Hello Mandy!
Thanks for bringing this great question to the Disney Parks Moms Panel. My family is firmly in the camp of "be at the parks when they open." In all of our trips as a family, I can't think of a time when arriving at "rope drop" (Disney fan speak for park opening) wasn't our primary goal. Each day, Walt Disney World Resort hotel guests and guest of other participation hotels enjoy the option of extra time in one of the four major parks. The only way to take advantage of these
Extra Magic Hours is to be a Guest at one of the participating hotels. It would be possible to book a single night in a participating hotel and utilize the Extra Magic Hours on check-in and check-out days. Only guests registered in the room would be able to use this perk.
Are Extra Magic Hours worth it? As with all things, that depends on how your family prefers to vacation. Are you super early risers or consistent night owls? If so, you may find this extra time worth it. In my opinion, the evening hours are the better option, as you typically get two extra hours vs. one extra hour in the morning. However, for my family, we rarely utilize this perk. Instead, we make sure we select parks that are not having Extra Magic Hours on the day we will visit. We then plan to arrive at the gate at least 30 minutes before the
published park opening. If Extra Magic Hours are appealing to your family, I would suggest moving your reservation to a
Walt Disney World Resort hotel where you can take advantage of all the great perks that come with staying onsite.
I hope this is helpful for your planning. No matter which options you choose, I am confident you will have a magical time!
See ya real soon,
Anne