You may be thinking that visiting Walt Disney World in the middle of the pandemic would not be safe and would not be magical. Well, I’m here to tell you that this is not true! Let me explain why…...
Safety First!
We visited Walt Disney World in November and Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend and can attest that we felt safer at the parks than we do at our local shopping malls. Disney takes the safety of its cast members and guests very seriously. Here are some of the ways they do:
Reminders of the safety precautions and requirements were present throughout the airport. We choose to use Disney's Magical Express to get to our resort hotel. There were signs indicating the physical distance requirements and blue tape on the floor letting you know where you should stand.
The Magical Express bus driver played an Incredibles short video on safety steps as a reminder to all passengers (as seen by the below video by Disney Parks used for both Disneyland and the Walt Disney World Resort).
Guests are advised to check in via the My Disney Experience app (even before making it to Orlando) in order to bypass the front desk and head straight to the room once it's ready. There are also reminders of this upon entering the resort in addition to the face covering policy. This check-in procedure helped to decrease exposure and quite frankly made it super quick and efficient after a long flight.
Enhanced cleaning protocols are also very present. These were explained on a little plaque in the room and items normally touched by guests (tv remote, shampoo dispenser,etc.) were covered in plastic with a ‘Clean’ sticker. Cast members enter the room every second day to do light cleaning.
Cast members all wore face coverings and they monitor the number of guests in the gift shops as well as in quick service areas. At the parks some cast members had the responsibility of reminding guests to wear face coverings and to physical distance. They have a really tough job, but do it in typical Disney fashion.
The hotel restaurants and dining in the parks strongly encourage the use of mobile ordering. Mobile ordering is straightforward and easy:
You log into your My Disney Experience (MDE) app
Click on Mobile Food Orders (or scan the QR code at the dining location)
Click Create New Order
Select a restaurant and an Arrival Window (time to pick up your order)
View the menu, make your selections and place your order
You will receive a message to push a “Prepare My Order” button during your arrival window (hint, it helps to do that as soon as it appears to start preparing your order)
You will see a “We’re Preparing Your Order” screen
Once your order is ready you will show the cast member and be directed where to pick up your order
At table service meals we used QR codes on a paper-based pamphlet to review the menus for each. Signs were placed at tables that were not available for health/safety reasons.
Using Disney transportation (whether buses, the skyliner or water craft) physical distancing is promoted. On the bus we were assigned a seat number (seats either 2 or 4 per number). Stickers were placed on seats that were not to be occupied. Dividers added to separate parties.
On the Skyliner there is a limit of one party per gondola. All parties must disembark at the Carribean beach station and board a new gondola to the next leg of their trip. On water crafts each bench was limited to a party of two and clear plastic dividers were placed between each bench.
Daily entry to the parks was set up to physically distance guests in line, for speedy temperature checks, security screening with minimal contact and orderly entry using your magic band or ticket.
Queues on the lines appear very long, but that is due to physical distancing requirements. Cast members are standing by to show you the end of the line. In some instances we got to see little details we would normally miss if using a FastPass.
Clear plastic dividers have been added to many inside queue lines and rides for safety, like Rise of the Resistance and Flight of Passage.
The Magic is still there!
Some may boohoo about the lack of FastPasses, fireworks or parades. While we love and miss them, make no mistake the magic is still there and in some cases even better with several new additions. For example….
The Cavalcades are an awesome addition to the Magic Kingdom and EPCOT. We loved the fact that you don’t know when they are coming until you hear their introductory music.
Also, they are pretty frequent and often come two or three groupings within a matter of a few minutes. That makes for less crowding and having to give up prime park time scoping out a good seat for the parades. We hope Disney keeps these when we get back to normal, especially with the holiday offerings. They are so special.
The flotillas in the Animal Kingdom and the mini parades with characters in cars at
Hollywood Studios provide that same excitement that the cavalcades do too!
Princess and Fab Five sightings at the Main Street station is another magical addition. The princesses, 4 or so at a time, stand at the top of the train station and wave to those passing by. This again is a surprise and happens multiple times a day. Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Daisy and Pluto also make appearances at the station. This was great for getting up close pictures. Previously it would have been near impossible to see that many characters in one day.
The Dapper Dans on the Main Street trolley brings back all memories of seeing them in the past.
Winnie the Pooh and Joy playing on the grass by Journey into Imagination was a wonderful experience. We spotted Joy first skipping as she held a pinwheel turning in the wind. She was playful and you could see that she was having fun. Winnie the Pooh hands down was the most fun. He posed for Marisa for so many photos. Again you could see he was having fun as well. Character meet and greets in the classic sense don’t have that spontaneous feel while these did.
During our November trip the castle projections were gorgeous! They rotated between four designs and were accompanied by traditional holiday music. Since they were continually playing from around 6 pm until well after park close the crowds you would usually experience did not happen. You could enjoy the projections without someone blocking your view and take tons of pictures! Also you could watch a little, go on a ride or eat and then come back to watch more. You cannot do that with scheduled fireworks shows.
So is it safe? Absolutely! Is the Magic still there? Absolutely! We can’t hide the fact that those first steps down Main Street were joyful and we cried the whole way to the castle.
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