November 2020

[karen4546]

Right now the rental brokers have a lot of confirmed reservations available from people who had to cancel their trips. If you have flexibilty, you can get something last minute for $8/point.

That is just what we did. We ZERO plans to go back to WDW so soon. We just got back October 4 and we are going December 11. But, my husband has vacation to use and I get the emails with reduced vacations. I never expected the 3 nights @ $504 at Polynesian LAKEVIEW would be available when I emailed. It was and so we booked it-flights are the most expensive thing.

We are DVC owners but we only own 125 points and so we don't plan many extra trips each year.

 

[nancy155]

At the airport ready to head “home”. Off to WDW. Saw they announced they have increased capacity to 35%.

 

[DisneyDoesMyHair]

At the airport ready to head “home”. Off to WDW. Saw they announced they have increased capacity to 35%.

Yes, we could feel that increased capacity at MK today. It felt crowded, but honestly the wait times are still lower than when we went to Disney pre-Covid. We went back to the resort early because it was all a little too much around lunchtime. Very little room to breathe in the bottleneck areas.

 

[DeeBee3]

Yes, we could feel that increased capacity at MK today. It felt crowded, but honestly the wait times are still lower than when we went to Disney pre-Covid. We went back to the resort early because it was all a little too much around lunchtime. Very little room to breathe in the bottleneck areas.

From pics and reports people post, the crowds do concern me. Coming from NY where we all have to wear masks and capacity is still reduced in most places, it's a culture shock. I see those vlogs and I feel like people in Disney are living in an alternate universe from me! Definitely jealous. NY is leaded for a shutdown again and schools are close to closing. Not sure what to hope for anymore! I've cancelled 2 trips already this year. We are going with the last-minute theory going forward.

 

[nancy155]

Yes, we could feel that increased capacity at MK today. It felt crowded, but honestly the wait times are still lower than when we went to Disney pre-Covid. We went back to the resort early because it was all a little too much around lunchtime. Very little room to breathe in the bottleneck areas.

I left Epcot around 2 to come back to the resort. Will go back this evening and see how it is. May be walking in and back out. I was there last night. Got to Epcot around 5:30ish and it wasn’t bad at all. Stayed until 8:30 and was able to walk on spaceship earth, soarin and living with the land. Walked around showcase a bit then off to the GF for dinner.

 

[jgl130]

We left MK around 2:30 today. It was definitely a lot more crowded than in July. People were still good about masks. The longest we waited for anything was 34 minutes for Jungle Cruise (posted 45). But we did Space and Splash early.

 

[tinabina919]

Just set my 5am alarm for our flight!! Here’s to hoping I can actually get some sleep!!

 

[nancy155]

Went back to Epcot. Only stayed long enough to ride soarin, Land and Test Track. That was in all said and done in 1.5 hours. TT was posted 50 minutes but was 27 minutes. Grabbed some Apple Fritter Donut holes and left. Perfect evening. (I did not venture into World Showcase).

 

[DisneyDoesMyHair]

From pics and reports people post, the crowds do concern me. Coming from NY where we all have to wear masks and capacity is still reduced in most places, it's a culture shock. I see those vlogs and I feel like people in Disney are living in an alternate universe from me! Definitely jealous. NY is leaded for a shutdown again and schools are close to closing. Not sure what to hope for anymore! I've cancelled 2 trips already this year. We are going with the last-minute theory going forward.

It does kind of feel like an alternate universe, and sometimes a bit uncomfortable, if I’m being completely honest. I think I felt guilty being in such crowds, when I would never do it back home. This is mostly because we have been so accustomed to strict social distancing, and fairly compliant mask wearers in my town.

 

[Sydnerella]

It does kind of feel like an alternate universe, and sometimes a bit uncomfortable, if I’m being completely honest. I think I felt guilty being in such crowds, when I would never do it back home. This is mostly because we have been so accustomed to strict social distancing, and fairly compliant mask wearers in my town.

Thanks for this honesty. I think we would feel the same way. We are feeling uncomfortable sharing with coworkers where our upcoming vacation is planned... We are supposed to leave for our rescheduled spring break trip next Friday and already upgraded to Riviera to make ourselves more comfortable in a one bedroom villa, having space to spread out and ability to cook and eat in if need be. But the exponential increase in cases and Chapeks confirmation of the added capacity - at 35% now, which is 1.4 times (0.25x1.4=0.35) as many people allowed in than before - make us feel like we should be canceling less than a week out - exactly when our Spring break trip was canceled in March... ugh These two facts alone should mean we call it off - in the summer that was my thinking of this “game time” decision criteria. But we are so ready to get a break from the various stressors of life the past several months and feel we could manage safely... but what if?!?!
It’s just so frustrating more have not taken this more seriously sooner across the country and we are spiking like this.

 

[kniquy]

Leaving on Friday for our 9 day trip! 2 Nights at CBR and then 7 at OKW. I really can get myself to be excited just yet. I feel I have to get through my work week and then friday morning when my butt is on the plane then I can relax. I am really trying to take a different approach to this trip. I am a super planner with pretty much every minute accounted for. My family appreciates it because we get on all the rides we want, we get to dine where we want and we are never hungry trying to find something to eat. But all I have is our dining and what parks we are doing each day. 3HS, 2 Epcot (hitting both Food and Wine and Festival of the Holidays), 2 AK and 2 MK. I think the only park I am concerned about is MK. 2 Days just doesn't seem like enough to get to everything, but I have to remind myself of my new outlook - we will take it slower, hit what we can and just enjoy being there as a family.

As healthcare workers my husband and I just need a little break from the reality that we have been living for the past 8 months. We figure going to WDW can't be any scarier than what we have already endured. And for my kids who have been doing home schooling since March and have had limited opportunities to get out and do something fun, this trip is for them to also get a break from reality. It think WDW is one of the safest places we can go. A place who has the same standards as we do at work, mandatory mask wearing, social distancing and screening (although the temp checks don't tell us the whole story it is at least something).

 

[DisneyDoesMyHair]

Thanks for this honesty. I think we would feel the same way. We are feeling uncomfortable sharing with coworkers where our upcoming vacation is planned... We are supposed to leave for our rescheduled spring break trip next Friday and already upgraded to Riviera to make ourselves more comfortable in a one bedroom villa, having space to spread out and ability to cook and eat in if need be. But the exponential increase in cases and Chapeks confirmation of the added capacity - at 35% now, which is 1.4 times (0.25x1.4=0.35) as many people allowed in than before - make us feel like we should be canceling less than a week out - exactly when our Spring break trip was canceled in March... ugh These two facts alone should mean we call it off - in the summer that was my thinking of this “game time” decision criteria. But we are so ready to get a break from the various stressors of life the past several months and feel we could manage safely... but what if?!?!
It’s just so frustrating more have not taken this more seriously sooner across the country and we are spiking like this.

Please don’t be discouraged by my post. I think you made a good decision moving to the Riviera one bedroom. It will be like your own little oasis and escape from the crowds if it happens to be crowded in the parks. With a kitchen and a balcony, not to mention a great pool, the Riviera alone will be a great vacation. I posted after a particularly crowded day at MK on a Saturday, weekends are always crowded, so just keep that in perspective. It does feel like every bit of that 35% capacity was present at MK yesterday, but we had our cabin to escape to midday and unwind, eat, rest, refuel for the evening. You can really make it as laid-back as you wish. The boats and busses are not crowded at all. The restaurants are not excessively crowded. You can find pockets in the parks to avoid the crowds. Go and enjoy this time away from all the news reports and escape for a bit.

 

[lorileahb]

It did feel a little strange being in the crowds, but we did feel safe. Below is my post from Recent Experience thread (way too long!). Hope everyone that goes enjoys as much as we did... we found plenty of pockets without people, and avoided areas like between It's a Small World and Peter Pan (walking around back by the castle if needed) where we knew it would be crowded.

Back home after a magical trip this week! Arrived at Pop late on Wednesday. Had never stayed at Pop (usually Port Orleans Riverside loyal)... rooms were a little small, but clean - nice. Resort a little big... long walk to our room with all of our luggage. After that - basic, but nice resort. Enjoyed the larger-than-life theming throughout the resort. Hippy Dippy pool was fun for Disney fans... Guess Who, Name that Tune, other fun Disney games. Mask compliance good at resort - though we enjoyed pool time with them off! Super long, so not for the faint of heart... LOL

Thursday at Epcot - already posted.

Friday at Magic Kingdom - took an early Lyft to Contemporary (645 am). Picked up a mobile order to go at Contempo Cafe (chocolate croissant we put in our bag); picked it up right about 7/7:05 a.m. Walked over to Magic Kingdom... about 5th or 6th in line for temperature checks. They held us for a few minutes, then over to entrance... we were walking in about the same time the folks from the buses were walking in. Headed straight to SDMT - walked straight through queue and got on. Over to BTM - walk on, over to Splash Mountain - 5-10 min wait, on to Pirates - walk on, Aladdin Carpets - walk on, Haunted Mansion - walk on, It's a Small World - 10 min (moving the whole time), Teacups - walk on, Tomorrowland Speedway - 10 mins (moving whole time)... then our first real wait... Buzz Lightyear, probably about 20 mins (moving the whole time). Crowds were significantly more noticeable at this point. Browsed a few of the stores on Main Street on our way to Tony's for lunch. Ran into the big cavalcade - able to sit right up front on the curb - Mickey & Minnie on Christmas float, Pooh & friends, Mary Poppins, Donald & Daisy, Pluto and more. I loved being able to see all the characters! Have seen mixed reviews on Tony's, but we LOVED it. Lady and the Tramp are some of my favorites - right up their with Pooh, Eeyore and friends. Ambiance was great - was able to see a few character cavalcades through the windows, and we enjoyed the food (spaghetti & meatballs, Chicken Parm., fried mozzarella, etc. Headed back to resort for a rest. Back to MK via bus late afternoon... On the way to knock out Space Mountain, ran into the Santa cavalcade right in front of the castle - pretty perfect! After a 20-min wait for Space Mountain, on to our much awaited surprise meal for the kids at Cinderella's Royal Table. It was amazing just to be in the castle, and to see Cinderella. The food was good - between all of us, we had almost everything. Surprisingly, the chicken was the favorite main dish - so good (beef tenderloin was also good, but we all agreed chicken was the best)! And the Jaqs and Gus de-constructed cheesecake the best dessert! One snafu when they tried to charge me for an additional two people (had already pre-paid for 5 - that's the only way to get the reservation) even though we only had our five people. The finance lady came out - she wasn't budging at first - and she could only "find" the reservation I had previously for 3, that I had cancelled the previous day when I picked up the reservation for all five of us - I didn't have the cancelation e-mails on my phone, but I did show her the reservation for five I had still active in myDisney app - they ended up not charging for two more people (a lot of money at CRT!!!), but I felt very uneasy that maybe I wouldn't be getting my refund from the reservation I had canceled the day before. I asked for a direct phone number in case it didn't settle out right (not the wait 2-4 hour dining line number), and she gave me a card with a business office number on it. I feel bad, because I really try to go with the flow - if you have ever been to CRT, you know how much money we are talking, and that REALLY stressed me out. I wish I had handled it better - but she was so adamant about how I hadn't paid for the extra two people (and I had the confirmation e-mail on my computer back at the room - AND the cancelation for the other reservation) - I got pretty frustrated. I sent the husband on with the kids and joined them after the CRT finance lady and I came to a resolution. So, long story short - if you go to CRT, make sure the billing is correct and you have access to your reservation confirmations/cancelations on your phone. On to Peter Pan - 15 min wait (always moving), Haunted Mansion - walk on, Swiss Family Treehouse, Dole Whip Break, Ariel - walk on, grabbed Mickey pretzels, Dumbo - walk on, and a 10-min wait for the Carousel at close. We missed out on the Confectionary... we were going to go on the way out, but there was a line of maybe 10-15 people outside the store and we were pretty tired. Overall - almost a perfect day, except for the CRT snafu (fingers still crossed on this one) and missing the Confectionary. Bus ride back to Pop, long line - but it went fast, they had bus after bus pull in.

Saturday - resort day. Mobile ordered Mickey Waffles; ate in our room - ours were good. Went to see Christmas Decorations... Took bus to Magic Kingdom, rode monorail to Grand Floridian and back to Magic Kingdom; boat to Wilderness Lodge - a fairly long wait for this boat (15-20 mins) - mobile order at Roaring Fork (they were short staffed - took forever, but the food was good - plenty of outside tables in the shade to enjoy it) - our favorite Christmas atmosphere. Boat back to Magic Kingdom (only a short wait, 5-10 mins) and bus back to Pop. And, finally, POOL! Perfect weather; enjoyed the games - CMs were upbeat and fun. Mobile ordered the pizza dinner (pizza/breadsticks/salad for 4) and back to room. Enjoyed movies, packed and loaded up car.

Sunday - Animal Kingdom and head home. Early morning - up and out at 545 a.m. - drove to AK since we were headed home straight from the park. In line at parking lot 6 a.m. One of first cars - they held us for awhile (until 6:30 a.m.). Buses and Ubers/Lyfts beat us in (they got dropped off, we had to walk from parking spot) - but didn't matter. Straight to FOP - walked straight through queue (no stopping), on to Navi River Journey - 10 min wait (very little stopping). The bridge from Pandora to Africa is closed because it is the FOP line, so we had to backtrack and take Discovery Island then on to Africa... Kil. Safari - 10-15 min line then the Safari. I opted out due to a bad back... trekked back to Pandora (via Discovery Island again) to get Night Blossom / Pongu Lumpia... carried the treats back to Kil. Safari exit (also picking up a Simba pretzel). Family joined me ,and we quickly enjoyed the snack at a table. On to Expedition Everest - saw a drum/music show on a boat on the water on the way (fun!) - EE longest wait of maybe 20-25 mins. Not too bad; mostly shaded and quite a few fans. On to Dinosaur - walk on and Triceratops Spin - walk on. Pretty hot at this point. Let the girls do a little shopping on Discovery Island - then It's Tough to Be a Bug - 15-20 min wait; not bad - shaded and was able to see all of the amazing animals on The Tree of Life. Surprised - we really enjoyed the show (had heard mixed reviews). On to Kali River Rapids- 10-15 min wait. At this point, was 11:45 a.m. - headed to front of the park to our 12 p.m. Rainforest Cafe reservation - perfect break/rest before the long drive home. On the way, saw a boat with Timon and Rafiki. The heat made this day a little more tiring, but overall, a great end to our trip.

Masks were bothersome, but not a deal breaker. We saw really good compliance throughout the park - and just stayed away from anyone not keeping theirs up. All of the restaurants we ate at (Beaches and Cream, Tony's, Cinderella Royal Table, Rainforest Cafe) had good table spacing - we felt comfortable and safe - and enjoyed the break in mask wearing as we ate at our tables.

Would we go again? Absolutely! Missed the shows (especially Festival of the Lion King and fireworks), but we felt safe and were happy with the whole trip. Never waiting more than 20 mins for a ride (except maybe a few mins more for Exp. Everest/EE), and the only "big" one we missed at the parks we visited (MK, AK, Epcot) was Frozen Ever After. We also consider the skyline a favorite ride.

Go - enjoy - can't wait to read about your trips!

 

[DisneyDoesMyHair]

Yay

It did feel a little strange being in the crowds, but we did feel safe. Below is my post from Recent Experience thread (way too long!). Hope everyone that goes enjoys as much as we did... we found plenty of pockets without people, and avoided areas like between It's a Small World and Peter Pan (walking around back by the castle if needed) where we knew it would be crowded.

Yay! I love trip reports and enjoyed reading your recap. You definitely had much better luck with wait times than we did at MK. We stood in several very long lines, including BTM and SDMT, and had to skip a few of our favorites this time because of long waits. I guess it could all be about timing. I will say that posted times did not always match wait times. Actual waits were usually shorter, if only slightly. So glad y’all had a great trip. We have a couple more days here, and I’m already sad it is winding down.

 

[MrsBooch]

At the airport ready to head “home”. Off to WDW. Saw they announced they have increased capacity to 35%.

I've heard conflicting interpretations on this increase regarding when it actually began. I think it was increased previously, not recently. Right around when they were installing all of the additional plexiglass dividers in rides in an effort to increase ride capacity and maintain the guidelines. I think that was last month? But also i can't measure time anymore so maybe it was more recently?

 

[tinabina919]

Checked into Bay Lake and had a great first day! Room was ready when we got off ME around 11am, relaxed on the “beach” for a while and headed to Disney Springs for dinner. That’s where things got a little tricky. There’s no order when waiting/lining up for busses, gave me a bit of anxiety.
Dinner at Wine Bar George was so amazing it might have been worth it.
Luckily that’s all we are doing with busses. Plan on walking to MK while here at BLT then Epcot once we move to Dolphin.

and top off this amazing fist day, I just read they will be testing fireworks at MK tomorrow night!!

 

[lorileahb]

Yay

Yay! I love trip reports and enjoyed reading your recap. You definitely had much better luck with wait times than we did at MK. We stood in several very long lines, including BTM and SDMT, and had to skip a few of our favorites this time because of long waits. I guess it could all be about timing. I will say that posted times did not always match wait times. Actual waits were usually shorter, if only slightly. So glad y’all had a great trip. We have a couple more days here, and I’m already sad it is winding down.

Hate that you all got caught in some longer lines. But glad you all have a little more time there! Good to be in our own beds, but a little sad to be gone. Enjoy!!

Touring plans wait times seemed to be a bit more on target versus the myDisney app/posted wait times... at least, when we checked them.

 

[Lizzards]

For all of us still awaiting our upcoming trips this month...hang in there!! I am beyond ready for the Disney bubble. Praying we stay healthy and have a relaxing trip!

 

[Buzz2014]

Checked In Friday people have been great with masks and I have only been in resorts so far. Check in at beach club and boardwalk have been a mess no text no email nothing about room being ready except messages at 430 saying sorry room isn’t ready. Only found out both times because app finally loaded and status on room had a number. This at 550pm one day and after 6p today.. they did upgrade from a studio to standard one bedroom but I did not ask just wanted the manager to know the system is all messed up with the checking in.. weird thing is our friends who were supposed to get a tower studio (tiny from what I gather ) checked in 3 hours early got their text no issues and were randomly upgraded to a very large one bedroom.

 

[Funfire240]

One week from today at this time I will be on the airplane! Nervous and exciting feelings It's hard to think that a week from today we will be at Disney Springs.