OK, weird question. My SIL can no longer go on our trip but a family friend can. Can we just keep the room, ticket, and park pass in the old name or do we have to switch to the new person's name? I am worried we will lose our HS park reservation if we go through all the hassle anyway...
Pretty sure you will be asked for Id somewhere along the line. If you are staying on property you shouldnt have problem rebooking
 
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The energy of the people is a little different and it might not be the best time for a first timer to visit but we made sure to reach out to people, talk to them, compliment people’s costumes, and just be happy.

Life is what you make it - we are here for the fun!

Thank you for saying this, reading some people's reports, I am convinced they are determined to have a terrible time and pick everything apart. I'm going to remember your words on our trip, and decide to be HAPPY that we're there and engage with other people! It is my son's GF's first trip, so I'm going to do everything I can to make it special. We can make our own magic, it's a choice.
 
What’s quite amusing is I spent the day in Epcot yesterday and reported how amazing it was. Sorry, but the truth hurts. I’m a realistic not someone who pretends things are when they’re NOT. Now is NOT the time to come for first timers.
 




Had a great day at AK today. Lines were all shorter than what was posted. Navi was the longest we waited. Posted 40 waited 30. Kali was posted 20min and ended up being about 5min. Basically a walk on. Safari posted 25 around 10:30 and we waited probably 15. Everest shut down for half the day. My boys had never ridden it before so we were a little sad to have missed it as we were walking out. I decided to check MDE one last time within 30yards of the exit. Saw it was open with 10 min to spare until closing. We booked it over there and we got to ride. They were even letting people get in line for about 20min after closing so my dh was able to take them too! Great way to end the day!

The thing we are noticing about food though is that a lot of places are closing an hour or two before closing time. So if there is something you want, don’t wait until the end of the day to get it because the place could be closed.
 
What’s quite amusing is I spent the day in Epcot yesterday and reported how amazing it was. Sorry, but the truth hurts. I’m a realistic not someone who pretends things are when they’re NOT. Now is NOT the time to come for first timers.

Respectfully, I think you may have misinterpreted the comments people made. They weren't saying you're lying or just trying to slam anything for sake of being negative, they were saying that you and another person are at the same park at the same time and reporting wildly different experiences. That means one of two things - either:
1. Crowds are huge in one place and low in another at all points in time, and you happen to be in the Charlie Brown Cloud of people (which is entirely possible based on other posts in this thread and watching wait times ebb and flow throughout the day); OR
2. You and the other poster have very different perceptions of crowd sizes. What feels fine to her feels oppressive and scary to you. There's nothing wrong with that AT ALL, but saying "Sorry but the truth hurts. I'm a realistic not someone who pretends things are okay when they're NOT" - as though you're honourably telling the truth while the other poster is purposefully lying to paint a rosy picture where there isn't one - comes across as disproportionately defensive.

I'm sorry that your day at MK wasn't nearly as good as your day at EPCOT.
 
Agree. Fast pass isn’t the issue here & you’re right it would make things worse. They need to increase ride capacity. Whether that be more trains, cars, theatres, whatever or filling each ride experience more fully that is what they need to do. It really doesn’t make sense for these short rides to leave so much empty space if the lines are crazy...

You spend more time indoors on the line then in the rides themselves anyway. So I don’t see it increasing anyone’s risk of getting the virus. Yes, same family in each row but fill each row.

The time spent in line is spent (if people are following the rules) is socially distanced, so that’s not a fair comparison to the shorter time spent on the ride. In line, if people near you decide other people’s safety isn’t important and don’t wear their mask correctly/at all, you have the options of leaving extra space, letting them pass you, or leaving the line. On the ride you don’t have that choice if someone near you takes their mask off. Social distancing needs to be in place until the pandemic is over. They should run both sides of tracks/all theaters where applicable though.

Btw, safari and Livin with the Land load every row if there’s a line because Disney thinks a flimsy plastic barrier that doesn’t extend all the way up, down, or to the sides in some cases is enough protection. I’m going to email them about this. Safari at least is outside and goes fast with airflow. Ironic how they ask guests to social distance at all times but then put you too close to others for the sake of a wait time.
 
Just a heads up. The buses are not predictable at all. I waited at BCV for 45 minutes trying to get to AK this morning. During that time, no buses came for AK THREE MK buses came. Don’t know if there are buses still to DHS from BCV but none came. When a bus showed up, that driver claimed buses ran every 20 minutes. Misinformation.
 
Pretty sure you will be asked for Id somewhere along the line. If you are staying on property you shouldnt have problem rebooking
I don't know what you think they'd be asked an ID for??? In over 15 years of going to Disney at least annually and lately multiple times a year; I, nor has anyone else in my party ever been asked for an ID. If the SIL was not the lead guest; it should never be an issue and even if she was they most likely would still have no issue. I understand rebooking with correct names would be fine as well...but we all know there are many reasons why that may not work and honestly the less you have Disney messing with your reservation the better and less likely there is to be a problem.
 
Just a heads up. The buses are not predictable at all. I waited at BCV for 45 minutes trying to get to AK this morning. During that time, no buses came for AK THREE MK buses came. Don’t know if there are buses still to DHS from BCV but none came. When a bus showed up, that driver claimed buses ran every 20 minutes. Misinformation.
That is not new. That is how the buses have worked for decades, at least that has always been my luck with the buses.
 
Hi fellow Disney planners! Just got back from a 5-night/6-day trip Monday evening and thought instead of typing out our entire experience in great detail (because, if left to my own devices, I’ll write a 20-page novella) I thought I'd just outline what we did, and if anyone is doing any of these activities for their upcoming trip and has any specific questions (re airports/airplanes, Riviera, pool, Skyliner, buses, Disney Springs, shopping, dining, Food & Wine, all 4 parks, rides, cavalcades, queues, masks, social distancing, timing, etc) feel free to ask & I'll do my best to answer!! Went with my hubby & our 2 kids, 12 & 14. Rescheduled trip from canceled March plans. Also maybe worth mentioning, 1st time staying @ Riviera & 1st time eating @ every single restaurant/bar we visited. We’re DVC BTW.

Wed 9/23: Arrived in Orlando @ 3pm from Chicago/Ohare (United Club B open @ Ohare BTW). Did not rent a car, took Magical Express. Stayed @ Riviera. Took bus to Disney Springs, ate dinner @ Homecomin' & shopped a little. Went back to the Riv & hit the pool & hot tub.

Thurs 9/24: Went to MK via AM bus. Did 12 attractions (not in this order, I don’t remember now, sorry): Small World, Big Thunder, Buzz, Jungle Cruise, Philharmagic, Peter Pan, Pirates, 7 Dwarfs, Space Mt, Splash, Tiki Room, & Haunted Mansion. Lunch @ Skipper Canteen; Happy Hour @ Tony’s; Dinner @ Be Our Guest. Left empty park around 7:45/after close; took bus back to Riv.

Fri 9/25: Went to AK via AM bus. Did 7 attractions (again, not in order): Flight of Passage (twice), Navi River, Kali Rapids, Everest (twice), Safari, Dinosaur, & Tough to be a Bug. Ate lunch @ Yak & Yeti; intended to do a Happy Hour @ Nomad Lounge but decided to go on those 2 rides a 2nd time instead due to shorter wait times. Took bus back to Riv, showered & went to Topolino’s for dinner.

Sat 9/26: Went to HS via AM Skyliner. Did 9 attractions (no order): Tower of Terror, Rockin Rollercoaster, Min/Mick RR, Rise/Resistance, Smuggler’s Run, Slinky, Toy Story, Alien Saucers, & Muppet 3D. Lunch @ Sci Fi; Happy Hour @ Oga’s; cancelled dinner @ Paddlefish @ DS due to lateness & heat exhaustion/vertigo, bleah. Left park via Skyliner around 6pm. Got take-out @ Riviera’s counter service Primo Piatto & took up to room.

Sun 9/27: Went to Epcot via late-AM Skyliner. Did 7 attractions (no order): Frozen, Soarin, Test Track, Grand Fiesta boat, Journey/Imagination/Figment, Mission Space, Epcot Experience. (Wanted to do Living w/ the Land & Spaceship Earth but ran out of time.) Lunch @ Food & Wine; Happy Hour @ Spice Road; Dinner @ Le Cellier. BTW it POURED this night. Bus back to Riv. due to no Skyliner/rain.

Mon 9/28: Brunch @ Topolino’s for character meal. Late check-out @ noon. Did DVC tour of tower studio, 2- & 3-bedroom units @ Riv. Took Uber to airport due to Magical Express snafu. (United Club not open @ airport so waited @ gate.) The End!

LMK if you want any details about any facets of our trip, I am happy to share whatever I can! I will say, at the end of the day, while we had some concerns, worries, reservations, questions, etc before leaving (and, we did miss the fireworks and wearing masks in the heat was rough), overall we had a great & safe time and we are really glad we went.
How was the transportation from Riviera to the parks? We are staying there in November for the first time. Did you wait long for buses or the sky liner? Did you have to get in line early? Anything you specifically did or was it easy to get to from there.....Thanks!
 
Just a heads up. The buses are not predictable at all. I waited at BCV for 45 minutes trying to get to AK this morning. During that time, no buses came for AK THREE MK buses came. Don’t know if there are buses still to DHS from BCV but none came. When a bus showed up, that driver claimed buses ran every 20 minutes. Misinformation.
No buses from Epcot resorts to HS, at least never any time I have stayed there (and I was at YC at the end of August, only MK & AK buses). AK takes forever to get to anyway from a lot of the resorts, and in the morning with people trying to drive to parks there is some traffic, so you never know what has happened. The buses have always been that sporadic though, that's why Disney tells you to give yourself 1.5 hours to get anywhere on property, be it RD or ADR.
 
No buses from Epcot resorts to HS, at least never any time I have stayed there (and I was at YC at the end of August, only MK & AK buses). AK takes forever to get to anyway from a lot of the resorts, and in the morning with people trying to drive to parks there is some traffic, so you never know what has happened. The buses have always been that sporadic though, that's why Disney tells you to give yourself 1.5 hours to get anywhere on property, be it RD or ADR.
The problem is that the morning buses aren’t usually running an hour and a half before the park open. Sometimes they do, but officially right now, I believe they start an hour before.
 
The problem is that the morning buses aren’t usually running an hour and a half before the park open. Sometimes they do, but officially right now, I believe they start an hour before.
That is true, but it still hasn't changed how sporadic they are. On my MK day three came back to back leaving AK folks just standing there waiting, of course there were a lot more people going to MK at the time but I'm sure all those folks were pretty annoyed.
 
That is true, but it still hasn't changed how sporadic they are. On my MK day three came back to back leaving AK folks just standing there waiting, of course there were a lot more people going to MK at the time but I'm sure all those folks were pretty annoyed.
If I had a dime for every time I have experienced this... They’ve been like this since we have been going in 2012. We have been driving or walking to the parks for a while now. It’s not new. It’s still a bummer. If it didn’t get fixed pre-Covid, when they were raking in dough, it definitely won’t get fixed now that they are strapped for cash.
 

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