Masks and February crowds

[bengalfreak]

We just got back from a day at HS, and we were amazed at how good of a job that Disney did at making sure everyone wore a mask and wore it properly (covering your nose). And also how all of the lines were marked for social distancing which everyone respected for the most part. It was about 2pm in the afternoon that it got more crowded than we were comfortable with and, since we are old, we were tired by that time anyway so that's when we left. We basically only do half days. We would also like to visit Universal so here are my questions.

For those who have been to both places recently,

1) Is Universal doing a good job of making sure everyone wear's a mask properly (I know you can't wear one every second, like eating, etc.)?

2) Are the lines marked well with socially distant place markers so that everyone has an idea of how far to stay back from the group in front of you?

3) Is Universal limiting the number of visitors to 35% of capacity similar to Disney? I'm assuming not since the "Lines" app shows expected crowds of 4 to 6 over most days instead of 1 to 3 like they predict for the Disney parks.

Thanks for all your help.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

I went in Nov., mostly Universal w/ 1 HS day.

1. Yes, it seemed comparable to me as far as mask compliance/mask enforcement between the 2 parks.

2. Lines are socially distanced with markers. They do also take into consideration the lateral distance & have adjacent queue lanes marked so you're not stopping next to someone, in addition to spacing you apart from those in front of or behind you. Disney seems to have chosen to have lines outdoors as much as possible (meaning people are lining sidewalks / put in the elements). Universal is using the entire indoor queue, so you are inside longer but then again you are passing a lot fewer people clogging up the walkways outside, and are protected from the elements plus the queues are more interesting than standing on a sidewalk.
2B. You didn't ask, but Universal squirts you a dollop of hand sanitizer before getting on every ride. They also have sanitizer available at each ride exit. Disney also has sanitizer stations after each ride, however they were frequently empty at Disney and it was quite rare to find an empty one at Universal.

3. Universal is limiting capacity, but I don't know by how much. If at capacity, resort guests can still enter but others have to wait until other people exit. Currently weekends are significantly busier than weekdays. HS subjectively felt roughly as busy as a Universal Saturday.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

1B. Universal does allow masks off for photos, and for water rides.

 

[bengalfreak]

2B. You didn't ask, but Universal squirts you a dollop of hand sanitizer before getting on every ride. They also have sanitizer available at each ride exit. Disney also has sanitizer stations after each ride, however they were frequently empty at Disney and it was quite rare to find an empty one at Universal.

That's interesting. We never encountered a single hand sanitizer station that was empty at the HS so they must've improved that since then. Or we just got lucky. Thanks for the reply.

 

[Jaina]

I'm curious - do they MAKE you use the sanitizer? My husband has sensitive skin, and many sanitizers are irritating for him. Or if they require it, would he have the option to use his own sanitizing spray?

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Yes, they make you use it. There is a person who will squirt it directly onto your hand immediately prior to boarding each ride.

 

[cfoxga]

We were also there in November and the parks were not too crowded in the mornings and evenings. At that time, PBH was closed which means there were much fewer EPs from the hotels. The park hit capacity a couple times that week. The EP lines were very short. We felt like Universal did a great job with masks and distancing.

PBH was opened up in December and there were more capacity limits hit. I'm not sure if they adjusted the capacity with the additional hotel opening, but my guess is that they did.

We have another trip coming up this week for President's Day weekend and I'm expecting it to be pretty packed. We'll go early in the morning (even though we have EPs from PBH) in case it gets too crowded for us.

Looking at April, it shows both ESS and ESD open, so that is another large resort adding to the mix. If they don't increase the percentage allowed in the parks, then they will likely hit capacity very early every day. CityWalk will definitely be more crowded than Thanksgiving...

 

[Mamabun]

I'm curious - do they MAKE you use the sanitizer? My husband has sensitive skin, and many sanitizers are irritating for him. Or if they require it, would he have the option to use his own sanitizing spray?

I have niece who’s sensitive but needs to use a specific sanitizer very often (job req). She has had tremendous relief using a moisturizer right before, and sometimes after sanitizing (though she waits until the sanitizer has dried). Her favorites are aquaphor and vanicream. It’s a lot of moisturizer, but her hands now look and feel great - they had been very dry, cracked and bleeding. I plan to do this at Universal (just quick moisturizer while waiting in each line).

 

[bchbetha]

I'm curious - do they MAKE you use the sanitizer? My husband has sensitive skin, and many sanitizers are irritating for him. Or if they require it, would he have the option to use his own sanitizing spray?

When all this started in the summer I remember a discussion about it. Someone said that they went to guest services to say that they couldn't use the hand sanitizer and they got something to say that was ok. Been too long for me to remember the details. Things could have changed too. But, it is something to consider.

 

[Jaina]

When all this started in the summer I remember a discussion about it. Someone said that they went to guest services to say that they couldn't use the hand sanitizer and they got something to say that was ok. Been too long for me to remember the details. Things could have changed too. But, it is something to consider.

I will have to look into this. And we can try what @Mamabun suggested too and see how he does. But not really wanting to "try" it if he ends the first day with miserable hands...

 

[Jaina]

For anyone who is interested, I messaged Universal on their FB page (after reading they are good at responding there) and asked my question about the sanitizer. They said their accommodation is that he is able to wear gloves just on the ride, and avoid having the use sanitizer that way!

 

[wdw_dine_junkie]

Just back from both Disney and Universal and thought they both did a good job at compliance, bonus for Universal for the sanitizer. The most crowded spot was Diagon Alley. During the week the crowds were very low prior to 1-2pm..

 

[NicoleLarson]

Having been to both several times in the past year, I have to give UO higher marks for COVID safety. Not only does UO squirter the sanitizer on before the ride, there's always several machines at the end of each ride and spread out everywhere. At WDW I cant recall ever seeing a hand sanitizer prior to getting on a ride. I did see some after rides but they would only be on one side of the exit, so I would miss them most of the time and when I did see one it was most often out. Also we felt the markers in the ride lines were much better thought out as a PP mentioned. At WDW they would be spaced 6ft but if you were in a line that had a switchback, often you would be standing right next to someone. I cant think of a ride this happened on at UO.
Lastly, in the hotels at UO, you get your temp taken and get a wrist band each day, so you don't have to have it taken 20 times. However, at WDW no temp checks in the hotels except for the restaurants.

With all of that being said, I felt okay at both parks just felt better at UO.

 

[bengalfreak]

Having been to both several times in the past year, I have to give UO higher marks for COVID safety. Not only does UO squirter the sanitizer on before the ride, there's always several machines at the end of each ride and spread out everywhere. At WDW I cant recall ever seeing a hand sanitizer prior to getting on a ride. I did see some after rides but they would only be on one side of the exit, so I would miss them most of the time and when I did see one it was most often out. Also we felt the markers in the ride lines were much better thought out as a PP mentioned. At WDW they would be spaced 6ft but if you were in a line that had a switchback, often you would be standing right next to someone. I cant think of a ride this happened on at UO.
Lastly, in the hotels at UO, you get your temp taken and get a wrist band each day, so you don't have to have it taken 20 times. However, at WDW no temp checks in the hotels except for the restaurants.

With all of that being said, I felt okay at both parks just felt better at UO.

Just got back from AK yesterday. There were hand sanitizer stations at every attraction both entering and exiting and none of them were ever empty (although if it was crowded around the station, we just used the sanitizer we brought with us instead).

 

[nkereina]

3) Is Universal limiting the number of visitors to 35% of capacity similar to Disney? I'm assuming not since the "Lines" app shows expected crowds of 4 to 6 over most days instead of 1 to 3 like they predict for the Disney parks.

Keep in mind that its 35% of maximum capacity. Disney/Universal rarely reach maximum park capacity in normal times and when they do, its typically around Christmas. I believe an average day at Disney in normal times operates at something like 35% of max capacity anyhow, which means crowds currently feel no different and it can still "feel" crowded. I'm not sure what percentage Universal has in place right now, but there have been more occurrences of Universal parks reaching capacity than Disney parks have.

 

[Missingmypooh]

I'm curious - do they MAKE you use the sanitizer? My husband has sensitive skin, and many sanitizers are irritating for him. Or if they require it, would he have the option to use his own sanitizing spray?

They do not make you use it. Tell them you can’t use it, they’ll direct you to a team lead, tell them your having a bad reaction.
then they’ll sanitize your ride after you leave.

We’ve been countless times and this was only an issue back in August (when we first ventured out) - since then they’ve been great about our allergy accommodations by cleaning after we leave the ride.

we’re at uni today, no issue.

*edit to clarify the August statement.

 

[bengalfreak]

Keep in mind that its 35% of maximum capacity. Disney/Universal rarely reach maximum park capacity in normal times and when they do, its typically around Christmas. I believe an average day at Disney in normal times operates at something like 35% of max capacity anyhow, which means crowds currently feel no different and it can still "feel" crowded. I'm not sure what percentage Universal has in place right now, but there have been more occurrences of Universal parks reaching capacity than Disney parks have.

I'm not sure if its due to Disney limiting park park capacity or the fact that Cheer competitions and the Marathon have been cancelled or just less people are visiting, but this is the 3rd year in a row that we have been here in February and the crowds have been much, much less this year than the previous 2. We haven't missed the ability to use the Fastpass system one bit. Waits for every attraction have been generally 20 minutes or less. Most of them much less.

 

[nkereina]

I'm not sure if its due to Disney limiting park park capacity or the fact that Cheer competitions and the Marathon have been cancelled or just less people are visiting, but this is the 3rd year in a row that we have been here in February and the crowds have been much, much less this year than the previous 2. We haven't missed the ability to use the Fastpass system one bit. Waits for every attraction have been generally 20 minutes or less. Most of them much less.

Crowds overall have likely been down because of the pandemic, but I think sometimes when people hear "35%", they have unrealistic expectations that walkways will be empty and rides will be walk on. Its not that at all. Its important for people not to conflate 35% with an empty park, because it just means 35% of max capacity. They'd never reach max capacity in Feb anyway.

 

[bengalfreak]

Crowds overall have likely been down because of the pandemic, but I think sometimes when people hear "35%", they have unrealistic expectations that walkways will be empty and rides will be walk on. Its not that at all. Its important for people not to conflate 35% with an empty park, because it just means 35% of max capacity. They'd never reach max capacity in Feb anyway.

I get it. But we gave up on empty parks years ago. When came to WDW on our honeymoon in October of 1985, we rode BTMRR three times in a row without ever disembarking the ride because there was literally no one in line waiting. We've probably been here 20 times since then, and no matter what time of year we come, we have never come close to duplicating that experience.

 

[macraven]

For anyone who is interested, I messaged Universal on their FB page (after reading they are good at responding there) and asked my question about the sanitizer. They said their accommodation is that he is able to wear gloves just on the ride, and avoid having the use sanitizer that way!

I was at UO last week and wore gloves( surgical thin ones)
The TM ‘s don’t give you a squirt of hand sanitizer then