Disney World may be different right now, but I can assure you that it's still Magical! Today I want to let you know about how things may have changed since your last visit. Keep in mind that the situation is always evolving so this is how it stands in November 2020. I REALLY HOPE that someone reading this a few years from now will be amazed at how crazy 2020 was for Disney and the world since it’s all back to normal by then!
But for now, here is what you can expect…
Masks
Most people are used to these by now. In Oklahoma, we have to wear them indoors pretty much everywhere. The difference at Disney World is that if you are on property you must wear them AT ALL TIMES. The only exception is if you are stationary and actively eating/drinking, in a pool, in your resort room or in a mask relaxation station. So you may be outside and may be well over 6 feet away from anyone, but you still must wear your mask.
We did this in August and it was HOT and we survived. If you or your kids aren’t used to wearing a mask though, I would recommend some practice ahead of time. You don’t want to get there and realize your mask is uncomfortable or won’t stay up on your face. Make sure you have a mask that you can wear for hours on end. You also want to have several masks per person per day. They get wet and sweaty and stinky. Having extras to swap them out is a game-changer.
Hand Sanitizers and Hand Washing
Don is a certified germaphobe so we are used to sanitizing and washing often at Disney. But now, it’s much easier to keep your hands clean. Disney provides hand sanitizer throughout the park and there are hand washing stations if you’d rather use those. I would recommend taking your own sanitizer as there were some times we didn’t want to wait in the line that formed at the dispenser on the way off of the ride. The machines dispense a little slowly and we are an inpatient group!
Temperature Checks
Before entering the parks and Disney Springs, you are now required to stop for a temperature check. It’s quick and easy, but just one more stop before you get to enter the park, so plan a few extra minutes to get through that line. If you have a fever, you can wait in the cool-down area for a few minutes. They’ll check you again and if it’s still high, you will be denied entry.
Social Distancing
Throughout the parks now you’ll see markers on the ground within each queue to show you where to stand so that you’re separated from the group ahead of you. You would think people could do this on their own, but the markers do help.
You are also distanced on attractions and Disney transportation. For those of you that prefer not interacting with strangers, this is a dream come true. The downfall is that it translates to limited capacity. For example, a bus that previously transported 50 guests to the park now may only transport 10-15 depending on how many groups are on board. And while it’s nice to have rows to yourself on Slinky Dog and Pirates, attractions may have longer lines since they are not seating all rows/seats.
One thing to think about is not to be overly concerned when you see a queue for an attraction stretch out into the park - especially on something like Space Mountain where the queue is normally contained indoors. Just remember that there should be 6 feet of space between every party so the line goes much faster than it looks.
Be aware though, you could happen upon an attraction right before they start a cleaning cycle. Depending on the attraction, this could increase your wait time by 5-15 minutes. But most posted wait times are a bit inflated for this reason, so odds are you will wait less than what is posted. If you’re in a hurry to make a dining reservation then you might want to avoid a line that has a wait time that would interfere. Otherwise, hop in line! You’ll most likely be done faster than you expect. And I know I’m weird but waiting in line at Disney is still more fun than waiting in line at the grocery store, right? :)
One other small drawback to social distancing is that Disney isn’t utilizing Single Rider lines currently. In the past, if you didn’t mind riding with strangers, you could skip pretty far up in line to fill in where there was an empty seat due to odd numbers of people in a party. I’ve done this many times and it’s a great way to get on the ride quickly! Hopefully this is an option that will return.
Some Missing Offerings
Here’s a bit of bad news for you - some things are not available now and may or may not be back in the future. They are:
Fireworks/Nightime Shows - no fireworks but there are projections (currently for Christmas) on some of the park icons that make for great photos!
Parades - we’re not huge parade watchers (requires patience to get a good spot which you know we don’t have) so we don’t miss this too much. And they have replaced these with sort of “mini” parades called Character Cavalcades which I love even more!
Character Meet and Greets and Character Dining - I do really miss this as I love to get a hug from my fav Disney pals (looking at you, Mickey!), but for some this isn’t a big deal. A lot of kids would rather wave at them from a distance and that’s perfect for the Character Cavalcades.
Park Hopping - this is a no-go at the moment, but it’s coming back and we have a date! Started January 1, 2021 you’ll be able to hop again! You’ll still need a Park Pass reservation for your first park and then after 2pm you can enter another park. I can’t wait for this - I love to hit more than one park per day.
FastPasses - no FastPasses right now. But honestly, with limited capacity at the parks, we did just fine without them.
Mousekeeping - currently resorts are not cleaning rooms during your stay. They will bring you towels and empty trash upon request.
Some Good Changes
So now that the bad news is out of the way, here’s some good news!
Mobile Ordering - this has been around for a while and I’ve always recommended it but very few people take advantage of it. Now it’s basically required at all counter service locations. There are a couple of locations that still have walk-up service but expect to use Mobile Ordering. I can’t imagine doing it any other way to be honest.
Table Service Check In - Now when you have a Table Service reservation, you check in on the Mobile App rather than visit the podium. This is a huge improvement. The podium area was always crowded and loud and checking in was a pain. Now you can check in as you’re walking to the restaurant and by the time you get there your table will most likely be ready!
Enchanced Cleaning - I could do without the stoppage of attractions for cleaning, but it is amazing to see how the parks are being CONSTANTLY cleaned. I don’t know if that will continue post-Covid as the parks were cleaned well above my expectations already.
Limited Capacity/Smaller Crowds - the limited capacity could be seen as a negative if you want to go and can’t get a Park Pass reservation, but I love how empty the parks feel. Some days are obviously more crowded than others but having pictures without a million people in them and no strollers running up on my ankles was awesome.
Great Deals - there are some HUGE cost savings now through the Spring - don’t miss out on those!
There will never be another time like this (we hope) at Disney World. I’d go back to the way things were last year in a heartbeat. But you can go safely and have a Magical trip for sure!! I did a past blog post on our trip in August that you can read about here if you just can’t imagine why a person would go to Disney World during a pandemic: http://www.tripsbymouse.com/blog/2020/9/9/yes-i-took-my-kids-to-disney-world-during-a-pandemic-heres-why-id-do-it-again-in-a-heartbeat
If you’re going to work/school, grocery store, running errands… trust me when I say that you’ll be amazed at how safe you feel at Disney World. And if you decide to go, please consider calling me and using my travel agent services. It’s free and I can save you time (and sometimes money!) over booking and planning the trip yourself. It supports my family and I would greatly appreciate it!
