Here Now & Just Back WDW Reopening Experiences Including Park Hopping

[kenzie212]

Thanks so much for posting how to find current open/closures on the MyDisneyExperience app. We are scheduled to go to Disney in July and I have been searching the internet like crazy trying to find accurate information on what is currently closed. Our trip is supposed to be a few days in Disney then driving to Miami for a cruise which we are 99.9% sure is not going to happen so thinking of extending our Disney trip a few extra days. We're just not sure if we should also reschedule Disney for next year when hopefully everything would be open and we can park hop when we want. Not sure how comfortable it will be walking around in July having to wear mask. Maybe by July things with COVID will be a little more under control. So many decisions to make

 

[Leigh L]

Anyone at MK today? I’d love to hear a report! We’ll be there next Tuesday so I’m hoping to compare. Are wait times accurate or a bit inflated?

I have to say, I chuckled to myself at a 60 minute wait for the carousel. People really wait that long for the carousel? And where does an hour long line even go in that area?

OMG sometimes yes. So odd, lol.
DD14 was determined to ride it on one of our visits. And it went "down". We weren't sure if it was a cleaning cycle or someone got sick (we heard the latter) but we were there for a long time. It was supposed to be a 30-minute wait. Since we were 2nd in line to get on next, we waited it out and it ended up being at least an hour total.

DD has no desire to ever ride again, lol. We were there last Thursday and Sunday and it had a long wait time anytime we passed by or saw it on the app. I kept joking asking if she wanted to ride it

 

[Leigh L]

Touring Plans is showing 32 mins for carousel. I find their wait times to be quite accurate.

LOL, just looked and Space Mountain is 21 mins. I don't think that happens very often that the Carousel is longer than SM!

Space showed 70 the other day, I think my family waited for 45 (and it was wrapped all over Tomorrowland!)
The second time I forget what the wait time showed, but I went on Carousel of Progress, waited maybe 10 minutes, saw the 20-minute show, and they were getting onto Space as I was arriving at the Space gift shop.

 

[RSGroup]

Just back from a short trip. AK on Sunday, HS yesterday. Some quick thoughts:
1. Rope drop is essential if you want to get the headliners done and don't want to wait 90+.
2. I knew the lines were going to be long and they would make it feel more crowded, and still I was not really prepared for how it was. BRUTAL! I'm talking a huge line for the Muppets.
3. The wait times are all over the place. You really have no idea what the actual wait time is unless you just get in line.
4. CM's were great across the board.
5. Bus service was hit and miss.
6. Three Bridges at Coronado Springs is great, and Satuli's Canteen in AK is the best counter service IMO. Raglan Road also great!
7. The lack of fastpass really makes it a different experience.

We had fun and made the best of it, but we won't return until fastpass is back, social distancing is over, and the mask requirements are gone. And I can't in good conscience recommend it to others as things are.

 

[PoshMom]

I don't know if this even the appropriate thread to ask this. So if it isn't, please tell me where to find it. But does anyone have any idea when the extra magic hrs, especially the night hrs, will return? That was probably the biggest draw for us to stay on property. The MK hrs that went from 12-3:30am were some of our favorites. It would always happen about once a wk during the summer. Any info about morning or evening hrs returning is greatly appreciated. And let me say I know about some of the early opening times. But honestly, after several days of 10 hr days in the parks, early mornings are kind of a hit and miss deal for our family.

 

[PoshMom]

Thanks so much for posting how to find current open/closures on the MyDisneyExperience app. We are scheduled to go to Disney in July and I have been searching the internet like crazy trying to find accurate information on what is currently closed. Our trip is supposed to be a few days in Disney then driving to Miami for a cruise which we are 99.9% sure is not going to happen so thinking of extending our Disney trip a few extra days. We're just not sure if we should also reschedule Disney for next year when hopefully everything would be open and we can park hop when we want. Not sure how comfortable it will be walking around in July having to wear mask. Maybe by July things with COVID will be a little more under control. So many decisions to make

We have been to DW four times in the last several yrs. We always go in summer. Even being from TX, we know wearing a mask in the summer heat isn't how we want to spend a DW vacation. Our plan is to go next summer when hopefully more is close to normal and hopefully no masks. It's hot enough with no mask, wearing shorts and sitting in the shade. I can't imagine how hot that would be. So just thought I would let you know our thoughts on the matter, especially having been to Disney. And btw this is the best place to ask questions and get quick, accurate information. Even if you do decide to go, you will have an idea of what works, what doesn't, how to get from one place quickly and easily.

 

[ENJDisneyFan]

I don't know if this even the appropriate thread to ask this. So if it isn't, please tell me where to find it. But does anyone have any idea when the extra magic hrs, especially the night hrs, will return? That was probably the biggest draw for us to stay on property. The MK hrs that went from 12-3:30am were some of our favorites. It would always happen about once a wk during the summer. Any info about morning or evening hrs returning is greatly appreciated. And let me say I know about some of the early opening times. But honestly, after several days of 10 hr days in the parks, early mornings are kind of a hit and miss deal for our family.

Nothing has been announced in regard to evening hours. I wouldn't expect those to come back any time soon, if ever. Disney did announce that 30 minutes of morning hours will be available for resort guests "later this year", but an official start date has not been stated.

 

[scrappinginontario]

I don't know if this even the appropriate thread to ask this. So if it isn't, please tell me where to find it. But does anyone have any idea when the extra magic hrs, especially the night hrs, will return? That was probably the biggest draw for us to stay on property. The MK hrs that went from 12-3:30am were some of our favorites. It would always happen about once a wk during the summer. Any info about morning or evening hrs returning is greatly appreciated. And let me say I know about some of the early opening times. But honestly, after several days of 10 hr days in the parks, early mornings are kind of a hit and miss deal for our family.

Morning Extra Magic Hours have been replaced with all parks being open to resort guests only, 30 mins before park opening. An official start date to this has not been announced other than 'later this year'.

 

[PoshMom]

Nothing has been announced in regard to evening hours. I wouldn't expect those to come back any time soon, if ever. Disney did announce that 30 minutes of morning hours will be available for resort guests "later this year", but an official start date has not been stated.

That makes me so incredibly sad, but thank you for the quick response! This is what I wish I could tell Disney directly. And 30 minutes isn't worth it for us. That's just sad. I dont know what else to say.

 

[sara_s]

Just back. It was fine, but I don't think I will be going back again until the mask and social distancing mandates are scaled back, FP+ (or whatever succeeds it) is back in place, and a whole lot of the stuff that we missed is online again.

I won't bore anyone with a laundry list of what was missing/changed. Suffice it to say that no single item was a deal-breaker in itself, but in the aggregate, it was very noticeable for my family. Of course, the stuff we missed might be things that someone else couldn't care less about, so YMMV.

That's not to say that I fault Disney for the changes they've made in order to get the parks open. Everything they've done seems reasonable under the circumstances, and to their immense credit, it's clear they are taking guest safety and health very seriously.

All that said, while I know they need to hit a profitability target in order make it "worth their while" to keep the parks open, it nonetheless still felt like I was paying "100%" prices for a "75%" experience. I'll hold off on returning until our (admittedly subjective) price-to-value ratio is a bit less skewed.

Couldn’t have said it better myself. We got in yesterday and went right to Epcot around 1pm which wasn’t bad at all. We got to eat at the Festival of the Arts booths as it was the final day. Didn’t do any rides because we didn’t feel like waiting 45 mins for Soarin or TT (which went down at some point).

Today was supposed to be DHS but I struck out at getting a BG and then fell back asleep. By time we woke up I checked the wait times and it was an hour+ for everything except Alien Swirling Saucers - even the Muppets was 30 minutes. Tried switching to MK park reservation and missed the bus by a minute so I got fed up and went to Disney Springs instead. Canceled the park reservation for today. Going to try for an early AK day tomorrow to try and get on some rides.

After having relaxed and good trips in Aug and Nov, I was more let down than I thought I’d be by the return of the crowds. I think I’m fizzled out on the lack of amenities and freedom to hop around without a park reservation (which I know is sticking around) or having to plan down to the minute in order to get the most out of the trip.

Also FWIW, I’m a silver AP who doesn’t have to pack everything in one trip. We’ll be returning with my family in May and will need to be prepared for even more crowds and need to get in the parks early to get on any rides.

Anyone been to AK in the last week - not on a weekend? Is FoP doable at park opening if you get there by 8?

 

[lovethattink]

We had a fun afternoon at DHS today! Mask compliance was excellent. We shopped at Black Spire Outpost for the first time since reopening. They are allowing one family per shopping pod. The queue to get in was long, filling in the whole area where the relaxation station was. It took a long time to get in to shop. They were letting guests take as much time as they needed. We were happy to see that AP get 30% off! We bought a game of Sabacc, an Admiral Thrawn possible wooden toy, and a Jedi belt.

 

[WawaCoffee]

For those who have visited, do the park maps show where the Relaxation Zones are?

 

[emmabelle]

We went to HS today. Staying at BCV so we walked over and got there around 8:10am. We were held at the Skyliner entrance for about 5 minutes. We went straight to MMRR and walked through the queue with no wait. Headed to Slinky and waited about 18 minutes for that. Off by 9am, by then the line for it was all the way to the queue for Little Mermaid! We then headed to RNRC where we waited about 15 minutes. Once off that it’s line was to the ice cream place. At that point around 9:30am everything had such long lines that we decided to ride the skyliner to the Riviera for breakfast. My husband loves the Primo Platto breakfast. We had a boarding group #56, after eating we went back to HS and hung around until we were called around 12:15pm for our BG. After that we headed back to our resort. It was pretty crowded and we had ridden 4 headliners so we were good.

 

[stink]

Oh man. Buzz is my sons favorite character pretty much ever, so thats nice, but I would have thought we’d see more than just Buzz in MK!!

We saw buzz, Jessie, woody, and green army men percussionists in a cavalcade at Studios on Feb 16th at 5:16 pm. Buzz rides in a tricked out convertible up Hollywood Bld, than heads towards star tours

Also in the cavalcade were Mr Mrs Incredible, Frozone, who were walking. Edna Mode and Sully rode in themed convertibles.

 

[Nabas]

We will be first-timers in April, staying at Poly. We’re as of this moment not planning on renting a car, we actually were thinking to Uber/Lyft around the whole Disney trip. Is this feasible?

If you plan to stay within Walt Disney World, then there is little need to Uber/Lyft.

We stayed at the Poly in September. With the Poly hotel still closed, it was wonderful to be able to get a chair at the pool without a lot of hassle. (Normally, the pool is crowded.)

The slight disadvantage is that the Poly Monorail stop is closed, meaning you'll have to walk from the Poly DVC to the much more crowded Transportation & Ticket Center to catch the Monorail to the Magic Kingdom.

 

[DisneyJColeMom]

I def see pros & cons to staying at Poly during construction, and Im watching it as the trip gets closer. As of right now, Im leaning towards keeping it for the reason you stated above, maybe it will be more quiet! Ive never been, so have nothing to compare it to lol! I just cant help wondering if Im being silly spending this kind of money but keeping a reservation at an under-construction hotel.

 

[aokeefe]

Couldn’t have said it better myself. We got in yesterday and went right to Epcot around 1pm which wasn’t bad at all. We got to eat at the Festival of the Arts booths as it was the final day. Didn’t do any rides because we didn’t feel like waiting 45 mins for Soarin or TT (which went down at some point).

Today was supposed to be DHS but I struck out at getting a BG and then fell back asleep. By time we woke up I checked the wait times and it was an hour+ for everything except Alien Swirling Saucers - even the Muppets was 30 minutes. Tried switching to MK park reservation and missed the bus by a minute so I got fed up and went to Disney Springs instead. Canceled the park reservation for today. Going to try for an early AK day tomorrow to try and get on some rides.

After having relaxed and good trips in Aug and Nov, I was more let down than I thought I’d be by the return of the crowds. I think I’m fizzled out on the lack of amenities and freedom to hop around without a park reservation (which I know is sticking around) or having to plan down to the minute in order to get the most out of the trip.

Also FWIW, I’m a silver AP who doesn’t have to pack everything in one trip. We’ll be returning with my family in May and will need to be prepared for even more crowds and need to get in the parks early to get on any rides.

Anyone been to AK in the last week - not on a weekend? Is FoP doable at park opening if you get there by 8?

I went to AK last Monday (President's Day). We arrived around 7:30 (for official 8 am opening). We went right to FOP- line was long but it was constantly moving. Took us about 20 minutes to reach the ride.

 

[hereforthechurros]

We went to HS today. Staying at BCV so we walked over and got there around 8:10am. We were held at the Skyliner entrance for about 5 minutes. We went straight to MMRR and walked through the queue with no wait. Headed to Slinky and waited about 18 minutes for that. Off by 9am, by then the line for it was all the way to the queue for Little Mermaid! We then headed to RNRC where we waited about 15 minutes. Once off that it’s line was to the ice cream place. At that point around 9:30am everything had such long lines that we decided to ride the skyliner to the Riviera for breakfast. My husband loves the Primo Platto breakfast. We had a boarding group #56, after eating we went back to HS and hung around until we were called around 12:15pm for our BG. After that we headed back to our resort. It was pretty crowded and we had ridden 4 headliners so we were good.

It really is crazy how quickly the wait times skyrocket. Before, you at least had 1-2 hours before the crowds and lines really kicked in, now it’s maybe 30-40 minutes. Everyone knows rope drop is a must so they’re all there too. If you don’t get in before opening and have a solid plan the day can quickly become derailed. I don’t like the pressure of that at all. You’re one missed bus or Skyliner delay or mistake from missing such a crucial window.

Bottom line, I miss FP so much! Hitting 3-4 rides then FPs really stretched out the day and assured more rides. We could also build in meals and give the day some structure. Now, in the mornings we’re too worried about lines piling up to enjoy a snack or breakfast. Just blah.

 

[scrappinginontario]

I’m wondering if the shortened park hours are increasing the rope-drop crowd? Between people thinking they need to be there early to ‘get a full day in’ and, people able to get to bed earlier, I’m guessing the side effect is higher rope-drop/early morning crowds.

I know on our pre-Covid trips we could easily rope drop the first few days but that slowly stopped as the trip progressed and we got to bed later and later.

 

[only hope]

Oh man. Buzz is my sons favorite character pretty much ever, so thats nice, but I would have thought we’d see more than just Buzz in MK!!

Al appears on a balcony in Frontierland. In the morning at open, the main characters wave from the train station. Sometimes a Cinderella stepsister comes out, I think on a castle balcony? Haven’t seen her myself, just read about it here. Plus the calvacades of course.