A few weeks ago, my family and I traveled to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, to celebrate my brother’s birthday. My family had not been in a while, and there was a ton of new stuff we wanted to check out. We purchased the 3-day Florida Resident Disney Magic Flex Ticket that I highlighted last week on the blog. For our first two days, we went to Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom. We have our third day planned for mid-November, so fingers crossed for cooler weather.
While we have been to Disney tons of times, we knew that this would be our most unique visit yet. From the mask policy to social distancing, we knew Disney would look a lot different. We were optimistically hopeful for smaller crowded and shorter wait times on rides we have not been able to get on in the past. Unfortunately, Disney is as busy as ever, even with a limited capacity. Disney has not released what these capacity numbers are, but the parks did seem crowded for an October in the middle of a global pandemic.
Before you attempt to visit the parks, you will need to prebook both your ticket and secure a park reservation through their new reservation system. There is no park hopping available because of the limited capacity, and weekend dates often go fast, especially for Hollywood Studios; if you are looking to go, make sure you book in advance.
While I normally hit up the parks about once a year and know a lot of tips and tricks (like how to visit all four parks in one day), these are some of the things I learned while visiting the parks during this “new normal.”
- You will need to wear a mask.
- Disney has implemented a ton of new safety protocols including masks and temperature checks. You are required to get a temperature check before entering any of the parks and Disney Springs. If you are like me and fail the temperature check because it’s Florida and 100 degrees, don’t worry; they will help you cool off and take your temperature again. Masks are the main requirement when visiting the parks. You must wear a mask fitted around your nose and mouth. If you think you can take a break and walk around without it, you are wrong. I saw multiple cast members chase down guests to remind them of the policy. Masks are only allowed to be removed while eating or drinking, and you must be stationary to do so. Check here for all of their mask guidelines.
- Lines will look longer because of social distancing.
- Disney has implemented social distancing for all their lines, including food and drink lines. Lines will often extend well beyond the entrance of the ride and crowd general walking areas. When we went to visit Pandora at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the line for one of the rides extended well outside the Pandora land area for about a 45 minute wait. There is also plexiglass installed in some of the queues to allow for extra protection. Don’t let these long lines intimidate you. We often found they were 10-20 minutes quicker than the posted time.
- There is no Fast Pass system.
- I plan all my Disney trips around Fast Passes. It is a great way to skip lines on popular attractions and make the most out of your day. Unfortunately, Disney has suspended the Fast Pass system to focus on social distancing of the general queue. This is probably the biggest bummer as we were not able to do everything we wanted to do because of the inability to skip lines throughout the day.
- A lot of retail stores are closed.
- I’m not exactly sure what the reasoning is for not all the retail stores being open besides limiting mass contact of items in the store. But do note if you plan on purchasing anything while in the parks that your choices may be limited.
- Not all restaurants are open.
- Restaurants fall under the same boat. You will find that not all restaurants and food outlets are open. Lines will be long, and seating will be limited to practice social distancing. Disney has really tried to get guests to use their mobile ordering system. Unfortunately, this was down during our visit, but I will report back when I go again in November.
- Free water is available.
- Pro tip! You can get free glasses of water at any of the restaurants. While we were waiting in line, someone was walking around offering free glasses of water while we waited. So if you want to save a few bucks and not buy a $3.00 bottle of water, check out a restaurant nearby and ask for a glass of water.
- Not all attractions are open.
- During our visit we went to both Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom, so this was a huge bummer. I was really looking forward to finally seeing the Lion King show at Animal Kingdom, but unfortunately, Disney has not opened all of their show-like attractions. Be sure to check out the My Disney Experience app to see what shows are running and any ride closures during your visit.
- There is limited capacity on rides.
- As I am sure you figured, Disney is limiting the number of guests on rides to practice social distancing. We noticed that, for roller coasters, they will fill every other row by party. Rides that could hold multiple families will often only hold one, and rides that have a larger grouping will be spaced out and have plexiglass separating parties. This does make the line go a bit slower, but I felt safe on all the rides we went on.
- No character meet and greets.
- For little and big kids alike, I know it will be a huge bummer not to hug Mickey Mouse or your favorite Disney princess. But don’t worry, while you may not be able to have your 1-on-1 photo opportunity with your favorite character, you can still see the characters around the park in pop-up parades, as well as stationed throughout the park, socially distanced from all guests. At Animal Kingdom, you can expect characters to float out on pontoon boats around the park.
- It’s still the most magical place on earth.
- Although Disney looks a little different these days, it is still the most magical place on earth.