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

[grossmansr]

Our MK day was Friday Nov 6. We're not early risers and we planned on closing the park down so we didn't get there until around noon. It was nice being practically the only ones arriving. Main Street was decorated for Christmas and I was in heaven. I've never seen the Christmas decorations before because we always go in the spring or summer. It was also nice to have such low crowds on Main Street. We got a wheelchair (not a scooter because they ran out) and took our time taking pictures and strolling. A character cavalcade came by and really set the mood.

IASM was first ride on the bucket list because it's the kiddos favorite. The bottleneck area between Peter Pan and IASW is probably the most crowded in the whole park. It was almost like old times. We went to get in the brutal 60 minute line in the sun and were directed to the wheelchair line instead! What a lifesaver! We waited about 15 minutes inside the building which was such a relief.

After that we headed towards Splash Mountain (my all time fav) and stopped to get some Mickey Bars in Liberty Square. We saw another cavalcade and the kids were thrilled. We decided to see if we could land spur of the moment reservations for an LTT late lunch, and sure enough we were told to come back in 90 minutes, which was perfect. We had time to get in the long and miserable Splash Mountain line which was every bit of the posted 60 min wait time. Thank the good Lord for the wheelchair. Both my parents were real troopers, though I could tell they were uncomfortable, Dad especially. The kids were nervous to ride because of the big drop, but it ended up being the favorite ride of the day, and I'm glad we did it.

LTT late lunch/early dinner time! This is one of our all time fav Disney restaurants and it did not disappoint. Everything was as expected and they even brought picky DS chicken tenders and fries. Some people understandably hate to "waste" park time on long meals but we always like to sit and relax in the late afternoon to gather our strength for the evening. Especially with kids and grandparents, a leisurely schedule is a must for us.

Right before sunset we finished up and tackled the Tree House, my Dad's favorite attraction. The kids were ready to burn through some energy, so this was a great way for them to do this. Dad moved slowly, so we finished first and rode the Magic Carpet Ride twice, while the sun set in the background. It was pure Disney magic!

Now that the sun had set and there was a nice breeze to the air, we all felt much better and were ready to roll. Literally. DS hopped on Grampy's lap on the wheelchair and we rolled on back to Fantasyland. We knocked out Peter Pan (20 min wait), Pooh (15 min wait), and Mermaid (walk-on). Kids begged to ride the Carousel and I agreed, against my better judgement. This was the longest Fantasyland line, for arguably the worst return on investment. Whoever and however they are loading this ride is a complete disaster. There is no need to skip two rows of horses. But whatever. Kids were happy so it's all good.

It was coming up on 8 now and I was getting antsy because I had more on my bucket list. Namely, Buzz and Dumbo, which required quite a bit more walking. Grateful for the wheelchair, we rolled on to complete the mission plus a walk-on Barnstormer ride with 15 minutes to spare till park close. I wanted to do SDMT, because, of course! But I got outvoted for, can you believe, Mickey's Philharmagic?! Even the CM at the front of this attraction couldn't believe it. He was like, "Um, this is probably the last thing you'll do tonight, ok?" But it was ok, because we NEEDED to sit down.

So here comes the best part of the whole night. The CASTLE. I kid you not, we stayed and watched the beautiful light projections until they closed the park down. We were among the last to leave. DS fell asleep on my Mom, who had taken her much deserved turn in the stroller, and I took DD into the gift store for some shopping. We took a few strolls up and down Main Street and soaked in the atmosphere. It's my favorite part about Disney, after all. There's no place on earth like it. Then we said goodbye until next time and took the boat ride back to the real world.

 

[Akck]

I was wondering this too. And for Epcot too, what characters are photoshopped in?

I don’t know about HS, but at Epcot, we had Mickey and Goofy in ours.

 

[robinb]

At all of the Skyliner stops, except Riviera, there is a separate boarding line for those in scooters/wheelchairs. They have a separate boarding area for them where the cabins can actually stop without disrupting the rest of the line. To the best of my knowledge, all of the skyliner cabins are the same. They all have the ability to lift up the seats so a scooter/wheelchair can fit in them.

I used a scooter on my last trip. I waited in a separate line and they pulled a cabin offline for me so I could take my time entering. Then, once we were inside and ready, they merged my cabin in with the others. I don’t remember waiting for a special cabin.

 

[Lizgistix]

I was at WDW Nov 2nd-5th, staying at CCV in a deluxe studio.

The resort was fantastic. Geyser Point is great. Roaring Fork was decent for breakfast. The ribeye at Whispering Canyon was the best steak I've had in a very long time. Loved this resort very much! new favorite. First time staying at Copper Creek and I really liked it. The deluxe studio was just the right size. The room had a 12-cup coffee maker!!

Hollywood Studios was a lot of fun. Was able to get a boarding group at 7am for Rise. (I was in group 25). MMRR was super cute and a lot of fun! Smuggler's Run is awful if you're buy yourself. Spoiler: I was by myself. Muppets 3D was still funny and cute as I remember. Tower of Terror was fantastic as always. I tried the ronto wrap and don't understand what the hype was about. Also I'm team Green Milk at the milk stand.
Fired up the Play Disney Parks app and spent some time playing with it in Galaxy's Edge hoping to raise my reputation with the First Order. Ended up having higher reputation with the Scoundrels. Guess I'm a smuggler now.

Magic Kingdom was awesome. Wait times were not bad at all. Rode Buzz 3-4 times. Reached a personal best of 800,000. Yay me! Also rode BTMRR twice, HM, Peter Pan, Philharmagic, Splash. Ate lunch at BOG (blah) and had a late snack at Pecos Bill (tacos!)

Met a bunch of really nice DVC people while staying at Wilderness Lodge. Talked to several great cast members and lifeguards. All the staff were just fantastic, really. Had a really awesome vacation and I'm sure being by myself had nothing to do with it.

Despite all the layoffs, I saw a number of "Earning My Ears" ribbons....

So yeah, ask away! I can also give tips on how to push/pull an ECV into your resort room by yourself with no additional help. I brought a door stop to hold the door open but it was no match for that door.

 

[monkeydawn]

You may take a quick sip while stationary in a line that is outside. As soon as you pass the entrance there are signs that eating and drinking are not permitted. This changed around a week ago.

Im confused. Do you menat that signs were installed about a week ago forbidding eating and drinking in line? If so, that is great nesw!

 

[yulilin3]

Does this require a reservation?

No you just show your Disney Visa card

I meant what characters do they put in the one at HS? I guess I should have been more specific

I was wondering this too. And for Epcot too, what characters are photoshopped in?

DHS it's Kylo or Vader at Epcot it can be any of the fab five, usually 2 of them

 

[yulilin3]

Im confused. Do you menat that signs were installed about a week ago forbidding eating and drinking in line? If so, that is great nesw!

Yes and there's new audio safety spiel inside the queues as well

 

[yulilin3]

Just a reminder that this is not the place to be argumentative about other people's behaviour just to share your experience if you are at Disney and to ask a question to those who have just been there

 

[Leigh L]

No you just show your Disney Visa card
DHS it's Kylo or Vader at Epcot it can be any of the fab five, usually 2 of them

Our photos popped up yesterday, they were different this time. One with Stormtroopers and one with K-2SO from Rogue One

 

[nkereina]

2) the long lines outside the main queue areas and often positioned in the sun. In summer, that would be particularly miserable to stand in;

The way the they’ve set up distancing for the lines with much outside in the direct sun is brutal. We’re from “the high country” in Colorado. Humidity is hardly a word in our vocabulary! No amount of mask wearing at home (and both my daughter and I wear masks most of the day) could have prepared us for mask-wearing in a humidity in a line that’s outside in direct sun. We were there the week of Columbus Day and some of the lines were really, really long (we waited 90 minutes for MMR). Our first day we tried not to drink water in line, and my daughter almost fainted while we were waiting for FEA. After that we made sure we were well hydrated before getting into a line and pulled our masks down quickly as needed for sips of water while in lines. We’re headed back for Thanksgiving, and I’m hoping for some cooler temperatures or cloudy days. Even some rain is preferable to standing out there in 90 degree directly sunlight heat plus humidity! I wish park hours could be extended into the evening when direct sunlight isn’t an issue. That or bring back fast pass!

We specifically bought a sunscreen umbrella for our September trip and used it off & on while in the lines. It worked well in the rain too. Well worth it And we’ll be bringing it for our December trip.

The queues outside was something I guess I didn't read about or take notice of before our trip, so it was something that we weren't prepared for. I understand the need is there in order to ensure extra long queues for social distancing and to keep people outdoors to limit the amount of time spent waiting indoors. But I definitely agree that some of the queues in the direct sun were brutal. We were there the last week of October, before the time change, so we had virtually no park time at dusk or after dark when there likely would have been reprieve. I imagine the waits in the rain suck too. We saw a few people with umbrellas and lots of people with those personal fans that go around your neck. I think the outdoor wait for Runaway Railway was the worst - we hightailed it from the Skyliner station all the way back there, breaking a sweat in the process, and then had to wait on the pavement in the direct sun for about 45 minutes. Whew.

Because of the queue situation, DH and I agreed that we will either plan to go back in Jan/Feb or Nov/Dec next year to hopefully encounter cooler temperatures.

 

[yulilin3]

Our photos popped up yesterday, they were different this time. One with Stormtroopers and one with K-2SO from Rogue One

OMG that's cool, the regular Disney Visa meet is usually with Vader or Kylo, I would love K2SO

 

[monkeydawn]

Just a reminder that this is not the place to be argumentative about other people's behaviour just to share your experience if you are at Disney and to ask a question to those who have just been there

Im sorry about that but bragging about mocking CMs that are just doing their jobs and then asking for sympathy triggered me. I at least tried to make my reply civil...any points for that?

To keep on topic, thanks for the info about the signage and announcements about eating and drinking in line. I guess this settles the debate from a couple of weeks ago about if its sanctioned by Disney. I very much appreciate this clarification by Disney but still would like to hear reports about how this is shaking out in practice. We have three weeks in December and we are watching closely to see if a DW vacation is in the cards for us (so I am not just here to nit pick, as much as it may seem it).

To clarify, I am mostly fine with people pulling masks down for quick sips although I guess Id like to hear about that too because there is that one cumulative study about exposure that is worrisome to me. Not to debate but just so I can do my own risk assessment.

 

[MsThumper]

The queues outside was something I guess I didn't read about or take notice of before our trip, so it was something that we weren't prepared for. I understand the need is there in order to ensure extra long queues for social distancing and to keep people outdoors to limit the amount of time spent waiting indoors. But I definitely agree that some of the queues in the direct sun were brutal. We were there the last week of October, before the time change, so we had virtually no park time at dusk or after dark when there likely would have been reprieve. I imagine the waits in the rain suck too. We saw a few people with umbrellas and lots of people with those personal fans that go around your neck. I think the outdoor wait for Runaway Railway was the worst - we hightailed it from the Skyliner station all the way back there, breaking a sweat in the process, and then had to wait on the pavement in the direct sun for about 45 minutes. Whew.

Because of the queue situation, DH and I agreed that we will either plan to go back in Jan/Feb or Nov/Dec next year to hopefully encounter cooler temperatures.

We were there the same week. We are Floridians and we will not stand in queues in the direct sun. We also found the masks oppressive. And please, before anybody makes any remarks, YES, we knew what the restrictions were before we went. We wanted to give it a try, but it is not for us. Glad the tickets were heavily discounted, but my heart aches for all the layoffs. Disney is doing a fantastic job trying to keep everybody safe. We have reservations for February and hope the situation will improve but if not we will be cancelling.

 

[TikiTikiFan]

We took a few strolls up and down Main Street and soaked in the atmosphere. It's my favorite part about Disney, after all. There's no place on earth like it.

Love this, the whole reason I justified this trip right now is just for that magical feeling of Disney after such a bad year. Right now we have two MK days but if we manage to get on ROTR on our first HS I might just switch to three MK days instead of two at HS so we can just spend a day enjoying the atmosphere.

I’m not sure HS has that same magical feeling right now? Everything I keep reading is how crowded it is- has that improved since they switched the ROTR time in the morning? Or is it still feeling pretty hectic?

 

[yulilin3]

Love this, the whole reason I justified this trip right now is just for that magical feeling of Disney after such a bad year. Right now we have two MK days but if we manage to get on ROTR on our first HS I might just switch to three MK days instead of two at HS so we can just spend a day enjoying the atmosphere.

I’m not sure HS has that same magical feeling right now? Everything I keep reading is how crowded it is- has that improved since they switched the ROTR time in the morning? Or is it still feeling pretty hectic?

The park will always feel the most crowded cause of its size and the lack of shows, it's my favorite park and the holiday atmosphere is great with the music playing and all the decorations but i don't go for the rides, i just love the atmosphere

 

[nw6675]

We decided to cut our stay short and leaving a day early. We were not charged for tonight. On the flip side, we added a day to our ticket and going to EPCOT before we start home. More pixie dust at the resort shop this morning where we were given a huge discount just because. So today has been a $900 extra in our pocket day. LOL.

We had a nice trip. Not fantastic, not bad, just a pleasant trip. We rode everything we wanted with little to 30 minute waits, ate at CRT, BOG, CM, etc. And there were openings everywhere else for the most part had we wanted.

Never waited for buses or monorail.

CMs were great with exception being the CM at the MK ticket office at the front of the park.

Mask compliance was generally good with the exceptions being the same folks you deal with in every day life's annoyances Although I had to be told when leaving a restaurant since I completely forgot.

If I had a do-over, we would still come, but i would not want to come as a first timer. I've been coming for 45 years so it was ok not to feel the full magic.

Decorations at MK are beautiful and we love the overlay on the castle.

Best wishes to everyone planning!

 

[maryj11]

I was at WDW Nov 2nd-5th, staying at CCV in a deluxe studio.

The resort was fantastic. Geyser Point is great. Roaring Fork was decent for breakfast. The ribeye at Whispering Canyon was the best steak I've had in a very long time. Loved this resort very much! new favorite. First time staying at Copper Creek and I really liked it. The deluxe studio was just the right size. The room had a 12-cup coffee maker!!

Hollywood Studios was a lot of fun. Was able to get a boarding group at 7am for Rise. (I was in group 25). MMRR was super cute and a lot of fun! Smuggler's Run is awful if you're buy yourself. Spoiler: I was by myself. Muppets 3D was still funny and cute as I remember. Tower of Terror was fantastic as always. I tried the ronto wrap and don't understand what the hype was about. Also I'm team Green Milk at the milk stand.
Fired up the Play Disney Parks app and spent some time playing with it in Galaxy's Edge hoping to raise my reputation with the First Order. Ended up having higher reputation with the Scoundrels. Guess I'm a smuggler now.

Magic Kingdom was awesome. Wait times were not bad at all. Rode Buzz 3-4 times. Reached a personal best of 800,000. Yay me! Also rode BTMRR twice, HM, Peter Pan, Philharmagic, Splash. Ate lunch at BOG (blah) and had a late snack at Pecos Bill (tacos!)

Met a bunch of really nice DVC people while staying at Wilderness Lodge. Talked to several great cast members and lifeguards. All the staff were just fantastic, really. Had a really awesome vacation and I'm sure being by myself had nothing to do with it.

Despite all the layoffs, I saw a number of "Earning My Ears" ribbons....

So yeah, ask away! I can also give tips on how to push/pull an ECV into your resort room by yourself with no additional help. I brought a door stop to hold the door open but it was no match for that door.

What time did you get on Rise with boarding group 25?

 

[scrappinginontario]

What time did you get on Rise with boarding group 25?

It can change day to day but today at 11:15, BG 25 was recently called.

 

[michellej47]

The queues outside was something I guess I didn't read about or take notice of before our trip, so it was something that we weren't prepared for. I understand the need is there in order to ensure extra long queues for social distancing and to keep people outdoors to limit the amount of time spent waiting indoors. But I definitely agree that some of the queues in the direct sun were brutal. We were there the last week of October, before the time change, so we had virtually no park time at dusk or after dark when there likely would have been reprieve. I imagine the waits in the rain suck too. We saw a few people with umbrellas and lots of people with those personal fans that go around your neck. I think the outdoor wait for Runaway Railway was the worst - we hightailed it from the Skyliner station all the way back there, breaking a sweat in the process, and then had to wait on the pavement in the direct sun for about 45 minutes. Whew.

Because of the queue situation, DH and I agreed that we will either plan to go back in Jan/Feb or Nov/Dec next year to hopefully encounter cooler temperatures.

I have a pretty bad aversion to being in the sun (meaning I burn badly within minutes, even with sunscreen). Wondering if we should pack a small umbrella for me to use for outdoor queues?!?!?

 

[nw6675]

I have a pretty bad aversion to being in the sun (meaning I burn badly within minutes, even with sunscreen). Wondering if we should pack a small umbrella for me to use for outdoor queues?!?!?

Yes! It can be brutal and lots are outdoors now.