Extra Magic Hours Disappearing for 2016?

Big rumor news came out on June 16th regarding the “Extra Magic Hours” benefit for 2016. The provisional operating hours schedule distributed to travel agents ahead of the publication to the Disney World website does not have the hours listed for any park. These times are provisional and times are frequently updated throughout the year, but there are signs pointing towards the end of EMH.

For example, the Hilton at Downtown Disney (Springs) has a note on their website that states EMH is a “magical guest benefit for stays through December 31, 2015.” This note may also just be an end to the EMH benefit at hotels that may not be carrying that benefit any more. Currently, the only non-Disney hotels that have the EMH benefit are the the aforementioned Hilton, the Swan and Dolphin Hotels, formerly owned by Disney, and Shades of Green, the hotel owned by the U.S. Government for military but on the land Disney owns.

Again, this is a major rumor and could just be Disney still finalizing the hours as they are making a change from the current EMH schedule. But, the benefit that started in 2004 has seen changes over the last five years. Animal Kingdom cut the evening EMH back in 2011 and water park EMH were removed in Summer of 2013. The biggest change to EMH was in 2013 where the amount of evening hours was changed from 3 to 2.

Stay tuned for more updates from the Entertaining Orlando crew.