Here Now & Just Back - A Place To Share Your Recent Experiences

[Befferk]

My question is for the ones that has returned. I keep reading where people feel that "the parks feel very crowded". I just wanted to know if anyone is letting Disney know how your trip felt when you visited? If it felt crowded now, I can image how it will feel come the Christmas holidays.

I hope EVERYONE is giving them feedback about their trip, good and bad.

 

[katyringo]

Good morning! We have returned from our quick 5 day trip (and our first time staying off property in about 10 years!). We hadn't planned to visit WDW this year, but $25 flights on Jetblue changed our minds and we needed to get away after 7 months of working and schooling from home.

We went to MK on Saturday October 10, and DHS on Monday October 12. The other days we just relaxed, went to the pool, DS, and did work/school from the hotel. It was by far our least packed WDW trip ever.

To start, some background on us: We are WDW vets and super planners, and came from NYC where masks and social distancing have been a part of life for about 6 months now. We understand the dangers of COVID but also consider ourselves to be logical and think you're able to live life to an extent while still being careful and safe by taking the proper precautions.

Like others have said countless times, I think the most important thing to keep in mind right now is to manage your expectations and forget experiencing anything close to July/August crowds. Those are over. Understand the new reality and work with it.

MASKS & SOCIAL DISTANCING
I'd rate compliance at a strong 95%. Social distancing in some parts of the parks and DS is now completely impossible and not even feasible. This didn't really bother me, as I am not one to think that quickly passing by someone less than 6 feet away while wearing a mask will be the death of me. But if this is an issue you're concerned about, it might be time to either recalibrate your expectations or rethink your trip altogether. There are plenty of areas of the parks where this is not the case, but places like Fantasyland, Adventureland, Toy Story Land and SWGE are packed on busy days in the morning and afternoon.

I will say this - we noticed a lot of quick sips of water while waiting in lines. This did not bother us and we were guilty of it too. It was disgustingly hot out (real feels of 100). It is important to stay hydrated. If a quick pull down of a mask for a sip of water from someone 6 feet away in line is going to bother you, be aware that it is going to happen. It was by no means a constant thing, but we noticed it enough and again, it never bothered us.

People seem to be really good at social distancing in ride lines. It can be difficult if you have a large party since the markers are spaced out every 6 feet and a group of 6 can't squeeze together in a 4-foot wide space. So we were understanding if people weren't exactly on their markers and only twice did we have to say something to people who were literally almost on top of us. My wife joked that she needed a stick like Cartman to keep people away.

But the big takeaway for me is it's all about perception. I have read so many people on here saying that mask compliance is horrible at the parks...we just didn't see that. I was actually impressed.

CROWDS
Again - perception and personal comfort. Even though capacity is capped at 25% (and I have seen some internal numbers that support this), it does feel like more because of all the stores and restaurants closed, the extended lines, and the reduced ride capacity. I noticed at both MK and DHS that people really start to leave around 4. It never felt like a zoo to me, or overwhelming. It was busy in places, but it's been that way for a month now. I can't think of a single time I felt uncomfortable. If I had to put a number on in, I'd say both of our park days "felt" like 5s.

MK DAY (SATURDAY OCT 10)
I am a planner, and the parks are busy enough now that a good plan is necessary on weekends and busy days. Rope Drop is essential. According to TP, this was the busiest MK day since reopening.

We took an Uber from the Wyndham to Contemporary so we could walk and beat the bus/car crowds. I placed a mobile order with Contempo Cafe but the gate guard just let us in without question (YMMV). When we arrived at temp check at 8:10, it was already open and busses were already arriving. I got worried that we were way behind already and that they had started running things even earlier because of the holiday crowds. We got right through temp check, security and tapstiles very quickly and were in front of the castle by 8:20.

Here's the rundown of our day:

Arrived at SDMT at 8:24 and were on by 8:40
BTTM had a posted 15 minute wait when we got there at 8:55, which was accurate
We had planned to ride Splash next, but it was not operating yet
Moved over to Pirates, which was a 9 minute wait (posted 5)
Splash was still down, and so was Haunted Mansion so we walked over to Space
At 9:45, Space was posting a 60 minute wait. We were on in 36
Our daughter then really wanted to ride Speedway, so we waited 15 minutes for that (posted 25)
While we were in line for Speedway, Splash began operating around 10:45 so we decided to go there next, knowing that the line would only get worse
Splash was posting a 60 minute wait as we walked over, and changed to 90 right after we got in line. We waited exactly 60 minutes for it

At that point, it was 12:20 and we needed a break. One of the big differences right now with masks and heat is that breaks (IMO) are necessary. You don't realize how much you walk and drink and eat until you can't. In fact, I carried that stupid breakfast sandwich order from Contempo Cafe with me until after SDMT because at no point did I want to stop and eat it and lose valuable morning time in the park haha. After SDMT, my wife basically forced me to just stop and take 5 minutes to eat.

We did a little shopping and then made one of the best decisions: took the monorail to get lunch at The Wave!

I highly recommend going to the Wave for lunch for 2 reasons: number one, it's indoors and you get a nice break in the AC for an hour or so. Secondly, it's comparable in price to a good QS meal inside the park and for better food. I had "budgeted" about $60 for our MK park lunch and it was just about that for The Wave. I was very happy with this decision and reservations for The Wave are plentiful even on the same day.

We walked back over to MK, refreshed and ready to keep going.
13 minute wait for Pooh (posted 20)
40 minute wait for Pan (posted 40) but I am pretty sure we hit our only cleaning cycle during this wait because we were stopped for a good 15 minutes
17 minute wait for Buzz (posted 30)
30 minute Starbucks break (this was around 4p and we sat and watched hoards of people leaving the parks at this point)
5 minute wait for Tea Party (posted 10)
5 minute wait for Dumbo (posted 5)
10 minute wait for Barnstormer (posted 15)
10 minute wait for Mermaid (posted 25)
24 minute wait for Haunted Mansion (posted 40)

At the end of the day, we were able to hit everything on our list except Small World. Breaks are essential in the heat with masks on. Save the majority of Fantasyland for later in the day. Rope drop and knock out 2-3 big rides early and then try to stay 1 step ahead of the crowds. We had an excellent day and capped it with a great dinner at Skipper Canteen in the butterfly booth!

DHS DAY (MONDAY OCTOBER 12)
We took an Uber to the Speedway and walked to DHS. We arrived at the makeshift lines at 8:22 and there were about 30 people ahead of us divided into 2 lines.

As others have said, take the line to the left. They have more temp check stations on the left and you'll get through quicker once they start moving people over.

We were moved over to temp check at about 8:45 and were held there until exactly 9. By this time, there were at least 300 people behind us. I'm glad we arrived so early. We were 2nd in line at one of the temp check tents and through that, security and the tapstiles by 9:02.

We arrived at MMRR at 9:04 and were 6th in line!!! We were SO excited and happy with our decision to arrive so early. They began operating the ride really early and we were on at 9:16. Very cute and well done! The more I think about it, the more I love it. When we walked outside, the line was absolutely insane and all day my daughter couldn't get over how quick we rode it compared to the current lines. It's great to have a little one that is 100% down with planning and maximizing time like we are.

We decided to head over to Slinky and got in line at 9:25, with an announced wait of 60 minutes. They began operating at 9:30 and the actual wait was 50 minutes.

During our Slinky wait, the moment of truth arrived. What I had been planning and practicing for for 3 weeks. Everyone in view had their phones out by 9:55 just waiting. 10:00 hits...Boarding Group 4!!!! My hands would not stop shaking for 5 minutes. We were so happy. All that practice paid off!

BG4 was called at 10:11 and we walked over and got in line at 10:30. We were off the ride by 11. No spoilers, but it was incredible.

At that point, we had been "going" since 8:30 waiting in lines and decided to take a break from 11 until 12:30. We did some shopping and went to the Launch Bay relaxation station, which was great. We actually used it twice that day and both times almost no one was inside. Highly recommended.

Waited 20 minutes for Star Tours at 12:35 (posted 35 minutes)
Waited 15 minutes for TSMM (posted 30)
Ate lunch at Docking Bay 7 from 1:50-2:30
MFSR was posted at 45 and that was about right. We got to Hondo after 38 minutes
15 minute wait for Saucers (posted 20)

At this point, it was 4:00 and my wife had a Savi's appointment at 5:05. We contemplated RnRC but didn't want to chance it since you are asked to check in 15 minutes early, so we decided to take another break and go to some stores.

We checked into Savi's and they were running behind. They were very firm about not letting all of us (me, wife, 11-yr-old daughter) in together. I understood and didn't fight it, but we had to try and ask. I had done it last year, so my wife took our daughter in with her.

After she was finished at 5:45, we walked on to Muppets. It had been years since we had done this and a lot of the jokes now really landed with our daughter since she's older.

We had wanted to ride RnRC and kept pushing it because of the wait and this ended up being my one big miscalculation. Since merch hold at the front of the park is closed, RnRC is really the only ride that you can't safely bring a lightsaber on. We did not want to do rider switch with our daughter because she wasn't excited to ride it to begin with. So we skipped it. No big deal, we've done it 100 times. But in hindsight I should have thought about the lightsaber issue earlier and gone to ride before the Savi's reservation.

We finished up with one more ride on MFSR. It was a posted 45 minute wait at 6:30 and took us 34 to get to Hondo. Then we took some photos with the new lightsaber and went to our dinner at 50s Prime Time.

THINGS I MISSED
1. Seeing CMs smile, and smiling back
2. Character meets (although it was a nice change this trip to not worry about them, and be able to get more done)
3. Photopass and taking photos in general. We took a few here and there but with masks on it just felt...weird. This was definitely our least photographed trip.
4. Nighttime at the parks

FINAL THOUGHTS
Overall, we had a really good time and I'm glad we came. That said, I would NOT recommend anyone go right now for their first time. While the magic is still there, it's noticeably muted. You can tell some CMs are miserable, but overall they were great. We only had a handful of interactions that left a lot to be desired.

I did not miss staying on property as much as I thought I would! We loved the 5 minute walk to DS and just took Ubers anywhere else we needed to go. Once (if) social distancing is over and busses can be filled again, I'm sure we'll stay back on property but it all sounds like too much of a wait/hassle at the moment.

Thanks to everyone in the last month or so who has made posts like this and informed others like me who were planning. These really help. Without this group, I never would have known about getting dropped off at Speedway, or being able to practice getting a ROTR BG from home, or a dozen other things that are different now. This is a great community and I hope this post helped someone like so many helped me!

this is spectacular and I’m gonna print it off. 4 days and we will be there! Did you use a touring plan to decide what order to do things in MK?

 

[Turk February]

Thank you for such a detailed report! Amazing information. A few questions for you on your Contempo breakfast. I'm thinking of doing the same thing to be able to grab breakfast on the fly and be efficient that morning. How much time would you say it took you from arriving at the Contemporary to leaving (so how long to get to the Contempo, pick up your food, and be back on your way)? What method did you use to get from Contemporary to MK? Bus, Monorail, boat (sorry if I missed that part)?

Ok so I hit 'prepare order' in the app when we left Wyndham because it's about a 8-10 minute drive but I waited a good 10 minutes after arriving for my order to be ready and that's only because I asked again and it just happened to be sitting there. I think they forgot to hit 'finished' on their end to let me know it was ready.

BUT

If your order is ready when you get there, it's 2 quick escalator rides up to Contempo from the lobby, pick your order up, 2 quick rides down, and then you're outside. It could take all of 5 minutes if it times out right. The walk to temp check and security from the Contemporary walkway is about 5 minutes and then you just walk to the tapstiles at MK and you're in!

I called my wife when we left Contempo at 8:05, we were at temp check at 8:10, and in front of the castle at 8:21.

 

[Turk February]

this is spectacular and I’m gonna print it off. 4 days and we will be there! Did you use a touring plan to decide what order to do things in MK?

No touring plan, just kept checking wait times and making adjustments. Years of trips come in handy and reading other people's reports as well.
If things had been operating the way I was hoping, we would have done Splash right after BTMR and before Pirates. We wanted to get Pirates done early because the ride capacity is so drastically low because of social distancing. So since Splash was down we did Pirates and then figured we'd knock out Space. You have to be comfortable knowing you'll have at least 1 and maybe 2 long waits at some point during the day if you want to ride all the E ticket rides. I think the 2 most important things are to have a plan for rope drop and which rides you want to do early, and then save almost all of Fantasyland for later in the day when wait times are super low.

 

[lorileahb]

Ok so I hit 'prepare order' in the app when we left Wyndham because it's about a 8-10 minute drive but I waited a good 10 minutes after arriving for my order to be ready and that's only because I asked again and it just happened to be sitting there. I think they forgot to hit 'finished' on their end to let me know it was ready.

BUT

If your order is ready when you get there, it's 2 quick escalator rides up to Contempo from the lobby, pick your order up, 2 quick rides down, and then you're outside. It could take all of 5 minutes if it times out right. The walk to temp check and security from the Contemporary walkway is about 5 minutes and then you just walk to the tapstiles at MK and you're in!

I called my wife when we left Contempo at 8:05, we were at temp check at 8:10, and in front of the castle at 8:21.

This is awesome. I was thinking I had to have a reservation at the wave and that would’ve made us take away too much time. A mobile order at Contempo is a fantastic idea! It may change, but right now park opening is 9 AM for us. Will try to pick up our order at 7:30.

 

[Turk February]

This is awesome. I was thinking I had to have a reservation at the wave and that would’ve made us take away too much time. A mobile order at Contempo is a fantastic idea! It may change, but right now park opening is 9 AM for us. Will try to pick up our order at 7:30.

They open at 7:30 so as close to that as possible is a good idea. It'll give you a chance to eat what you order instead of carry it around the park for an hour like I did . Also just FYI - the gate guard did NOT ask to see any proof we had business there when Uber dropped us off so ultimately we did not need the mobile order but it's good to do it anyway because they could easily turn you away if you don't have a resort or dining reservation/order.

 

[Kae]

Ok so I hit 'prepare order' in the app when we left Wyndham because it's about a 8-10 minute drive but I waited a good 10 minutes after arriving for my order to be ready and that's only because I asked again and it just happened to be sitting there. I think they forgot to hit 'finished' on their end to let me know it was ready.

BUT

If your order is ready when you get there, it's 2 quick escalator rides up to Contempo from the lobby, pick your order up, 2 quick rides down, and then you're outside. It could take all of 5 minutes if it times out right. The walk to temp check and security from the Contemporary walkway is about 5 minutes and then you just walk to the tapstiles at MK and you're in!

I called my wife when we left Contempo at 8:05, we were at temp check at 8:10, and in front of the castle at 8:21.

Your "report" is awesome.Can I ask which Wyndam you stayed at?

 

[Turk February]

Your "report" is awesome.Can I ask which Wyndam you stayed at?

Thank you! We stayed at Wyndham Lake Buena Vista Disney Springs Resort Area. They have regular rooms in the tower and "Garden" rooms, which I guess technically operate as 2 different hotels when booking, but the Garden rooms are cheaper (doors lead outside while the tower rooms are inside) but you get the same amenities, pool, etc. Plus they changed the resort fee from $24 to $16/night because of COVID so that was nice. We loved the super super quick walk to Springs!

 

[Kae]

Thank you! We stayed at Wyndham Lake Buena Vista Disney Springs Resort Area. They have regular rooms in the tower and "Garden" rooms, which I guess technically operate as 2 different hotels when booking, but the Garden rooms are cheaper (doors lead outside while the tower rooms are inside) but you get the same amenities, pool, etc. Plus they changed the resort fee from $24 to $16/night because of COVID so that was nice. We loved the super super quick walk to Springs!

I got this one for our first night thru Priceline. The Best Western at DS was always are first night go to Place but they aren't open.

 

[lorileahb]

They open at 7:30 so as close to that as possible is a good idea. It'll give you a chance to eat what you order instead of carry it around the park for an hour like I did . Also just FYI - the gate guard did NOT ask to see any proof we had business there when Uber dropped us off so ultimately we did not need the mobile order but it's good to do it anyway because they could easily turn you away if you don't have a resort or dining reservation/order.

Thanks so much. We definitely want to try to beat the crowds, but also want to stay within Disney’s guidelines. For us, hopefully it’s chilly and I can treat my Littles to hot chocolate…

 

[djmeredith]

I must admit these reports of crowds and wait times are a bit discouraging. Does it seem like these are “fall break” crowds and it may get a little better in early November (when we are going) or will it just get progressively worse until the holidays are over?

I think the official school fall break crowds will be over but I personally predict crowds will remain fairly steady for the rest of the year because of pent up demand with people rescheduling cancelled trips. Many kids are able to do school remotely so many people don’t have to “pull kids out of school” to go to Disney. Also, keep in mind that this week is very crowded but the parks still have availability so weeks that are fully booked for park passes later this year will be even busier.

 

[Befferk]

Ok so I hit 'prepare order' in the app when we left Wyndham because it's about a 8-10 minute drive but I waited a good 10 minutes after arriving for my order to be ready and that's only because I asked again and it just happened to be sitting there. I think they forgot to hit 'finished' on their end to let me know it was ready.

BUT

If your order is ready when you get there, it's 2 quick escalator rides up to Contempo from the lobby, pick your order up, 2 quick rides down, and then you're outside. It could take all of 5 minutes if it times out right. The walk to temp check and security from the Contemporary walkway is about 5 minutes and then you just walk to the tapstiles at MK and you're in!

I called my wife when we left Contempo at 8:05, we were at temp check at 8:10, and in front of the castle at 8:21.

Thank you! And ah yes, I forgot that the Contemporary was THAT close to MK

 

[Befferk]

They open at 7:30 so as close to that as possible is a good idea.

With mobile ordering in the mornings, how far before opening can you place the order? For instance, if they open at 7:30, do you have to wait until 7:30 to place the order, or does the app allow you to place it say like a half hour or hour prior?

 

[PrincessV]

How is ABC Commissary working now? I haven't been in forever but now they have some food that sounds good! Is it true counter serve, where I pick up my own food? I'll only eat outdoors, so trying to figure out if that's an option.

 

[yulilin3]

How is ABC Commissary working now? I haven't been in forever but now they have some food that sounds good! Is it true counter serve, where I pick up my own food? I'll only eat outdoors, so trying to figure out if that's an option.

Im going Tuesday and eating there cause the options are way better now. They do have a large outdoor sitting sra you can use

 

[Turk February]

How is ABC Commissary working now? I haven't been in forever but now they have some food that sounds good! Is it true counter serve, where I pick up my own food? I'll only eat outdoors, so trying to figure out if that's an option.

When we were there on Monday they had CMs stationed outside to check your mobile order information before you went inside to get your food. They had plenty of outdoor seating.

 

[Cynt]

For those there now, Is it cool in the mornings and evenings? We're in TX and right now and temps around 60s once sun goes down and in the morning. Warms up to 80s during the day.

 

[lmbcdb]

Magic Kingdom
Thursday & Friday, 10/15 & 16
We decided to do Adventure/Frontierland 1st day, the Fantasy/Tomorrowland the 2nd to cut down on the walking.

Thursday
Park open - 9:00
8:10 - got in line for bus at Pop Century.
9:10 - tapped turnstiles, no lines at temp screen, security or turnstiles. It was just a HUGE line at Pop.

PoC - walk on
Splash - posted 30, actual 20
BTMRR - posted 30, actual 20
Aladdin - posted 10, actual 10
Ordered lunch at 9:30 for 11:05 pickup at Pecos Bills. Waited 5 minutes for food.
Haunted Mansion - posted 30, actual 35
Hall of Presidents - 24 min wait (1 show) all inside the lobby with a/c
Dole Whip Float - took to relaxation station. So hot it melted a lot on the way there!
Country Bears - 8 minute wait

left the park at 5 - it was HOT and we wanted to beat the crowds back to the bus. (Park close was 6)

Friday
Decided to leave earlier, as 7DMT was already at 90 min when we arrived yesterday.

7:50 - arrived at Pop bus stop, busses already ruining, 100 people in line. (9:00 open) Luckily they had busses as far as the eye could see waiting to take us.
Hit turnstiles at 8:20, no lines at temp screens, security or turnstiles. Got to end of queue for 7DMT at 8:33. It was all the way back past Dumbo to Ariel’s Grotto. Posted wait time was 45, 90 by the time we entered the queue. Actual was 35.

Peter Pan - posted 20, actual 15
Space Mountain - posted 55, actual 55. (Pre ordered lunch from Cosmic Ray’s)
Picked up lunch at Cosmic Ray’s - 5 min wait, plenty of places to sit inside.
Carousel of Progress - posted 10, actual 13
Dumbo posted 15, actual 13
Barnstormer - posted 30, actual 20
Little Mermaid - posted 45, actual 25
Pooh - posted 20, actual 13
Sleepy Hollow for funnel cake - 15 minutes

At this point, it’s 3 pm with an 8 pm close. It is HOT. The only 2 things left on our list are Small World and Buzz. They were both at 55 minutes. We decided to skip them and go back to the resort. (We’ve done them both multiple times, and they weren’t worth the wait to us.)

Takeaways from Magic Kingdom:

• All the queues end up in the main walkways. (because you are 6 feet from the people in front and behind you) This is very visually intimidating. In my mind, I knew the lines were long because of physical distancing, but your eyes try to trick you and make you think the wait is longer. And that the park is “more crowded”.
• With all the lines out in the sun, if it’s the least bit hot, an umbrella is necessary for shade.
• Even though there was a line to get into the Emporium, where they were keeping track of the number inside, the crowd inside felt like a late June level 8.
• I like the calvalcades. Took up less time. (No waiting, it just happened)
• With the masks, it was hard to tell the if the CMs were happy. I used to feed off their smiles. It was also hard to hear them.
• Relaxation stations - never crowded. Best one was Pete’s Silly Sideshow - awesome a/c.
• I love the castle’s new paint job.
• I won’t be going back until Fastpasses do. I think it was in their plan to help convince me to pay for them. It worked.
• Walkways seemed more littered than normal. The number of CMs I spotted with broom/dustpan was low
• Pecos Bill’s was good! First time we had eaten there.
• A Dole Whip float when it’s hot out is nectar from heaven.
• The sky is still extra blue. I think they put something in the air.
  
• 

 

[brockash]

Just finished all 4 parks in 4 days. I've shared a few other specific bits of info already so I'll share my thoughts on overall experience here. The parks feel very crowded. As others have said, there are simply not enough activities open to spread the crowds so even at 25% (according to Chapek) it feels very crowded. The lines in the heat and masks are brutal at times. We took umbrellas which helped. Social distancing has been literally IMPOSSIBLE for the vast majority of the time spent walking around the parks and Disney Springs. Passing people outdoors that close doesn't bother me, but it might some. Most people do observe the line markers, but definitely not all. You can expect at least one family to creep up on you in a line during your time here. Mask compliance has been very high. There have been a few obnoxious people who are clearly trying to ignore the rule but the vast majority are complying. People are going to drink water and even sometimes eat in line (we did it as well but never completely removing our masks). The lines are long and hot and it is not realistic to expect people to wait in hour+ lines in the sun without drinking water.

Due to the reduced ride capacity and lack of open shows, characters, restaurants etc. rope drop is essential if you want to accomplish a lot. We are "commando" style visitors and even doing RD and going commando have not allowed us to accomplish everything with the limited capacity. The first 1.5 hrs each day have been critical to us accomplishing most everything we wanted to do. Sitting down in a restaurant (QS or TS) for a break each day has also been a much needed break. Mobile order QS meals well before you want to pick it up to avoid a long wait. Crowds have NOT dwindled in the afternoons this week as people have reported previously. I'm thinking that is because 1) it hasn't rained and 2) most of the people here this week are fall breakers (not locals/frequent visitors) so they are trying to get their money's worth (like us). The wait times at MK dropped slightly during the last hour yesterday, but not much before that. 45 minutes for HM in the blazing sun was not fun! However, we also accomplished Peter Pan, BTMRR and Splash within the first 1.5 hrs. You will have to be prepared to wait in at least 2 or 3 long lines if you want to do it all. If it is your first time at Magic Kingdom, you may want to consider doing it over 2 days so you don’t feel rushed.

We still have a second day scheduled at DHS tomorrow, which I booked just in case we didn't get a BG on our first day. Overall, we are glad we came but would not recommend it for first time visitors and will not be back until Disney finds a way to disperse crowds better and masks are not required. Let me know if you have any questions and I'll be glad to help. We could not have accomplished what we did if I had not had all the great tips from this site.

ETA: I understand there is only so much Disney can do right now about ride capacity, but they should have increased the hours during these busy fall break weeks. They knew we were coming. Extending by even 1 hour in the evening would have made for a much more enjoyably paced trip.

We've been here all week as well and you pretty much summed it all up well. Rope drop...and not actual rope but an hr prior is essential. We stayed at AKL and the buses just DO NOT get you to the park early enough. We were always at the bus stop 1.75 hrs prior to park open because the bus lines build fast and by about 1.5 hrs prior you're not going to be guaranteed a spot on the first bus. Today we ubered to CR and walked over and while we still weren't early enough (poor planning on my part) it was WAY better than every other day we've had just because we weren't arriving 30 mins after the park really opened.

I will also 2nd that long lines in the blazing hot sun is absolutely brutal and proper mask wearing just doesn't happen. - I don't think it's realistic and while some were better than others, we ourselves had to take sips of water and even ate in a cpl lines...it is just rough; especially for ppl. who are just not used to having to wait much in lines, let alone in the sun. At the end of the day besidesa ride or 2 first thing pre park open and sometimes a cpl at the very end of the day; you're going to be waiting at least 30 mins for basically everything. We had some that were more line 20, but those were far and in between. Most were more like 35-45 mins. and we waited often at least 55 mins plus. This was a huge change for ppl like us who used to have a good touring; utilized fastpasses and often went during slower times. In my opinion it's just not possible right now. I also really disliked that the parks were really only openedduring the hottest part of the day. This may end up being a good thing for colder months though.

 

[brockash]

For those there now, Is it cool in the mornings and evenings? We're in TX and right now and temps around 60s once sun goes down and in the morning. Warms up to 80s during the day.

Not this week. Def would not be wearing anything more than tshirt/shorts...except for air conditioned restaurants.