Disney Announces Eliminating Magic Hours. Will Replace with 30 Minute Early Entrance to Parks

[OKWDVCMagic]

Disney announced that they are ending Magic Hours. Disney will now offer only 30 minutes early admission to any parks for hotel guests.

 

[Disney Bobby]

 

[cm8]

That’s unfortunate. We loved our EMHS!

 

[YesterDark]

I think this is better.

 

[glamdring269]

I wonder if this will be a rotating 30 minutes or will all parks just open 30 minutes early for on site guests. This is honestly a pretty big blow to our usual touring style but I guess 30 minutes of extra sleep will be appreciated.

 

[skeeter31]

I wonder if this will be a rotating 30 minutes or will all parks just open 30 minutes early for on site guests. This is honestly a pretty big blow to our usual touring style but I guess 30 minutes of extra sleep will be appreciated.

All parks will open 30 minutes early for resort guests.

 

[glamdring269]

All parks will open 30 minutes early for resort guests.

All it would have taken was for me to read the first paragraph. I feel ashamed.

Later this year, resort guests will begin getting 30-minute head starts in all four theme parks every day, Disney says.

 

[Transferteck]

If you have been in the parks since the holidays ended they seem abandoned. Having EMH during this pandemic doesn’t make since. It’s easy to understand Disney is losing money in the “park” business so paying for more labor for EMH is only a larger loss. I’m just hoping by 2022 we can reach a more filled park so we can get some of the great features back or at least different versions of them.

 

[DopeyDame]

I really hope this is just temporary during the pandemic.
30 minutes in the morning doesn't nearly replace extra magic hours, especially now that my kids are finally old enough to take advantage of the evening emh!

Between this and DME, the appeal of off site hotels is increasing significantly.

 

[OKWDVCMagic]

I really hope this is just temporary during the pandemic.
30 minutes in the morning doesn't nearly replace extra magic hours, especially now that my kids are finally old enough to take advantage of the evening emh!

Between this and DME, the appeal of off site hotels is increasing significantly.

I agree that with the loss of EMH, the offsite hotels may benefit from guests deciding to stay offsite since there is less an incentive to pay more $ for further reduced experience.

 

[tlmadden73]

I really hope this is just temporary during the pandemic.
30 minutes in the morning doesn't nearly replace extra magic hours, especially now that my kids are finally old enough to take advantage of the evening emh!

Between this and DME, the appeal of off site hotels is increasing significantly.

I doubt this is temporary. This and the ME cuts are more cost cutting measures as Disney is trying how to figure out how to get back to "normal" operations but cut all those "extras" that cost them a lot of money to provide (and don't provide a DIRECT impact).

It's easy to offer a new cupcake - costs $X to produce and can sell them at $Y and they can control supply based on demand easily. But things like EMH and ME are a set cost .. that doesn't provide them direct impact. They are "hoping" those perks entice guests to stay onsite and they are 'hoping' those guests spend more money at the resorts while there. At this point, "hope" doesn't pay the bills.

But .. really .. with the pandemic and the limits on park hopping and Disney bubble transportation .. 2021 may just be the year of the offsite vacation.

Because of all the restrictions and now cuts ("due to the pandemic") .. I've gone from "can't wait" to Disney to re-open .. to "let's wait for it to get more back to normal" .... to "Ehh . maybe we just vacation offsite this year."

 

[Disco]

I mean I like that they are letting you into any park. EMH days create larger crowds where they otherwise would not have been. I would bet you'll probably save that extra half hour from the artificial crowding that it created. Crowd predictions will also be less complicated and more accurate. Now you can just pick a park and go, which is a breath of fresh air. Disney really needs to de-convolute their vacation planning craziness so this is a step in the right direction.
Now having said all that, half an hour head start is like one maybe two rides. It doesn't sound all that enticing to make me want to stay onsite especially now that ME is shutting down.

 

[jkh36619]

They usually open all the parks 30 minutes early anyway..so....

 

[skeeter31]

They usually open all the parks 30 minutes early anyway..so....

But that would be starting when this new resort guest half hour starts.

 

[Tom_E_D]

The title of this thread is:
Disney Announces in 2022 to Eliminating Magic Hours. Will Replace with 30 Minute Early Entrance to Parks

That's wrong. Extra Magic Hours have already been eliminated, the announcement was already made, and the 30-minute early entry will be starting later this year (2021), not next year (2022).

 

[JasonH]

I think this is better.

On the surface, yes. But this has already been allowed.

Now, on my 3 family trips to Disney World, we've never used it because it just never happened to be set for the day for the park we wanted to attend. And from what I've heard, there wasn't much benefit anyway because the parks were already swamped. It's not like DW is swarming with locals like DL is. So lines were already long even during the magic hours.

But it does remove some of the 'magic' from the trip. And from a financial perspective, another reason to not stay on-site.

 

[MickeyWaffles]

On the surface, yes. But this has already been allowed.

Now, on my 3 family trips to Disney World, we've never used it because it just never happened to be set for the day for the park we wanted to attend. And from what I've heard, there wasn't much benefit anyway because the parks were already swamped. It's not like DW is swarming with locals like DL is. So lines were already long even during the magic hours.

But it does remove some of the 'magic' from the trip. And from a financial perspective, another reason to not stay on-site.

Except extra magic hours were only at ONE park per morning, and they were slammed. People actually started avoiding the EMH parks because it meant it was often overall the most crowded park of the day because of it.

This 30 minute early entry will spread resort guests across all 4 parks every day. I think it’s nice that it’ll be spread across the 4 parks.

Tokyo Disney does the Happy 15 for resort guests - basically a 15 minute head start to get to one of the most popular attractions. It’s considered a great perk there.

I am kind of optimistic about this new 30 minute early entry at all the parks. We’ll see how it goes when it rolls out.

 

[DL1WDW2]

Does Tokyo also have 2 days of entrance fees per day by charging for nightly events.?
Usually with the Magic hour only one area of the park would be open such as Fantasyland at MK, for example.
I guess we will just have to wait & see the future of unprecedented trip planning.

 

[hertamaniac]

Perhaps that earlier 30 minutes leads to more food/beverage being consumed, on average, per guest over each day. I wouldn't be surprised if that was at least part of the marketing/accounting discussions.

 

[Farro]

Except extra magic hours were only at ONE park per morning, and they were slammed. People actually started avoiding the EMH parks because it meant it was often overall the most crowded park of the day because of it.

This 30 minute early entry will spread resort guests across all 4 parks every day. I think it’s nice that it’ll be spread across the 4 parks.

Tokyo Disney does the Happy 15 for resort guests - basically a 15 minute head start to get to one of the most popular attractions. It’s considered a great perk there.

I am kind of optimistic about this new 30 minute early entry at all the parks. We’ll see how it goes when it rolls out.

I think it's great! I'm actually really pleased about this change.