Real Talk - Should we go?

[jlb727]

I am here right now in HS and granted, February crowd levels will be different but it is an absolute mess. MK was a mess yesterday. We usually go in March/April. I will not be back until Fast Passes are back and/or they start limiting attendance more. Two popular rides have already been broken today (MMRR and MFSR) so everything was up to 75 min for a while here. Terrible experience so far. I expected more limited attendance overall.

Cast members in the MMRR queue are frantic and they just shut down the line and are not allowing any more people to enter.

 

[Kimpossible1]

I think adding plexi-glass to the rides and seating every row is not good and that is the proverbial "straw" for me. Too many changes have happened in the last month or so and comparisons can't be made to a few months ago. To the OP, keep in mind that there will be many positive responses because this is a Disney forum. I'm a local and stopped going to all the theme parks two weeks before Christmas, they were too crowded and too many people not acting appropriately, but I will wait to go to Disney now because the plexi-glass really detracts from the ride experiences and I will have to sit close to or next to people again.

 

[Orion Nebula]

I think adding plexi-glass to the rides and seating every row is not good and that is the proverbial "straw" for me. Too many changes have happened in the last month or so and comparisons can't be made to a few months ago. To the OP, keep in mind that there will be many positive responses because this is a Disney forum. I'm a local and stopped going to all the theme parks two weeks before Christmas, they were too crowded and too many people not acting appropriately, but I will wait to go to Disney now because the plexi-glass really detracts from the ride experiences and I will have to sit close to or next to people again.

I had no idea they changed from seat spacing to partitions. Is this for all rides or just particular ones?

I had a feeling that many of the "awesome experience" posts may be influenced by Disney syndrome. I am stuck going at the end of Feb / early March (or I lose 1500 in air). Considering your a local have you ever found that time to be traditionally less crowded? Trying to stay as positive as possible.

 

[WorldOfPooh]

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!

If this is a once in a lifetime or once every 5 year trip then I would wait.

If you go every year or more than once a year, something is better than nothing.

 

[Orion Nebula]

If this is a once in a lifetime or once every 5 year trip then I would wait.

If you go every year or more than once a year, something is better than nothing.

I feel the same way. Maybe even toss in how young your kids are also.

 

[djpooh74]

I had no idea they changed from seat spacing to partitions. Is this for all rides or just particular ones?

I had a feeling that many of the "awesome experience" posts may be influenced by Disney syndrome. I am stuck going at the end of Feb / early March (or I lose 1500 in air). Considering your a local have you ever found that time to be traditionally less crowded? Trying to stay as positive as possible.
[/QUOTE

Response deleted

 

[djpooh74]

I had no idea they changed from seat spacing to partitions. Is this for all rides or just particular ones?

I had a feeling that many of the "awesome experience" posts may be influenced by Disney syndrome. I am stuck going at the end of Feb / early March (or I lose 1500 in air). Considering your a local have you ever found that time to be traditionally less crowded? Trying to stay as positive as possible.

We went late Nov/early Dec. Rode Rise of the Resistance behind plexiglass. They are loading 2 parties in each car. Not a good experience because of the glare & smudges looking behind plexiglass.

Currently saw videos of plexiglass installed on MMRR, Frozen EverAfter, Millennium Falcon, Small World.

Also saw reports/photos of all spots being filled on Slinky Dog & Flight of Passage. Maybe this was just during the busy holiday season.

 

[CyndiLooWho]

I drove myself and BIL (50s) and 3 college aged kids to WDW and Uni the 3rd week of December (the week before Christmas week). DS2's GF had never been to FL at all, BIL had not been in more than 20 years.

We had a BLAST.

Yes, there were lines. Most of them went quickly. No, we did not ride every ride we wanted to, but the crowd levels were high because it was almost Christmas. We did ride everything we got in line for, and the things we didn't ride came down to time and choosing the best rides for the group. We barely saw the cavalcades, but we are not parade / fireworks types, so we didn't really miss them.

We ate outside practically every meal, and the online orders went very well. We would order well before we headed to the location where we wanted to eat, and picked the best time slot for how long we thought it would take us to arrive.

Cons: the lines looked long and the spillover outside the ride buildings was weird. The lines at food carts were long. We found that we didn't snack the way we usually do in the parks. We arrived 1 hour after rope drop and closed the parks every night. An extra hour per park would have been nice, but it wasn't bad. We didn't hit the Emporium on our way out like usual because the line was 45 min. We just didn't want to wait that long at the end of the day. With no trams, the walk to the car was hard after being in the parks for 8+ hours (we stayed offsite).

Overall, I'd do it again. Wait, I am doing it again. Hubby and I are flying down alone at the end of the month. We'll be there a week, mostly to do Universal, with a day at MK. Can't wait.

 

[Lumpy1106]

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.

This is such a great post - are you sure you haven't been? We went in August when everyone was crying about the masks - boy does that sound dumb now. Biggest drawback of the masks is, not the heat or the being able to breathe, but you can't tell true emotions from the people you are with. Example; we saw the Explorer Badge thing in AK and thought, hey, that might be fun. Well, it was, for a few of the stations, then it started feeling like work, then it started really eating into our (1) day in AK. My DS was oblivious to the fact that I and my 3 kids were over it, and she kept mapping out the next spot. If she had just seen our faces she would have known, but it's really tough to read those you are with when you can't see the smile go to a frown. Fair warning.

The "once in a lifetime" thing is REAL. We are not going to see WDW this way for a very long time, and it is worth experiencing. I was discouraged by the shorter park hours but that makes for a more leisurely trip. We regularly had breakfast and dinner in the room, saving a ton of cash in the process (plus it was not-so-rushed).

As for your other concerns;

1. Transportation - VALID, at least when we were there. Others have said it is nicer now that people are not packed on the buses, but let me tell you, nothing spoils the magic more than getting left at the bus stop, and that happened to us a lot! The fix; find an alternate route and make an adventure out of it. We took the monorail from Contempo to MK, then took a bus to RIV to take the Skyliner to EPCOT after getting left by a particularly rude bus driver. Sure, I would have rather saved an hour and made that bus, but we were going to have to wait at least 45 mins for the next bus, so why not?
2. Overall experience - The "Disney Feel" is still very much there, but this was an issue with pre and post ride experiences. TT was sort-of depressing, as was the exit to SSE. Do yourself a favor and find a YouTube video of the pre-show to MMRR as you are standing in line or the transition from theater to barn will make NO sense! Also, your 3rd point;
3. Seeing things closed - and yes I would include not being able to just walk into a QS restaurant. That's a drag, as is the closed coffee shop in Contempo, and the closed shows. Mobile order is great though - that's a nice change. If the shows, the fireworks and the big parades are must-dos for you, then yeah, that's a deal-breaker, I get it.

 

[Orion Nebula]

We went late Nov/early Dec. Rode Rise of the Resistance behind plexiglass. They are loading 2 parties in each car. Not a good experience because of the glare & smudges looking behind plexiglass.

Currently saw videos of plexiglass installed on MMRR, Frozen EverAfter, Millennium Falcon, Small World.

Also saw reports/photos of all spots being filled on Slinky Dog & Flight of Passage. Maybe this was just during the busy holiday season.

Wow... the Ride of the Resistance situation really worries me. I can see that really hampering the experience... that is the thing my wife is most excited over. It would be nice if it was just due to the holidays but I don't see why they would take them down at this point...

 

[cmrabet]

We just came back and had a blast! We were there from Dec 28 to Jan 1st and did everything we wanted to do. Even though with the changes due to COVID there is still plenty to do and eat. We went to the rides we wanted and we ate what we wanted using online ordering, and we were impressed with the measures in place for COVID. There were no fireworks and parades, but there were some replacements to them that were enough for us.

If I could go back now I would, but unfortunately life is tough and one has to work to earn money..

Editing to say that we also got a group to ride ROR, and did all major rides at MK, HS and Epcot.

 

[antmaril]

My son and his girlfriend went in early November. They are both Disney veterans. They had a fantastic time. My son particularly enjoyed how relaxed it was. He didn’t miss Fast Passes and all the scheduling. They had ADR’s for dinners and played the rest by ear. They would like to go again in the Spring, if possible.

 

[Lumpy1106]

I think adding plexi-glass to the rides and seating every row is not good and that is the proverbial "straw" for me. Too many changes have happened in the last month or so and comparisons can't be made to a few months ago. To the OP, keep in mind that there will be many positive responses because this is a Disney forum. I'm a local and stopped going to all the theme parks two weeks before Christmas, they were too crowded and too many people not acting appropriately, but I will wait to go to Disney now because the plexi-glass really detracts from the ride experiences and I will have to sit close to or next to people again.

I wouldn't say this is a deal-breaker, but this is a fair point. Disney is doing what they can and I appreciate that more than I can express, BUT, Kilimanjaro Jeeps is a good example, it does distract from the ride. The vision isn't clear through the plastic, and you don't get that excitement as people swing around to see the next animal.

 

[nkereina]

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

The Super Bowl is in Tampa on 2/7. I believe they will be allowing some fans. I also know people traveling to the area to be part of the environment, even if they don't get tickets. Those people may also visit WDW and Universal while there - everyone here is stir crazy and winter weather is making it worse. In a normal year, I'd say the Super Bowl in Tampa is inclined to cause an up-tick in crowds during that time, though that may not be the case this year. Just something to be aware of.

 

[Shellyred8]

We have been there 3 times since re-opening. August, October and December. We, too, are WDW veterans. I actually enjoyed each of the trips (Aug was mixed because the masks in that heat was not pleasant, but the crowds were so low at that time I'm glad we went). Oct and Dec were both busier than Aug. I did miss the fireworks, not gonna lie about that one. But we are not big parade or character people, so we didn't miss that at all. We actually found we really enjoyed the sporadic character cavalcades and character appearances more than having to wait in line to see a character.

For our December trip, for MK we found it was best to be there as early as possible. About 2 hours after park opening, the lines started getting longer than we cared to wait in. But we were able to get in a bunch of rides in those first two hours. We always saved SDMT for the end of the day. We got in line shortly before closing, even though the wait was 45-50 minutes. In the evening, many of the ride lines dropped quite a bit, so we were able to get in several rides during the last two hours of the day as well.

Our biggest challenge was with the dining options. The QS locations have limited menus. We found it was helpful to make at least a couple of ADR's at TS restaurants throughout the trip to break up the monotony of the QS food.

As someone else on this thread mentioned, flights from where I live have been insanely cheap. I would go again in a heartbeat given the chance.

 

[TiggerBouncy]

We went late Nov/early Dec. Rode Rise of the Resistance behind plexiglass. They are loading 2 parties in each car. Not a good experience because of the glare & smudges looking behind plexiglass.

Currently saw videos of plexiglass installed on MMRR, Frozen EverAfter, Millennium Falcon, Small World.

Also saw reports/photos of all spots being filled on Slinky Dog & Flight of Passage. Maybe this was just during the busy holiday season.

Granted I was there in late Oct, and things may have changed. When I was there, yes - the plexiglass in RotR was not my favorite. The plexiglass in MMRR was in the queue as I recall, and that was fine (they had that in a few inside queue lines which I thought was fine). I do not remember it on the rides. I also do not remember it on Smuggler's Run - maybe I missed it?

FOP you could have gotten shots of every seat if they were in the same party. They were doing one party per room, or in a few cases that I saw if it was just 2 people, they could be in the same room as opposite sides with a few bikes between them. I guess in theory the same with SDD - but I did not see them putting different parties in neighboring rows.

 

[PamNC]

non local here - I went in September. I had the same concerns you brought up and although it wasn't the exact same experience, I don't regret going. Now, if it were my first trip or if I felt I wouldn't go back for a couple years, I would have held off. But, I go every year, once is a great while I swing 2 trips so I figured I needed the Disney Joy as you put it and it was worth it to go. I had a great time despire the missing fireworks and shows even though those things were missed. I figure it will just make them all the more special when I do get to experience them...hopefully in the near future. If it were a first time trip - no - I wouldn't recommend it. And again, if it would be awhile before I could go back - no. It's still Disney and still magical. I actually loved the cavalcades even better than the planned parades. You don't have the crazy crowds. It was like a special surprise. the thing I missed most - the fireworks. Disney knows how to do fireworks. I also missed The shows - Lion King especially.

 

[Orion Nebula]

Granted I was there in late Oct, and things may have changed. When I was there, yes - the plexiglass in RotR was not my favorite.

Don't the cars for that only have two rows? I will have a party of six, I wonder if they will let my group ride together? If that's the case my wife can ride in the front since she is looking forward to that SO MUCH. We even got an extra park ticket in case we can't ride it the first day. If there isn't plexiglass in the front that would really make me feel better.

 

[TiggerBouncy]

Don't the cars for that only have two rows? I will have a party of six, I wonder if they will let my group ride together? If that's the case my wife can ride in the front since she is looking forward to that SO MUCH. We even got an extra park ticket in case we can't ride it the first day. If there isn't plexiglass in the front that would really make me feel better.

without giving away spoilers, when you are put into the smaller room prior to the trackless, your party will be together and alone (no one else with you). This is a change from when they were packing multiple parties in there. When you move into the trackless ride, you will be given 2 vehicles - 4 and 2 (or 3 and 3, your choice I imagine).

I can not remember if there was plexiglass between you and the R2 unit. Someone who has ridden it more recently may remember.

 

[Pixie Dust x3]

We are in the same boat and wondering if it's prudent. Many of you have said you wouldn't come if it was a first visit, and that is what it will be for my daughters. My oldest is turning 21 and had to cancel her March 2020 trip but she said she'd rather spend her birthday at a stripped-down Disneyworld than anywhere else. We have adjusted our expectations, but it is a gamble. We are supposed to leave January 26th and we will have to make a decision by the 20th to cancel the Yacht Club.