Disney 101

Extra Magic Hours 101

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What are they and are they worth it? 

What are they?

One of the perks of staying on property during your Walt Disney World vacation is Extra Magic Hours, or EMH. This is a window of time in the morning or evening where the parks are open only to Disney Resort guests.

Because it’s outside of regular park hours, the windows are early in the morning and late in the evening. All four parks offer EMH, but only one park offers it per day, so be sure to check the schedule! Keep in mind only select attractions, dining and shopping are open during EMH.

 

Who can take advantage?

Guests staying at any Walt Disney World Resort or Official Walt Disney World Hotels can take advantage of this perk.

Official Walt Disney World Hotels (partner hotels) include: 

  • Swan and Dolphin
  • Shades of Green
  • Four Seasons Orlando
  • Waldorf Astoria Orlando
  • Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek
  • Disney Springs Resort Area Hotels (see the full list here)

How does it work?

Everything is connected to your MagicBand! To enter the park for Extra Magic Hours, each person in your group will scan into the park normally, but then you also need to scan one of your party’s bands on a Cast Member’s iPad. This lets them know that you are staying on property!

Pros and Cons

  • Pros:
    • Less crowds
    • Shorter wait times
    • Better temperatures
  • Cons:
    • Only select attractions and experiences available 
    • All the resort guests flock to that park 
    • It’s very early or very late in the day
    • Subject to change at any time

Morning vs Evening EMH

The morning EMH are offered very frequently, especially at Hollywood Studios with the opening of Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge and its respective attractions. The other parks have morning EMH often, too, and they rotate the days those are offered to guests. Typically the park will open at 8am for EMH, and then at 9am for all guests. Be sure to check the attraction availability, as it differs from park to park on how much is open during EMH.

Recently, the evening EMH have been offered less frequently, which is for a few reasons. One reason is the high volume of crowds. To manage crowd flow, Disney extends park hours so they open very early and are open very late for all guests – leaving little room for EMH. Second, in recent years Disney has started offering Disney After Hours. This is a ticketed event where the park is open to guests for 3 hours in the evening, which brings in more $$ for Disney but less opportunities for resort guests to take advantage of evening EMH. 

Should you take advantage? 

There are a few strategies for Extra Magic Hours – to plan your trip around EMH (so you get optimal park time), avoid EMH completely (since most resort guests head to that park), OR just plan your trip ignoring them completely. It’s a personal decision that everyone has different opinions on from their past experiences and/or research!

Personally, I’m in the last group. I typically don’t plan my trip around EMH, unless it’s for something in particular like Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge. If EMH works out with our plans, then great, but I really just consider it an extension of the regular park hours. In the morning, I still get there 45 minutes before the EMH start time (i.e. if EMH are from 8-9am at Magic Kingdom, I’m at the park by 7:15am). Park hours are always subject to change, and that includes EMH. I’d rather plan my trip going to the parks I want to hit on the days I want to go than having to shuffle things around if Disney changes EMH and park hours.

Overall, I love taking advantage of EMH but do not base my trip on the EMH schedule. What is your strategy?

 

Disney 101 Planning Tips

Disney Vacation Club 101

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The Basics of DVC and DVC Resale

Disney’s Beach Club Villas

My husband Ben and I recently became Disney Vacation Club Members, and we couldn’t be more excited! We purchased a contract through the secondary market with a company called DVC Resale Market. We *highly* recommend working with Nick Cotton’s team – we had an incredibly smooth and stress-free experience with them! We bought an Animal Kingdom Lodge contract, so that will be considered our “home” resort.

 

What is DVC?

DVC, or the Disney Vacation Club, is Disney’s version of a timeshare. You purchase real estate interest directly from Disney through a flexible system known as Vacation Points. The Walt Disney Company launched their program over 25 years ago, and members now have the ability to stay at 15 top notch properties.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village

How does it work?

With DVC, you purchase an annual allotment of points that can be used for your resort accommodations. Don’t want to go every year? You can decide how many points you want to purchase in your contract, AND you have the ability to pull points from the upcoming year or rollover points from the past year. Disney gives you the flexibility to meet your family’s vacation needs.

While with DVC membership you “buy into” a specific resort, you have the ability to use your points at any of the 15 properties listed below. Your “home” property allows you booking access 11 months in advance to that specific resort, while any other location can be booked 7 months out. So for us, we can book 11 months out at Animal Kingdom Lodge, giving us a slight advantage.

What are the benefits?

Aulani, Oahu, Hawai’i

By purchasing real estate interest in Disney, you save significantly on Deluxe Disney accommodations through your DVC ownership year after year. There are also great perks such as exclusive Member events, discounts on park admission, dining and merchandise, and overall flexibility on booking your vacation. 


What properties can you stay at, and what are the accommodations?

There are currently 11 properties at Walt Disney World, 1 at Disneyland and 3 other locations outside of the parks. 

The accommodations consist of studios, villas and bungalows, meaning they can fit any size group! All accommodations have a kitchen space and are generally much nicer than the traditional resort rooms (and you’re paying a fraction of the price than if you booked directly through Disney). 

Walt Disney World Resort

  • Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas
  • Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
  • Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
  • Copper Creek Villas and Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
  • Disney’s Beach Club Villas
  • Disney’s Boardwalk Villas Resort
  • The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
  • Disney’s Old Key West Resort
  • Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
  • Disney’s Riviera Resort
  • Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
  • COMING IN 2022: Reflections – A Disney Lakeside Lodge

Disneyland Resort

  • Disney’s Grand Californian

Oceanside Resorts

  • Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort
  • Disney’s Vero Beach Resort
  • Disney’s Aulani Resort & Spa (Oahu, Hawai’i)
The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

Is it worth the investment?

If your family plans on traveling to Disney at least every other year (and staying at the Deluxe properties), then you should definitely look into becoming a member. While the initial investment is substantial, there are payment plan options you can take advantage of. And if you run the numbers, your initial investment and yearly dues will pay itself off relatively quickly (so you’re paying a fraction of the price each year to stay at the Deluxe properties).

For us, Disney will always be a part of our lives. We purchased a resale contract that fit our budget and allows us to stay at the resorts for several long weekends a year. In the future when we are traveling with young ones, we will be able to use our points for a week long vacation with the family. 

What is the DVC secondary market?

DVC Members have the ability to sell their contract, and they can do so through companies like DVC Resale Market that facilitate the buying/selling of DVC contracts. 

How does it work?

Instead of buying direct from Disney, you can purchase a contract on the secondary market. The price per point can be substantially lower than buying direct, and you can buy into any of the Disney properties. For example, when we attended our DVC tour, the only remaining DVC membership availability (direct with Disney) was with Aulani, Copper Creek and Riviera. And, the points were almost double the price we paid for our Animal Kingdom Lodge secondary market purchase.   

When searching for resale purchases, the contracts are listed on their website. That means you are able to review all aspects of the contract – including home resort, point size, point availability and use year – and determine what fits your family’s needs and desires best. You are also able to set up financing for your DVC resale contract. 

There are some perks that you lose from purchasing resale versus purchasing direct. For us, however, the pros far outweighed the cons of resale purchase.

Renting points is another great option!

If you don’t want to purchase a contract and become a member yourself, there are companies out there that offer up renting people’s DVC points for your vacation. Just like for DVC members, the huge perk is that you are staying at a Deluxe accommodation at a discounted rate. Renting points needs to be done well in advance of your vacation, but is worth the savings! Consider using the DVC Rental Store, a partner of DVC Resale Market. 

 

 

 

Questions? Send me a message and I’d be happy to answer them and share more about our experience with DVC!

Disney 101 Planning Tips

When is the BEST Time to Go to Disney?

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So when IS the BEST time of year to visit Walt Disney World? 

I get this question so frequently from friends and clients. The truth is, it’s different for everyone because there are so many factors that go into it! Crowds, price and weather are the three biggest factors for people, so I’ve provided a chart below to give you an idea of what each month of the year looks like at Disney. 

Here are my recommended steps to follow to help you determine when to go with your group. Ideally, it’s good to book your trip about 9-12 months out, so keep this in mind! 

1. Ask yourself, what factor is the MOST important? 

Is it crowds, price or weather? Or something else completely? Take a look at the chart below to help you out!

2. Think through the travel logistics. 

What else is going on in your lives then? Is it the kids’ break, or will you need to take them out of school? What activities are in session then? Will the kids be tall enough to ride certain attractions, or should we wait six more months?

3. Start to check availability and pricing.

This is where a travel agent comes in – they can start to check resort availability and pricing for locations on and off Disney property. 

Crowd, Price & Weather Calendar Snapshot

*Keep in mind, any holiday weekends will typically see higher crowds, even if it’s a “low” month. ALSO, Disney is never “quiet” anymore – there will always be crowds, it’s just that the level of crowds will just vary.

This calendar is meant to be a high level snapshot to help you determine broadly which month makes the most sense based on your priorities. Once this gives you an idea, more research should be done (or call me!).

Once you’ve booked your trip, reach out to WDW Park Planners to help plan the day-to-day of your magical vacation! 

Question? Contact me today!