Here Now & Just Back WDW Reopening Experiences Including Park Hopping

[e_yerger]

For people who have visited Oga’s recently, how crowded has it been inside? The last time i went was pre-covid and we were packed in there like sardines.

 

[ten50]

For people who have visited Oga’s recently, how crowded has it been inside? The last time i went was pre-covid and we were packed in there like sardines.

Just got out about 30 min ago (545)...was shoulder to shoulder all around

 

[lelew]

Just got out about 30 min ago (545)...was shoulder to shoulder all around

We had 645 res last week and we were 30 mins late they let us in it was not that crowded but my party of 3 had to stand at the table with another party of 3

 

[Helvetica]

Just got out about 30 min ago (545)...was shoulder to shoulder all around

Ah well… Socially Distant Oga’s was fun while it lasted.

 

[tinkerhon]

Finally - got to ride ROTR today - got to the park at around 12:30, went to Starbucks , and DD ( the tech savvy one ) got us boarding group 103- definitely lives up to the hype !! In other news -- DS10 went to Savi's -- its all he's spoken about since I booked it ! HE had a great time (DD15 went with him ) - but what a pain in the neck to carry around !

And here's a better question - how in the world do you get it home !! ?? Just received an email from JetBlue - flying to NYC (basic blue ) - nothing allowed in the overhead compartment ?

Now I have 2 huge Disney bags filled with stuffed animals and a souvenirs-- and a giant lightsaber - have no idea how to get this stuff home - anyone ??

TIA !!

 

[tinkerhon]

Ah well… Socially Distant Oga’s was fun while it lasted.

Speaking of which - anyone that is concerned about distancing -- and I don't blame anyone -- especially with 90% without masks - do not ride MMRR !! Think about the waiting queues for Monsters, Philharmagic, and ITTBAB !!

 

[bigfatdan]

Finally - got to ride ROTR today - got to the park at around 12:30, went to Starbucks , and DD ( the tech savvy one ) got us boarding group 103- definitely lives up to the hype !! In other news -- DS10 went to Savi's -- its all he's spoken about since I booked it ! HE had a great time (DD15 went with him ) - but what a pain in the neck to carry around !

And here's a better question - how in the world do you get it home !! ?? Just received an email from JetBlue - flying to NYC (basic blue ) - nothing allowed in the overhead compartment ?

Now I have 2 huge Disney bags filled with stuffed animals and a souvenirs-- and a giant lightsaber - have no idea how to get this stuff home - anyone ??

TIA !!

You can ship the saber home. I shipped mine from Dok Ondar's Den of Antiquities in Galaxy's Edge. You can also do it from the resort gift shops.

 

[DisneyFive]

Just arrived to Disney’s Magical Express at 7PM this evening, Sunday night. Absolutely no wait in any lines. On our way to the Boardwalk

Dan

 

[Neener16]

For people who have visited Oga’s recently, how crowded has it been inside? The last time i went was pre-covid and we were packed in there like sardines.

We were there yesterday at 2:50. It was actually much less crowded than I anticipated. They did not tell us we only had 45 minutes, and I did not feel rushed.

 

[tinkerhon]

You can ship the saber home. I shipped mine from Dok Ondar's Den of Antiquities in Galaxy's Edge. You can also do it from the resort gift shops.

Thanks so much !!

 

[preemiemama]

Finally - got to ride ROTR today - got to the park at around 12:30, went to Starbucks , and DD ( the tech savvy one ) got us boarding group 103- definitely lives up to the hype !! In other news -- DS10 went to Savi's -- its all he's spoken about since I booked it ! HE had a great time (DD15 went with him ) - but what a pain in the neck to carry around !

And here's a better question - how in the world do you get it home !! ?? Just received an email from JetBlue - flying to NYC (basic blue ) - nothing allowed in the overhead compartment ?

Now I have 2 huge Disney bags filled with stuffed animals and a souvenirs-- and a giant lightsaber - have no idea how to get this stuff home - anyone ??

TIA !!

We carried DS21's lightsaber on Southwest, but were able to put it in the overhead compartment. I agree with shipping it, or you could call Jet Blue and see what they could do if you carried it on? Good luck wither way- I know firsthand what a pain it is to carry around!

 

[preemiemama]

We had 645 res last week and we were 30 mins late they let us in it was not that crowded but my party of 3 had to stand at the table with another party of 3

We had a 9:20 am reservation last week. Our party of 3 was standing at a table with another party of 4- it was tight. The walkways were not bad, but they were definitely using all the available space at the tables/bar.

 

[tinkerhon]

We carried DS21's lightsaber on Southwest, but were able to put it in the overhead compartment. I agree with shipping it, or you could call Jet Blue and see what they could do if you carried it on? Good luck wither way- I know firsthand what a pain it is to carry around!

Yes! Its the way its weighted - very bottom heavy ! Thank goodness we were leaving the park soon ! I was trying not to impale anyone ! Just had it shipped from hotel - $17.95 and worth every cent ! Thanks to everyone that replied !!

 

[rockabyemonkey]

For those who are there now and driving to the parks, what time have the generally started letting cars in? Is it still about an hour before opening time?

And for anyone who has rope dropped recently, about what time are they letting people actually tap in and enter the park?

We were there in May and had it down to a science, but I know it’s all changed now.

We drove to HS today. Arrived at 7:40 and were told it didn’t open til 8. Circled around and by 7:47 it was open.

 

[aliceg]

Just back from our trip 7/19-7/24. Stayed at Wilderness Lodge - first time for an onsite hotel! It was amazing! We might be onsite converts...if we can score a deal.

Parks were crowded. We hadn't been since 2016, so maybe we're remembering wrong, but it seemed like a regular summer crowd to us. We did MK, AK, and HS. And BB.

Holy crap, it was hot! Especially Galaxy's Edge. I don't know if it was the concrete rock formations, but I felt so cooked. There are so many narrow passages crammed with people, plus the rocks and then the concrete walkway. I felt like I couldn't really enjoy the amazing scenery as I was walking through an oven.

Lines were long, but they were constantly moving, so it didn't feel bad, especially in MK. Our limit is waiting 45 minutes, so we didn't get to do everything. They built up fast, and then stayed up. Barnstormer was 50 minutes, which is about 49 minutes and 30 seconds longer than the actual ride. I can't see the point of waiting for that.

It was kind of refreshing, really, to not have a plan. Just going in and seeing what the lines were like and making a decision if we wanted to wait for that ride or skip it. Spontaneity is not usually how we do WDW, but it worked this trip!

All in all, though, it was a fantastic time with my family, and that's what really matters. We made it through 2020, and I am incredibly lucky to be able to hang with these people I love so much, even if it felt like my shoes were melting.

 

[GBRforWDW]

Finally - got to ride ROTR today - got to the park at around 12:30, went to Starbucks , and DD ( the tech savvy one ) got us boarding group 103- definitely lives up to the hype !! In other news -- DS10 went to Savi's -- its all he's spoken about since I booked it ! HE had a great time (DD15 went with him ) - but what a pain in the neck to carry around !

And here's a better question - how in the world do you get it home !! ?? Just received an email from JetBlue - flying to NYC (basic blue ) - nothing allowed in the overhead compartment ?

Now I have 2 huge Disney bags filled with stuffed animals and a souvenirs-- and a giant lightsaber - have no idea how to get this stuff home - anyone ??

TIA !!

You can go to any Disney shop (including your resort shop if there's one there} and have it shipped home, shouldn't be more than 15-20. We Shipped 2 droids from the art of Animation gift shop in January. They arrived a few days after we got home.

Just arrived to Disney’s Magical Express at 7PM this evening, Sunday night. Absolutely no wait in any lines. On our way to the Boardwalk

Dan

Yay congrats! Hope you have a great trip!

 

[tinkerhon]

You can go to any Disney shop (including your resort shop if there's one there} and have it shipped home, shouldn't be more than 15-20. We Shipped 2 droids from the art of Animation gift shop in January. They arrived a few days after we got home.

Yay congrats! Hope you have a great trip!

Thank a much ! We also have two nig bags of stuffed animals Andy souvenirs- hotel is shopping them home for us - $36

 

[undertheseas]

Last July, we ate every single meal in our room and drove instead of Disney transportation. It certainly wasn’t convenient. But it can be done.

Thank you! I didn't think about going back to the room.

 

[monstermash23]

It was kind of refreshing, really, to not have a plan. Just going in and seeing what the lines were like and making a decision if we wanted to wait for that ride or skip it. Spontaneity is not usually how we do WDW, but it worked this trip!

Fully agreed. And I’m a huge proponent of fastpss+ and planning everything in advance at WDW. Half my group canceled their portions of this trip because of lack of fastpass+ coming back. But after being here for a week thus far, what you said is true for us right now as well, in many cases.

The other thing you mentioned that I think is generally true, with some exceptions (slow loading rides mostly/rides with less capacity per hour mainly) is that lines actually move which is a good feeling when waiting. Everest is a great example. Routinely has the line been posted 50-60 minutes (our limit) most hours of most days, but we’ve ridden it 3x already with 15-25 minute actual wait times vs the standard 60 posted - and the line hardly ever stopped for more then a few seconds. And this is happening at a lot of rides (the Lines app has been helpful for us strategize in this regard). Mickie and Minnie’s railway ride in HS is also a good example, at least the one time we did it. Pirates of the Caribbean was another example. 60 minute posted wait time, ended up being 15 minutes each of the 2 times we’ve ridden Pirates. Again, for us this hasn’t been all rides, but definitely enough that it’s worth pointing out imo.

I do want fastpass+ back, but after this positive experience with spontaneity that I didn’t really think was possible at Disney World, my perspective has changed on positive potentials for this rumored paid fastpass (whenever it actually launches). Full disclosure for anyone reading: I don’t believe fastpass+ adds to the wait time for most rides in a significant way, but it def can make them “feel” longer with constant stopping, imo. In the current setup, without those constant stops for loads of fastpass+ priority queuing virtually non-existant, ride lines do move. This is a great positive for us this trip, despite my earlier criticisms of overcapacity, overflowing lines, etc.

Maybe I’m wrong with my analysis on the fastpass+ line impact, but that’s my two cents.

 

[cakebaker]

After a 17hr straight through drive we are here! Almost.

Left home at 4am, got to our off site for the night hotel around 11:30pm. We’re about 10 minutes from WDW. The plan is head to our resort this morning, then off to the MK while we wait for our cabin to be ready. This is a take it easy day, no plans for waiting in long lines, just try to enjoy that after nearly 2 years, we are finally home.