, maybe Muppets and Lightning McQueen if there's any interest, then take a midday break before park #2.


----------



## snoopy352

Just read a review over at DIS that said there were 30 min waits for SDD and that the event felt crowded and oversold.  I am not going to be pleased if that is the case - the ONLY reason we are paying this much is to avoid this very thing.  And you know what?  There is nothing we can do about it if it happens either.


----------



## SaintsManiac

snoopy352 said:


> Just read a review over at DIS that said there were 30 min waits for SDD and that the event felt crowded and oversold.  I am not going to be pleased if that is the case - the ONLY reason we are paying this much is to avoid this very thing.  And you know what?  There is nothing we can do about it if it happens either.




Do you have a link?


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

disneyfan150 said:


> Unless something has changed and/or you have something special, your first 3 FPs have to be at the same park.  I wasn't able to book a ToT FP for the morning at 61 days.
> 
> Congratulations on the baby news!!





BlueLion said:


> Thanks!!
> 
> Correct that an individual's FPs need to be at a single park. Wondering if we could split our party though and book husband and older son at DHS, younger son and me somewhere else. I think that would work from what I know?



Not correct.

From the FP+ sticky:
https://www.disboards.com/threads/f...al-tier-1-booking-anytime-fps-cl-fps.3538258/

*When*_*2 or less FP+ are booked for Park #1:*
Additionally, the new changes allow you to book fewer than three FP+ and once you scan the first FP+ (from within the first park), you can at that point make FP+ selections for a different park, even if you still have a FP+ remaining in the first park.

This can be especially helpful for Tiered parks – if for example you wish to hit Epcot at rope drop, use only a Tier 1 FP+ and then still have 2 more FP+ for another park later in the day.

Additionally, there is no restriction on Tier requirements BETWEEN PARKS during one day. So if you use a Tier 1 at Epcot you can then book a second Tier 1 at HS immediately upon scanning – Also, you can even book your remaining two FP+ at two different parks if you would like!

NOTE: Splitting FP+ between parks or booking for another park can NOT be done until the same day, AFTER you have already scanned your card/MB at the first FP+ Mickey head to “prove” to the system that you’re in a park.

You cannot book for 2 different parks in advance or even on the same day until you have scanned your first FP+ (not just gotten into the park).


----------



## Smrtalec33

PrincessArlena'sDad said:


> Do ToT at rope drop (but be sure to beat the RD crowd. Coming from EMM, you can do this if you are conscientious about leaving TSL on time.  First in line is first in line; you won't have to worry about 50% capacity.



What time would you leave toy story land in order to beat the rope drop crowd to Tower of terror?


----------



## Brett Wyman

Smrtalec33 said:


> What time would you leave toy story land in order to beat the rope drop crowd to Tower of terror?



Theres really no rush 99.9% of rope droppers will be barreling towards you in TSL. But if you leave at 8:55 or so you can guarantee basically no wait. Plenty of people have done ToT and RNR and then gone back for breakfast with time to spare.


----------



## 123SA

Brett Wyman said:


> Theres really no rush 99.9% of rope droppers will be barreling towards you in TSL. But if you leave at 8:55 or so you can guarantee basically no wait. Plenty of people have done ToT and RNR and then gone back for breakfast with time to spare.



While I sure hope this is true, I think this has changed since TOT is at half capacity.


----------



## Brett Wyman

123SA said:


> While I sure hope this is true, I think this has changed since TOT is at half capacity.



That supposed to be done by "Summer 2019" in Disney time.


----------



## BlueLion

PrincessArlena'sDad said:


> Not correct.
> 
> From the FP+ sticky:
> https://www.disboards.com/threads/f...al-tier-1-booking-anytime-fps-cl-fps.3538258/
> 
> *When*_*2 or less FP+ are booked for Park #1:*
> Additionally, the new changes allow you to book fewer than three FP+ and once you scan the first FP+ (from within the first park), you can at that point make FP+ selections for a different park, even if you still have a FP+ remaining in the first park.
> 
> This can be especially helpful for Tiered parks – if for example you wish to hit Epcot at rope drop, use only a Tier 1 FP+ and then still have 2 more FP+ for another park later in the day.
> 
> Additionally, there is no restriction on Tier requirements BETWEEN PARKS during one day. So if you use a Tier 1 at Epcot you can then book a second Tier 1 at HS immediately upon scanning – Also, you can even book your remaining two FP+ at two different parks if you would like!
> 
> NOTE: Splitting FP+ between parks or booking for another park can NOT be done until the same day, AFTER you have already scanned your card/MB at the first FP+ Mickey head to “prove” to the system that you’re in a park.
> 
> You cannot book for 2 different parks in advance or even on the same day until you have scanned your first FP+ (not just gotten into the park).



Ahh, I was thinking about booking in advance, but this is relevant for my plan so good to keep in mind.

I can book party members in advance at separate parks though, right? Thanks for all the input!


----------



## Smrtalec33

Brett Wyman said:


> That supposed to be done by "Summer 2019" in Disney time.


Our trip is in 10 days.  Do you still think 8:55 is early enough to leave TSL to rope drop TOT? Was thinking more like 8:45


----------



## KayMichigan

We were in Toy Story Land last Monday and the lovebugs were *terrible*! There were swarms of them everywhere and they were flying into our hair and landing on our clothes and shoes. We finally had to leave the area because they were so bad.

Just a word of warning in case they're still bad in this area.


----------



## Smrtalec33

KayMichigan said:


> We were in Toy Story Land last Monday and the lovebugs were *terrible*! There were swarms of them everywhere and they were flying into our hair and landing on our clothes and shoes. We finally had to leave the area because they were so bad.
> 
> Just a word of warning in case they're still bad in this area.


Was this in the early morning? They are probably not as bad in the AM


----------



## KayMichigan

Smrtalec33 said:


> Was this in the early morning? They are probably not as bad in the AM



No, it was more towards mid-afternoon. I guess we should have gone earlier!!


----------



## disneyfan150

PrincessArlena'sDad said:


> Not correct.
> 
> From the FP+ sticky:
> https://www.disboards.com/threads/f...al-tier-1-booking-anytime-fps-cl-fps.3538258/
> 
> *When*_*2 or less FP+ are booked for Park #1:*
> Additionally, the new changes allow you to book fewer than three FP+ and once you scan the first FP+ (from within the first park), you can at that point make FP+ selections for a different park, even if you still have a FP+ remaining in the first park.
> 
> This can be especially helpful for Tiered parks – if for example you wish to hit Epcot at rope drop, use only a Tier 1 FP+ and then still have 2 more FP+ for another park later in the day.
> 
> Additionally, there is no restriction on Tier requirements BETWEEN PARKS during one day. So if you use a Tier 1 at Epcot you can then book a second Tier 1 at HS immediately upon scanning – Also, you can even book your remaining two FP+ at two different parks if you would like!
> 
> NOTE: Splitting FP+ between parks or booking for another park can NOT be done until the same day, AFTER you have already scanned your card/MB at the first FP+ Mickey head to “prove” to the system that you’re in a park.
> 
> You cannot book for 2 different parks in advance or even on the same day until you have scanned your first FP+ (not just gotten into the park).


Wow! Such good information! Clearly, I never read the sticky.  Is this still true if you made advance FPs but cancel one or two of them and rebook once you use your first FP? Thanks for the information!!


----------



## Smrtalec33

snoopy352 said:


> Just read a review over at DIS that said there were 30 min waits for SDD and that the event felt crowded and oversold.  I am not going to be pleased if that is the case - the ONLY reason we are paying this much is to avoid this very thing.  And you know what?  There is nothing we can do about it if it happens either.





SaintsManiac said:


> Do you have a link?


https://www.wdwinfo.com/walt-disney...orning-magic-in-toy-story-land-with-toddlers/

This doesn’t sound like a terribly recent trip. She mentions that it was during spring break.


----------



## SaintsManiac

Smrtalec33 said:


> https://www.wdwinfo.com/walt-disney...orning-magic-in-toy-story-land-with-toddlers/
> 
> This doesn’t sound like a terribly recent trip. She mentions that it was during spring break.




There are more thorough reviews on this thread. This one seemed a little off to me.


----------



## Brett Wyman

Smrtalec33 said:


> Our trip is in 10 days.  Do you still think 8:55 is early enough to leave TSL to rope drop TOT? Was thinking more like 8:45



Id have to rely on folks who have been there with only one tower operating. But personally its hard for me to leave such an expensive event early


----------



## Smrtalec33

Brett Wyman said:


> Id have to rely on folks who have been there with only one tower operating. But personally its hard for me to leave such an expensive event early


EMM is 7:30-8:45.  I would just head to ToT rather than attempting one last ride before the rope droppers came in


----------



## Katrina Y

I noticed the wait times for SDD was posting at 35 minutes during Early Morning Magic. That seems like a pretty long wait time when you only have 1 hour and 15 minutes in Toy Story land. Do you think they have over sold this event. Did anyone go this morning and have a report?


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Katrina Y said:


> I noticed the wait times for SDD was posting at 35 minutes during Early Morning Magic. That seems like a pretty long wait time when you only have 1 hour and 15 minutes in Toy Story land. Do you think they have over sold this event. Did anyone go this morning and have a report?



The posted wait time is usually inflated during EMM.  How inflated can vary as the event goes on and the randomness of EMM guest crowd flow moving from ride to ride, re-riding, etc.

My guess would be there was certainly a wait, but not a 35 minute wait (Unless the ride was down early in the event or a train was down for some reason). 

Whether any sort of wait during these types of events means its oversold or not is subjective to some extent.  I suspect we all have slightly different tolerance points for what we find acceptable given the cost/value/time equation.


----------



## Katrina Y

GADisneyDad14 said:


> The posted wait time is usually inflated during EMM.  How inflated can vary as the event goes on and the randomness of EMM guest crowd flow moving from ride to ride, re-riding, etc.
> 
> My guess would be there was certainly a wait, but not a 35 minute wait (Unless the ride was down early in the event or a train was down for some reason).
> 
> Whether any sort of wait during these types of events means its oversold or not is subjective to some extent, I suspect we all have slightly different tolerance points for what we find acceptable given the cost/value/time equation.


I started checking wait times 15 minutes into the event and it was already posted at 30 minutes, I thought it would go down, but it only increased. When they opened more time slots a few weeks ago, I became concerned since it was already sold out twice and this would be a third round of tickets being sold. I am trying to come up with a game plan, but am having a hard time with this change. I don’t know if we should try SDD or TSM first. I would like my kids to get a few times on SDD, but those wait times will make it hard.


----------



## firsttimemom

We are just back and did EMM on Monday 5/20. We were let back into the land at 7:15. We did SDD, TSM, SDD, A$$, SDD and TSM by 9. The first two rides on SDD had maybe 5 min lines. The last time was longer- maybe 20 min. Not sure if they took a dog out of service. 

We missed the rope drop for R&R but were able to walk right through the show and pretty much on to the ride. We got back into the standby line and were the first group held for the show but it was pretty quick after that on to the ride. 

Breakfast was very good- a bit chaotic as they neared closing bcs they ran out of forks and there were no plates for the pastries or bowls for the fruit. CM's were willing to go get them but it did take some time. 

Overall pleased with the event. As we were walking out of the land, the rope drop crowd had arrived and the line for SDD was 80 min.


----------



## Katrina Y

So we should probably hit SDD first, then TSM. Do you have older children or little ones? My boys are 16 and 18, they  probably won’t care about character meet and greets. They just want to ride as much as possible, my husband and I are probably little slower.


----------



## Brett Wyman

Katrina Y said:


> So we should probably hit SDD first, then TSM. Do you have older children or little ones? My boys are 16 and 18, they  probably won’t care about character meet and greets. They just want to ride as much as possible, my husband and I are probably little slower.



Do the opposite. The minute the EMM starts everyone wants to rush to SDD so you have a 15 minute wait for the first 30 minutes or so. On a normal day thats an amazing wait time but these are expensive minutes and should be maximized. Do the other rides a couple times or a M&G (warning the Woody/Jessie line is long the ENTIRE time) and hit SDD after 30-45 minutes has passed. You'll be riding it over and over with 2-5 minute wait.


----------



## SJSloan

Has anyone had any luck finding an opening somewhat last minute?

Due to work I wasn't able to get confirmation of when we would be able to go so I couldn't do a lot of the planning like I usually do. And since I read on the website that it was non-refundable (which I now know isn't correct) I never booked it. But I am looking for a June 3rd reservation for a party of 7. I check multiple times a day but nothing has opened up yet, not even for a smaller party.


----------



## DisneyFamilyof4!

Katrina Y said:


> I noticed the wait times for SDD was posting at 35 minutes during Early Morning Magic. That seems like a pretty long wait time when you only have 1 hour and 15 minutes in Toy Story land. Do you think they have over sold this event. Did anyone go this morning and have a report?



We were there this morning, and it definitely seemed oversold. We did like others suggested and skipped breakfast. They did not walk us back until around 7:45. We rode TSM first thinking slinky would slow down. BIG MISTAKE. Slinky was at a 45 minute posted wait when we got off. We rode Alien Saucers next. When we got off, slinky was at 35 minutes. We actually waited 25. We only had time to ride each ride once (rider swapped slinky though) and take a picture in front of the Toy Story sign. Super disappointed. I would suggest going to slinky first if that’s your priority.


----------



## DisneyFamilyof4!

Katrina Y said:


> So we should probably hit SDD first, then TSM. Do you have older children or little ones? My boys are 16 and 18, they  probably won’t care about character meet and greets. They just want to ride as much as possible, my husband and I are probably little slower.



If it’s anything like this morning, go to slinky first. They can walk on the other rides the rest of hour.


----------



## jhoannam

DisneyFamilyof4! said:


> We were there this morning, and it definitely seemed oversold. We did like others suggested and skipped breakfast. They did not walk us back until around 7:45. We rode TSM first thinking slinky would slow down. BIG MISTAKE. Slinky was at a 45 minute posted wait when we got off. We rode Alien Saucers next. When we got off, slinky was at 35 minutes. We actually waited 25. We only had time to ride each ride once (rider swapped slinky though) and take a picture in front of the Toy Story sign. Super disappointed. I would suggest going to slinky first if that’s your priority.


IMO Those waits are unacceptable, I would talk to guest services.


----------



## Graciegirl5

GADisneyDad14 said:


> The posted wait time is usually inflated during EMM.  How inflated can vary as the event goes on and the randomness of EMM guest crowd flow moving from ride to ride, re-riding, etc.
> 
> My guess would be there was certainly a wait, but not a 35 minute wait (Unless the ride was down early in the event or a train was down for some reason).
> 
> Whether any sort of wait during these types of events means its oversold or not is subjective to some extent.  I suspect we all have slightly different tolerance points for what we find acceptable given the cost/value/time equation.



We were there this morning and I was not very happy. We rode TSM once, AS2 once and Slinky only twice. Both times the wait was right at 30-35 minutes (I timed it).  And that was at the end of the event. They let us in late but did seem to hold the rope drop crowds back because they didn't enter the land until 9:05. If they hadn't, we would have only gotten one ride.  Slinky didn't seem to be down because we could hear it early on. I'm not sure how many trains they usually run. There seemed to be two running today. The youngest in our group was 15 so no strollers or little ones. It did feel like there were too many people, but maybe my expectations were too high. My mood might improve once I've had a nap.


----------



## love__goofy

DisneyFamilyof4! said:


> We were there this morning, and it definitely seemed oversold. We did like others suggested and skipped breakfast. They did not walk us back until around 7:45. We rode TSM first thinking slinky would slow down. BIG MISTAKE. Slinky was at a 45 minute posted wait when we got off. We rode Alien Saucers next. When we got off, slinky was at 35 minutes. We actually waited 25. We only had time to ride each ride once (rider swapped slinky though) and take a picture in front of the Toy Story sign. Super disappointed. I would suggest going to slinky first if that’s your priority.


With that in mind, I may cancel mine for 6/10.  We are paying for a party of 8.  I’m sorry you didn’t have a great experience.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Graciegirl5 said:


> We were there this morning and I was not very happy. We rode TSM once, AS2 once and Slinky only twice. Both times the wait was right at 30-35 minutes (I timed it).  And that was at the end of the event. They let us in late but did seem to hold the rope drop crowds back because they didn't enter the land until 9:05. If they hadn't, we would have only gotten one ride.  Slinky didn't seem to be down because we could hear it early on. I'm not sure how many trains they usually run. There seemed to be two running today. The youngest in our group was 15 so no strollers or little ones. It did feel like there were too many people, but maybe my expectations were too high. My mood might improve once I've had a nap.



That doesn’t sound like a good experience.   30-35 min actual waits are not the norm for this event, historically speaking, from the many reviews on this thread.  Possible, just not all that common.  

There should be 3 trains on the track, I believe.  If there were in fact 2, that explains a a lot.  That would slow down that ride tremendously.  

Sorry you did not have a great experience.


----------



## Madame

firsttimemom said:


> We are just back and did EMM on Monday 5/20. We were let back into the land at 7:15. We did SDD, TSM, SDD, A$$, SDD and TSM by 9. The first two rides on SDD had maybe 5 min lines. The last time was longer- maybe 20 min. Not sure if they took a dog out of service.
> 
> We missed the rope drop for R&R but were able to walk right through the show and pretty much on to the ride. We got back into the standby line and were the first group held for the show but it was pretty quick after that on to the ride.
> 
> Breakfast was very good- a bit chaotic as they neared closing bcs they ran out of forks and there were no plates for the pastries or bowls for the fruit. CM's were willing to go get them but it did take some time.
> 
> Overall pleased with the event. As we were walking out of the land, the rope drop crowd had arrived and the line for SDD was 80 min.


We were there as well!  Yes, they took a dog off the track.  There was a group of disabled adults that they were having difficulty transferring in and out of the car at the back and had to unload the train, pull up a new one and load again - we waited about 25ish mins during that time.  We got back to TSL at 7:20 as I didn't think they would be opening that early, so we were behind the ball already.

In general I was not overly impressed with EMM.  I'm glad it was just DD and I, as 5 people at this price would have been ridiculous.
There were too many variables that I had no control over and it stressed me out with that much $$ on the line - other visitors, weather, waiting alone for a boat from BC and thinking one wasn't going to show at 6:40, etc.
The breakfast was so-so.  If I'd had a choice, I'd have preferred DAH, but it wasn't offered during our stay.  YMMV


----------



## mercydisney

Now I am nervous that I dropped my $ on this event for 8/28.  I thought I was smart and getting in early would make this my only HS day.


----------



## Ariel620

Today's experience seems to have longer waits than usual.  Does anyone know if today was the first day they opened up a 3rd set of reservations?  For months they have been opening up 2 sets (they open a 7am slot after the 7:30 sells out), but very recently they opened more slots after both of those sold out, and I'm wondering if today is the first event they did that, which would explain the overselling comments, and not bode well for future EMM.  But if it really was just that they had to take one coaster off the track, then I would expect the remaining EMM to be ok.

I'm sorry you guys didn't have a good experience.  I would go to guest services, 45 min is too long during this paid event IMHO.


----------



## Smrtalec33

mercydisney said:


> Now I am nervous that I dropped my $ on this event for 8/28.  I thought I was smart and getting in early would make this my only HS day.


 We are going on Monday, for exactly the same reason. A four day trip, and that will be our only time at Hollywood studios. 

My attitude is the money is already spent, we are going in with a strategy, and it is hard to imagine a situation in which we are not at least able to do all three rides once and then Get to Tower of terror before the rope drop crowd.  

Also, given the current and expected temperatures, it will be nice to be in toy story land from 7:30 to 8:45 in the morning rather than any other time.


----------



## CarlyMur09

Went today as well. Due to issues with getting an accessible Minnie van for DF (told him if we do another one of those, taking a bus beforehand), we didn’t get to HS until 7:15, and was pretty much at the back of the crowd until they opened the land at... 7:35, I think it was.

 Rode TSM first, was about a 10 minute wait with the ECV / wheelchair combination we have, then got on Slinky. First wait wasn’t too bad since they let us go through the fast pass line thanks to a nice CM, so that was maybe 5-10 minutes there. 

Took a quick bathroom break, then we tried to figure out which ride to do next. (Didn’t want to do TSM since the ride takes forever to get in and out of, and i think they were only running the two original tracks today.) got into line for slinky, and got on in about 20 minutes or so. (Posted wait has been 35?) once we got off, we realized they still hadn’t let the crowds in and SDD had no line at that point, so we got on again! (This was after 9! Were they holding the crowd back to let the EMM crowd get their last ride in since they opened later than normal?) while we were on the ride, we could see the crowd starting to filter through the line

Breakfast was ok. A little crazy with the crowd , but at least we had food and shade, so can’t complain too much.

All in all, I think the last ride of SDD made the event worthwhile, but it’s still left us a bit leery about doing another one of these if this is what the new normal is.


----------



## snoopy352

love__goofy said:


> With that in mind, I may cancel mine for 6/10.  We are paying for a party of 8.  I’m sorry you didn’t have a great experience.


Is this even an option?  You can get a full refund? If today was due to one of the tracks being down, ok, but if it was due to overselling, i will pursue a refund if that is on the table.


----------



## SaintsManiac

snoopy352 said:


> Is this even an option?  You can get a full refund? If today was due to one of the tracks being down, ok, but if it was due to overselling, i will pursue a refund if that is on the table.




Are you asking if you can cancel? Yes. I canceled today.


----------



## JennLTX

snoopy352 said:


> Is this even an option?  You can get a full refund? If today was due to one of the tracks being down, ok, but if it was due to overselling, i will pursue a refund if that is on the table.


I'm with you.  I plan to wait and see what the next two EMMs look like, but if it's the same report, we're cancelling, ESPECIALLY since we were already pushing the envelope with AK DAH the night before.


----------



## Wanna be Ariel

jhoannam said:


> IMO Those waits are unacceptable, I would talk to guest services.


7:45??? That is 15 mins after the time you are supposed to be let in?  I would have been at GS.


----------



## Katrina Y

Graciegirl5 said:


> We were there this morning and I was not very happy. We rode TSM once, AS2 once and Slinky only twice. Both times the wait was right at 30-35 minutes (I timed it).  And that was at the end of the event. They let us in late but did seem to hold the rope drop crowds back because they didn't enter the land until 9:05. If they hadn't, we would have only gotten one ride.  Slinky didn't seem to be down because we could hear it early on. I'm not sure how many trains they usually run. There seemed to be two running today. The youngest in our group was 15 so no strollers or little ones. It did feel like there were too many people, but maybe my expectations were too high. My mood might improve once I've had a nap.


That is terrible, you need to go to guest service and complain.


----------



## Katrina Y

Madame said:


> We were there as well!  Yes, they took a dog off the track.  There was a group of disabled adults that they were having difficulty transferring in and out of the car at the back and had to unload the train, pull up a new one and load again - we waited about 25ish mins during that time.  We got back to TSL at 7:20 as I didn't think they would be opening that early, so we were behind the ball already.
> 
> In general I was not overly impressed with EMM.  I'm glad it was just DD and I, as 5 people at this price would have been ridiculous.
> There were too many variables that I had no control over and it stressed me out with that much $$ on the line - other visitors, weather, waiting alone for a boat from BC and thinking one wasn't going to show at 6:40, etc.
> The breakfast was so-so.  If I'd had a choice, I'd have preferred DAH, but it wasn't offered during our stay.  YMMV


How many rides were you able to do? Did it feel crowded?


----------



## Katrina Y

SaintsManiac said:


> Are you asking if you can cancel? Yes. I canceled today.


I wondering about canceling too. I was concerned when they opened more time slots.


----------



## Madame

Katrina Y said:


> How many rides were you able to do? Did it feel crowded?


TSMM x 1, AS x 1 & SDD x 3.  It felt more crowded than I anticipated for the cost.


----------



## disneyfan150

Madame said:


> waiting alone for a boat from BC and thinking one wasn't going to show at 6:40,


How did that work out? We are staying at Yacht Club the night before our EMM reservation. I am worried about arriving early enough and how to get to HS.


----------



## Madame

disneyfan150 said:


> How did that work out? We are staying at Yacht Club the night before our EMM reservation. I am worried about arriving early enough and how to get to HS.


The boat turned up & we stopped at BW & S&D before getting to DHS.  I was worried it wouldn’t, but it did.


----------



## AndreaDanger

Madame said:


> TSMM x 1, AS x 1 & SDD x 3.  It felt more crowded than I anticipated for the cost.


Yeah, I'd feel frustrated with that. I mean, it's more rides than someone would get in for the same timeframe during regular park hours but as a comparison, we did SDD x 6, TSMM x 3 & AS2 x 4 during our January EMM and even just walked around and relaxed in between rides.


----------



## 123SA

Hmmmm...since it doesn't look like there will be DAH during August, I booked this for two days for my family of 5.  I know we won't eat the breakfast because the location is terrible...the only place more inconvenient than Backlot Express is the parking lot.    4 or 5 rides...not sure that's worth the price of this.


----------



## jhoannam

123SA said:


> Hmmmm...since it doesn't look like there will be DAH during August, I booked this for two days for my family of 5.  I know we won't eat the breakfast because the location is terrible...the only place more inconvenient than Backlot Express is the parking lot.    4 or 5 rides...not sure that's worth the price of this.


Why not eat the breakfast after 9:00AM? The strategy is to head over to RnR and/or ToT then head over to breakfast at 9:30.


----------



## jhoannam

AndreaDanger said:


> Yeah, I'd feel frustrated with that. I mean, it's more rides than someone would get in for the same timeframe during regular park hours but as a comparison, we did SDD x 6, TSMM x 3 & AS2 x 4 during our January EMM and even just walked around and relaxed in between rides.


wow! how many were in your party?


----------



## 123SA

jhoannam said:


> Why not eat the breakfast after 9:00AM? The strategy is to head over to RnR and/or ToT then head over to breakfast at 9:30.



Too much walking back and forth wasting the first hour.  There's nothing by Backlot we'd like to do that early in the morning. Star Tours can wait.   We'll do TOT and RNRC standby until it gets too long, then use FP.  I guess that means one TOT and 2 RNRC, then the FP which I'll try to get at 930 & 1030 so we can do them back to back.  I don't ride RNRC so maybe I'll walk over and grab some food ... will they let me grab food to go?  I guess I would look like a hoarder though if I grabbed enough for 5.


----------



## AndreaDanger

jhoannam said:


> wow! how many were in your party?


We had three adults, plus DD7 and DD2. One adult hung out with DD2 at any given time and just explored TSL while the other adults did rides with DD7 (DD2 wasn't interested in actually going on the rides). The ride numbers I listed were what DD7 accomplished--each adult had different numbers due to us tag teaming in and out to hang with DD2.

We had such a great time, and I'm disappointed the event hasn't went as well for some other attendees. We'll be back at WDW in September, and our top priority was going to be booking this EMM again. Unfortunately that's now a no-go due to the daily EMH that month, but those additional EMH should also be pretty awesome in their own way.


----------



## Ben Linus

Is rider swap allowed during this event?


----------



## ml sumner

Does anyone know how many times the EMM event for 6/05/19 has sold out?  We have this date booked and I"m starting to get concerned with past reviews we are reading.


----------



## rteetz

Ben Linus said:


> Is rider swap allowed during this event?


I don’t know for sure but I wouldn’t think so. With the shorter waits you should really need it and they don’t offer FP during this event which is the line they usually use for Rider Swap.


----------



## Brett Wyman

jhoannam said:


> wow! how many were in your party?



We went in November and January, party of 4, and that is very similar to how many rides we rode as well. Something was definitely off with the last EMM.


----------



## princessebird

ml sumner said:


> Does anyone know how many times the EMM event for 6/05/19 has sold out?  We have this date booked and I"m starting to get concerned with past reviews we are reading.



We have this day booked as well. It's sold out at least twice. I bought at 7:30, then 7am opened up. And then another 50 tickets appeared a few weeks ago. Bummed, I stopped paying attention to it at that point.


----------



## ellbell

I'm already disappointed and might cancel.  I bought tickets for August 26th for 7:30 and since then I've seen both the 7:30 and 7am time slots sell out and then 2 weeks ago slots for 7am opened up again and was open for about a week so I assume there were quite a few spots open and now today both 7 and 7:30 are open.  I'm very disappointed because my original HS day was suppose to be day 6 of my trip which was Augist 29th so chances of getting a SSD fp was decent, then the announced SWGE opening for that day. I purchased EMM to get around that and spent quite a bit for 3 with the Canadian exchange. It just doesn't seem likes it's going to be worth it from what I've been reading.


----------



## Aj1129

mercydisney said:


> Now I am nervous that I dropped my $ on this event for 8/28.  I thought I was smart and getting in early would make this my only HS day.



We have tickets also for the 8/28. Hoping it’s not packed and we can get a lot done that morning. My son loves toy story land and all he wants to do is go on SDD.


----------



## Katrina Y

ml sumner said:


> Does anyone know how many times the EMM event for 6/05/19 has sold out?  We have this date booked and I"m starting to get concerned with past reviews we are reading.


3 times, we are going the 5th also, very concerned


----------



## SaintsManiac

Are you sure it’s not people canceling?


----------



## Katrina Y

SaintsManiac said:


> Are you sure it’s not people canceling?


Yes


----------



## SaintsManiac

Katrina Y said:


> Yes




Yikes


----------



## dachsie

Brett Wyman said:


> We went in November and January, party of 4, and that is very similar to how many rides we rode as well. Something was definitely off with the last EMM.


I agree.  In Dec I rode AS2, then met Woody/Jesse and then rose SDD 6 times in a row and could have done another but needed to leave to catch my DME to the airport.  I waited in much longer lines this time and rode TMM once and SDD only 5 times and then RD crowd was there so went to AS2 and then left the land


----------



## DisneyFamilyof4!

Ben Linus said:


> Is rider swap allowed during this event?


They allowed it during our event, but slinky wait time was 45 and 35 minutes so that could be why.


----------



## Wanna be Ariel

I am following along closely.  We have it booked for the the first time on 6/17, but now a little worried that this might be a waste of money.  We have done the MK many of times and have really enjoyed it, but this last report has me a little worried.


----------



## love__goofy

Wanna be Ariel said:


> I am following along closely.  We have it booked for the the first time on 6/17, but now a little worried that this might be a waste of money.  We have done the MK many of times and have really enjoyed it, but this last report has me a little worried.


Same here!


----------



## MeridaAnn

Do the people from EMM leave at the end of the event, or will they still be in the park / on the rides when regular guests enter at rope drop? I'll be at DHS on a day that has EMM before regular opening, and I'm just trying to estimate my schedule, depending on whether or not there will be extra people already in line for SDD when the rope drop group enters.


----------



## jhoannam

MeridaAnn said:


> Do the people from EMM leave at the end of the event, or will they still be in the park / on the rides when regular guests enter at rope drop? I'll be at DHS on a day that has EMM before regular opening, and I'm just trying to estimate my schedule, depending on whether or not there will be extra people already in line for SDD when the rope drop group enters.


They usually go eat breakfast when the park opens, and it's supposed to be a small number of people that it really doesn't impact the crowds for the day.


----------



## snoopy352

June 5 is our day too - will wait to see about reports from next week before officially cancelling.


----------



## WDW1970

We went on 5.22 and glad we did it since we were only in the park until until 1 pm.  They dropped the rope at 7:35 (we were near front) which seemed strange since it was supposed to start at 7:30.  5 minutes is not a big deal but could tell it was irritating guests.  Not sure how folks get on SDD 3+ times as we did SDD 1x, TMM 3x and saucers 1x.  We went directly to each ride quickly.  SDD first (third train).  After first ride line was at 20 minutes and then shot up to 35 minutes.  While SDD was a fun ride, it really isn’t worth waiting that long (totally blown away that people actually wait 3 hours for this thing - it is a little better than 7DMT so I will give it that).  We love TMM but the issue with that ride is it takes longer to get throught the Que and exit than the ride itself (there was no line but they required us to get off and go through line each time).  We did not get this ticket for the food so anything we got was a bonus.  The pastries and fruit were good on the contenental portion but the entries are definitely a head scratcher (which we knew going in).  We ordered several of them to just try and the only one that was decent to us was the chicken and donuts.  Not sure why they do not have a “typical” style entre such as Mickey waffles, scrambled eggs/bacon/sausage.  From what I have seen the breakfast at MK EMM would be a much better option.  Overall it was a good experience and allowed us to get in pretty much the whole park by 1 pm.  It was worth it to us but make sure your expectations are realistic and you will not be dissapointed!


----------



## GADisneyDad14

(I wrote this before the PP posted, so another 7:35pm report to add to the mix)

In re-reading the three 5/22 event reviews, it is worth noting there are at least two anomalies that are not really normal situations that in all likelihood impacted the morning.  Two DISers reported the land opening late - one said 7:45, another said 7:35.  Let's ignore which one is right and just agree it seems the land opened well late.  IMO those minutes are precious in spreading around the crowd and creating a better flow into the land.  So, strike 1.

The second was one report of only 2 Slinkies on the track.  If that is true and if this occurred for the entire morning, that would absolutely lead to poor results.

The guest count at this thing has always been at a number where a delay here or a mechanical problem there is going to cause issues.  Whether that means the event is 'oversold' to begin with is debatable/subjective.  It probably is from that perspective.  This has never been a few hundred people event - it’s very well attended.

Reports on all of these upcharge threads ebb and flow over time..... I see all of them whipsaw back and forth between jubilation/the best event ever and pitchforks.  It’s the inevitable flow of a message board.

I'm more of a body of work person myself.  There are tons of reviews on Post #3, the majority of which enjoyed the EMM experience.  Does everyone?  Absolutely not.  Do bad things happen operationally at times?  Yup.

If weeks go by and multiple repeat reviews indicate some material change, then OK - I take notice.  Granted that doesn't help guests impacted right now or excuse a poor experience on any given day - but for those with longer term planning horizons watching threads like this over the long term can help paint a clearer picture of trends... or if Disney has decided to bludgeon this event for the last three months of its existence (which just doesn’t seem all that likely).


----------



## garada3

MeridaAnn said:


> Do the people from EMM leave at the end of the event, or will they still be in the park / on the rides when regular guests enter at rope drop? I'll be at DHS on a day that has EMM before regular opening, and I'm just trying to estimate my schedule, depending on whether or not there will be extra people already in line for SDD when the rope drop group enters.





jhoannam said:


> They usually go eat breakfast when the park opens, and it's supposed to be a small number of people that it really doesn't impact the crowds for the day.



With the most recent reviews and the multiple waves of ticket sales for upcoming EMMs, does/will this hold true?

If waits for SDD are long for the entire EMM then the front of the rope drop arrivals will be joining an already long line.

What were the lines like for TSMM at the end of the EMM on 5/22?


----------



## snoopy352

WDW1970 said:


> We love TMM but the issue with that ride is it takes longer to get throught the Que and exit than the ride itself (there was no line but they required us to get off and go through line each time).


Major bummer as a PP had said they let them stay on the ride until others were in line.  They either changed the policy or experiences vary by CM.  I do think it would help the experience a great deal if the CM's were trained to be more customer-friendly in situations like these (upcharge events; letting riders stay on the ride with literally no one waiting in line, etc.).


----------



## DisneyFamilyof4!

GADisneyDad14 said:


> (I wrote this before the PP posted, so another 7:35pm report to add to the mix)
> 
> In re-reading the three 5/22 event reviews, it is worth noting there are at least two anomalies that are not really normal situations that in all likelihood impacted the morning.  Two DISers reported the land opening late - one said 7:45, another said 7:35.  Let's ignore which one is right and just agree it seems the land opened well late.  IMO those minutes are precious in spreading around the crowd and creating a better flow into the land.  So, strike 1.
> 
> The second was one report of only 2 Slinkies on the track.  If that is true and if this occurred for the entire morning, that would absolutely lead to poor results.
> 
> The guest count at this thing has always been at a number where a delay here or a mechanical problem there is going to cause issues.  Whether that means the event is 'oversold' to begin with is debatable/subjective.  It probably is from that perspective.  This has never been a few hundred people event - it’s very well attended.
> 
> Reports on all of these upcharge threads ebb and flow over time..... I see all of them whipsaw back and forth between jubilation/the best event ever and pitchforks.  It’s the inevitable flow of a message board.
> 
> I'm more of a body of work person myself.  There are tons of reviews on Post #3, the majority of which enjoyed the EMM experience.  Does everyone?  Absolutely not.  Do bad things happen operationally at times?  Yup.
> 
> If weeks go by and multiple repeat reviews indicate some material change, then OK - I take notice.  Granted that doesn't help guests impacted right now or excuse a poor experience on any given day - but for those with longer term planning horizons watching threads like this over the long term can help paint a clearer picture of trends... or if Disney has decided to bludgeon this event for the last three months of its existence (which just doesn’t seem all that likely).


I was the person who wrote 7:45, but 7:35 was probably more accurate. Just felt like 7:45 with 2 little ones in tow.

I think if I wasn’t following this thread for so long, I would have honestly loved the event because we rode all three Toy Story rides before the park opened. However, because I read so many others amazing experiences, I was hoping to get AT LEAST 2 rounds on each ride. ‍ We didn’t even get to walk around and enjoy the details of the land because we were rushing before the rope drop crowds came in. I think our family will just stick to the Christmas and Halloween parties. We always have an amazing time at those.  This was the first time ever that Disney did not meet expectations for us. I think it was an operational issue though. I only saw 2 slinky cars running.


----------



## WDW1970

garada3 said:


> With the most recent reviews and the multiple waves of ticket sales for upcoming EMMs, does/will this hold true?
> 
> If waits for SDD are long for the entire EMM then the front of the rope drop arrivals will be joining an already long line.
> 
> What were the lines like for TSMM at the end of the EMM on 5/22?


There was no wait for TSMM at end of EMM on 5.22.  Just the long walk to get back on.


----------



## SaintsManiac

GADisneyDad14 said:


> (I wrote this before the PP posted, so another 7:35pm report to add to the mix)
> 
> In re-reading the three 5/22 event reviews, it is worth noting there are at least two anomalies that are not really normal situations that in all likelihood impacted the morning.  Two DISers reported the land opening late - one said 7:45, another said 7:35.  Let's ignore which one is right and just agree it seems the land opened well late.  IMO those minutes are precious in spreading around the crowd and creating a better flow into the land.  So, strike 1.
> 
> The second was one report of only 2 Slinkies on the track.  If that is true and if this occurred for the entire morning, that would absolutely lead to poor results.
> 
> The guest count at this thing has always been at a number where a delay here or a mechanical problem there is going to cause issues.  Whether that means the event is 'oversold' to begin with is debatable/subjective.  It probably is from that perspective.  This has never been a few hundred people event - it’s very well attended.
> 
> Reports on all of these upcharge threads ebb and flow over time..... I see all of them whipsaw back and forth between jubilation/the best event ever and pitchforks.  It’s the inevitable flow of a message board.
> 
> I'm more of a body of work person myself.  There are tons of reviews on Post #3, the majority of which enjoyed the EMM experience.  Does everyone?  Absolutely not.  Do bad things happen operationally at times?  Yup.
> 
> If weeks go by and multiple repeat reviews indicate some material change, then OK - I take notice.  Granted that doesn't help guests impacted right now or excuse a poor experience on any given day - but for those with longer term planning horizons watching threads like this over the long term can help paint a clearer picture of trends... or if Disney has decided to bludgeon this event for the last three months of its existence (which just doesn’t seem all that likely).





I have booked this event twice and canceled both times. I am in the unique situation of having done the Passholder event in TSL back in September. I know that nothing will compare to it, so I was always a little wary on doing this. Luckily, DAH will be available, so we can spend the time we want in TSL.

We thought we would prefer EMM to DAH, but apparently my travel group are vampires now and my husband said he'd rather pay for 3 hours instead of 1.5. ToT is his favorite ride, so I get his point.

It's really annoying to see how different this event can be from day to day. The lack of consistency devalues it.


----------



## Dbktmc

WDW1970 said:


> WWe love TMM but the issue with that ride is it takes longer to get throught the Que and exit than the ride itself (there was no line but they required us to get off and go through line each time)



This is unbelievable to me.  For such a short event you would think that if there wasn't someone in line you would be allowed to stay on.  And, if you have to exit, you should be able to go through the fast pass line.  I'm starting to be really happy that we picked DAH at the MK instead of EMM at HS.


----------



## Lop460

I’m starting to debate whether I should cancel my reservation for the second week in June. With a family of five this may be too much for what you get, especially since only two of us will be the only ones who eat anything.


----------



## Rangers67

Graciegirl5 said:


> We were there this morning and I was not very happy. We rode TSM once, AS2 once and Slinky only twice. Both times the wait was right at 30-35 minutes (I timed it).  And that was at the end of the event. They let us in late but did seem to hold the rope drop crowds back because they didn't enter the land until 9:05. If they hadn't, we would have only gotten one ride.  Slinky didn't seem to be down because we could hear it early on. I'm not sure how many trains they usually run. There seemed to be two running today. The youngest in our group was 15 so no strollers or little ones. It did feel like there were too many people, but maybe my expectations were too high. My mood might improve once I've had a nap.


 I recommend an email to guest services. I sent one with feedback on our experience at the beginning of May. I asked for nothing but  they offered some compensation which was very fair and appreciated.


----------



## 123SA

Breakfast Question:

My family plans to head to TOT at rope drop to ride standby, then RNRC standby.  (Aug 14).

With TOT at reduced capacity, I think this means getting to breakfast by 10am is not guaranteed.

However, I do not ride RNRC.  Can I go to the breakfast and gather up food for 5 people, sit at a table and wait for them to arrive?  If they arrive at 10:10, I know they won't be able to get more food, but can they enter the restaurant and eat what I got for them?


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## disneyworldsk

Brett Wyman said:


> Do the opposite. The minute the EMM starts everyone wants to rush to SDD so you have a 15 minute wait for the first 30 minutes or so. On a normal day thats an amazing wait time but these are expensive minutes and should be maximized. Do the other rides a couple times or a M&G (warning the Woody/Jessie line is long the ENTIRE time) and hit SDD after 30-45 minutes has passed. You'll be riding it over and over with 2-5 minute wait.


I disagree . I did emm in november and was glad we ran to sdd first. first time in the land first time on sdd. After that the ride was down the rest of the event.  I was so happy we got to ride it at least once. I wouldn't chance waiting only to find out it's down.


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## disneyworldsk

going in mid to late august. did emm once in november and sdd was down so we loved the land being quiet but didn't enjoy waking up so early or finding out the ride was down. there is an emm being offered in my vacation week times and i have one guest coming who hasn't seen the land yet and it's hot in august and the land is super hot in the day. should i do emm again?! it would be for four people, 3 of which have done emm and the fourth new guest is not an early morning riser. there are no dah hs being offered that week. they are all big breakfast eaters. help deciding please.


----------



## beesly

disneyworldsk said:


> going in mid to late august. did emm once in november and sdd was down so we loved the land being quiet but didn't enjoy waking up so early or finding out the ride was down. there is an emm being offered in my vacation week times and i have one guest coming who hasn't seen the land yet and it's hot in august and the land is super hot in the day. should i do emm again?! it would be for four people, 3 of which have done emm and the fourth new guest is not an early morning riser. there are no dah hs being offered that week. they are all big breakfast eaters. help deciding please.



Can you ask the fourth new guest if EMM is something he or she is interested in trying? If not - then going off of your statement that the person isn’t an early riser, I’d lean towards seeing the land another way - trying for a later morning FP or going after dark, trying the standby line at closing. Also, did the three people who have done EMM enjoy the breakfast? Does the fourth person know what the menu is like? I’d consider whether this breakfast would be satisfying to people who are normally “big breakfast eaters.” Will they be able to fill up on the buffet, or will you end up spending more money on more food after you leave the event?


----------



## jhoannam

disneyworldsk said:


> going in mid to late august. did emm once in november and sdd was down so we loved the land being quiet but didn't enjoy waking up so early or finding out the ride was down. there is an emm being offered in my vacation week times and i have one guest coming who hasn't seen the land yet and it's hot in august and the land is super hot in the day. should i do emm again?! it would be for four people, 3 of which have done emm and the fourth new guest is not an early morning riser. there are no dah hs being offered that week. they are all big breakfast eaters. help deciding please.


I think it would be worth it for the 4th person to do it, but what’s their opinion on being out the door at 6:30am? 

I’ve read that you can order multiple plates, everyone should be satisfied with the food.


----------



## dachsie

123SA said:


> Breakfast Question:
> 
> My family plans to head to TOT at rope drop to ride standby, then RNRC standby.  (Aug 14).
> 
> With TOT at reduced capacity, I think this means getting to breakfast by 10am is not guaranteed.
> 
> However, I do not ride RNRC.  Can I go to the breakfast and gather up food for 5 people, sit at a table and wait for them to arrive?  If they arrive at 10:10, I know they won't be able to get more food, but can they enter the restaurant and eat what I got for them?


I see no reason why not.  The pastry bar may be picked up so be sure t get any of that and drinks when you do it


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## NJlauren

I have this booked, and I'm debating if I should keep it or not.  For a few reason, my kids proved on my last vacation (not WDW) that they sleep in, first time ever.... so is it going to be impossible to get there on time?

Assuming we get there on time will I get what I want done, goal meet Woody and Jesse, meet Buzz, ride SDD x2(once for each parent), ride TSMM x2, ride AS x1.

2 adults 5 year old and 13 month old.

Thoughts?


----------



## dachsie

NJlauren said:


> I have this booked, and I'm debating if I should keep it or not.  For a few reason, my kids proved on my last vacation (not WDW) that they sleep in, first time ever.... so is it going to be impossible to get there on time?
> 
> Assuming we get there on time will I get what I want done, goal meet Woody and Jesse, meet Buzz, ride SDD x2(once for each parent), ride TSMM x2, ride AS x1.
> 
> 2 adults 5 year old and 13 month old.
> 
> Thoughts?


Depending on what time they let you in the land, if before 7:30 go straight to AS2 and then get in line for Woody/Jesse.  If right at 7:30, go straight there.  Then do all your rides and catch Buzz on the way out


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## cheshiregoofy22

Wondering how today’s EMM went and if the 7:00 A.M. EMH at AK may have drawn a few folks in that direction who might have purchased this?  We’re booked for May 29th but there are no A.M. EMH at other parks that day.  Wishing for that crystal ball....haha.


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## dachsie

I am wondering too.  I went ahead and purchased for Aug 5.  Am hoping I don't regret it


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## RachaelA

dachsie said:


> Depending on what time they let you in the land, if before 7:30 go straight to AS2 and then get in line for Woody/Jesse.  If right at 7:30, go straight there.  Then do all your rides and catch Buzz on the way out


The line for W/J was 20+ families long basically within 5 minutes of them letting us into TSL earlier this month so I wouldn’t do any rides before. We were first and they came out at 7:30 exactly so we waited 10 minutes for them.


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## RachaelA

NJlauren said:


> I have this booked, and I'm debating if I should keep it or not.  For a few reason, my kids proved on my last vacation (not WDW) that they sleep in, first time ever.... so is it going to be impossible to get there on time?
> 
> Assuming we get there on time will I get what I want done, goal meet Woody and Jesse, meet Buzz, ride SDD x2(once for each parent), ride TSMM x2, ride AS x1.
> 
> 2 adults 5 year old and 13 month old.
> 
> Thoughts?


This was earlier this month so before they seemed to add another 50 tickets or so, but we did W/J (first in line for them), Buzz (10 minute wait), SDD x4 and then TSMM right before the crowds came in at 8:46. Then had a 10 minute wait for Aliens at like 9am then went to breakfast.


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## houseofmouse5

I have seen people post that they add on tickets for this event.
I'm curious how I would know if they added tickets to the date we are interested in?
Also, I'm a little bugged that they even add tickets to this event.  I thought the purpose of this event was to keep the numbers lower not to continue selling tickets until they can't stop selling anymore?  It sounds like this really isn't a limited number of guests it's just limited to the number of people who are willing to pay for it.


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## SinCityMMAFan

Experienced TSL EMM 2 weeks ago on May 13th.  We had a blast at this event!  We arrived at around 6:45 and there were already small lines formed at the gates,  We checked in and got our wristbands and proceeded to get in line.  At a few minutes before 7 they started to let people enter the gates.  Everyone was directed to Backlot Express.  We proceeded to Backlot Express for some pastries and coffee/juice.  We didn't take advantage of the breakfast entrees as we are not big breakfast people.  The pastries/coffee/juice was sufficient enough for us to hold us over for a few hours as we did have an 1145 reservation at Mama Melrose.  After having our pastries and coffee/juice we headed to the front of the Chinese theater were there was already people gathered.  A few minutes before 730 they led everyone down into TSL.  We stayed to the right hand side as we planned because we wanted to ride SDD first.  We got in line for SDD and waited less than 10 minutes, then opted to ride it again with a less than 10 minute wait this time it was maybe 5 minutes.  After riding SDD a few times we then walked over to TSM and rode it twice both we no lines.  After TSM we then proceeded to ASS2 and rode that with ride with no wait as well.  Then it was time for a quick bathroom break before heading back to SDD where we rode it 2 more times with a minimal wait somewhere in the 5-10 minute range before opting to head out of TSL just in time to miss the rope drop crowd.  We barely got out of there before the madness started.  Leaving TSL we headed to RNR and rode that twice with 10 minute waits.  Overall we enjoyed this event and felt it was worth the price considering we got to ride 7 rides (SDD X 4, TSM X 2, and ASS2 X 1) and have a light breakfast before heading out to a different area for the park as the regular park opened up to regular day guest.


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## Ben Linus

Was there today 5/27. Me, DW, DD8, DD6, and DD2, along with grandparents. We split into two groups. Me, DW, DD8, DD6. Other group was DD2 with grandparents.

7:01 - we were standing in line at arches. We were towards the front.
7:22 - they started walking us back.
7:30 - we stopped walking in the slinky dog queue. We were in line now.
7:34 - boarded sdd.
7:38 - stopped walking in the sdd queue after getting back in line. Posted wait time was 15 mins.
7:56 - boarded sdd.
Line was growing so we went to saucers now and rode with our other group.
8:03 - in line for saucers.
8:06 - boarded saucers.
8:07 - in line for saucers.
8:12 - boarded saucers (had to wait for an extra cycle due to a slow walker in front of us)
8:24 - stopped walking in the tsm queue.
8:26 - boarded tsm.
We were stuck on tsm for about 8 extra minutes as it was broken down. This was very disappointing as we were going to go ride sdd a few more times before rd crowd got there.
8:47 - stopped in the sdd queue.
8:51 - boarded sdd. As we rode we could see the masses had arrived. Probably were let in at 8:45.
8:57 - back in line at saucers.
9:05 - boarded saucers. Was delayed because half of saucers went down.

Then went to breakfast, which was good.
If my counts are correct, we did SDDx3 waiting 4,18,4. SaucersX3 waiting 3,5,8. TSMx1 waiting 2 mins. DD2 rode saucers 9 times and tsm once.

Was it worth it? Probably. Had we gotten 5 SDD instead of 3 then I would say definitely yes. Being stuck on TSM with precious minutes ticking away really was frustrating.

Tip: around 9:10 I asked two different cast members if we could have used our emm bands in the fp+ line up until 9:00. Both said in low tones yes if we asked nicely the CMs would probably have allowed it. Seemed like a ymmv type thing but one they often allow.


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## mykidsmom

Attended this morning, 5/27. 
Arrived at gate right at 7 am. Very easy check-in with backpack. Had plenty of time to walk to get pastries and drinks and back to line up about 7:15. We lined up on right which worked out good for going to SDD first.  I think it was about 7:21 when they let us in.  We were at head of pack to SDD until one of our party stopped at TSM lol to question why we weren’t going there first.   We rode SDD right away and then headed to TSM.  The wait for W&J was about 5 families long and the shortest we would see. Bypassed and was in line for TSM until it came to a stand still about 7:42.  Maintenance issues held us up for 5/10 minutes.  It was about 8 when we left TSM and headed to Alien. No wait at all and my kids all loved it.  Went back to SDD and 15 minute wait.  We were done with this about 8:30. Split up and one party went to SDD and other to alien. Alien party went to line up for RRand it was 8:45. Oops the rope drop people were headed our way and they were insane. It didn’t affect us though as we walked straight on to RR. There was a line but we kept walking until loaded.  We were done at RR at 9:05 and whoa the TOT wait was 95 minutes!  We headed to Star Tours and it was only 5 minutes. Then we got to breakfast about 9:40. It was great!  Plenty of food, places to sit, etc.  They easily took care of the gluten free needs we had also.  So we ride SDDx2, ASSx2, TSM1.  No character stops.  Although this is not as high of a ride count as I was expecting it was very enjoyable and my party of 10 loved it and thought it was worth it!


----------



## Smrtalec33

Did EMM today and it was great. Would do it again in a heartbeat.

Caught 6:19 bus from POR and got there in plenty of time.   I had been stressed about that and actually was in the process of ordering an Uber because there was no upcoming bus shown on the schedule at all, but then one just showed up .

We were in the park around 650 and everyone was directed to breakfast, so we got coffee and pastries before heading to the waiting area.

At 7:22,  they let everyone in and we headed to Toy story land, arriving 7:26. We did toy story mania first (728-740) then alien swirling saucers (742-748) and then slinky dog 4 straight times, with a slightly shorter wait each time.  Entered the line the first time at 7:50 and was on at 8:08. 4th ride entered 8:42, off at 8:50.

We had originally planned Tower of terror prior to breakfast, but changed our mind last night and decided to do rockin roller coaster.
When we got to that area at 9:05, Tower of terror showed a 95 minute wait and rockin roller coaster showed a 45 minute wait.  But, it was   actually only 20 for the coaster,  so we made it to breakfast with plenty of time. They did not stop serving hot food or clear away anything until 10.

And, there were plenty of people there still eating past 10 (someone up thread asked that question earlier).

 Also, I really enjoyed my chilaquiles,  and my daughter’s eggs were fine. 

Again, was very very happy with how this went and would definitely do it again in a second.


----------



## cheshiregoofy22

Thank you for all the updates from today!!!


----------



## love__goofy

With the increased number of tickets sold, do you think it would be possible to be there early, ride SDDx2, then be able to ride TSMx4 before heading over to RR by 8:50?

We don’t have littles anymore.  My youngest is 13 and we are all ultra competitive (in a fun way) on TSM.  We will be a party of 8.


----------



## CaleCakes

Doing this next week on 6/3 with my 3 year old and 20 month old. I'd like to make meeting Woody and Jessie the first stop. Is their lineup well marked? Where abouts when you enter the land?


----------



## SBWB48

cheshiregoofy22 said:


> Wondering how today’s EMM went and if the 7:00 A.M. EMH at AK may have drawn a few folks in that direction who might have purchased this?  We’re booked for May 29th but there are no A.M. EMH at other parks that day.  Wishing for that crystal ball....haha.



We had a great time. Did SDD x3, AS Sx2, TSMM, and Woody/Jessie. We met Woody/Jessie at 7:33 after getting in line at 7:27; there was only one party ahead of us. They walked us back around 7:22.

I think someone upthread mentioned mechanical issues with TSMM. We must have hit the line then (13-15 min wait instead of the typically recorded 5 min; we waited at most 10 for SDD) because that was our longest wait, and we could have probably done it twice if there were no issues since walking the queue takes time as well.


----------



## SBWB48

CaleCakes said:


> Doing this next week on 6/3 with my 3 year old and 20 month old. I'd like to make meeting Woody and Jessie the first stop. Is their lineup well marked? Where abouts when you enter the land?



It’s not marked, but very obvious. Stay to the left as you enter. It is right past TSMM and has a large cutout of all the TS characters with a line formed with umbrellas and rope. The PhotoPass photographer will be standing right there.


----------



## bperk3

Was there yesterday also. We arrived via resort bus from Coronado at 6:40. Made our way to the tapstiles and were the 3rd family in our line. Note, the bathrooms right up near the park entrance are now not accessible, so hit the ones by the buses if you need it (my 10 yr old did).
They opened the tapstiles and let us in around 6:55. I went to line up for access to the land while wife and boys went to get some pastries and juice at Backlot Express. The line-up had changed (apparently I missed that memo). In February the very much “single-file” line was formed in front of the Chinese Theater. Yesterday there was a glob formed in front of the arches to Animation courtyard. Being the second person to arrive there I was told the entrance would be through the main large arch. As the other guests came, it became apparent that all arches would be used. However, they did stagger the release of the arches so that the cast members in front of each archway remained in line. There was no advantage gained by being in the left archway. They began walking us back at 7:20, maybe a couple minutes after I was not looking at watch at that moment.
Our plan was to hit TSM first, so we stayed to the left as the march to the land was happening. Most people headed toward Slinky Dog. We were the first in line for Mania.
After Mania we went to Slinky Dog and waited in line for 17 minutes. Then the 10 yr old finally had to use the bathroom for sure, so we had to head that way.
while we were over there we walked onto Saucers, then returned for 3 more rides on Slinky Dog before the Wave came, they were just coming up over the bridge to SDD as we were getting off the train. We missed one more ride by that much. That was at 8:48 by my watch.
We had no need to visit the characters this time, but the line for Jessie and Woody was not bad as we were walking by, so that would have been when we stopped to see them. Buzz looked like we had a pretty significant line as we were walking by. The Stand-by line for Slinky was all the way back to Animation Courtyard as we were leaving.


----------



## disneyworldsk

bperk3 said:


> Was there yesterday also. We arrived via resort bus from Coronado at 6:40. Made our way to the tapstiles and were the 3rd family in our line. Note, the bathrooms right up near the park entrance are now not accessible, so hit the ones by the buses if you need it (my 10 yr old did).
> They opened the tapstiles and let us in around 6:55. I went to line up for access to the land while wife and boys went to get some pastries and juice at Backlot Express. The line-up had changed (apparently I missed that memo). In February the very much “single-file” line was formed in front of the Chinese Theater. Yesterday there was a glob formed in front of the arches to Animation courtyard. Being the second person to arrive there I was told the entrance would be through the main large arch. As the other guests came, it became apparent that all arches would be used. However, they did stagger the release of the arches so that the cast members in front of each archway remained in line. There was no advantage gained by being in the left archway. They began walking us back at 7:20, maybe a couple minutes after I was not looking at watch at that moment.
> Our plan was to hit TSM first, so we stayed to the left as the march to the land was happening. Most people headed toward Slinky Dog. We were the first in line for Mania.
> After Mania we went to Slinky Dog and waited in line for 17 minutes. Then the 10 yr old finally had to use the bathroom for sure, so we had to head that way.
> while we were over there we walked onto Saucers, then returned for 3 more rides on Slinky Dog before the Wave came, they were just coming up over the bridge to SDD as we were getting off the train. We missed one more ride by that much. That was at 8:48 by my watch.
> We had no need to visit the characters this time, but the line for Jessie and Woody was not bad as we were walking by, so that would have been when we stopped to see them. Buzz looked like we had a pretty significant line as we were walking by. The Stand-by line for Slinky was all the way back to Animation Courtyard as we were leaving.


THank you for the report. I wanted to know at the coronado what time did you get onto the bus please? (we are staying there in august and emm dhs too) and at 8:48 you still had ten minutes so did you leave the land then or do something else?


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## disneyworldsk

my debate is: august. if i do this event it's on aug. 21. i had wanted to do mnsshp 8/20 so really not going to do emm dhs the next morning after that, too early. but i could do halloween friday 8/23 but really didn't want to because it will be more crowded (friday vs. tuesday and getting closer to more people coming to resorts for swe). should i just do mnssshp 8/20 and not do this event at all or do it 8/21 and do halloween 8/23? please help me to decide. thank you.


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## 123SA

I have this planned for two days during our trip...however,  really TOT is our favorite. 

Is it possible to leave Toy Story Land and get to TOT before the masses?  a 90 minute at rope drop..that just really sucks. What time would we need to leave?


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## 123SA

duplicate


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## dachsie

disneyworldsk said:


> my debate is: august. if i do this event it's on aug. 21. i had wanted to do mnsshp 8/20 so really not going to do emm dhs the next morning after that, too early. but i could do halloween friday 8/23 but really didn't want to because it will be more crowded (friday vs. tuesday and getting closer to more people coming to resorts for swe). should i just do mnssshp 8/20 and not do this event at all or do it 8/21 and do halloween 8/23? please help me to decide. thank you.


Because that Friday date is early in the season, I think you would be ok to do the party then and be able to do EMM if you want to do both


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## ninafeliz

disneyworldsk said:


> my debate is: august. if i do this event it's on aug. 21. i had wanted to do mnsshp 8/20 so really not going to do emm dhs the next morning after that, too early. but i could do halloween friday 8/23 but really didn't want to because it will be more crowded (friday vs. tuesday and getting closer to more people coming to resorts for swe). should i just do mnssshp 8/20 and not do this event at all or do it 8/21 and do halloween 8/23? please help me to decide. thank you.


I would do MNSSHP on a Friday and do the EMM also.  Last year the reports often seemed to be that the weekday parties were as bad as if not worse than the weekend parties.  I don't think there would be enough of a difference to only choose based on that, I would choose based on what fit into my schedule.  We went to one of the MNSSHPs right before Halloween last year, I can't remember if it was a Friday or Saturday (but it was definitely one of those days, which traditionally people would think would be a very busy one), and I thought it was fine. Maybe I was prepared for the worst, after reading reviews all season, but we did everything we wanted (and pretty much everything there was for the party) without a problem.


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## bperk3

disneyworldsk said:


> THank you for the report. I wanted to know at the coronado what time did you get onto the bus please? (we are staying there in august and emm dhs too) and at 8:48 you still had ten minutes so did you leave the land then or do something else?


To answer your questions first, we met the bus out at the El Centro stop at 6:31 or so. It is a short ride to DHS from Coronado. More on Coronado buses to help at the bottom. And, we left the land at 8:48 because our Magical Express pickup was 10:45, so we needed to get breakfast and get back to Coronado.

We were Staying in Casitas 3 and always used the bus pickup to parks at El Centro (Lobby). I followed the app for the bus times, and found that the bus usually picked up a couple minutes as it went around the loop of the resort. So, for example, in our room it would say the bus would be there at 7:45, but by the time it was at the El Centro Stop it was most times ahead and likely to be 7:42. I found the buses from Coronado to be really great. The central location of CSR in the Resort Area meant a pretty short trip to all of the parks. And the buses to the parks always make the last stop at El Centro before heading to parks, so it was perfect to grab breakfast items before heading out in the morning.


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## bperk3

123SA said:


> I have this planned for two days during our trip...however,  really TOT is our favorite.
> 
> Is it possible to leave Toy Story Land and get to TOT before the masses?  a 90 minute at rope drop..that just really sucks. What time would we need to leave?


My boys are not big fans of ToT, so that wasn't really in our plans, but I have heard of others that try to do just what you are thinking. In my opinion you would need to leave TSL by 8:40 to get back towards Hollywood Boulevard to make sure you were ahead of the rope drop crowd there. and even then, I am nto sure how far you will get. I noticed cast members on the way in to the EMM that appeared to be blocking off Sunset Blvd. That being said, I cannot confirm that they were still doing that later on. In our case, we would have had to give up at least one, maybe two, rides on Slinky to leave in time to get over there. Up to you whether that is worth it. Doing it for two days, it may very well be worth a shot on one of them.


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## 123SA

bperk3 said:


> My boys are not big fans of ToT, so that wasn't really in our plans, but I have heard of others that try to do just what you are thinking. In my opinion you would need to leave TSL by 8:40 to get back towards Hollywood Boulevard to make sure you were ahead of the rope drop crowd there. and even then, I am nto sure how far you will get. I noticed cast members on the way in to the EMM that appeared to be blocking off Sunset Blvd. That being said, I cannot confirm that they were still doing that later on. In our case, we would have had to give up at least one, maybe two, rides on Slinky to leave in time to get over there. Up to you whether that is worth it. Doing it for two days, it may very well be worth a shot on one of them.




Thanks for your response.  I'll keep following reviews to see how others fare.  Leaving so early seems like a waste of money.  I may have to make my gang decide...rope drop TOT or 2nd EMM...not both.


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## mekay1012

Any updates from todays emm?  I was watching wait times and the longest I saw sdd was 20 minutes and that was at 7:30.  It dropped to 10 minutes later.


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## cheshiregoofy22

We went this morning (5 adults).  Left Pop at 6:30 a.m. arrived at HS gate in about 10 minutes.  Got our wrist bands and menu/info sheet and were in the park at 6:45.  We opted to skip the partial breakfast method and instead were about 10 people back in the arch “smoosh”.  Some folks had formed a single file line and the CM instructed us to all fill in by all the arches.  Not sure those folks were too happy with that.  They walked us back to TSL right at 7:30 a.m. which seemed kinda late as the event is supposed to start then and go to 8:45 a.m. per the handout (for some reason I thought it went until 9:00).  The stroller folks were very determined....  anyway, despite purposeful walking we wound up quite a bit further back and just followed the herd onto SDD.  This was our first time ever in TSL!  We loved SDD!  From the arches to done with first SDD 7:30 - 7:41 a.m. We went right back in line and got on our second ride on at 7:54 a.m.  Went to TSMM.  As many have said, looooong walk thru the building.  Very, very slow loading.  If they have more than one track, they weren’t using it that we could see.  Waited probably 15 minutes in all which seemed crazy.  Decided to skip riding it again because of what seemed like a long wait.  Headed over to ASsaucers.  Walk on.  Cute, very short ride.  Decided to do SDD again.  Rode twice in about 12 minutes total.  Party of five seemed to work well when they split parties odd/even, although we got the front every time!  Was hoping for back or middle at least once.  But no matter, still a lot of fun and an epic view of Galaxy’s Edge.  It was now about 8:45 and we wanted to ride ToT before breakfast so we left TSL...(should have stayed!) and were right at the beginning of the group being held on Sunset near where Starring Rolls used to be.  Waited until 9:00 a.m. and were walked back down Sunset.  When we reached ToT we were told it was down and they had no idea when it would be up.  Would have been nice to know that at 8:45 a.m. when we joined the rope drop for it!  Oh well.  Things happen.  We decided we’d head to breakfast instead and winded our way thru the 9:00 a.m. crowds to Back Lot Express.  Very nice CMs abounded here!  Walked up and ordered tons of food!  I thought the shrimp and grits was delicious, Chilaquiles also delicious!  Chicken and donuts were fine, not our favorite, though my DDs liked the sweet potato tots.  Avocado toast was rather like guac and toast, but it was also enjoyed.  Plenty of pastries out as well and yogurt parfait fixings, cereals and milk, juices, coffee, soft drinks.  Plenty of seating. All refilled often, but we were eating around 9:10 a.m.  We sat around until 10:00 and at that time they swiftly wrapped things up.  We were not interested in meeting characters in TSL, but I did notice at 8:45 a.m. there were about 15 people total in line for Woody and Jesse and maybe 5 total for Buzz.  

Overall, totally worth it!  Even with the TSMM wait and the frustration at ToT... It’s been wicked hot out these past couple days, so being in and out of TSL early was a blessing and we thought breakfast was really good too.


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## pookie73

My first post!  But this thread was so helpful to me, so I’ll chime in. 

We went this morning. My husband, me, and my five “kids,” ages 15-23. We took the bus from Beach Club at 6:55 & arrived at the HS gate by 7:05. Made our way to wait by the the holding place. We stayed to the right, as was suggested. They didn’t let is in until 7:30. We made our way to SDD & was on the 3rd train. Off by 7:40. We ride Aliens once & TSMM once. After a potty break, we went back to SDD & rode it two more times with less than a 10 minute wait for each ride. 

We decided to ride TSMM one more time. As we were near the loading area, they started unloading people & advised us to go do something else because the ride  was down. It was 8:45 by then.  We then decided to go to ToT. We had FP at 3:25, but we were trying to knock it out earlier. Terrible decision. It was craziness once the main park goers got into the park. I was tripped up by a stroller on purpose, and as stated by another poster, they waited to tell us the ride was down once we got to the ride. 

We gave up & went to the yummy breakfast & rested. 

Overall, a great experience. We could’ve ridden SDD four times, if we had not gone to TSMM after our third trip.


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## disneyworldsk

ninafeliz said:


> I would do MNSSHP on a Friday and do the EMM also.  Last year the reports often seemed to be that the weekday parties were as bad as if not worse than the weekend parties.  I don't think there would be enough of a difference to only choose based on that, I would choose based on what fit into my schedule.  We went to one of the MNSSHPs right before Halloween last year, I can't remember if it was a Friday or Saturday (but it was definitely one of those days, which traditionally people would think would be a very busy one), and I thought it was fine. Maybe I was prepared for the worst, after reading reviews all season, but we did everything we wanted (and pretty much everything there was for the party) without a problem.


Yes but what about 8/23 as we get closer to swe. my concern was mostly the resorts will be packed with more of those guests for swe opening and want to do mnsshp on 8/23.


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## ninafeliz

disneyworldsk said:


> Yes but what about 8/23 as we get closer to swe. my concern was mostly the resorts will be packed with more of those guests for swe opening and want to do mnsshp on 8/23.


I wouldn’t overthink which day will be more crowded and do what for my schedule best.  So for me, I would rather do both, and rather get sleep, so I would move MNSSHP.  From following along here it often seems that days people guess will be more crowded vs less crowded are often wrong anyway, and pverall
They are all crowded and busy, so do what works for you.


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## SaintsManiac

disneyworldsk said:


> Yes but what about 8/23 as we get closer to swe. my concern was mostly the resorts will be packed with more of those guests for swe opening and want to do mnsshp on 8/23.




There are still plenty of rooms available. Don't overthink it. Go when it works best for you. 8/23 is a full 6 days before GE opens.


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## 22Tink

So I ended up canceling our EMM because we’re doing AK DAH now and it’s on the same day. How long should I expect before the refund shows up on my credit card? Anyone know?


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## cantwaitvaca09

pookie73 said:


> My first post!  But this thread was so helpful to me, so I’ll chime in.
> 
> We went this morning. My husband, me, and my five “kids,” ages 15-23. We took the bus from Beach Club at 6:55 & arrived at the HS gate by 7:05. Made our way to wait by the the holding place. We stayed to the right, as was suggested. They didn’t let is in until 7:30. We made our way to SDD & was on the 3rd train. Off by 7:40. We ride Aliens once & TSMM once. After a potty break, we went back to SDD & rode it two more times with less than a 10 minute wait for each ride.
> 
> We decided to ride TSMM one more time. As we were near the loading area, they started unloading people & advised us to go do something else because the ride  was down. It was 8:45 by then.  We then decided to go to ToT. We had FP at 3:25, but we were trying to knock it out earlier. Terrible decision. It was craziness once the main park goers got into the park. I was tripped up by a stroller on purpose, and as stated by another poster, they waited to tell us the ride was down once we got to the ride.
> 
> We gave up & went to the yummy breakfast & rested.
> 
> Overall, a great experience. We could’ve ridden SDD four times, if we had not gone to TSMM after our third trip.


With staying at the Beach Club, was the boat not an option? Is that why you had to take the bus? We are staying there in August.


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## JeninTexas

22Tink said:


> So I ended up canceling our EMM because we’re doing AK DAH now and it’s on the same day. How long should I expect before the refund shows up on my credit card? Anyone know?


I did this same thing and it took about two days for the refund to show up on my credit card.


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## 22Tink

JeninTexas said:


> I did this same thing and it took about two days for the refund to show up on my credit card.


Thank you!


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## ColoradoMom12

cantwaitvaca09 said:


> With staying at the Beach Club, was the boat not an option? Is that why you had to take the bus? We are staying there in August.


I’m wondering the same. We are staying there in July.


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## pookie73

cantwaitvaca09 said:


> With staying at the Beach Club, was the boat not an option? Is that why you had to take the bus? We are staying there in August.


We asked the front desk the night before. They said the boats weren’t running that early, but there was a bus specifically for the event picking up at the Beach Club, then stops at the Boardwalk, then it goes to HS. It picked us up at 6:55. We made it in plenty of time. We were waiting at the Chinese theater by 7:15. We could have walked, but it’s been so hot this week, we didn’t want to drain our energy so early.


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## louiesmom

pookie73 said:


> We asked the front desk the night before. They said the boats weren’t running that early, but there was a bus specifically for the event picking up at the Beach Club, then stops at the Boardwalk, then it goes to HS. It picked us up at 6:55. We made it in plenty of time. We were waiting at the Chinese theater by 7:15. We could have walked, but it’s been so hot this week, we didn’t want to drain our energy so early.



Did that bus stop at Sean/dolphin?


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## poetz

pookie73 said:


> We asked the front desk the night before. They said the boats weren’t running that early, but there was a bus specifically for the event picking up at the Beach Club, then stops at the Boardwalk, then it goes to HS. It picked us up at 6:55. We made it in plenty of time. We were waiting at the Chinese theater by 7:15. We could have walked, but it’s been so hot this week, we didn’t want to drain our energy so early.


We did EMM on 5/15 and stayed at Yacht Club. Unless they changed something in the last two weeks, the boats start at 6:30 on EMM mornings. My mother and I were on the first one and watched it come out of the dock behind Epcot along with a second boat that I presume headed straight to HS to start the rotation. We rode with one other couple from Boardwalk and got to HS by about 6:50.

I'm not sure the front desk CMs always know what's going on with the transportation. We asked the boat CMs directly the day before since we were riding that day too.


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## pookie73

louiesmom said:


> Did that bus stop at Sean/dolphin?


No. Ours just picked us up, then stopped at the Boardwalk, then straight to HS. I remember that well because I was so stressed about getting there on time & was hoping it would just get there.


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## pookie73

poetz said:


> We did EMM on 5/15 and stayed at Yacht Club. Unless they changed something in the last two weeks, the boats start at 6:30 on EMM mornings. My mother and I were on the first one and watched it come out of the dock behind Epcot along with a second boat that I presume headed straight to HS to start the rotation. We rode with one other couple from Boardwalk and got to HS by about 6:50.
> 
> I'm not sure the front desk CMs always know what's going on with the transportation. We asked the boat CMs directly the day before since we were riding that day too.


Maybe our front desk CM didn’t have the right info?  We just did what she said & it all worked out, thankfully. I was very stressed about making it on time.


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## houseofmouse5

Is there transportation to EMM from VGF?


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## GADisneyDad14

houseofmouse5 said:


> Is there transportation to EMM from VGF?



Sure, bus to DHS.  Uber/Lyft/Taxi gives you a bit more control in your timing, but bus should be fine if you give yourself enough time.  Either are good options.


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## houseofmouse5

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Sure, bus to DHS.  Uber/Lyft/Taxi gives you a bit more control in your timing, but bus should be fine if you give yourself enough time.  Either are good options.


Thank you. I didn’t know if they started running the buses that early. I thought one of the posts said they didn’t.


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## michelepa

DisneyFamilyof4! said:


> We were there this morning, and it definitely seemed oversold. We did like others suggested and skipped breakfast. They did not walk us back until around 7:45. We rode TSM first thinking slinky would slow down. BIG MISTAKE. Slinky was at a 45 minute posted wait when we got off. We rode Alien Saucers next. When we got off, slinky was at 35 minutes. We actually waited 25. We only had time to ride each ride once (rider swapped slinky though) and take a picture in front of the Toy Story sign. Super disappointed. I would suggest going to slinky first if that’s your priority.



Disappointing -sounds like Disney greed has gotten to this event too and they are selling more tickets than the land and breakfast can handle 

Sorry to hear you had a bad experience. I would definitely contact Disney about this.


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## jhoannam

michelepa said:


> Disappointing -sounds like Disney greed has gotten to this event too and they are selling more tickets than the land and breakfast can handle
> 
> Sorry to hear you had a bad experience. I would definitely contact Disney about this.


I hope people are contacting Disney and reporting their bad experiences. I would have asked for a refund. They lost 20% of the time at the beginning, sounds like they were probably having technical difficulties but that’s still unacceptable.


----------



## Madame

cantwaitvaca09 said:


> With staying at the Beach Club, was the boat not an option? Is that why you had to take the bus? We are staying there in August.





pookie73 said:


> We asked the front desk the night before. They said the boats weren’t running that early, but there was a bus specifically for the event picking up at the Beach Club, then stops at the Boardwalk, then it goes to HS. It picked us up at 6:55. We made it in plenty of time. We were waiting at the Chinese theater by 7:15. We could have walked, but it’s been so hot this week, we didn’t want to drain our energy so early.


Boats were running for May 20th EMM.  Starting between 6:30-6:40.


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## mykidsmom

pookie73 said:


> We asked the front desk the night before. They said the boats weren’t running that early, but there was a bus specifically for the event picking up at the Beach Club, then stops at the Boardwalk, then it goes to HS. It picked us up at 6:55. We made it in plenty of time. We were waiting at the Chinese theater by 7:15. We could have walked, but it’s been so hot this week, we didn’t want to drain our energy so early.


This is so interesting because the Yacht Club told us no bus ever to HS!  I also got very conflicting information about the boat being available that early.  2 people told us no 1 told us yes.  So we decided to walk.  The boat showed up when it was too late for us to turn around and grab it.  It passed us and honked its horn at us  and I think it passed us coming back too haha!  The walk really wasn't bad.


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## disneyfan150

pookie73 said:


> Maybe our front desk CM didn’t have the right info?  We just did what she said & it all worked out, thankfully. I was very stressed about making it on time.


We are staying at YC in July and have EMM scheduled.  I called YC and was also told that the boats did not run that early.  She had me on hold and checked with someone to answer my question.  She said to speak with the concierge when we arrived about the bus.


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## disneyfan150

mykidsmom said:


> This is so interesting because the Yacht Club told us no bus ever to HS!  I also got very conflicting information about the boat being available that early.  2 people told us no 1 told us yes.  So we decided to walk.  The boat showed up when it was too late for us to turn around and grab it.  It passed us and honked its horn at us  and I think it passed us coming back too haha!  The walk really wasn't bad.


This would have really irritated me. I'll do whatever I need to do, but I really wish the information was reliable.


----------



## Doberge

Report from 6/3 with myself, wife (DW), 3 year old daughter tall enough for Slinky, and 11 month old baby who could only ride MM. Hopefully this helps people with a baby worrying about getting enough done. My apologies for not having more definitive times, at any time I was either dragging a three year old, carrying a baby, or both!

Drove from Beach Club to HS and parked around 6:40, we were the sixth car in standard so we had a great spot to exit at end of the night (left car at HS during day, used friendship boats for travel to nap). Check in was flawless.

Herd was beginning to congregate at entrance to Animation Courtyard just after 7 so we went straight there because we'd read that sometimes groups are sent back early. Because they moved us through Animation Courtyard entrance there was little need to strategize strollers beyond remembering to keep left as you approach the land to get to stroller parking just inside land to the left. 

We were brought back just after 7:30. Daughter and I went to Slinky, wife and baby went to Midway Mania. Slinky posted wait time was 15 minutes by time we got there. Waited about 10 minutes. 3 year old was pretty scared and chose to not ride this again.

After our first ride, daughter and I went from Slinky to Alien Saucers, which was a walk on with 5 minute post. After's wife's first ride on Midway Mania, she and baby got in line for Woody and Bo. Daughter and I joined them after Saucers. Family pics. It was about 8:15 at this point. 

We all walked to Jessie line and wife and daughter rode Saucers while baby and I waited in line for Jessie. They probably could have ridden Saucers again because Jessie wait was about 10-15 minutes at this point. 

After Jessie, I took baby and daughter to Midway Mania where we walked right on; wife went alone to Slinky. When we finished it was about 8:50 and the land was still not open to rope droppers so we could have each managed another ride, but we were satsified and went to Buzz queue by 8:55; we were second in line and he came out at 9:10.

So with a baby and challenge that we couldnt ride all Slinky and Saucers together, we all still managed to ride everything once and see all characters before rope drop. And we could have squeezed an extra ride or three had we better utilized "one parent wait in line for pictures, other parent rides strategy" and also jumped in line right before crowds. And if we didn't want to see characters at all it would have been even easier. 

We finished with breakfast, which was itself super efficient. No lines after 9:20. 

One couple wife spoke to said they estimated crowd was about double what it was when they did this same event in November.


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## Doberge

We asked the Cast Member at checkin about boats and she said they begin 45 minutes before opening (the standard modus operandi). Cast Member education on the issue sounds inconsistent.


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## EEva

Doberge said:


> After our first ride, daughter and I went from Slinky to Alien Saucers, which was a walk on with 5 minute post. After's wife's first ride on Midway Mania, she and baby got in line for* Woody and Bo.* Daughter and I joined them after Saucers. Family pics. It was about 8:15 at this point.
> wife spoke to said they estimated crowd was about double what it was when they did this same event in November.


Hold the phone! Woody meets with Bo Peep now?!? I sure hope this goes through mid-July.
I assume Woody and Bo are where he met with Jesse. Can you tell us where Jesse is meeting solo?


----------



## MeeskaMooska13

mykidsmom said:


> Attended this morning, 5/27.
> Arrived at gate right at 7 am. Very easy check-in with backpack. Had plenty of time to walk to get pastries and drinks and back to line up about 7:15. We lined up on right which worked out good for going to SDD first.  I think it was about 7:21 when they let us in.  We were at head of pack to SDD until one of our party stopped at TSM lol to question why we weren’t going there first.   We rode SDD right away and then headed to TSM.  The wait for W&J was about 5 families long and the shortest we would see. Bypassed and was in line for TSM until it came to a stand still about 7:42.  Maintenance issues held us up for 5/10 minutes.  It was about 8 when we left TSM and headed to Alien. No wait at all and my kids all loved it.  Went back to SDD and 15 minute wait.  We were done with this about 8:30. Split up and one party went to SDD and other to alien. Alien party went to line up for RRand it was 8:45. Oops the rope drop people were headed our way and they were insane. It didn’t affect us though as we walked straight on to RR. There was a line but we kept walking until loaded.  We were done at RR at 9:05 and whoa the TOT wait was 95 minutes!  We headed to Star Tours and it was only 5 minutes. Then we got to breakfast about 9:40. It was great!  Plenty of food, places to sit, etc.  They easily took care of the gluten free needs we had also.  So we ride SDDx2, ASSx2, TSM1.  No character stops.  Although this is not as high of a ride count as I was expecting it was very enjoyable and my party of 10 loved it and thought it was worth it!


When you stopped for “quick pastries”, did they have any that were gluten free?


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## RachaelA

Doberge said:


> Report from 6/3 with myself, wife (DW), 3 year old daughter tall enough for Slinky, and 11 month old baby who could only ride MM. Hopefully this helps people with a baby worrying about getting enough done. My apologies for not having more definitive times, at any time I was either dragging a three year old, carrying a baby, or both!
> 
> Drove from Beach Club to HS and parked around 6:40, we were the sixth car in standard so we had a great spot to exit at end of the night (left car at HS during day, used friendship boats for travel to nap). Check in was flawless.
> 
> Herd was beginning to congregate at entrance to Animation Courtyard just after 7 so we went straight there because we'd read that sometimes groups are sent back early. Because they moved us through Animation Courtyard entrance there was little need to strategize strollers beyond remembering to keep left as you approach the land to get to stroller parking just inside land to the left.
> 
> We were brought back just after 7:30. Daughter and I went to Slinky, wife and baby went to Midway Mania. Slinky posted wait time was 15 minutes by time we got there. Waited about 10 minutes. 3 year old was pretty scared and chose to not ride this again.
> 
> After our first ride, daughter and I went from Slinky to Alien Saucers, which was a walk on with 5 minute post. After's wife's first ride on Midway Mania, she and baby got in line for Woody and Bo. Daughter and I joined them after Saucers. Family pics. It was about 8:15 at this point.
> 
> We all walked to Jessie line and wife and daughter rode Saucers while baby and I waited in line for Jessie. They probably could have ridden Saucers again because Jessie wait was about 10-15 minutes at this point.
> 
> After Jessie, I took baby and daughter to Midway Mania where we walked right on; wife went alone to Slinky. When we finished it was about 8:50 and the land was still not open to rope droppers so we could have each managed another ride, but we were satsified and went to Buzz queue by 8:55; we were second in line and he came out at 9:10.
> 
> So with a baby and challenge that we couldnt ride all Slinky and Saucers together, we all still managed to ride everything once and see all characters before rope drop. And we could have squeezed an extra ride or three had we better utilized "one parent wait in line for pictures, other parent rides strategy" and also jumped in line right before crowds. And if we didn't want to see characters at all it would have been even easier.
> 
> We finished with breakfast, which was itself super efficient. No lines after 9:20.
> 
> One couple wife spoke to said they estimated crowd was about double what it was when they did this same event in November.


Buzz isn’t meeting during EMM anymore?


----------



## StlZNF

We are currently booked to go tomorrow morning 6/5.  I know there are many others here planning to go...anyone thinking about canceling?  (I'm assuming I could still cancel?)  DH and DS are not thrilled about getting up so early...trying to convince them it will be worth it.


----------



## NJlauren

Doberge said:


> Report from 6/3 with myself, wife (DW), 3 year old daughter tall enough for Slinky, and 11 month old baby who could only ride MM. Hopefully this helps people with a baby worrying about getting enough done. My apologies for not having more definitive times, at any time I was either dragging a three year old, carrying a baby, or both!
> 
> Drove from Beach Club to HS and parked around 6:40, we were the sixth car in standard so we had a great spot to exit at end of the night (left car at HS during day, used friendship boats for travel to nap). Check in was flawless.
> 
> Herd was beginning to congregate at entrance to Animation Courtyard just after 7 so we went straight there because we'd read that sometimes groups are sent back early. Because they moved us through Animation Courtyard entrance there was little need to strategize strollers beyond remembering to keep left as you approach the land to get to stroller parking just inside land to the left.
> 
> We were brought back just after 7:30. Daughter and I went to Slinky, wife and baby went to Midway Mania. Slinky posted wait time was 15 minutes by time we got there. Waited about 10 minutes. 3 year old was pretty scared and chose to not ride this again.
> 
> After our first ride, daughter and I went from Slinky to Alien Saucers, which was a walk on with 5 minute post. After's wife's first ride on Midway Mania, she and baby got in line for Woody and Bo. Daughter and I joined them after Saucers. Family pics. It was about 8:15 at this point.
> 
> We all walked to Jessie line and wife and daughter rode Saucers while baby and I waited in line for Jessie. They probably could have ridden Saucers again because Jessie wait was about 10-15 minutes at this point.
> 
> After Jessie, I took baby and daughter to Midway Mania where we walked right on; wife went alone to Slinky. When we finished it was about 8:50 and the land was still not open to rope droppers so we could have each managed another ride, but we were satsified and went to Buzz queue by 8:55; we were second in line and he came out at 9:10.
> 
> So with a baby and challenge that we couldnt ride all Slinky and Saucers together, we all still managed to ride everything once and see all characters before rope drop. And we could have squeezed an extra ride or three had we better utilized "one parent wait in line for pictures, other parent rides strategy" and also jumped in line right before crowds. And if we didn't want to see characters at all it would have been even easier.
> 
> We finished with breakfast, which was itself super efficient. No lines after 9:20.
> 
> One couple wife spoke to said they estimated crowd was about double what it was when they did this same event in November.


This is very helpful!  5 year old and 13 month old when we go in August!

Thank you!  Also Bo and Woody!!  Ekkk excited


----------



## Jessirip

Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to post your experiences as it is so helpful.  We are going 6/12 and will report back also.   Taking our 4 & 7 year old and really looking forward to SDD!


----------



## Doberge

EEva said:


> Hold the phone! Woody meets with Bo Peep now?!? I sure hope this goes through mid-July.
> I assume Woody and Bo are where he met with Jesse. Can you tell us where Jesse is meeting solo?



I'm unsure exactly where everyone used to be, but Woody and Bo ("new" Bo in her Toy Story 4 outfit) meet just outside Midway Mania entrance.

Solo Jesse is on the back wall that'll be to Galaxy's Edge, between the restrooms and Saucers.



RachaelA said:


> Buzz isn’t meeting during EMM anymore?



At least on our day, Buzz was not out until after park opening. Location was in front of entrance to Land, on opposite side from queue for Slinky Dog that runs down right side. When we returned that night he was moved into land and across the walkway with his back to Skinky coaster. Approximately across from stroller parking.


----------



## ml sumner

We went this morning, 6/5/19. We drove to Hollywood Studios and got in the park quickly. We were walking in by 7:10. They route you around to the left trying to encourage the breakfast, we declined and went on to stand in the group, which was 7:16 at that time. They did not let us back to toy story Land until 7:27. We walked fast but no running and went straight for Slinky dog dash. Our wait for the first ride was 12 minutes. We then walked over to alien swirling saucers and got on with no wait,  we then rode toy story mania and walk through the line with no wait. We went back to Slinky dog dash and the wait time was 25 minutes posted, I timed it and it took  17 minutes to get back on. We then went back to toy story mania and rode again. When we got off the ride it was 8:47 so we started leaving toy story land and ran into buzz coming out to the front and grabbed a picture with him just as the mass of crowds was coming in. So all in all for our hour and 15 minutes we got Slinky dog dash twice, toy story mania twice, and alien swirling saucers once. We did not take any bathroom breaks during this time or any sightseeing or waiting for characters. Woody and Bo Peep kept a line and it got longer toward the end of the event. The breakfast was fine and you can get as much as you want. I will say the moment the park opened Slinky dog became a 2 hour wait, so I'm guessing a very busy day. My family enjoyed the event and felt it was worth it, but would not do it again. On a side note we were at Hollywood Monday night and got in line for Slinky Dog at 8:40 with a 9:00 closing, the wait time read 60 minutes, but we were on in 24 minutes. This ride in my opinion is so much better at night when all the lights are on and the track is lit up. If you get a chance to ride at night around park closing do it, I think they exaggerate the wait times to deter folks.


----------



## dmoneypros

What seems to be the timeline for the technique for TSL --> Rope drop ToT and RnRC --> Breakfast...This possible? 

Is there enough time to hit both ToT and RnRC from rope drop and have breakfast before 10? or should we go to breakfast before Tower and Rockn?


----------



## princessebird

We (self, DH, and DD 7) went to EMM at TSL today. We left Beach Club at 6:35 and drove to DHS and parked in the first row. We went through security at 6:55. We had our MagicBands scanned, and then were given a wristband. We tapped in at around 7am. We had to walk all the way to Indy and then double back to the arches. I found this irritating; the RealFeel is already around 90—just let us walk as little as possible already! They were strongly encouraging folks to go to breakfast. We went to the arches and were in the second row of families at the big arch. Bathrooms are available at the Brown Derby side doors.

Here’s the run-down of the morning.
7:28 Line started to move and we were marched to TSL
7:33 Got in line for SDD (Posted wait time: 15 minutes)
7:42 Off SDD Ride #1 (Total time: 9 minutes)
7:43 Back in SDD line (Posted wait time: 25 minutes)
8:01 Off SDD Ride #2 (Total time: 18 minutes)
8:02 Back in SDD line (Posted wait time: 25 minutes)
8:26 Off SDD Ride #3 (Total time: 24 minutes)
8:28 Entered TSM
8:41 Off TSM
8:44 AS2 Ride #1
8:49 AS2 Ride #2 (we were allowed to stay in our vehicle)
8:54 Exit AS2 and TSL (passed Buzz with no line, but DD wasn’t interested)
8:55 Passed mass of humanity going to TSL shortly before Buzz

We then did 2 rides on Star Tours. We were hoping for 3, but the line built quickly, I’m guessing in part because RnRC was down (and was down until about noon). We went to breakfast at 9:40. The food was good (well, better than the Fantasyland version) and it was well organized. But we had to stalk to get a table in the AC at that time. At 9:59, they took down one of the milk and juice stations, and a 10 they took down one of the pastry stations. We left at 10:05, and it looked like they were champing at the bit to take everything down ASAP.

My opinion on this event is rather mixed. I was hoping for something more like Fantasyland’s EMM, where the longest we waited for 7DMT was about 10 minutes. In fact, I was pretty irritated that they are marketing short wait times at all. But then we returned to TSL at 10:30 to do a FP+ for TSM (thus only the single ride earlier), and holy guacamole. Talk about insanity. The waits for BOTH SDD and TSM were 120 minutes.

I’m still irritated that they would market this as little wait times. But my kid really wanted to do SDD multiple times. TSL EMM was a way to do this. I would do Fantasyland EMM again in a heartbeat. This one, well, I’d have to think about it.


----------



## 123SA

princessebird said:


> I’m still irritated that they would market this as little wait times. But my kid really wanted to do SDD multiple times. TSL EMM was a way to do this. I would do Fantasyland EMM again in a heartbeat. This one, well, I’d have to think about it.



I think you should send guest services an email with your thoughts.    I think everyone should.  Did you wait less than during regular park hours?  Yes.  But waiting less is not the same as "low wait times".    Anything over 15 minutes is not a low wait.   At these events, I expect to never wait longer than I would during the day with a FP.    With the exception of ride malfunctions and weather delays, and possibly FOP, I've never waited over 15 minutes in a FP line.  The way this event is advertised, over 15 minutes should not be acceptable.


----------



## supergirl04

In anyone’s opinion, is this event worth it? We’re offsite people so I knew I wouldn’t get a FastPass for sdd. I have three kiddos; one who is special needs and in a stroller. I am wondering if we will move too slowly to get any enjoyment from this. I booked with the idea it would be low wait times and we’d be able to ride multiple times. Now I am second guessing it.


----------



## Smrtalec33

supergirl04 said:


> In anyone’s opinion, is this event worth it? We’re offsite people so I knew I wouldn’t get a FastPass for sdd. I have three kiddos; one who is special needs and in a stroller. I am wondering if we will move too slowly to get any enjoyment from this. I booked with the idea it would be low wait times and we’d be able to ride multiple times. Now I am second guessing it.



There are tons of reviews on this thread (many are linked on page 1 of the thread if you don't feel like searching).
I thought it was great and would do it again in a heartbeat.


----------



## Katrina Y

We went to this event this morning, it was a great experience. They walked us into the land at 7:29 am.  We went straight to SDD and got on it around 7:36 am, all three coasters were running. Then we went to TSM and rode 4 times, my 2 sons went back to SDD(around 8:27) and  rode 3 more times, while we stayed on TSM.

Ride summary: kids-4 SDD and 4 TSM, husband- 1 SDD and 7 TSM, me-1SDD, 6 TSM, 1 AS. We still could have probably gone 1 more time on either AS or TSM, but we were content, tired and hungry.

Breakfast was a great experience, you could order all you wanted and they kept the buffet stocked until the end.

Note: SDD was posted at 25 mins the entire event, but my sons rode it 3 times in less then 30 minutes.


----------



## Katrina Y

Smrtalec33 said:


> There are tons of reviews on this thread (many are linked on page 1 of the thread if you don't feel like searching).
> I thought it was great and would do it again in a heartbeat.


We went this morning and had a wonderful experience, but we did go at a quick pace, the TSM queue was very long.

I was trying to reply to supergirl04, sorry I am still new at this.


----------



## Katrina Y

EEva said:


> Hold the phone! Woody meets with Bo Peep now?!? I sure hope this goes through mid-July.
> I assume Woody and Bo are where he met with Jesse. Can you tell us where Jesse is meeting solo?


This morning, Jesse was in front of AS, in the corner past the restrooms. Not many people were in line, I don’t think people realized she was there.


----------



## dachsie

supergirl04 said:


> In anyone’s opinion, is this event worth it? We’re offsite people so I knew I wouldn’t get a FastPass for sdd. I have three kiddos; one who is special needs and in a stroller. I am wondering if we will move too slowly to get any enjoyment from this. I booked with the idea it would be low wait times and we’d be able to ride multiple times. Now I am second guessing it.


I will be doing it for the 3rd time in August.  My second experience wasn't as good as the first but I still feel it was worth it enough to do again


----------



## truetink

dachsie said:


> I will be doing it for the 3rd time in August.  My second experience wasn't as good as the first but I still feel it was worth it enough to do again


We loved it in February - low crowds, low waits.  We did it again in May and it was okay but definitely more crowded and longer waits.  I'm not sure if we would do it again after the second time.  If it was like the first time, we would do it again and again!


----------



## princessebird

123SA said:


> I think you should send guest services an email with your thoughts.    I think everyone should.



I sent Guest Services an email shortly after I posted this. We'll see if they respond.


----------



## Wanna be Ariel

Wow, we are doing this June 17th and I am a little worried that this might not be a good investment.  We have always enjoyed this event at MK and thought we would try HS.  But waiting 20-25 mins for a ride is not a acceptable wait IMO for something I am paying a lot of money for.


----------



## jhoannam

princessebird said:


> We (self, DH, and DD 7) went to EMM at TSL today. We left Beach Club at 6:35 and drove to DHS and parked in the first row. We went through security at 6:55. We had our MagicBands scanned, and then were given a wristband. We tapped in at around 7am. We had to walk all the way to Indy and then double back to the arches. I found this irritating; the RealFeel is already around 90—just let us walk as little as possible already! They were strongly encouraging folks to go to breakfast. We went to the arches and were in the second row of families at the big arch. Bathrooms are available at the Brown Derby side doors.
> 
> Here’s the run-down of the morning.
> 7:28 Line started to move and we were marched to TSL
> 7:33 Got in line for SDD (Posted wait time: 15 minutes)
> 7:42 Off SDD Ride #1 (Total time: 9 minutes)
> 7:43 Back in SDD line (Posted wait time: 25 minutes)
> 8:01 Off SDD Ride #2 (Total time: 18 minutes)
> 8:02 Back in SDD line (Posted wait time: 25 minutes)
> 8:26 Off SDD Ride #3 (Total time: 24 minutes)
> 8:28 Entered TSM
> 8:41 Off TSM
> 8:44 AS2 Ride #1
> 8:49 AS2 Ride #2 (we were allowed to stay in our vehicle)
> 8:54 Exit AS2 and TSL (passed Buzz with no line, but DD wasn’t interested)
> 8:55 Passed mass of humanity going to TSL shortly before Buzz
> 
> We then did 2 rides on Star Tours. We were hoping for 3, but the line built quickly, I’m guessing in part because RnRC was down (and was down until about noon). We went to breakfast at 9:40. The food was good (well, better than the Fantasyland version) and it was well organized. But we had to stalk to get a table in the AC at that time. At 9:59, they took down one of the milk and juice stations, and a 10 they took down one of the pastry stations. We left at 10:05, and it looked like they were champing at the bit to take everything down ASAP.
> 
> My opinion on this event is rather mixed. I was hoping for something more like Fantasyland’s EMM, where the longest we waited for 7DMT was about 10 minutes. In fact, I was pretty irritated that they are marketing short wait times at all. But then we returned to TSL at 10:30 to do a FP+ for TSM (thus only the single ride earlier), and holy guacamole. Talk about insanity. The waits for BOTH SDD and TSM were 120 minutes.
> 
> I’m still irritated that they would market this as little wait times. But my kid really wanted to do SDD multiple times. TSL EMM was a way to do this. I would do Fantasyland EMM again in a heartbeat. This one, well, I’d have to think about it.


NM - I see you emailed Disney GS. Hopefully you hear back.


----------



## mwheatley

Feel free to flame me if this has been answered a million times before:

Any chance EMM at TSL continues after SWGE opens? Or is that in direct conflict with the new extra extra magic hours? 

Our family decided we’d take this year off, but then changed our minds and are planning a last minute sept/oct trip so we’re trying to catch up.


----------



## GPirate

Wanna be Ariel said:


> Wow, we are doing this June 17th and I am a little worried that this might not be a good investment.  We have always enjoyed this event at MK and thought we would try HS.  But waiting 20-25 mins for a ride is not a acceptable wait IMO for something I am paying a lot of money for.



Yeah, we are going on the 17th too.  I’ve been reading reviews to figure out if it’s worth it to keep.


----------



## dachsie

truetink said:


> We loved it in February - low crowds, low waits.  We did it again in May and it was okay but definitely more crowded and longer waits.  I'm not sure if we would do it again after the second time.  If it was like the first time, we would do it again and again!


This is going to be my only time in HS since that and Star Tours are the only rides I even like there.  Going to hop to MK after breakfast


----------



## Mac30188

princessebird said:


> We (self, DH, and DD 7) went to EMM at TSL today. We left Beach Club at 6:35 and drove to DHS and parked in the first row. We went through security at 6:55. We had our MagicBands scanned, and then were given a wristband. We tapped in at around 7am. We had to walk all the way to Indy and then double back to the arches. I found this irritating; the RealFeel is already around 90—just let us walk as little as possible already! They were strongly encouraging folks to go to breakfast. We went to the arches and were in the second row of families at the big arch. Bathrooms are available at the Brown Derby side doors.
> 
> Here’s the run-down of the morning.
> 7:28 Line started to move and we were marched to TSL
> 7:33 Got in line for SDD (Posted wait time: 15 minutes)
> 7:42 Off SDD Ride #1 (Total time: 9 minutes)
> 7:43 Back in SDD line (Posted wait time: 25 minutes)
> 8:01 Off SDD Ride #2 (Total time: 18 minutes)
> 8:02 Back in SDD line (Posted wait time: 25 minutes)
> 8:26 Off SDD Ride #3 (Total time: 24 minutes)
> 8:28 Entered TSM
> 8:41 Off TSM
> 8:44 AS2 Ride #1
> 8:49 AS2 Ride #2 (we were allowed to stay in our vehicle)
> 8:54 Exit AS2 and TSL (passed Buzz with no line, but DD wasn’t interested)
> 8:55 Passed mass of humanity going to TSL shortly before Buzz
> 
> We then did 2 rides on Star Tours. We were hoping for 3, but the line built quickly, I’m guessing in part because RnRC was down (and was down until about noon). We went to breakfast at 9:40. The food was good (well, better than the Fantasyland version) and it was well organized. But we had to stalk to get a table in the AC at that time. At 9:59, they took down one of the milk and juice stations, and a 10 they took down one of the pastry stations. We left at 10:05, and it looked like they were champing at the bit to take everything down ASAP.
> 
> My opinion on this event is rather mixed. I was hoping for something more like Fantasyland’s EMM, where the longest we waited for 7DMT was about 10 minutes. In fact, I was pretty irritated that they are marketing short wait times at all. But then we returned to TSL at 10:30 to do a FP+ for TSM (thus only the single ride earlier), and holy guacamole. Talk about insanity. The waits for BOTH SDD and TSM were 120 minutes.
> 
> I’m still irritated that they would market this as little wait times. But my kid really wanted to do SDD multiple times. TSL EMM was a way to do this. I would do Fantasyland EMM again in a heartbeat. This one, well, I’d have to think about it.



Our experience on 6/55 was almost identical to this.  Great summary.  I would probably not do this again.   The only huge advantage on this particular day is the it allowed you to do it in the morning and avoid the insanely hot 97 degree afternoon sun.  On most days, just not worth it for such a long wait for such a short time period.

Other note, boats were running this morning and we caught the 6:30AM boat from Beach/Yacht club.  THe night before they had indicated the boats would not be running so we were going to walk.  When we saw the boat there just jumped right on.  Dumb luck.

23 minutes and 18 minutes were our two waits for SDD.  Would have done a third time but decided to get at least one ride of TSMM before event ended. 

 IMHO, there are 2 huge problems. 

Problem 1 is actually a statement on how bad the Alien Saucers ride is.   I really was dissapointed how short and unimaginative that ride was.  Walk on for that.  Walk on for TSM.  Pretty much every single person is etiher in line for a character or inline for SDD.

Problem 2 is having 2 events is absolutely worthless because every single person pretty much does the same thing.  Whether they go eat breakfast or coffee before or after, they are generally timing it to be at Toy Story land the second the gates open and go straight for SDD making it a 25 minute wait.


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

It seems with the event ending this summer, and the event sold out for the duration, they don't care about the guest experience any more. Just squeeze as many guests in, and money out, as possible. 

Very sad.


----------



## ellbell

My fastpass day is coming up. If I manage to get a SDD fastpass I will probably cancel this event.  I can't imagine that the experience is going to be very good at this point.


----------



## jhoannam

ellbell said:


> My fastpass day is coming up. If I manage to get a SDD fastpass I will probably cancel this event.  I can't imagine that the experience is going to be very good at this point.


So sad that it's to the point where you can only ride 5 rides. We did MK EMM May 2018, we were able to do 10 rides (8 SDMT). I was looking for a similar experience with HS. 

We have it booked but I will wait until the July reports come in to cancel it.


----------



## kcp6763

Does anyone have recent experience of leaving the event and heading straight to Tower of Terror? I know with decreased capacity lines have been building quickly there. I was wondering how long it really takes to get through this line if you are near the front of the pack? I have fastpass for later but would love to ride twice. We want to be able to make it to breakfast as well though.


----------



## Dracarys

For anyone else who has been wondering about Jedi Training with EMM. We did 6/3 EMM and left around 8:45 to sign up for JT. We made it over there about 8:50 and only waited 15 min to sign up. 9:40 and 11am were full, but we had our pick of the rest. We went with 1:40, which ended up being cancelled due to lightning in the area. They do try to do something special for the kids since they won’t get to fight anyone. They did a photo op with Darth Vader inside Star Tours and let the kids/parents ride Star Tours immediately after. They also still gave the Jedi Training pin. 

Our EMM that day was nice. We (party of 7- 4 adults and 6 yo, 3yo, 2yo) parked at 7am and were in line waiting to enter the land by 7:12. Don’t recall what time they let us in but I think it was a few minutes before 7:30. We stayed to the left to park our stroller, then got in line for TSMM. I think we waited about 15 minutes to get on. Headed over to SDD and the first group rode while I did 2 rides of AS2 with the 2 yo. Then, my husband and I switched and the large group rode SDD 2 more times. My husband, kids, and I left to sign up for Jedi training then while my brother and his wife rode TSMM once more. Rope drop crowd was there when they got off the ride. Breakfast was good. Much better than MK EMM the day before. Kids loved the pastries and blueberries. I would do it again. My brother and his wife hadn’t been to Disney in years, so I was trying to make sure they experienced as much as possible without being in the parks the entire time. We were able to knock out the rest of the park by 3 since we got this land done early. Would have been out sooner if ToT wasn’t acting up and being closed often that day. 

Oh the meet and greets seemed to have changed a bit. Jesse was meeting alone between the bathrooms and AS2. Woody was meeting with Bopeep (in pants) in front of TSMM and we saw Buzz as we were exiting around 8:45.


----------



## GPirate

kcp6763 said:


> Does anyone have recent experience of leaving the event and heading straight to Tower of Terror? I know with decreased capacity lines have been building quickly there. I was wondering how long it really takes to get through this line if you are near the front of the pack? I have fastpass for later but would love to ride twice. We want to be able to make it to breakfast as well though.



 Curious about this too.  Saw a post recently where the wait time for ToT is basically 90 minutes right from the start of rope drop.


----------



## dancergirlsmom

I'm curious about TOT right at rope drop with a FP. Our plan is to head to RNR from EMM then go to TOT.  I have a 9am FP for TOT, then head back for breakfast.  I also  have a FP for RNR later in the afternoon.  That way I figured we were covered if either of them was down at park opening.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

mwheatley said:


> Feel free to flame me if this has been answered a million times before:
> 
> Any chance EMM at TSL continues after SWGE opens? Or is that in direct conflict with the new extra extra magic hours?
> 
> Our family decided we’d take this year off, but then changed our minds and are planning a last minute sept/oct trip so we’re trying to catch up.



With the daily 6am-9am Extra Magic Hours, I'd say EMM will be on hold for the foreseeable future.  I'm sure at some point there will be some kind of new EMM-type event down the road (maybe), but I'm going to peg it as not for awhile.


----------



## princessebird

princessebird said:


> I sent Guest Services an email shortly after I posted this. We'll see if they respond.



Well, it's been 4 days since I wrote Guest Services about it, and I haven't heard anything back. As an aside, my 7 year old kept a little notebook of how long we waited in each line during our 9 day trip. The 24 minutes we waited for SDD during EMM was the third longest wait of our trip (longest was a 34 minute wait for FoP using FP after it had been down for 4 hours and second longest was an ill-advised 27 minute standby wait for iasw). *Caveat: She's 7 and she used her fitbit to measure from when we stepped in line to when we got to the ride vehicle or first preshow. This wasn't scientific; it was meant to be an activity to keep her entertained while we waited in line.


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## snoopy352

We did this one week ago today on June 3.  Let in at 7:29 am - waited 15 mins for SDD (longest wait on the entire trip but we are savvy with lines). Then did TSMM. After that, my DW was winded (she had a scooter but didn't use it in the line). Told her to take scooter in line. We then were able to stay on the ride without getting off three straight rides for a total of 4 at TSMM.  Went back to SDD and rode it twice with very little waits.  Could have ridden it again with virtually no wait as the rope droppers were filing in about two minutes later. But we had enough at 7 total rides.  One note: the back of the line at SDD after rope drop was outside TSL!

Breakfast was smooth and delicious! Way better than I was expecting!

I recommend this event but it's volatile - had one of the tracks been down at SDD or had we not been able to ride TSMM without getting off and boom it would have not been worth it.  But for us to knock out DHS in two hours made it worth it as we don't care about anything else in the park other than the Lightning McQueen show, which we did after breakfast.


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## Kmc330

We did EMM on Monday, June 10 and had a great time!  Here’s the timeline for our party of 5 (me, DH, DS14, DS8, DD5):
6:27 bus from caribbean beach (time wasn’t posted - guessed based on previous reviews - thx!) 
6:41  arrive!  Grabbed snacks and headed back. 
7:26  walk into TSM queue (long walk but walked onto ride)
7:40 leave TSM (Fun!)
7:42 enter SDD for first time!
8:01 exit SDD (this line SEEMED long and I was ready to be annoyed based on recent reviews but there were 3 cars running and the line moved along)
8:02 back in line for SDD
8:20 off SDD #2
8:22 in line for A$$ 
8:30 off A$$ - we had to wait one cycle
8:31 back in line for SDD #3 
8:44 I walked into TSM line with DS8 and DD5 for 2nd time and DH and DS14 walked over to ToT. Note that they were too late for TofT - was posted 20 when they arrived but jumped to 75 while in line and they bailed.  They wend to RNRC, jumped on, then met us for breakfast by 9:30.  
Overall - happy we did it.  3xs on SDD, 2xs on TSM, 1x on A$$ (no photos or meandering).  My husband is NOT a disney fan and this is our 2nd trip (he didn’t come with me and kids on first trip last year) and even HE said it was worth it after seeing the sea if humanity walking in for SDD rope drop.  
Really appreciate everyone who has left reviews and helped me plan!


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## Wanna be Ariel

Kmc330 said:


> We did EMM on Monday, June 10 and had a great time!  Here’s the timeline for our party of 5 (me, DH, DS14, DS8, DD5):
> 6:27 bus from caribbean beach (time wasn’t posted - guessed based on previous reviews - thx!)
> 6:41  arrive!  Grabbed snacks and headed back.
> 7:26  walk into TSM queue (long walk but walked onto ride)
> 7:40 leave TSM (Fun!)
> 7:42 enter SDD for first time!
> 8:01 exit SDD (this line SEEMED long and I was ready to be annoyed based on recent reviews but there were 3 cars running and the line moved along)
> 8:02 back in line for SDD
> 8:20 off SDD #2
> 8:22 in line for A$$
> 8:30 off A$$ - we had to wait one cycle
> 8:31 back in line for SDD #3
> 8:44 I walked into TSM line with DS8 and DD5 for 2nd time and DH and DS14 walked over to ToT. Note that they were too late for TofT - was posted 20 when they arrived but jumped to 75 while in line and they bailed.  They wend to RNRC, jumped on, then met us for breakfast by 9:30.
> Overall - happy we did it.  3xs on SDD, 2xs on TSM, 1x on A$$ (no photos or meandering).  My husband is NOT a disney fan and this is our 2nd trip (he didn’t come with me and kids on first trip last year) and even HE said it was worth it after seeing the sea if humanity walking in for SDD rope drop.
> Really appreciate everyone who has left reviews and helped me plan!


Thank you for the recap.  WOW SDD wait still seems a little long for this paid event   We are doing this on June 17th.  I thought I might cancel, but I think we are gonna try our luck and see what happens.  Little sad we wont get to do TOT at rope drop.  That wait time will not get us to breakfast in time.


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## M SH

From all recent reports, it seems that the most you can get out of this event is 2 or 3 SDD rides, if you want to do TSMM and AS2 at least once. I don't think this can be compared to MK EMM where you can get much more rides on SDMT. That's just the way it is.
If you want to stand in line for characters, you will be lucky to get once on each ride.

As a previous poster here mentioned, this event is seeing its last days, at least in the current format, and Disney doesn't care much for the guest experience at this point. They are trying to squeeze as much as possible. I don't blame them; I would just choose not to spend my money on this.


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## djc9699

Even with only 2 or 3 rides on SDD and a ride or two on TSM, I would still pay for this event. In one hour you are riding a ride 3 times or more that outside of this event you likely could not do but once in that same amount of  time and having an advantage to jump on TOT or RNRC with a low wait, plus getting breakfast.  To me the draw is high and we do this every trip we can. Just being in the park before the rope drop crowd and not having to weave through the huge mass of people in TSL is worth it to me. Of course, I am only paying for 3 people and they are older, so if you have a larger family or little ones that can't ride SDD it is tougher decision, I'm sure.


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## CaleCakes

We did this on 6/3 and I thought it was well worth it. We also did MK EMM on 6/4 and would do that again in a heart beat. I went with my father (66), DS (3.5) and DD (1.5). We took the boat from Beach Club at 6:37 and was at HS by 6:48. We went to get juices/coffees and a snack before lining up for the land. I'd say we were at the back of the pack getting into the land. According to my time stamps on pictures we walked by Little Mermaid at 7:25, and got in line for Woody and Bo at 7:35 and saw them by 7:47. From there we went to Alien and waited 1 cycle. We were spinning at 7:56. After some discussion with DS about seeing Jessie, he decided against it so my dad took DS on Aliens again while DD and I waited for Jessie. Jessie "checked on Bullseye" for less than 5 minutes while we were in line and DD was getting an autograph by 8:15. At 8:20 DS and I went on SDD. The wait time I believe said 15 minutes but it did not feel that long. Somewhere between 8:20 and 8:50 we rode slinky 2 times and walked over to TSMM. TSMM line moved quick and we were blasting things by 8:54. We certainly weren't rushing through this event and took our time taking pictures and seeing the set ups. By the time we got back to the giant Woody it was 9:13 and the line for SDD was stretched almost to Little Mermaid. I didn't check the wait time but I imagine it was over 90 mins (and it was already over 90 degrees outside). We stopped to see Buzz and even after he left for a "recharge" we were done with pics by 9:35. DS hooked me for a $30 slinky toy and we were off to breakfast eating at 9:54. So I would say 2x SDD, 2x Aliens, 1xTSMM, and all 4 characters in less than 2 hours is pretty good and worth the cost. Just to see TSL without floods of people was worth it to me. I didn't even expect ti ride SDD because I assumed my DS would be afraid but he loved it (and SDMT several times over the next few days).  I think if you go with the expectation to ride everything at least once, or maybe twice if you don't want to do characters, then it is worth it. I wouldn't want to ride the same thing 7 or 8 times in a row personally. I would have probably done TSMM once more to actually see what was happening instead of focusing on getting a high score. I felt like it was a lot of work


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## magicmountainmama

We have this booked for July 1, but the recent reviews have me questioning if I want to keep it.  We have FP+ for SDD that evening at 7:30...do you guys think we (family of 5) would be able to do all of Toy Story Land in the last hour-ish of the day?  How busy does the land feel in the evening?  We don't really care about seeing the fireworks, would rather ride rides right up til the end!


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## mekay1012

We are doing this tomorrow. What should we plan to do first?


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## Katrina Y

mekay1012 said:


> We are doing this tomorrow. What should we plan to do first?


We did this on June 5th. We went to SDD 1st (we were at the front of the crowd) then left and went to TSM and rode several times with no wait, went back to SDD at 8:27 and rode 3 additional times. Left the land around 9:05 and went to breakfast.


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## Lop460

Based on the recent reports I was a little concerned and almost cancelled my reservation for Monday, 6-10. We ended up doing it and I was glad we did. We stayed off property this trip so slinky dog was impossible to get a FP so that was my main reason for this event. They let us walk back about 7:20 - 7:25. We were in the frontish part of the pack. We did SDD once then went to Alien Swirling Saucers once since SDD was up to probably 20 min. We then went to Toy Story Mania, rode it once then we were allowed to stay on a second time since no one was in line. Rode it a second time then went back to slinky dog for two rides. Third wait time was 5-10 min on SDD. We could have walked on slinky dog again with a max 5 min wait but the kids wanted to do Toy story Mania again. When we finished that at 8:55, people were already lined up back outside of toy story land entrance. We were then able to hit rock in Rollercoaster for one ride in standby and then made breakfast at 9:40 - 9:45. Kids ate almost nothing (picky eaters) we kind of sucked ours down fast then headed out of the park for the day. 

In the end it was worth it for me. The food aspect was no real value for us as the kids usually eat cereal and neither of us are really breakfast people. We basically did it for SDD. It’s not something I’d do on the regular but for what I was looking to accomplish it worked.  If I would’ve been staying on site and was able to get SDD fast passes I wouldn’t have done the event. But for what I saved staying off site, I could’ve bought specialty tickets like this for each park and still come out ahead. I did get after hours for MK also for the week.


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## mekay1012

Not sure if this is old news, but they told us this morning that they sell 875 tickets for EMM.


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## Chiasgirl

We also attended on June 3rd. Just as we were about to board SDD (745ish?), a guy getting off the train dropped his sunglasses in the track. This caused a delay as maintenance had to come and retrieve them. This took 12 minutes and definitely contributed to a backlog. 

One other piece of information - my son and I have a wheat allergy and eat GF when traveling. (It seems to be less confusing for cast members.). We were able to have anything at the breakfast with some modifications. It took quite a while to receive our food. Maybe 20 minutes?  They also had Kinnikinnick donuts and Udi’s blueberry muffins. I would not plan to grab pastries before heading back to the land. I think the whole process would take too long.


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## Smrtalec33

M SH said:


> From all recent reports, it seems that the most you can get out of this event is 2 or 3 SDD rides, if you want to do TSMM and AS2 at least once. I don't think this can be compared to MK EMM where you can get much more rides on SDMT.



 I did this two weeks ago and got 4 rides on slinky dog and one on the other two.


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## houseofmouse5

For those of us going on SDD first do you recommend staying to the right entering TSL?
It sound like strollers are on the left.


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## Jfsag123

I cancelled my reservation for this based on recent reports here. I hated to do it as DS loves Toy Story and we’re staying at BWI so it’d be easy to get to. However, we’ve got FP for SDD twice on our trip already and I couldn’t continue to justify the cost for what it sounds like we’ll be getting. We’ll also want to meet the characters and it doesn’t sound like this saves much time in line on that anyway, so we might as well just see everything during regular hours.


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## Chiasgirl

Definitely stay to the right. They will filter you over there and tell you to stay under the green umbrellas. Also be sure to line up at the middle arch.


houseofmouse5 said:


> For those of us going on SDD first do you recommend staying to the right entering TSL?
> It sound like strollers are on the left.


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## Shadet

We did this today...6/12.  They walked us back at 7:20. We were on SD at 7:36!  It was great in our opinion!  Slinky Dog 1x (15 min)...TSMM 2x (no wait and didn't leave cart for 2nd ride)...SD 3x (12 min, 5 min, 5 min)...Alien Saucers 1x (no wait).  Other options as well. We never felt rushed and we were walking to bfast at 8:55ish. Wifey LOVED this bfast over the MK EMM yest. Shrimp n grits, Chicken n cronuts, mexican eggs...all very good!  Note - we did not waste time meeting characters...longest lines were for them in my opinion.


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## mekay1012

We went today (6/12). I think it was worth it. We were let in a little before 7:30. We were walking off our first sdd ride at 7:33. We walked over to tsm and rode that twice. We headed back to sdd around 8:15 and rode it 3 more times (done around 8:45). We could have ridden another time but decided to go do a picture instead. We saw Woody right 7:30 but then he was gone by 7:45 and we never saw him out again (they told us he was doing a photo shoot for his movie premier. We never saw Jessie but we didn’t look for her. We got in line for Buzz as the masses were coming with only one or 2 families in front of us. As we were walking out the line for sdd was all the way out to Voyage of the little mermaid and people were still getting in line. I thought the breakfast was good. Nothing special, but it was good.


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## Ruth B

Hi. We are doing this in Aug with our 5 and 11 year old. We tend to use a buggy for our 5 year old as she gets tired in the park. 
What is the best way to do this with a buggy. We would aim to hit SD first. 

Would it be best to leave the buggy and head to the right as we enter. 

Any advice would be great 

Many thanks


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## princessebird

Ruth B said:


> Would it be best to leave the buggy and head to the right as we enter.



We didn't have a stroller, but there was an official looking CM who went into the crowd at the arches and was explicitly telling folks with strollers NOT to go left upon entering the land if they wanted to do SDD. She said "you will lose your spot in line if you do that" and told everyone to keep to the right and there would be other CMs helping them take the strollers. We went to SDD first, and plenty of strollers stayed to the right, and at some point, they went off to the left very slightly and entered back in the line, but it didn't look easy. That point in the line was a bit of a kerfuffle. If you could manage the morning without the buggy, it would likely be easier.


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## Smrtalec33

Ruth B said:


> Hi. We are doing this in Aug with our 5 and 11 year old. We tend to use a buggy for our 5 year old as she gets tired in the park.
> What is the best way to do this with a buggy. We would aim to hit SD first.
> 
> Would it be best to leave the buggy and head to the right as we enter.
> 
> Any advice would be great
> 
> Many thanks



I used a stroller for my six-year-old for our recent trip, but the only time I did not use one was for this early morning magic. It just didn’t seem worth the trouble.   My recommendation would be just to skip it for this event, and if you are staying at the park, getting it after breakfast.


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## Kdunmire6

Went to book online EMM at TSL for 6/26 and the next few weeks are booked solid. I called to see if a CM could see anything different and they said it's a very popular event. I realize you can cancel up to a day before. But has anyone had any experience in booking it last minute? I'm wondering if we should just not worry about and go with a different plan.


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## Alison S

Kdunmire6 said:


> Went to book online EMM at TSL for 6/26 and the next few weeks are booked solid. I called to see if a CM could see anything different and they said it's a very popular event. I realize you can cancel up to a day before. But has anyone had any experience in booking it last minute? I'm wondering if we should just not worry about and go with a different plan.



You should just keep checking multiple times a day.  People are always changing their plans.


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## mekay1012

Alison S said:


> You should just keep checking multiple times a day.  People are always changing their plans.


We went yesterday and it was originally sold out. I think they opened up more spots closer to the day of.


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## disneyfan150

How early are you actually able to enter the park for EMM lately?


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## mekay1012

disneyfan150 said:


> How early are you actually able to enter the park for EMM lately?


I think we got in around 6:45 or so.


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## tookydo

dancergirlsmom said:


> I'm curious about TOT right at rope drop with a FP. Our plan is to head to RNR from EMM then go to TOT.  I have a 9am FP for TOT, then head back for breakfast.  I also  have a FP for RNR later in the afternoon.  That way I figured we were covered if either of them was down at park opening.


We did the event on the 12th.  Our plan was to rope drop ToT before heading to breakfast. We joined the masses at about 8:50.  Let me preface by saying we were 2 adults and 3 teenagers.  We sort of weaved our way through the gift shop on the left which put us near the front of the crowd but at 9:00 we were held until the main crowd was even to us.  That’s when I lost our 3 teenagers. Once at the restrooms just before the right turn to ToT, there was a rope a crossed the walkway with one small opening. It was the mother of all bottlenecks essentially pushing a mass of people to a single file line.  My friend and I watched as the wait time went to 45 and we weren’t far back from the rope.  We never made it to the opening in the rope.  We bailed when it hit 90 minutes as we knew at that point we’d miss breakfast.  My teenagers were able to ride and arrived at breakfast about 20 minutes after we did.  My son said they had to do a lot of “bobbing and weaving” to get to the rope entrance.  If I did the event again, I would not attempt to rope drop ToT or RnR.


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## captaindavidhook

Will they not be offering during labor day weekend? Is it because the opening of star wars galaxy edge? Boo if so lol


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## elgerber

captaindavidhook said:


> Will they not be offering during labor day weekend? Is it because the opening of star wars galaxy edge? Boo if so lol


HS already opens at 6 am on Labor Day weekend, so there would not be a time for the EMM.


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## captaindavidhook

elgerber said:


> HS already opens at 6 am on Labor Day weekend, so there would not be a time for the EMM.


That makes sense , so toy story land will b open....I wonder what the lines will b like for sdd


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## snoopboop

We did this on Wednesday, June 12. Walked in to the park at 7:03am, arrived at the Backlot Express at 7:09, walked in to Toy Story Land at 7:35, got right in line for Slinky, and didn't board until 7:57. :-( We headed to TSM next and rode that twice, and by that time it was 8:30. Wanting to RD either ToT or RnRC, we headed out of Toy Story Land, and unfortunately were apparently given some inaccurate directions by a Cast Member, as we stood with the general RD crowd while we watched (what appeared to be) other EMM guests walking in a separate group towards those attractions. 

So... one ride on SDD with a 20+ minute wait, two rides on TSM, and a failed rope drop... I would NOT do this again. :-(


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## mekay1012

snoopboop said:


> We did this on Wednesday, June 12. Walked in to the park at 7:03am, arrived at the Backlot Express at 7:09, walked in to Toy Story Land at 7:35, got right in line for Slinky, and didn't board until 7:57. :-( We headed to TSM next and rode that twice, and by that time it was 8:30. Wanting to RD either ToT or RnRC, we headed out of Toy Story Land, and unfortunately were apparently given some inaccurate directions by a Cast Member, as we stood with the general RD crowd while we watched (what appeared to be) other EMM guests walking in a separate group towards those attractions.
> 
> So... one ride on SDD with a 20+ minute wait, two rides on TSM, and a failed rope drop... I would NOT do this again. :-(


We were there that same morning. We were at the front of the crowd and we’re walking off of sdd at 7:33. We then rode tsm twice and went back to sdd around 8:15. We waited about 20 minutes for that second ride, but after that, the line dropped to about 10 minutes.


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## snoopboop

mekay1012 said:


> We were there that same morning. We were at the front of the crowd and we’re walking off of sdd at 7:33. We then rode tsm twice and went back to sdd around 8:15. We waited about 20 minutes for that second ride, but after that, the line dropped to about 10 minutes.



I'm fully aware that we just had the bad luck of the draw with our timing (arrival at the park was dictated by resort transportation, and we grabbed a few cold items from the restaurant - totally skipped the hot items as we wanted to eat quickly and get to the land)... Somehow our timing was all off and I get that, but I guess my feeling is that for the money one pays for this event, it shouldn't matter WHAT your timing is - you should never have to spend over 20 minutes (that's over 1/4 of the total time for the event) in line for one ride. I have no idea whether there were technical issues or whether speculation that they've upped the number of tickets for the event is correct - whatever it is, our experience with this event was not a positive one.


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## Ferrentinos

We have this booked for the end of August - right before SGE opens - my DH will be the only one to ride SDD - should he ride the other two rides with myself and DD8 first and then head to SDD or is it best for him to ride SDD first?  It seems like people report lower waits later into EMM for SDD - DD8 and I will ride the other two rides and do the character meets - as long as we can do each ride once and meet the characters I know we'll be happy - I just would hate for DH to spend the majority of the time in line for SDD as we went last fall during AM EMH and he spent the entire hour waiting for SDD as it was down during most of EMH.  He was super bummed because he didn't get to ride either of the other two rides during EMH.


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## tarak

Here now.  Things were great until just now. SDD is down and they’re evacuating the ride.  We were just about to ride for the second time.  If it hadn’t broken down, we would have ridden SDD twice and TSMM once in the first 45 minutes. I’m not wanting to be a jerk about it because it’s not the cast members fault, but I plan to ask for FPS to make up for it if it doesn’t come back online during our time here.

ETA: we’re told our wristbands will work as FP until 10:30.  That’s fair assuming the ride goes up at some point, although it won’t work for some folks who have other plans.  We still haven’t had breakfast, since that runs until 10.  Going on midway mania now.


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## NJlauren

I’m really debating if I’m keeping this or not.

It’s early which originally when planning this trip I didn’t think was an issue, but now they have been sleeping later.  But I want early morning because of the heat. 

Then with all the reviews lately maybe it better to just get a FP for SDD, especially since I’ve got a baby that we will need to have one parents waiting with for most rides.... I’m having a big struggle with this.


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## tarak

Update - slinky dog is back up and our bands are good until noon, I believe for the whole area and not just SDD.  We’re heading over for breakfast and then will come back and ride until the teenagers finally wake up and join us.


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## sequoia 14

We attended today as well (6/17). It was frustrating to have SDD go down twice (at the opening of the event and then the middle when my DH was in line) but extending our access until noon as the poster above stated really helped us feel that we received value for money. We have 4 under 4 (to include 2 babies) so my husband and I usually have to take turns taking our older daughters on rides. It was nice that each of us were able to ride the rides with them. In the end we met Jessie & Woody/ Bo Peep, rode the saucers x 3, TSM x2 , SDD x1 and SDD x2 after the event. It wasnt particularly relaxing but it was way better than the mass of people + the 3 hr wait for SDD, 2 hr wait for TSM and 1 hr wait for aliens we saw when we came back into the land at 1030. So for our family's needs it was worth it.


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## VAfamily1998

tarak said:


> Update - slinky dog is back up and our bands are good until noon, I believe for the whole area and not just SDD.  We’re heading over for breakfast and then will come back and ride until the teenagers finally wake up and join us.


When you say your "bands are good", do you mean they give you some type of priority in the regular line?  Like a fast pass?   Thanks!


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## tarak

VAfamily1998 said:


> When you say your "bands are good", do you mean they give you some type of priority in the regular line?  Like a fast pass?   Thanks!



Yes. The green wristbands we were given at the beginning worked as a FastPass for SDD until noon. All told, we rode TSMM four times and SDD four times.  It’s a cute ride, but I was feeling a bit nauseous after so many go arounds.  We got breakfast around 9:45. It was really good. My daughter just had the chicken with the donuts and she was happy with that. I had the chilequiles and really liked it. I was so stuffed, though, I couldn’t bring myself to go right back and ride SDD right away, so we rode star tours, which had a half-hour wait.  SDD went down again for weather maybe 20 minutes before noon, so we decided to bag it. 

All told, it was worth it for me because the response to the ride closure was appropriate.  If it hadn’t gone down, we never would have ridden SDD that often as it was taking about 15 minutes to get through the line.  TSMM was a walk-on pretty much throughout.  We didn’t bother with the alien saucers because I’m not too fond of that sort of spinning ride. I feel bad for anyone who wasn’t able to make the extended FP work with their schedule.


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## kwiatamanda

We were also there on 6/17.  They walked us into Toy Story Land at about 7:20.  We went on SDD first.  While waiting in line about 5 minutes, they announced it was down.   We took a chance and waited and they restarted after just a few minutes.  We rode it once and then headed to meet Jessie and ride Alien Swirling Saucers.  Then, we rode TSM once and headed back over to SDD.  Got in line and then it closed down again.  This time we got right out of line and headed back to do TSM again.  SDD was still down, so we got in the line for Woody and Bo Peep with about 10 families ahead of us.   While in line, we heard others talking about how our bands were extended until 10:30.  We would have not known this if I had not overheard them talking about it.  A little while later, someone said they had changed the extension until noon.  We were still in line for Woody and Jessie at 8:50 when the massive crowd came in.  We headed to eat breakfast right after that.  Then we had a fast pass for Star Tours and stopped to see BB8.  Wasn't in a huge rush because we figured that the fast pass line for SDD would still be 20 minutes since the Standby line was so long.  When we got to SDD, we found out that it only took us about 7 minutes in between rides.  The people in line in front of us were on their 7th SDD ride already. We rode SDD two more times and then a downpour of rain hit while we were riding, and it was almost noon.  Felt rather guilty riding it again in front of the people who had waited two hours to ride with the threat of lightning looming any second. We also had a fast pass for SDD later.  All in all we ended up riding SDD 3 times plus once more with our fast pass, TSM two times, Alien Swirling Saucers once, and met Woody, Jessie and Bo.  We could've probably done Buzz too, but it was starting to rain and my kids were satisfied with getting the other 3 characters.  Breakfast was good.  All in all I'd say it was worth it because of the extension until noon.  If I would not have heard the others talking about it in line though, it would have been pretty disappointing.


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## Boardgaming

I tried to get a reservation and it is showing as full. Has anyone had any luck getting reservations after they have sold out? Do people typically cancel so other slots will open or do you know if Disney adds slots closer to the date?


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## AdrianneB

Boardgaming said:


> I tried to get a reservation and it is showing as full. Has anyone had any luck getting reservations after they have sold out? Do people typically cancel so other slots will open or do you know if Disney adds slots closer to the date?


I picked up a 7:00 am reservation for 3 for the EMM on 6/10 after the event had already shown as "sold out" 31 days beforehand. Bookmark the page and take a look every day or so. People do cancel their reservations (as evidenced on this thread).


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## kwiatamanda

Boardgaming said:


> I tried to get a reservation and it is showing as full. Has anyone had any luck getting reservations after they have sold out? Do people typically cancel so other slots will open or do you know if Disney adds slots closer to the date?


I got our reservation for 5 on 6/17 after it had already been showing sold out for a couple of weeks.  I just kept checking every couple days.


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## Jessirip

We attended TS EMM on 6/12 and had a great time.  There was 4 of us which includes a 7 year old and a 4 year old.  Here's how the gist went:


We woke around 6:15am at POFQ which was later than I had wanted, but we had done MK EMM the previous day and were a little tired.   This was the 2nd full day of our vacation though so still had some excited energy to use.   Just as we were all together I saw on the app that a bus had just left for HS around 6:45.  We headed that way and I kept checking the app and screens for when the next available bus would come, but it remained at "No Times Available".  We stayed at the bus stop for a good 10 minutes (approaching 7am) when I got nervous enough to say forget it and requested a Minnie Van.  (We need a car seat still for the 4 year old).  We got picked up around 7:10?  And made it to HS right at 7:30.  Wasn't stressing as the Minnie Van driver was quick and kind and got us there asap.  (Later we would pass another family in SDD line that opted to remain and wait for the bus... they got to HS about 7:45 which we figured worked out to $26 for one more ride on SDD).

This may be a great time to arrive, because we had absolutely no one around when we walked in.   There was no mass of people to wait in like the previous day with MK EMM.  We just walked in, were given our bands and told to have a great time.  Walking into TSL was like we had the place to ourselves, everyone was already in line.  It was still too early to even eat a pastry for us, so we took some photos and ooohed and awed at how stikin' cute this land is!  

Though I knew heading to SDD first might mean longer wait times, we did it anyway.  We had passed right by the stroller parking at the entrance of TSM however and started to head back, but a super nice cast member at the entrance to SDD offered to take it to the exit of SDD for us, so we hopped out right there and got in line.  The wait time posted was 25 minutes, but we were on and off in less than that.  All of us LOVED it.  When we exited the stroller was parked so nicely with some others and out of the way that we just opted to leave it there for the whole event.  This worked out great!  

We headed to Alien SS next which was a walk on.  It was fun and silly but, couldn't see waiting in a long line for it.  The kids begged to do SDD again (3rd time), so we did.  Jessie was meeting by the wall for Aliens and our 7 year old was dressed like her so I knew I needed a photo.  The line was about 5-6 families long.  Our 4 year old boy didn't want to meet Jessie so we rode Aliens again while DH waited in line with our daughter to meet her favorite cowgirl.  As soon as we were walking off Aliens they were wrapping up their meet and it was about 8:45.  

I knew at this point we had time for just one more thing until the RD hoards came.  We hadn't done TSM yet, but we loved SDD so much, that was the winner.  So we got in line.  This was an awesome time to ride because we both walked on and got a birds eye view of the huge mass of people walking in for RD.  So much fun and I wished I had my phone out to take a photo.  Walking off and having our stroller right there was amazing also.  We strapped the kids in and headed to TSM.  EMM was over, but we joined the RD crowd for this one and were out by 9:30.

From there we headed straight to breakfast which felt like a rush and a hike.  But it was worth it.  The food is really good.  We had the Avocado toast (DH didn't like the lemony taste but I loved it), kids chicken and donuts, shrimp and grits (very good), and the egg thing with the tortilla strips which was my fave.  At 9:45-9:50 they were not really replenishing the pastries etc. on the buffet but the entrees were all delicious.  

So though not that much:
SDD X4
Aliens X2
Jessie X1

I still thought this was worth it.  I didn't find it to be oversold (supposedly it was sold out this day) and it was great to do all this first thing in the morning before typical Florida afternoon rain storms.  I probably wouldn't do it again because for us the main draw would be SDD, and we have now done it plenty.  But I am so glad we did it this once. 

Some tips:
- Don't stress about being there to walk in with the masses at 7:25.  We still had a great time and a much better entry experience by getting to the park at 7:30. 

- Park your stroller by the exit to SDD if you want that to be your last hurrah!

- Don't worry too much about beating the RD crowd out of TSL.  They pretty much all stay to the left and immediately line up at SDD.

- Put the kiddos on the right when loading into SDD.  This ride photo is from the side and it makes for a better shot of the little ones.  

If you are going have a great time!


----------



## Wolfli

Jessirip said:


> We attended TS EMM on 6/12 and had a great time.  There was 4 of us which includes a 7 year old and a 4 year old.  Here's how the gist went:
> 
> 
> We woke around 6:15am at POFQ which was later than I had wanted, but we had done MK EMM the previous day and were a little tired.   This was the 2nd full day of our vacation though so still had some excited energy to use.   Just as we were all together I saw on the app that a bus had just left for HS around 6:45.  We headed that way and I kept checking the app and screens for when the next available bus would come, but it remained at "No Times Available".  We stayed at the bus stop for a good 10 minutes (approaching 7am) when I got nervous enough to say forget it and requested a Minnie Van.  (We need a car seat still for the 4 year old).  We got picked up around 7:10?  And made it to HS right at 7:30.  Wasn't stressing as the Minnie Van driver was quick and kind and got us there asap.  (Later we would pass another family in SDD line that opted to remain and wait for the bus... they got to HS about 7:45 which we figured worked out to $26 for one more ride on SDD).
> 
> This may be a great time to arrive, because we had absolutely no one around when we walked in.   There was no mass of people to wait in like the previous day with MK EMM.  We just walked in, were given our bands and told to have a great time.  Walking into TSL was like we had the place to ourselves, everyone was already in line.  It was still too early to even eat a pastry for us, so we took some photos and ooohed and awed at how stikin' cute this land is!
> 
> Though I knew heading to SDD first might mean longer wait times, we did it anyway.  We had passed right by the stroller parking at the entrance of TSM however and started to head back, but a super nice cast member at the entrance to SDD offered to take it to the exit of SDD for us, so we hopped out right there and got in line.  The wait time posted was 25 minutes, but we were on and off in less than that.  All of us LOVED it.  When we exited the stroller was parked so nicely with some others and out of the way that we just opted to leave it there for the whole event.  This worked out great!
> 
> We headed to Alien SS next which was a walk on.  It was fun and silly but, couldn't see waiting in a long line for it.  The kids begged to do SDD again (3rd time), so we did.  Jessie was meeting by the wall for Aliens and our 7 year old was dressed like her so I knew I needed a photo.  The line was about 5-6 families long.  Our 4 year old boy didn't want to meet Jessie so we rode Aliens again while DH waited in line with our daughter to meet her favorite cowgirl.  As soon as we were walking off Aliens they were wrapping up their meet and it was about 8:45.
> 
> I knew at this point we had time for just one more thing until the RD hoards came.  We hadn't done TSM yet, but we loved SDD so much, that was the winner.  So we got in line.  This was an awesome time to ride because we both walked on and got a birds eye view of the huge mass of people walking in for RD.  So much fun and I wished I had my phone out to take a photo.  Walking off and having our stroller right there was amazing also.  We strapped the kids in and headed to TSM.  EMM was over, but we joined the RD crowd for this one and were out by 9:30.
> 
> From there we headed straight to breakfast which felt like a rush and a hike.  But it was worth it.  The food is really good.  We had the Avocado toast (DH didn't like the lemony taste but I loved it), kids chicken and donuts, shrimp and grits (very good), and the egg thing with the tortilla strips which was my fave.  At 9:45-9:50 they were not really replenishing the pastries etc. on the buffet but the entrees were all delicious.
> 
> So though not that much:
> SDD X4
> Aliens X2
> Jessie X1
> 
> I still thought this was worth it.  I didn't find it to be oversold (supposedly it was sold out this day) and it was great to do all this first thing in the morning before typical Florida afternoon rain storms.  I probably wouldn't do it again because for us the main draw would be SDD, and we have now done it plenty.  But I am so glad we did it this once.
> 
> Some tips:
> - Don't stress about being there to walk in with the masses at 7:25.  We still had a great time and a much better entry experience by getting to the park at 7:30.
> 
> - Park your stroller by the exit to SDD if you want that to be your last hurrah!
> 
> - Don't worry too much about beating the RD crowd out of TSL.  They pretty much all stay to the left and immediately line up at SDD.
> 
> - Put the kiddos on the right when loading into SDD.  This ride photo is from the side and it makes for a better shot of the little ones.
> 
> If you are going have a great time!


 Thanks for the review ! We are doing EMM on 6/26 and I trying to keep my expectations at 1 ride on each and a character .


----------



## Di$neyCPA

We also attended on 6/17, similar experience to others with SDD down a lot.because DW is not anride person, she would wait in lines for characters while I took DS8 and DD7, so we managed all 3 characters plus rides. In all, we did SDD x2, AS x2 and TSMM x2. We were finishing with Buzz when the the rope droppers arrived - cost of admission might have been worth it just for ability to walk around TSL without crowds.
During breakfast, the GET blue shirts were walking around- probably because of issues with SDD. We explained that extending use of wristbands didn’t help us because we had FPs stacked in late morning at other end is Sunset Blvd. they gave each of our group 1 anytime, any ride FP to compensate.
When DW went to guest relations late for unrelated matter, she provided feedback also and they gave us 2 additional anytime FP good for next day. Overall, seeing we got enough time in TSL to try everything, decent breakfast, and 3 FP each (which alone cost $50/person if you stay in club level), it was a good value but an experience I also wouldn’t need to do again.
2 quick notes for others-
A) they were giving out granola bars at Andy’s Lunch Box, in addition to drinks, which was good because we didn’t get food before rides.
B) we don’t eat meat, but they happily made me a charcuterie plate with extra salmon and no meat, which made for a satisfying breakfast.


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## magickingdomprincess

We were at the 6/12 EMM.  We arrived later than I wanted at 7:30 but it was fine because we just walked right in.  Got in line for SDD and waited about 20 min.  Rode AS next which was pretty much a walk on.  Headed back to SDD and waited 20 min.  We split up next, DD6 and I rode SDD again and again (4 times actually), DH and Ds8 rode AS and TSMM.  I was surprised that the RD crowd didn't seem to hit till 9.  DD6 and I rode TSMM next, waited about 15 minutes while DH and DS rode ST.  We met up at breakfast about 9:30.  We all really enjoyed it, I really liked the egg/sausage/tortilla bowl.  It was different and tasty!  The cold selections were good but cleaned up pretty promptly at 10.

Overall we really enjoyed the event!  At first I wasn't sure with the longish waits for SDD, but by the end getting 6 rides in on SDD and the other rides too I'd say we got our money's worth!  The kids (and parents too!) liked Slinky so much we came back at the end of the night to ride one more time right before closing!


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## Erikbo16

Are all the characters out from 7:30?


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## NicholeB630

tookydo said:


> We did the event on the 12th.  Our plan was to rope drop ToT before heading to breakfast. We joined the masses at about 8:50.  Let me preface by saying we were 2 adults and 3 teenagers.  We sort of weaved our way through the gift shop on the left which put us near the front of the crowd but at 9:00 we were held until the main crowd was even to us.  That’s when I lost our 3 teenagers. Once at the restrooms just before the right turn to ToT, there was a rope a crossed the walkway with one small opening. It was the mother of all bottlenecks essentially pushing a mass of people to a single file line.  My friend and I watched as the wait time went to 45 and we weren’t far back from the rope.  We never made it to the opening in the rope.  We bailed when it hit 90 minutes as we knew at that point we’d miss breakfast.  My teenagers were able to ride and arrived at breakfast about 20 minutes after we did.  My son said they had to do a lot of “bobbing and weaving” to get to the rope entrance.  If I did the event again, I would not attempt to rope drop ToT or RnR.



This is sad. I was hoping we could book it to RNR so we could ride before leaving HS and heading to AK.  We saved our FP for AK.


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## GADisneyDad14

Erikbo16 said:


> Are all the characters out from 7:30?



That is generally when they have been coming out, from reports.  Give or take a few mins.


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## GPirate

I also did the event on 6/17.  Won’t go into too much detail because it’s mostly the same as the others.  We stopped at Backlots first and had breakfast.  Walked into TSL around 7:30.  As others said, SDD was down for a while during the event.  However, we still managed to ride SDD x 2, TSMM x 2, and Saucers x 2.  Also met Jessie and Buzz.  Line was long for Woody and Bo, so we skipped.  Then proceeded to the Mickey and Minnie meet and greet which were maybe 5 minute wait.  Also happened to catch Pluto as he was setting up for meet and greets so we were 2nd in line for that.

I heard about the wristbands working as FPS until around 10, but didn’t know about the extension.  Though we probably wouldn’t have used it anyway.  

Overall, I thought it was worth it.  Got to ride everything twice with little to no wait and enjoyed the breakfast.  And aside from TSL, not much else to keep my kids attention at HS.


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## MeeskaMooska13

Kmc330 said:


> We did EMM on Monday, June 10 and had a great time!  Here’s the timeline for our party of 5 (me, DH, DS14, DS8, DD5):
> 6:27 bus from caribbean beach (time wasn’t posted - guessed based on previous reviews - thx!)
> 6:41  arrive!  Grabbed snacks and headed back.
> 7:26  walk into TSM queue (long walk but walked onto ride)
> 7:40 leave TSM (Fun!)
> 7:42 enter SDD for first time!
> 8:01 exit SDD (this line SEEMED long and I was ready to be annoyed based on recent reviews but there were 3 cars running and the line moved along)
> 8:02 back in line for SDD
> 8:20 off SDD #2
> 8:22 in line for A$$
> 8:30 off A$$ - we had to wait one cycle
> 8:31 back in line for SDD #3
> 8:44 I walked into TSM line with DS8 and DD5 for 2nd time and DH and DS14 walked over to ToT. Note that they were too late for TofT - was posted 20 when they arrived but jumped to 75 while in line and they bailed.  They wend to RNRC, jumped on, then met us for breakfast by 9:30.
> Overall - happy we did it.  3xs on SDD, 2xs on TSM, 1x on A$$ (no photos or meandering).  My husband is NOT a disney fan and this is our 2nd trip (he didn’t come with me and kids on first trip last year) and even HE said it was worth it after seeing the sea if humanity walking in for SDD rope drop.
> Really appreciate everyone who has left reviews and helped me plan!


We also did this event on 6/10. We weren’t as successful as you, though. We got there before 7:00 am. Rode SDD twice (then my party had to have a potty break along with a pressed penny stop. Huge mistake -  it took up 10 valuable minutes). We then rode A$$ but had to wait a cycle.  By the time we rode TSMM twice (did not have to get off in between) it was already 8:50. We made the mistake of then going to ToT - wait said 40 but ended up being 75 so we totally missed breakfast.  So, we made a couple of mistakes (one small, one HUGE). Having said that, I feel like only getting to ride an attraction 5 times during the event wasn’t enough (even if we got to eat breakfast) for me to want to do it again.  I am not writing this to complain - I am only presenting this so that people don’t make the same mistakes we did.


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## bellepepper

Hi!
Did anyone go to EMM yesterday morning and have feedback re: crowd level and wait times?
I’m going for the first time next week and am curious if the crowds for EMM have picked up further into summer. 

Also have a few other questions —

To confirm-  Jessie is meeting near swirling saucers, woody and bo peep near TSMM, and buzz near the entrance to TSL? And they are usually scheduled to be out during EMM?

If a main priority after EMM is over is to meet Mickey/Minnie and Mike/Sulley, which do you suggest getting in line for first? 
For each set of characters mentioned above, is it one line to meet both of them or  separate lines? 

For the incredibles dance party, can you just do that or do you have to pass through all of the other incredibles stuff for the kids to be able to participate?

Thank you in advance! This info will really help me with my planning for my young nieces.


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## GPirate

bellepepper said:


> Hi!
> Did anyone go to EMM yesterday morning and have feedback re: crowd level and wait times?
> I’m going for the first time next week and am curious if the crowds for EMM have picked up further into summer.
> 
> Also have a few other questions —
> 
> To confirm-  Jessie is meeting near swirling saucers, woody and bo peep near TSMM, and buzz near the entrance to TSL? And they are usually scheduled to be out during EMM?
> 
> If a main priority after EMM is over is to meet Mickey/Minnie and Mike/Sulley, which do you suggest getting in line for first?
> For each set of characters mentioned above, is it one line to meet both of them or  separate lines?
> 
> For the incredibles dance party, can you just do that or do you have to pass through all of the other incredibles stuff for the kids to be able to participate?
> 
> Thank you in advance! This info will really help me with my planning for my young nieces.



I attended on 6/17.  We did not meet Mike/Sully, but we did meet Mickey/Minnie.  We left TSL shortly after 9, just after they let everyone in.  We casually walked toward the Mickey/Minnie meet and greet and it was only a 5 minute wait.  For that one, it is just one line.  When you enter the building, you go into a room with Minnie.  After you are done with photos/autographs, you proceed down a hallway to another room with Mickey.


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## smitty0705

If tix are sold out to the August date I’m interested in, are we out of luck or is it possible more tickets could be released?


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## EEva

bellepepper said:


> Hi!
> Did anyone go to EMM yesterday morning and have feedback re: crowd level and wait times?
> I’m going for the first time next week and am curious if the crowds for EMM have picked up further into summer.
> 
> Also have a few other questions —
> 
> To confirm-  Jessie is meeting near swirling saucers, woody and bo peep near TSMM, and buzz near the entrance to TSL? And they are usually scheduled to be out during EMM?
> 
> If a main priority after EMM is over is to meet Mickey/Minnie and Mike/Sulley, which do you suggest getting in line for first?
> For each set of characters mentioned above, is it one line to meet both of them or  separate lines?
> 
> For the incredibles dance party, can you just do that or do you have to pass through all of the other incredibles stuff for the kids to be able to participate?
> 
> Thank you in advance! This info will really help me with my planning for my young nieces.


Hello,
We are also hoping to meet Mike/Sulley soon after our EMM in July. I believe that meet doesn't open until 10am. So we are planning to head over after eating breakfast.


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## disneyfan150

What is the best time to leave TSL if I am headed to RnRC or ToT after EMM? Will I merge with the regular RD at some point?


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## disneyfan150

Sorry!  I am starting to worry about our EMM day.  We arrive in two weeks.  I plan on skipping the pastries at first or just grab something quickly on my way the the holding point.  I plan to arrive  at HS at 6:45 and be as close to the front of the pack as possible.  It will only be DD 18 and me.

Should we:
go directly to SDD X1
A$$ X1
TSM X2
SDD until I have to leave

Head to RnRc at ??
Breakfast


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## jhoannam

disneyfan150 said:


> Sorry!  I am starting to worry about our EMM day.  We arrive in two weeks.  I plan on skipping the pastries at first or just grab something quickly on my way the the holding point.  I plan to arrive  at HS at 6:45 and be as close to the front of the pack as possible.  It will only be DD 18 and me.
> 
> Should we:
> go directly to SDD X1
> A$$ X1
> TSM X2
> SDD until I have to leave
> 
> Head to RnRc at ??
> Breakfast


That’s our plan, but only if we get there early and towards the front of the line.


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## jhoannam

smitty0705 said:


> If tix are sold out to the August date I’m interested in, are we out of luck or is it possible more tickets could be released?


Let’s hope they don’t release more tickets. People usually cancel a few days before the event. Keep checking.


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## MeeskaMooska13

disneyfan150 said:


> What is the best time to leave TSL if I am headed to RnRC or ToT after EMM? Will I merge with the regular RD at some point?


I would suggest not trying to do ToT (see my previous post on page 180) if they are still running only half of the elevators. We left EMM at 8:50 and that was too late to do ToT and have breakfast.


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## Wolfli

Hi

We did EMM Toy Story Land today, with 2 kids who aren’t big riders and 2 grandparents who get dizzy!

We loved it. We skipped initially breakfast and sat on the wall to the left of the archways. We took the time before the land opened to have quick snack and put on lots of sunscreen! 

We were let into the land about 7:25, rode SDD with no wait, rode AS2 (and could have stayed on the entire time of EMM had we wanted), met Jessie, rode TSM with no wait (but long walk to the actual ride), met Buzz, got the photopass picture at the entrance. At that point, it was about 8:25.  We debated waiting in the line for Woody and could have done so, but my son really wanted to go sign up for Jedi training, so we casually walked through empty Hollywood Studios to sign up for Jedi training (all spots were still available). Then we rode Star Tours, ate breakfast and met Olaf with no wait. 

Not a huge ride total, but we moved slowly, enjoyed the empty park and did every single thing we wanted. I would do it again in a second.


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## rspencer38

Really hoping to get Aug 12th, gotta keep checking and hope someone cancels.


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## mmackeymouse

I'd love to get Post-EMM strategy from ppl who have been recently. We are a party of 4 Adults, 2 children.

Based on the following attractions: RnR (2 or 3 of the adults) ToT (all adults) Mickey and Minnie, Mike and Sulley, Jedi Trials Signup (for 1 of the kids), Post-EMM breakfast. 

We do have some FPs already set up, but those are flexible shows, so I'm not figuring them into the equation right now. I know you almost have to RP ToT, but Mike and Sulley is a long wait if you don't get there first thing at 10. It just seems like a lot of stuff to do early; what and how would you prioritize?


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## ekendall2

Update from Early morning magic on June 17....

6:00 Took first bus from ASM. 
6:15 Arrive at secruity
6:35 security opens
6:40 got wristband
6:49 entered the park
6:52 at quick breakfast
7:13 in line at rope drop
7:18 rope drops

Everything was going great until this point.  At 7:20 we entered the SDD line, waited about 5 minutes, and it went down.  We got out of line and did Saucers and TSM.

7:45 - got back in line for sdd
7:55 - got on sdd...and rode half of it.  Had to get escorted off at the go section.  Gave us a fast pass that was good for the whole day. 
8:00 - 8:30 - Rode TSM and Saucers numerous times...SDD Still closed

At this point, i was getting pretty frustrated.  I talked to an employee who told us we could use our wristbands to do fastpass until 10:30. 

8:40 ish - we signed my son up for Jedi Training, plenty of spots available.  short line. 

8:50 - At breakfast.  We all thought that the breakfast was very good.  We ordered numerous entrees between all of us and felt that the food was very good.  I especially enjoyed the shrimp and grits. 

9:05 - Was notified by an employee that SDD had just opened. 
9:15 - 10:00 - Rode SDD 6 times.  Couldve ridden until 10:30 but we had fastpasses for star tours that ended at 10:40. 

My takes....

1.  It was not super crowded.  I was very pleased with the crowds. 
2.  If SDD Wouldve been open for the entire event, this ticket totally wouldve been worth the price.  The employees, breakfast, and experience was top notch. 
3.  Breakfast was very good and there seems to be something for everyone. 
4.  Thank God they let us use the wristbands until 10:30, i think there would've been some unhappy people.  Including me. 
5.  If you have the money, do it.  That being said, if it came down to doing this or an extra park day, I would chose the extra park day.

we did have an employee tell us we could use the wristbands until 12, but we werent sure at the accuracy of this.  We felt getting to ride it 6 times, was getting our money's worth.


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## tookydo

smitty0705 said:


> If tix are sold out to the August date I’m interested in, are we out of luck or is it possible more tickets could be released?


Just got two tickets today for 8/7 which was previously sold out.  I would just periodically check and got lucky today.  People cancel/change plans all the time.  Good luck.


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## huckabear

EMM in TSL on 6/24 - it was so much fun and worth the money!   

Arrived just after 7am on a bus from CBR - no issues!  Walked right in and was herded over to the breakfast area by 7:15. I would have been fine just going to wait to get into TSL but DH insisted on COFFEE.  DS shoved 6 pastries down his throat and off we went.  They had already opened so we headed to SDD and waited about 10 minutes.  Rode Aliens, another SDD (less than 10 minutes) and then went to TSM.  After that, it was a 2 minute wait for SDD.  We loved it!  Kids were not interested in character meet and greets - so we didn't spend any time on that.  We could have squeezed our 5th ride on SDD but kids were hungry so we walked out of TSL just as rope droppers were coming in.  Stopped for a photo in front of the TSL sign and then went to breakfast which really needs to be talked about - it was delicious.

The hot food choices were delicious!  Shrimp and grits...yum!  I was really impressed.  I loved this just as much as EMM in FL - different experiences but wonderful.  One of the best parts of our trip!


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## beourguest2009

We did early morning magic this morning and the advice that I got was invaluable so I thought I would share my two cents!

 We took a Lyft to Hollywood studios as I kept looking for a bus from the contemporary and one never showed available. I had never checked at the front desk to see what the best time was and for us a lyft just worked easier considering we left a little later than we expected. 

 We walked right through security and got our bands by 7 AM. 

By 7:05,  we were over where they hold you before walking into Toy story land. My husband walked over to get a few pastries to hold the kids over and said it was an absolute zoo waiting for food at that hour. 

We were close to the front of the line to walk in and stayed to the right. They walked us in at 7:20 and we were on the third dog. We were off the ride by 7:27.   My husband and I did rider switch as my daughter did not want to ride so my son was able to ride with my husband and I. 

 We happened to be walking over to alien swirling saucers and saw a photographer. I asked her what picture she was taking and she mentioned she was waiting for Jessie.  Low and behold we turned around and there was Jessie. So we were the first ones to get our picture taken with her this morning.  

 At this point,  we walked right on alien swirling saucers. We then walked on toy story mania. I know there have been some complaints about having to walk through the entire standby queue but perhaps they have changed that as our walk was pretty quick to the ride. It was not through the fast pass lane but it only took 2 to 3 minutes to get on the ride. 

 After this my son and I went back on slinky dog Dash three more times waiting no more than 7 to 8 minutes each time. 

 My husband and daughter walked on the alien swirling saucers and toy story mania again. 

At this point I said to my husband I will take the kids on toy story mania and you go ride slinky dog Dash. As he was a solo rider they fed him into a separate queue  and that separate queue loaded much faster than the regular queue. I noticed that when we were standing in line as well, they put odd numbers and single riders in the right hand lane and for some reason they like to keep that lane cleared out and would put passengers from that lane on first. As a result my husband rode slinky dog Dash four times in 15 minutes.  It didn’t really extend our time in line to much but I thought it was interesting to note. 

The lines for the characters were long the majority of the morning. We did not wait in any of them including Buzz on the way out who had a very long line as well. 

We walked over to breakfast at 9 o’clock and there was already an hour long wait for slinky dog Dash. We loved the breakfast!  

It was amazing to see the crowds rush in to Toy story land.  The crowds this morning did not come in before nine so I think our group had a few extra minutes to play. 

It was hot but the crowds were low and in my opinion was some of the best money we spent this week.

After breakfast we walked onto star Tours with a 10 minute wait.


----------



## jhoannam

beourguest2009 said:


> We did early morning magic this morning and the advice that I got was invaluable so I thought I would share my two cents!
> 
> We took a Lyft to Hollywood studios as I kept looking for a bus from the contemporary and one never showed available. I had never checked at the front desk to see what the best time was and for us a lyft just worked easier considering we left a little later than we expected.
> 
> We walked right through security and got our bands by 7 AM.
> 
> By 7:05,  we were over where they hold you before walking into Toy story land. My husband walked over to get a few pastries to hold the kids over and said it was an absolute zoo waiting for food at that hour.
> 
> We were close to the front of the line to walk in and stayed to the right. They walked us in at 7:20 and we were on the third dog. We were off the ride by 7:27.   My husband and I did rider switch as my daughter did not want to ride so my son was able to ride with my husband and I.
> 
> We happened to be walking over to alien swirling saucers and saw a photographer. I asked her what picture she was taking and she mentioned she was waiting for Jessie.  Low and behold we turned around and there was Jessie. So we were the first ones to get our picture taken with her this morning.
> 
> At this point,  we walked right on alien swirling saucers. We then walked on toy story mania. I know there have been some complaints about having to walk through the entire standby queue but perhaps they have changed that as our walk was pretty quick to the ride. It was not through the fast pass lane but it only took 2 to 3 minutes to get on the ride.
> 
> After this my son and I went back on slinky dog Dash three more times waiting no more than 7 to 8 minutes each time.
> 
> My husband and daughter walked on the alien swirling saucers and toy story mania again.
> 
> At this point I said to my husband I will take the kids on toy story mania and you go ride slinky dog Dash. As he was a solo rider they fed him into a separate queue  and that separate queue loaded much faster than the regular queue. I noticed that when we were standing in line as well, they put odd numbers and single riders in the right hand lane and for some reason they like to keep that lane cleared out and would put passengers from that lane on first. As a result my husband rode slinky dog Dash four times in 15 minutes.  It didn’t really extend our time in line to much but I thought it was interesting to note.
> 
> The lines for the characters were long the majority of the morning. We did not wait in any of them including Buzz on the way out who had a very long line as well.
> 
> We walked over to breakfast at 9 o’clock and there was already an hour long wait for slinky dog Dash. We loved the breakfast!
> 
> It was amazing to see the crowds rush in to Toy story land.  The crowds this morning did not come in before nine so I think our group had a few extra minutes to play.
> 
> It was hot but the crowds were low and in my opinion was some of the best money we spent this week.
> 
> After breakfast we walked onto star Tours with a 10 minute wait.


Thanks for the great report, I hope these continue.


----------



## disneyfan150

beourguest2009 said:


> We did early morning magic this morning and the advice that I got was invaluable so I thought I would share my two cents!


 Thank you very much for the update! We will be attending next week and I hope our day goes as smoothly as your day.


----------



## tamerbelles

beourguest2009 said:


> We did early morning magic this morning and the advice that I got was invaluable so I thought I would share my two cents!
> 
> We took a Lyft to Hollywood studios as I kept looking for a bus from the contemporary and one never showed available. I had never checked at the front desk to see what the best time was and for us a lyft just worked easier considering we left a little later than we expected.
> 
> We walked right through security and got our bands by 7 AM.
> 
> By 7:05,  we were over where they hold you before walking into Toy story land. My husband walked over to get a few pastries to hold the kids over and said it was an absolute zoo waiting for food at that hour.
> 
> We were close to the front of the line to walk in and stayed to the right. They walked us in at 7:20 and we were on the third dog. We were off the ride by 7:27.   My husband and I did rider switch as my daughter did not want to ride so my son was able to ride with my husband and I.
> 
> We happened to be walking over to alien swirling saucers and saw a photographer. I asked her what picture she was taking and she mentioned she was waiting for Jessie.  Low and behold we turned around and there was Jessie. So we were the first ones to get our picture taken with her this morning.
> 
> At this point,  we walked right on alien swirling saucers. We then walked on toy story mania. I know there have been some complaints about having to walk through the entire standby queue but perhaps they have changed that as our walk was pretty quick to the ride. It was not through the fast pass lane but it only took 2 to 3 minutes to get on the ride.
> 
> After this my son and I went back on slinky dog Dash three more times waiting no more than 7 to 8 minutes each time.
> 
> My husband and daughter walked on the alien swirling saucers and toy story mania again.
> 
> At this point I said to my husband I will take the kids on toy story mania and you go ride slinky dog Dash. As he was a solo rider they fed him into a separate queue  and that separate queue loaded much faster than the regular queue. I noticed that when we were standing in line as well, they put odd numbers and single riders in the right hand lane and for some reason they like to keep that lane cleared out and would put passengers from that lane on first. As a result my husband rode slinky dog Dash four times in 15 minutes.  It didn’t really extend our time in line to much but I thought it was interesting to note.
> 
> The lines for the characters were long the majority of the morning. We did not wait in any of them including Buzz on the way out who had a very long line as well.
> 
> We walked over to breakfast at 9 o’clock and there was already an hour long wait for slinky dog Dash. We loved the breakfast!
> 
> It was amazing to see the crowds rush in to Toy story land.  The crowds this morning did not come in before nine so I think our group had a few extra minutes to play.
> 
> It was hot but the crowds were low and in my opinion was some of the best money we spent this week.
> 
> After breakfast we walked onto star Tours with a 10 minute wait.


 Thank you for sharing! Seeing a lot of positive reviews lately, which makes me optimistic for our August visit.


----------



## PrincessArlena'sDad

We did EMM on July 1 and it was GREAT.

Bus from CBR picked us up very close to 6:30. The bus was NOT listed on the display board, it just showed up.  We had gotten to the bus stop before 6:15, so I knew we didn’t miss the first bus.

We were let into HS around 6:45, and went for 1st breakfast (pastries, fruit, and drinks).  We left around just before 7:15, and as we were passing by Frozen, I heard the announcement that TSL was open.  We entered TSL around 7:20.

We did TSMM first, as I figured we were in the back of the pack anyway.  Went through the FP line, not stand by line, which was nice.

Next was SDD, and it was a 10 min wait (longest for us).

Then was AS2. There was a fairly long line for this, and we were the last family to get on the next ride (and there were a lot of people behind us).

We didn’t meet any characters.
Total rides:
SDD: 3 (10 min wait, 5 min, and 1 min)
 TSMM: 2 (1 min wait both times)
AS2:1 (5 min wait)

We are a generally slow moving family, so we could have done 1 more ride in that time frame.   We also needed a restroom break. We could have also gone on 1 more ride before the crowds arrived, but decided to get going.  Maybe another ride, if we had gotten on line to get in TSL by 7:10 or so.  So, no complaints there.

Post EMM plan:
We went to Star Tours, and walked through the line right at 9:00, and walked straight to the ride vehicle.

Got off at 9:15, and split up.  I took DS and DS to sign up for Jedi training, DW took DD to order breakfast.  

No line at all to sign up, and had all show times after 11:30 available. We chose 6:20, hoping it wouldn’t be quite so hot on stage then (and it fit into our plan for the day).  

Got back to breakfast before 9:30, and DW had our food waiting.  We all loved the food.  We could have ordered 2nds, but we were all full. 

Buffet was plentiful until 10:00, when it was promptly closed.  But, they did not rush us out at all, while we finished our food and drinks. We left at 10:30, and people were still finishing up.


----------



## rspencer38

Perseverance paid off!! Landed a reservation for Aug 12th which was sold out for awhile.


----------



## Shadet

rspencer38 said:


> Perseverance paid off!! Landed a reservation for Aug 12th which was sold out for awhile.


Awesome! You will love it. We did it about 2 weeks ago. And bfast is really good too!


----------



## jhoannam

rspencer38 said:


> Perseverance paid off!! Landed a reservation for Aug 12th which was sold out for awhile.


woohoo... see you there


----------



## huckabear

The advice on this thread was definitely so helpful!  I felt like I walked in knowing exactly what to expect and what to do.  I know we had a better time because of it - so thank you everyone!


----------



## jennab

So does anyone think they will end up canceling EMM the last week in Aug?  I worry with SWGE opening 8/29 and then possible AP previews even before then.  Would they really have SWGE open and do EMM at the same time, or maybe they won't do anything on those days...  Just seems so close.


----------



## ellbell

jennab said:


> So does anyone think they will end up canceling EMM the last week in Aug?  I worry with SWGE opening 8/29 and then possible AP previews even before then.  Would they really have SWGE open and do EMM at the same time, or maybe they won't do anything on those days...  Just seems so close.


There are no dates for EMM for after SWGE opens


----------



## disneyworldsk

jennab said:


> So does anyone think they will end up canceling EMM the last week in Aug?  I worry with SWGE opening 8/29 and then possible AP previews even before then.  Would they really have SWGE open and do EMM at the same time, or maybe they won't do anything on those days...  Just seems so close.


I think we were together in november planning our emm trips and now we're back?! I will be there 8/26 emm dhs. I don't think they'll cancel. That wouldn't be nice. !


----------



## ryanpatricksmom

Ours is 8/28, so I assume that they won't be doing any conflicting early openings at SWGE....or maybe they will for the people attending the 8/28 EMM, LOL!


----------



## jennab

ellbell said:


> There are no dates for EMM for after SWGE opens



Yes I meant 8/26 and 8/28 which hate current dates for EMM


----------



## jennab

disneyworldsk said:


> I think we were together in november planning our emm trips and now we're back?! I will be there 8/26 emm dhs. I don't think they'll cancel. That wouldn't be nice. !



Funny!  That’s why I initially thought of it since they cancelled my MK Nov one last year due to some issues. I was thinking it would be my luck that they cancel on me again.


----------



## tiffyms02

I’ve been checking here for awhile for tips, so I thought I’d share my experience 
from today (7-3). We also did this EMM in November and will say it did seem more crowded this time. HOWEVER, we still had great success! 4x SDD rides, 2x Aliens, 2x TSM, and all 3 character greets. I’ll share what we did and try to provide as many time stamps as possible based on my photos.. We drove to HS from CBR and were through security at 6:45. We were let in the park at 6:50 and DH made a quick stop at Backlot Express for a few pastries for the kids to have while we waited. The rest of us kept walking and were actually the first ones to reach the holding spot. Rope drop was around 7:20 and we were the 2nd ones on SDD. As soon as we got off, we walked right up to Jessie and the Photopass photographer arriving (just outside of SDD). The kids were the first ones to visit and I have video of their interaction at 7:33. The timing of this worked out great! I sent DH to get in the Woody and Bo Peep line, while we finished up with Jessie. Waited just a few minutes and they visited with these characters at 7:42. Then we rode TSM 7:48 (no waiting). Afterwards, we head to Aliens and this was where things slowed down a little with a line. They eventually opened both sides and we were on the ride at 8:12. After this it was back to SDD. Line wasn’t that long and DH and kids rode 2 more times while I inquired about Buzz’s meet and greet. He meets at the very front entrance of TSL. (You can’t see him unless you turn the corner.) After taking a video of the fam on SDD I got in line for Buzz and the rest of the crew soon joined. This line was not long, but moved slow as Buzz is very interactive.  Buzz took a break while we were waiting so DH and kids took off for 1 more SDD ride while I stayed in line. They returned at 8:55 and visited with Buzz. Rope drop crowd was in view and we jetted just in time to be able to reach Aliens for one last ride before rope droppers filled the land. At this time, there was no wait and really there was no wait for the first few minutes after rope drop. We could have went on again, but instead we headed over to TSM where we had a 9-10am FP. We then left TSL and headed to breakfast which we found to be very good! Overall, we had a great experience and found it to be well worth it. Granted, we had no rides go down (to my knowledge) and the rope drop crowd wasn’t let in until close to 9, so I know that made a difference. The only thing I might have done differently is have everyone go to Buzz before the 2 SDD rides (8:15ish), because there was hardly no one there at that time. Hopefully EMM will continue to run smoothly in the coming weeks!


----------



## Suejacken

We also did this on 7/1. We were eating so we got in around 7:30. Got to do everything at least once which was my goal. Plus the kids got to meet some characters. The joy my almost 2 year old great nephew had meeting Buzz and Jessie was worth it to me alone. Then the others in my party raced to get in line for Rock and Roller coaster. I know it was expensive but several of my group don’t get to go there a lot and I wanted them to do all three rides so I was happy. It didn’t seem overly crowded to us


----------



## Nicoleam123

tiffyms02 said:


> I’ve been checking here for awhile for tips, so I thought I’d share my experience
> from today (7-3). We also did this EMM in November and will say it did seem more crowded this time. HOWEVER, we still had great success! 4x SDD rides, 2x Aliens, 2x TSM, and all 3 character greets. I’ll share what we did and try to provide as many time stamps as possible based on my photos.. We drove to HS from CBR and were through security at 6:45. We were let in the park at 6:50 and DH made a quick stop at Backlot Express for a few pastries for the kids to have while we waited. The rest of us kept walking and were actually the first ones to reach the holding spot. Rope drop was around 7:20 and we were the 2nd ones on SDD. As soon as we got off, we walked right up to Jessie and the Photopass photographer arriving (just outside of SDD). The kids were the first ones to visit and I have video of their interaction at 7:33. The timing of this worked out great! I sent DH to get in the Woody and Bo Peep line, while we finished up with Jessie. Waited just a few minutes and they visited with these characters at 7:42. Then we rode TSM 7:48 (no waiting). Afterwards, we head to Aliens and this was where things slowed down a little with a line. They eventually opened both sides and we were on the ride at 8:12. After this it was back to SDD. Line wasn’t that long and DH and kids rode 2 more times while I inquired about Buzz’s meet and greet. He meets at the very front entrance of TSL. (You can’t see him unless you turn the corner.) After taking a video of the fam on SDD I got in line for Buzz and the rest of the crew soon joined. This line was not long, but moved slow as Buzz is very interactive.  Buzz took a break while we were waiting so DH and kids took off for 1 more SDD ride while I stayed in line. They returned at 8:55 and visited with Buzz. Rope drop crowd was in view and we jetted just in time to be able to reach Aliens for one last ride before rope droppers filled the land. At this time, there was no wait and really there was no wait for the first few minutes after rope drop. We could have went on again, but instead we headed over to TSM where we had a 9-10am FP. We then left TSL and headed to breakfast which we found to be very good! Overall, we had a great experience and found it to be well worth it. Granted, we had no rides go down (to my knowledge) and the rope drop crowd wasn’t let in until close to 9, so I know that made a difference. The only thing I might have done differently is have everyone go to Buzz before the 2 SDD rides (8:15ish), because there was hardly no one there at that time. Hopefully EMM will continue to run smoothly in the coming weeks!



Thanks so much for your timeline, we go next Wednesday and I am trying to best figure out how to get around! So Jessie was by SDD, and not alien swirling saucers? I am going with my 7, 6 and 2 year old. Trying to decide if we should all get in line for Woody/Bo peep right away, or send my husband and older kids to SDD while me and my 2 year old get in character line, and hope they others will be off the ride to make it to the meet and greet if we are already in line.


----------



## tiffyms02

Nicoleam123 said:


> Thanks so much for your timeline, we go next Wednesday and I am trying to best figure out how to get around! So Jessie was by SDD, and not alien swirling saucers? I am going with my 7, 6 and 2 year old. Trying to decide if we should all get in line for Woody/Bo peep right away, or send my husband and older kids to SDD while me and my 2 year old get in character line, and hope they others will be off the ride to make it to the meet and greet if we are already in line.


Jessie was just to the right of the walkway, heading OUT of SDD ride. Bo Peep and Woody seemed to keep the longest line. I would have DH and your older 2 ride SDD at the “EMM rope drop” right away. You and your youngest could go ahead and get in Woody and Bo Peep’s line and have them meet you after they get off of SDD. If you reach the front of the line before they return, just send the family behind you ahead. I did this twice today and then we went when they returned. If they are one of the first on SDD, they will be off and in the character line pretty quick. You may be able to get Jessie in too without a long wait, as her meet is very close to Woody and Bo Peep. Good luck!


----------



## ellbell

disneyworldsk said:


> I think we were together in november planning our emm trips and now we're back?! I will be there 8/26 emm dhs. I don't think they'll cancel. That wouldn't be nice. !


I'll also be there August 26


----------



## Penny McMouse

Has there been any speculation or rumors as to when/if they'll bring back EMM after SWGE opens?  I'm going to be down there in late spring and have been keeping my fingers crossed they'll decide to bring it back by then.


----------



## disneyworldsk

ellbell said:


> I'll also be there August 26


cinderellas unite!


----------



## Trinity88

ellbell said:


> I'll also be there August 26



Me too!


----------



## writersblock

I’m hoping they will do this again too. I’m going early Nov and I really want to do this!


----------



## Nikki0401

rspencer38 said:


> Perseverance paid off!! Landed a reservation for Aug 12th which was sold out for awhile.


We will be there the same day!!! First time for us doing HS EMM, we've done MK EMM our last two trips and decided to switch it up this year. Hope you have a great time


----------



## GADisneyDad14

to the many DISers who have stopped by recently with review/experience posts. Links have been updated on Post #3.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Penny McMouse said:


> Has there been any speculation or rumors as to when/if they'll bring back EMM after SWGE opens?  I'm going to be down there in late spring and have been keeping my fingers crossed they'll decide to bring it back by then.



My personal speculation is that EMM as we know it will be no more after SWGE opens.  We know we're in for at least 2 months of early park openings at DHS, and likely more for the foreseeable future.  I'm sure there will be some type of AM upcharge event somewhere down the road, maybe incorporating both SWGE and TSL, although who knows.


----------



## PrincessP

Is guest services open at the start of EMM?

Want to purchase EMM Toystory Land for DD and myself. I have an AP. Want to also purchase the $89 “AP friend” ticket for my DD which says cannot be done until that day. I believe park admission is required for EMM. So can I purchase EMM tix ahead of time (now) then purchase her “AP friend” park hopper the morning we arrive for EMM TSL?  Will DHS guest services be open that early?


----------



## 123SA

I  was able to get 4 on Aug 14 .  I'm hoping that perseverance will get me the 1 more I need for my family.


----------



## louiesmom

Family of 4 doing this, kids are 10 and 3.  Whats the best touring plan?  Start with SDD or wait?  3 yo is tall enough for SDD


----------



## firsttimemom

123SA said:


> I  was able to get 4 on Aug 14 .  I'm hoping that perseverance will get me the 1 more I need for my family.



Have you tried calling? I was able to book 1 person online (needed 2) for our date back in May. I called GS and they were able to add the second one I needed. Not sure if it was pixie dust or one spot opened up. Good luck to you!


----------



## PrincessP

Anyone attending EMM Toy Story Land between now and July 17th?  I need a scout.  PLEASE!!

Need to know if DHS guest relations ticket booth is open when EMM begins. I purchased EMM tix for July 17th for DD (13) and myself, but I need to purchase my DD's "$89 AP friend" ticket that morning so she will have park access for the day. Says we can't buy the "AP friend" tix til day of.  Need to know if I can buy her park ticket when we arrive for TSL EMM. 

Please help!


----------



## kcp6763

PrincessP said:


> Anyone attending EMM Toy Story Land between now and July 17th?  I need a scout.  PLEASE!!
> 
> Need to know if DHS guest relations ticket booth is open when EMM begins. I purchased EMM tix for July 17th for DD (13) and myself, but I need to purchase my DD's "$89 AP friend" ticket that morning so she will have park access for the day. Says we can't buy the "AP friend" tix til day of.  Need to know if I can buy her park ticket when we arrive for TSL EMM.
> 
> Please help!


Is there an AP phone line you can call to ask? Or if you will be there before that day can you visit a ticket counter the day before to ask and explain your situation?


----------



## Ferrentinos

We are doing EMM on 8/21 - DD8 has no desire to ride SDD - Here is my plan - does this make sense? Anything I should tweak? 
At rope drop, DH goes to ride SDD and DD8 and I go to Woody and BoPeep followed by Jessie.
We meet up and all of us go to ride Alien Swirling Saucers and TSMM. 
Meet Buzz while DH rides SDD again.
Repeat Aliens and TSMM as time allows.
Leave Toy Story Land at 9am for Star Tours and eat after that.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Ferrentinos said:


> We are doing EMM on 8/21 - DD8 has no desire to ride SDD - Here is my plan - does this make sense? Anything I should tweak?
> At rope drop, DH goes to ride SDD and DD8 and I go to Woody and BoPeep followed by Jessie.
> We meet up and all of us go to ride Alien Swirling Saucers and TSMM.
> Meet Buzz while DH rides SDD again.
> Repeat Aliens and TSMM as time allows.
> Leave Toy Story Land at 9am for Star Tours and eat after that.



Seems legit to me.  If I were DH I'd want to be towards the front of the first folks to SDD.  If you get mid/back back in that first rush you can wait longer than you'd like.  

Characters come out around 7:30.

With any luck sounds like your plan will work well!


----------



## chaoskids

Held us until 7:30 today, July 10.


----------



## princessebird

chaoskids said:


> Held us until 7:30 today, July 10.



Augh. That makes a big difference, IMHO. I wish they were more consistent.


----------



## chaoskids

Went to TSM first. Longer wait then expected. Not o the ride until 7:44


----------



## princessebird

Ferrentinos said:


> We are doing EMM on 8/21 - DD8 has no desire to ride SDD - Here is my plan - does this make sense? Anything I should tweak?
> At rope drop, DH goes to ride SDD and DD8 and I go to Woody and BoPeep followed by Jessie.
> We meet up and all of us go to ride Alien Swirling Saucers and TSMM.
> Meet Buzz while DH rides SDD again.
> Repeat Aliens and TSMM as time allows.
> Leave Toy Story Land at 9am for Star Tours and eat after that.



I think that’ll work, except you aren’t riding SDD. Do you want to? For me, the value of TSL EMM was SDD. If 2/3 of my party weren’t doing SDD, I’d have to rethink its value.


----------



## chaoskids

In line for SDD. Posted wait time 15 minutes.


----------



## Ferrentinos

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Seems legit to me.  If I were DH I'd want to be towards the front of the first folks to SDD.  If you get mid/back back in that first rush you can wait longer than you'd like.
> 
> Characters come out around 7:30.
> 
> With any luck sounds like your plan will work well!


I'm sure DH will be at the front of the pack - RD for him to be at the front of FOP is nothing new to him lol so I'm sure SDD will be the same.


princessebird said:


> I think that’ll work, except you aren’t riding SDD. Do you want to? For me, the value of TSL EMM was SDD. If 2/3 of my party weren’t doing SDD, I’d have to rethink its value.


I can't do roller coasters or anything like that - so no SDD for me.  DD8 is a character fanatic so being able to do those 4 characters all early in the morning is a big value for us.


----------



## Disney Frenhines

Did it in March 2019, would definitely do it again.  The breakfast was pretty good and I managed to go on SDD five times with no wait.  I left at 9am to get breakfast and seeing the long line waiting just to go into TSL was a shock and made the $75+tax well worth it.


----------



## BoyMom24

I apologize as I'm guessing this has been asked before, but we're going in November, do we think there's any chance they'll offer EMM during that time? I'm in the minority in wishing that Galaxy's Edge wasn't open until after our trip


----------



## Nicoleam123

We did this today and had a blast. Didn’t let us in until 7:30. Hubby and 2 kids went to SDD while me and my younger daughter got in Woody/bo peep line. Probably waited about 20 minutes and they made it off the ride to meet us in time. Then did TSM twice, met Jessie, then did SDD 3 more times. Then Alien saucers twice. Wanted to meet buzz but line was long and it was hot. Breakfast was good but crowded couldn’t find a table inside.


----------



## WRLeGrand

We did EMM at HS on July 1 (Monday).

They let us start towards the TSL around 7:25. We we relatively close to the front, so we went straight to SDD. It was operating, and we were on the third or fourth car within 5 minutes. From there we went straight to TMM and it was a virtual walk-on. The longest part was walking out from the exit, which is a long way, to say the least. We jumped back on SDD with no wait and then got in line for Woody and Bo Peep. There were about 5 groupings ahead of us, and this was the longest we waited for anything. To their credit, Woody and Bo Peep were extremely interactive with the guests. But this can also be perceived as a negative, because it does take a while and the line gets long quickly behind you. We were done with all of that by 8:00 am. We rode AlienSS and TMM again. Then we went back to SDD, which still had essentially no line. After this ride, I walked over to Jedi Training at about 8:20 or so. I was able to sign my boys up for it. While I was there, my wife and boys rode SDD one more time. I then met them around the corner for Buzz M&G. It went quicker than Woody and Bo Peep. We headed from there over to Jessie, but her line was long. We did TMM again and then Slinky 2x more. We could have snuck on an additional time, as we could see the huge "regular" crowd on its way in. We decided to head to breakfast.

We got to Back Lot Express right after 9:00 am. I have to say that I was really surprised/pleased with it. You could order from the choices on the menu, and we got a couple extra just due to picky boys and not just one meal having all they wanted or would eat. They had a nice fruit spread, which also had some danishes and muffins. Drinks and coffee were included of course. There was also cereal and milk. It was a nice spread and selection, in my opinion. It was quite loud in there though, which wasn't a huge deal to us, but could be to others. There is outdoor seating if you wish.

Overall, this was a nice way to experience TSL and like many have mentioned the main draw is being about to ride SDD multiple times. I would say it is probably the favorite ride for my boys (7 and 5) and they just loved going again and again. Not something you could ever do otherwise. I could see arguments for both doing it and not, but would have to say that we definitely got our money's worth this go around!


----------



## ninafeliz

WRLeGrand said:


> We did EMM at HS on July 1 (Monday).
> 
> They let us start towards the TSL around 7:25. We we relatively close to the front, so we went straight to SDD. It was operating, and we were on the third or fourth car within 5 minutes. From there we went straight to TMM and it was a virtual walk-on. The longest part was walking out from the exit, which is a long way, to say the least. We jumped back on SDD with no wait and then got in line for Woody and Bo Peep. There were about 5 groupings ahead of us, and this was the longest we waited for anything. To their credit, Woody and Bo Peep were extremely interactive with the guests. But this can also be perceived as a negative, because it does take a while and the line gets long quickly behind you. We were done with all of that by 8:00 am. We rode AlienSS and TMM again. Then we went back to SDD, which still had essentially no line. After this ride, I walked over to Jedi Training at about 8:20 or so. I was able to sign my boys up for it. While I was there, my wife and boys rode SDD one more time. I then met them around the corner for Buzz M&G. It went quicker than Woody and Bo Peep. We headed from there over to Jessie, but her line was long. We did TMM again and then Slinky 2x more. We could have snuck on an additional time, as we could see the huge "regular" crowd on its way in. We decided to head to breakfast.
> 
> We got to Back Lot Express right after 9:00 am. I have to say that I was really surprised/pleased with it. You could order from the choices on the menu, and we got a couple extra just due to picky boys and not just one meal having all they wanted or would eat. They had a nice fruit spread, which also had some danishes and muffins. Drinks and coffee were included of course. There was also cereal and milk. It was a nice spread and selection, in my opinion. It was quite loud in there though, which wasn't a huge deal to us, but could be to others. There is outdoor seating if you wish.
> 
> Overall, this was a nice way to experience TSL and like many have mentioned the main draw is being about to ride SDD multiple times. I would say it is probably the favorite ride for my boys (7 and 5) and they just loved going again and again. Not something you could ever do otherwise. I could see arguments for both doing it and not, but would have to say that we definitely got our money's worth this go around!


Holy cow!  Unless I made a mistake, I went through and added up that you guys did SDD x 6, TSM x3, AS2 x1, met Woody/Bo, and met Buzz!  I’ve been following this thread from the beginning, and I’m pretty sure that’s a record.  I have no idea how you managed that, I was very happy with our totals, which were something like 4/3/2 and 4/2/1 for our 2 times, and one meet each time.  Your report is  better than most I have read recently, and WAY better than a stretch of reviews we had a bit ago.  I wonder what makes the differences?


----------



## WRLeGrand

ninafeliz said:


> Holy cow!  Unless I made a mistake, I went through and added up that you guys did SDD x 6, TSM x3, AS2 x1, met Woody/Bo, and met Buzz!  I’ve been following this thread from the beginning, and I’m pretty sure that’s a record.  I have no idea how you managed that, I was very happy with our totals, which were something like 4/3/2 and 4/2/1 for our 2 times, and one meet each time.  Your report is  better than most I have read recently, and WAY better than a stretch of reviews we had a bit ago.  I wonder what makes the differences?



My little boy says we rode SDD 5x, so apologies if I added one. We were in a few minutes before 7:30 which I really think helped a lot. They came on the speakers in the park and announced that Andy's Backyard was open and all rides were operational then, but no characters were out. They came out quickly there after. I would really recommend meeting characters early if they have short lines. It felt sort of like a waste of time, but it is what it is. If you are at Slinky right at the end 8:40 - 9:00 you can easily get on 3 to 4 times in my opinion. I saw people do just that. There was really no line. 

I will say that I think our EMM was probably not at full capacity, if that makes a difference....


----------



## Disney Mom 5

123SA said:


> I  was able to get 4 on Aug 14 .  I'm hoping that perseverance will get me the 1 more I need for my family.


I was trying to find two more tickets for my date, and noticed that there are some tickets available for August 14th, in case you are still looking for one more....


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## Candycane83

Anyone from Yacht and Beach Clubs have luck with boats running early lately? We’re going to attend tomorrow and I just asked a CM who said it would be buses.


----------



## suzywindy

When we were there in December and April they told us no boats or buses so we took a cab.  Then we saw a boat coming after we got out of the cab at HS.  So obviously boats do run or did run.  This time we will be at the Grand and not sure if they have buses running that early either.  Seems as if you cannot get a good answer from the hotels.


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## GADisneyDad14

Just 14 TSL EMMs left.  

We've had ups and downs, but it's been a pretty good run on this thread, by most accounts.  

Curious to see what the future holds.


----------



## Figment Mom

If there is no availability online for a particular date does that mean it's sold out and not worth a call? Are the ever cancellations?


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Figment Mom said:


> If there is no availability online for a particular date does that mean it's sold out and not worth a call? Are the ever cancellations?



If not available online, that means it's sold out.  But, people cancel and change plans all the time - keep checking!  If it's very important to you, I'd bookmark the booking page and check a few times each day whenever it crosses your mind.  Success is YMMV of course, but it's worth a shot.


----------



## Figment Mom

GADisneyDad14 said:


> If not available online, that means it's sold out.  But, people cancel and change plans all the time - keep checking!  If it's very important to you, I'd bookmark the booking page and check a few times each day whenever it crosses your mind.  Success is YMMV of course, but it's worth a shot.


Glad to know there's hope.  It says it's nonrefundable so I thought there might not even be a chance. 

I'm solo so fingers crossed I'll snag a single ticket.


----------



## GADisneyDad14

Figment Mom said:


> Glad to know there's hope.  It says it's nonrefundable so I thought there might not even be a chance.
> 
> I'm solo so fingers crossed I'll snag a single ticket.



Yeah, the language on the website is a bit misleading.  It’s a 1 day cancellation policy. When you go through the full booking process, it’ll show the full terms.  With 1, you have a fighting chance!


----------



## Candycane83

suzywindy said:


> When we were there in December and April they told us no boats or buses so we took a cab.  Then we saw a boat coming after we got out of the cab at HS.  So obviously boats do run or did run.  This time we will be at the Grand and not sure if they have buses running that early either.  Seems as if you cannot get a good answer from the hotels.


Is there anyone by the boats that early? I don’t want to wait and wait and not know if it’s coming or not lol! Maybe I’ll go wait for 10Mins and take a cab.


----------



## suzywindy

Candycane83 said:


> Is there anyone by the boats that early? I don’t want to wait and wait and not know if it’s coming or not lol! Maybe I’ll go wait for 10Mins and take a cab.



If they had early opening day before I would have gone out just to watch and see but of course they did not so we were afraid to take the chance of standing around waiting after buying those extra tickets so we just pre-ordered a mears taxi and the peace of mind to me was worth it.   I never thought to even ask the boat captains day before to be honest - i would think they should know!


----------



## disneymagicgirl

Candycane83 said:


> Is there anyone by the boats that early? I don’t want to wait and wait and not know if it’s coming or not lol! Maybe I’ll go wait for 10Mins and take a cab.


I’m staying at BW and at EMM now. We just walked here, but there was a boat pulling in over at the swan when I walked outside on my way to DHS. We were walking because I find the boats slow anyways, and we did beat it here.
Left my room overlooking the quiet pool at BWI at 6:49 and arrived at  security at 7:04 and outside animation courtyard at 7:11. They haven’t let us back just yet.


----------



## WRLeGrand

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Just 14 TSL EMMs left.
> 
> We've had ups and downs, but it's been a pretty good run on this thread, by most accounts.
> 
> Curious to see what the future holds.



It is interesting that you bring that up. It really is a pretty awesome event in my opinion, but clearly August 29th is going to change everything. I think in the short term it really put TSL and HS in a really interesting position. The park is clearly going to be a madhouse, so Disney will likely be trying to bring more of these type events. Will they alternate a SWGE event with EMM for TSL? I hope they don't just shut the door on TSL EMM, especially since everything is going to be Tier 1 now...


----------



## Alison S

WRLeGrand said:


> It is interesting that you bring that up. It really is a pretty awesome event in my opinion, but clearly August 29th is going to change everything. I think in the short term it really put TSL and HS in a really interesting position. The park is clearly going to be a madhouse, so Disney will likely be trying to bring more of these type events. Will they alternate a SWGE event with EMM for TSL? I hope they don't just shut the door on TSL EMM, especially since everything is going to be Tier 1 now...



Yeah I'm hoping it will be back in November, but I doubt it.


----------



## Candycane83

disneymagicgirl said:


> I’m staying at BW and at EMM now. We just walked here, but there was a boat pulling in over at the swan when I walked outside on my way to DHS. We were walking because I find the boats slow anyways, and we did beat it here.
> Left my room overlooking the quiet pool at BWI at 6:49 and arrived at  security at 7:04 and outside animation courtyard at 7:11. They haven’t let us back just yet.


We were there too!! I did see the boats so we took it and reached security about the same time as you. I did see the boat this morning at 6:34 from my room st Yacht Club so they do run pretty early!


----------



## Candycane83

Just a quick review, my five year old and I did take the boat this morning at around 6:50 and was inside the park by 7:10. We were directed to the breakfast area so I took a quick drink of tea for me and milk for my five year old. We went to wait and we were let in st 7:25. We took our time rode SDD with a 15min wait first. Then went to AS2 twice. Went to TSMM once then back to SDD two more times and TSMM one last time, stopped by the store. By the time we came out, the line for SDD was outside of Toy Story Land! We went for breakfast quickly, went to Lightning McQueen Academy and hopped to Epcot  I really liked the experience. If my kid was a little older I think we could have done more. We went at a more relaxed pace.


----------



## disneymagicgirl

We had a fantastic time today as well. I feel like it way maybe a tad more crowded than March, but still worth it, for sure!
It was just myself and DD3 again.
We were let back at 7:25 as mentioned above. Here is our timeline as far as when we boarded each ride/met the character:

7:40 woody/bo peep
Forky-while waiting for Jesse 
7:57 Jesse
8:12 SDD
8:22 TSM
8:41 SDD
8:52 SDD

At this point we could have hopped on another ride but DD3 was whining about thirst so I decided to head for the stroller and waters. We walked over to ToT and it was about 9:02 when we got there but the line was backed up all the way down the street with a BTG so we aborted the mission and went to breakfast instead.

Breakfast/potty break 9:10-9:28

At that point we headed over to the line for fancy nancy and got there about 9:30. We were first in line so dd3 got to walk back with a CM to escort fancy nancy to her area. We did the other 3 characters over there with no wait next. Then we got her face painted in the boutique next to ariel’s Show.
After that we wandered into the standby line for Disney junior and those chose dd3 to do the opening of the doors and led us a spot front and center in there. 

We wandered through some shops on the way out and we’re back in our room at BWI by 11:30. Had some pool and laundry time. Now napping and maybe will hop over to MK for a few FP this evening. 

I still maintain this emm is one of the best ways to spend money at wdw, if not THE best.


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## Candycane83

Also wanted to add a big thank you to everyone here!! You guys really helped a lot


----------



## Boardgaming

Where is breakfast for this event? Backlot Express or ABC commissary?


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## disneymagicgirl

Boardgaming said:


> Where is breakfast for this event? Backlot Express or ABC commissary?


Backlot


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## Aj1129

disneymagicgirl said:


> We had a fantastic time today as well. I feel like it way maybe a tad more crowded than March, but still worth it, for sure!
> It was just myself and DD3 again.
> We were let back at 7:25 as mentioned above. Here is our timeline as far as when we boarded each ride/met the character:
> 
> 7:40 woody/bo peep
> Forky-while waiting for Jesse
> 7:57 Jesse
> 8:12 SDD
> 8:22 TSM
> 8:41 SDD
> 8:52 SDD
> 
> At this point we could have hopped on another ride but DD3 was whining about thirst so I decided to head for the stroller and waters. We walked over to ToT and it was about 9:02 when we got there but the line was backed up all the way down the street with a BTG so we aborted the mission and went to breakfast instead.
> 
> Breakfast/potty break 9:10-9:28
> 
> At that point we headed over to the line for fancy nancy and got there about 9:30. We were first in line so dd3 got to walk back with a CM to escort fancy nancy to her area. We did the other 3 characters over there with no wait next. Then we got her face painted in the boutique next to ariel’s Show.
> After that we wandered into the standby line for Disney junior and those chose dd3 to do the opening of the doors and led us a spot front and center in there.
> 
> We wandered through some shops on the way out and we’re back in our room at BWI by 11:30. Had some pool and laundry time. Now napping and maybe will hop over to MK for a few FP this evening.
> 
> I still maintain this emm is one of the best ways to spend money at wdw, if not THE best.



Thank you for your review! My DS wants to meet Fancy Nancy and Vampirina. I’m hoping to do the Lightning McQueen ride then head over to Disney Jr character meet and greets. I wasn’t sure how long the lines get there first thing in the morning so your review helped me out!


----------



## ColoradoMom12

Candycane83 said:


> Just a quick review, my five year old and I did take the boat this morning at around 6:50 and was inside the park by 7:10. We were directed to the breakfast area so I took a quick drink of tea for me and milk for my five year old. We went to wait and we were let in st 7:25. We took our time rode SDD with a 15min wait first. Then went to AS2 twice. Went to TSMM once then back to SDD two more times and TSMM one last time, stopped by the store. By the time we came out, the line for SDD was outside of Toy Story Land! We went for breakfast quickly, went to Lightning McQueen Academy and hopped to Epcot  I really liked the experience. If my kid was a little older I think we could have done more. We went at a more relaxed pace.


Thanks for letting us know about the boat. DD and I are staying at BC in about 10 days, and I’ve been wondering how we will get to this event. The last time we did EMM in TSL was at Thanksgiving, and we encountered some very long lines for SDD. It was enough for me to rethink whether or not it was worth the expense, but even from your relaxed pace, you did more than we were able to do in November. I’m looking forward to giving EMM another try!


----------



## Figment Mom

Auuugghh! I've been trying to get an EMM ticket. Just now I finally got one to pop up instead of the "no times available" message I've been getting. But then I clicked on it and I got an error message and it's no longer available. 

I got so excited for a minute. Sigh. Guess I'll keep trying.


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## sgirardots

We also rode the boat this morning to EMM from the Yacht Club.  We got out there about 6:15 this morning, and around 6:20 we saw 3 boats head to the Boardwalk, Swan/Dolphin, and Yacht/Beach Club.  The boat started for Hollywood Studios at 6:35. 

We had a great morning!  We rode Slinky Dog 3 times, TSM 3 times, and Alien Swirling Saucers once.


----------



## Figment Mom

I got it, I got it, I got it!

I didn't know if refresh worked for this but I refreshed for 15 minutes.  Nothing. Walked away for 20 minutes and told myself I'd try just one more time.  

7 am popped up and I clicked it so fast, then held my breath until I got all the way through to the confirmation screen.

This will be my second Hollywood Studios day. That means on my first one I can RD TOT instead of SDD. 

Now I have to decide if I'm crazy enough to do AK After Hours the same night that I do EMM.


----------



## MudQueen22

We went Monday, 6/15. Overall, I’m glad we did it.

If you can enjoy it without character meets, you will likely experience greater value from it.
Since my children are different ages and have different interests, my husband and I divided up and had two different experiences.
We arrived earlier than anticipated, so we had a light breakfast of fruit, pastry, and juice when we arrived.
We ate again after 9:40, and we got the heavy stuff that time.

Dh & dd (age 9):
SDD x 2
ASwirlSaucers x 6 (she really liked that one)
TSMM x 2
No character meets.

Myself and ds (age 4):
SDD x 1
Jessie, waited once while she went on break
Woody & BoPeep, waited twice while they went on break
ASwirlSaucers x 2
TSMM x1 (We rode an additional time with the rope drop crowd, waiting about 10 minutes in the stand-by line.)

Ds and I probably spent about 75% of the EMM time on characters. I would have left the line, but all he has been taking about for the last few days was meeting Woody and Jessie. It was important to him, so we waited.

Dh said they could have gotten on SDD more, but dd liked the alien saucers so much she just kept getting on over and over.

If I had it to do over again, I would get in line for the characters first, then ride the rides. I think it would have let the lines for SDD go down, and it would have allowed us to get ahead in the character lines. (We were toward the front-middle of the SDD pack when they let us back.)

Breakfast was good. I liked the cronut best, although the shrimp and grits weren’t bad either. Dh had the chiquiles, and he said they were good. He also liked the chicken and cronut and liked both.
DD ate the chicken, sweet potato barrels, and fruit loops. Ds ate fruit loops and fruit.
Ds and I arrived at the latter breakfast at about 9:40. There was nowhere to sit. I had to walk around with my tray for four and manage him. We finally got a table.
During this time, dh and dd rope dropped Rockin Rollercoaster, then did their fast pass to Tower of Terror. They arrived at breakfast after 10. They had stopped serving and had most of the continental breakfast bars put away at that point.

It was more crowded than I expected. I think Disney oversold the event, and there are things I think they could do better.
Dh’s only complaint was that breakfast was served at too great a distance from the event.

I think character interaction should take place indoors. If I’m sweating at 8:30 while wearing a dry-fit shirt and shorts, I don’t know how they manage in head-to-toe heavy costumes, even with ample breaks. It would also permit for a quicker switch-out. (I think this should be everywhere, not just Toy Story Land.)

I also think they built TSL rather small for the volume of people that would flock to it.

They missed opportunities for a larger Andy’s Lunchbox and a Pizza Planet restaurant. One could be a TS, and the other QS. A Sunnyside snack cart might also be a nice addition if there were more room.

Overall, I’m glad we went. We aren’t quick-moving, game-on people with the parks, so we wouldn’t have been able to ride all three rides otherwise.


----------



## ambellina

Just called about half an hour ago to double check but at the moment, the first four dates in August are sold out. We’re going to keep checking, though.


----------



## teeeera

What time should I get to HS if we are planning on going at a relaxed pace (me, DH, DS2, DD12, and DN10)? I would like to ride each ride once or twice. No character meets. My son is tall enough for SDD, so no rider swap.

I am trying to avoid getting everyone up earlier than necessary. We will be staying at AKL. I’m still deciding whether we will take the bus or an Uber so any advice on that would be appreciated as well.

Thanks 

ETA - we are going August 28th


----------



## PrincessP

In case it helps someone else, I will answer my own question:



PrincessP said:


> Anyone attending EMM Toy Story Land between now and July 17th?  I need a scout.  PLEASE!!
> 
> Need to know if DHS guest relations ticket booth is open when EMM begins. I purchased EMM tix for July 17th for DD (13) and myself, but I need to purchase my DD's "$89 AP friend" ticket that morning so she will have park access for the day. Says we can't buy the "AP friend" tix til day of.  Need to know if I can buy her park ticket when we arrive for TSL EMM.
> 
> Please help!




July 17th EMM

Yes, guest services/ticket sales is open before EMM.  We arrived at 6:36 am,  and someone was already at the guest services nook to the left of entrance.  She was able to do the transaction for my DD’s $89 AP ‘day of purchase’ friend ticket and also “magically” linked it to my MDE account so I didn’t have to.  Was able to make fastpasses right away.  Guest services CM had to go through 4 plastic ticket cards before finding one to register for her, though.

By this time, those gathered at entrance were already allowed inside DHS.  So we got our wrist bands, and they definitely direct you to breakfast at Backlot.  We sidled that way, saw others leaving breakfast and decided to skip Backlot and follow them...we were allowed to gather outside SWGE sign/TSL entrance area.  We were among first as most others went to the breakfast.  

I knew to stay right for SDD. This is very important if it is your first ride.  We were on 2nd train....would have been on first train but my dd got stuck behind someone as we entered queue under the shade umbrellas so I allowed several in front of me to get back together with my dd.  I forgot to give dd heads up about walking with purpose. 


SDD ride photo 7:37
Bo Peep/ Woody m&g 7:47 (only 3-4 families in front of us....much longer wait for them after we got off first of our two TSMM rides....was glad we did this early!  Note: exiting SDD ride, I asked CM where woody/bo peep meet.  She told me, but then said they don’t normally come out until 8:30/9:00....which is, of course, inaccurate for EMM)
TSMM 2x
SDD 3x (8:18am in line for 1st of these 3 rides, and queue was about 20 or so minutes.  Second ride, queue was about 10 min, last ride was through FPP line at 8:55. Ride photo 9:02).  

So total count SDD 4x, TSMM 2x, Bo Peep/ Woody m&g

As we exited, the masses were lining up, and SDD line extended way past TSL entrance into the rest of DHS.  Amazing!

Breakfast at Backlot was good. We both had the kids eggs/ sweet potato tots.  Pastries were my favorite part, and I am more of a morning protein person rather than pastries.  

It was completely worth it for the two of us.  We had only one day at WDW with specific goals.  This event helped us accomplish them!  It was a treat to have my teen willing to meet characters...and I looooove SDD.  This allowed us time to hit MK and AK and get all of our must do’s (including FoP) accomplished during our limited time.

I would encourage anyone, especially smaller parties with a limited number of park days, to participate in this event if able.


----------



## PrincessP

teeeera said:


> What time should I get to HS if we are planning on going at a relaxed pace (me, DH, DS2, DD12, and DN10)? I would like to ride each ride once or twice. No character meets. My son is tall enough for SDD, so no rider swap.
> 
> I am trying to avoid getting everyone up earlier than necessary. We will be staying at AKL. I’m still deciding whether we will take the bus or an Uber so any advice on that would be appreciated as well.
> 
> Thanks
> 
> ETA - we are going August 28th




I would Uber/Minnie van (car seat options with Uber???).  It is hard for me to consider relaxed pace because it is a paid event where we tried to maximize as much as possible, but...

Do you plan to stop for “first breakfast” then return after 9am for full 2nd breakfast?  Or just go after 9 for one breakfast stop?

If want pastries /coffee first breakfast, I would arrive 7am at DHS entrance gate, not parking at 7am.  Grab quick eats...walk and Be at entrance to TSL by 7:30 or very shortly thereafter when they let everyone in....you will be at back of pack. 

 If no breakfast, you can arrive at DHS entrance 7:10/7:15  (have to check in, get wristband for each of you, then scan for park entrance. Head straight to TSL, do not go toward backlot express where they will likely direct you (just ask to skip b’fast and to be directed to TSL). 

With relaxed pace and no character meets, do NOT do SDD first.  Hit TSMM and AS2 as many times as you can (budget 15-18 min for each TSMM to gauge your time). Not sure how much time to budget for AS2 since we didn’t do that ride at all. If you only care about 1-2 rides on SDD, I would wait until 8:38 to queue up for SDD. If it is like my day, that will get you two rides before masses arrive.


----------



## disneyAndi14

We don’t plan on doing the breakfast until around 9:30-9:45, has anyone else done this? Is the breakfast now at Backlot?

Our goal is ToT right at 9am and ST after that then breakfast. We will be there on August 19th, hoping for low crowds at HS that morning.


----------



## dancergirlsmom

DD19 and I are going on August 7.  Looks like it is sold out too .  DD wants to meet Woody & BoPeep and also Jessie.  For those that have gone recently, did you notice when the characters came out?  Don't really want to waste time waiting for characters first thing if it is possible to get on a ride then meet characters then go on rides again. Toy Story Land opened after our last trip so have not been able to ride SDD or Aliens.  We are hoping to ride TSM x1 (have a fast pass for later too), Aliens x 1, Characters and SDD x???.  Any thoughts on best way to attack this?


----------



## dachsie

dancergirlsmom said:


> DD19 and I are going on August 7.  Looks like it is sold out too .  DD wants to meet Woody & BoPeep and also Jessie.  For those that have gone recently, did you notice when the characters came out?  Don't really want to waste time waiting for characters first thing if it is possible to get on a ride then meet characters then go on rides again. Toy Story Land opened after our last trip so have not been able to ride SDD or Aliens.  We are hoping to ride TSM x1 (have a fast pass for later too), Aliens x 1, Characters and SDD x???.  Any thoughts on best way to attack this?


Depends on when they let you in.  Characters come out at 7:30. get in line then, otherwise the waits will increase the longer you take to get in line.


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## Aj1129

We’ll be going on Aug 28th and just had a few questions about transportation. We’re staying at the GF and I’m thinking the best way to get to HS at that time is a Minnie Van. Do they have car seats? I have a 3 year old with me. How do we get one? The app? A phone number somewhere? We have been to Disney many times, but have never had a need for one and don’t have too much info on them.


----------



## Figment Mom

Aj1129 said:


> We’ll be going on Aug 28th and just had a few questions about transportation. We’re staying at the GF and I’m thinking the best way to get to HS at that time is a Minnie Van. Do they have car seats? I have a 3 year old with me. How do we get one? The app? A phone number somewhere? We have been to Disney many times, but have never had a need for one and don’t have too much info on them.


I can't answer your Minnie van questions but wanted to say that buses will be running so there's that option,  too.


----------



## princessebird

Aj1129 said:


> We’ll be going on Aug 28th and just had a few questions about transportation. We’re staying at the GF and I’m thinking the best way to get to HS at that time is a Minnie Van. Do they have car seats? I have a 3 year old with me. How do we get one? The app? A phone number somewhere? We have been to Disney many times, but have never had a need for one and don’t have too much info on them.



You'd probably get most of these answered over in the transportation forum. My understanding is that, yes, Minnie Vans have car seats, and you order them through the Lyft app.


----------



## Aj1129

Figment Mom said:


> I can't answer your Minnie van questions but wanted to say that buses will be running so there's that option,  too.



My plan is to a take a bus, but if we miss the first bus I wanted a back up plan.


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## teeeera

PrincessP said:


> I would Uber/Minnie van (car seat options with Uber???).  It is hard for me to consider relaxed pace because it is a paid event where we tried to maximize as much as possible, but...
> 
> Do you plan to stop for “first breakfast” then return after 9am for full 2nd breakfast?  Or just go after 9 for one breakfast stop?
> 
> If want pastries /coffee first breakfast, I would arrive 7am at DHS entrance gate, not parking at 7am.  Grab quick eats...walk and Be at entrance to TSL by 7:30 or very shortly thereafter when they let everyone in....you will be at back of pack.
> 
> If no breakfast, you can arrive at DHS entrance 7:10/7:15  (have to check in, get wristband for each of you, then scan for park entrance. Head straight to TSL, do not go toward backlot express where they will likely direct you (just ask to skip b’fast and to be directed to TSL).
> 
> With relaxed pace and no character meets, do NOT do SDD first.  Hit TSMM and AS2 as many times as you can (budget 15-18 min for each TSMM to gauge your time). Not sure how much time to budget for AS2 since we didn’t do that ride at all. If you only care about 1-2 rides on SDD, I would wait until 8:38 to queue up for SDD. If it is like my day, that will get you two rides before masses arrive.


Thanks! This sounds like great advice. 

Most likely we will just eat afterwards. In the off chance I can get my 12 year old out the door by 6:30 we might grab some coffee before


----------



## teeeera

Aj1129 said:


> My plan is to a take a bus, but if we miss the first bus I wanted a back up plan.


Uber has a car seat option, too (ordered through the Uber app). You can only get 1 car seat in an Uber and Minnie Vans have 2.


----------



## JeninTexas

disneyAndi14 said:


> We don’t plan on doing the breakfast until around 9:30-9:45, has anyone else done this? Is the breakfast now at Backlot?
> 
> Our goal is ToT right at 9am and ST after that then breakfast. We will be there on August 19th, hoping for low crowds at HS that morning.


As I recall others have reported not being able to do breakfast if you plan to go line up for TOT. You might want to look back on some previous posts or maybe others with more recent experiences will chime in, but I believe people have reported it is difficult to make it to TOT because of where the CMs will stop you along the way and because TOT is running at 1/2 capacity. We were originally planning to try to rope drop TOT after EMM, but have given up on that due to prior reports of TOT taking a long time and people missing breakfast. Anyone with a more recent experience?


----------



## jhoannam

disneyAndi14 said:


> We don’t plan on doing the breakfast until around 9:30-9:45, has anyone else done this? Is the breakfast now at Backlot?
> 
> Our goal is ToT right at 9am and ST after that then breakfast. We will be there on August 19th, hoping for low crowds at HS that morning.


Since TOT has been running at half capacity it’s not recommended you RD, some people have missed breakfast. CM make you merge with the RD crowd, they don’t give you an advantage.


----------



## disneyAndi14

jhoannam said:


> Since TOT has been running at half capacity it’s not recommended you RD, some people have missed breakfast. CM make you merge with the RD crowd, they don’t give you an advantage.


Thanks for the info, we ride ToT often so if we can’t this am no biggie. I just know my daughter won’t want to eat until towards the end of the breakfast time.


----------



## Candlelady

Looking to October, it seems DHS has EMH 6am to 9am every single day.  Will early morning magic not be available?


----------



## dachsie

Candlelady said:


> Looking to October, it seems DHS has EMH 6am to 9am every single day.  Will early morning magic not be available?


We are pretty sure Aug will end EMM for quite a while, if it even comes back


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## disneyworldsk

disneymagicgirl said:


> Backlot


when i was there in november i thought it was abc. now it's backlot? going in august. they moved it? can you tell me how to get there from toy story land?


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## disneyworldsk

also people said here on this thread there was no seating inside for breakfast when they went. is this a frequent issue?


----------



## Candlelady

dachsie said:


> We are pretty sure Aug will end EMM for quite a while, if it even comes back


Would this be for MK too?


----------



## cakebaker

Candlelady said:


> Would this be for MK too?


I think for at least through October we won't see anything. They've got an emh mornings scheduled every morning for all the parks. After that, who knows.


----------



## Candlelady

cakebaker said:


> I think for at least through October we won't see anything. They've got an emh mornings scheduled every morning for all the parks. After that, who knows.


Thank you for the info.  Bringing the youngest grand and EMM was going to be a huge part of the plans.  Is Disney doing away with the night time offerings too?


----------



## cakebaker

Candlelady said:


> Thank you for the info.  Bringing the youngest grand and EMM was going to be a huge part of the plans.  Is Disney doing away with the night time offerings too?



I have no inside information, but September has MNSSHP and typically they don't do evening hours during the party season- at least I don't think so and there are none on the schedule as of now.


----------



## JeninTexas

disneyworldsk said:


> also people said here on this thread there was no seating inside for breakfast when they went. is this a frequent issue?


I'm wondering the same thing. Is is common to have to sit outside if you arrive at breakfast around 9:20 or so?


----------



## ThePearlOfTheGrotto

We went July 22(Monday) for EMM and stayed at the Gran Destino at Coronado Springs. Our party of 6 split up and 3 went down to the bus earlier than the others. The first 3 went to the bus stop at 6:30 and a bus came at 6:45. Talking to the family next to us, they had just missed the 6:15 bus. I’m pretty sure buses were running every 30 minutes. I was part of the first 3 and it was a 5 minute bus ride to HS. When we got there, there was barely a line for bag check, but kind of a long line for the fingerprint part. As we were walking, people were directed towards Backlot. We went to the bathroom and ate a couple pastries and then went to the crowd of people waiting to get into TSL. We were towards the front and as we were walking into TSL, the right hand side became the line for SDD. The other 3 made it into TSL, making it into the park a little before 7:30, and caught us right at the beginning of the SDD queue. Of those three, my dad got into the SDD line and my aunt(who was 7 months pregnant so couldn’t do SDD) and uncle went to Aliens. Our SDD wait was maybe 20 minutes. After we went on again. Then we decided to do Aliens. None of us were that impressed with the ride. Then we did TSM. After, we went on SDD 3 more times and saw the RD crowd walking in on the last ride. After, we went to breakfast. As a couple tips for SDD, the line gets shorter as the event goes on. We contemplated RD for Rock and Rollercoaster, but decided to stay and that’s when the line was a walk on. Also, before you get on SDD, they ask how many are in your party and tell you to go in one of 2 lines. One goes way faster, and after a couple rides we realized the faster one is for an odd numbered party. Because we were a party of 4, we went as a party of 3 and 1 and ended up being seated together. 

My aunt and uncle ended up doing Aliens 1 and TSM 2 without getting out of the ride vehicle. They went to breakfast and waited there and ate.

I didn’t notice it being hard to get a seat around 9:15 but my aunt and uncle did already have a table inside. I liked breakfast but the other people in my party liked breakfast at EMM in MK better. 

After breakfast, we did Muppets and then Star Tours(we had FPs for the other big stuff later)

I would say the event was worth it if you go on SDD. The MK one had way less crowds in my opinion and we were able to ride more.


----------



## disneyworldsk

ThePearlOfTheGrotto said:


> We went July 22(Monday) for EMM and stayed at the Gran Destino at Coronado Springs. Our party of 6 split up and 3 went down to the bus earlier than the others. The first 3 went to the bus stop at 6:30 and a bus came at 6:45. Talking to the family next to us, they had just missed the 6:15 bus. I’m pretty sure buses were running every 30 minutes. I was part of the first 3 and it was a 5 minute bus ride to HS. When we got there, there was barely a line for bag check, but kind of a long line for the fingerprint part. As we were walking, people were directed towards Backlot. We went to the bathroom and ate a couple pastries and then went to the crowd of people waiting to get into TSL. We were towards the front and as we were walking into TSL, the right hand side became the line for SDD. The other 3 made it into TSL, making it into the park a little before 7:30, and caught us right at the beginning of the SDD queue. Of those three, my dad got into the SDD line and my aunt(who was 7 months pregnant so couldn’t do SDD) and uncle went to Aliens. Our SDD wait was maybe 20 minutes. After we went on again. Then we decided to do Aliens. None of us were that impressed with the ride. Then we did TSM. After, we went on SDD 3 more times and saw the RD crowd walking in on the last ride. After, we went to breakfast. As a couple tips for SDD, the line gets shorter as the event goes on. We contemplated RD for Rock and Rollercoaster, but decided to stay and that’s when the line was a walk on. Also, before you get on SDD, they ask how many are in your party and tell you to go in one of 2 lines. One goes way faster, and after a couple rides we realized the faster one is for an odd numbered party. Because we were a party of 4, we went as a party of 3 and 1 and ended up being seated together.
> 
> My aunt and uncle ended up doing Aliens 1 and TSM 2 without getting out of the ride vehicle. They went to breakfast and waited there and ate.
> 
> I didn’t notice it being hard to get a seat around 9:15 but my aunt and uncle did already have a table inside. I liked breakfast but the other people in my party liked breakfast at EMM in MK better.
> 
> After breakfast, we did Muppets and then Star Tours(we had FPs for the other big stuff later)
> 
> I would say the event was worth it if you go on SDD. The MK one had way less crowds in my opinion and we were able to ride more.


Thank you for this report. We will also be at the tower (aug) and doing emm dhs. Not sure though if i should do the bus or take a mears


----------



## jhoannam

Was TSM closed this morning during EMM?


----------



## MudQueen22

disneyAndi14 said:


> We don’t plan on doing the breakfast until around 9:30-9:45, has anyone else done this? Is the breakfast now at Backlot?
> 
> Our goal is ToT right at 9am and ST after that then breakfast. We will be there on August 19th, hoping for low crowds at HS that morning.


Ds and I showed up at about 9:40, and we had to make the rounds to get a table.  We actually got a dirty table as one group was getting up to leave.  It's crowded.


----------



## MudQueen22

disneyworldsk said:


> also people said here on this thread there was no seating inside for breakfast when they went. is this a frequent issue?


That was our experience.  Ds and I had to wait for some people to leave and we snagged a dirty table.


----------



## ArielTheMermaid

It’s crowded but honestly we noticed it was even worse at lunchtime. And I’m talking a latish lunch between 1:30-2. Unfortunately, too many people sit at tables and wait for someone else in their party to bring the food. It hogs the tables big time. It was incredibly frustrating. Of our group of 6, only 2 could get a seat while the rest of us stood to eat. Those around us had bags on chairs they were saving and would not give them up. We actually finished eating before they even got their food. I really wish Cast Members were keeping people from getting tables without food. 

Same thing was happening in Cosmic Ray another day.... no free tables inside with lots of people sitting without food. 

Breakfast was very crowded but people weren’t really sitting around without food at that time of day. Everyone was eating and leaving, and since the food was pretty much ready immediately, they weren’t waiting to get the food and taking up tables that way either. It wasn’t impossible to get a table for breakfast like it was for lunch.


----------



## disneyworldsk

ArielTheMermaid said:


> It’s crowded but honestly we noticed it was even worse at lunchtime. And I’m talking a latish lunch between 1:30-2. Unfortunately, too many people sit at tables and wait for someone else in their party to bring the food. It hogs the tables big time. It was incredibly frustrating. Of our group of 6, only 2 could get a seat while the rest of us stood to eat. Those around us had bags on chairs they were saving and would not give them up. We actually finished eating before they even got their food. I really wish Cast Members were keeping people from getting tables without food.
> 
> Same thing was happening in Cosmic Ray another day.... no free tables inside with lots of people sitting without food.
> 
> Breakfast was very crowded but people weren’t really sitting around without food at that time of day. Everyone was eating and leaving, and since the food was pretty much ready immediately, they weren’t waiting to get the food and taking up tables that way either. It wasn’t impossible to get a table for breakfast like it was for lunch.


but this is a paid event


----------



## EEva

I wanted to share our experience with getting gluten free food at this event. We were told that any of the hot entrees could be made gluten free. My DD12 had both the Avocado Toast and the Chilaquiles. She said the Chilaquiles were better. 
I'm skeptical on how they could make the chicken and doughnuts GF, but didn't ask about it. We also didn't ask for any GF pastries.


----------



## Mrs Grumpy

We are going 8/28.  I think we want to do the meet and greet first and then head to SDD.   Our last trip was 2017 so we have not seen TSL yet to know where everything is.  What side of the line going in should be position ourselves in to get to the meet and greet first - I assume they are out from the time it starts right?


----------



## mercydisney

Mrs Grumpy said:


> We are going 8/28.  I think we want to do the meet and greet first and then head to SDD.   Our last trip was 2017 so we have not seen TSL yet to know where everything is.  What side of the line going in should be position ourselves in to get to the meet and greet first - I assume they are out from the time it starts right?


I will be their also!! 
From what I have read SDD lines get shorter towards the end of the event.  Meeting and greet first is a good strategy


----------



## Figment Mom

Here right now.
Have some pastries and juice in my belly and I'm right at the arch.

(Not sure why the picture is sideways)


----------



## ColoradoMom12

For those who have done this event, are both sides of AS2 usually open? They were both open when did this event once in the past. This morning only one side is open. It’s very disappointing. There is a long line. We’ve waited through 4 rides and are still waiting. 

To top things off, my DD and I had problems entering the park (our bands weren’t synching to our annual passes), and we were sent to guest services, which was a huge ordeal. We were at least given FPs for SDD. We got to TSL almost 20 minutes after the event had begun. Our morning is off to a bad start...let’s hope it gets better from here.


----------



## Figment Mom

ColoradoMom12 said:


> For those who have done this event, are both sides of AS2 usually open? They were both open when did this event once in the past. This morning only one side is open. It’s very disappointing. There is a long line. We’ve waited through 4 rides and are still waiting.
> 
> To top things off, my DD and I had problems entering the park (our bands weren’t synching to our annual passes), and we were sent to guest services, which was a huge ordeal. We were at least given FPs for SDD. We got to TSL almost 20 minutes after the event had begun. Our morning is off to a bad start...let’s hope it gets better from here.


I'm here today so I can't answer your question as to if they've had both sides open but I did notice they opened the other side near the end of the event today.

I'm sorry your morning didn't get off to a great start.


----------



## jhoannam

ColoradoMom12 said:


> This morning only one side is open. It’s very disappointing. There is a long line. We’ve waited through 4 rides and are still waiting.


This is very disappointed, they are clearly selling more tickets to the event AND are reducing capacity? I would let Disney know that you aren't pleased with this event, this isn't the correct way to do these special hard ticket events.


----------



## jhoannam

Figment Mom said:


> I'm here today so I can't answer your question as to if they've had both sides open but I did notice they opened the other side near the end of the event today.
> 
> I'm sorry your morning didn't get off to a great start.


What did you think of the event? I saw that SDD was at 20 minutes the entire time.


----------



## Figment Mom

I'm very glad I got a ticket to today's EMM.

Got to the Pop bus stop at 6:30. Bus came just a few minutes later.

There was no "no bag line" at security but I went up the middle and they waved me through to the metal detector. 

Next you go to a CM with an ipad to get checked in. Then you go to another CM to get a wristband. Finally you line up at the tapstyles.

They let us in right at 7. They direct you to the left past 50s PT and Indiana Jones to Backlot.

You can turn right and go towards Toy Story Land but then you're waiting 30 minutes, so I swung left to Backlot and grabbed a couple of pastries and some juice before walking over to the arches where they hold you until 7:30.

It was actually 7:32 when they led us back.



I was near the front so I went straight to SDD and walked onto the 3rd dog.

Did Alien Swirling Saucers as a walk on, and then walked onto TSM.


After that I did SDD 3 more times. I didn't usually pay attention to time but it was a very short wait. Last ride I waited 7 minutes.


Just before 9 I decided to go to Sunset Blvd. I was behind the rope drop crowd, but many were going to TOT and I chose RNRC.



Everyone ahead of me went in the standby line. I walked on single rider and was the first person back there, making it on the first car of the morning.





Went back to Backlot and got the chicken and donuts and some yogurt, juice, and tea. (They accidentally gave me two entrees. I only ate 1!)



I would 100% do this again.


----------



## dancergirlsmom

jhoannam said:


> What did you think of the event? I saw that SDD was at 20 minutes the entire time.


I would love to know this too.  I was looking at the wait time on MDE.  We are going next week and hoping it isn't too bad.


----------



## Figment Mom

jhoannam said:


> What did you think of the event? I saw that SDD was at 20 minutes the entire time.


I just posted more details above, but I definitely didnt wait 20 minutes on any of my 4x on SDD this morning.


----------



## ColoradoMom12

Figment Mom said:


> I just posted more details above, but I definitely didnt wait 20 minutes on any of my 4x on SDD this morning.


This. We were there this morning, too, and didn’t wait 20 minutes for SDD (we did when we attended this event last November, though; I had my reservations about doing it again due to the long waits we encountered then). The longest we waited was 13 minutes (our first ride); after that it was much shorter. They opened the second side of AS2 towards the end of the event, and after that, we walked right on several times in a row, all the way until about 9:30. Then we used our bonus SDD FP, got breakfast just before 10, and went to the Frozen singalong. 

I have no idea what the issue was with our Magic Bands this morning. The guest relations CM seemed equally confused. It appeared to be a glitch no one had ever encountered before. We had arrived (at the entrance) about 7:25 kept tapping our magic bands and getting the flashing blue light. The CM with the tablet wasn’t sure what to do with us and sent us to guest services. The CM working there seemed to never have seen anything like it. All of our information was showing up when she scanned my magic band (my annual pass as well as the EMM ticket), but for some reason it wasn’t synching to let us into the park. DD’s was doing the same. The CM tried giving us both new AP cards, but those ended up not working either. The whole thing was a giant mess. Finally they were able to override the glitch and somehow manually add things to the account to let us in. I was very upset by this time and asked if we could have a partial refund as we had missed out on almost 20 minutes of the event. We were instead given FPs for SDD...not bad. I still would have preferred a partial refund, but I didn’t want DD to be upset if they gave us the refund but took the FPs away so I left it alone. We arrived in TSL at 8:03 AM.


----------



## disneyworldsk

i'm worried about this because our first day of vacation/tickets is 8/26 emm dhs so i'm concerned a glitch on mb will occur. i will be there bright and early.


----------



## ColoradoMom12

disneyworldsk said:


> i'm worried about this because our first day of vacation/tickets is 8/26 emm dhs so i'm concerned a glitch on mb will occur. i will be there bright and early.


Being there early is a wise idea. I cut things close this morning. I figured we knew what we were doing, we had done done it before, so my plan was to arrive so that we could have our wristbands on by 7:25 and walk through the park just as TSL was opening. It all worked out fine until the MB glitch. We are passholders and have been on vacation for the past 8 days. This is the first time we’ve  ever experienced this, not just on this trip but any of our past Disney trips as well. I got the feeling from all of the CMs we interacted with this morning that whatever happened to DD and I this morning doesn’t happen often. Even at guest relations, the CM seemed uncertain what to do with us! Still, it’s a good idea to not cut things as close as I did this morning. Getting there early is a much safer plan! I will make sure I leave ample time if we decide to do this again in the future. Hope you have a great time!!


----------



## hvanes

We also attended this morning (7/29). My family of 7 has thanked me about a dozen times for surprising them. 

We got to DHS at about 7 and were heading to line up by 7:10. Folks in front of us were angry that they sent us around the lake (towards Backlot) rather than allowing people to go straight back.   Part of our group went to line up and a few of us grabbed a pastry and juice and walked and ate.  As a pp mentioned, we were walked back at 7:32.  Our group was on Slinky at 7:43.  When we got off, we were completely fooled by the 20-minute wait sign  so we did TSMM twice. They were using the FP line.

After a couple rides on TSMM, we decided to chance the "20-minute" wait on SDD. We waited 11 minutes and decided to ride it again. We then tried Aliens (both sides were open) and returned to SDD one last time.  I noticed it was almost 9 so we decided to head to breakfast. Right after we took one last pic by Woody, the regular crowd started coming down the street.

There was no wait for breakfast at this point, and seating was abundant.  

We rode SDD 4x, TSMM 2x, and Aliens x1. A couple of us also had a quick bathroom break at one point.  We could've easily hopped in line once more, but everyone was really hungry and wanted to go sit and eat. We had a 5-minute wait for Star Tours after we finished breakfast at about 9:30. 

I was so tempted to cancel this several times over the past few weeks, but I'm so glad I didn't!  We got so much done, and we thought breakfast was good. After the quick start to our morning, we were able to slow things down and have a much more relaxing day.


----------



## dachsie

Mrs Grumpy said:


> We are going 8/28.  I think we want to do the meet and greet first and then head to SDD.   Our last trip was 2017 so we have not seen TSL yet to know where everything is.  What side of the line going in should be position ourselves in to get to the meet and greet first - I assume they are out from the time it starts right?


If you want to do the meet and greet first, stay to the left.  Depending on when they let you in, if before 7:30 - you could easily hop on AS2 and then get in line for the M&G.  If its right at 7:30 then I would go to the M&G.  They characters usually come out 7:30-7:35


----------



## mmackeymouse

Wow, surprised to see the people happy with 7/29 because ours was not so happy. It was for sure oversold. At 8:10, we hadn't been on a single ride yet. So disappointing. They didn't let us back early, so really, we probably didn't get back to TSL until 7:32-7:35. 

We got in a (what appeared to be) short-ish line for Woody and Bo immediately. This line took 35 minutes. There were only a few groups ahead of us, but between all the autographs and taking 8 different combinations of photos per group....it took way too long, but it was what my nephew wanted to do. 

Anyway, we were okay with it, as we had read that SDD lines decreased as the event went on, so we figured we'd still get a few rides on it. But not the case for us. It was a 20 minute wait. And, as we had an infant that one member of our party wait outside with, there wasn't the opportunity to do it again, as by that point it was after 8:30. We finally went on AS2 and Midway Mania, and by that time, the event was over. 

We are on the fence on whether it was worth it or not. If we had gotten back early like some groups have, that would have made a world of difference. If the Woody line would have moved a bit more expeditiously, it would have helped. SDD being a 20 minute wait, though was the biggest gut punch.


----------



## mmackeymouse

Figment Mom said:


> I just posted more details above, but I definitely didnt wait 20 minutes on any of my 4x on SDD this morning.




We were there 7/29 as well, and was in line for SDD at approximately 8:10, and our wait WAS 20 minutes. It is so strange how some people can have different experiences. 

I dunno if we just had bad timing, but we didn't want to risk a 20 minute wait again, so we only did Slinky once.


----------



## ambellina

FINALLY got an opening for Monday morning. I'm thinking we'll line up for SDD first and then see where the day takes us from there.


----------



## disneyworldsk

i recommend doing sdd first only because when i went in november we did it first and after that it broke down the rest of the time so at least we got to ride it and experience it.


----------



## hvanes

mmackeymouse said:


> We were there 7/29 as well, and was in line for SDD at approximately 8:10, and our wait WAS 20 minutes. It is so strange how some people can have different experiences.
> 
> I dunno if we just had bad timing, but we didn't want to risk a 20 minute wait again, so we only did Slinky once.



This is so interesting.  Did you have an odd or even number in your party?  We had an odd number and that line was significantly shorter than the even line, except for our last ride. I wonder if that plays much of a role in wait times...?

Ugh... The event is great if all goes well, but it's pretty costly if it doesn't!


----------



## hvanes

ambellina said:


> FINALLY got an opening for Monday morning. I'm thinking we'll line up for SDD first and then see where the day takes us from there.


This was our strategy. SDD is great, but it also helps that we all LOVE TSMM. That was a 5-minute wait all morning, so if we had to resort to only that after SDD, we probably still would've been satisfied. 

It also helped that all my kids have either "outgrown" character meets or are painfully shy of them, so we didn't need to allot time for photos. Those lines looked to be the slowest moving, unfortunately.


----------



## ColoradoMom12

mmackeymouse said:


> We were there 7/29 as well, and was in line for SDD at approximately 8:10, and our wait WAS 20 minutes. It is so strange how some people can have different experiences.
> 
> I dunno if we just had bad timing, but we didn't want to risk a 20 minute wait again, so we only did Slinky once.


This was our experience in November. We encountered actual 20 minute waits for SDD. It was frustrating enough that I really had to think hard about whether or not I’d do it again for our July trip. Ultimately I chose to do it based partly on event reviews here as well as the fact that it’s an early morning event. We are early risers and like to take advantage of anything that’s available in the earlier part of the the morning, especially in the summer as it’s usually cooler then. 

It helped in November that DD and I don’t enjoy TSMM (she has zero experience with video games so isn’t really sure what to do, and the ride itself gives me motion sickness). We did one of the meet and greets but spent most of time on the aliens...we especially loved the holiday music they had on that ride in November! It was equally fun without the festive music this time.


----------



## Coach Holden

We just did EMM this morning and after reading many people’s trip reports I had certain expectations. Walked into TSL at 7:32am at the front of the pack, and only were able to ride TSM x2 and SDD x2.  Its amazing how little that allotted time actually is.


----------



## Boardgaming

Coach Holden said:


> We just did EMM this morning and after reading many people’s trip reports I had certain expectations. Walked into TSL at 7:32am at the front of the pack, and only were able to ride TSM x2 and SDD x2.  Its amazing how little that allotted time actually is.



I was there this morning with my party of 4. We didn’t do any character greets. We ride TSMMx2 SDDx4 and 1 ride on alien swirling saucers. We thought it was great!


----------



## Brett Wyman

Any guess when these will start up again after 8-29? I assume the month of September is out but hoping to see some dates for Oct-Nov-Dec.


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## tookydo

I just canceled 3 reservations for 8/7 if anyone is interested.


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## GADisneyDad14

Brett Wyman said:


> Any guess when these will start up again after 8-29? I assume the month of September is out but hoping to see some dates for Oct-Nov-Dec.



Well the daily extra extra magic hours go through 11/2, so definitely not through then.  I highly suspect additional extra hours will be added past then when the other SWGE ride opens, through the holidays, etc.  

My personal opinion is DHS EMM as we know it won't reappear past this month.  I'm sure they will do some sort of AM and PM upcharge events incorporating SWGE at some point, but hard to say when.


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## SaintsManiac

GADisneyDad14 said:


> Well the daily extra extra magic hours go through 11/2, so definitely not through then.  I highly suspect additional extra hours will be added past then when the other SWGE ride opens, through the holidays, etc.
> 
> My personal opinion is DHS EMM as we know it won't reappear past this month. * I'm sure they will do some sort of AM and PM upcharge events incorporating SWGE at some point, but hard to say when.*




Now that we know ROtR opens 12/5 and I betting they start up in January at the latest.


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## elgerber

Boardgaming said:


> I was there this morning with my party of 4. We didn’t do any character greets. We ride TSMMx2 SDDx4 and 1 ride on alien swirling saucers. We thought it was great!


I was there this morning also. I was solo but my family of four could have done the same that I did. I did Saucers x 1, TSMM x 2 and SDD x 5. Could have done another but my stomach was saying it had enough.


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## dachsie

Coach Holden said:


> We just did EMM this morning and after reading many people’s trip reports I had certain expectations. Walked into TSL at 7:32am at the front of the pack, and only were able to ride TSM x2 and SDD x2.  Its amazing how little that allotted time actually is.





Boardgaming said:


> I was there this morning with my party of 4. We didn’t do any character greets. We ride TSMMx2 SDDx4 and 1 ride on alien swirling saucers. We thought it was great!


I was there this morning as well. I decided I wanted to do as many SDD as I could. I looked at the Fastpass clock when we got to the ride and it said 7:36. Got on and was off by 8:45. Went back on again and again and again....etc. I rode SDD 8 times. I almost roadie it again but decided to do TSM before rope drop folks arrived. They were on their way when I entered the queue at 9am but were not where I could see them. After I got off I went to breakfast

SDD x8
TSM x1

So I figured they let us in there around 7:30 -was chatting with a family so didn’t see the exact time. Biggest help was them holding back the rope door people til 9am.   I also think it helped being solo as I filed in empty seats although I also rode by myself twice


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## GADisneyDad14

Dang @dachsie, crushing it this AM!


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## BCV2003

So now I'm confused but I'm glad that I found this thread.  We are planning to go to Hollywood Studios on 10/31/19 and I see in the Mydisneyexperience app that EMH hours are 6 am to 9am.  Will everything be open at that time with no special ticket other than admission?  We are staying onsite.


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## ninafeliz

BCV2003 said:


> So now I'm confused but I'm glad that I found this thread.  We are planning to go to Hollywood Studios on 10/31/19 and I see in the Mydisneyexperience app that EMH hours are 6 am to 9am.  Will everything be open at that time with no special ticket other than admission?  We are staying onsite.


That’s different, that’s extra extra magic hours for resort guests and yes, most things will be open.  All rides, and there’s a complete list out there somewhere of what’s open and when the rest opens.  It’s for resort guests only, no special ticket.  This thread is about early morning magic, a separate ticketed event for only TSL prior to regular park opening.  It also ends soon, prior to SWGE opening.


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## BCV2003

ninafeliz said:


> That’s different, that’s extra extra magic hours for resort guests and yes, most things will be open.  All rides, and there’s a complete list out there somewhere of what’s open and when the rest opens.  It’s for resort guests only, no special ticket.  This thread is about early morning magic, a separate ticketed event for only TSL prior to regular park opening.  It also ends soon, prior to SWGE opening.


Thank you!  I momentarily panicked thinking it was a ticketed event from 6-9am.  This is what happens when you don't visit for 2 years.  You fall behind on the news!!


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## ambellina

We were there yesterday and had a good time. We started at SDD, got right back on again, then did ***, TSMM, Slinky again and then TSMM again. We took our time walking over to the breakfast and had no problems finding a table and shared ours with another family that arrived later. We could have done even more rides in TSL with EMM but we move slower than most people. I think if you’re really devoted to wanting to get in as many rides as possible, save the breakfast for later. (Also the breakfast was meh so we figure our ticket mostly paid for the privilege of riding with lower wait times and was still worth it to us.)


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## disneydreamer781

Patiently waiting for DAH at DHS for October. Have to make some decisions on whether to add a park day or do this event?


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## 123SA

Event was great today
 Line started at 732. We were about 3 rows back from rope so we tried for slinky. We were along the right where line forms but so many people just stay left and force in we got pushed so far back. But being an odd numbered party truly is an advantage. Arrived at ride at 738 off at 749

Went to TSM.  Off at 807 and again at 817. Both walk on

Back to slinky at 819 off at 834. We went in the odd lane as two singles and they seated us together. I felt like I cheated 

Aliens twice ending at 848. Walk on

Slinky twice before rope drop ( rest of my group went to tsm, just once)

Stars tours and then breakfast at 930

We’re a little slow because one of my kids is not feeling well and we still got a lot done


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## jhoannam

Boardgaming said:


> I was there this morning with my party of 4. We didn’t do any character greets. We ride TSMMx2 SDDx4 and 1 ride on alien swirling saucers. We thought it was great!


What order did you do them in? Did you head straight to SDD?


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## Boardgaming

jhoannam said:


> What order did you do them in? Did you head straight to SDD?



Yes... straight to SDD. Rode twice in a row then did TSMM twice in a row. Did Alien Saucers next and then twice more on SDD


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## JeninTexas

We attended on 8/5 and it was great! Our bus from the Contemporary left at 6:45, and we were at the park by 7. The process to check in and get wristbands was quick. Everyone was directed to Backlot Express, so we grabbed a couple of pastries and drinks and ate them on our way over to Toy Story Land. We were probably in about the first 1/3 of the crowd. Because there were so many more people behind us than in front of us, we decided to ride SDD first. The posted wait was 5 minutes and that was about right. We walked through the queue and waited just a couple of minutes before getting on. We then did TSMM and Aliens. We rode SDD again and did TSMM again. It was about 8:45 by this time and we could have easily ridden SDD again, but the kids were ready to go eat so we walked over to Backlot Express. I got the charcuterie platter and the kids got the chicken and donuts. I thought my dish was pretty good, except one of the meat selections was a cut up hot dog??!! The chicken and donuts did not look good at all and my kids both said it was bad and did not eat it. The chicken was just your typical frozen chicken tender and donuts were kind of a mini cinnamon-sugar pastry. The buffet portion with fruit and pastries was better (kind of like your typical hotel breakfast spread). So, while the food left a lot to be desired, the event was great because you could walk around TSL without crowds and it was easy to ride as much as you wanted to. I would do this again for sure.


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## BlueLion

Quick rundown of our DHS EMM experience today, Wednesday 8/14. At 6:37 there was no sign of a DHS bus at Pop century, with no eta on the sign or in the app. After a few minutes, one showed up at 6:45. Getting checked in and through bag check was a breeze and we were walking to breakfast for a quick snack just after 7. By 7:20 we were lined up to enter the event and they let us start walking at 7:27. By 7:42, DH and DS12 were on SDD; I can't ride and DS5 didn't want to, so we waited at the exit. By 7:50 we were waiting for Aliens, did two rounds on that, then TSMM and we were walking out by 8:17. DH and DS12 did two more rounds on SDD while DS5 and I made a bathroom stop, another ride on Aliens (he loved it!), and took a couple photopass pictures. We waited 5-10 minutes for them to finish SDD and were all headed to RNRC around 8:45. We beat the crowd still waiting for Toy Story Land, quite a few others were walking to RNRC and TOT but it didn't look like a rope drop crowd. I don't think they were all EMM though. DH and DS12 pretty much walked on to RNRC, no pre-show, and were off by 9:02. At 8:55, RNRC showed a 35 minute wait and I think TOT was 65. We were at Star Tours at 9:10 with a 5-minute standby. The other 3 rode while I waited, then we went to breakfast at 9:25. It was pretty crowded with a short wait for food and no tables inside. We got lots of food and enjoyed most of it, although neither kid was into the chicken. DS12 went back for shrimp and grits after trying mine.

All in all, we were pretty happy. Final ride count was SDD 3x for DH/DS12, Aliens once for them and 3x for DS5 and me, TSMM once for all of us. Agree with others who've commented on the long walk on and off for TSMM; it didn't seem worth doing that one again. The kids weren't interested in characters so we skipped them, but the Jessie and Woody/Bo Peep lines were very long. We saw Buzz on the way out and his was shorter. Family was fairly pleased, and the quick ride on RNRC was a bonus. DS12 said he liked Fantasyland EMM a little better because it has more rides. Seems everyone thought it was worth doing once. We did the original version with TSMM and Star Tours 3 years ago and this was vastly different. That one was so lightly attended that Woody and Buzz had no one visiting them so they came out to spend more time with my then 2 yo and me, which was amazing. Not the case today, but we still had fun!


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## Figment1990

Just thought I would share our experience here today because I found the info from people on the last couple of pages very helpful. Especially the part about odd numbered parties. We are a party of three, so at the point they split you up (at the fast pass spot) it helped us maybe by one train each time.

We caught our bus from the Polynesian at 6:39 and were thru bag check and heading towards the backlot express by a little after seven. I wanted coffee (mainly bc our room coffee maker was broken) and really regretted it because I was too hot to drink any! We grabbed a few pastries and headed to the holding spot, which is over by launch bay. We were about 5-6 families people back on the left smaller entrance and then as things got closer to 7:30, a bunch of people started to go “wide” instead of back, cutting up the left side in front of all of us (as in wider than the opening so they would be pushing in and getting ahead of people who had been there waiting.) I honestly don’t know why Disney can’t use ropes and lanes better for situations like this and pandora.  Anyhow my recommendation is to skip pastries, head to the drop point, and try to get in the middle group. They seemed to get thru before our smaller opening did plus we knew we had to get “right” for SDD anyway. (Again, no ropes, so more left side mergers - not helpful).

Anyhow we waited about 8 min for the first ride on SDD, 13 for the second, then walked on AS2, TSMM, and went back to slinky for 3x  at that point SDD was less than 5 min and they had started using the FP entrance. Then we did AS2 again and would have been able to stay on to ride again if we wanted. At that point it was just before 9 and we were going to try to ride TSMM one more time but the rope drop mass beat us to it and since we had FP for it later in the morning we went to breakfast and did Star tours. Then used our FP for ToT, RnRC and TSMM, and spent time in the launch bay, back in the room by 1:30.

All in all, 5x SDD, 2x AS2, and 1x TSMM. DS and DH would probably have gone on SDD again had I not been trying to get to TSMM again to not have to go back to TSL later. Also the exit line from TSMM takes forever, as some have noted, and I was ready for A/C and coffee.

We were happy with the morning and though we won’t do it every time, I truly don’t like wandering around TSL during normal hours (me, not the rest of my family) so it was worth it to me and I’m glad my DS talked us into it.

Also - the wait time posted for slinky was 20-25 the whole time but I would say it was at least 5 min less than posted, or more, depending on if u have even or odd numbered party.


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## Mrs Grumpy

Packing stuff up for our trip in 9 days.  We are going 8/28.  Should I have any type of tickets printed for this or will they just scan our MB's to get in?  If I had something from when I made the reservations I am not finding it so I need to look harder if I should have something.


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## GADisneyDad14

Mrs Grumpy said:


> Packing stuff up for our trip in 9 days.  We are going 8/28.  Should I have any type of tickets printed for this or will they just scan our MB's to get in?  If I had something from when I made the reservations I am not finding it so I need to look harder if I should have something.



Just your MBs... you’re all good!


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## GADisneyDad14

BTW @Mrs Grumpy I hope you enjoy what will probably be the last ever TSL EMM.  

It’s been a mostly good run, but the end is slowly approaching.


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## lindapr1

I'm REALLY hoping they have different breakfast options then what's on the flyer   I have two eaters that will not eat half of what's on it.  does anyone know if they possibly have eggs or bacon, sausage or waffles?


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## holden

They have eggs. No bacon or sausage that I saw. We just did it this morning.

The buffet has fruit, yogurt and toppings, cereal and pastries. The only items available as entrees are the ones on the menu. They do have allergy menus if you have a food allergy.

The kids had two choices, one of which was eggs and sweet potato tots.


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## LvsTnk

lindapr1 said:


> I'm REALLY hoping they have different breakfast options then what's on the flyer   I have two eaters that will not eat half of what's on it.  does anyone know if they possibly have eggs or bacon, sausage or waffles?


We got to breakfast as they were breaking it down a few weeks ago and we ordered one of everything and a few kids meals. We just mixed and matched and you could at least have some plain scrambled eggs and what would be the chicken tenders. There were plain croissants the day we attended as well.


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## TISHLOVESDISNEY

I did this Monday. I received a survey about it afterwards. 
Curious if that means it's coming back...Never know what Disney has up their sleeves....


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## dachsie

TISHLOVESDISNEY said:


> I did this Monday. I received a survey about it afterwards.
> Curious if that means it's coming back...Never know what Disney has up their sleeves....


I for one hope so.


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## M SH

dachsie said:


> I for one hope so.



hopefully an expanded version that includes GE!


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## Trinity88

Since there aren’t many of these left, I don’t know if it’s worth posting my experience this morning, but I’ll do it anyway. 

We had a great time!

We arrived at the park around 7 (Uber), got our wristbands and went to quickly grab a drink and pastries. The kids took a while, so we were near the back of the pack heading in to TS land when they opened it at 7:29. We had decided to start with TSM since at least 3/4 of the crowd went right to SDD. TSM was walk on. Then we went to SDD. It was posted as a 20 min wait, we waited 10 min. Rode again with a 15 min wait. Then we did Alien SS which was walk on. Then back to TSM, walked on. It was 8:40 by that point so we decided to try SDD again. It was posted as a 20 min wait. They sent us through the FP lane (our first 2 rides we went through the standby line) and walked right on. Got off and walked back on. While we were up high, we could see the swarms of people coming in for rope drop. After that ride we went for breakfast. It was 9:05 at that point. We followed the SDD line as we walked out. It was a 120 min wait by 9:10. Breakfast was ok. Not great options for kids, but the small buffet area helped. 

So all in all, we thought it was worth the cost. We did:

SDD x 4
TSM x 2
Alien SS x1

We didn’t rush, we just wandered and decided what to do as we went.  I hope they bring this back in some form in the future.


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## GADisneyDad14

Well, DHS EMM came to us like a lion and bows out like a lamb.  As many Disney events and offerings tend to do. 

Since DHS EMM started on 9/17/2018... we've had our ups, we've had our downs... but I will always be in awe of the 216 DISers who stopped by to share their reviews of the event.  We learned a lot, hopefully helped people set expectations and make informed decisions with their vacation dollars, and maybe we had a little fun along the way. 

I assume this is it for DHS EMM for now, never to return in this format - but looking forward to whatever comes next. 

Thanks again everyone.


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## dachsie

I definitely enjoyed the three times I did it.  Will miss it when I get back to Disney in a couple of years


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## StevieTimes

In the Magic Kingdom early morning magic thread, I had started some pure speculation:

The reason we're not seeing Early Morning Magic at Hollywood Studios is because they're going to give it to us for free.

When the Rise of the Resistance opens in Galaxy's Edge, they'll do the same thing they did for Smuggler's Run. We will get extra extra magic hours every day for a period of time.

Think about it; if they were going to offer it for money, they already would have. They reopened magic kingdom on 10/1 like clockwork. There is no reason why they haven't figured out a way to open it up for Hollywood Studios; even with Galaxy's Edge, they could still make it happen.

You heard it here first! Let's revisit this thread in a couple of months and tell me how right I am or how far off I was.


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## StevieTimes

Now that I think about it; I can see me being 100% wrong.  One of the stated goals of the Rise of the Resistance is not to have long lines.

We'll see!


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## jamos14

StevieTimes said:


> One of the stated goals of the Rise of the Resistance is not to have long lines.
> 
> We'll see!



Where has that been stated?  Not questioning you, I've just never seen it.


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## StevieTimes

jamos14 said:


> Where has that been stated?  Not questioning you, I've just never seen it.



cnbc dot com

“The deep secret is we don’t intend to have lines,” he said. “The point is to build in the capacity.  Ten-hour lines are not a success... we are trying to avoid that.” 

I believe "he" refers to Bob Chapek; and I think the ten-hour lines are a Universal/Hagrid dig.  I'm not 100% sure.


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## StevieTimes

dang it won't let me post a link?


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## GADisneyDad14

StevieTimes said:


> dang it won't let me post a link?



You need to have a bit more posting history to post a link.  FYI.


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## Brett Wyman

StevieTimes said:


> In the Magic Kingdom early morning magic thread, I had started some pure speculation:
> 
> The reason we're not seeing Early Morning Magic at Hollywood Studios is because they're going to give it to us for free.
> 
> When the Rise of the Resistance opens in Galaxy's Edge, they'll do the same thing they did for Smuggler's Run. We will get extra extra magic hours every day for a period of time.
> 
> Think about it; if they were going to offer it for money, they already would have. They reopened magic kingdom on 10/1 like clockwork. There is no reason why they haven't figured out a way to open it up for Hollywood Studios; even with Galaxy's Edge, they could still make it happen.
> 
> You heard it here first! Let's revisit this thread in a couple of months and tell me how right I am or how far off I was.



I agree with this. I think we will see EEMH again starting 12-05. And as you mentioned it pretty much equates to a free TSL EMM minus the included breakfast. I do wish they'd throw a few TSL EMMs in for November though, but it probably doesn't make sense logistically to fire it up for just one month.


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## Crazed4DisneyinSC

StevieTimes said:


> In the Magic Kingdom early morning magic thread, I had started some pure speculation:
> 
> The reason we're not seeing Early Morning Magic at Hollywood Studios is because they're going to give it to us for free.
> 
> When the Rise of the Resistance opens in Galaxy's Edge, they'll do the same thing they did for Smuggler's Run. We will get extra extra magic hours every day for a period of time.
> 
> Think about it; if they were going to offer it for money, they already would have. They reopened magic kingdom on 10/1 like clockwork. There is no reason why they haven't figured out a way to open it up for Hollywood Studios; even with Galaxy's Edge, they could still make it happen.
> 
> You heard it here first! Let's revisit this thread in a couple of months and tell me how right I am or how far off I was.


I really, really hope this turns out to happen!!! How long do you think HS would do another round of EEMH after ROTR opens? We're going end of January. Park is only open 9-8, and it doesn't work out to utilize Magic Hours for us. I'm stressing that we'll have enough time in this one day to be able to do all we want! Will be our first time seeing SWGE (BIG FANS!) and TSL.


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## disneydreamer781

I so wanted this for our trip next month. I'll probably never go in October again...EVER. No EEMH, no MK EMH, no DAH events (take my money Disney!) , no DVC events in any of the parks, nothing except an overpriced and overcrowded Halloween Party. I wish I could change it but I can't. Next trip will be May 2020 for Flower and Garden and hopefully a DAH event and then Jan 2021 for Festival of the Arts.


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## SaintsManiac

disneydreamer781 said:


> I so wanted this for our trip next month. I'll probably never go in October again...EVER. No EEMH, no MK EMH, no DAH events (take my money Disney!) , no DVC events in any of the parks, nothing except an overpriced and overcrowded Halloween Party. I wish I could change it but I can't. Next trip will be May 2020 for Flower and Garden and hopefully a DAH event and then Jan 2021 for Festival of the Arts.




There are EEMH every day this month.


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## disneydreamer781

SaintsManiac said:


> There are EEMH every day this month.


I'm talking about the event with breakfast. I'm not so sure these morning EMH are going to be as exclusive. I would pay to have an empty park and early access to attractions, particularly at MK. Also no After Hours events which I was counting on but again nothing in October.


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## DisneyandBeerLover

StevieTimes said:


> In the Magic Kingdom early morning magic thread, I had started some pure speculation:
> 
> The reason we're not seeing Early Morning Magic at Hollywood Studios is because they're going to give it to us for free.
> 
> When the Rise of the Resistance opens in Galaxy's Edge, they'll do the same thing they did for Smuggler's Run. We will get extra extra magic hours every day for a period of time.
> 
> Think about it; if they were going to offer it for money, they already would have. They reopened magic kingdom on 10/1 like clockwork. There is no reason why they haven't figured out a way to open it up for Hollywood Studios; even with Galaxy's Edge, they could still make it happen.
> 
> You heard it here first! Let's revisit this thread in a couple of months and tell me how right I am or how far off I was.



I hope this is what happens!! But... I’d also rather pay to have basically unlimited access to HS.


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## Mrs Grumpy

I wish they would bring this back but doubt they will anytime soon.  That would be a mess trying to get the people through the gates for this with everyone there waiting to get a boarding pass.


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## magickingdomprincess

I would totally love it too!  Had so much fun going to this last June!


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## Runnsally

My guess is the next Early Morning Magic we see (before DHS) is Epcot once Ratatouille opens.


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## lisa cameron

Runnsally said:


> My guess is the next Early Morning Magic we see (before DHS) is Epcot once Ratatouille opens.


I think it would be challenging to offer an EMM at Epcot.  When EMM is offered at MK or DHS, it is limited to one area/land in the park.  Everything is spread out at Epcot and Ratatouille isn’t by anything else.  EMM is such a short event (75 minutes), I don’t foresee it working at Epcot.


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## AngiTN

lisa cameron said:


> I think it would be challenging to offer an EMM at Epcot.  When EMM is offered at MK or DHS, it is limited to one area/land in the park.  Everything is spread out at Epcot and Ratatouille isn’t by anything else.  EMM is such a short event (75 minutes), I don’t foresee it working at Epcot.


Yeah, there's a reason they haven't done it at Epcot thus far, before the current construction mess of course.
If they were going to, when FEA opened, and the sisters moved over, would have been their time. 
Unless the change the opening of WS to 9:00 and let folks do everything back there, it wouldn't make sense even with Ratatouille open.


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## Dikran

I guess I'll just keep dreaming of eating that chilaquiles dish once more...


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## Jacq7414

AngiTN said:


> Yeah, there's a reason they haven't done it at Epcot thus far, before the current construction mess of course.
> If they were going to, when FEA opened, and the sisters moved over, would have been their time.
> Unless the change the opening of WS to 9:00 and let folks do everything back there, it wouldn't make sense even with Ratatouille open.


Do we even have a date for Ratatouille yet?


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## AngiTN

Jacq7414 said:


> Do we even have a date for Ratatouille yet?


Not to my knowledge but I don't keep good track during construction. I only follow once things are near their final days
I think the construction is going smoothly due to the fact that it's a duplicate of another ride, vs brand new technology.
Obviously it will be before the 50th. That's when everything is expected to be done, WDW wide.


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## Dikran

Speaking of chilaquiles, is there another restaurant on property that serves them?


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## dachsie

Dikran said:


> Speaking of chilaquiles, is there another restaurant on property that serves them?


I think Disney heard you.  ABC Commissary is now serving breakfast and they have them!!  Actually I think they put the whole menu from this at ABC


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## elgerber

dachsie said:


> I think Disney heard you.  ABC Commissary is now serving breakfast and they have them!!  Actually I think they put the whole menu from this at ABC


I was coming to post this too.


----------

