Advices needed for planning a July 2021 trip

[yaya74]

This trip will be my family's THIRD trip since 2016. We have only visited WDW in early August. Because of covid, our 2020 trip was cancelled. My kids (9 & 13) have been attending school remotely since last March. My family need a break. With the hope that both my husband and I will get vaccinated soon, we are planning to visit WDW during the first week of July. We want to experience the last day of Flower and Garden Festival (we have NEVER been to any festival as there is none in August) and celebrate 4th of July at WDW, which will be a first for my family. We plan to stay at OKW which will also be a first for us.

But I don't know how to plan this trip since covid is still around. My family are ready to wear masks regardless. FP+ is not yet available and we are NOT a family that have the virtue of patience of waiting in line. Many attractions are still closed. I am just scared....

Please share any tips and advices to help me make this trip as pleasant as possible!
TIA!

 

[GBRforWDW]

This trip will be my family's THIRD trip since 2016. We have only visited WDW in early August. Because of covid, our 2020 trip was cancelled. My kids (9 & 13) have been attending school remotely since last March. My family need a break. With the hope that both my husband and I will get vaccinated soon, we are planning to visit WDW during the first week of July. We want to experience the last day of Flower and Garden Festival (we have NEVER been to any festival as there is none in August) and celebrate 4th of July at WDW, which will be a first for my family. We plan to stay at OKW which will also be a first for us.

But I don't know how to plan this trip since covid is still around. My family are ready to wear masks regardless. FP+ is not yet available and we are NOT a family that have the virtue of patience of waiting in line. Many attractions are still closed. I am just scared....

Please share any tips and advices to help me make this trip as pleasant as possible!
TIA!

Going in July will be brutal. Mask wearing will still be around, so you're going to be uncomfortable. That said, maybe that'll be enough to keep crowds away. Just remember water. Lots of water and frequent breaks.

Tips:

Get there as soon as the park unofficially opens. The "Here Now & Just Back WDW Reopening Experiences Including Park Hopping" thread has reports of recent experiences. As your trip gets closer, keep up to date to see what people are saying about transportation, getting into parks, etc.

Most major rides are starting at or near unofficial opening. Know which rides in each park typically open early so you can knock those out with shorter waits. A lot of times, you're better off visiting each ride as you go past, rather than chasing shortest wait time. A lot of times, the posted wait time is exaggerated.

If you're good with indoor dining, I'd do an ADR for each meal in the parks so you have a chance to sit down, breathe and enjoy some air conditioning. Park hours will probably be extended later into the night in the summer, but on our trip, we enjoyed ADRs at or after park close that allowed us to get everything out of the parks before eating while everyone else was leaving. We had a quiet leisurely stroll out of the parks with good photo opportunities.

If you're planning on riding the new Star Wars ride, Rise of the Resistance, keep up with the ”READ POST 1 & 2 FIRST-Rise of the Resistance Boarding Group Planning and Information-*No Spoilers*" thread to know of any changes to the virtual queue system.

In Animal Kingdom, the festival of the Lion King is supposed to return at some point, so keep an eye out for that. DHS has the Frozen show. Otherwise, as you mentioned, there are few shows going on. Best advice is to look for something new to do rather than focus on what's not available. There's still a lot to see and do at Disney World.

 

[SarahC97]

We've been three times in July and the heat is brutal, but you know that since you've been in August before. The masks do add some difficulties. When we went last July with masks we took a break midday every day. Hopefully, the park hours will be extended and you'll be able to enjoy some parks at night when it's cooled off a bit, but I would suggest as the PP did that you get to the park at opening and enjoy a few hours where lines won't be as bad and then go back to your resort and swim, then go back to the park or go to a different park if you're hopping once it's cooled down a bit. We also do a lot of indoor lunches so that we can make sure to have a break in the air conditioning if you're going to try to stick around and brave the heat. Also, there are mask relaxation stations in the parks and some of them are air-conditioned. They're a great place to rest and drink some water as you cool off.

I will say, having been five times since reopening, it's a different experience. You will literally wait for everything. There are lines to get into shops, lines to wait for your mobile order before you can go into a restaurant and find a table, and lines for rides. The lines may look scary but they usually go fast simply because they're physically distanced, but with no fastpass you really don't have much choice but to wait. Have a plan, get there early, and try to enjoy it for what it is right now and I think you'll have a great time. We're going the first week of July too and I'm still really looking forward to it!

 

[MomOTwins]

The lack of fastpass was the biggest adjustment for our family. One thing we dis was split up more. In the “before times” we would all just do the Magic Carpet spinner because it was a walk on with a same-day FP even though it was really just for our youngest, but when you have to wait 30 mins for it, it made more sense for us to split up—one parent with the little guy, and the other would take the older kids on Pirates nearby.

We also did midday breaks every day from after an early lunch to around 4/5pm. Even though we got less done that way due to reduced hours, we needed the break from the heat and a break from waiting in lines. Picking a resort with good transportation is essential for this.

 

[OhStuffandFluff]

The lack of fastpass was the biggest adjustment for our family. One thing we dis was split up more. In the “before times” we would all just do the Magic Carpet spinner because it was a walk on with a same-day FP even though it was really just for our youngest, but when you have to wait 30 mins for it, it made more sense for us to split up—one parent with the little guy, and the other would take the older kids on Pirates nearby.

We also did midday breaks every day from after an early lunch to around 4/5pm. Even though we got less done that way due to reduced hours, we needed the break from the heat and a break from waiting in lines. Picking a resort with good transportation is essential for this.

We will be going in July this year as well. I have considered needing to take breaks each afternoon. Right now we are scheduled to stay at CBR but am wondering if it would be worth the extra cost to stay somewhere closer? Any thoughts on that? TIA!

 

[holden]

Heat will be brutal.

I'd book ADRs to get a break from the heat.

Parks should be less crowded than during a "regular" summer, but you never know.

Park hours will most likely be shorter than the last time you went. For this reason, I think rope drop will be necessary.

 

[SarahC97]

We will be going in July this year as well. I have considered needing to take breaks each afternoon. Right now we are scheduled to stay at CBR but am wondering if it would be worth the extra cost to stay somewhere closer? Any thoughts on that? TIA!

There's not a resort that is close to all the parks, but IMO if you're going to spring for a closer resort, then YC/BC or Boardwalk is where you get the most bang for your buck since you're within walking distance (or boating distance) to two parks. Still, going to MK or AK from one of those resorts and getting in a midday break is going to be complicated. CBR is nice because it easily connects you via skyliner to two parks which can make going back in the middle of the day a lot less complicated but doesn't come with a crazy price tag. It's a good choice.

 

[OhStuffandFluff]

There's not a resort that is close to all the parks, but IMO if you're going to spring for a closer resort, then YC/BC or Boardwalk is where you get the most bang for your buck since you're within walking distance (or boating distance) to two parks. Still, going to MK or AK from one of those resorts and getting in a midday break is going to be complicated. CBR is nice because it easily connects you via skyliner to two parks which can make going back in the middle of the day a lot less complicated but doesn't come with a crazy price tag. It's a good choice.

Thank you!