Understanding Magic Morning & Extra Magic Hours

In all my visits to Disneyland this has got to be the one issue that comes up the most: the difference between Magic Mornings and Extra Magic Hours in the parks.  On one hand I can understand the confusion because they're so similar, but it's important that you understand how they're different so you can spare yourself some frustration at the park gates first thing in the morning. (UPDATED 7 Oct 2017)

What are MM & EMH?

Magic Mornings and Extra Magic Hours allow guests to enter one of the parks an hour early to enjoy extra time away from the main crowds and get more stuff done.  Here's everything you CAN do during MM & EMH:

• Get breakfast
• Do some shopping
• Ride some of your favourite attractions
• Meet characters
• Avoid long lines
• Get FastPasses for select​ attractions
• Register your kids for the Jedi Training Academy
• Get a lot of stuff done and have tons of fun!

There are limitations to what you can do because, after all, the park is technically not open yet.  Here's everything you CANNOT do during MM & EMH:

• Enter the west part of Disneyland Park
• Get FastPasses for all attractions
• Shop stores on Main Street, USA
• Ride select attractions

With these things in mind, let's start talking about what the differences are between MM & EMH.

Magic Mornings

Every Disneyland Resort 3-Day or longer ticket includes one Magic Morning which will permit you into Disneyland Park one hour early.  Here's the breakdown:

• Only valid at Disneyland Park
• Can only be used on Tuesdays, Thursdays & Saturdays
• Most of Fantasyland & Tomorrowland are open
• Attractions may take longer to open
• Not included in Annual Passes

If you have a Magic Morning on your ticket then make sure you plan to be at Disneyland on one of those days because if you don't use it then you lose it.  You can enter the park on the Monorail from Downtown Disney if you'd like but I don't recommend it since it takes so long to board when crowds are big.

Extra Magic Hours

Every guest staying at a Disneyland Resort Hotel can enjoy Extra Magic Hours each day of their stay in one of the parks.  Extra Magic Hours at Disneyland Park are identical to Magic Mornings, which is where all the confusion sets in.  The only difference there is how you get access to them: through your hotel reservation or tickets.  However, Extra Magic Hours are also valid at Disney California Adventure:

• DCA valid on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays & Sundays
• Select attractions throughout the park are open
• FastPasses for World of Color may be available
• Attractions may take longer to open
• Not included in Annual Passes
• Only available to Disneyland Resort Hotel guests

This is where I see most of the confusion.  If you are not staying at a resort hotel then you cannot use your Magic Morning at DCA.  Use it the next day at Disneyland Park.

Make sense?  If you're still confused I go over it in the video below and that should help.  Extra Magic Hours and Magic Mornings are a fantastic perk and extremely useful to get things done in the parks, just make sure you know how to use them and make the most of your time.