Here Now & Just Back WDW Reopening Experiences Including Park Hopping

[Donnask8pro]

so we were first into Epcot today, staying at Swan and walked over. Went to the left up and over to go to Frozen. We were the 2nd people in line. Raced to TT immediately after and got right in. Masks were 98%. Always some who just refused to follow rules. It did get busy at some points but we just moved around closer spots. Back to hotel to chill'axe and went back around 6:30. TT posted hour and was 45 min, Spaceship Earth posted 20 and was 10.
Biggest problem I had is the lack of Christmas decorations. I was kinda shocked and very saddened by this. Anyone know whats up w that? Shame..Is this the only park that is so sparse?

 

[Mando80]

Not a local but I go to Disney parks often. Wait times for nearly every ride are inflated and much shorter than the actual wait Here’s my 2 cents on a recent trip last week dec 7 (mon) to dec 12 (sat):

Arrived Monday, went to Epcot for the last few hours it was open. Test track and Soarin were walkons despite displayed wait times of 30 mins. Nemo was also a walk on, park was empty.

Tuesday: AK wasn’t very busy and very easy to social distance due to the size of the walkways and lower capacity. Never waited for more than 15 minutes for a ride other than flight of passage which showed 45 minute wait time but was closer to 25 min.

Wednesday: MK and social distancing is out the window. So much bottle necking in many areas. The walkways are jam packed. Wait times are still inflated and nothing is too long except for surprisingly it’s a small world. Even Peter Pan standby time i never saw go above 30 minutes. Disney has a ton of protocols in place to keep people social on all the rides and the lines for the rides but it’s a free for all outside of that. If you are worried about social distancing this park isn’t for you. Other than AK I don’t think anyone with social distancing concerns should be going to these other parks.

Thurs: Hollywood Studios-walked into the park approx 15 min before scheduled opening (though it seems to have opened about 30 minutes prior to scheduled opening) was able to ride mickey and. Minnie with a 20 min wait. Tower of terror was by far the longest wait I had all week, posted 45 to 60 minutes all day and I ended up waiting about 80 minutes since it went down to half load capacity while I was on line. Toy story land was great very little to no wait times for toy story mania all day. Even slinky dog always looked longer with posted wait times of 45 minutes but I was able to get on it multiple times during the day waiting no longer than 20 minutes. Social distancing again was poor anywhere outside of the queues and rides themselves. Was able to snag rise of the resistance boarding group 50 at 7am from

Friday: Epcot-world showcase had so much bottle necking, very poor social distancing. Future world wasn’t bad but the whole middle area being blocked off made it a major hassle to walk around in the area. Soarin and living with the land were walkons. For the food festival there are as usual very limited places to eat and felt even more limited with covid restrictions.

Saturday: return to HS. Didn’t notice it considerably busy than it was on Thursday.Same issues with bottle necks and social distancing. Ride times still fantastic (again tower of terror seemed to have the longest standby times and never went down in time). Was able to snag another ride on rise of the resistance 7am grab again.

overall: Disney is doing literally everything possible to keep people socially distanced on the rides and ride queues. It’s the human element of relying on people to follow those rules where the breakdown seems to occur. I saw adults trying to keep their children entertained on line by dancing and “racing” in the lines with them bumping into other people on the lines. I observed this a few times as well as people not understanding how lines on the floor that say “please wait here” work. Mask compliance was fantastic I would say almost 100%. Ride waiting times are about half of what the standby times show. If this is your first ever trip I would say wait until it’s a bit more normal, but if you’re a Disney vet and aren’t concerned with social distancing it’s definitely still a great time with lower than normal wait times to get on almost every ride.

 

[yulilin3]

so we were first into Epcot today, staying at Swan and walked over. Went to the left up and over to go to Frozen. We were the 2nd people in line. Raced to TT immediately after and got right in. Masks were 98%. Always some who just refused to follow rules. It did get busy at some points but we just moved around closer spots. Back to hotel to chill'axe and went back around 6:30. TT posted hour and was 45 min, Spaceship Earth posted 20 and was 10.
Biggest problem I had is the lack of Christmas decorations. I was kinda shocked and very saddened by this. Anyone know whats up w that? Shame..Is this the only park that is so sparse?

Epcot basically only decorates WS. All the decorations are there from years past only thing missing are the storytellers

 

[thndrmatt]

Data point: MK on Wed 12/16, arrived bus stop at Jambo 6:42, bus arrived 6:43, left 6:45 with us and one other family, no one else at the stop. Probably first bus? It skipped Kidani went straight to MK, got off at 7:01, into temp check line which was held closed. Walkers from contemporary were also held, parking lot cars were also held when we went by at 6:55. 7:17 so far and temp check still not open, but the lines of both the walkers and those getting off buses are quite large stretching back towards Bay Lake.

edit: we were off seven dwarfs at 7:34, walked on to Peter Pan, Pirates, and Splash, first line we’re actually having to wait in is Thunder at 8:40 (park official open was 8:00)

 

[WorldOfPooh]

Hotel prices are starting to come up. The Fri-Saturday prices have gone up alot in the last couple days.

I think this weekend will be madness

 

[yulilin3]

Hotel prices are starting to come up. The Fri-Saturday prices have gone up alot in the last couple days.

I think this weekend will be madness

yeah the next 2 weeks are called hell week in the industry, the busiest time of the year

 

[EEPETEZ]

Today’s our last day and we have had an amazing time! While Disney has done an amazing job and I felt safe-I don’t know that I would come if this was my once in a lifetime trip or even a once every few years trip. I felt comfortable navigating things, but we come here all the time. We are not Florida residents, so we fly here and stay on Disney property. I think if I lived near Disney-no issues visiting-but a “big” trip-I would wait. While things are great-several logistics are a bit more complicated (food, transportation, no park hopping, no shows or entertainment, shorter park hours, no fastpass). We loved our trip and are more than thrilled that we came, but I would not want this to be my big trip.

 

[armerida]

so we were first into Epcot today, staying at Swan and walked over. Went to the left up and over to go to Frozen. We were the 2nd people in line. Raced to TT immediately after and got right in. Masks were 98%. Always some who just refused to follow rules. It did get busy at some points but we just moved around closer spots. Back to hotel to chill'axe and went back around 6:30. TT posted hour and was 45 min, Spaceship Earth posted 20 and was 10.
Biggest problem I had is the lack of Christmas decorations. I was kinda shocked and very saddened by this. Anyone know whats up w that? Shame..Is this the only park that is so sparse?

Wow that’s great! What time did you leave Swan/what time did they start running the rides?

 

[lovethattink]

Yesterday was the most crowded I’ve seen DHS since reopening. But attraction wait times were about what they have been.

 

[cjlong88]

Has anyone rope dropped ToT and RnRC and can speak on the wait times first thing in the morning?

 

[neurosx1983]

We are about to arrive on Friday for a week- excited especially to escape the horrible winter northeast weather. I’m noticing that a lot of hard to get dining is opening up next week for places like Cali grill and CRT. Do you guys think a lot of people are cancelling all of a sudden?

 

[Minnie368]

Sorry if this question has already been asked and answered a bunch of times but we’re here now and you know how hard it is to find time to read back. My question is tomorrow MK opens at 8am. What time will I be able to get in to park? And then how long to allow getting to the gate? Will both ferry and monorail be running?

 

[cruiseconvert]

We rope dropped Runaway Railway, then road RnRC twice in a row with no wait. Went next to ToT, which was 30 minutes by then.

 

[yulilin3]

Sorry if this question has already been asked and answered a bunch of times but we’re here now and you know how hard it is to find time to read back. My question is tomorrow MK opens at 8am. What time will I be able to get in to park? And then how long to allow getting to the gate? Will both ferry and monorail be running?

Parking lot opens about an hour before and park opens shortly after. Both are running also buses might be running as well from the ttc to mk

 

[teach22180]

I arrived this morning from magical express around 11:45 and took the skyliner over to the Carribean beach station. There was a huge line and I would not have made it before opening. So I rode the skyliner to Hollywood studios and then took the boat to app caught and arrived there around 12:45. It was a fun trip rather than standing in line and I did not my being late. I just wanted to share the data with you all.

 

[Stefne]

Has anyone rope dropped ToT and RnRC and can speak on the wait times first thing in the morning?

We started at TOT on our second HS day. For a 10 AM open, it began running around 9:30. We were in the 2nd elevator and went over to RnRC once we were done. We rode with about a 10 minute wait, but by the time we got off the ride, the line was backed up to the end of Hollywood Blvd.

 

[Befferk]

so we were first into Epcot today, staying at Swan and walked over.

What time did you get into line at the park entrance (and was it a Noon opening yesterday)?

 

[run217]

Just returned from a quick trip, 12/12-12/15. This thread was immensely helpful! So I want to share my experience in case it helps someone else. Just me and DH.

Arrival day - Saturday, 12/12 - Flight landed at 9:10 am, made it to Pop via ME at about 10:15. Got the text that our room was ready the SECOND the bus pulled up. We did not rush to the parks and instead did mobile order for brunch at the resort, and walked around. Plenty of outdoor seating outside Classic Hall. This was the first time we've ever been to Pop so we enjoyed taking in the sights. The resort didn't feel crowded at all. Took the bus to MK around 4:30 - the MK buses were sitting there waiting every time we needed one. Plenty of plexiglass and the emergency exit on the roof was popped for extra ventilation. Rode Astro Orbiters first - the only ride where the actual wait was longer than posted. We waited about 55 minutes for what was posted at 35. After that, Space (40 min), Haunted Mansion (10 min), and Pirates (25 min). We left at about 8 for an 8:40 reservation at Cali Grill - amazing as always. We then took a Lyft back to Pop. Overall, we were pleased with crowds for a Saturday night when all parks were sold out.

Sunday, 12/13 - MK - We decided not to rope drop and rolled in about 9:30. Met local friends and stopped for a photo op at the Walt statue - almost no one there. Then rode Ariel and did lunch at Pecos Bill's...delicious, but crowded. Hopped in line for Pirates, Jingle Cruise, both about 30 minute waits. Stopped for a Dole Whip - this is when it started to feel pretty crowded. Social distancing was bad near the flying carpets. Made a stop at the baby center and then made our way to Carousel of Progress, surprised to find a 15-20 minute wait for that. After that, Small World - 25 min wait. There is a big covering over the facade right now, and same at the train station in front of the park. Finally, a minimal wait at Dumbo and friends departed about 5:30 pm. Mobile ordered the holiday spicy chicken sandwich at Cosmic Ray's - delicious. Then we made our way to Mine Train and waited only about 40 minutes. After that, waited about 20 minutes for Peter Pan and headed up front to queue into the Emporium. Only waited about 10 minutes, even though it wrapped around to Crystal Palace. Again, a bus was waiting with almost no one on it.

Monday, 12/14 - HS - By far our favorite day. Got on the app using Disney wifi around 6:55 and constantly refreshed from about 6:57 to 7:00 and scored BG 3 for Rise! I debated ridesharing to Speedway or Boardwalk, but I'm glad we didn't. Hopped on the Skyway about 7:45 even though I wanted to be there a bit earlier. Arrived at CB to find a decent line, but it moved quickly and we were lined up at HS just shortly after 8. They let us in at 8:15 and we walked onto MMRR, followed by Slinky Dog with maybe a 20 min wait. Then it was time for Rise and perusing shops in GE. Did a couple of other rides and then spent most of the afternoon at DS with super light crowds. Returned to HS at about 5 and rode everything in Toy Story Land as well as MMRR again, then headed to an Oga's reservation. I highly recommend a post-park close Oga's res if possible - we were not rushed at all contrary to some reports. Had 2 drinks each and loved the atmosphere! Then walked out to an empty park. Grabbed a cocktail at Petals and chilled by the Hippy Dippy pool, and mobile ordered a pizza for the room. Great ending to a great night!

Tuesday, 12/15 - Dropped bags off at 7:30 up front (no on-site airline check-in right now). Rope-dropped HS again with the same schedule as yesterday. Tried to rope drop ToT, but it was down rode a few other things, but honestly felt we did everything we wanted to do Monday, so we headed for DS again and shopped and ate until it was time to get on the ME.

Overall: Precautions by Disney were great, but you can't control everyone all the time. A guy pulled down his mask and sneezed in the enclosed portion of Peter Pan queue - we were horrified. Still, for us, this was a much-needed change of scenery and the holiday decor at HS was outstanding. Also, the Skyliner is a GAME-CHANGER, especially during Covid. Having our own cabin every ride was amazing and relaxing.

 

[pahoben]

Not a local but I go to Disney parks often. Wait times for nearly every ride are inflated and much shorter than the actual wait Here’s my 2 cents on a recent trip last week dec 7 (mon) to dec 12 (sat):

Arrived Monday, went to Epcot for the last few hours it was open. Test track and Soarin were walkons despite displayed wait times of 30 mins. Nemo was also a walk on, park was empty.

Tuesday: AK wasn’t very busy and very easy to social distance due to the size of the walkways and lower capacity. Never waited for more than 15 minutes for a ride other than flight of passage which showed 45 minute wait time but was closer to 25 min.

Wednesday: MK and social distancing is out the window. So much bottle necking in many areas. The walkways are jam packed. Wait times are still inflated and nothing is too long except for surprisingly it’s a small world. Even Peter Pan standby time i never saw go above 30 minutes. Disney has a ton of protocols in place to keep people social on all the rides and the lines for the rides but it’s a free for all outside of that. If you are worried about social distancing this park isn’t for you. Other than AK I don’t think anyone with social distancing concerns should be going to these other parks.

Thurs: Hollywood Studios-walked into the park approx 15 min before scheduled opening (though it seems to have opened about 30 minutes prior to scheduled opening) was able to ride mickey and. Minnie with a 20 min wait. Tower of terror was by far the longest wait I had all week, posted 45 to 60 minutes all day and I ended up waiting about 80 minutes since it went down to half load capacity while I was on line. Toy story land was great very little to no wait times for toy story mania all day. Even slinky dog always looked longer with posted wait times of 45 minutes but I was able to get on it multiple times during the day waiting no longer than 20 minutes. Social distancing again was poor anywhere outside of the queues and rides themselves. Was able to snag rise of the resistance boarding group 50 at 7am from

Friday: Epcot-world showcase had so much bottle necking, very poor social distancing. Future world wasn’t bad but the whole middle area being blocked off made it a major hassle to walk around in the area. Soarin and living with the land were walkons. For the food festival there are as usual very limited places to eat and felt even more limited with covid restrictions.

Saturday: return to HS. Didn’t notice it considerably busy than it was on Thursday.Same issues with bottle necks and social distancing. Ride times still fantastic (again tower of terror seemed to have the longest standby times and never went down in time). Was able to snag another ride on rise of the resistance 7am grab again.

overall: Disney is doing literally everything possible to keep people socially distanced on the rides and ride queues. It’s the human element of relying on people to follow those rules where the breakdown seems to occur. I saw adults trying to keep their children entertained on line by dancing and “racing” in the lines with them bumping into other people on the lines. I observed this a few times as well as people not understanding how lines on the floor that say “please wait here” work. Mask compliance was fantastic I would say almost 100%. Ride waiting times are about half of what the standby times show. If this is your first ever trip I would say wait until it’s a bit more normal, but if you’re a Disney vet and aren’t concerned with social distancing it’s definitely still a great time with lower than normal wait times to get on almost every ride.

“Wait times are still inflated and nothing is too long except for surprisingly it’s a small world.”

Not surprising at all that the best attraction in the history of mankind, It’s a Small World, had a long wait. Thank you for mentioning it because it kicked off the Small World song in my brain that will be on continuous loop for a glorious few days.

 

[Donnask8pro]

What time did you get into line at the park entrance (and was it a Noon opening yesterday)?

We walked over around 10:30 IG for a noon opening. We got in line temp check around 10:45. They opened temp maybe 15 min later. They then held us at official gate until maybe 11-11:15'ish?