Extra Magic Hours: Sometimes Great and Sometimes a Waste of Time
Extra Magic Hours (EMH) at Walt Disney World are perks for resort guests. Essentially, you get more time in a Walt Disney World park than guests who aren't staying at one of the Disney hotels on property.
You don't get Extra Magic Hours in every park or on every day. The schedule changes now and then, so it's best to check with a TIMES GUIDE at your Disney Resort Hotel.
If a park has Extra Magic Hours in the morning, you get to enter the park one hour ahead of other guests when you're staying in a Disney Resort Hotel. Other guests can't be in the park (excluding some special offers like tours or character meals). That gives you time to ride the premier attractions before the lines get full.
In the evening, Extra Magic Hours allows Disney Resort hotel guests two more hours after closing time to ride the attractions. Non-resort guests may still be in the park, but they can't get on the rides and clog up the lines.
FastPass+ doesn't operate during the morning or evening EMH, so save those for regular park hours.
How to Make the Most of Extra Magic Hours in the Morning
You only get one hour before the hordes of non-resort guests arrive, so make the most of it. To make the most of your time, get there early. Arrive 20-30 minutes before your Extra Magic Hours time begins.
Make sure to allow time for delays in transportation, as Walt Disney World is an enormous property. You need to consider how long it takes for a Disney bus (or water launch) takes to get from your hotel to the park. Also, keep in mind that Disney won't run as many buses in the morning because they don't have as much demand for rides as they will later in the day.
Even with transportation, you also need to account for time spent walking and going through security (see Related Posts below).
You want to think ahead to decide which rides you can best experience during Extra Magic Hours and which ones you should save for later in the day with a FastPass+.
In our experience, choose the rides with a short queue and short ride time for your Extra Magic Hours and longer rides for a FastPass+.
For example, compare Big Thunder Mountain to Splash Mountain. The queue at Splash Mountain takes longer to get on the ride. Also, the ride on Splash Mountain is longer than on Big Thunder Mountain. If your objective is to make the most of rides during your morning Extra Magic Hours, ride Big Thunder Mountain in the morning. Get a FastPass+ for Splash Mountain.
Don't waste time doing things that you can easily do after the non-resort guests arrive. You can eat anytime, but you can only get on popular rides without a wait when few people are in the park.
How to Make the Most of Extra Magic Hours in the Evening
There is a big difference with Extra Magic Hours in the Evening. Other guests already in the park aren't required to leave. However, they also cannot get on the rides. You have to scan your MagicBand to show that you're a resort guest to get on the ride.
Also, bear in mind that some attractions may not operate during Extra Magic Hours during the evening. It's very disappointing if you've waited all day to get your time on Splash Mountain during the evening EMH and the ride closed down for the day.
It takes time for the non-resort guests to filter out of the park and get out of the lines. The lines will continue to get shorter as they leave the park and only resort guests are able to ride or see shows.
The Potential Downside of Extra Magic Hours
Not all Extra Magic Hours are created equally. That's particularly true in the evening. The typical closing time of a park may vary from one park to the next.
Parents know that small children can occasionally stay up late, but there are still limits before they're out cold. The Magic Kingdom closes at 11:00 PM. Adding Extra Magic Hours on top of that closin...