Here Now & Just Back WDW Reopening Experiences Including Park Hopping

[brockash]

Odd question, a lot of people are talking about long lines the past few weeks and blaming it on low ride capacity and restaurant/show closures not taking on some of the overflow. All totally understandable as (most of) that is what is needed to ensure social distancing requirements are followed. And it’s understandable that they can’t fund an entire show for only a small portion of the intended viewers. But are these limitations or closures due to state and local restrictions? Or internal Disney policy? I assume the show closures is a decision by Disney because it does not make sense right now since you can’t have people sitting next to one another. But the ride one confuses me more.

We are thinking of going again in the winter as we had a great time in August. But if Disney has the ability to change things like ride capacity on their own whim we would reconsider. If it’s local/state guidelines, then I’d be more reassured that we would at least get some notice before things change.

Anyone know?

It's Disney's choice...mainly to do with $$.

 

[brockash]

Here now and this mini-opinion is for those who are used to being at WDW in slow times. We have come mid-September for over 10 years. This is nothing like the short wait times we have experienced in the past. We are at Hollywood Studios today and the lines are much longer than anything we have ever experienced this time of year. Of course, the queue lines look long, but we have found that they really are long- maybe not as long as posted, but our experience today has been long waits. I’m currently seated outside of Ronto Roasters and the long line wrapped around the outer building has barely moved the past half hour. Next September will be awesome!

I think this is really where the disconnect is for some ppl. For ppl. who are used to going during more crowded times; this current time doesn't seem bad and is probably better than qhat they're used to crowd and wait times. However for those of us eho choose to travel during the slower times; this is really nothing like that. We're waiting for things in much longer lines than what we're used to and there's no fastpass. For ppl who are used to going in typical Sept. times; this September is generally worse line wait times or at the very least certainly not a benefit which is different than the perspective of ppl. who go during more peak times.

 

[GusGusTheMouse]

it is a fine line they are navigating right now
For example Peter Pan today when I was there was at 25 minutes but the line snaked towards Columbia Harbour House, the line looks huge but the wait is not bad for PP because of social distancing queue and they can fill up each boat like normal
Across the way IASW was at the same wait time, the queue snaked toward the Tangle bathrooms but they cannot fill the boats to regular capacity, IASW very rarely sees long line but now it does because of ride capacity restriction

I think this is an interesting observation. What confuses me is whether there is any discretion by the CMs. Some rides there were clearly Disney rules. For example, there seems to be a hard rule of two parties front and back of Splash or one party of 4 or more. We did not see this deviate while we were there.

But on Safari they load every other row and then all rows during peak hours. Or in space we usually had two seats between us and another party of two but were caught by surprise once when we were put with a party of three and only one spot was between us. We were fine with it, but it’s always great to know the situation your getting yourself into beforehand and some of the loading procedures are changing based on the time or based on the CM.

I assume no one has the “intel” on how Disney is actually making these decisions but I’m just curious if during the reopening presentation to the local committee did Disney present these ride occupancy scenarios.

 

[zapple]

Ok, this is a rant. I apologize in advance.

We were here the last week of July and are back this week (lots of DVC points expiring) and it is so different this time. The parks are way more crowded but there’s still the same amount of stuff (not) open. The wait times are crazy now, we are fast pass experts and never wait for anything so 30+ minutes for things like small world or muppets is just a nonstarter for us. It’s obvious that they’ve increased attendance capacity but they haven’t been open about that and I think that’s shady.

Today was our HS day, we got there early and didn’t get a boarding group and the wait times were ridiculous and people were just streaming into the park. So at 10:03 we headed for the exit and spent the day at Universal and had a great time. We spent yesterday at Universal too even though we had planned for AK. We had never been before and bought annual passes to check it out. I think UO is doing a way better job than Disney at making a positive guest experience. Mask compliance is every bit as good as at disney. It wasn’t crowded, team members were WONDERFUL, there was plenty to ride without super long waits, TONS of entertainment, tasty food. We waited for one of those new crepes for about 40 minutes and in that time we saw: the fountain show, the scooby doo gang, the Secret Life of Pets float and dancers, the spongebob float, Marilyn, a penguin and King Julian from Madagascar. And all without moving away from the crepe stand! Wizarding world blew my mind and puts galaxy’s edge to shame. Like seriously, that is some next-level theming. At noon, I was able to make a 12:35 appointment for my own private wand experience at Ollivander’s. And the frog choir is one of the best things I’ve ever seen! I could watch them all day! Hey look, Disney, they’re singing and entertaining us with masks on! See? It can be done!

I never thought I would say this, but Disney’s dropped the ball. I was expecting an improved experience by now compared to July, but that is not what’s happening, if you’re staying on property especially. There is not enough to do after the parks close, people are literally wandering around looking for places to eat or have a drink. We went to abracadabar last night for a drink and they turned away about 15 people while we were there for 20 minutes because they were full and they aren’t serving outside. And there’s nowhere else to get a drink on the boardwalk. That’s money Disney isn’t making. Why don’t they open Big River and espn club? Or even the margarita stand? We had to rush back to Riviera from the BW because the skyliner stops at 8:30. People on the monorail loop are shocked that the monorail stops running at 7! The parks are just leaving us feeling angry and frustrated because there isn’t much to do and we feel like we waste a day of park pass at a park that’s too busy but we can’t parkhop. Epcot is the only one that’s fun now but only because of the food booths, we all know futureworld is a hot mess.

As for safety, I felt quite safe at UO or my home park of BG Williamsburg because people are following the rules for the most part in pretty much the same proportions at all the parks; there are bad actors at all of them. I feel like they mostly have good policies and procedures in place (I actually prefer the way UO makes you sanitize instead of doing the useless hosing down of the rides every 2 hours, which then forces me to wait in an indoor queue with strangers while not moving for anywhere from 10-25 minutes instead of moving on, THAT’S what makes me feel unsafe). I felt safe here in July, I now don’t feel as safe at disney as at other parks because they are letting in way too many people for the amount of attractions and activities they have open and they keep trapping us in long lines that sometimes stop for a long time, whether for breakdowns or cleanings.

I won’t mince words: If you’re on the fence about coming here, I say delay your trip or go to Uni and seaworld instead. You can actually buy annual passes for those parks lol. We have more points that are expiring and so we have another trip planned for Nov and I’m not really looking forward to it because they’re going to be even more crowded then because it’s holiday time and the weather’s better. Guess we’ll have to just spend more time (and money) at the non-disney parks.

 

[mmouse50]

Sorry if this has been mentioned but I just skimmed through the thread - are the wait times on MDE close to being accurate? Are people still waiting 200 minutes for rides at HS on a Tuesday? And over an hour for Pirates?

 

[yulilin3]

Sorry if this has been mentioned but I just skimmed through the thread - are the wait times on MDE close to being accurate? Are people still waiting 200 minutes for rides at HS on a Tuesday? And over an hour for Pirates?

Usually they're off by about 10 to 20 minutes, or depends if you're caught in a cleaning cycle
What attraction had a200 min wait yesterday?

 

[robinstrip]

Sorry if this has been mentioned but I just skimmed through the thread - are the wait times on MDE close to being accurate? Are people still waiting 200 minutes for rides at HS on a Tuesday? And over an hour for Pirates?

I have been staying with this thread pretty well and the last week or so it seems like the wait times are getting more accurate, unless people just aren't saying when they report here.

 

[yulilin3]

@mmouse50 maybe you meant 100?

https://twitter.com/x/status/1308548543976738823

 

[dachsie]

Ok, this is a rant. I apologize in advance.

We were here the last week of July and are back this week (lots of DVC points expiring) and it is so different this time. The parks are way more crowded but there’s still the same amount of stuff (not) open. The wait times are crazy now, we are fast pass experts and never wait for anything so 30+ minutes for things like small world or muppets is just a nonstarter for us. It’s obvious that they’ve increased attendance capacity but they haven’t been open about that and I think that’s shady.

Today was our HS day, we got there early and didn’t get a boarding group and the wait times were ridiculous and people were just streaming into the park. So at 10:03 we headed for the exit and spent the day at Universal and had a great time. We spent yesterday at Universal too even though we had planned for AK. We had never been before and bought annual passes to check it out. I think UO is doing a way better job than Disney at making a positive guest experience. Mask compliance is every bit as good as at disney. It wasn’t crowded, team members were WONDERFUL, there was plenty to ride without super long waits, TONS of entertainment, tasty food. We waited for one of those new crepes for about 40 minutes and in that time we saw: the fountain show, the scooby doo gang, the Secret Life of Pets float and dancers, the spongebob float, Marilyn, a penguin and King Julian from Madagascar. And all without moving away from the crepe stand! Wizarding world blew my mind and puts galaxy’s edge to shame. Like seriously, that is some next-level theming. At noon, I was able to make a 12:35 appointment for my own private wand experience at Ollivander’s. And the frog choir is one of the best things I’ve ever seen! I could watch them all day! Hey look, Disney, they’re singing and entertaining us with masks on! See? It can be done!

I never thought I would say this, but Disney’s dropped the ball. I was expecting an improved experience by now compared to July, but that is not what’s happening, if you’re staying on property especially. There is not enough to do after the parks close, people are literally wandering around looking for places to eat or have a drink. We went to abracadabar last night for a drink and they turned away about 15 people while we were there for 20 minutes because they were full and they aren’t serving outside. And there’s nowhere else to get a drink on the boardwalk. That’s money Disney isn’t making. Why don’t they open Big River and espn club? Or even the margarita stand? We had to rush back to Riviera from the BW because the skyliner stops at 8:30. People on the monorail loop are shocked that the monorail stops running at 7! The parks are just leaving us feeling angry and frustrated because there isn’t much to do and we feel like we waste a day of park pass at a park that’s too busy but we can’t parkhop. Epcot is the only one that’s fun now but only because of the food booths, we all know futureworld is a hot mess.

As for safety, I felt quite safe at UO or my home park of BG Williamsburg because people are following the rules for the most part in pretty much the same proportions at all the parks; there are bad actors at all of them. I feel like they mostly have good policies and procedures in place (I actually prefer the way UO makes you sanitize instead of doing the useless hosing down of the rides every 2 hours, which then forces me to wait in an indoor queue with strangers while not moving for anywhere from 10-25 minutes instead of moving on, THAT’S what makes me feel unsafe). I felt safe here in July, I now don’t feel as safe at disney as at other parks because they are letting in way too many people for the amount of attractions and activities they have open and they keep trapping us in long lines that sometimes stop for a long time, whether for breakdowns or cleanings.

I won’t mince words: If you’re on the fence about coming here, I say delay your trip or go to Uni and seaworld instead. You can actually buy annual passes for those parks lol. We have more points that are expiring and so we have another trip planned for Nov and I’m not really looking forward to it because they’re going to be even more crowded then because it’s holiday time and the weather’s better. Guess we’ll have to just spend more time (and money) at the non-disney parks.

I highly recommend you send this to guest services. Thats the only way it will change

 

[xiphoid76]

Overall a great trip. The parks are not too crowded, but as people have said wait times are crazy because of the ridiculous amount of safety theater Disney is doing. The combination of reduced capacity on rides and one ways make it a little of a mess. They could easily double the amount of people on theaters such as tiki birds and country bears while maintaining distancing and safety. A little safety theater is good PR, but too much just gets you frustrated. You can’t catch a germ to save your life at Disney right now which is good but overboard. It was still fun but is missing a little magic. Hopefully things will return to normal soon. They could at least increase ride and show capacity, add fireworks and the electrical water parade.

 

[katyringo]

These most recent reports have me nervous. Being Disneyland folks I can tell we are really going to miss Maxpass. I think I am going to need to talk to hubby (it’s just us going) and adjust our expectations and set some priorities for each park. Our first trip to Disneyland was the days after Christmas a few years ago and we knew going in it would be a mad house and choosing 2-3 must do each day really helped us manage expectations. Looks like I should do the same for this trip.

I am rethinking our park passes. We are doing Epcot on arrival day (I’ve had weight loss surgery so eating around the works isn’t really our thing)... and then we have a full day at universal followed by 2 full HS days, a full MK day and a half AK day. I’m second guessing that 2nd full HS day (which is a Saturday). At this moment magic kingdom doesn’t seem to full up so I guess we could change it if we need to. Almost kinda wish we planned 2 days at universal..

 

[yulilin3]

I say this every couple of pages.
Real expectations are key!!
Do not think the crowds will be July and August crowds
Do not think the attractions will be walk on or 10 to 15 min wait times
Do not think 100% of people are wearing mask, physical distancing in queues and looking at entrance and exit markers

DO

have a flexible plan
rope drop, as in be at the parks 45 min before official opening time
go to your number 1 priority attraction first
stay until end of day
Use mobile order to your advantage, meaning order early in the day to lock the time you want to eat, this will avoid the extra 20 min wait time if that specific wait time is full
Be open minded and considerate to others. Just because you see someone without a mask for 1 minute doesn't meant his person ahs been blatantly ignoring the rules or it might, but just walk away and try to not let that bother you too much
Listen to the CM/TM/Ambassadors directions

Just have realistic expectations, even before covid I would tell people coming pick 3 attractions that you must do, plan around them and the rest is icing on the cake, there are still attractions that are walk ons at certain times of the day. This is all brand new for everyone and if you decide to come now just be aware that this will be unlike any other trip and go with the flow

If the recent long wait reports seem like too much reconsider coming now. Why come if you are already nervous and feeling negative about your trip?

 

[katyringo]

I say this every couple of pages.
Real expectations are key!!
Do not think the crowds will be July and August crowds
Do not think the attractions will be walk on or 10 to 15 min wait times
Do not think 100% of people are wearing mask, physical distancing in queues and looking at entrance and exit markers

DO

have a flexible plan
rope drop, as in be at the parks 45 min before official opening time
go to your number 1 priority attraction first
stay until end of day
Use mobile order to your advantage, meaning order early in the day to lock the time you want to eat, this will avoid the extra 20 min wait time if that specific wait time is full
Be open minded and considerate to others. Just because you see someone without a mask for 1 minute doesn't meant his person ahs been blatantly ignoring the rules or it might, but just walk away and try to not let that bother you too much
Listen to the CM/TM/Ambassadors directions

Just have realistic expectations, even before covid I would tell people coming pick 3 attractions that you must do, plan around them and the rest is icing on the cake, there are still attractions that are walk ons at certain times of the day. This is all brand new for everyone and if you decide to come now just be aware that this will be unlike any other trip and go with the flow

If the recent long wait reports seem like too much reconsider coming now. Why come if you are already nervous and feeling negative about your trip?

literally just took a screen shot of this! Great advice. So you can mobile order early in the day for a time you want later?

 

[monkyby87]

I think people need to take a step back if you're getting nervous and worried. There will be wait times, and there still will be crowds. It's different now, but you still should plan like you would a normal Disney trip. No you can't make FP right now, but nobody can. Be ready for waits (which you should automatically have the mindset of since it's Disney), and enjoy what you can when you can. If you keep worrying about wait times and crowds, you won't enjoy your trip. And honestly, if you want relatively low crowds, this is still the time to go.

The more you read trip reports, the more you'll not want to come. Like many people, I've been to Disney countless times. But I've enjoyed every trip, and had very few bad trips, because of my expectations. @yulilin3 gives great advice and knows Disney. Listen to her and take what she says to heart.

 

[yulilin3]

literally just took a screen shot of this! Great advice. So you can mobile order early in the day for a time you want later?

yes in the morning you go on MDE to the restaurant you want to eat lunch at, lets say Pecos Bill, pick your time, lets say you think you want to eat around noon, the time would be noon to 12:20, order your items and pay, then at the time window you go back to the restaurant and hit "I'm here prepare order" and you just wait the time it takes for your order to be ready. So it's like you're making an ADR for a QS
If you don't pick your time period early when you get to Pecos at noon that time period most likely be full, then you have to wait for the 12:20 to 12:40 time period AND wait for your food to be ready
Keep in mind once you lock in your time period you cannot say "I'm here prepare my food" any earlier
You can go on it now and look how it works without finishing your order

 

[Sarahslay]

Ok, this is a rant. I apologize in advance.

We were here the last week of July and are back this week (lots of DVC points expiring) and it is so different this time. The parks are way more crowded but there’s still the same amount of stuff (not) open. The wait times are crazy now, we are fast pass experts and never wait for anything so 30+ minutes for things like small world or muppets is just a nonstarter for us. It’s obvious that they’ve increased attendance capacity but they haven’t been open about that and I think that’s shady.

Today was our HS day, we got there early and didn’t get a boarding group and the wait times were ridiculous and people were just streaming into the park. So at 10:03 we headed for the exit and spent the day at Universal and had a great time. We spent yesterday at Universal too even though we had planned for AK. We had never been before and bought annual passes to check it out. I think UO is doing a way better job than Disney at making a positive guest experience. Mask compliance is every bit as good as at disney. It wasn’t crowded, team members were WONDERFUL, there was plenty to ride without super long waits, TONS of entertainment, tasty food. We waited for one of those new crepes for about 40 minutes and in that time we saw: the fountain show, the scooby doo gang, the Secret Life of Pets float and dancers, the spongebob float, Marilyn, a penguin and King Julian from Madagascar. And all without moving away from the crepe stand! Wizarding world blew my mind and puts galaxy’s edge to shame. Like seriously, that is some next-level theming. At noon, I was able to make a 12:35 appointment for my own private wand experience at Ollivander’s. And the frog choir is one of the best things I’ve ever seen! I could watch them all day! Hey look, Disney, they’re singing and entertaining us with masks on! See? It can be done!

I never thought I would say this, but Disney’s dropped the ball. I was expecting an improved experience by now compared to July, but that is not what’s happening, if you’re staying on property especially. There is not enough to do after the parks close, people are literally wandering around looking for places to eat or have a drink. We went to abracadabar last night for a drink and they turned away about 15 people while we were there for 20 minutes because they were full and they aren’t serving outside. And there’s nowhere else to get a drink on the boardwalk. That’s money Disney isn’t making. Why don’t they open Big River and espn club? Or even the margarita stand? We had to rush back to Riviera from the BW because the skyliner stops at 8:30. People on the monorail loop are shocked that the monorail stops running at 7! The parks are just leaving us feeling angry and frustrated because there isn’t much to do and we feel like we waste a day of park pass at a park that’s too busy but we can’t parkhop. Epcot is the only one that’s fun now but only because of the food booths, we all know futureworld is a hot mess.

As for safety, I felt quite safe at UO or my home park of BG Williamsburg because people are following the rules for the most part in pretty much the same proportions at all the parks; there are bad actors at all of them. I feel like they mostly have good policies and procedures in place (I actually prefer the way UO makes you sanitize instead of doing the useless hosing down of the rides every 2 hours, which then forces me to wait in an indoor queue with strangers while not moving for anywhere from 10-25 minutes instead of moving on, THAT’S what makes me feel unsafe). I felt safe here in July, I now don’t feel as safe at disney as at other parks because they are letting in way too many people for the amount of attractions and activities they have open and they keep trapping us in long lines that sometimes stop for a long time, whether for breakdowns or cleanings.

I won’t mince words: If you’re on the fence about coming here, I say delay your trip or go to Uni and seaworld instead. You can actually buy annual passes for those parks lol. We have more points that are expiring and so we have another trip planned for Nov and I’m not really looking forward to it because they’re going to be even more crowded then because it’s holiday time and the weather’s better. Guess we’ll have to just spend more time (and money) at the non-disney parks.

Also remember, end of July a lot of people moved their trips and delayed due to the virus and wanting to see how Disney handled stuff....a lot of them moved to September. I'm sure they did up capacity as they did in the asian parks with starting out at a fraction of what they were working their way up to. There are more resorts open now, so more people there, and people feel a bit more comfortable going than they did in the beginning. I'll be honest, I don't mind the "hosing down" of rides, because even with sanitizer that can't prevent germs from getting on handle bars/the ride when people decide to slide their mask down (and they do, often, at all the parks not just at Disney). Rides with high touch points like Buzz, TSM, and SE really need that since people could touch their face and then touch the controls. I'll happily wait knowing that when I get on it'll be nice and clean for me (because, usually, they always shut down to clean right before I get on because I have amazing timing). They do need to slow their roll on raising attendance levels though if they aren't going to bring back FP, if it gets any higher it starts to be a lot less safe which causes other issues aside from virus transmission. People won't want to stay in the parks, they'll head out real quick, and they're left with people not spending the money they're trying to get. It's a lose-lose for everyone. I'm going back during two holiday weeks and am managing my expectations, even though my trip right before labor day was anything but quiet, it's just not realistic to think they would keep attendance down to what it was in the very beginning.

 

[katyringo]

yes in the morning you go on MDE to the restaurant you want to eat lunch at, lets say Pecos Bill, pick your time, lets say you think you want to eat around noon, the time would be noon to 12:20, order your items and pay, then at the time window you go back to the restaurant and hit "I'm here prepare order" and you just wait the time it takes for your order to be ready. So it's like you're making an ADR for a QS
If you don't pick your time period early when you get to Pecos at noon that time period most likely be full, then you have to wait for the 12:20 to 12:40 time period AND wait for your food to be ready
Keep in mind once you lock in your time period you cannot say "I'm here prepare my food" any earlier
You can go on it now and look how it works without finishing your order

Thank you! Great tip! Will do this for sure.

 

[Sarahslay]

yes in the morning you go on MDE to the restaurant you want to eat lunch at, lets say Pecos Bill, pick your time, lets say you think you want to eat around noon, the time would be noon to 12:20, order your items and pay, then at the time window you go back to the restaurant and hit "I'm here prepare order" and you just wait the time it takes for your order to be ready. So it's like you're making an ADR for a QS
If you don't pick your time period early when you get to Pecos at noon that time period most likely be full, then you have to wait for the 12:20 to 12:40 time period AND wait for your food to be ready
Keep in mind once you lock in your time period you cannot say "I'm here prepare my food" any earlier
You can go on it now and look how it works without finishing your order

I actually had it glitch on me during my trip a few weeks ago. Ordered my food a little over an hour before I wanted to pick it up (breakfast), and started getting ready. My window didn't even open to hit the button for another hour at that point, but the system when ahead and pushed it through and within 15 minutes I got a "your order is ready!" message on my notifications but I was nowhere near ready or even near the place to pick up my food, I was in my room. So people need to pay attention to things like that, have notifications turned on so if that happens to anyone else they can go right to GR about it instead of finding out later that their order was fulfilled hours ago and now they have no food.

 

[Helvetica]

The classic rope drop seems to be what I’ve found works best for me at DHS. I was literally the first person to park on the parking lot and U was able to ride Micke and Minnie’s, Tower of Terror and Rock n Roller Coaster before the park officially opened at 10 am. I also got a boarding group for Rise. The park does seem to be filling up, so I’ll probably go back to the resort after I ride Rise in a couple of hours.

 

[Befferk]

I say this every couple of pages.
Real expectations are key!!
Do not think the crowds will be July and August crowds
Do not think the attractions will be walk on or 10 to 15 min wait times
Do not think 100% of people are wearing mask, physical distancing in queues and looking at entrance and exit markers

DO

have a flexible plan
rope drop, as in be at the parks 45 min before official opening time
go to your number 1 priority attraction first
stay until end of day
Use mobile order to your advantage, meaning order early in the day to lock the time you want to eat, this will avoid the extra 20 min wait time if that specific wait time is full
Be open minded and considerate to others. Just because you see someone without a mask for 1 minute doesn't meant his person ahs been blatantly ignoring the rules or it might, but just walk away and try to not let that bother you too much
Listen to the CM/TM/Ambassadors directions

Just have realistic expectations, even before covid I would tell people coming pick 3 attractions that you must do, plan around them and the rest is icing on the cake, there are still attractions that are walk ons at certain times of the day. This is all brand new for everyone and if you decide to come now just be aware that this will be unlike any other trip and go with the flow

If the recent long wait reports seem like too much reconsider coming now. Why come if you are already nervous and feeling negative about your trip?

Thanks for this. I get frustrated reading some of the trip reports where people make it sound like the sky is falling while they're there. I have VERY realistic expectations of our upcoming trips, but I have a plan to navigate the people and I know we will have a good time. Things like nose-peekers and non-social-distancing people don't bother me one bit (although I do follow the rules myself for other peoples' comfort) so there's nothing for me to get worked up about while there.