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[PrincessA]

I saw on the Disneyland website that during my October visit that there will be extra magic hours. What actually happens at the park at this time? Are all the rides open? I'm sure I can have access to the EMH because I'm staying at Disney Hotel New York.

[bad-pink-tink]

Extra Magic Hours are where guests at the Disney hotels can enter the park anything up to 2 hours before the general public.  Not all the rides and lands are open during this time though, its just Main Street USA and Fantasyland.  When I was there in September 2011 Peter Pan, the Teacups, Dumbo and maybe one or two more. Some of the restaurants are open too and you can have breakfast in the park. One of the main advantages to to the Extra Magic Hours is that you can be in the park and wait for the rope drop at Discoveryland,  Frontierland and Adventureland. This means that you can beat the crowds and be among the first on the more popular rides like Pirates, Big Thunder Mountain, Star Tours , Space Mountain etc.

[PrincessA]

Sounds exciting! Especially getting to Frontierland before just as it opens 

[bad-pink-tink]

Its really fun. I was there for 2 days Extra Magic hours. The first morning I spent nearly an hour on Peter Pans Flight, just going straight back on after it ended. That's something totally impossible to do normally as the queue for that is usually huge. After Peter Pan I went to the entrance of Adventureland and waited for the rope drop. Once the cast member lowed the rope everyone ran to Pirates and  I  managed to get to the top of the queue and saw the little opening ceremony and I was on one of the first boats. Its great fun to run down the empty queuing lanes knowing you are the first people there.


The second morning I waited for the rope drop at Frontierland. This was even more fun. When the rope dropped everyone ran to Big Thunder Mountain but I ran to Phantom Manor. Very few people did this and again it was great fun to run though the empty queuing lanes and be the first in the Manor.


On both days people started waiting at the rope drop about 30 minutes before opening time

[gemma2806]

Discoveryland is also part of the EMH and you can usually ride Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast, Space Mountain:Mission 2 and Orbitron before the park opens. Fantasyland is usually Peter Pan's Flight, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Le Carousel de Lancelot and Mad Hatter's Tea Cups. On my last trip Mad Hatter's Tea Cups were closed for refurbishment for several days so they opened "it's a small world" for EMH until the refurb was complete.


It's s a great extra to have breakfast in the Disneyland Park before it opens to everyone and I ate quite a few time at the Plaza Gardens Restaurant so if you get the chance you should try this as it doesn't cost extra.


You can use EMH if you are staying in any of the on-site hotels and some of the associated ones.

[amanda08]

Worth mentioning that the quality of the breakfast in the parks is the same as the budget hotels - Santa Fe and Cheyenne. Apart from maybe the novelty value of doing it, I would not recommend ditching Hotel New York breakfast for this.

[PrincessA]

Where could I eat breakfast in the park during extra magic hours?

[PrincessHi]

I just got back from my first trip to DLP yesterday (  ) and my favourite thing about the Extra Magic Hours was getting to see the park without as many people in it - especially the castle. I guess it depends on your focus though - I'm not really so into the big rides and was most into the theming etc.. I usually ate breakfast in the hotel first though so I'm not sure about that.

[gemma2806]

Breakfast is usually served at either Au Chalet de la Marionette or Pizzeria Bella Notte (both in Fantasyland) or Plaza Gardens Restaurant on Main Street USA.