Disney’s Hollywood Studios to Test New Park Opening Procedure

[Doofenshmirtz]

Anybody down in the World this week, are they still doing this but not publishing it? When it was extra magic hours in the morning, did they let people in prior to the official emh start time?

[Barberella]

Some here may not know that DHS was testing a different opening in early January. Some turnstiles were opened about a 1/2 an hour before the stated opening time. This allowed for a lighter stream of people down to TSM and then out to other areas of the park. It appears to have worked quite well in the test stages.

[stan2u]

So are you saying they let you in 1/2 hour early but once inside nothing was open yet?

[Barberella]

^No. Some things were open - Toy Story Mania, the Hollywood Tower, you could sign your kid up for Jedi training...

I think the general idea was to test not having a formal rope drop and that big crush to get to TSM - but to funnel the guests in more slowly. They apparently do this by only opening a few turnstiles a half-hour before the announced opening, and then opening more turnstiles as they get closer to the announced opening time.

They were testing this in early January, and the OP is trying to find out if they are still doing these unannounced early 'soft' openings.

[wishiwasthere]

I would like to know the answer to this too because I have a friend who is heading down on Sunday and is an early bird.

[Barberella]

Apparently they changed the unannounced opening from 8:30 to 8:45 am a week or so ago. January 29 is the last report that I can find of someone being at DHS and getting in at 8:45 am.

Since these openings are not announced, there is no way for your friend to know if they are still doing them - except to go to DHS on a non-EMH morning and try to be at the turnstiles before 8:45 am. Perhaps your friend will let you know (and then you can let those of us here at MP know) if the turnstiles are open 15 minutes 'early' at DHS and, if so, on what dates in February.

Thanks.