Here Now & Just Back WDW Reopening Experiences Including Park Hopping

[mcomber7]

Does anyone know where to go for ride share at animal kingdom? Do we go over by the bus stop?

 

[lovethattink]

How is photopass at the parks right now?

Plenty of photographers and cool new magic shots! You must wear a mask in the photo.

 

[♥ Mandi ♥]

Hi guys. Please forgive me if this has been asked a hundred times in this thread but I’ve gone back rather far and haven’t seen it discussed yet.

Has anyone in this thread or anyone you know gotten COVID after visiting the parks/assume you likely picked it up while at a park? I know there haven’t been any “outbreaks” able to be tied back to parks reopening.

We are heading down in November for 3.5 weeks. We’ll be skipping indoor dining and utilizing our DAS as much as we can but I’m of course still a bit on edge.

 

[lovethattink]

Does anyone know where to go for ride share at animal kingdom? Do we go over by the bus stop?

Probably best to ask on the transportation board. I think it use to be over near disability parking.

 

[kdonnel]

Has anyone in this thread or anyone you know gotten COVID after visiting the parks/assume you likely picked it up while at a park? I know there haven’t been any “outbreaks” able to be tied back to parks reopening.

There is virtually no contact tracing going on so the answer ranges somewhere between no one and thousands have died due to visits to WDW.

 

[Sarahslay]

Hi guys. Please forgive me if this has been asked a hundred times in this thread but I’ve gone back rather far and haven’t seen it discussed yet.

Has anyone in this thread or anyone you know gotten COVID after visiting the parks/assume you likely picked it up while at a park? I know there haven’t been any “outbreaks” able to be tied back to parks reopening.

We are heading down in November for 3.5 weeks. We’ll be skipping indoor dining and utilizing our DAS as much as we can but I’m of course still a bit on edge.

From personal experience, from going myself and from friends and family who have gone (some for multi week trips), myself and others have no gotten sick or think we got sick from the parks. I did two indoor ADRs, I had a friend who did multiple a day on a two week trip, we followed the rules and were fine. If you are that on edge you might want to take scope on why you are and maybe reconsider going if you are that worried (I know, I know, we shouldn't do the "if you're that worried then don't go!" argument, but really, Disney isn't for everyone right now honestly and I say that with all the kindness in the world). I have two more trips planned, one over thanksgiving and one over christmas with at least 1 (and sometimes 2) ADRs a day, and it is the only place that I honestly feel safe eating indoors. Wear your mask, wash your hands/sanitize, follow the rules, and try and have a good time.

 

[lovethattink]

Hi guys. Please forgive me if this has been asked a hundred times in this thread but I’ve gone back rather far and haven’t seen it discussed yet.

Has anyone in this thread or anyone you know gotten COVID after visiting the parks/assume you likely picked it up while at a park? I know there haven’t been any “outbreaks” able to be tied back to parks reopening.

We are heading down in November for 3.5 weeks. We’ll be skipping indoor dining and utilizing our DAS as much as we can but I’m of course still a bit on edge.

I’ve been going once or twice a week since re-opening. Been healthy.

My son works at Universal City Walk and my daughter in law at Disney Springs and both have been healthy.

Obviously, anywhere in public there is a risk of exposure.

 

[yulilin3]

Does anyone know where to go for ride share at animal kingdom? Do we go over by the bus stop?

It's not at the bus loop. As you're leaving the park it's left of the bag check, or as facing the entrance it's right , by the handicap parking

 

[Darcy03231]

Hi guys. Please forgive me if this has been asked a hundred times in this thread but I’ve gone back rather far and haven’t seen it discussed yet.

Has anyone in this thread or anyone you know gotten COVID after visiting the parks/assume you likely picked it up while at a park? I know there haven’t been any “outbreaks” able to be tied back to parks reopening.

We are heading down in November for 3.5 weeks. We’ll be skipping indoor dining and utilizing our DAS as much as we can but I’m of course still a bit on edge.

There was someone on another thread (I think it was the Community Board) that came down with COVID (along with their family) after a WDW trip. They pointed out, however, that they could have gotten it in the airport, on the plane, in a bus, WDW, etc. Really no sure way to pinpoint where it came from.

 

[maryj11]

I had the same experience last night and I did a chat on MDE asking about it. The Cast member told me to use the add a card feature - I told her I tried and it would only allow a credit card. I was using it at P&J’s in Fort Wilderness. I was hoping it was just that restaurant and in the park today I would be able to use it.
If I tell a CM that I don’t have a phone at a place like Pecos Bill’s will they let us in to order the old fashioned way?

our entire meal budget is my Disney rewards Redemption Card

Ours is on a reward redemption card too!

 

[alliecat726]

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!

Hi, sorry about the delayed reply, we were (yet again) out of town from Fri thru today (for a wedding)! So, to get to MK & AK, your choices are the bus or a cab/uber etc. We opted for the bus for both as we really weren't in a huge hurry to rope-drop either park (though, we did end up getting to MK early & rode a few rides before park opening--AK we got there after right around/just after park opening). Interestingly the bus line for AK was longer/had more ppl in it both mornings we were there @ the stop. But the buses came w/in 10 mins for both MK & AK and we were able to get on the first bus so no probs. Took buses back @ night, too. Can feel like a long walk at night from the back of the park to the bus terminals when you're hot & exhausted, so be prepared! Though again, even when it felt like there were a lot of ppl in the PM bus lines, we didn't wait long & got on the first buses that came. So not horrible. We took the Skyliner to Epcot painlessly (but had to bus back to Riv as there was a thunder/lightening/rain storm @ night). HS: after an insane amount of research on uber/car rental/bus/Skyliner etc to get there for the whole BG issue, we decided to walk to CBR from Riv. Mistake. The line from CBR to get on the Skyliner was like 10 times longer than the line for the ppl getting off the Skyliner line from Riv & waiting (in a separate line) @ CBR. We hoofed it from the Riv to CBR early (and were already totally hot & sweating) and then were stuck in the CBR line while we watched groups of ppl sailing in from Riv to CBR and then proceeding right up to the front of that line & onto the Skyliner. So next time, we plan to be the first ppl in line @ the Riv Skyliner line to get to HS faster. This did impact our day as we were on MMRR @ 10am to get our BG for ROTR--we're convinced that had we been in the first group/s on the Riv Skyliner line, we'd have arrived @ HS like 15 mis earlier & been OFF MMRR before 10 (and not waited so long for other rides like Slinky, ToT, RRC, etc)! Hope this helps!!!

 

[Ecomommy09]

Checking into CBR last night. Super tired. Plane trouble delayed our landing so I had to drive in the dark which put me in a terrible mood. Two things about my review: I work at the hospital and so I know COVID is real and deadly, but I’m at work all day AND I’m cool with social distancing OR masks, but you don’t have to social distance if you’re wearing your mask correctly.

They had cute little bags on the remote. That was nice and I just didn’t take it off. The room was nice and clean. The bed was marvelous (water view room). It’s lovely.
Pool was WAY to crowded at night. I wouldn’t have gone in. No way to SD and no one was wearing masks.
Tomorrow is parks.

 

[DisneyPoly]

I just returned from Bay Lake, having been there last week and the pool area was very empty and those that were there were very distant from each other. We had our temperatures taken at most of our restaurants and found those in the parks to all be wearing masks. Hollywood Studios was our most crowded experience, but that was on Friday, so we weren't surprised. We visited all parks and Disney Springs and had a wonderful experience and am willing to answer any questions.

 

[hmkenn0]

Here now- today was Animal Kingdom. I had planned to sleep in and go later, but everyone was up early. Left Jambo house at 8:45 tapped in almost exactly at 9am. Went to Kilimanjaro waited 5 (5 was posted), saw more animals than I’ve ever seen including the new baby giraffe! Did the Gorilla falls (also tons of active animals), and went to Everest waited about 10 min (posted 15 and was all the way over the bridge toward Nemo). Got off and did Tough to be a Bug (maybe 5-10 minute wait in the preshow area for the next show). Ordered food from Satu’li Canteen (which was awesome- thanks Disboards for the rec!) we are right about noon. Following that we did FoP- posted 45 min, waited about 30 min. Walked over and did Kali River Rapids and then sat and ate ice cream with the younger son while the older and dad did the Jungle Trek. We were back at the hotel by 2:20 and I’m sitting by the pool with MAYBE 10 people at Jambo. Great day- I’d say the crowd expectations I had from this thread were accurate- it was empty in places and crowded in bottlenecks but I really saw everyone wearing masks and distancing. Yes we got a little close to a few people but that was for seconds at the most so it was fine. I’d say expect a “normal off season” crowd and you will be fine. If you have questions I’m happy to answer. Tomorrow is Hollywood studios and then Epcot and magic kingdom later in the week! Glad to be here and I’m glad I feel safe (for reference- I would say I have been on the VERY cautious end of this thing).

 

[Tormania]

From personal experience, from going myself and from friends and family who have gone (some for multi week trips), myself and others have no gotten sick or think we got sick from the parks. I did two indoor ADRs, I had a friend who did multiple a day on a two week trip, we followed the rules and were fine. If you are that on edge you might want to take scope on why you are and maybe reconsider going if you are that worried (I know, I know, we shouldn't do the "if you're that worried then don't go!" argument, but really, Disney isn't for everyone right now honestly and I say that with all the kindness in the world). I have two more trips planned, one over thanksgiving and one over christmas with at least 1 (and sometimes 2) ADRs a day, and it is the only place that I honestly feel safe eating indoors. Wear your mask, wash your hands/sanitize, follow the rules, and try and have a good time.

I agree. I have a good friend that is part of our weekly board game night and we haven't got together since Feb. We tried once back in Aug and even though she was wearing a mask she didn't last 5 minutes at the table before her anxiety completely maxed out and she had to get away from everyone else. She would fall into the group that should NOT be going to a theme park anytime soon. It's all about personal comfort level AND realizing how comfortable you are around others who may not nearly be as concerned as you are.

 

[HelloTheDrakes]

Here today at Animal Kingdom. We started the day wanting to go to FOP....apparently everyone else had the same idea. We realized quickly and changed course. We jumped out of line and hopped over to Everest (walk on), then to Safari (10 min). About halfway through our Safari trek, we saw the Safari wait jump to 50 mins. We were happy to see that our quick thinking worked out.

Below is a screenshot of my ride wait data for the day:



I plan to keep track for the next 2 days: tomorrow- HS, Wednesday- MK.

 

[Befferk]

Here today at Animal Kingdom. We started the day wanting to go to FOP....apparently everyone else had the same idea. We realized quickly and changed course. We jumped out of line and hopped over to Everest (walk on), then to Safari (10 min). About halfway through our Safari trek, we saw the Safari wait jump to 50 mins. We were happy to see that our quick thinking worked out.

Below is a screenshot of my ride wait data for the day:

View attachment 530170
I plan to keep track for the next 2 days: tomorrow- HS, Wednesday- MK.

Can't see your attachment.... Did you go on FOP later then? How long was the wait?

 

[HelloTheDrakes]

Can't see your attachment.... Did you go on FOP later then? How long was the wait?

I tried to edit my post above to fix it. We went back later at 10:40 for a 60 min wait and then at 1:45 for a 45 minute wait. At this point in the day, we’d done everything else we wanted, so we didn’t mind waiting.

We made the decision to leave thinking that it would hover at 60 all day. We figured we could ride other rides while most of the other guests were waiting for FOP. Worked out how we’d hopped.

 

[Ahabart]

We are here now. Flew in Saturday, so Sunday was the first day in the parks. We flew Allegiant. The plane was totally packed. I think we saw one empty seat. I was wondering if that was a sign for how Disney would be and it seems like it was! Saturday night was Disney Springs, which was much busier than I expected. Even in the rain there were people everywhere! It was virtually impossible to social distance honestly. The kids wanted to eat at TRex. The wait was 1.5 hrs at 5:30. There were lines to get into most stores...essentially no social distancing in any line.

Yesterday (Sunday) was our first MK day. We stayed at the Contemporary and walked over around 8.Busses were already running. We were in front of the castle about 8:10, but several people were already in the park. We had ridden 7DMT, Peter Pan, Ariel, Pooh, Thunder, Splash and Pirates by 10:15. Very little wait on any ride, many were walk-on. We noticed wait times balloon quickly. By early afternoon the waits were higher than we prefer, so we headed over for some drinks at Poly and went back around 6. As others have reported, the last hour was far less busy.

There are more restaurants and/or carts open now than I saw reported previously. Even so, every time we walked by Pecos Bill, there were people EVERYWHERE. It's ironic that tables are blocked off and everyone is mobile ordering to help with distancing and yet people are packed in like sardines all around the restaurant. I hope Disney opens more restaurants soon. From what we've seen, I would think they could. I've never seen such a line to get into Pinocchio Village House.

I have seen very few noses, maybe 90% compliance? With that said, social distancing is POOR in my opinion. People actually observing distance and line markings are easer to count as there are far fewer of them. If you are worried in any way, I would stay home. If my parents were with us this trip, I would be worried. While we have definitely been here when it's been more crowded, I would NOT consider this to be a low crowd environment. If you're planning to visit thinking you are taking advantage of lower crowds, you will be disappointed.

Side note- we have friends staying at Pop. They waited for the Skyliner for over an hour this morning. Really glad we opted for Contemporary for MK!

Today we transferred to the Swan. For those wondering, they definitely ARE transferring luggage. Contemporary to Swan was no problem at all!

Today we did MK again. No buses were running at 8 and the resort monorail did not start running until 8:30. We walked over from the Contemporary and had to wait until 8:25 to get in. Again crowds were low for the first 1-2 hours and then exploded. I honestly feel like MK was busier today than yesterday, which I had not expected. Between the heat, longer lines, and crowds everywhere, we opted to come back to the hotel for the afternoon.

I hope this is helpful info for someone! Tomorrow is Epcot, Wed. HS, Thurs. A.K.

 

[pal6860]

Quick question. Staying at Bay Lake. Going to EPCOT on Saturday. Which option would get us to the front gate earliest, Driving or Bus?

In other words, when does Epcot allow us to start lining up at the parking booths, and when do they start letting cars in? Versus, when do buses start running to Epcot from Contemporary?

Thanks!