Something else interesting to note is that any park with an EMH is expected to have a larger than usual crowd for the day. It makes sense that a typical tourist staying at Disney would pick the park offering an EMH
Therefore, we always have passed on this benefit and avoided the park with the EMH and enjoyed lighter crowds at another park. We try to arrive at a park before the official opening time for "rope drop" or plan to stay late in the evening. Often we plan on return to the hotel midday (when the crowd is at a peak) for a rest and/or swim This, along with other line busting strategies(fast pass, touring plans, real -time queue updates, etc) has worked well for us[/QUOTE]
This. I have almost always adhered to this philosophy. The only times we do EMH early entry is if I make SURE to be there lined up for when the park opens and head straight to the "e ticket" ride of our choice. We will cover as much ground as possible and then evacuate that park when the crowds (and heat) get bad, which is usually mid-morning.
Some parks will start entry a few minutes early and there may be a line
Yes. This is very true, especially for the Magic Kingdom in my experience. We always make sure to be there at least 1/2 hour before the posted opening time as they often do open earlier than posted opening.
Enjoy your time here at WDW, Greg! 7 Dwarfs is a great ride, but it's over pretty fast, so be ready for that.