Hey everyone, your friendly neighborhood Disney Gossip columnist Anonymouse here. I know you have been hearing a lot from me lately, but you secretly love it! There is so much gossip swirling that I just can’t help myself. You know I live for the gossip, good or bad. This gossip is not so good. I know many of you are going to be upset but let’s remember that nothing is official until Disney says so. I digress… Extra Magic Hours might be gone in 2016! OMG!!
Yes, I said it, Extra Magic Hours might be gone next year. That is probably the best selling point and perk to staying on property! It was told to me by a trusted source that the Travel Agent provisional operating hours schedule that only they get does not include EMH for 2016. Now this could be an oversight on Disney’s behalf, because people do make mistakes. Or it could be that EMH will no longer be a perk of staying on property. If this does happen I suspect more people will stay off property.
You didn’t see this from me.
Extra Magic Hours have been a perk for quite a little while now, since 2004 I think. Through the years they have been scaled back here and there. So maybe that was an indication. Who knows.
What do you think about this latest gossip? Do you think Disney is going to drop Extra Magic Hours? Would you still stay on site if they do? Let us know in the comment box below.
Any who this all the Disney gossip I have for now. For my past gossip articles be sure to check them out here. Got any good gossip/rumors please email me at anonymouse@chipandco.com or on my Facebook page.
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We are DVC members so we will always stay on property, but EMH has not been something we’ve missed. Our kids are rarely up at that hour since we try not to adjust from our mountain time schedule when in FLA. but that doesn’t mean we NEVER planned on doing it. I am hoping it is an oversight or a pilot test that will revert back once they assess the impact it has on guests staying on property.
I disagree. Fast passes should be included in resort stay and annual passes (maybe only Premium and Premier) but cost for other guests like most parks do anyways. I have an annual pass but I don’t stay on Disney property because I live less than 30 mins from Disney so it just wouldn’t make sense for me. If they took away the 3 passes i get with my annual I probably wouldn’t bother renewing because I’m certainly not going to stay at a resort just for that perk.
I agree that the profits are high now but the lack of sparkle Disney once had is getting to be unattractive. I have gone to Disney almost 2 dozen times since 1992, and it is just not the same as it was when I first went. Now the prices are higher and the amenities and parks are getting less. The first few times I went the upkeep on the properties were impeccable, and the staff couldn’t have been more accommodating. We stayed at the expensive resorts for most of my visits and things like turn down service and such was included in the price but now they are extra has as you have to pay club level rates. A couple of times we had to stay off property because of my daughter’s soccer as you had to use the tournament hotels, and we were just as happy at the Wyndham Bonnet Creek hotel offered on property near Typhoon Lagoon. It didn’t have a Disney theme, but it wasn’t as expensive and its proximity is close enough and my kids were in their teenage years so having Mickey at the hotel was not as important. The main reason I chose to still stay on property is Extra Magical Hours. Having those extra hours because you are a resort guest almost makes paying the little extra worth it. If they take away the Extra Magical Hours, I don’t know if I would stay on property any longer. We like Universal now too so I would be just as happy to find a place that was in between both Universal and WDW. I hope they don’t do it because the new fast pass system is horrible. So if they take away EMH, then my I might rethink taking too many more trips to WDW. WDW has to be careful not to get too greedy.
EMH was a big reason I always stayed on property. There are plenty of hotels out that offer free transportation to the parks, and with a much better price. If they take EMH out, I will start to stay out of property.
It’s my understanding that the company is doing very well with profits they post, I’m not sure why they keep increasing prices (and lowering their overhead) on everything. The $10 per person charge if you don’t cancel your dining within 24 hours was already a gigantic thorn in my side – factors can change from hour to hour as your family trudges through the parks, and you know darn well that people are lined up out the door to take your reservation should you have to cancel. We see less holiday decorations, less upkeep at our DVC resort (the Boardwalk), higher prices on everything, being nickel-and-dimed more and more. We never thought we’d say a bad word about Disney World…but for the last several years, we’ve started to become more and more resentful. The great thing about EMH is that you are given a chance to maximize your value to experience the rides and attractions that you weren’t able to enjoy because of the crowds (which are more and more prevalent at all times of the year – which is another indication that business is up and therefore profits should be up…) If EMH go away, then operating hours should extend, in general. With the new FastPass system, it’s already hard enough to go on the rides that you want when you’re limited to 3 per day that are assigned “tiers” (yes, I know you can stand in a long line at a kiosk when your 3 are done, for a “chance” that you’ll get a Fast Pass for one of the rides for which you hope…but that does not make it equivalent to how the Fast Pass system worked before). Taking away EMH just decreases even more the chance of going on all of our favorite things the number of times we hope for all year while we’re planning our WDW Vacation…. Feeling cranky…
The reason I stay @ a Disney hotel is for the environment. Always amazing. I take time to enjoy the property, but I am a Sr. citizen & come every year. P>S> bring your dh but don’t list him as such.
Frankly, I stay on property but @ a chain hotel such as Hilton, Holliday Inn & Wyndham to name a few. Also, you can also stay, on property, @ the Grand hotels on Celonia(sp) DR.Wyndham, for one. You can stay in the hotel or the VC. Make sure you have no dh w/ you so you don’t have to get hit on by the sales ppl. Tthe Wyndham Grand, a beautiful apartment type VC, was the same price as value Disney. Watch for the deals. Waldorf Astoria is also there.Sign up for info from hotels for deals. Saves me alot! Akso, Disney cr cd pays for my food.
They take away Magic hrs and I see them not only loosing business at resorts but also with the Disney Vacation Club too
I have it but am not getting myself or the agency in trouble by posting the link to it.
Max I am looking right at the hours for Jan of 2016. If you are a TA and happen to change the date from Dec to Jan in the pdf’s you will see what we are talking about.
ok, so do you have your copy of the Travel Agent provisional operating hours schedule that only they get? If so, I’d love it if you’d post it!
exactly what you said!
I had decided the last time we stayed on property, that it was probably our last. When you can get a 3 bed/2 bath condo 15 minutes away for the same price as a value? Unless they run some AMAZING deals for staying on property, we won’t be. And that “free dining” offer they did this year just wouldn’t do it for me. I didn’t like that you have to get park hopper tickets to get free dining. I have a 3 yo, and hopping is completely unnecessary for us until she’s older.
It says it was from a schedule that only travel agents receive.
EMH is about the only perk left for staying on property. They should make it so that Fast passes are only for on property guest and extend extra magic hours for on property guest. That would actually increase business for them by getting more people to stay on property.
We are staying on property this year but almost choose to stay at Universal and day trip the MK, but change our minds at the last minute. Take away the EMH and next year we might just stay at Universal instead.
Seems like they are working hard to cut overhead. Cutting extra magic hours will help with operating efficiencies and keep payroll down
Dear god this couldn’t be more wrong. Hours aren’t posted for 2016 at all.
I know I won’t be staying on property…especially because they’ve just raised prices on ticketing and resort rates…..they can keep it! It’s already extremely over priced.