Here Now & Just Back WDW Reopening Experiences Including Park Hopping

[Suejacken]

Yep. After Sept 5th the usual (pre-Covid) early AM non-stop is gone and replaced with a stop in ATL. I will look into where the SW cancellation policy stands. I booked with points when the cash price for our flight (at the time, non-stop) was $49 so I don't know if I could come close to that on AA (would want the added pick your seat fee too), but I'll check. Thx for putting it into my head. This trip has been like a lump of Play-Doh..... constantly changing shape!

It’s the same for them which is too bad because it’s their honeymoon

 

[Pens Fan]

We've been 12 times in the last 10 years and I don't think Disney has anything to be ashamed of. It was the best trip we've had since the creation of fast pass plus. These are different times and anyone going needs to realize that it's going to be different. I thought Disney did a great job. If you can't handle the Covid changes don't go.

My son and his friends were there Aug 1- 8. Last night we were watching a YouTube video with Molly from All Ears trying to do everything in the MK in a day. It took us about 50% longer than normal to watch because he kept pausing it, and telling fun stories of things they experienced when the were there. Finally he just looked over at me and said that this trip was probably his favorite one ever. We've been numerous times as a family over the years and he's been on three school group trips as well, so that's saying something.

My husband and I went out to dinner last weekend with the parents of the other two guys that went with him. They both said that their sons could not stop talking about how much fun they had. For one of them it was his first time at WDW. I was a little bit nervous for him beforehand but he absolutely loved it.

As others have said. You have to go in with the right attitude and expect that things will be different. We are going as a family in October and I can't wait. As our son is unfortunately caught up with so many other 2020 grads still looking for a job that actually uses his hard earned degree, it looks like he'll be joining us. While he'd rather be starting his career, he feels pretty lucky to be returning to WDW again - just a couple of months after the last trip.

 

[Spazz2k]

So just back from a quick last minute trip with our 4 year old godson with us. It is the 1st time that we have brought him post-covid reopening to a park..and I must say it is a little different with a toddler for sure.

A little background for us since reopening...
We have so far stayed at the following Riviera Resort 2 bedroom villa, Copper Creek 1 bedroom, Caribbean Beach King Room, Fort Wilderness cabin, and Contemporary Tower room. I will say that each time we have gone, the crowds at the resorts has increased dramatically over time, as is to be expected. We went from being the only ones in the pool at Riviera to normal summer crowd pools. Bars are busier, dining locations are busier, parks seem busier.

So on to this weekend.
We stayed at a cabin a Fort Wilderness for 2 nights and the final night decided to stay at Contemporary for the last night on a whim because the kids all wanted to do the resort hop from the monorail. We decided to take our godson to MK on Friday morning and just play it by ear. We arrived about 10 am and rode about 4 rides and left at noon. Getting on the rides is a breeze, but let me tell you the heat is not...phew it was hot and after a couple of hours we were ready to leave...just too hot to make a 4 year old endure. It is really different taking a toddler to the parks right now with having to wear masks and the heat. I honestly felt bad for him because he was sweating like crazy...moving his mask...and just could see him getting frustrated with the heat and mask gimmick. So it was back to the cabin for some pool time and BBQ some lunch. While he loved the short time he was at MK, we decided that until it cools down we would probably not be taking the little guy back to a park. Also side note, we missed seeing his little expressions with his little face covered by the mask....so that is different also.

We loved staying at the cabins right now because it was so nice to BBQ lunch and dinner without worries about your order being placed correctly, or waiting for food or making a resi. When we wanted to cook...we just fired up the grill and got to it...so easy and the best way to enjoy meals right now. Only real downer for us at Fort Wilderness is that the playgrounds are closed, and the mask requirement on the golf carts. I get the playgrounds being closed for covid reasons, but I honestly do not get the reason to require a mask on the golf cart when you are just cruising around. I mean I drive all over Disney property on my way to the resorts with my windows down and no mask...we saw people running all over CBR around the lakes without masks....We like to just cruise and drink coffee in the mornings and look at animals. Strange IMHO.

Saturday we decided instead of going home we would stay another night and book a room at Contemporary and enjoy some resort hopping. We books a standard view room, went to the pool for a few hours, came back to nap, then the A/C went crazy and they had to move us. They switched us to the 5th floor of the tower because they said it may take them a little while to get someone to fix that A/C or even look at it. So after moving we got all ready and did the resort hop to Poly and then Grand Floridian...1st let me say that Poly is very strange right now with no Ohana open, the bar is basically take out drinks only and the whole vibe just seemed off. I really don't get why some bars on property have some seating and others do not at all, seems very strange to us. So we had a drink, wife and kids shopped and then off to GF. GF was dead..but the Beauty and the Beast bar had a good crowd going and they had seating and actually served us drinks in glasses!!! whoo hoo!!! We ordered a round and then we all went and sat outside under cover and had fun playing and had a dance off with my 4 year old...then we went back to Contemporary for some QS dinner and a little unwind time in the room. CR was pretty busy at 7:30 and the elevators can def be a problem...we escaped that situation by taking the stairs up 1 floor from 4 to 5 with no issues. Was a fun day for sure.

Sunday we came home pretty early...so nothing to report there..

So after 5 or so trips during reopening...here is what I think some of the best things about the resorts we have visited have been

Best pool: Riviera Resort - 2 close to one another...bar and different food options close by
Best Vibe to normal: CBR hands down felt so normal to us...
Best Food: Fort Wilderness because we did our own...but if not there, then I would have to say Riviera
Best Bar: Geyser Point at Wilderness Lodge...and great food too
Best Castmembers: Copper Creek
Best Social Distancing: Wilderness Campgrounds...Cabin Life

 

[Abbie135]

Went to all four parks last week. Used several relaxation stations in all four parks. Cast members were right there to sanitize the tables and chairs In Magic Kingdom, Epcot and Animal Kingdom. They were not sanitizing stations at Hollywood Studios. Did not give me a very warm fuzzy feeling. Many areas overcrowded at HS and long wait times. Got to see several cavalcades at every park except Hollywood studios. Not sure where they were. Any idea why they are letting down at this park? Anyone having similar experiences? I won’t go back to Studios until I feel comfortable that issues are resolved. JMHO

 

[LongGone78]

So we're home and here's my takeaway:
Pros:

• Low crowds, after 2pm at parks
• Resort also had low crowds, which meant pools weren't crowded
• We had crazy good luck with the buses. I don't think we really waited more than 5 most times, and 10 min at the max.
• Ride times after 2pm were 20 min or less
• If you ask for something, like towels or whatever, a CM seems to be there in 20 min or less with it
• Mask compliance was 99%, it will never be 100%, still better than what it is here at home

Cons:

• Heat was brutal, especially with a mask in August
• Lots of restaurants closed, combined with no kitchen, made for a lot of meh quick service
• No park hopping
• Some of the magic feels like it's missing. It's a combo of CMs wearing masks, and also so many things being closed.
• We had an older unit at SSR and the bed was terrible. It wasn't firm enough and they did offer to switch the bed but dh didn't want to go through the trouble.
• Wearing a mask (yes this sucks for everyone!)
• No mousekeeping

Overall Thoughts/Experience:
I love Disney but the magic was missing. We aren't the people that stake out parade spots, or fireworks spots and wait in crazy lines for rides but somehow it felt 'less than'. I know Disney is doing there best but if this was my first visit I would be SUPER disappointed! The no park hopping was really a big downer for us because we always park hop when at Disney! Plus all the CMs wearing a mask made it hard to hear them and even trying to hear each other. Plus the masks would get sweaty and smell bad and then you have to change them. Ugh. Then add the heat. Soo oppressive! Even when in A/C the mask wasn't comfortable. We really aren't meant to be wearing a mask ALL DAY.
Although the resort was nice, we had an older unit and it was a studio. We stopped staying on site because it's cheaper to stay off site and rent a car, typically, and we like having a kitchen. Dh has food allergies and eating out every single day after 2 - 3 days is hard on my stomach. Combine that with we ate a lot of QS because so much was closed, and the kids would only eat like 1/4 of their food at a TS place. We couldn't keep shelling out $100+ a meal for 2 kids who weren't eating all of it! I have motion sickness and those buses, ugh, I really would have preferred to drive myself. We only stayed at a resort this time because of the limit on AP park reservations. If we hadn't been limited to 3 days we would have definitely stayed off-site! I did feel safe in our room but we did have to ask multiple days for housekeeping to bring us extra stuff, like towels, soap, etc.
Flying - ugh. Although the airports were empty and the plane wasn't packed I still question if I would fly. Southwest leaving the middle seat open is great! I wouldn't be comfortable flying in this Pandemic with a stranger sitting right next to me. I mean we had people in front and behind us, closer than 6 ft, but somehow the thought of having someone plopped right next to my elbow makes me more uncomfortable than behind or in front.

The big questions: Would I go again? Flying or driving?
I think the answer is No. The magic is missing! I'm glad we went so that I could judge it for myself. We typically fly Frontier, and they pack them in like cattle. I would NOT fly! I definitely want a vacation with my family again but IF we went somewhere I would have to 1 - drive and 2 - stay somewhere with a kitchen.

This review is excellent and I agree with many of the points but not all. We recently returned from a stay at Poly DVC. We did 6 park days plus 1 day at Universal (first time at WWHP). Here are my takeaways ( I stole some of the points from ominscientmommy):

Pros:

• Low crowds especially Sunday - Thrusday. (was at UO on Friday)
• Resort also had low crowds, which meant pools weren't crowded
• Resort was very clean and well maintained.
• We rented a car to avoid using buses so I cannot comment on that.
• Many rides were walk ons from Monday - Thursday and even the most popular rides had waits a fraction of their normal lengths. We rode everything we wanted to, usually multiple times.
• Mask compliance was better at WDW than anywhere else I have gone since COVID began.
• (non-Disney) The Wizarding World of Harry Potter was very impressive and immersive - especially in Diagon Alley. The UO team members in that section were Disney level with their commitment.

Cons:

• Heat was brutal - mask did not help. But its August so I knew it would be tough but still...
• Lots of restaurants closed and limited choices for food.
• No park hopping
• No EPCOT monorail was a bummer
• Saturday at MK was not magical and it felt crowded. Waits were up and a number of CMs were not their chipper selves. May have been a bad day but with the FL resident discounts seemingly help increase attendance, I would avoid MK on weekends.
• Some of the magic is missing. Little things like the Electric Water Pageant to big things like fireworks and meet & greets. Selfishly, we had a theme park view at Poly, so it would have been cool to see fireworks once from the room, but it was not a deal breaker.
• Mask Compliance at Universal Orlando was not as good as WDW. But mask compliance outside the WDW bubble was quite poor and I was not conformable. And I am someone who has traveled a bit during COVID and am not easily disturbed. Going to WalMart or Target you would lucky to see 75% compliance.

We flew to MCO and I will be honest, we had a very positive flight experience from the airports to the flights. I did not feel unsafe. I would fly again. Would I take the trip again? Yes, I would. This was our best WDW trip to date and it was primarily based on the ability to experience the parks with low crowds and wait times. Our family is a "rides" family, so for us this was an unique opportunity. The elimination of fast pass did not bother us and the freedom from having to have you entire trip planned so far in advance , allowed for a much more relaxing trip. I am glad we went, we had a great time and had a chance to experience wait times that we are unlikely to see again once we return whatever the next normal becomes. All that said, I would not advise this as someone's first Disney trip. To me, the magic is too important to that first trip and I would wait till these experiences return. Being from the Northeast, the mask wearing did not bother us, as we have been wearing them routinely for some time. We found that if we took snack breaks every 2-3 hours , we would have a decent break from the mask. The Disney made masks run small and are not comfortable in the heat. I found the Harry Potter masks from UO a much better fit.

Taking a trip at this time is a uniquely personal decision. There is no right or wrong. For us, it worked very well and I felt like I was getting value for the money I had spent. Disney is delivering the best product possible at the moment and taking the necessary safety precautions. They are doing it better than Universal and probably every other theme park. Whether its enough for you to go to the park now is your call alone.

 

[rj9555]

CR was pretty busy at 7:30 and the elevators can def be a problem...we escaped that situation by taking the stairs up 1 floor from 4 to 5 with no issues.

How did you get from the outside stairs into the 5th floor hallway? Was the stairwell door propped open? Normally you can only go out from the hallway to the stairs but not the other way around.

 

[yulilin3]

Went to all four parks last week. Used several relaxation stations in all four parks. Cast members were right there to sanitize the tables and chairs In Magic Kingdom, Epcot and Animal Kingdom. They were not sanitizing stations at Hollywood Studios. Did not give me a very warm fuzzy feeling. Many areas overcrowded at HS and long wait times. Got to see several cavalcades at every park except Hollywood studios. Not sure where they were. Any idea why they are letting down at this park? Anyone having similar experiences? I won’t go back to Studios until I feel comfortable that issues are resolved. JMHO

All my experiences at DHS have been positive, it might feel more crowded cause dhs has a couple of bottle neck areas. The cavalcades go from the entrance to star tours about every 30 minutes starting at 11am, they do take a lunch break.

 

[Spazz2k]

They had the doors open, also there was a sign by the elevators stating that there was stairs adjacent to a room number. I am not sure if they had this going on all the floors or even if they had it going all night, but it was def open and we along with a lot of other people took advantage of it that night. It was like a train of people going up....The next morning when we left, we went down the stairs all the way to the 1st floor to leave for home...very easy from floor 5.

 

[rj9555]

They had the doors open, also there was a sign by the elevators stating that there was stairs adjacent to a room number. I am not sure if they had this going on all the floors or even if they had it going all night, but it was def open and we along with a lot of other people took advantage of it that night. It was like a train of people going up....The next morning when we left, we went down the stairs all the way to the 1st floor to leave for home...very easy from floor 5.

Yes, I stayed on the 5th floor last year and noticed that the door to the stairwell was propped open for most of my stay. It looked like a guest did it. Made it much quicker to get back to my room, even pre-Covid.

 

[disneygirlsng]

Had a fabulous day at AK today. Every single CM I have encountered has been just absolutely fantastic, so much energy and positivity. Gotta say I never thought I would see the day when I got off FOP and was asked if I wanted to ride it again, and to get back in line, after 5 times in a row I started getting a little dizzy though haha.

I know I've been reading all over how well Disney is doing with this, but they really have thought of everything, even down to keeping the push-open trashcans locked open. I've been very impressed.

 

[momimouse27]

I have heard the searing heat mentioned several times here. I have been in July, August, May and September, so that's no surprise to me. But...I'm attempting to prepare myself for the heat while wearing a mask. We have bought a handheld mister, and someone suggested I get cooling towels. Anyone have experience using the cooling towels recently when you're wearing a mask? Do you have to keep wetting them for them to work? Seems like that might work better than the mister considering it will wet the mask, even though we do have cloth reusable masks.

 

[crazymomof4]

I have heard the searing heat mentioned several times here. I have been in July, August, May and September, so that's no surprise to me. But...I'm attempting to prepare myself for the heat while wearing a mask. We have bought a handheld mister, and someone suggested I get cooling towels. Anyone have experience using the cooling towels recently when you're wearing a mask? Do you have to keep wetting them for them to work? Seems like that might work better than the mister considering it will wet the mask, even though we do have cloth reusable masks.

I recently bought a "Perfect" brand cooling towel (Walmart $5). Tested it out here speed-walking on a hot and humid day in NJ. I wrapped it around my neck and tucked the ends down the front of my t-shirt. As it was warmed by my body heat, I kept flipping it so a cool part was on my neck. No further rewetting. I came home from our walk NOT SWEATY. I am menopausal and have been sweating way more than usual and always come home sweaty after our walks here in summer. So I am definitely taking this to WDW in Sept!

 

[pepperandchips]

I have heard the searing heat mentioned several times here. I have been in July, August, May and September, so that's no surprise to me. But...I'm attempting to prepare myself for the heat while wearing a mask. We have bought a handheld mister, and someone suggested I get cooling towels. Anyone have experience using the cooling towels recently when you're wearing a mask? Do you have to keep wetting them for them to work? Seems like that might work better than the mister considering it will wet the mask, even though we do have cloth reusable masks.

You can get a small Frog Toggs brand cooling towel in neon orange for $1.99 on Amazon. We bought one and DH used it. It stayed cool quite a while. We also bought a dual neck fan from amazon that he liked a lot as well. We saw those everywhere in the parks!

 

[NJMomto2]

Disney doesn’t always require a handicap pass to park in handicap. Once we drove two cars, only one with a handicap placard (out of state placard, Florida cars), and they allowed both of our cars to park in handicap so we could stay together. It was early in the day and there were plenty of spots. If you forget it again you could ask- worse they can do is say no. If you have a photo that may help. I’ve seen lots of cars in handicap at Disney over the years with no placard/sticker/license plate designation.

Thanks! It did cross my mind that Disney probably would do the right thing and help. I had a picture of my car and license plate and insurance/registration as well as a scar down the back of my leg

 

[Dentam]

I have heard the searing heat mentioned several times here. I have been in July, August, May and September, so that's no surprise to me. But...I'm attempting to prepare myself for the heat while wearing a mask. We have bought a handheld mister, and someone suggested I get cooling towels. Anyone have experience using the cooling towels recently when you're wearing a mask? Do you have to keep wetting them for them to work? Seems like that might work better than the mister considering it will wet the mask, even though we do have cloth reusable masks.

I bought one of the dual neck fan things after it was recommended by Prince Charming Dev (vlogger) as the one he uses in the parks. I'll be trying it out in less than two weeks when I'm there!

 

[Buzz2014]

Has anyone seen the Clorox wipes (travel size) that are now supposed to be available in the parks for $2.49. I saw them in a dfb post but not sure if they were only in the one shop or if they are really everywhere.
We have a trip in November and it would be nice to know they are available in the parks if we run out.

 

[crazymomof4]

You can get a small Frog Toggs brand cooling towel in neon orange for $1.99 on Amazon. We bought one and DH used it. It stayed cool quite a while. We also bought a dual neck fan from amazon that he liked a lot as well. We saw those everywhere in the parks!

After I bought the lime green on amazon for $1.99 I saw them at DollarTree for $1.
I have the dual neck fan ready to go as well.

 

[pepperandchips]

After I bought the lime green on amazon for $1.99 I saw them at DollarTree for $1.
I have the dual neck fan ready to go as well.

$1

You’re ready!!!! Your resort lineup in your signature looks amazing. When all else fails... pool time! Have a great trip!

 

[CAQDaddy]

Just returned from a solo trip. Stayed off property with a rental car. Flew Southwest. Southwest is handling things very well in my opinion. This was my fourth trip with Southwest since COVID began.
Did DAK on Thursday, DHS on Friday, and EP on Saturday. Overall I thought it was a good experience.
I had visited Disney World with the family in early November of 2001 and the crowds last week were much less than the 2001 trip. I was able to ride everything at every park I visited some multiple times. Wait times were very low. As for COVID precautions, considering it is a theme park, I felt Disney did everything they could to create a safe environment. If you get freaked out if someone comes within six feet of you or if someone has a mask below their nose then you shouldn't visit. I didn't like wearing the mask, but other than that I thought it was a fantastic experience.

 

[ScubaCat]

Just returned from a solo trip. Stayed off property with a rental car. Flew Southwest. Southwest is handling things very well in my opinion. This was my fourth trip with Southwest since COVID began.
Did DAK on Thursday, DHS on Friday, and EP on Saturday. Overall I thought it was a good experience.
I had visited Disney World with the family in early November of 2001 and the crowds last week were much less than the 2001 trip. I was able to ride everything at every park I visited some multiple times. Wait times were very low. As for COVID precautions, considering it is a theme park, I felt Disney did everything they could to create a safe environment. If you get freaked out if someone comes within six feet of you or if someone has a mask below their nose then you shouldn't visit. I didn't like wearing the mask, but other than that I thought it was a fantastic experience.

I went solo for a week Aug 8-15 and had a fabulous time. Also flew southwest. The "middle seat open" policy really makes a difference in these tricky times. I opted to stay on property but I drove to Epcot and DHS. I actually didn't mind the mask NEARLY as much as I thought I would. Of course there are occasional spacing issues and people not wearing them correctly, but it's as good as it possibly could be IMHO. Considering literally anywhere else I've been, compliance was surprisingly good! I also found the limited park hours and dining options forced me to try new things. I even stayed at Wilderness Lodge having never even set foot on that property before, and let me tell you... It won't be my last stay there! I still prefer the Epcot crescent lake area, but that's a very close runner up. The boat ride to and from MK across bay lake was really pretty and enjoyable. (and wow, the Bison burger at Geyser Point is legit!!)