Here Now & Just Back WDW Reopening Experiences Including Park Hopping
rlk
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 3, 2007
I saw more non masked than masked around me. Leaving MK had anxiety producing crowds swarming the exit. Luckily, we were on the side by the auxiliary exit they were using to ease congestion (didn’t really help)
Sorry about the sideways. I’ve tried to fix it but I’m too tired to figure it out right now.
cakebaker
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2013
BB is handicap accessible. You can do as little or as much walking as you like, but there’s no need to climb stairs if you have issues with it.
cakebaker
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2013
We were at BB most of the day, but did go to AK in the morning. I noticed a significantly higher number of mask wearers outdoors and saw no issues on the rides we did or on the busses. Everyone was masked when required.
Aimeedyan
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2004
We just got back from a 1 night staycation, staying at Boulder Ridge. We go quite a bit, though less in the summer when it's hot/crowded so it's been about 4 weeks since my last visit and WOW, is it crowded.
HEA last night was basically 2019 all over again and the crowds were intense. A member of our party uses a wheelchair at Disney so we were able to use the accessible fireworks area which made it so much more enjoyable (and she was able to actually see something!). I'm thankful Disney provides and protects this space. Also, the resort boat was amazing - we walked past more people than I think I've seen in my life standing crammed together waiting on monorails/ferry and walked right on. We waited ~15 minutes after fireworks before exiting.
This morning, we arrived to MK right after rope drop and rode 2 things and left. With as frequent as we visit, it's simply not worth waiting 45+ minutes for things we ride often. We were back in the pool by 10:30am.
When we got back to the hotel last night, mask signage had been put all over the hotel. I didn't see a single person without a mask at WL. This morning on Buzz, you had to put the mask on when you entered the building and People Mover, you put it on when you went through the counter thingy (I can't remember what it's called
) But the day was young still.
We'll be back in 2 weeks for another staycation and it'll be interesting to compare things.
HEA last night was basically 2019 all over again and the crowds were intense. A member of our party uses a wheelchair at Disney so we were able to use the accessible fireworks area which made it so much more enjoyable (and she was able to actually see something!). I'm thankful Disney provides and protects this space. Also, the resort boat was amazing - we walked past more people than I think I've seen in my life standing crammed together waiting on monorails/ferry and walked right on. We waited ~15 minutes after fireworks before exiting.
This morning, we arrived to MK right after rope drop and rode 2 things and left. With as frequent as we visit, it's simply not worth waiting 45+ minutes for things we ride often. We were back in the pool by 10:30am.
When we got back to the hotel last night, mask signage had been put all over the hotel. I didn't see a single person without a mask at WL. This morning on Buzz, you had to put the mask on when you entered the building and People Mover, you put it on when you went through the counter thingy (I can't remember what it's called
) But the day was young still.We'll be back in 2 weeks for another staycation and it'll be interesting to compare things.
yaya74
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 18, 2006
People at the HEA are there by choice. There are tons of spaces to go. They are not forced to stand at a certain spot. Also it is outdoor. Therefore masks are not required, yet. However when you are in a queue, there is not much free space for you to wander and everyone is packed indoors. As a result, masks are required indoors.
notatallmagic
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 21, 2014
More specific observations from our 8 days July 22-29 - Transportation
I was pleasantly surprised this trip. We stayed at Pop Century, and the Skyliner continues to be awesome (IMO). We had one rain delay for about an hour at the Caribbean station, but the Cast Members were awesome, and they ended up busing us back to Pop. Other than that, the Skyliner lines were very manageable, they WERE boarding parties together except during slow times, and the cabins were clean and cool.
We took the Monorail from Epcot to Magic once, and the transfer station was down, so we took the boat instead. Both experiences were pleasant; masks were not required outside on the boat - but that was last week. Not sure if that has changed. Magical Transport incoming was about a 30 minute wait; outgoing was right on time, and the charter bus had the Disney movie screens, which was a nice surprise. I will be very sad to see Magical Transport end - I love that service.
Our resort bus experiences were much better this trip except for one notable exception. They did a great job having multiple buses at both park open and close. After fireworks at Magic, we stayed until 10:10 or so, and when we got to the stop, they had constant buses running - doubles and charters, one right after another. That was MUCH improved from both Spring Break and June.
Our only totally ICK experience - we were boarding with a very long line, and there was a puddle of (it had to be) urine in one of the bus seats (looked like it, and smelled foul). The bus driver had loaded an ECV, but must have missed it, and he kept telling everyone to take every seat - and of course nobody wanted to sit there...and then a little kid climbed up there and sat right in it. The whole bus groaned out loud. I suppose that kind of thing could happen at any time, but we all felt SO bad for that kid and his parents. Shudder.
So, overall, a solid B+ for transportation.
I was pleasantly surprised this trip. We stayed at Pop Century, and the Skyliner continues to be awesome (IMO). We had one rain delay for about an hour at the Caribbean station, but the Cast Members were awesome, and they ended up busing us back to Pop. Other than that, the Skyliner lines were very manageable, they WERE boarding parties together except during slow times, and the cabins were clean and cool.
We took the Monorail from Epcot to Magic once, and the transfer station was down, so we took the boat instead. Both experiences were pleasant; masks were not required outside on the boat - but that was last week. Not sure if that has changed. Magical Transport incoming was about a 30 minute wait; outgoing was right on time, and the charter bus had the Disney movie screens, which was a nice surprise. I will be very sad to see Magical Transport end - I love that service.
Our resort bus experiences were much better this trip except for one notable exception. They did a great job having multiple buses at both park open and close. After fireworks at Magic, we stayed until 10:10 or so, and when we got to the stop, they had constant buses running - doubles and charters, one right after another. That was MUCH improved from both Spring Break and June.
Our only totally ICK experience - we were boarding with a very long line, and there was a puddle of (it had to be) urine in one of the bus seats (looked like it, and smelled foul). The bus driver had loaded an ECV, but must have missed it, and he kept telling everyone to take every seat - and of course nobody wanted to sit there...and then a little kid climbed up there and sat right in it. The whole bus groaned out loud. I suppose that kind of thing could happen at any time, but we all felt SO bad for that kid and his parents. Shudder.
So, overall, a solid B+ for transportation.
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cakebaker
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2013
I thought the exact same thing about the monorail and ferry when we were leaving by resort boat the other night. That number of people crammed in like sardines makes HEA look like nothing.
There’s no amount of money that would ever get me to subject myself to that.
If for no other reason, that scene outside the MK will cause me to forever stay on site. We were in our cabin sleeping before some of those people ever got on transportation.
jasmine91
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 15, 2007
We are wrapping up a very magical week long trip, so I thought I’d post about a few things for those interested.
The mask requirement started today, it wasn’t what we planned or hoped for - but still manageable. There were inconsistencies in regards to having to wear them in outdoor queues - Spaceship Earth didn’t require them until indoors, whereas Slinky Dog required them as soon as you entered the covered queue. It was HOT in the masks and we did remove them from time to time to catch a breather ….
Crowds were crazy - Like Christmas CRAZY (at least that’s what it seemed like to us!) and lines were LONG, but not as long as posted. We only waited in one long line (an hour) per day. And we chose wisely - not waiting in the sun midday for an hour. Most lines were 60 percent of the posted time. We were there by rope drop each day, took a midday break, and closed the parks down each night. This worked out really well for us!
Mobile ordering was a great experience as well. We placed our orders for lunch at about 9:30 am for an 11:00 - 11:30 pick up time and never had an issue with waiting for food or finding a table. For dinner, we placed orders around 5 and never had any issues either.
Epcot Tip :Epcot claims to open at 11:00, but after our first arrival at 10:50 and Frozen already having an hour wait, we knew something was up… Today we got there (the skyliner side) at 10:15, were in the park by 10:20 (held until 10:30), and were on Frozen by 10:45! We finished the ride before “opening”.
Yes, this trip was different than the past. But, we also came in with different expectations and as usual - we are SO sad to go home tomorrow. It’s been wonderful, and we are so glad to be back in WDW again!
The mask requirement started today, it wasn’t what we planned or hoped for - but still manageable. There were inconsistencies in regards to having to wear them in outdoor queues - Spaceship Earth didn’t require them until indoors, whereas Slinky Dog required them as soon as you entered the covered queue. It was HOT in the masks and we did remove them from time to time to catch a breather ….
Crowds were crazy - Like Christmas CRAZY (at least that’s what it seemed like to us!) and lines were LONG, but not as long as posted. We only waited in one long line (an hour) per day. And we chose wisely - not waiting in the sun midday for an hour. Most lines were 60 percent of the posted time. We were there by rope drop each day, took a midday break, and closed the parks down each night. This worked out really well for us!
Mobile ordering was a great experience as well. We placed our orders for lunch at about 9:30 am for an 11:00 - 11:30 pick up time and never had an issue with waiting for food or finding a table. For dinner, we placed orders around 5 and never had any issues either.
Epcot Tip :Epcot claims to open at 11:00, but after our first arrival at 10:50 and Frozen already having an hour wait, we knew something was up… Today we got there (the skyliner side) at 10:15, were in the park by 10:20 (held until 10:30), and were on Frozen by 10:45! We finished the ride before “opening”.
Yes, this trip was different than the past. But, we also came in with different expectations and as usual - we are SO sad to go home tomorrow. It’s been wonderful, and we are so glad to be back in WDW again!
you have a choice to be in a queue also, you have a choice to even go to the theme park, and more referring to wearing mask on outdoor rides and queues
But really even in hea crowd you can’t just easily move around,
notatallmagic
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 21, 2014
More specifics from July 22 - 29 Topic: Food!!!
This is also getting better - the only exception would be the Pop Century Food Court - which is still total Mobile Order with a basic menu and no cupcakes to admire and no ice cream section - which my kids used to love. I would avoid that, and try the Quick Service at Riviera if you can (awesome menu!) or eat at the parks.
We also used IntaCart this time (we couldn't get anything on our list from Prime Now), and that went great! About 20% more expensive, but got everything we needed with much better service.
Animal Kingdom - solid A for us - Satuli is still our favorite. Everything there is good IMO, and the portions are perfect. We also still love Flame Tree; the cupcakes/desserts at Starbucks, and there were several places to get ice water if you needed it.
Hollywood - A+! We LOVE the new-ish ABC Commissary Menu! The Buffalo Chicken grilled cheese is amazing; and I think we tried about everything on the menu. The greek salad is good, and the steak fries are also very good. Lots of the snack carts are back open; lots of popcorn refill options. Woody's Lunchbox is unique with some great choices for kids and adults. We still LOVE Oga's (the Black Spire brew is crazy good - can't believe it's coffee with citrus???). Docking Bay 7, the milk carts, Ronto - all great and fun atmosphere. Lots of reasonably priced, decent quality choices. Maybe my favorite food park.
Magic - B-ish; maybe a B- for us - not awesome. We always eat at Jungle Skipper and have been very pleased. The portions there are WAY too big for us, so we order off the kid's menu, and they have a very nice little steak, or chicken, or a tofu dish. The sides are fresh and tasty too. The cart with the cured bacon is back in FrontierLand so my son was super happy about that! The Mobile Order Dole Whip is awesome - we love the coconut! Popcorn lines were super long here, and this Starbucks doesn't haven't any really fun desserts other than the Cinnamon Roll. I miss the fancy cupcakes!! I'm happy to have Casey's back, even with the limited menu; same with Plaza Ice Cream Parlor, but they were out of several flavors when we tried to order there before HEA.
My biggest challenge with Magic is that there is almost nowhere to easily get ice water. We asked at Pinnochio Village House, and they said they "weren't providing water at this time!" Lines are long at pretty much every QS location.
I would still recommend carrying a water bottle if you're a big water drinker - especially at Magic and Epcot.
Epcot - World Showcase is a B for us; the front section...ugh. We were happy to see Sunshine Seasons open again, but there are only two desserts, and my kids used to love that dessert selection. The salmon and chicken are still good, and the sides are tasty. We love all the food in France and Mexico - all still very solid. The Food and Wine booths we tried were all awesome - the chicken/donut sandwhich had an amazing microgreen garnish and sauce - I loved that! Everthing we tried, we liked. Lots of beverage choices too. The lines were pretty long - that was the only down side.
If you like food, this was a bright spot.
This is also getting better - the only exception would be the Pop Century Food Court - which is still total Mobile Order with a basic menu and no cupcakes to admire and no ice cream section - which my kids used to love. I would avoid that, and try the Quick Service at Riviera if you can (awesome menu!) or eat at the parks.
We also used IntaCart this time (we couldn't get anything on our list from Prime Now), and that went great! About 20% more expensive, but got everything we needed with much better service.
Animal Kingdom - solid A for us - Satuli is still our favorite. Everything there is good IMO, and the portions are perfect. We also still love Flame Tree; the cupcakes/desserts at Starbucks, and there were several places to get ice water if you needed it.
Hollywood - A+! We LOVE the new-ish ABC Commissary Menu! The Buffalo Chicken grilled cheese is amazing; and I think we tried about everything on the menu. The greek salad is good, and the steak fries are also very good. Lots of the snack carts are back open; lots of popcorn refill options. Woody's Lunchbox is unique with some great choices for kids and adults. We still LOVE Oga's (the Black Spire brew is crazy good - can't believe it's coffee with citrus???). Docking Bay 7, the milk carts, Ronto - all great and fun atmosphere. Lots of reasonably priced, decent quality choices. Maybe my favorite food park.
Magic - B-ish; maybe a B- for us - not awesome. We always eat at Jungle Skipper and have been very pleased. The portions there are WAY too big for us, so we order off the kid's menu, and they have a very nice little steak, or chicken, or a tofu dish. The sides are fresh and tasty too. The cart with the cured bacon is back in FrontierLand so my son was super happy about that! The Mobile Order Dole Whip is awesome - we love the coconut! Popcorn lines were super long here, and this Starbucks doesn't haven't any really fun desserts other than the Cinnamon Roll. I miss the fancy cupcakes!! I'm happy to have Casey's back, even with the limited menu; same with Plaza Ice Cream Parlor, but they were out of several flavors when we tried to order there before HEA.
My biggest challenge with Magic is that there is almost nowhere to easily get ice water. We asked at Pinnochio Village House, and they said they "weren't providing water at this time!" Lines are long at pretty much every QS location.
I would still recommend carrying a water bottle if you're a big water drinker - especially at Magic and Epcot.
Epcot - World Showcase is a B for us; the front section...ugh. We were happy to see Sunshine Seasons open again, but there are only two desserts, and my kids used to love that dessert selection. The salmon and chicken are still good, and the sides are tasty. We love all the food in France and Mexico - all still very solid. The Food and Wine booths we tried were all awesome - the chicken/donut sandwhich had an amazing microgreen garnish and sauce - I loved that! Everthing we tried, we liked. Lots of beverage choices too. The lines were pretty long - that was the only down side.
If you like food, this was a bright spot.
Shughart
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 13, 2013
Not sure if you found one but try ebay/mercari/poshmark for Disney shoppers.
notatallmagic
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 21, 2014
More specific observations - July 22-29 - Cleanliness
Confession - I'm a pretty clean/neat kinda person. And I've mentioned before, my one kid has a dust allergy, so that's a necessary thing for us.
I have to say, this trip was better than June - but we did stay at Pop the whole time. The grounds were very well kept, the pool area was very clean, and they were power washing the balconies and steps while were were there.
The bell desk did a great job getting us what we needed when we called, and there was regular towel and garbage service. All good there, but I do miss the daily cleaning!
Parks were better than I expected; there were a few bathrooms (Jungle Skipper) that were a total wreck, but that was the exception. Buses were rough (sticky, stinky) and very few sanitizer stations had sanitizer in them.
All in all, pleasantly surprised.
Confession - I'm a pretty clean/neat kinda person. And I've mentioned before, my one kid has a dust allergy, so that's a necessary thing for us.
I have to say, this trip was better than June - but we did stay at Pop the whole time. The grounds were very well kept, the pool area was very clean, and they were power washing the balconies and steps while were were there.
The bell desk did a great job getting us what we needed when we called, and there was regular towel and garbage service. All good there, but I do miss the daily cleaning!
Parks were better than I expected; there were a few bathrooms (Jungle Skipper) that were a total wreck, but that was the exception. Buses were rough (sticky, stinky) and very few sanitizer stations had sanitizer in them.
All in all, pleasantly surprised.
notatallmagic
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 21, 2014
Last observation post - Crowds and Wait Times from July 22-29
This was the biggest challenge of this trip. There were simply way too many people in the parks.
We have gone this same week of July for at least the past five years, and this past week was FAR busier than I have ever seen it during this comparable time. It was even far busier than most Spring Breaks we've visited. It was miserable.
We have a specific order that allows us to experience almost all of what we enjoy. We were still able to do that, but if you were a typical family, you would have seen 40 minute minimum waits for very simple attractions, and over hour waits for almost everything else. You could maybe get Animal, Hollywood, and most of Epcot done in a day, but Magic was overwhelmingly busy with crazy waits.
Ride breakdowns were also a real problem. On our first day at Magic, we rope dropped only to have Seven Dwarves, Pirates, and Space ALL broken down at open - so you had a huge pack of very angry people who had just been packed together for over an hour...for nothing. It was UGLY. Not sure why this is happening with such an increased frequency.
It's hard to be told to "set your expectations low" for a vacation that is a once in a lifetime, very expensive splurge for most families. I think the combination of over-crowding, wait times, and attraction breakdowns makes Magic a rough go right now.
We LOVE Happily Ever After! I was very sad to watch it for the last time. But the crowds were totally insane.
This was the biggest challenge of this trip. There were simply way too many people in the parks.
We have gone this same week of July for at least the past five years, and this past week was FAR busier than I have ever seen it during this comparable time. It was even far busier than most Spring Breaks we've visited. It was miserable.
We have a specific order that allows us to experience almost all of what we enjoy. We were still able to do that, but if you were a typical family, you would have seen 40 minute minimum waits for very simple attractions, and over hour waits for almost everything else. You could maybe get Animal, Hollywood, and most of Epcot done in a day, but Magic was overwhelmingly busy with crazy waits.
Ride breakdowns were also a real problem. On our first day at Magic, we rope dropped only to have Seven Dwarves, Pirates, and Space ALL broken down at open - so you had a huge pack of very angry people who had just been packed together for over an hour...for nothing. It was UGLY. Not sure why this is happening with such an increased frequency.
It's hard to be told to "set your expectations low" for a vacation that is a once in a lifetime, very expensive splurge for most families. I think the combination of over-crowding, wait times, and attraction breakdowns makes Magic a rough go right now.
We LOVE Happily Ever After! I was very sad to watch it for the last time. But the crowds were totally insane.
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FreeDiningFanatic
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 18, 2015
Thanks so much for this quick review. There have been so many negative reviews, but I think your strategies (rope drop, midday breaks, ordering ahead) made for a great vacation.
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for sharing!
Makmak
Have Porg, will travel
- Joined
- Apr 22, 2020
I asked this on the AKL thread but no answers so thought I’d check here in case anyone’s at Jambo/Kidani now (or will be soon): is there anywhere at the resort to get bottled water (like a 12 pack etc)? We will Instacart if we need to but we are going for a short time and really if we can get the water pack we can just bring the rest of the essentials. TIA if anyone can help!
Lol...ummm everyone at Disney is there by choice.
Juventus
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Nov 23, 2018
Addressing CMs is not the only way but I agree: if every CM goes back to their supervisor saying there were lots of complaints then changes will have to happen. That's pressure.
The odd complaint by those willing to stop by guest relations: not so much.
I'm not saying throw a tantrum or not abide by the rules, but respectfully letting CMs know about concerns would be fine by me.
The odd complaint by those willing to stop by guest relations: not so much.
I'm not saying throw a tantrum or not abide by the rules, but respectfully letting CMs know about concerns would be fine by me.
cakebaker
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2013
We have not encountered any waits for restrooms really. There are times we’ve found them very busy, but no lines waiting to get in.
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