Here Now & Just Back WDW Reopening Experiences Including Park Hopping

[ww52]

We'll be in the "World" in a few days. After planning and cancelling a trip in 2020 we are ALL very excited (all 11 of us, including 4 of my grandkids)

In our last trip (2018) we really enjoyed the opening show (right before rope drop) at MK but only 2 of the grandkids were there at that trip (number 4 was on her way so that family stayed home).

I think I read that the opening ceremony with so many characters at the Castle is still not performed. Can anyone recently there verify that?

I get the idea that we can't expect all the restrictions in place to be undone all at once. And this one I assume is more a matter of staffing and rehearsals etc than safety (we're all going congregate for rope drop with or without the show). Just disappointed I guess.

Disappointment that will go away approximately a half second after we start walking through the castle.

 

[scrappinginontario]

Many people get the rash around their ankles, or above their ankles.

You can find out more information by running a search on golfer's rash or Disney rash.
I've never had it but I have read lots of trip reports from people who have gotten it.

I guess I get it most trips too. I just chalked it up to being on my feet so much more than normal. I don't find it itchy or anything, it's just there.

 

[LeslieLou]

7:22 departed AKL Jambo bus stop. Bus happened to be there when we walked up
7:45 thru security, tapstiles and waiting at space rope (didn’t try for 7dmt rope since we were lateish)
8:00 rope drop walk and caught up to the CMs.
8:05 on space
8:20 enter Peter Pan queue 5 min wait actually 20
Stopped for coffee and donut holes on our walk to BTMR
Note splash was closed for a few hours this am
915 entered queue posted wait 20 mins and was fairly accurate
Walked back and did buzz 2x and mobile ordered dole whips
Splash opened sometime late morning but we departed to rest and miss the rain. Picking up cake at GF and heading to CG for dinner tonight debating park plans later
Tomorrow is our first shot for ROTR

 

[LeslieLou]

We'll be in the "World" in a few days. After planning and cancelling a trip in 2020 we are ALL very excited (all 11 of us, including 4 of my grandkids)

I think I read that the opening ceremony with so many characters at the Castle is still not performed. Can anyone recently there verify that?

did not see or hear an opening this morning but could have missed it!

 

[WEDWDW]

Hopefully this picture from Epcot Monorail Station earlier today is speaking a Thousand words!

 

[Jennyonecoin]

HS report: We entered the park around 3:45 or so. I grabbed a Tower of Terror DAS while my son and husband went on Star Tours. They said it was a walk-on! After they were off Star Tours we headed to Runaway Railway. We waited 33 min in line-the posted wait was 40 min. After Runaway we went on Tower with the DAS. After ToT they headed to pick up our mobile order from Woodys Lunchbox while I grabbed a DAS for Slinky. I wasn’t a huge fan of the food here-the brisket sandwich was okay but I thought the tots were inedible. The skies started to look really ominous so we ate our dinner pretty quickly and made our way over to Midway Mania. Apparently this was everyone else’s idea too because we were in that queue what felt like forever.

We finally exited TSM and went to use the Slinky DAS just to discover that it was down. We hopped over to Alien Swirling Saucers instead. While we were about to line up I saw Slinky running so we exited the queue and BOOKED it over to Slinky (the skies were still super dark and I didn’t know how long Slinky would be running). We walked right on! After Slinky we caught one more ride on ToT. All in all a successful night but the waits were more intense than they were at rope drop. We plan to hit the Galaxy’s Edge side of the park on our next HS day.

We were probably with you! We were also on the swirling saucers when my son saw slinky came back up. Our family also booked it off the saucers and right over to walk on slinky

 

[leannak]

We went to the French bakery around noon last week and there were only a couple of people in line in front of us. We waited a good 20 minutes or so before giving up because the line didn’t budge, even one party. There were only 3 people behind the counter, one helping people who couldn’t seem to make up their mind, another helping someone but the CM was walking and moving extremely slowly, like she was half asleep or daydreaming, and the other was very slowly and delicately situating and rearranging pastries in the display cases like she was creating an art display and was the only person in the room. I get and appreciate that, but it’s frustrating to watch when you’re hungry and just want to spend your money. It was a very strange experience.

 

[dnw25]

We went to the French bakery around noon last week and there were only a couple of people in line in front of us. We waited a good 20 minutes or so before giving up because the line didn’t budge, even one party. There were only 3 people behind the counter, one helping people who couldn’t seem to make up their mind, another helping someone but she was walking and moving extremely slowly, like she was half asleep or daydreaming, and the other was very slowly and delicately situating and rearranging pastries in the display cases like she was creating an art display and was the only person in the room. I get and appreciate that, but it’s frustrating to watch when you’re hungry and just want to spend your money. It was a very strange experience.

yes the France pavilion desperately needs more staffing. Maybe with the college program starts it will get better.

 

[Principessa]

We'll be in the "World" in a few days. After planning and cancelling a trip in 2020 we are ALL very excited (all 11 of us, including 4 of my grandkids)

In our last trip (2018) we really enjoyed the opening show (right before rope drop) at MK but only 2 of the grandkids were there at that trip (number 4 was on her way so that family stayed home).

I think I read that the opening ceremony with so many characters at the Castle is still not performed. Can anyone recently there verify that?

I get the idea that we can't expect all the restrictions in place to be undone all at once. And this one I assume is more a matter of staffing and rehearsals etc than safety (we're all going congregate for rope drop with or without the show). Just disappointed I guess.

Disappointment that will go away approximately a half second after we start walking through the castle.

Just back yesterday! No Shows at the Castle. Still Characters you can wave to from below: characters are up on the train station platform by the entrance to the park. Winnie the Pooh and friends; another time it's Gaston, Jasmine, Moana, etc. On the cavalcades down mainstreet: Merida, Princess float with 8 of the top names: Cinderella, etc.
It's fun, but I did miss the excitement of the castle show.

 

[Principessa]

yes the France pavilion desperately needs more staffing. Maybe with the college program starts it will get better.

On the other hand, this is typical of being in France. You are served when you are served, not before. It's leisurely : )

 

[ww52]

OK - another question which I assume is pertinent for this forum -

I am seeing on my app some crazy sounding wait times. For example - 45 minutes for the boat ride in the Mexico pavilion. In all the times we've been there we literally NEVER had to wait in line; we walked through the "snake" line and by the time we got to the front we were being loaded. It was always a great "one more ride" when my kids were small and it was last time with two of my grandkids as well.

Is that indicative of how things are all over? I recall one Unofficial Guide comment saying "if there is a long wait for Small World, it's going to be a rough day". I think that applies MORE so for the boat ride in Mexico.

Sounds like maybe it's a rough day every day now that capacity is increased?

EDIT - I love the title of this thread; reminds me Bilbo Baggins "There and Back Again".

 

[dnw25]

OK - another question which I assume is pertinent for this forum -

I am seeing on my app some crazy sounding wait times. For example - 45 minutes for the boat ride in the Mexico pavilion. In all the times we've been there we literally NEVER had to wait in line; we walked through the "snake" line and by the time we got to the front we were being loaded. It was always a great "one more ride" when my kids were small and it was last time with two of my grandkids as well.

Is that indicative of how things are all over? I recall one Unofficial Guide comment saying "if there is a long wait for Small World, it's going to be a rough day". I think that applies MORE so for the boat ride in Mexico.

Sounds like maybe it's a rough day every day now that capacity is increased?

we walked right on Saturday night at 9:00. Honestly, other evenings around 7:00 the line was huge. They even had it broken up into segments with CM watching to make sure no one cut. Crazy. I would imagine during the day the lines won't be long.

 

[ww52]

other evenings around 7:00 the line was huge. They even had it broken up into segments with CM watching to make sure no one cut.

For the boat ride in Mexico? Did they add something like a big drop or virtual reality or something I didn't read about.

 

[dnw25]

For the boat ride in Mexico? Did they add something like a big drop or virtual reality or something I didn't read about.

we were shocked honestly. but thinking about it, test track was over an hour always and everything else could be done quickly and outside of eating and drinking nothing else left to do in future world and WS just frozen and this. sort of made sense. But we had never seen anything like that on any of our many prior visits.

With all the construction and surprising number of places in WS not yet open or closing early, epcot was a mess in our opinion and truly not much to do. We LOVE epcot but barely spent any time there in our 9 day trip staying at an IG hotel.

 

[ww52]

But we had never seen anything like that on any of our many prior visits.

Maybe they are giving out cerveza gratis?

 

[NotTheBatesMotel]

We were probably with you! We were also on the swirling saucers when my son saw slinky came back up. Our family also booked it off the saucers and right over to walk on slinky

I'm pretty sure I saw you! That's amazing.

 

[AnnabelleTheTalkingTree]

For example - 45 minutes for the boat ride in the Mexico pavilion.

There was a 45 minute wait for that same ride when we were there in May 2019. Blew my mind, bc WHY? It wasn't even Cinco de Mayo!

 

[lovethattink]

It seems it’s either long and winding, or short and walk up. If we can’t get right into the pyramid, we skip it.

 

[Dakota731]

I guess I get it most trips too. I just chalked it up to being on my feet so much more than normal. I don't find it itchy or anything, it's just there.

Does it come from socks? We always wear flip flops so maybe that’s why our family has never had it

 

[Boopuff]

Maybe it's just me, but I don't get the point of a theme park helicopter tour??

Funny, I thought the same thing! “Hey kids let’s fly over Disney it will be just as much fun!” (And annoying to everyone!)