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Could Extra Magic Hours be about to be discontinued? The provisional operating hours schedule that is distributed to travel agents ahead of their publication on the official Walt Disney World website certainly hints at that.

Although provisional and therefore not confirmed, the travel agent operating hours schedule does not list any Extra Magic Hours for any parks from January 1 2016 onwards. Historically, the provisional hours do include Extra Magic Hours, although times and entertainment line-ups listed do frequently get updated.

Also adding weight to the possibility of changes coming to EMH is a note on the Downtown Disney Hilton website, which states Extra Magic Hours is 'a magical guest benefit for stays through to December 31 2015.'

Of course, it could simply be a matter of the EMH schedule being finalized, or a number of other reasons for the hours not yet being included.

Extra Magic Hours were introduced in 2004 to give Walt Disney World Resort guests time in the parks before or after offsite guests were admitted. For many years, EMH has been heavily promoted as a significant benefit to staying a Walt Disney World Resort hotel.

Extra Magic Hours offerings have been gradually scaled back in recent years. Disney's Animal Kingdom removed evening Extra Magic Hours back in February 2011, the water park Extra Magic Hours were remove in the summer of 2013, and all parks offering evening Extra Magic Hours reduced those from 3 hours to 2 hours in January 2013.

As always, until confirmed, the removal of Extra Magic Hours should be treated as speculation, and we will continue to monitor the situation for any updates.

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