Just an FYI re our trip this week. We were generally appalled by the lack of mask compliance. 3 of 4 of us got sick on trip. Got tested today and we are negative thank goodness. So just know if you get sick there is always a decent chance it's just a regular to-be-expected Disney cold.
Here Now & Just Back WDW Reopening Experiences Including Park Hopping
p8ntldy
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Aug 21, 2003
UPDATE: Got our Covid tests results today (9/9/21). We had waited 5 days to take the test…. NEGATIVE for the both of us!
To go or not go is a decision that only you and your family can make…. We are just back from at 10 day stay at SSR.
My DH (age 70) and I (age 68) rented DVC points for a Studio at SSR for a 10 day trip (8/24 - 9/3) celebrating both of our
birthdays, our 49th Anniversary, and his retirement. We planned the trip in May when it looked like the end of summer would be a very safe time to go (based on vaccination rates at the time). We didn’t expect it would turn out to be the Delta variant explosion - and the positive test results/hospitalizations going thru the roof.
We were discussing cancelling the trip for over a month before we left. We have been vaccinated since December (husband worked in healthcare) and super diligent in staying safe. Never stopped wearing masks in public, etc. So, to go to Florida now just didn’t feel like a good decision…
But, after reading all the info we could - we ended up deciding to take the trip with certain precautions. We would ALWAYS wear masks indoors. And mask up outdoors when there were people close to us, which was a lot of the time. I must say - we observed approx. 99% masking compliance indoors. But, only About 40% outdoors.
Luckily, we ended up going during a really slow time - and experienced low crowds the entire trip. We would carry sanitizer in our pockets and use it constantly before and after touching anything in public - on busses, in elevators, in stores, etc. We carried disposable sanitizing cloths (like Clorox) and wiped off any tables, chairs, trays, etc. that we would use. We decided we wouldn’t eat in any sit-down restaurants and canceled a few ADR’s that I had made. We mobile ordered food, and Disney was only allowing you in a quick service restaurant if you had an order to get. Those indoor areas were not crowded at all and we always sat by ourselves in an obscure corner. We also ate when most families were done eating (like 3 pm for lunch - and after 7 or 8pm for dinner) - so less people around. In addition, we sprayed our throats with an antiseptic spray a couple of times a day.
Given all those precautions, we only went to the parks for a few hours each day of our 6 day pass. The rest of the 4 days were spent at the pool relaxing or going to another resort to eat quick service and explore/walk around - enjoying the ambiance. Disney Springs was a hot mess in the evening - so we left and went back early one morning when hardly anyone was there. We never rope dropped and were able to ride in mostly empty busses other times of the day. (Bus service was great, by the way).
We’ve been home for 3 days now, with no symptoms and will get a Covid test in the next day or so - before we see any of our grandkids.
The longer we were there, the safer we felt - as we were in charge of our actions and only counted on us to take the necessary precautions. These were the surgical masks we ordered and used (but used N95’s on the plane): https://myddssupply.com/products/astm-level-3-surgical-masks-blue-by-plastcare-usa
This was a really wonderful, laid back trip. We slept in, ate breakfast in our room (had ordered InstaCart the day we arrived - so had breakfast items, adult drinks for evenings, cheese and crackers, etc.), relaxed at the pool or Blizzard Beach (which was practically empty), and went to a park late in the day. Waited for the crowds to leave the parks before we went for our bus. Ended up being only 4-6 people on most of the busses we took.
We wouldn’t have gone if we had unvaccinated kids, OR if it looked like the super crowds of mid-summer. Would not go anytime after October 1st now - because of all the crowds expected. It sounds like the rest of September will be low crowds, so that would play a part in any decision going forward.
Also, getting a booster vaccine would make us feel better about going in the future… but they are a few weeks out yet. Our plan may not be workable for many families, but it’s what worked well for us and we would go again with the same precautions In place.
Now, we just wait to take a Covid test and keep our fingers crossed that our precautions helped keep us safe!
To go or not go is a decision that only you and your family can make…. We are just back from at 10 day stay at SSR.
My DH (age 70) and I (age 68) rented DVC points for a Studio at SSR for a 10 day trip (8/24 - 9/3) celebrating both of our
birthdays, our 49th Anniversary, and his retirement. We planned the trip in May when it looked like the end of summer would be a very safe time to go (based on vaccination rates at the time). We didn’t expect it would turn out to be the Delta variant explosion - and the positive test results/hospitalizations going thru the roof.
We were discussing cancelling the trip for over a month before we left. We have been vaccinated since December (husband worked in healthcare) and super diligent in staying safe. Never stopped wearing masks in public, etc. So, to go to Florida now just didn’t feel like a good decision…
But, after reading all the info we could - we ended up deciding to take the trip with certain precautions. We would ALWAYS wear masks indoors. And mask up outdoors when there were people close to us, which was a lot of the time. I must say - we observed approx. 99% masking compliance indoors. But, only About 40% outdoors.
Luckily, we ended up going during a really slow time - and experienced low crowds the entire trip. We would carry sanitizer in our pockets and use it constantly before and after touching anything in public - on busses, in elevators, in stores, etc. We carried disposable sanitizing cloths (like Clorox) and wiped off any tables, chairs, trays, etc. that we would use. We decided we wouldn’t eat in any sit-down restaurants and canceled a few ADR’s that I had made. We mobile ordered food, and Disney was only allowing you in a quick service restaurant if you had an order to get. Those indoor areas were not crowded at all and we always sat by ourselves in an obscure corner. We also ate when most families were done eating (like 3 pm for lunch - and after 7 or 8pm for dinner) - so less people around. In addition, we sprayed our throats with an antiseptic spray a couple of times a day.
Given all those precautions, we only went to the parks for a few hours each day of our 6 day pass. The rest of the 4 days were spent at the pool relaxing or going to another resort to eat quick service and explore/walk around - enjoying the ambiance. Disney Springs was a hot mess in the evening - so we left and went back early one morning when hardly anyone was there. We never rope dropped and were able to ride in mostly empty busses other times of the day. (Bus service was great, by the way).
We’ve been home for 3 days now, with no symptoms and will get a Covid test in the next day or so - before we see any of our grandkids.
The longer we were there, the safer we felt - as we were in charge of our actions and only counted on us to take the necessary precautions. These were the surgical masks we ordered and used (but used N95’s on the plane): https://myddssupply.com/products/astm-level-3-surgical-masks-blue-by-plastcare-usa
This was a really wonderful, laid back trip. We slept in, ate breakfast in our room (had ordered InstaCart the day we arrived - so had breakfast items, adult drinks for evenings, cheese and crackers, etc.), relaxed at the pool or Blizzard Beach (which was practically empty), and went to a park late in the day. Waited for the crowds to leave the parks before we went for our bus. Ended up being only 4-6 people on most of the busses we took.
We wouldn’t have gone if we had unvaccinated kids, OR if it looked like the super crowds of mid-summer. Would not go anytime after October 1st now - because of all the crowds expected. It sounds like the rest of September will be low crowds, so that would play a part in any decision going forward.
Also, getting a booster vaccine would make us feel better about going in the future… but they are a few weeks out yet. Our plan may not be workable for many families, but it’s what worked well for us and we would go again with the same precautions In place.
Now, we just wait to take a Covid test and keep our fingers crossed that our precautions helped keep us safe!
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Robinmitchell
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Aug 29, 2021
We are coming Wednesday. Anyone know what crowd size is like now?
Coconut8473
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2012
Just flew back yesterday from an 8/28-9/5 stay. We are 2 vaccinated adults with two unvaccinated kids (ages 7 and 11), and had been 99% ready to cancel until the very last minute when we decided to go after all (albeit with a plan to take extra precautions, limit indoor activities and dining if we felt uncomfortable, not do our usual commando-style, and keep VERY low expectations). Not sure if it was the fact that we hadn't been in over 2 years, or the fact that we had mentally set the bar very low, but it turned out to be one of our favorite trips ever. Echoing what so many have already said - majority of the week was empty and we had virtually no wait the entire time, and felt good about the distancing we were able to keep for the most part. Yes, saw lots of folks not being good about masking, but CMs were pretty vigilant on indoor lines and attractions, and we were never packed in close to anyone maskless where we were. We wore our masks constantly, even outdoors and didn't feel out of place doing so. We did four table service meals after all: Teppan Edo, bluezoo, Trattoria al Forno and 'Ohana - felt comfortably spaced at all of these; though we sat with another family at Teppan, but were divided with a plastic divider. We had park hoppers, and made HS reservations 3 of our 7 days - got RoTR boarding passes for all three days right at 7:00am with no issues (got BGs 17, 13 and 3, which allowed us to get in and knock out of HS early). It was hot, but honestly not much worse than the heat wave we had been experiencing earlier in the month in NY, and we loved going back to the nearly empty pool in the afternoons (we only had one day of light steady-ish rain, and that was our AK day anyway). We had cancelled our Beach Club reservation for a Swan Deluxe Balcony room that was about $1200 less than BC, and I had read some pretty bad reviews complaining about poor service and housekeeping (or lack thereof), so again, set my expectations low on the hotel front. We actually ended up having our room fully serviced 2x on our 8 night trip, and were given plenty of fresh towels and water immediately (within 15 min) when we asked. For most of our trip there were zero lines in our hotel for things like coffee in the morning, or drinks at the pool bar. But I will say that all that changed on Saturday (our last day in the parks) - most definitely due to the holiday weekend! Glad we were able to get in the quiet week that we did before that. Did a rapid test (negative) and PCR (still waiting) already, and will test again in 5 days, but feeling no symptoms or anything right now. The flight was honestly the scariest thing for us, Covid-wise.
- Joined
- Sep 17, 2004
Epcot felt crowded today. But it’s a holiday and there was a Passholder event and a cast member event.
DisneyOma
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 27, 2015
When we were there Aug 6-16, they had mobile order and a queue if you wanted to order in person.
emily nicole
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 18, 2017
Mask compliance must just be luck of the draw. We were there 8/29 to 9/2 and I thought compliance had to be near 99.8%. I saw one family in line for Frozen blatantly not wearing theirs. The rest was excellent except for a few noses here and there. I didn’t spend a ton of time studying other people but these were my observations. I did “check” occasionally out of curiosity more than worry or fear (we are both vaxxed and I had my antibodies checked before the trip and was told they’re at the max).
OhBother1984
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Apr 20, 2021
MK for us had a lot of non compliance. 1 big one was an almost full boat on small world of masks pulled down or not in site right before they would get off. Another one with two girls like 10 ish that took them off right before boarding BTMR standing there and talking and the CM saw them and said nothing and the final one was a guy exiting FOP in the shop playing with his phone and CM asked him twice nicely and he looked at her and kept going with no mask in sight. Plus quite a few noses and such , and away from CM pulled down.
ILoveMyDVC
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 24, 2000
Just came back from 7 weeks in the World.
Waits went down to Flights of Passage = 10 minutes.
Buses came quickly for Old Key West.
Although many times we made use of Lyft. We ate offsite a few times - better food and definitely a way better value.
Mask compliance was so so every bus ride had at least one set of folks not wearing masks there were no masks being worn in most lines.
Cast members were friendly and attentive. There are many new cast members being trained.
We came across a number of people who snuck into the pools at Old Key West and weren't staying at any Disney hotels, we know this because we overheard them talking about it.
It was a lovely trip with my only pet peeve being parents will not stop their children from swinging and hanging off the chains and ropes throughout the lines.
Waits went down to Flights of Passage = 10 minutes.
Buses came quickly for Old Key West.
Although many times we made use of Lyft. We ate offsite a few times - better food and definitely a way better value.
Mask compliance was so so every bus ride had at least one set of folks not wearing masks there were no masks being worn in most lines.
Cast members were friendly and attentive. There are many new cast members being trained.
We came across a number of people who snuck into the pools at Old Key West and weren't staying at any Disney hotels, we know this because we overheard them talking about it.
It was a lovely trip with my only pet peeve being parents will not stop their children from swinging and hanging off the chains and ropes throughout the lines.
Dugette
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2009
Just wanted to thank everyone for this thread. I followed your reports closely through the summer as our end-of-August trip approached and it was really helpful to hear real-life experiences, so figured I'd contribute ours. 4 families involved - total of 13 people - 4 adults and 9 kids. All adults and the oldest kid (12) vaccinated, the other 8 kids are too young for vaccination still (ages 4-9). Dates varied a slight bit by family, but I was there 8/21-8/30.
We all flew in and stayed different places the first night(s) - one at Universal, one with family, and a couple of us in Disney Springs (Hyatt Grand Cypress) for one night. The remainder of the trip, we all stayed together in a private house with pool, a short drive from Disney - we all had rental vehicles. Our group visited all 4 parks, Disney Springs (bowled/ate at Splitsville), and attended a Boo Bash. Crowds were generally very low and many things were walk-ons (Boo Bash actually felt more crowded than our park days). I'd say our longest waits were 30-45 minutes and not many of those at all. We also got a boarding group for RotR on our DHS day. We left midday some days to go back to the house and swim, as we were able to do a lot quickly after arriving for rope drop.
I thought mask compliance was much better than I was expecting. MK was less good (Tiki Room in particular), but overall most people were properly masked indoors. My daughter and I used KN95s and the rest of our group used cloth or surgical masks, usually just indoors. We watched the fireworks from Big Thunder, so no issues with HEA crowds for us.
In addition to some mobile-order meals and some meals at the house, we had a number of table service ADRs: The Wave Breakfast (at CA Grill), Chef Mickey's dinner, Sebastian's Bistro dinner, Be Our Guest lunch, Trattoria al Forno breakfast, Oga's Cantina drinks, Hollywood & Vine Halloween dinner, and Sanaa lunch. All of our meals felt fairly safe, probably partially due to the size of our group - we took up a large area and even got our own booth at Oga's.
Overall, this was an amazing trip and I'm so glad we did it. My own family has been highly cautious through the pandemic, so this was a waaaaay bigger risk than we typically take, but to be with our friends at our favorite place was worth the risk after a long time without seeing many people. My daughter is an only child and she was over the moon having so many other kids to play with. This was our to-go-or-not-to-go factor: if it had just been us, I probably would have cancelled because I've seen all the reports on here of people getting sick at Disney (Covid, RSV, terrible colds, etc.) But, since we could never replicate this opportunity, it was worth it to us to use caution and go forward.
In general, we felt very safe on Disney property and didn't spend much time worrying. We used lots of sanitizer, wipes, hand washing, masking, crowd-avoidance, and general common sense and just had fun. Probably the most risky thing, in my mind, was the flight home - because with the virus peaking in Florida, it seems likely someone is flying home with it. There was a coughing child on our flight home, directly behind my daughter, and that child took the mask off to have a coughing fit. My daughter and I did not take off our KN95s for the entire flight (or airports) and hoped for the best.
Well, good news - we had stocked up on the at-home test kits and were negative on return AND negative yesterday, which was 6 days out from the flight home, so we seem to be in the clear. Not only that, but we both feel great - healthier than usual after a Disney trip, as it seems like someone is always picking up a bug. And, on top of that, every single person in our group of 13 stayed healthy! I had been worried that, since we were all sharing a house, anything would quickly spread through everyone, but there was nothing to spread. So, just wanted to share a positive story because keeping 8 can't-be-vaccinated kids healthy on a long trip is not something I've seen posted here yet. Obviously, your results may vary.
We all flew in and stayed different places the first night(s) - one at Universal, one with family, and a couple of us in Disney Springs (Hyatt Grand Cypress) for one night. The remainder of the trip, we all stayed together in a private house with pool, a short drive from Disney - we all had rental vehicles. Our group visited all 4 parks, Disney Springs (bowled/ate at Splitsville), and attended a Boo Bash. Crowds were generally very low and many things were walk-ons (Boo Bash actually felt more crowded than our park days). I'd say our longest waits were 30-45 minutes and not many of those at all. We also got a boarding group for RotR on our DHS day. We left midday some days to go back to the house and swim, as we were able to do a lot quickly after arriving for rope drop.
I thought mask compliance was much better than I was expecting. MK was less good (Tiki Room in particular), but overall most people were properly masked indoors. My daughter and I used KN95s and the rest of our group used cloth or surgical masks, usually just indoors. We watched the fireworks from Big Thunder, so no issues with HEA crowds for us.
In addition to some mobile-order meals and some meals at the house, we had a number of table service ADRs: The Wave Breakfast (at CA Grill), Chef Mickey's dinner, Sebastian's Bistro dinner, Be Our Guest lunch, Trattoria al Forno breakfast, Oga's Cantina drinks, Hollywood & Vine Halloween dinner, and Sanaa lunch. All of our meals felt fairly safe, probably partially due to the size of our group - we took up a large area and even got our own booth at Oga's.
Overall, this was an amazing trip and I'm so glad we did it. My own family has been highly cautious through the pandemic, so this was a waaaaay bigger risk than we typically take, but to be with our friends at our favorite place was worth the risk after a long time without seeing many people. My daughter is an only child and she was over the moon having so many other kids to play with. This was our to-go-or-not-to-go factor: if it had just been us, I probably would have cancelled because I've seen all the reports on here of people getting sick at Disney (Covid, RSV, terrible colds, etc.) But, since we could never replicate this opportunity, it was worth it to us to use caution and go forward.
In general, we felt very safe on Disney property and didn't spend much time worrying. We used lots of sanitizer, wipes, hand washing, masking, crowd-avoidance, and general common sense and just had fun. Probably the most risky thing, in my mind, was the flight home - because with the virus peaking in Florida, it seems likely someone is flying home with it. There was a coughing child on our flight home, directly behind my daughter, and that child took the mask off to have a coughing fit. My daughter and I did not take off our KN95s for the entire flight (or airports) and hoped for the best.
Well, good news - we had stocked up on the at-home test kits and were negative on return AND negative yesterday, which was 6 days out from the flight home, so we seem to be in the clear. Not only that, but we both feel great - healthier than usual after a Disney trip, as it seems like someone is always picking up a bug. And, on top of that, every single person in our group of 13 stayed healthy! I had been worried that, since we were all sharing a house, anything would quickly spread through everyone, but there was nothing to spread. So, just wanted to share a positive story because keeping 8 can't-be-vaccinated kids healthy on a long trip is not something I've seen posted here yet. Obviously, your results may vary.
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gottalovepluto
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 14, 2014
“Weeks” …not a typo?
Did you drop a line to guest services email about the OKW pool crashers? Might be something to consider. That’s ridiculous.
loves to dive
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 21, 2011
Here now, staying in a Premium Deluxe Suite at the Dolphin. Three adults and one baby.
Arrived around 1:30 yesterday (Labor Day) and our room wasn't ready so we walked over to Epcot. Thankfully we did have a fan in the stroller for the little one and tried to take her into ac as often as possible because it was hot. We are from Georgia so are somewhat used to it but it was hot. Epcot was pretty much as crowded as it normally seems to be for Sept. not horrible but there were people there. We walked around WS and sampled some booths and just sort of soaked it all in since my son's SO had never been to Epcot. We walked over to FW and rode Living With the Land, which was about a 10 min. wait, which was what was posted. We didn't do any other rides since we were really just getting the feel of the land and waiting for our room. We wandered back to the Dolphin around 6 or so to get the baby out of the heat and get settled in. We stayed in for the rest of the night, my son and I went down to the Fountain at the Dolphin and got some food to go and took it back to the room.
Today will be AK day. We don't plan on really rushing over there but are going to try to just be there morning to around noon or a little after and come back to the room for awhile to get the little one out of the heat.
Most people were wearing masks in doors pretty well yesterday. We did see a few noses poking out but it wasn't horrible. You are supposed to wear them in the Dolphin but we noticed a lot of people didn't have them on and they were only asked to wear one if they were at the check in counter. It wasn't wall to wall people when we left but we it was pretty early so who knows.
Arrived around 1:30 yesterday (Labor Day) and our room wasn't ready so we walked over to Epcot. Thankfully we did have a fan in the stroller for the little one and tried to take her into ac as often as possible because it was hot. We are from Georgia so are somewhat used to it but it was hot. Epcot was pretty much as crowded as it normally seems to be for Sept. not horrible but there were people there. We walked around WS and sampled some booths and just sort of soaked it all in since my son's SO had never been to Epcot. We walked over to FW and rode Living With the Land, which was about a 10 min. wait, which was what was posted. We didn't do any other rides since we were really just getting the feel of the land and waiting for our room. We wandered back to the Dolphin around 6 or so to get the baby out of the heat and get settled in. We stayed in for the rest of the night, my son and I went down to the Fountain at the Dolphin and got some food to go and took it back to the room.
Today will be AK day. We don't plan on really rushing over there but are going to try to just be there morning to around noon or a little after and come back to the room for awhile to get the little one out of the heat.
Most people were wearing masks in doors pretty well yesterday. We did see a few noses poking out but it wasn't horrible. You are supposed to wear them in the Dolphin but we noticed a lot of people didn't have them on and they were only asked to wear one if they were at the check in counter. It wasn't wall to wall people when we left but we it was pretty early so who knows.
Kaufeegurl
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 29, 2018
We are 2 weeks back from a family trip 8/16 - 8/24. 8 vaccinated adults, one 3 yr old. While we did question whether we should postpone because of our unvaccinated 3 yr. old, we felt that crowds would be low enough, masks were required indoors and in ride queues, and we could pivot with our meal plans. We also felt that COVID is going to be with us for awhile and there will never be a perfect time to vacation as a family in the near future. It was a great decision!
Mask compliance was *really* good (shocked, i know), crowds were low, and rides were walk-on or small wait. We masked indoors, sanitized, and distanced when possible. We stayed at BCV and were out of the parks by noon, and at the pool for the afternoon, distanced and with low crowds. Meals were mostly quick serve. We kept some reservations - Toppolinos breakfast, Ohana, Via Napoli. The restaurants were not crowded and we always had seating in our own little bubble - significantly distanced from other tables. I think the restaurants were not full because of staffing issues and not because Disney was purposely social distancing.
We returned with no colds and no symptoms but all did test to safely return to our normal schedules. We all tested negative (PCR) upon return - twice (including the toddler). And I agree with others - we came home from this trip healthier than previous trips! No colds or bugs!
The decision of go/no go is an individual one and the only answer is the one that is right for your family!
Mask compliance was *really* good (shocked, i know), crowds were low, and rides were walk-on or small wait. We masked indoors, sanitized, and distanced when possible. We stayed at BCV and were out of the parks by noon, and at the pool for the afternoon, distanced and with low crowds. Meals were mostly quick serve. We kept some reservations - Toppolinos breakfast, Ohana, Via Napoli. The restaurants were not crowded and we always had seating in our own little bubble - significantly distanced from other tables. I think the restaurants were not full because of staffing issues and not because Disney was purposely social distancing.
We returned with no colds and no symptoms but all did test to safely return to our normal schedules. We all tested negative (PCR) upon return - twice (including the toddler). And I agree with others - we came home from this trip healthier than previous trips! No colds or bugs!
The decision of go/no go is an individual one and the only answer is the one that is right for your family!
If it is not a typo,I am now bowing in a sign of respect and admiration to the Poster!lol
kdonnel
DVC-BCV
- Joined
- Feb 1, 2001
Just back from a Labor Day trip.
We went to the Magic Kingdom on the 4th. It was busy but not as busy as I had expected. We were at the Magic Kingdom for Labor Day weekend in 2020 as well and felt there were just about the same amount of people at the park as a year ago. The difference was the lines appeared shorter since they are no longer socially distanced. In almost every case the posted wait time was inflated, except for the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. There we waited the entire 60 minutes that was posted.
Pirates was down most of the day and did not open until the afternoon. We happened to notice it had opened and were able to just walk on. We got lucky with Splash in the same way. Happened by right as it was opening after a short closure.
It was nice getting to do the stretching room at the Haunted Mansion.
Leaving after the fireworks was BAD! We watched from over by Space Mountain because the crowds in the HUB were just insane. We waited about 20 minutes after the fireworks ended and decided that was long enough, it was NOT! It was still wall to wall people trying to funnel out of the park through the narrow security exit. Between the narrow exit and the huge line for the monorail and ferry it was difficult to get by so we could just walk to the Grand Floridian. We ended up hanging out at the Grand Floridian for about 30 minutes before boarding the monorail so we could get back to the TTC and our car.
Sunday we went to Epcot. Again it was crowded but no more so than last year at the same time. We didn't arrive until after 11am and had no trouble riding all the rides and leaving by 7pm. We had a DVC preview of the Remy RAT ride. We all enjoyed it and it brought back happy memories of our DisneyLand Paris visit.
It is great that the single rider lines for Test Track are back. There was a posted 50 minute wait(not sure how long it really was) but we walked on as single riders. As soon as we walked directly to the boarding zone, two of us were placed in one car and the other two were placed in another.
Not sure if it was really less crowded or just different covid policies but there was no longer a line to enter Mexico. The boat ride was a walk on as well.
We also walked onto Soarin. I have never just walked onto Soarin. We have always had to wait at least a couple minutes in the hallway before they split you up into one of the show halls. As soon as we reached that point they pointed us left and we walked straight to the end where they put us in the boarding area. A few seconds later the boarding doors opened and we were buckling out seat belts.
It was nice to have the plastic removed from the monorail. In the past I felt like we were in a covid coffin. The skyliner lines seemed a little shorter since they are now putting multiple groups in the same car. We had a nice conversation on our ride from Caribbean Beach to Epcot with two people. We did not ride the buses at all this trip so I can't comment on how well or not well they were working.
We did grab breakfast one morning at Caribbean Beach. You could either mobile order or order at the counter. That seemed like a change from our last covid visit.
As for masks, it appeared most followed the rules.
We went to the Magic Kingdom on the 4th. It was busy but not as busy as I had expected. We were at the Magic Kingdom for Labor Day weekend in 2020 as well and felt there were just about the same amount of people at the park as a year ago. The difference was the lines appeared shorter since they are no longer socially distanced. In almost every case the posted wait time was inflated, except for the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. There we waited the entire 60 minutes that was posted.
Pirates was down most of the day and did not open until the afternoon. We happened to notice it had opened and were able to just walk on. We got lucky with Splash in the same way. Happened by right as it was opening after a short closure.
It was nice getting to do the stretching room at the Haunted Mansion.
Leaving after the fireworks was BAD! We watched from over by Space Mountain because the crowds in the HUB were just insane. We waited about 20 minutes after the fireworks ended and decided that was long enough, it was NOT! It was still wall to wall people trying to funnel out of the park through the narrow security exit. Between the narrow exit and the huge line for the monorail and ferry it was difficult to get by so we could just walk to the Grand Floridian. We ended up hanging out at the Grand Floridian for about 30 minutes before boarding the monorail so we could get back to the TTC and our car.
Sunday we went to Epcot. Again it was crowded but no more so than last year at the same time. We didn't arrive until after 11am and had no trouble riding all the rides and leaving by 7pm. We had a DVC preview of the Remy RAT ride. We all enjoyed it and it brought back happy memories of our DisneyLand Paris visit.
It is great that the single rider lines for Test Track are back. There was a posted 50 minute wait(not sure how long it really was) but we walked on as single riders. As soon as we walked directly to the boarding zone, two of us were placed in one car and the other two were placed in another.
Not sure if it was really less crowded or just different covid policies but there was no longer a line to enter Mexico. The boat ride was a walk on as well.
We also walked onto Soarin. I have never just walked onto Soarin. We have always had to wait at least a couple minutes in the hallway before they split you up into one of the show halls. As soon as we reached that point they pointed us left and we walked straight to the end where they put us in the boarding area. A few seconds later the boarding doors opened and we were buckling out seat belts.
It was nice to have the plastic removed from the monorail. In the past I felt like we were in a covid coffin. The skyliner lines seemed a little shorter since they are now putting multiple groups in the same car. We had a nice conversation on our ride from Caribbean Beach to Epcot with two people. We did not ride the buses at all this trip so I can't comment on how well or not well they were working.
We did grab breakfast one morning at Caribbean Beach. You could either mobile order or order at the counter. That seemed like a change from our last covid visit.
As for masks, it appeared most followed the rules.
mdmost
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 3, 2021
We just got back from our Labor Day trip last night. We had a blast. We arrived late Thursday and got to take advantage of the low crowds at MK on Friday. We stayed at the Swan which was excellent. We took the Boardwalk bus over to MK, walked to Hollywood Studios, took the boats home from there and over to Epcot. Loved the pools and queen beds at the Swan. It wasn't quite staying in a Disney resort but it worked well for what we needed which was quick access to Hollywood Studios for our two mornings there. Mask compliance seemed really good. Cast Members would remind guests before they walked into an indoor ride to put up the mask. We never felt worried about being in too tight of a crowd. The crowd levels definitely increased as the weekend commenced on Saturday. I don't believe the 1s and 2s that Touring Plans was saying on Saturday and Sunday. It was definitely more crowded and Delta was not dissuading people from coming to WDW. We got there early every morning to get a lot in before taking a break around 2-3 when it was way too hot. Our cooling towels were very helpful with dealing with all that heat.
Trip report
9/3- Magic Kingdom:
We got there at Rope Drop and were held at the Hub so I walked over to get coffee and a cinnamon roll on Main Street. We then walked back to 7 Dwarves at 9am. Walked through the queue and were on in 10 minutes. We then went to Big Thunder and walked on. Splash was down so we went over to Pirates and walked on. By the time we got off Pirates, Splash opened so we jumped on. We then went over to my personal favorite, Haunted Mansion, which was a walk on. After HM, we made our way over to Space Mountain which had a 20 minute wait, our first real wait of the morning. We did the People Mover and then walked back towards Fantasyland to ride Mad Tea Party, Dumbo, and Little Mermaid. It was around 1pm so we put in a Mobile Order for Pecos Bill and made our way over there. This was where the wheels flew off a bit. I like the idea of Mobile Order but if you do it, go ahead and say you're there so they will start making your order as you are walking over. I waited till we were there and that added almost 20 minutes of waiting around for our food. I learned from that mistake and started saying we were there well before we had headed over to the restaurants. We ate and then made our way back to the Swan. After some pool time, we headed back to MK for pictures and the rest of our rides. Mistake #2 happened then because as soon as we arrived, it stormed for 2 straight hours. DW was mad at me because she wanted to do pictures in the morning but I was trying to get all our rides in. Learned from that mistake and rectified it on Sunday. We did Hall of Presidents, Carousel of Progress, and Small World before finding a spot on the Liberty Square bridge to watch Happily Ever After.
9/4- Hollywood Studios/Epcot
Woke up early and got boarding group 41 for Rise which I was thrilled with. I had been practicing with the app and was thinking it would be no issues given the low crowd levels I had seen and boarding groups being available for a while. Not the case on Saturday. They were gone by the time my selection had completed and I felt lucky getting one. We walked over to HS and they held us at the gate till 8:30. We head to Galaxy's Edge when everyone else was going to Slinky Dog. We walked on Smuggler's Run twice which was fun. Loved the theming in GE and as a big Star Wars nerd, I was in awe of everything. Immediately got pictures with a Cast Member (learned from my mistake yesterday) and then headed over to Ronto Roasters for breakfast, which was delicious. We then walked around Galaxy's Edge to take it all in before going to ride Star Tours. Our BG was called around 11:30 so we headed back and rode RoTR which was fantastic. We then headed out around 12:30. Took a break till 4 and headed to Epcot. It was super busy with the Remy ride crowd. We went counter clockwise around the World Showcase, grabbing beer for me and caramel treats for the family in Germany before hitting Frozen and Grand Fiesta Tour. Finished the night with Spaceship Earth and the every trip picture we have to get which is a recreation of the trip I took with my family when I was 8. We try to position ourselves in the same manner as that photo (me for my dad, DW for my mom, DD13 for my brother, DD11 for me). It was a nice end to a long day.
9/5- Hollywood Studios/back to MK
Woke up early and rope dropped Slinky Dog. They held us at the arch near Brown Derby before walking us back to Toy Story Land. We were able to walk on Slinky Dog, Alien Saucers, and Midway Mania, all before 9am. We got Woody's Lunch Box pop tarts and then headed to Tower of Terror and Rock n Roller Coaster. DD11 was scared to ride ToT but loved it. She's ridden the similar Guardian ride in California Adventure. I told her if she rode I'd buy her a ToT pin with Goofy on it and she agreed to that. RnRC was a long wait and a very hot queue. It's a great ride but they need more shade there. ToT was a decent wait but at least it's mostly covered. I forgot just how hot HS gets with all that concrete. We then ate Backlot Express before heading over to Minnie and Mickey's ride. We really enjoyed that as we had no idea it was a ride where the cars separated like Remy's. It was great and a nice replacement for Great Movie ride. We then headed back to the Swan to rest before returning to MK. I had to do a make good for DW, who needed her picture of the family in front of the Castle. We got two separate Photopass sessions. We then did the Enchanted Tiki room, got Sunrise Tree Terrace treats (Dole Whip is better but we wanted to try the Orange Bird), rode Prince Charming's Carousel and Winnie the Pooh, before having Casey's Corner for dinner. DW and DD11 went off to ride Peter Pan while DD13 and I went to start our Boo Bash evening.
Boo Bash- the sole purpose for DD13 and me doing Boo Bash was to let DD13 beat her personal record of 7 Space Mountain rides in one trip. We got our wristbands at Tortuga Tavern and then walked over to BTMR and rode that twice. We timed it just right on the 2nd ride so we were on it when the fireworks started overhead. We then walked on Haunted Mansion before starting our 8 straight rides of Space Mountain. We got Mickey Bars and Sandwiches and multiple waters to stay hydrated. By ride #5, my stomach was starting to feel it. I was relieved when we finally got done with ride #8. It was a walk on the entire time and they had both sides open so we alternated Alpha and Omega with every ride. We then walked by Mine Train but it was still a 30 minute wait so we passed. We rode Haunted Mansion one more time before heading down to see the Maleficent cavalcade. I was disappointed to not see the Cadaver Dans but I've seen them at DLR a couple years ago. DD13 had a blast which was the entire point.
9/6- Animal Kingdom
We got there around 7:30 and walked back to Pandora. We waited maybe 20 minutes to get on Flights of Passage. Enjoyed it but I don't think I need to go back and do it again. Same with Navi River Journey. The animatronic was missing at the end so we got a screen with an animated shaman which wasn't as good. We then hit up the Dinosaur ride, though the Indiana Jones version is so much better. I think they should go ahead and switch that over. You could make the area an archaeology exhibit. We then rode Expedition Everest which was a 15 minute wait before heading towards the Tree of Life get our picture. We had a late check out of 1pm at the Swan so we went back to pack up and make the sad journey back to MCO.
All in all, it was a great trip. Only lost my cool with my kids once or twice. It always seemed to be around the 2pm time when it was super hot and they were super whiny. DW and I decided it was good to call it quits and take a break when we see the signs that things are going south. We didn't have many complaints other than guests being a bit crappy like families trying to skip around others or parents yelling at their kids. There was some fun karma for one family trying to get around us in the line for Minnie and Mickey. Around the front entrance there's a wide area in the line and I notice a dad edging around the people behind us, cutting them off. When we got to the Fastpass break, the cast member let us through and then held the line behind us and let about 30 people through behind us from that Fastpass line. I saw the dad who was trying to skip around us act all huffy as he then was way behind an entire new set of people. I don't understand the mindset of trying to skip around people in a line that might save you a minute.
One negative that I wish Disney would do away with is the biometric finger scanner. That slowed the line down multiple times because the scanner wouldn't recognize things. It happened to us a few times and that's just frustrating for everyone. I wish Disney would add a separate area to bring people having trouble to fix their situations. Then the line could keep going. We tried to be patient when it happened in front of us but Disney really just needs to go with the cards or mobile passes and skip the biometrics.
We navigated the lack of Fastpass pretty well. It just takes good planning and getting there early every day to not be stuck with really long wait times. I'll be honest, in the 95+ degree heat, I would've gladly paid extra to skip the Aerosmith queue. If Genie+ was an option, I would've taken it. I'm a big fan of Maxpass in DLR. If Genie+ is like that, I'll be golden.
I do agree with others, Disney needs more shows and parades to offset the crowds and give them somewhere to go other than rides. The calvades are okay but they don't replace a cool nighttime parade. Crowds were really bad leaving MK after the fireworks. I don't know if they had the left side pathway open so you could bypass Main Street as we were on the right both times. We plan to wait until the Tron and Guardians rides are both open before we make a return trip. We have an after school summer trip to Disneyland scheduled for late May 2022. We find we're more Disneyland people as it just fits us better being a smaller, more easily walkable park. WDW is still magical but it's such an investment of time and money that it creates a lot of stress on the planner (me) if we can't get everything in. We were able to this time but it was not as easy as DLR. We'll try to stay at the Polynesian next time as we'll focus that trip more on MK and Epcot when they are fully back up and running with the new rides.
Trip report
9/3- Magic Kingdom:
We got there at Rope Drop and were held at the Hub so I walked over to get coffee and a cinnamon roll on Main Street. We then walked back to 7 Dwarves at 9am. Walked through the queue and were on in 10 minutes. We then went to Big Thunder and walked on. Splash was down so we went over to Pirates and walked on. By the time we got off Pirates, Splash opened so we jumped on. We then went over to my personal favorite, Haunted Mansion, which was a walk on. After HM, we made our way over to Space Mountain which had a 20 minute wait, our first real wait of the morning. We did the People Mover and then walked back towards Fantasyland to ride Mad Tea Party, Dumbo, and Little Mermaid. It was around 1pm so we put in a Mobile Order for Pecos Bill and made our way over there. This was where the wheels flew off a bit. I like the idea of Mobile Order but if you do it, go ahead and say you're there so they will start making your order as you are walking over. I waited till we were there and that added almost 20 minutes of waiting around for our food. I learned from that mistake and started saying we were there well before we had headed over to the restaurants. We ate and then made our way back to the Swan. After some pool time, we headed back to MK for pictures and the rest of our rides. Mistake #2 happened then because as soon as we arrived, it stormed for 2 straight hours. DW was mad at me because she wanted to do pictures in the morning but I was trying to get all our rides in. Learned from that mistake and rectified it on Sunday. We did Hall of Presidents, Carousel of Progress, and Small World before finding a spot on the Liberty Square bridge to watch Happily Ever After.
9/4- Hollywood Studios/Epcot
Woke up early and got boarding group 41 for Rise which I was thrilled with. I had been practicing with the app and was thinking it would be no issues given the low crowd levels I had seen and boarding groups being available for a while. Not the case on Saturday. They were gone by the time my selection had completed and I felt lucky getting one. We walked over to HS and they held us at the gate till 8:30. We head to Galaxy's Edge when everyone else was going to Slinky Dog. We walked on Smuggler's Run twice which was fun. Loved the theming in GE and as a big Star Wars nerd, I was in awe of everything. Immediately got pictures with a Cast Member (learned from my mistake yesterday) and then headed over to Ronto Roasters for breakfast, which was delicious. We then walked around Galaxy's Edge to take it all in before going to ride Star Tours. Our BG was called around 11:30 so we headed back and rode RoTR which was fantastic. We then headed out around 12:30. Took a break till 4 and headed to Epcot. It was super busy with the Remy ride crowd. We went counter clockwise around the World Showcase, grabbing beer for me and caramel treats for the family in Germany before hitting Frozen and Grand Fiesta Tour. Finished the night with Spaceship Earth and the every trip picture we have to get which is a recreation of the trip I took with my family when I was 8. We try to position ourselves in the same manner as that photo (me for my dad, DW for my mom, DD13 for my brother, DD11 for me). It was a nice end to a long day.
9/5- Hollywood Studios/back to MK
Woke up early and rope dropped Slinky Dog. They held us at the arch near Brown Derby before walking us back to Toy Story Land. We were able to walk on Slinky Dog, Alien Saucers, and Midway Mania, all before 9am. We got Woody's Lunch Box pop tarts and then headed to Tower of Terror and Rock n Roller Coaster. DD11 was scared to ride ToT but loved it. She's ridden the similar Guardian ride in California Adventure. I told her if she rode I'd buy her a ToT pin with Goofy on it and she agreed to that. RnRC was a long wait and a very hot queue. It's a great ride but they need more shade there. ToT was a decent wait but at least it's mostly covered. I forgot just how hot HS gets with all that concrete. We then ate Backlot Express before heading over to Minnie and Mickey's ride. We really enjoyed that as we had no idea it was a ride where the cars separated like Remy's. It was great and a nice replacement for Great Movie ride. We then headed back to the Swan to rest before returning to MK. I had to do a make good for DW, who needed her picture of the family in front of the Castle. We got two separate Photopass sessions. We then did the Enchanted Tiki room, got Sunrise Tree Terrace treats (Dole Whip is better but we wanted to try the Orange Bird), rode Prince Charming's Carousel and Winnie the Pooh, before having Casey's Corner for dinner. DW and DD11 went off to ride Peter Pan while DD13 and I went to start our Boo Bash evening.
Boo Bash- the sole purpose for DD13 and me doing Boo Bash was to let DD13 beat her personal record of 7 Space Mountain rides in one trip. We got our wristbands at Tortuga Tavern and then walked over to BTMR and rode that twice. We timed it just right on the 2nd ride so we were on it when the fireworks started overhead. We then walked on Haunted Mansion before starting our 8 straight rides of Space Mountain. We got Mickey Bars and Sandwiches and multiple waters to stay hydrated. By ride #5, my stomach was starting to feel it. I was relieved when we finally got done with ride #8. It was a walk on the entire time and they had both sides open so we alternated Alpha and Omega with every ride. We then walked by Mine Train but it was still a 30 minute wait so we passed. We rode Haunted Mansion one more time before heading down to see the Maleficent cavalcade. I was disappointed to not see the Cadaver Dans but I've seen them at DLR a couple years ago. DD13 had a blast which was the entire point.
9/6- Animal Kingdom
We got there around 7:30 and walked back to Pandora. We waited maybe 20 minutes to get on Flights of Passage. Enjoyed it but I don't think I need to go back and do it again. Same with Navi River Journey. The animatronic was missing at the end so we got a screen with an animated shaman which wasn't as good. We then hit up the Dinosaur ride, though the Indiana Jones version is so much better. I think they should go ahead and switch that over. You could make the area an archaeology exhibit. We then rode Expedition Everest which was a 15 minute wait before heading towards the Tree of Life get our picture. We had a late check out of 1pm at the Swan so we went back to pack up and make the sad journey back to MCO.
All in all, it was a great trip. Only lost my cool with my kids once or twice. It always seemed to be around the 2pm time when it was super hot and they were super whiny. DW and I decided it was good to call it quits and take a break when we see the signs that things are going south. We didn't have many complaints other than guests being a bit crappy like families trying to skip around others or parents yelling at their kids. There was some fun karma for one family trying to get around us in the line for Minnie and Mickey. Around the front entrance there's a wide area in the line and I notice a dad edging around the people behind us, cutting them off. When we got to the Fastpass break, the cast member let us through and then held the line behind us and let about 30 people through behind us from that Fastpass line. I saw the dad who was trying to skip around us act all huffy as he then was way behind an entire new set of people. I don't understand the mindset of trying to skip around people in a line that might save you a minute.
One negative that I wish Disney would do away with is the biometric finger scanner. That slowed the line down multiple times because the scanner wouldn't recognize things. It happened to us a few times and that's just frustrating for everyone. I wish Disney would add a separate area to bring people having trouble to fix their situations. Then the line could keep going. We tried to be patient when it happened in front of us but Disney really just needs to go with the cards or mobile passes and skip the biometrics.
We navigated the lack of Fastpass pretty well. It just takes good planning and getting there early every day to not be stuck with really long wait times. I'll be honest, in the 95+ degree heat, I would've gladly paid extra to skip the Aerosmith queue. If Genie+ was an option, I would've taken it. I'm a big fan of Maxpass in DLR. If Genie+ is like that, I'll be golden.
I do agree with others, Disney needs more shows and parades to offset the crowds and give them somewhere to go other than rides. The calvades are okay but they don't replace a cool nighttime parade. Crowds were really bad leaving MK after the fireworks. I don't know if they had the left side pathway open so you could bypass Main Street as we were on the right both times. We plan to wait until the Tron and Guardians rides are both open before we make a return trip. We have an after school summer trip to Disneyland scheduled for late May 2022. We find we're more Disneyland people as it just fits us better being a smaller, more easily walkable park. WDW is still magical but it's such an investment of time and money that it creates a lot of stress on the planner (me) if we can't get everything in. We were able to this time but it was not as easy as DLR. We'll try to stay at the Polynesian next time as we'll focus that trip more on MK and Epcot when they are fully back up and running with the new rides.
Last edited:
titaniumfemme
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- May 10, 2021
Thanks so much for this report. My partner and I have also decided to take our trip (leaving in 2 weeks) based on a very similar risk calculation to yours. You noted that Disney Springs was a hot mess in the evening -- was that a weekday evening or a Friday/Saturday/Sunday? I was hoping to be able to eat some quick service meals using outdoor seating there, but may need to come up with a backup plan.
ILoveMyDVC
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 24, 2000
The entire month of July and 15 days in August/September.
RE: Pool - it was at Turtle Pond and late (9-10 p.m.) - no way to simply tell a cast memeber. If only the front desk actually had a phone line...
Hope it's okay to ask about the manner in which one can get tested upon return. I've (fortunately) only had to test once in all these months and that was due to symptoms (but was negative). Can you get tested out of precaution via pharmacy or is this a public test site? Do you just have to say you had an exposure (which I suppose it somewhat true), or can you get tested out of an abundance of caution w/o symptoms or direct exposure?
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