Here Now & Just Back WDW Reopening Experiences Including Park Hopping

[CampbellzSoup]

My fourth time back since the pandemic and it’s way way more crowded now. Very happy to see normalcyish returning.

 

[CapnJacksGirl]

Got back home late last night after being at WDW since Saturday. I posted about our EP, first HS, and AK days but kind of spaced posting about MK and our second HS day. Oops! So here you go, last two days with some final thoughts at the end.

Tuesday March 2 - MK

We had planned to eat MO breakfast at CR but after talking to a few people that said they weren't allowed to drop off there with rideshares, we just took the bus. We were on the first bus from OKW and were walking up to the temp checks at about 8:15. It seemed like people were coming in from every direction, walkers from CR and GF, ferry, monorail, and buses. Definitely the most congested we had seen a park entry on our trip, but even still, we didn't wait much at all for temp check, right through security, and then we were maybe 10 people deep at the tapstiles. By the time we got around to SDMT, the line was back even with the entry to Storybook Circus. Ride wasn't boarding yet but started less than 10 minutes after we got in line and then it was pretty much just continuous movement until we loaded. Wasn't bad at all.

From there, we headed to Space which was a walk-on, HM also walk-on, and over to Splash and BTMRR. That's where the waiting began. We knew Splash wasn't going to get any better with it being hot so we waited. I believe it was posted at 45 but we waited maybe 30. Got off Splash and right into BTMRR line, which snaked up onto the railway platform and back down. We waited probably 40 minutes total, but that was where we encountered our first real issues with mask noncompliance and not distancing. One family was eating in line, masks nowhere in sight. They had nearly a full lunch while we made our way through the railway station. One of the teenagers kept wiping his mouth with his hand and then wiping that on the railings. We were glad when we got away from them as we entered the normal section of the BTM queue. Ended up seeing them a bit later before we got to the ramps....done eating but still no masks and the one kid still rubbing his mouth and nose all the time and then grabbing the railings. We had been rather conscious of not touching things as much as we would in normal circumstances, but let me tell you, we were cured of touching anything after that whole display! The other issue was a couple of 20-something guys behind us who were right on top of us. I mean RIGHT on top of us THE WHOLE TIME. They seemed oblivious to the whole idea of distancing and minding the line markers on the ground. By the time we loaded, they were actually acting like they were mad at us for leaving space. It was insane.

After that whole mess, we had lunch at Pinocchio Village Haus, did a round on the Speedway, and headed back to OKW for a break and swim then came back around 4:30. When we returned, we did Space again, got Dole Whip and a Nutella fruit waffle then did Jungle Cruise and POTC before closing time. Overall, I would say this was our least favorite day. There just seemed to be a lot of people going every which way. Moving from place to place through the crowds was frustrating in and of itself but add in trying to keep any distance at all between yourself and others, and it was a mess.

Wednesday March 3 - HS

Yesterday was our final day but our ME wasn't until 5 pm so we headed to HS. Sprinkling when we left the room to take our bags to bell services at 6:35. I had forgotten to apply our gift cards to our room charge so we went in and they applied them and reversed that amount from what had been charged to our credit card. By that time, it was about 6:50 so we sat in the lobby to try for RotR BGs. I did a speed test again and Disney Wifi was WAY faster than our Verizon iPhones. WAY faster. The Wifi rate in our room had been good but the speed in the lobby was even faster still. DS13 was the winner again, making him 2 for 2 on our BG attempts. BG3 on Sunday and BG27 yesterday. Not too shabby! We headed over to Good's to order breakfast with the rain picking up a little. A couple of lightning and thunder cracks while we waited and then the bottom dropped out as we ran back to the breezeway to eat our breakfast on a bench. It let up soon after and was done by the time the first HS bus came around.

We arrived at HS about about 8:15 (about the same time as we did on Sunday by taking a Lyft to Speedway and walking over). We had had to wait a couple of minutes on Sunday at temp checks but people were already filing in yesterday. We hadn't gotten to ToT on Sunday so we went straight there, only to get in line and find out it was down. Headed to RnRC, also down. Ran into a guy who was losing his mind about SDD also being down. With three main attractions down, people were scattering like cockroaches in the light. Even with all that going on, we walked straight on to MMRR. A decent line had formed by the time we came out. Made our way back to MFSR next where we waited only a few minutes, all of that well into the attraction queue. Waited in a short line to look around in Black Spire Outpost which was rather underwhelming. A lot of confusion over where people needed to queue up to get into the stalls since they only allow one party in at a time. Anyhoo, we finished up there, grabbed some blue and green milk to try (blue is infinitely better), then went over to TSMM. Posted time was 35 but we were in and out in less than 30. Headed over to RotR when our group got called. Fairly long line, compared to basically no line for us with BG3 on Sunday. It gave us time to look around so we were fine with it. UNTIL we got routed differently than we had on Sunday and skipped a whole section of the preshow! I won't give any spoilers since I firmly believe you want to experience this attraction cold, but trust me, we were very disappointed. We simply could not believe that with all the hub bub and preparation that goes on to make sure you get a BG to ride this dang thing, they would send part of the people through a shortened experience. DSs wanted PizzeRizzo so we grabbed lunch there around noon then headed to ToT. Posted wait was 55 minutes, but we knew it wouldn't get any shorter before we needed to leave so we got in line. We joined the line all the way back by the Fantasmic amphitheater. It looked crazy long but it was not bad at all. I had looked at the time when we left PizzeRizzo and from there, walking to ToT, and waiting in line, we were entering the lobby in 31 minutes. Not bad! We considered getting in line again, but the guys headed to RnRC. Again, posted time was 50 minutes with the line almost to Anaheim Produce, but they rode and were done in maybe 40. I sat by the fountain at the end of Sunset Blvd and watched a character cavalcade. Super cute! We did a little clean-up shopping (you know, where you run around like chickens trying to get the things the kids saw and now want but didn't get when you were there?) and headed out.

Here are some final thoughts:

• Overall we had a fabulous time. We are generally early risers/RD people anyway so we had no trouble getting up early and making sure we were at the parks as early as was possible. We felt like that was KEY to getting everything done that we wanted to do, with minimal waiting. It also gave us a chance to leave during the afternoon if we wanted to head for the pool or do something else later.
• Wait times seemed to be inflated across the board, sometimes almost ridiculously so. I'm sure there is logic somewhere to posting 55 minutes when it is actually 25. Maybe it drives people to other attractions to spread people out? My experience was that it created a lot of bottlenecks of people standing en masse at the "end of line here" signs, trying to figure out what to do.
• I feel like Disney was doing a great job with the extended queues to allow for spacing, in most cases. There were a couple of times where it was confusing and some people seemed to be short-tempered with those trying to figure out where to go. I didn't see anyone intentionally trying to line jump but more than a few people in line accusing people of doing so. For the most part, people seemed to be helpful when others were trying to figure it out. I know we appreciated the efforts to allow distance so we tried to be patient with all of it.
• A lot of the subterfuge regarding ways of getting to the parks as early as possible seemed unnecessary once we were there. I was worried about getting to MK by bus and it was just fine. That said, we made sure we were absolutely on the first bus available, but I was worried about not being able to get to CR to walk over and it would have been a waste of whatever the rideshare cost us. We did take a Lyft to HS on Sunday and would have gotten there earlier than we did, except the first Lyft we requested went to the wrong place. We had to request a second Lyft who got us to Speedway (actually she just dropped us off across from Speedway, right by the Boardwalk entrance) at about the same time we arrived by bus the second day we went there. $19 for a Lyft XL plus tip and we could have just taken the bus. Had we gotten there earlier on Sunday, we would have been waiting in line just the same, only we would likely have been first instead of tenth. That's a negligible difference and not worth the money for me. Bus service was just fine for us throughout our trip. We made sure we were headed for the bus stop 80-90 minutes before park opening each day and we were on the first bus. Worked out great.
• Mask compliance was very good overall. There were always a few people taking their own personal mask break with their noses peeking out a bit. I felt it was easy to tell the ones that were dropping their mask a tiny bit to get some cool air for a minute and those that were going to wear it under their noses all day. The people who were not compliant were going to be so no matter who said anything to them. If a mask was being worn wrong to a degree that a CM needed to point it out, it would go up for a minute and right back down. Same with eating while moving. If someone was doing it outright and a CM said something, it wasn't going to change one darn thing. If I had a dollar for every time I heard someone say "I'm from (insert state with no mask mandate) and if I don't wear a mask at home, I'm not wearing it here," I could have bought myself lunch one day. One CM was trying to explain to a family that they agreed to health statements and requirements when they purchased tickets and entered the parks, but they weren't having it. We learned very quickly on the first day to move along and outright avoid groups that we saw who were grossly not wearing their masks properly. It was better for us as a family to alter what we were doing and move away from them, knowing that they don't share the cautious views on maneuvering in a pandemic that we do. We aren't militant about it, obviously since we chose to go to WDW, but we take as many precautions as we can. Moving away from the "I'm doing whatever I want" groups falls high on that list.
• Distancing was difficult in maneuvering around the parks. We were fine at EP on Saturday and HS on Sunday and for the most part yesterday (other than TSL, yikes) but then AK on Monday and MK on Tuesday were not good. There were more than a few times on those days that the crowds were so tight that I was very anxious, and I'm not one to get that way. If those days were under the current max capacity, there is no way on God's green earth I would step foot in there on a capacity day. We also went to DS on Monday evening and would definitely not go back there. We arrived at about 5 pm, got in the Gideon's virtual queue, and headed to Cookes for dinner. We did a little shopping, including World of Disney which we basically ran out of because it was horrific in there, and wandered until we could get into Gideon's. If I hadn't been so excited to try those cookies, we would have left. It was AWFUL there. Not a chance I would go back to DS.
• Not being able to grab a snack or a drink on our way to another attraction was a bigger deal than I expected. I guess I didn't even really think about how much we have always done that. Especially popcorn! Holy cow, I missed that. I'm sure we saved some money and some calories on this trip but it took away from the experience more than I expected it to. It's kind of funny how much some of those Disney snacks become a part of the whole overarching experience.
• We had a great time but there were definitely a lot of things that I miss. I wouldn't say the magic is gone because there are a lot of CMs there giving their absolute all right now, but it is definitely far less than it usually is. We aren't stop and watch a parade people, but I like hearing it or catching a glimpse. I even like seeing the families who gather to watch a parade. We don't stop for a lot of characters anymore, but I love seeing them as we walk by. I really (REALLY) missed seeing the excitement on little kids' faces. There just wasn't a lot of that this time. All the interactive queues that used to be fun to watch kids using are closed. There weren't characters around for them to get excited about. My own kids are older so they don't get into all that stuff much anymore but we all love watching all the little kids at Disney. It really just wasn't the same. I'm glad that we went, but it was a wholly different experience from anything we've had in the past.

 

[Leigh L]

So many things to overthink now! Going to DHS on sun 14th. Official opening is 9am. Thinking rope drop is then probably 8:15-8:30? Have an 8:25am savis so anyone who knows how I get in for it orrrrr if you think that’s a really bad idea and we will miss out on too many short waits please lmk. Staying at universal so planning to Uber. Does the parking lot typically open 90 mins prior to official opening so 7:30? Is that leaving universal then just after the big boarding group attempt? Thanks!

Parking lot at DHS opened at 8:15 for us on 2/25. We were able to line up at 7:57.

@mkb3 on two days last week MK toll booths opened up at 8 a.m. exactly. Cars were lining up by 7:30 (we were about 3-5 cars back the day we arrived that early, we arrived at 7:40 the next time and there wasn't much of a difference).

 

[mfly]

Got back home late last night after being at WDW since Saturday. I posted about our EP, first HS, and AK days but kind of spaced posting about MK and our second HS day. Oops! So here you go, last two days with some final thoughts at the end.

Tuesday March 2 - MK

We had planned to eat MO breakfast at CR but after talking to a few people that said they weren't allowed to drop off there with rideshares, we just took the bus. We were on the first bus from OKW and were walking up to the temp checks at about 8:15. It seemed like people were coming in from every direction, walkers from CR and GF, ferry, monorail, and buses. Definitely the most congested we had seen a park entry on our trip, but even still, we didn't wait much at all for temp check, right through security, and then we were maybe 10 people deep at the tapstiles. By the time we got around to SDMT, the line was back even with the entry to Storybook Circus. Ride wasn't boarding yet but started less than 10 minutes after we got in line and then it was pretty much just continuous movement until we loaded. Wasn't bad at all.

From there, we headed to Space which was a walk-on, HM also walk-on, and over to Splash and BTMRR. That's where the waiting began. We knew Splash wasn't going to get any better with it being hot so we waited. I believe it was posted at 45 but we waited maybe 30. Got off Splash and right into BTMRR line, which snaked up onto the railway platform and back down. We waited probably 40 minutes total, but that was where we encountered our first real issues with mask noncompliance and not distancing. One family was eating in line, masks nowhere in sight. They had nearly a full lunch while we made our way through the railway station. One of the teenagers kept wiping his mouth with his hand and then wiping that on the railings. We were glad when we got away from them as we entered the normal section of the BTM queue. Ended up seeing them a bit later before we got to the ramps....done eating but still no masks and the one kid still rubbing his mouth and nose all the time and then grabbing the railings. We had been rather conscious of not touching things as much as we would in normal circumstances, but let me tell you, we were cured of touching anything after that whole display! The other issue was a couple of 20-something guys behind us who were right on top of us. I mean RIGHT on top of us THE WHOLE TIME. They seemed oblivious to the whole idea of distancing and minding the line markers on the ground. By the time we loaded, they were actually acting like they were mad at us for leaving space. It was insane.

After that whole mess, we had lunch at Pinocchio Village Haus, did a round on the Speedway, and headed back to OKW for a break and swim then came back around 4:30. When we returned, we did Space again, got Dole Whip and a Nutella fruit waffle then did Jungle Cruise and POTC before closing time. Overall, I would say this was our least favorite day. There just seemed to be a lot of people going every which way. Moving from place to place through the crowds was frustrating in and of itself but add in trying to keep any distance at all between yourself and others, and it was a mess.

Wednesday March 3 - HS

Yesterday was our final day but our ME wasn't until 5 pm so we headed to HS. Sprinkling when we left the room to take our bags to bell services at 6:35. I had forgotten to apply our gift cards to our room charge so we went in and they applied them and reversed that amount from what had been charged to our credit card. By that time, it was about 6:50 so we sat in the lobby to try for RotR BGs. I did a speed test again and Disney Wifi was WAY faster than our Verizon iPhones. WAY faster. The Wifi rate in our room had been good but the speed in the lobby was even faster still. DS13 was the winner again, making him 2 for 2 on our BG attempts. BG3 on Sunday and BG27 yesterday. Not too shabby! We headed over to Good's to order breakfast with the rain picking up a little. A couple of lightning and thunder cracks while we waited and then the bottom dropped out as we ran back to the breezeway to eat our breakfast on a bench. It let up soon after and was done by the time the first HS bus came around.

We arrived at HS about about 8:15 (about the same time as we did on Sunday by taking a Lyft to Speedway and walking over). We had had to wait a couple of minutes on Sunday at temp checks but people were already filing in yesterday. We hadn't gotten to ToT on Sunday so we went straight there, only to get in line and find out it was down. Headed to RnRC, also down. Ran into a guy who was losing his mind about SDD also being down. With three main attractions down, people were scattering like cockroaches in the light. Even with all that going on, we walked straight on to MMRR. A decent line had formed by the time we came out. Made our way back to MFSR next where we waited only a few minutes, all of that well into the attraction queue. Waited in a short line to look around in Black Spire Outpost which was rather underwhelming. A lot of confusion over where people needed to queue up to get into the stalls since they only allow one party in at a time. Anyhoo, we finished up there, grabbed some blue and green milk to try (blue is infinitely better), then went over to TSMM. Posted time was 35 but we were in and out in less than 30. Headed over to RotR when our group got called. Fairly long line, compared to basically no line for us with BG3 on Sunday. It gave us time to look around so we were fine with it. UNTIL we got routed differently than we had on Sunday and skipped a whole section of the preshow! I won't give any spoilers since I firmly believe you want to experience this attraction cold, but trust me, we were very disappointed. We simply could not believe that with all the hub bub and preparation that goes on to make sure you get a BG to ride this dang thing, they would send part of the people through a shortened experience. DSs wanted PizzeRizzo so we grabbed lunch there around noon then headed to ToT. Posted wait was 55 minutes, but we knew it wouldn't get any shorter before we needed to leave so we got in line. We joined the line all the way back by the Fantasmic amphitheater. It looked crazy long but it was not bad at all. I had looked at the time when we left PizzeRizzo and from there, walking to ToT, and waiting in line, we were entering the lobby in 31 minutes. Not bad! We considered getting in line again, but the guys headed to RnRC. Again, posted time was 50 minutes with the line almost to Anaheim Produce, but they rode and were done in maybe 40. I sat by the fountain at the end of Sunset Blvd and watched a character cavalcade. Super cute! We did a little clean-up shopping (you know, where you run around like chickens trying to get the things the kids saw and now want but didn't get when you were there?) and headed out.

Here are some final thoughts:

• Overall we had a fabulous time. We are generally early risers/RD people anyway so we had no trouble getting up early and making sure we were at the parks as early as was possible. We felt like that was KEY to getting everything done that we wanted to do, with minimal waiting. It also gave us a chance to leave during the afternoon if we wanted to head for the pool or do something else later.
• Wait times seemed to be inflated across the board, sometimes almost ridiculously so. I'm sure there is logic somewhere to posting 55 minutes when it is actually 25. Maybe it drives people to other attractions to spread people out? My experience was that it created a lot of bottlenecks of people standing en masse at the "end of line here" signs, trying to figure out what to do.
• I feel like Disney was doing a great job with the extended queues to allow for spacing, in most cases. There were a couple of times where it was confusing and some people seemed to be short-tempered with those trying to figure out where to go. I didn't see anyone intentionally trying to line jump but more than a few people in line accusing people of doing so. For the most part, people seemed to be helpful when others were trying to figure it out. I know we appreciated the efforts to allow distance so we tried to be patient with all of it.
• A lot of the subterfuge regarding ways of getting to the parks as early as possible seemed unnecessary once we were there. I was worried about getting to MK by bus and it was just fine. That said, we made sure we were absolutely on the first bus available, but I was worried about not being able to get to CR to walk over and it would have been a waste of whatever the rideshare cost us. We did take a Lyft to HS on Sunday and would have gotten there earlier than we did, except the first Lyft we requested went to the wrong place. We had to request a second Lyft who got us to Speedway (actually she just dropped us off across from Speedway, right by the Boardwalk entrance) at about the same time we arrived by bus the second day we went there. $19 for a Lyft XL plus tip and we could have just taken the bus. Had we gotten there earlier on Sunday, we would have been waiting in line just the same, only we would likely have been first instead of tenth. That's a negligible difference and not worth the money for me. Bus service was just fine for us throughout our trip. We made sure we were headed for the bus stop 80-90 minutes before park opening each day and we were on the first bus. Worked out great.
• Mask compliance was very good overall. There were always a few people taking their own personal mask break with their noses peeking out a bit. I felt it was easy to tell the ones that were dropping their mask a tiny bit to get some cool air for a minute and those that were going to wear it under their noses all day. The people who were not compliant were going to be so no matter who said anything to them. If a mask was being worn wrong to a degree that a CM needed to point it out, it would go up for a minute and right back down. Same with eating while moving. If someone was doing it outright and a CM said something, it wasn't going to change one darn thing. If I had a dollar for every time I heard someone say "I'm from (insert state with no mask mandate) and if I don't wear a mask at home, I'm not wearing it here," I could have bought myself lunch one day. One CM was trying to explain to a family that they agreed to health statements and requirements when they purchased tickets and entered the parks, but they weren't having it. We learned very quickly on the first day to move along and outright avoid groups that we saw who were grossly not wearing their masks properly. It was better for us as a family to alter what we were doing and move away from them, knowing that they don't share the cautious views on maneuvering in a pandemic that we do. We aren't militant about it, obviously since we chose to go to WDW, but we take as many precautions as we can. Moving away from the "I'm doing whatever I want" groups falls high on that list.
• Distancing was difficult in maneuvering around the parks. We were fine at EP on Saturday and HS on Sunday and for the most part yesterday (other than TSL, yikes) but then AK on Monday and MK on Tuesday were not good. There were more than a few times on those days that the crowds were so tight that I was very anxious, and I'm not one to get that way. If those days were under the current max capacity, there is no way on God's green earth I would step foot in there on a capacity day. We also went to DS on Monday evening and would definitely not go back there. We arrived at about 5 pm, got in the Gideon's virtual queue, and headed to Cookes for dinner. We did a little shopping, including World of Disney which we basically ran out of because it was horrific in there, and wandered until we could get into Gideon's. If I hadn't been so excited to try those cookies, we would have left. It was AWFUL there. Not a chance I would go back to DS.
• Not being able to grab a snack or a drink on our way to another attraction was a bigger deal than I expected. I guess I didn't even really think about how much we have always done that. Especially popcorn! Holy cow, I missed that. I'm sure we saved some money and some calories on this trip but it took away from the experience more than I expected it to. It's kind of funny how much some of those Disney snacks become a part of the whole overarching experience.
• We had a great time but there were definitely a lot of things that I miss. I wouldn't say the magic is gone because there are a lot of CMs there giving their absolute all right now, but it is definitely far less than it usually is. We aren't stop and watch a parade people, but I like hearing it or catching a glimpse. I even like seeing the families who gather to watch a parade. We don't stop for a lot of characters anymore, but I love seeing them as we walk by. I really (REALLY) missed seeing the excitement on little kids' faces. There just wasn't a lot of that this time. All the interactive queues that used to be fun to watch kids using are closed. There weren't characters around for them to get excited about. My own kids are older so they don't get into all that stuff much anymore but we all love watching all the little kids at Disney. It really just wasn't the same. I'm glad that we went, but it was a wholly different experience from anything we've had in the past.

This was so helpful - especially the early morning arrival comments. Thanks!

 

[Raven01]

AK today, March 4. Opening at 8 am.

Walked straight onto a waiting bus at 7:07 am. In and straight to Navi. There were technical difficulties. We waited a few minutes, and we’re off at 753. Then went straight to the Safari and boarded by 807.

After that, we took it easy. AK desperately needs Dinoland redone because there just aren’t enough rides for young kids. So many people comment that Navi isn’t worth it - but it is a pretty ride and perfect for young kids. My DD rode the dinosaur kid dumbo like ride and did Tough to Be A Bug, but didn’t like Bug. She is tall enough for Dinosaur but we skipped it because she hasn’t liked dark scary rides this trip, and I didn’t want to push it. Now, the flip side is because there isn’t a ton to do like MK, we went slow. The monkeys were playing and we sat in a shaded area while she ate a rice crispy treat and watched them. We did the petting zoo and animal walk. Our pace was just more relaxed.

To the PP asking if they should move the 825 Savis reservation, I say emphatically YES. That first hour and a half has the lowest waits of the day. I would not waste that time. Get there early and use the time, or be prepared for 40-60 minute waits.

And as a side note, I’d skip the Castle reservation next time (though DD4 thought it was cool to eat in the castle) and go to Topolinos breakfast instead. Loved Topolinos, pricey but good food And Characters.

Oh, and I’m COVID easy going, but there’s no social distancing exiting attractions. Otherwise the safety efforts were awesome.

 

[Stormtrooper mum]

From our experience at DHS last week, the parking lot started lining up cars 60 minutes early and allowing cars in 45 minutes before official park open. Your 8:25 Savi's reservation will be hard to make using Uber, in my opinion.
If you can push your Savi's reservation back to later in the day, I would. Those early hours are pretty nice for riding the big ticket rides.

Thanks for all the help! Working out what the touring plan may be if we do it later

 

[iheartglaciers]

Returning to WDW in a few weeks for the first time during COVID and wondering how difficult and/or challenging it is to pick up a snack or drink around the World Showcase and find a safe place to remove the mask to eat and drink safely during something like Flower and Garden? I will truly miss the eating and drinking while walking as in years past so wanted to better understand how it is going? Any tips or lessons learned on this experience would be much appreciated.

P.S.Any ideas on nice, out of the way spots to get distanced while enjoying a beverage would be helpful. Prost!

I was at the last day of the Arts Festival (which was a Monday) and didn't think it was hard to find spots in World Showcase with enough distance from others to feel comfotable taking my mask off to eat (and I'm on the conservative side when it comes to that--I barely did anything indoors during my trip). I'd definitely start earlier in the day since it gets more crowded in World Showcase as the day goes on, especially after 2pm when park hopping opens. Occasionally someone would get too close for me to feel comfortable with my mask off and I would just move.

I generally ate at tables along the walkways (there are plenty of spaced out tables that feel away from people walking), but Morocco and Japan in particular had tucked away tables that were nice options.

Morocco has a few tables in the back where the shops used to be, and Japan has some tables alongside the store that feel somewhat hidden.

 

[Gearbm95]

Has anyone been able to hop prior to 2pm or have they been fairly strict on that?

 

[angryduck71]

Got back home late last night after being at WDW since Saturday. I posted about our EP, first HS, and AK days but kind of spaced posting about MK and our second HS day. Oops! So here you go, last two days with some final thoughts at the end.

Tuesday March 2 - MK

We had planned to eat MO breakfast at CR but after talking to a few people that said they weren't allowed to drop off there with rideshares, we just took the bus. We were on the first bus from OKW and were walking up to the temp checks at about 8:15. It seemed like people were coming in from every direction, walkers from CR and GF, ferry, monorail, and buses. Definitely the most congested we had seen a park entry on our trip, but even still, we didn't wait much at all for temp check, right through security, and then we were maybe 10 people deep at the tapstiles. By the time we got around to SDMT, the line was back even with the entry to Storybook Circus. Ride wasn't boarding yet but started less than 10 minutes after we got in line and then it was pretty much just continuous movement until we loaded. Wasn't bad at all.

From there, we headed to Space which was a walk-on, HM also walk-on, and over to Splash and BTMRR. That's where the waiting began. We knew Splash wasn't going to get any better with it being hot so we waited. I believe it was posted at 45 but we waited maybe 30. Got off Splash and right into BTMRR line, which snaked up onto the railway platform and back down. We waited probably 40 minutes total, but that was where we encountered our first real issues with mask noncompliance and not distancing. One family was eating in line, masks nowhere in sight. They had nearly a full lunch while we made our way through the railway station. One of the teenagers kept wiping his mouth with his hand and then wiping that on the railings. We were glad when we got away from them as we entered the normal section of the BTM queue. Ended up seeing them a bit later before we got to the ramps....done eating but still no masks and the one kid still rubbing his mouth and nose all the time and then grabbing the railings. We had been rather conscious of not touching things as much as we would in normal circumstances, but let me tell you, we were cured of touching anything after that whole display! The other issue was a couple of 20-something guys behind us who were right on top of us. I mean RIGHT on top of us THE WHOLE TIME. They seemed oblivious to the whole idea of distancing and minding the line markers on the ground. By the time we loaded, they were actually acting like they were mad at us for leaving space. It was insane.

After that whole mess, we had lunch at Pinocchio Village Haus, did a round on the Speedway, and headed back to OKW for a break and swim then came back around 4:30. When we returned, we did Space again, got Dole Whip and a Nutella fruit waffle then did Jungle Cruise and POTC before closing time. Overall, I would say this was our least favorite day. There just seemed to be a lot of people going every which way. Moving from place to place through the crowds was frustrating in and of itself but add in trying to keep any distance at all between yourself and others, and it was a mess.

Wednesday March 3 - HS

Yesterday was our final day but our ME wasn't until 5 pm so we headed to HS. Sprinkling when we left the room to take our bags to bell services at 6:35. I had forgotten to apply our gift cards to our room charge so we went in and they applied them and reversed that amount from what had been charged to our credit card. By that time, it was about 6:50 so we sat in the lobby to try for RotR BGs. I did a speed test again and Disney Wifi was WAY faster than our Verizon iPhones. WAY faster. The Wifi rate in our room had been good but the speed in the lobby was even faster still. DS13 was the winner again, making him 2 for 2 on our BG attempts. BG3 on Sunday and BG27 yesterday. Not too shabby! We headed over to Good's to order breakfast with the rain picking up a little. A couple of lightning and thunder cracks while we waited and then the bottom dropped out as we ran back to the breezeway to eat our breakfast on a bench. It let up soon after and was done by the time the first HS bus came around.

We arrived at HS about about 8:15 (about the same time as we did on Sunday by taking a Lyft to Speedway and walking over). We had had to wait a couple of minutes on Sunday at temp checks but people were already filing in yesterday. We hadn't gotten to ToT on Sunday so we went straight there, only to get in line and find out it was down. Headed to RnRC, also down. Ran into a guy who was losing his mind about SDD also being down. With three main attractions down, people were scattering like cockroaches in the light. Even with all that going on, we walked straight on to MMRR. A decent line had formed by the time we came out. Made our way back to MFSR next where we waited only a few minutes, all of that well into the attraction queue. Waited in a short line to look around in Black Spire Outpost which was rather underwhelming. A lot of confusion over where people needed to queue up to get into the stalls since they only allow one party in at a time. Anyhoo, we finished up there, grabbed some blue and green milk to try (blue is infinitely better), then went over to TSMM. Posted time was 35 but we were in and out in less than 30. Headed over to RotR when our group got called. Fairly long line, compared to basically no line for us with BG3 on Sunday. It gave us time to look around so we were fine with it. UNTIL we got routed differently than we had on Sunday and skipped a whole section of the preshow! I won't give any spoilers since I firmly believe you want to experience this attraction cold, but trust me, we were very disappointed. We simply could not believe that with all the hub bub and preparation that goes on to make sure you get a BG to ride this dang thing, they would send part of the people through a shortened experience. DSs wanted PizzeRizzo so we grabbed lunch there around noon then headed to ToT. Posted wait was 55 minutes, but we knew it wouldn't get any shorter before we needed to leave so we got in line. We joined the line all the way back by the Fantasmic amphitheater. It looked crazy long but it was not bad at all. I had looked at the time when we left PizzeRizzo and from there, walking to ToT, and waiting in line, we were entering the lobby in 31 minutes. Not bad! We considered getting in line again, but the guys headed to RnRC. Again, posted time was 50 minutes with the line almost to Anaheim Produce, but they rode and were done in maybe 40. I sat by the fountain at the end of Sunset Blvd and watched a character cavalcade. Super cute! We did a little clean-up shopping (you know, where you run around like chickens trying to get the things the kids saw and now want but didn't get when you were there?) and headed out.

Here are some final thoughts:

• Overall we had a fabulous time. We are generally early risers/RD people anyway so we had no trouble getting up early and making sure we were at the parks as early as was possible. We felt like that was KEY to getting everything done that we wanted to do, with minimal waiting. It also gave us a chance to leave during the afternoon if we wanted to head for the pool or do something else later.
• Wait times seemed to be inflated across the board, sometimes almost ridiculously so. I'm sure there is logic somewhere to posting 55 minutes when it is actually 25. Maybe it drives people to other attractions to spread people out? My experience was that it created a lot of bottlenecks of people standing en masse at the "end of line here" signs, trying to figure out what to do.
• I feel like Disney was doing a great job with the extended queues to allow for spacing, in most cases. There were a couple of times where it was confusing and some people seemed to be short-tempered with those trying to figure out where to go. I didn't see anyone intentionally trying to line jump but more than a few people in line accusing people of doing so. For the most part, people seemed to be helpful when others were trying to figure it out. I know we appreciated the efforts to allow distance so we tried to be patient with all of it.
• A lot of the subterfuge regarding ways of getting to the parks as early as possible seemed unnecessary once we were there. I was worried about getting to MK by bus and it was just fine. That said, we made sure we were absolutely on the first bus available, but I was worried about not being able to get to CR to walk over and it would have been a waste of whatever the rideshare cost us. We did take a Lyft to HS on Sunday and would have gotten there earlier than we did, except the first Lyft we requested went to the wrong place. We had to request a second Lyft who got us to Speedway (actually she just dropped us off across from Speedway, right by the Boardwalk entrance) at about the same time we arrived by bus the second day we went there. $19 for a Lyft XL plus tip and we could have just taken the bus. Had we gotten there earlier on Sunday, we would have been waiting in line just the same, only we would likely have been first instead of tenth. That's a negligible difference and not worth the money for me. Bus service was just fine for us throughout our trip. We made sure we were headed for the bus stop 80-90 minutes before park opening each day and we were on the first bus. Worked out great.
• Mask compliance was very good overall. There were always a few people taking their own personal mask break with their noses peeking out a bit. I felt it was easy to tell the ones that were dropping their mask a tiny bit to get some cool air for a minute and those that were going to wear it under their noses all day. The people who were not compliant were going to be so no matter who said anything to them. If a mask was being worn wrong to a degree that a CM needed to point it out, it would go up for a minute and right back down. Same with eating while moving. If someone was doing it outright and a CM said something, it wasn't going to change one darn thing. If I had a dollar for every time I heard someone say "I'm from (insert state with no mask mandate) and if I don't wear a mask at home, I'm not wearing it here," I could have bought myself lunch one day. One CM was trying to explain to a family that they agreed to health statements and requirements when they purchased tickets and entered the parks, but they weren't having it. We learned very quickly on the first day to move along and outright avoid groups that we saw who were grossly not wearing their masks properly. It was better for us as a family to alter what we were doing and move away from them, knowing that they don't share the cautious views on maneuvering in a pandemic that we do. We aren't militant about it, obviously since we chose to go to WDW, but we take as many precautions as we can. Moving away from the "I'm doing whatever I want" groups falls high on that list.
• Distancing was difficult in maneuvering around the parks. We were fine at EP on Saturday and HS on Sunday and for the most part yesterday (other than TSL, yikes) but then AK on Monday and MK on Tuesday were not good. There were more than a few times on those days that the crowds were so tight that I was very anxious, and I'm not one to get that way. If those days were under the current max capacity, there is no way on God's green earth I would step foot in there on a capacity day. We also went to DS on Monday evening and would definitely not go back there. We arrived at about 5 pm, got in the Gideon's virtual queue, and headed to Cookes for dinner. We did a little shopping, including World of Disney which we basically ran out of because it was horrific in there, and wandered until we could get into Gideon's. If I hadn't been so excited to try those cookies, we would have left. It was AWFUL there. Not a chance I would go back to DS.
• Not being able to grab a snack or a drink on our way to another attraction was a bigger deal than I expected. I guess I didn't even really think about how much we have always done that. Especially popcorn! Holy cow, I missed that. I'm sure we saved some money and some calories on this trip but it took away from the experience more than I expected it to. It's kind of funny how much some of those Disney snacks become a part of the whole overarching experience.
• We had a great time but there were definitely a lot of things that I miss. I wouldn't say the magic is gone because there are a lot of CMs there giving their absolute all right now, but it is definitely far less than it usually is. We aren't stop and watch a parade people, but I like hearing it or catching a glimpse. I even like seeing the families who gather to watch a parade. We don't stop for a lot of characters anymore, but I love seeing them as we walk by. I really (REALLY) missed seeing the excitement on little kids' faces. There just wasn't a lot of that this time. All the interactive queues that used to be fun to watch kids using are closed. There weren't characters around for them to get excited about. My own kids are older so they don't get into all that stuff much anymore but we all love watching all the little kids at Disney. It really just wasn't the same. I'm glad that we went, but it was a wholly different experience from anything we've had in the past.

This was extremely helpful. Right now, we have been debating MK or not. You may have pushed me to not. I will be fully vaccinated by our trip, but my son will not.

 

[KBL3782]

I’m mostly a lurker on this board, but since I found recent trip reports helpful before our trip, I figure I should share our experience.

After reading some reports here, I was concerned about the crowds and wait times but overall am pleasantly surprised with how manageable they were.

We stayed at Rivera, which was wonderful. The service is amazing and it truly is a beautiful resort. Transportation was very easy - Skyliner is of course efficient but we also never encountered a long wait for busses or felt over-crowded on them.

I’m I could go through our trip day, by day, but will say generally that by arriving early to the parks each day (only rope dropped DHS), we were able to accomplish all the headliners as well as everything else we wanted to. I thought we would greatly miss Fast Pass, but truly do not think they are necessary at this point.

 

[Leigh L]

Has anyone been able to hop prior to 2pm or have they been fairly strict on that?

Buses come about 1:30 from the parks (we boarded at 1:28 from MK to DHS). Tapped in about 1:50 at DHS on 2/25. Not sure how much/if at all earlier they would have let us tap in.

 

[DMLAINI]

Has anyone been to The Flower & Garden Festival today & can tell me where to get the giftcard you put on your wrist? Also can you use a giftcard to purchase it (we've got a lot of giftcards to use)?

 

[dez1978]

I’m mostly a lurker on this board, but since I found recent trip reports helpful before our trip, I figure I should share our experience.

After reading some reports here, I was concerned about the crowds and wait times but overall am pleasantly surprised with how manageable they were.

We stayed at Rivera, which was wonderful. The service is amazing and it truly is a beautiful resort. Transportation was very easy - Skyliner is of course efficient but we also never encountered a long wait for busses or felt over-crowded on them.

I’m I could go through our trip day, by day, but will say generally that by arriving early to the parks each day (only rope dropped DHS), we were able to accomplish all the headliners as well as everything else we wanted to. I thought we would greatly miss Fast Pass, but truly do not think they are necessary at this point.

We are staying at the riviera in a couple weeks. What time did the sky liner start running to Hs?

 

[KBL3782]

We are staying at the riviera in a couple weeks. What time did the sky liner start running to Hs?

They started running right at 7:30 (maybe a few minutes before). There were about 8 groups in front of us and we were in the sky by 7:35 and they had not started running the CBR station when we got there. We were off and at the park by 8.

 

[brockash]

They started running right at 7:30 (maybe a few minutes before). There were about 8 groups in front of us and we were in the sky by 7:35 and they had not started running the CBR station when we got there. We were off and at the park by 8.

When you got to CBR; you had to get off right to transfer? If so, how did that work with the CBR line? Did you have to go to back of line, did they put you all in front of tye CBR ppl ? Tia!

 

[Kitty & Covs Covs]

Question—we have 7 people in our party. If we have an ADR for CR or GF for like, 4 or 5, will they count how many are on the ADR against our group and turn some away? We are considering a Trojan horse play to have some non breakfast eaters be able to walk to the park.

 

[Kitty & Covs Covs]

They started running right at 7:30 (maybe a few minutes before). There were about 8 groups in front of us and we were in the sky by 7:35 and they had not started running the CBR station when we got there. We were off and at the park by 8.

what time did you arrive at the skyliner to get in line that morning?

 

[KBL3782]

When you got to CBR; you had to get off right to transfer? If so, how did that work with the CBR line? Did you have to go to back of line, did they put you all in front of tye CBR ppl ? Tia!

I couldn’t figure out how they were sorting us, but in true Dis fashion there were definitely some logistics at play. We had to get off but were sent to a separate line from the CBR people. They were not loading at all when we got in line, but the wait was maybe only 15 minutes. It seemed like they were taking turns letting each group load, but I am not sure. We had to wait about 15-20 minutes for Studios to open.

 

[KBL3782]

what time did you arrive at the skyliner to get in line that morning?

We got in line at 7:25 and they started running maybe 5 minutes later.

 

[Aimeedyan]

Question—we have 7 people in our party. If we have an ADR for CR or GF for like, 4 or 5, will they count how many are on the ADR against our group and turn some away? We are considering a Trojan horse play to have some non breakfast eaters be able to walk to the park.

No. The guard will just doublecheck the reservation (if they even do that...) and point the driver to the correct parking lot. They try to not even get close enough to the car to see in it, much less count heads. They have declined offers to scan our band here lately, assuming so they don't have to get very close.