Be sure to bring your masks. They are required at WDW and the Disney Springs.

We did July 13-17th. Stayed at Wilderness lodge. We also went to MK twice and Epcot once. It's far from "normal" Disney but still plenty to do. Feel free to ask any questions.

mattmb917 said:

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We did July 13-17th. Stayed at Wilderness lodge. We also went to MK twice and Epcot once. It's far from "normal" Disney but still plenty to do. Feel free to ask any questions.

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fireworks?

restaurant / bars open?

waits much shorter? we typically only get our fast passes and a couple others because lines too long.

any concerns about corona?

THANKS!

From the reports I have read no fireworks and lines have been short with limited attendance. Go to disboards.com for better and more up to date updates on the parks.

People say they have felt more safe with the mask requirements and hand sanitizers all around the parks.

Thanks

I just got back from Disney. Very comfortable with the precautions and honestly felt safer there than I do at the grocery store. Don't think I ever came 6 feet from someone. Lots of hand sanitizer on and off the rides and they even spray them down periodically. Longest I waited in line for any ride was 25 minutes, spoiled me for life lol.

Got back yesterday. Did 4 days at the parks.

2x Magic
1x Epcot
1x Hollywood

Pros: short lines, less crowds
Cons: lots of stuff closed due to a lack of demand (such as shopping and dining), masks (i understand the policy; just annoying and you will be called out by cast members if you're not wearing or not wearing properly; you must be eating/drinking AND stationary so don't walk around eating a mickey bar.

As someone pointed out, it's a great time if you want to knock out rides. What's funny is you would say e ticket (high demand attractions) still advertise 40 - 60 minute wait times. The longest my daughter and I waited in ANY line was 35 minutes. The average for even the newest/best rides was about 25 minutes.

Did rise of the resistance (which they just opened back up)....holy crap, was that good!

If this is your first time going or you really enjoy parades, characters, etc, then I would skip and wait until this all blows past us (sorry chris )

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f this is your first time going or you really enjoy parades, characters, etc, then I would skip and wait until this all blows past us (sorry chris)

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Not a problem at all. That is exactly what I recommend to people during this season. When you are spending money for your family to visit Disney parks, I want to make sure you have the best experience.

Glad you had a great time!

If anyone is interested in going, please contact me. I love to assist new and seasoned Disney/Universal travelers!

Our family is considering going at the end of this month for the first time. Our kids are 7, 5, and 3 and have never been, so I'd like to wait until more things are up and running (parades, characters, etc) BUT my husband hates crowds/people/waiting and has always been against a Disney trip. This is the first time he's actually for it, so I'm trying to decide if it's worth going now to take advantage of the low crowds or if we should wait. The older 2 kids will have virtual school so that won't be much of an issue, and the youngest is terrified of people in costume so she won't miss out on the character aspect. However, I know it'll be HOT and miserable. My mother-in-law has offered to go with us to offer an extra set of hands. I'm so torn!

Give me a call and we can discuss availability/concerns.

Was thinking about a possible trip at the end of Aug.

Has anyone been lately? We would just do the parks for a couple days and spend some time checking out the resorts.

Policy is a bit different than in the past for checking out resorts.

I have a family at WDW right now (and I will be there in a little over 3 weeks). Be sure you are comfortable wearing a mask throughout the resort (except around the pool) and at the parks. The crowds are not bad and cast members are doing a great job.

The pic below is around 20 minutes prior to Magic Kingdom closing yesterday.

Contact me and I will be happy to assist!

Take them to the beach or the mountains and be within eye sight but let them roam and explore on their own.,

no lines at the parks. social distancing better than your local grocery store. if you want to ride the rides, it's great (rise of the resistance is still hit or miss though - we got in right before the park closed). not good for character things (pics, meals, etc) because character meals, parades, fireworks are gone (some small parades). because of the decreased hours though you can't take a half-day trip to the pool and come back later and get in the rest of the rides so prepare for long days if you want to get in all of them. we went 3 days straight rope drop until we got in all our rides and walked about 5-8 miles each day. it wasn't that tough and certainly much better than having somebody standing next to you all day. we didn't get the late afternoon rain either so it was kinda hotter than normal.

disney springs is a little more crowded because the parks close early so expect that. they can't police the corona rules as well down there so expect some karens every now and then. they do check temps before entrance though.

We have a trip reserved for Thanksgiving with kids age 9, 6, and twin 2-year olds. With the mask requirements for age 2 and over we're thinking that we'll have to cancel. I can't see getting both of them to wear a mask.

The problem is we don't know when to reschedule.

Give me a call or send me an email and I can explain some options for you.

Any indication when the fireworks and extended hours will start again? Parades not a big deal, but hoping there might be some changes by late November...

regurkmatt said:

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Any indication when the fireworks and extended hours will start again? Parades not a big deal, but hoping there might be some changes by late November...

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No announcements have been made. Still shorten hours as September 8 through November.

We just booked with Costco for Dec 30-Jan 4 into the Swan. 4 days in the parks. Very interested to see what it'll be like.

We dropped into the Magic Kingdom for a day on Jan 2 of this year before taking the Disney cruise out of Canaveral (I will never go on a cruise again). The MK was pretty dang crowded then.

Make sure you get your park reservations completed as soon as possible!

A quick note about my service versus Costco. If you have questions when you book a trip through me, you will be able to contact me. You will not get an 800 number and be placed on hold and speak to someone who may or may not know anything about the resort or ship. They likely have not toured the resort/ship or know much about the rooms to help you select. I have experience and can provide tips/suggestions to make the trip amazing. If anything goes wrong, I am your advocate. Costco is an order taker and that is what you will get... a room from someone who specializes in selling toilet paper.

I will care about your trip as if it is my own and will make sure you feel confident and prepared to have an amazing vacation!

Some thoughts after a few days while @ WDW...

-There is limited seating on buses. There are 8 seating options where the bus driver can place you on the bus. Buses can quickly fill up. This can be a frustrating point for some guests (especially at popular resorts....Pop Century looked rough). Staying at a resort with the Disney Skyliner is a huge positive right now.

-As you know, the parks shut down early nowadays. This also means the monorail shuts down early (1 hour after park closure). This comes into play for evening dining. There are guests dining at parks/resorts after close that have to utilize buses instead. There is a "monorail resorts" and "TTC" bus that will get you to those locations at the bus stop area of monorail resorts. People are paying a premium to stay at monorail resorts, so it is a bit frustrating.

-Moving on to facemasks.....highly recommend the cloth Disney facemasks. They are easier to wear than "hospital" masks. There are size variations, so grab the right one (XL stock is limited). You can't beat the price of $6/each.

-The amount of stores closed (probably around 75%) in Epcot is jaw dropping. It is also difficult to get around the construction surrounding Spaceship Earth. When you add in the restaurant closures and weekend Food & Wine booth lines, it makes for a rough park visit. Btw, Test Track is strictly a ride (no building vehicles).

-Disney Springs has been fantastic for dining. It is more crowded in the evenings, but the food offerings are worth it. Make sure to make advanced dining reservations. I saw a few people walk up and were told long waits.

-I would encourage people to try to stay away from Epcot and Magic Kingdom on weekends right now. The standby line times have doubled since three weeks ago for MK.

-Disney really needs to open additional quick service restaurants at parks......it makes the lunch rush intense.


Feel free to contact me for a free quote. There are no additional costs for my services and you will be helping out a fellow Aggie!

We will be there with plans to do all 4 parks Dec 30 - Jan 3 (travel days not included). What order would you suggest to visit each park (Thurs-Sun)?

Normally this is a crazy time to go. The most busy time period of the year. EPCOT can get very crazy New Years Eve with the drinking. Magic Kingdom also gets very crowed because of special fireworks. Usually Animal Kingdom is the best bet for the 31st. Now, who knows what will be going on with park hopping and crowd limits. The Studios are very crowded now with the new rides. Good luck and don't plan to much or you could get disappointed.

I would likely go....

12/31 - Epcot - The park stays open until 9, so you can stay or head over to celebrate New Year's at the resort or Disney Springs.
1/1 - Animal Kingdom - Park has the fewest rides/shows available. Make it an easy day after a fun night.
1/2 - Hollywood Studios - Try your luck and hope you get a queue spot on ROTR.
1/3 - Magic Kingdom - finish off the trip with MK and likely also see lighter crowds due to folks traveling back.

The park capacity will be much less and hopefully the standby lines operate well.

We are considering a trip around the same time frame...when will DW announce park hours for Dec and Jan?

The most disappointing attraction in the midst of all of this is Mickey and Minnie's runaway railway. The intro to that ride is incredible

At Disney now. We were supposed to go in April, but got pushed due to covid. Sucks wearing a mask outside in 90+ Degree weather. They are very strict about it. Lots of things different.

It's our sons first time so he doesn't know the difference and is having a good time and that's what matters most to me.

If you are a Disney regular then I'd probably hold off on coming until mask policy is lifted and things return to normal. It's just not the same.

Lilchris, are all of the Disney World hotels limited guests? Any hotels particularly "safe" or limited guests?

Please see link below regarding Disney Resorts and how they are handling the situation. Be sure to check out the "Cleaning" section on the page for more details. I was at Animal Kingdom Lodge (and a couple other resorts) a couple weeks ago. There are definitely fewer guests at the resorts and the staff are cleaning areas throughout the day. I would say Disney is doing an exceptional job.

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/experience-updates/resorts/

I have an adult trip scheduled for Mid November for my wife and I for a Friday and Saturday. Thinking of doing EPCOT and MK. It looks like the wait lines are back to being long again. Has anybody been lately? Any tips especially with no Fast Pass right now? Any suggestion on places to eat?

This week is pretty busy due to Fall Break for many students. The parks are going to be more crowded than what many saw in July/August. People are going back on vacations. I imagine you can expect less crowds in mid-November (as long as it isn't bumping to Thanksgiving week). If you are visiting that weekend, I expect crowds to pick up around Thursday.

There are only stand-by lines, so you can expect to wait. The wait times posted seem long, but you can expect to wait less than that time (we usually saw wait times of 50-75% of what was posted). I have noticed the lines drop quite a bit about 2 hours prior to park closure.

When it comes to dining, are you looking at eating at the parks, resorts, or Disney Springs?

Never been to Disney, but my wife and I are gonna be in Orlando/Cocoa Beach over Thanksgiving. Was thinking about doing a day each at Universal/Disney. $140 to stand in line 75% of the time seems like a massive waste to me at this point, especially if not everything is open right now. Maybe I'm just penny pinching.

Room/Ticket discount vacation packages became available this morning for travel through December 25th. Contact me if you are interested in a quote.

BTW, I am also seeing the opportunity to book late 2021 trips now if you want to book in advance.