Here Now & Just Back WDW Reopening Experiences Including Park Hopping

[Princess Katelet]

Anywhere in Disney Springs I can buy a charger for IPad Air? Got to our gate and that feeling of forgetting something hit me! I have it fully charged for our flight to Disney now but I'm afraid of our flight home. I priced a charger at the airport and it was $46

Do a two day prime delivery from Amazon to your hotel front desk.

 

[Ecomommy09]

Just arrived and got a notification that “there is no need to line up early for transport to the parks and that driving is a good option “ .....

What does that mean? Don't take the bus?

 

[Akck]

Sorry yes, didn’t mean to be confusing. We were talking about ubering from Bonnet Creek, checking out RIV DVC rooms, then sky lining to Epcot.

If you do this, contact DVC and make an appointment. That way you’ll be able to get into the resort. Currently, they only let guests staying there plus those with dining reservations through the gate. A DVC appointment will work too.

 

[JFox]

Random thoughts
Split stay Bay Lake Tower/Boardwalk
April 29-May 3
Adult trip

The purpose of this trip was to explore the Flower and Garden Festival. Our March trip last month was our first time to this festival but our kidlets weren't very interested in EPCOT so we didn't spend much time at that park.

Departure Southwest/DME
We packed light and didn't check baggage. Our departure flight was early afternoon so our morning wasn't frenetic. TSA pre-check and a mobile boarding pass in hand and we passed right through security.

We waited 45 minutes. There were 4 stops before Bay Lake Tower, we were the last.

Park reservations
MK April 29
EPCOT remaining days

The EPCOT reservations allowed for lazy mornings. Although the posted park hours were 11:00am we were inside the park by 10:15am.

We only PH to MGM one afternoon for shopping and then MK last night.

Weather
IT WAS HOT! LIKE AFRICA HOT! Our first full day, after MGM we Ubered to Walmart for emergency swimsuits.

Let's talk for a moment about Walmart. We went to the 2855 N Old Lake Wilson Rd location and it was ALL DISNEY. I asked one of the employees if all Orlando stores were like this and he said that Walmart/Target locations are all Disney. The store was very busy. We got what we needed and left.

Bay Lake Tower/Boardwalk
BLT/studio/Lake - This was our second stay at BLT and we love it.
BW/1 bedroom/pool - First visit and also loved it. The extra room was nice even though it was just the 2 of us.

Pools
In all our WDW resort stays we have never been to the pools. I now realize that was a mistake. Do all DVC resorts have water slides? I've decided I'm only staying at resorts with water slides from now on!

We enjoyed snacks, drinks, trivia and even made MM tie dye t-shirts.

Masks/Social Distancing
I thought mask compliance was good. It was nice to be able to take pictures sans masks. We didn't have any line issues until Space Mtn last night. Two teenagers got in line behind us and were on us the whole time. Halfway through the line I said, "why don't you go ahead of us." They didn't understand why I insisted they move ahead.

Returning DME/Southwest
Our bus broke down at a stoplight 1 mile before the airport. We sat for about 30 minutes until another DME bus taking guest back to the airport could pick us up. We were really fortunate it happened where it did versus on the freeway.

Fastpass through security with TSA pre-check and then onto the plane.

*Update*
Last week I posted about the family we spoke to about park reservations. They were on our same flight back and recognized us. The mother said they tried but could not get park reservations and skipped Disney.

 

[Best Aunt]

Anywhere in Disney Springs I can buy a charger for IPad Air? Got to our gate and that feeling of forgetting something hit me! I have it fully charged for our flight to Disney now but I'm afraid of our flight home. I priced a charger at the airport and it was $46

Do a two day prime delivery from Amazon to your hotel front desk.

There was a thread about this a few months ago. The person forgot the charger for their cell phone and IIRC, they had a lot of trouble looking in the shops. One suggestion was to ask at the front desk of your hotel, in case a prior guest left one behind. Here's the thread (with a reminder that you can click on it even if it looks like it is still loading):

https://www.disboards.com/threads/n...m-where-to-buy-adapter.3830279/#post-62812558

 

[CarolynFH]

Do all DVC resorts have water slides? I've decided I'm only staying at resorts with water slides from now on!

All Disney deluxe (including DVC) and moderate resorts have slides. IMHO, BWV has the best.

 

[Makmak]

What does that mean? Don't take the bus?

Not sure .....here is the actual notification....as you can see it was sent twice in rapid succession

 

[hereforthechurros]

Not sure .....here is the actual notification....as you can see it was sent twice in rapid succession View attachment 572609

How odd. Of course there’s reason to line up early.

 

[Linkura]

Works for me, if it decreases my competition at the bus stops 90 minutes before open!

 

[sdeut]

Well they will not allow drop offs or driving to a resort to walk to MK so why wou you drive to MK? I could see driving to some other parks. We stay at BWV and walk to HS and Epcot and drive to AK but their isn’t a good choice besides busing to MK now.

 

[Tigerlulu]

Anywhere in Disney Springs I can buy a charger for IPad Air? Got to our gate and that feeling of forgetting something hit me! I have it fully charged for our flight to Disney now but I'm afraid of our flight home. I priced a charger at the airport and it was $46

Download Amazon prime now. They’ll bring one to you in at the hotel like 2 or so hours.

 

[lovethattink]

Not sure .....here is the actual notification....as you can see it was sent twice in rapid succession View attachment 572609

Interesting. Did that come today? Maybe because tomorrow is May the 4th and people want to check out the merchandise fit it at DHS? I don’t know, just grasping at straws here.

 

[Randy Miller]

Here's a screen shot of the notice on MDE
View attachment 572590

Goes into effect July 1st so it does give those government mandated restrictions time to adjust. Hard to restaff a lot of things last minute. However, I believe they can implement it immediately if they choose too.

 

[Elle23]

Interesting. Did that come today? Maybe because tomorrow is May the 4th and people want to check out the merchandise fit it at DHS? I don’t know, just grasping at straws here.

We received the same notification a few weeks ago. I just ignored it since we didn’t have a car.

 

[hereforthechurros]

We received the same notification a few weeks ago. I just ignored it since we didn’t have a car.

Did you arrive by DME?

Rich that instead of solving the problem (whether it’s too many people at bus stops or rope drop) Disney is feeding people this line. Bring back EMH or FP in some fashion and people won’t feel as desperate to be there early.

 

[mfly]

Did you arrive by DME?

Rich that instead of solving the problem (whether it’s too many people at bus stops or rope drop) Disney is feeding people this line. Bring back EMH or FP in some fashion and people won’t feel as desperate to be there early.

We were arriving by DME and we got it just before we boarded the DME bus for our trip last Thursday.

 

[Makmak]

Interesting. Did that come today? Maybe because tomorrow is May the 4th and people want to check out the merchandise fit it at DHS? I don’t know, just grasping at straws here.

Yes that was today at like 6ishPM

 

[Aimeedyan]

I got that same transportation text back in the fall. I figured it was an attempt to lessen the load on buses during the reopening (they are still using charter buses so it has to be killing their transportation budget to bring in extra help right now).

 

[Carol_]

Not sure .....here is the actual notification....as you can see it was sent twice in rapid succession View attachment 572609

OMG it sounds like they put DVC in charge of communications everywhere. We’re doomed.

 

[Makmak]

This charger that is needed is it the same as for say, an iPhone 11? Because we have like six of those with us and I’ll gladly drop one off wherever