Here Now & Just Back WDW Reopening Experiences Including Park Hopping

[eeyoreandtink]

I believe DIsney requires 2 layers for a mask to be acceptable.

It’s not in the requirements anywhere, at least not that I can find.

 

[Befferk]

It’s not in the requirements anywhere, at least not that I can find.

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/experience-updates/#drawer-card-faceCoverings
Face Coverings

Face coverings are required for all Guests (ages 2 and up) and Cast Members. Please bring your own face coverings and wear them at all times, except when dining or swimming. You may remove your face covering while actively eating or drinking, but you should be stationary and maintain appropriate physical distancing.

All face coverings (whether disposable or reusable) must:

• Be made with at least 2 layers of breathable material
• Fully cover the nose and mouth and secure under the chin
• Fit snugly but comfortably against the side of the face
• Be secured with ties or ear loops and allow the Guest to remain hands-free

At this time, based on guidance from health authorities, neck gaiters, open-chin triangle bandanas and face coverings containing valves, mesh material or holes of any kind are not acceptable face coverings.
Costume masks are also not considered appropriate and are prohibited from being worn, in alignment with our existing rules.
The use of face coverings is not a substitute for physical distancing.

 

[eeyoreandtink]

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/experience-updates/#drawer-card-faceCoverings
Face Coverings

Face coverings are required for all Guests (ages 2 and up) and Cast Members. Please bring your own face coverings and wear them at all times, except when dining or swimming. You may remove your face covering while actively eating or drinking, but you should be stationary and maintain appropriate physical distancing.

All face coverings (whether disposable or reusable) must:

• Be made with at least 2 layers of breathable material
• Fully cover the nose and mouth and secure under the chin
• Fit snugly but comfortably against the side of the face
• Be secured with ties or ear loops and allow the Guest to remain hands-free

At this time, based on guidance from health authorities, neck gaiters, open-chin triangle bandanas and face coverings containing valves, mesh material or holes of any kind are not acceptable face coverings.
Costume masks are also not considered appropriate and are prohibited from being worn, in alignment with our existing rules.
The use of face coverings is not a substitute for physical distancing.

I don’t know what I am going to do then. I haven’t found a dual layer mask I can wear. I specifically bought these because, due to the tight weave of the fabric, they are actually BETTER than a dual layer of cotton at stopping particles.

 

[KrazeeK120]

I don’t know what I am going to do then. I haven’t found a dual layer mask I can wear. I specifically bought these because, due to the tight weave of the fabric, they are actually BETTER than a dual layer of cotton at stopping particles.

I think the general advice for people who are unwilling or unable to meet the requirements is to postpone your trip.

ETA: I recently bought face masks from BOCO and I really like them. They’re very lightweight and comfortable.

 

[p44nmun]

I don’t know what I am going to do then. I haven’t found a dual layer mask I can wear. I specifically bought these because, due to the tight weave of the fabric, they are actually BETTER than a dual layer of cotton at stopping particles.

Have you tried the masks from Athleta? I have to wear one all day at work, and those are wonderful. Honestly I forget I have one on. Very breathable, 2 layers, fit well. Just throwing out another option to try.

 

[hereforthechurros]

Crowds at Epcot today were a dream. No crowding or long lines in the WS for the most part but enough to still feel lively. We saw both the Santa and Minnie/Mickey cavalcades. Ate everything we wanted at the holiday booths and Completed the Olaf Scavenger hunt. Mobile order at sunshine seasons was easy and super fresh. Lines for rides were long so admittedly we avoided most of those. We did hit Soarin which was posted as 25 but took 45. Figment was a walk on. Gran Fiesta was about a 30 minute wait between pyramid queue and ride queue.

CM we spoke to today said they expect crowds to pick up Wednesday and stay heavier through New Years so we’ll see.

 

[heggy]

I am ready to be done with Covid.

You, me, and about 330 million other folks in the US.
Since our Disney Cruise was cancel, my family are visiting Disney World the first week of the new year.
Enjoy reading the reports of the wait times being less then the reported times in the MDE app.

 

[monkeydawn]

I don’t know what I am going to do then. I haven’t found a dual layer mask I can wear. I specifically bought these because, due to the tight weave of the fabric, they are actually BETTER than a dual layer of cotton at stopping particles.

If this is true, I would suggest that your issue is psychological. If it were me, I'd seriously look at the source of the info, if it were the company selling it then I would be hesitant to believe it. I see no good reason that you should be able to breathe better through one tightly knit layer rather than two looser layers. If its an independent testing body that concluded this, then I'd go back to the issue being psychological.

Please note I am not calling you crazy, my mind and body are closely linked and I can easily psych myself out to the point of having physical manifestations (severe white coat syndrome with respect to blood pressure here) without even realizing I am doing it. I have to really try to be zen in some situations.

As a way to salvage your trip, do you have a way of calming yourself...a mantra, a scent, an activity? In hopes that you can "train" yourself to be more accepting of the two layer masks.

 

[Belle5]

We are just back (8 of us) from 7 days in the parks and we had a GREAT time! Temp check and xray is so much more efficient and quick than the old bag check lines.

Sat=DHS (RotR, Smuggler's twice, Mickey's Runaway Train, loved GE).

Sun=DAK(FoP two/three times depending on who had rider swap), safari outstanding, Yak and Yeti wonderful).

Mon=DHS (RotR, Smuggler's, more food from Docking Bay which was pretty good)

Tue=MK (adult kids and their littles got there early and rode 6 things before we arrived with high school and college sons who like to sleep)...Got in two rides (Pirates and ??) before lunch, dinner at Skipper's was AWESOME! Some evening rides like BTMR, and 7 Dwarfs...Soaked up the GORGEOUS atmosphere until close. Took tons of pics. It was so beautiful and festive we didn't even care much about rides! I think we missed FP+ the most at this park! Calvacades MUST stay! They are amazing!

Wed=EP (Soarin' a couple times, Frozen, calvacades, new movie in France (do this only with kids), new movie in Canada (one-timer...we were a little disappointed), lunch at Spice Road Table (awesome)

Thu=DHS (RotR, Smugglers, Star Tours twice, Oga's for 8 (lots of fun), three times in DHS never made it to ToT or RR. Loved the peppermint holiday milkshake from Scoops near ToT! The projections on ToT for the holidays is super disappointing, IMO. Like ugly... Great Christmas atmosphere on Hollywood Blvd. Dinner was at Edison's in DS. We froze because of the open air feeling on the second floor. Good food and atmosphere.

Fri=Epcot for us (older crowd) split up with younger family who wanted to go back to MK. Epcot was so fantastic to end our trip with! Soarin', movie in China and just soaking up the WS! Calvacades were wonderful with Santa, Mickey and Frozen Characters! Biergarten was our favorite meal of the trip! Love, love, love the family style replacement of the buffet! The holiday music from the stage performers was FANTASTIC! What a way to end our trip!!

Final thoughts: food and beverages can be hard to come by if you are not on top of your mobile ordering. We mobile ordered Roaring Forks to see the WL all decked out for the holidays (only good thing was the soft round ginger cookies...just order those if you want to see the lodge). We mobile ordered Captain Cooks for lunch one day and that was AMAZING...get the Thai Meatballs! We also ordered breakfast one day from the Boardwalk Bakery and really enjoyed that...the Boardwalk is always beautiful decorated for Christmas! We mobile ordered some snacks at Gasparilla's and found the GF to be sadly lacking in holiday vibe and in a terrible need of an update (and a return of the orchestra)! Just skip that one! We had breakfast almost daily in a park at the Starbucks. Wish we would have done that in MK instead of having the famed cinnamon rolls at Gaston's! Blah! Favorite item was still the Mickey head cinnamon roll at AK Starbucks! Disney Springs shopping at night...expect a longgggg wait to just get into the Disney stores! We gave up two different nights! Actually, many of the best shops in the parks also had very long waits just to get in (30 min to an hour). No thanks! Not worth my time! Yes, we would have loved nighttime spectaculars but our expectations were adjusted and there was a lot of festive atmosphere to fill the void at night (but we won't return until those are back up and running)! This was a very freeing vacation. Loved the spontaneity of deciding what to do as we went along! Canceled all of our ADRs except Oga's, Yak, and Skipper's! Even with a party of 8 we just rolled with what was available when we were hungry and mobile ordered at a resort if nothing appealed to us! Great mask compliance, for the most part! Yes, there were exceptions! We do not regret going in any way! Great job, Disney! You made vacationing during a pandemic very enjoyable! We were so impressed!

 

[SugarSweetLee]

Wed=EP (Soarin' a couple times, Frozen, calvacades, new movie in France (do this only with kids), new movie in Canada (one-timer...we were a little disappointed), lunch at Spice Road Table (awesome)

Do you mean the BatB sing-along?

 

[kristenabelle]

Got back a few weeks ago and wanted to say - Mobile Ordering at dine-in restaurants is AMAZING. I got Kona Cafe to eat back at my Poly room and Ale & Compass when I was staying at BWV (little walk to pick it up, but worked out so well). I didn't eat indoors this trip, so getting good quality food and eating it back in my room was awesome. Highly recommend it for anyone going!

 

[tink2424]

I don’t know what I am going to do then. I haven’t found a dual layer mask I can wear. I specifically bought these because, due to the tight weave of the fabric, they are actually BETTER than a dual layer of cotton at stopping particles.

I didn't see them looking closely at masks when I was there in Late Sept/Early October and my mask was only 1 layer and they didn't say anything to me. I would be prepared with a back-up just in case but you will probably be fine with the masks you already have...

 

[Befferk]

I didn't see them looking closely at masks when I was there in Late Sept/Early October and my mask was only 1 layer and they didn't say anything to me. I would be prepared with a back-up just in case but you will probably be fine with the masks you already have...

Let's be honest, they are NOT going to ask you to take off your mask to inspect it.

 

[KrazeeK120]

Let's be honest, they are NOT going to ask you to take off your mask to inspect it.

I agree.

However, everyone should be wearing a double layer mask simply as a courtesy to those around them. The reason for the rule is for safety.

 

[disneyseniors]

I don’t know what I am going to do then. I haven’t found a dual layer mask I can wear. I specifically bought these because, due to the tight weave of the fabric, they are actually BETTER than a dual layer of cotton at stopping particles.

I don't know if I've ever heard of anyone being stopped to check if your mask has 2 layers or not?
I think Disney is just happy to have guests wearing masks.

 

[yulilin3]

ok lets please move away from the mask topic and go back to the just back reports

 

[ExtraMagic]

Just back! We had a perfect short trip. Three nights at Saratoga Springs. We skipped the parks but loved spending a lot of time at Disney Springs! Here are some notes that may help others in the next week or two:

• At Disney Springs, Santa drives past on a pontoon boat starting early in the afternoon all the way through the evening (we had a great Santa view from our room).
• The Christmas Tree Stroll scavenger hunt was really fun -- more fun than the Christmas Tree Trail of the past, in my opinion!
• We made a reservation for mini golf and walked right up at our “tee time.” They did a nice job generously spacing parties and keeping the equipment clean.
• We ate like kings (kings who don’t want to eat inside right now) and got takeout from Polite Pig, Morimoto Street Food, and Blaze Pizza.
• I thought the food at Saratoga Springs was delicious! I had the Saratoga Salad the last night we were there and will absolutely recreate it at home.

 

[princesslover]

We are just back (8 of us) from 7 days in the parks and we had a GREAT time! Temp check and xray is so much more efficient and quick than the old bag check lines.

Sat=DHS (RotR, Smuggler's twice, Mickey's Runaway Train, loved GE).

Sun=DAK(FoP two/three times depending on who had rider swap), safari outstanding, Yak and Yeti wonderful).

Mon=DHS (RotR, Smuggler's, more food from Docking Bay which was pretty good)

Tue=MK (adult kids and their littles got there early and rode 6 things before we arrived with high school and college sons who like to sleep)...Got in two rides (Pirates and ??) before lunch, dinner at Skipper's was AWESOME! Some evening rides like BTMR, and 7 Dwarfs...Soaked up the GORGEOUS atmosphere until close. Took tons of pics. It was so beautiful and festive we didn't even care much about rides! I think we missed FP+ the most at this park! Calvacades MUST stay! They are amazing!

Wed=EP (Soarin' a couple times, Frozen, calvacades, new movie in France (do this only with kids), new movie in Canada (one-timer...we were a little disappointed), lunch at Spice Road Table (awesome)

Thu=DHS (RotR, Smugglers, Star Tours twice, Oga's for 8 (lots of fun), three times in DHS never made it to ToT or RR. Loved the peppermint holiday milkshake from Scoops near ToT! The projections on ToT for the holidays is super disappointing, IMO. Like ugly... Great Christmas atmosphere on Hollywood Blvd. Dinner was at Edison's in DS. We froze because of the open air feeling on the second floor. Good food and atmosphere.

Fri=Epcot for us (older crowd) split up with younger family who wanted to go back to MK. Epcot was so fantastic to end our trip with! Soarin', movie in China and just soaking up the WS! Calvacades were wonderful with Santa, Mickey and Frozen Characters! Biergarten was our favorite meal of the trip! Love, love, love the family style replacement of the buffet! The holiday music from the stage performers was FANTASTIC! What a way to end our trip!!

Final thoughts: food and beverages can be hard to come by if you are not on top of your mobile ordering. We mobile ordered Roaring Forks to see the WL all decked out for the holidays (only good thing was the soft round ginger cookies...just order those if you want to see the lodge). We mobile ordered Captain Cooks for lunch one day and that was AMAZING...get the Thai Meatballs! We also ordered breakfast one day from the Boardwalk Bakery and really enjoyed that...the Boardwalk is always beautiful decorated for Christmas! We mobile ordered some snacks at Gasparilla's and found the GF to be sadly lacking in holiday vibe and in a terrible need of an update (and a return of the orchestra)! Just skip that one! We had breakfast almost daily in a park at the Starbucks. Wish we would have done that in MK instead of having the famed cinnamon rolls at Gaston's! Blah! Favorite item was still the Mickey head cinnamon roll at AK Starbucks! Disney Springs shopping at night...expect a longgggg wait to just get into the Disney stores! We gave up two different nights! Actually, many of the best shops in the parks also had very long waits just to get in (30 min to an hour). No thanks! Not worth my time! Yes, we would have loved nighttime spectaculars but our expectations were adjusted and there was a lot of festive atmosphere to fill the void at night (but we won't return until those are back up and running)! This was a very freeing vacation. Loved the spontaneity of deciding what to do as we went along! Canceled all of our ADRs except Oga's, Yak, and Skipper's! Even with a party of 8 we just rolled with what was available when we were hungry and mobile ordered at a resort if nothing appealed to us! Great mask compliance, for the most part! Yes, there were exceptions! We do not regret going in any way! Great job, Disney! You made vacationing during a pandemic very enjoyable! We were so impressed!

Thanks for the report! Does Starbucks do mobile ordering?

 

[Belle5]

Thanks for the report! Does Starbucks do mobile ordering?

Not that we found!

 

[hereforthechurros]

MK today is the complete opposite from yesterday’s blissful Epcot experience. We were here on this same Monday of Christmas week last year and last year was far more manageable. We left right after lunch to hang at the hotel. This park today was in no way comfortable. Hopefully it will be better this evening.