Real Talk - Should we go?

[tlmadden73]

Seems to me that the reduced occupancy to each park would be a big draw to those of us who remember S and desperately miss the smaller crowds from the mid to late 90s. I have not gone since Covid Hit. I was scheduled to go in April of 2020, moved that back to May and again to July but never ended up going. I am currently scheduled to go again in Aug of this year.. fingers crossed things go as planned and also that the crowds are still at somewhat at bay...

Based on photos and wait times I saw from the past few months -- I think the smaller crowds are negated by the social distancing in rides/queues .. though with them now loading most ride vehicles fully AND the potential substantial less crowds of January/February .. the "low crowds" could be a draw these first few months.

 

[Flamingeaux]

DS and I went late last year and had a good trip. Frankly it was right in our wheelhouse. We're not big foodies and we basically go to ride a few rides and leave around supper time. DS really enjoys Chicken Guy so we had supper there almost every night. You know what is open and what is closed. You have to decide is if what is open enough for you. For us it was.

PS - I am going in another 5 weeks with some friends and I am looking forward to it!!!

 

[KT-n-TX]

Family trip, 3 adults, just returned yesterday after 8 nights. Flew SWA out of HOU nonstop to MCO. Used Tiffany Towncar (have used them on every trip since late 90's...great service). Room was ready by the time we arrived at Yacht Club, dropped off our bags and headed to Epcot.

from 12/26- 1/2 we did 2 days at each park plus some Disney Springs time on 3 days. Parks seemed pretty empty for the first 3-4 days, with much larger crowds from the 30th onward.

Overall thoughts:
a) lines were still shorter waits than advertised or appeared!
b) Disney employees were overall outstanding at everything from serving food to enforcing/reminding people about masks, distancing, etc.
c) definitely feel the last few days the parks might have been running at 50% or more.
d) temps were unseasonably warm for a few days (mid-80's) and even though we're from Houston and used to that, I can say I wouldn't want to be there when this warm or warmer under the current Covid mask and food rules.
e) discovered the thing I really like about Disney parks, especially Epcot, is to get a drink/snack as we stroll around, wait in line, etc. While I'm not against Disney's policy and reasoning right now, I personally wouldn't return until we reach a point where we can enjoy that again. Any "taste of" festival loses a lot merit if you have to constantly wait in line, purchase, then find a spot to distance, consume completely, then move on....repeat.

So...REAL TALK...trip was a good break from our routine working lives and to celebrate our daughters upcoming college graduation. We enjoyed a lot of good meals, had great luck on ROR boarding groups, etc.: I am good and got my fix until we're past all the Covid protection requirements. Again, WDW and employees are doing a great job with this, it's just a personal thing for me because it affects a lot of what I enjoy doing at Disney. Our daughter said she'd go back as soon as she could, regardless.

Hope that helps

 

[Heather07438]

Have no experience to report. We arrive to WDW this Fri.

I was torn too. It's no small consideration with the money spent for a Disney trip. In the end decided to go thru with it. Even if some of the highlight experiences are missing, we're going to enjoy the relaxed pace and having more time to explore. And if we find ourselves lamenting missing out on fireworks or whatever, we'll remember that this is a different trip. It's the time we went during the pandemic, lol That's special in its own right.

 

[PaladinButters]

You will still get some of the magic, but until FP returns it is very aggravating. Lines for most attractions are extremely long and while they move fairly quickly, you can still plan on about an hour for any that you want to do. It is not bad right now, but as it gets warmer it is going to be brutal standing in the hot sun for 45 minutes before getting under cover as part of the attraction. Mickie and Minnies Railroad is about the worst right now as there is no shade at all.

This is the biggest item in the CONS column for us - normally do an on-site early entry 'rope drop' or a FP for all the big rides. Waiting in standby quite frankly sucked even for the shorter waits. Had to get the umbrella out to try and keep the sun off my face while snaking around and around.

PROS - (aside from the cheapest flights I've even seen in my life), the distancing! Imagine a bus where you aren't packed like sardines and everybody gets a seat. Every family gets their own skyliner. Finding a table at a quick service - no problem there's plenty of room (at Docking Bay 7 a cast member seated people to make this flow smoothly). I loved that all so much and will be sad when it's over.

I wouldn't say a first timer should go now (obviously) and you for sure should not pay anywhere near full price for so much less but for us it was well worth it. That being said - if you are worried about feeling unsafe, trip reports from first re-open till now have been moving towards more crowds and less safety/compliance steadily so I would hold out on making that final call until more reports of the post-holiday experience are in.

 

[brockash]

Hi all,
I'm having a hard time telling if this is the right forum to post on, please redirect me if I got it wrong.
My husband and I have a trip planned in February of this year. We booked when room discounts were released because the deal was good and we were desperate for some Disney joy in our lives back in October. We knew we might end up cancelling if it didn't feel safe. Now, we feel confident that WDW can be enjoyed safely, and we still desperately want some Disney joy. However, we are WDW veterans, and we're wondering if this trip is worth it for how different the experience will be. No fireworks, limited hours, minimal entertainment/shows, and no indoor dining (self-imposed). Help us make our decision! We want to hear from non-locals who have stayed on property and visited the parks since, say, October. What's good? What's not great? Would you recommend someone else go? Or do you wish you had pushed your trip to later when more of the usual things return?
Thanks in advance!

We're not local and generally go 1-2 times a year. We went in Sept and Oct since the reopening. I'm glad we went and we'll be going again in March, but there's definitely A LOT missing and if you're not a crazy Disney reliant person like me, it may be better to wait...issue for me with that is how long until Disney brings back the vast majority of whats missing...unfortunately it doesn't seem to have anything to do with safety and instead just about what's worth it for them money wise. If they wanted to bring back more shows, fireworks, parades etc they could safely, others are, they just don't feel like the have to so I'm concerned the wait it out is going to be REALLY long and for me I want to go back, so I do.

We do love not having as many ppl. all over you and the squishing as many people as possible into an area etc.

Also love parking the stroller and it being in the same place when we get back. They used to have cms who just constantly rearranged the stroller parking area so loved not having to search.

We really like the Cavalades more than we thought we would.

We sorely miss all the entertainment that's gone.

We miss fastpass Lines are LONG...yes they often are less than what's posted; my crew is just not used to nor do we want to wait at least 45 mins. for everything. We used to never wait more than 20 mins for a ride and during our time since reopening that's just not possible. The lines were really a bummer for us...especially those in the hot sun.

Miss the food options

Miss longer park hours

Miss them taking care of our luggage

Not a fan of wearing masks

 

[holden]

We are supposed to go this summer. So far, we still plan to go.

We don’t care about parades/fireworks/ live entertainment. I do care about being as safe as possible (when it comes to Covid-19).

I’m hoping by summer many will have received the vaccine, including me and DH. If I have received it, I’ll feel better about going.

 

[helenb]

You said that you are Disney veterans. That means that this trip will be different from what you have previously experienced, but it will be an experience to remember. In 10, 20 years, you'll be reminiscing about 'the time you went during the pandemic'. Although it wasn't 'fun', I have a friend who was at WDW on 9/11 and she talks about it often... how eerie it was. If you've been dozens of times, the trips all blend together. This one won't.

So it's probably worth going just for the different experience.

 

[nkereina]

DH and I are also WDW veterans. No kids. We had an April 2020 trip booked that we pushed to October. We decided to go, and I'm very glad we did. It is definitely a different kind of trip, but its easy to navigate the changes. We don't care much for character meets, and rarely will stop for fireworks or shows, so those things were not missed by us. We enjoyed not having fast passes to worry about because it kept us off our phones, constantly refreshing and strategizing our next move. Parks closing earlier than usual meant we didn't take our typical mid-day break, so we had several free evenings - it was nice to have that flexibility to do what we wanted. We went in the pool, did Disney Springs, made a last minute resort ADR for dinner, and even went to City Walk at Universal one night. Because we knew we wouldn't be doing mid-day breaks, we decided to do TS lunches as an in-park mid-day break which worked out great for a reprieve and helped us avoid the limited menus at QS places. Overall, we had low expectations but really enjoyed the slower pace and flexibility of the trip.

The only downside was the mask wearing. It was 90 when we were there, so we found it stifling. My face broke out terribly from the mask rubbing on it combined with the moisture from humidity and sweat. It was tough to breathe when we were hauling it to MMRR or FOP. I think it would be much more bearable in February weather than the weather we experienced, but that was truly the only downside of the trip.

I'd also caution that something I didn't consider or read about was that with queues extended to allow for social distancing, the queues are mostly outside in the elements. They have more of the wait outside than inside to avoid having people indoors for long periods of time. This means you may be waiting in the rain, in the sun, in the heat/cold, etc. when you're not typically used to doing that. I knew not to conflate the length of the outdoor queue with the wait time, but didn't consider that the majority of my waits would be outside as well.

 

[Kitty & Covs Covs]

(Duplicate and won't let me delete!)

 

[Kitty & Covs Covs]

I haven't been since April of 2019 (had an April 2020 trip planned that got cancelled), but have a trip booked in a couple months for March 2021. I'm really encouraged by the trip reports--it almost seems like a return to Disney of the late 80s/early 90s? Impromptu character appearances (even if you can't M&G them), not having to plan every second of your day months in advance, having more time to be at the resort with reduced park hours. I don't mind waiting in lines though, I just enjoy the experience of being in WDW. I have a 7 year old whose first trip was 18 months, then at 4 and 5, and she's been well-prepped to bring along many, many, many snacks in a fanny pack she can use to distract herself in line. (I know this might not be an option this time around, so will have to think of a different strategy!) I think she's actually looking forward to sleeping in a little if, for example, the 10am open time for DHS holds!

Last year I said I wouldn't go if I had to wear a mask the whole time, but now that I wear a mask the whole time anywhere that seems sort of ridiculous. We had to wear masks to walk around a very distanced, limited capacity outdoor christmas light show last month that wasn't even that good...so why not do the same for something as awesome as WDW?

I guess if I did have to list my concerns, though:

1) Transportation will be awful, and I hate taking Ubers between hotels or parks as it reduces the magic. Not having the monorail run at full capacity is really, really sad to me.
2) The overall experience will feel different because the world feels different? That might not make sense, but I worry people just aren't as happy and light and airy and that's how Disney should be
3) Seeing things closed, whether it be an old real life main street USA or WDW main street USA, is depressing. I don't like staying at a resort while they are refurbishing a pool--nevermind if some of their dining options are shuttered.

Anyway, I hope everyone goes and keeps going and doesn't hold back because I love WDW and want it to be around and growing forever.

 

[Disneylvr1971]

Met DD down there the 1st and 2nd week of Dec. As far as the "lines" being long they are as they are spaced out, but actually didn't mind as they continually moved so they seemed to go fast. Also love the cavalcades and this is coming from someone that never does parades. There are limited food lines. We were able to do 17 rides one day at HS and fit in lunch, so if you want to get on rides it is definitely possible even without FP. That day the worst lines were for TOT. Every park we went to we didn't have any problems getting on any ride we wanted. As far as photopass goes, we did them at every park (usually skip this) and did a collage of us in masks as a reminder of 2020. Good luck on whatever you decide.

 

[Naomeri]

I haven't been since April of 2019 (had an April 2020 trip planned that got cancelled), but have a trip booked in a couple months for March 2021. I'm really encouraged by the trip reports--it almost seems like a return to Disney of the late 80s/early 90s? Impromptu character appearances (even if you can't M&G them), not having to plan every second of your day months in advance, having more time to be at the resort with reduced park hours. I don't mind waiting in lines though, I just enjoy the experience of being in WDW. I have a 7 year old whose first trip was 18 months, then at 4 and 5, and she's been well-prepped to bring along many, many, many snacks in a fanny pack she can use to distract herself in line. (I know this might not be an option this time around, so will have to think of a different strategy!) I think she's actually looking forward to sleeping in a little if, for example, the 10am open time for DHS holds!

Last year I said I wouldn't go if I had to wear a mask the whole time, but now that I wear a mask the whole time anywhere that seems sort of ridiculous. We had to wear masks to walk around a very distanced, limited capacity outdoor christmas light show last month that wasn't even that good...so why not do the same for something as awesome as WDW?

I guess if I did have to list my concerns, though:

1) Transportation will be awful, and I hate taking Ubers between hotels or parks as it reduces the magic. Not having the monorail run at full capacity is really, really sad to me.
2) The overall experience will feel different because the world feels different? That might not make sense, but I worry people just aren't as happy and light and airy and that's how Disney should be
3) Seeing things closed, whether it be an old real life main street USA or WDW main street USA, is depressing. I don't like staying at a resort while they are refurbishing a pool--nevermind if some of their dining options are shuttered.

Anyway, I hope everyone goes and keeps going and doesn't hold back because I love WDW and want it to be around and growing forever.

I found the Disney transportation to be better than usual, the buses come one after another to clear the rope drop crowds at the resorts, and not being squished in on buses, or having to stand at the end of a long park day is incredible and I will be a little sad when that particular safety measure goes away

 

[Pats Dragon]

We went for Thanksgiving. The lack of shows, fireworks, attractions closed, construction, long lines for some shops and other shops closed makes ride lines sometimes way too long. Restaurants may or not be closed randomly and waits for mobile ordering are annoying. Cheaper ingredients and small menus are a disappointment at a lot of restaurants. Lots of resorts still closed reminding us of TWD set. Yes there were good moments and we absolutely loved the Swan but just not the usual magic. Wait. Things will be back to normal.

 

[nkereina]

1) Transportation will be awful, and I hate taking Ubers between hotels or parks as it reduces the magic. Not having the monorail run at full capacity is really, really sad to me.
2) The overall experience will feel different because the world feels different? That might not make sense, but I worry people just aren't as happy and light and airy and that's how Disney should be

I'm a proponent of going in the current environment, but these are valid concerns. Because of our experiences with buses at rope drop (see my comment below), we did end up using Uber going to the parks/Disney Springs. This also meant getting dropped off at TTC for MK, which of course is not as convenient (no getting dropped off at CR currently unless you have an ADR or mobile order). I agree that not being able to arrive via Disney transportation diminishes some of the excitement or magic. Logistically, its much easier and faster in the current environment, but arriving in John's Honda Civic with plastic between the seats doesn't scream Disney to me.

As far as the overall experience, I wouldn't say we noticed the dark cloud of the real world hanging overhead, but there are stark reminders of the real world everywhere you turn on property now. Of course, seeing everyone in masks plus the sanitizer stations everywhere, the markings in the queue separating people by 6'. I also became accustomed to growing annoyed when people didn't respect the queue markers and encroached on my space - before I got annoyed with line jumpers, now I get annoyed with line encroachers. LOL. Different Disney World problems these days.

I found the Disney transportation to be better than usual, the buses come one after another to clear the rope drop crowds at the resorts, and not being squished in on buses, or having to stand at the end of a long park day is incredible and I will be a little sad when that particular safety measure goes away

Our experience, which is still the experience of many from what I've been reading, is that trying to make rope drop using the bus system is a nightmare. People line up at the bus depots 60+ minutes in advance to ensure they are on the first bus of the day. When that bus pulls up, its a free-for-all with some people disregarding who was there first since most bus depots (save for the values) have no formal queues. I agree that its nice not being squished like sardines in the buses, but that does result in a greatly reduced capacity on the buses. There were several instances when we had to wait for the next bus during our trip, and we waited about 15 minutes. To me, that's a typical wait - not egregious but not immediate either. By nature of reduced park and resort capacity, buses operations are inclined to be limited proportionately as well. Its all about saving on operating costs where they can in the current environment.

 

[lindsroc]

Hi all,
I'm having a hard time telling if this is the right forum to post on, please redirect me if I got it wrong.
My husband and I have a trip planned in February of this year. We booked when room discounts were released because the deal was good and we were desperate for some Disney joy in our lives back in October. We knew we might end up cancelling if it didn't feel safe. Now, we feel confident that WDW can be enjoyed safely, and we still desperately want some Disney joy. However, we are WDW veterans, and we're wondering if this trip is worth it for how different the experience will be. No fireworks, limited hours, minimal entertainment/shows, and no indoor dining (self-imposed). Help us make our decision! We want to hear from non-locals who have stayed on property and visited the parks since, say, October. What's good? What's not great? Would you recommend someone else go? Or do you wish you had pushed your trip to later when more of the usual things return?
Thanks in advance!

We just got back on Sunday and it was different, but worth it. I think as long as you know what to expect, and you go there with those realistic expectations, you will have fun. I would definitely not go right now if I was a first timer. I cant even imagine what those guests must think. I did miss fastpasses and park hopping, which started in the middle of our trip. I didnt love that EVERYTHING has a line, gift shops, rides, etc. It ate up a lot of time and sometimes you just want to walk into a restaurant or gift shop without waiting in a line. Quite a few shops were still closed when we were there but overall we had a good time. Waits were long but manageable. And even when the lines were long it felt as though they were always moving which was nice. We went in with very real expectations so we were not disappointed.

 

[Toad_Passenger]

We are 3 weeks out from arrival and we're having the "should we, shouldn't we" talk. This trip was bumped from last September, and we could bump it again without issue.

We're more concerned with the stories we've heard over the last few weeks about crowds and protocol compliance. I'm hoping it was just due to the Holiday weeks and that things will settle back in. Going to be scouring the trip reports in the next 2 weeks to get a better feel if things go back to October/November type situations where things seemed a bit better.

End of Jan/Early Feb is normally slower to begin with, so my fingers are crossed that it will empty out a bit.

 

[TiggerBouncy]

DVC (so Disney Veteran). Went in late Oct (21-28), so I think that qualifies and returning in Feb. (Live in Maryland)

There is no doubt it was different and there were some disappointments if you knew what you were expecting. My likes and dislikes...

Likes:
CM's were absolutely terrific. Really, really, really. Every one of you. I love you all.

Personally, I am a fan of the cavalcades. The crowds are less pronounced. There is not a layer of 6 people deep where you have to line up an hour before or be so far back you might get a shot of a princesses kneecap and the dreaded upstream swim after the parade to get wherever you were going. I would prefer they keep those and never go back.

PERSONALLY, I am also a fan of no FP+. That's a controversial statement I realize. But it means when a standby line says 30 minutes, it really means 25 minutes where pre-COVID, 30 minutes often meant 50 minutes because of the swarm of FP's that would show up.

I liked the new location for the food and wine (in the building behind Canada) and they had managed it well. I know that won't affect your trip, but just calling it out.

SAFETY and CLEANLINESS were paramount and obvious. Disney was super, super conscious about safety and cleanliness. Some of the rides they were doing one every other row, then that car would get every other row on the rows not used, and then the third time around the CM's descended on the dang thing like a pit crew wiping every surface with almost a GO, GO, GO! attitude. Loved it. As much as I hated all the plexiglass, it was a good compromise. It all just felt so... safe.

Dislikes:

This is most pronounced in EPCOT and AK. But the lack of international CM's is felt. It removed some of the culture. For example, we had dinner at Le Cellier. Normally we would have gotten a little speech about what part of Canada we were in, and the waiter would be quite knowledgably. We had (obviously) an American. Actually, I think he was a manager. I asked what part of Canada we were sitting in and he had no idea. Didn't know the menu at all. He explained (quite politely) that their regular staff is obviously not allowed back in the country, so they are making due. Please do not take this as a criticism of the CM. He was terrific. But I would say the food was not quite up to par (probably because the regular chefs were also Canadian) and the wait staff were not the regular staff. Another place this was noticeable to me was in Kidani when I talked to the CM about the animals. Very knowable person and I loved talking with her. But she was from Michigan. I suspect she was one of the backstage animal caretakers as she knew the animals very well and had a lot of good stories about them. Normally we would have someone from Africa. Again, it was not bad... but it was off-putting if your expectation is to immerse yourself in culture.

Lack of fireworks was a little disappointing, but TBH I don't go to the fireworks all that much these days anyway.

Food options. ESPECIALLY IN MK. Casey's was (is?) still closed. Columbia house was (is?) still closed. Together these two make up a large portion of available quick service. When you take the layout of the park into account, with Casey's closed, that basically left no food options within reasonable walking distance of the front of the park (without a reservation). I asked the food cart there where I could get something to eat and her only suggestion was to walk to CR or Pinocchio - quite a walk for older people looking to leave the park soon. It's more pronounced of an issue since at our resort (AKL), the only food option was the gift shop fridge (so cereal, and chips or a microwave) or the pool bar which is also quite a walk with very limited food options. I think tomorrowland terrace has opened since then, but at the time it was quite frustrating because it felt like there was just no where to get some dinner before going to bed. This can be handled by better planning on our part once we realized the challenges.

Bottom line - the pro's (to me) outweighed the cons (thus we are going back in a month). But it is a different experience and you have to realize and accept that.

 

[rwdavis2]

There's no way we would pay full price for a lesser experience; shorter hours, no fireworks/shows, and limited restaurant menus. But then we only go every 4-6 years and are used to waiting between visits.

 

[Orion Nebula]

We are 3 weeks out from arrival and we're having the "should we, shouldn't we" talk. This trip was bumped from last September, and we could bump it again without issue.

We're more concerned with the stories we've heard over the last few weeks about crowds and protocol compliance. I'm hoping it was just due to the Holiday weeks and that things will settle back in. Going to be scouring the trip reports in the next 2 weeks to get a better feel if things go back to October/November type situations where things seemed a bit better.

End of Jan/Early Feb is normally slower to begin with, so my fingers are crossed that it will empty out a bit.

This talk keeps coming up for us and we are booked for the end of February. We already rebooked twice (Sept & Dec) and are to the point where we will lose our airfare (1500) if we push it back further. And yes I have the same worries due to many of the recent protocol reports. I keep hoping as you do that due to the time of year we are going be "usually" lower crowds that maybe things could be a tiny bit better. But everything is so screwy now who knows.

Good luck on your trip, make sure you report back!