WDW COVID-19 Operational Changes- Reservation System-Rope Drop Procedures

[mouselovenfamily]

We will not have kids with us this trip and are still planning to go. When park hours were cut we adjusted our park dining reservations to the latest we could make them. By the time we eat, transfer back to the resort we will still have time to go to the pool, explore our resort, have some drinks and get to bed at a decent hour.

I have pushed, pushed , pushed for years to be up at the crack of dawn to make it to RD and stay till close to so my kiddos could have the time of there life, even on 2am park closing days.

This will be a slower trip. But we are looking forward to it. We were locked down in March and are ready to be out!!!! Disney is a business and will only recover as more people start to return. Is it the right choice for everyone, not at all. Hoping everyone travels when it is best for them and hoping all business can recover ASAP.

 

[Jess.stw]

We will not have kids with us this trip and are still planning to go. When park hours were cut we adjusted our park dining reservations to the latest we could make them. By the time we eat, transfer back to the resort we will still have time to go to the pool, explore our resort, have some drinks and get to bed at a decent hour.

I have pushed, pushed , pushed for years to be up at the crack of dawn to make it to RD and stay till close to so my kiddos could have the time of there life, even on 2am park closing days.

This will be a slower trip. But we are looking forward to it. We were locked down in March and are ready to be out!!!! Disney is a business and will only recover as more people start to return. Is it the right choice for everyone, not at all. Hoping everyone travels when it is best for them and hoping all business can recover ASAP.

I wanted to do the same with our restaurant reservations but they are all full now (early-mid Sept) except for about 4pm! Set some alerts... we shall see.

we haven’t been in over 20 years... was looking forward to being back

 

[mouselovenfamily]

I wanted to do the same with our restaurant reservations but they are all full now (early-mid Sept) except for about 4pm! Set some alerts... we shall see.

we haven’t been in over 20 years... was looking forward to being back

Good luck! As many people who say they are canceling you may snag a latter opening. We will be there mis Sept also, really, really for a change of pace.

 

[yulilin3]

I wonder if you could visit the campground, see the new horse stable, check out all the Halloween decorated sites etc...I think if you are a resort guest someplace you are able to hop to other resorts.
I'm not sure about how you would use Disney transportation though. If parks close so early then buses may not be running.

You can, all you do is take the bus from Disney springs

 

[crazymomof4]

I have pushed, pushed , pushed for years to be up at the crack of dawn to make it to RD and stay till close to so my kiddos could have the time of there life, even on 2am park closing days.

THIS! So much! We started going before the kids came. Took our first one at 7mo and have gone numerous times over births of 4 kids and 3 decades. Always rope drop til close people. Always regretted NOT spending more time at our resort. Always said '"This trip we will" and we always stayed in the parks til close, came back to our room late, showered, dropped into bed and started all over the next day. When we found out the hours were further reduced, even my DD19 said, "I'm kind of glad. We always feel the need to make the most out of the park days and stay the whole day. Now we are being forced to slow down and enjoy the trip in other, different ways." .... And I thought she'd be disappointed! Haha. I'm actually excited about this. It's like fate is saying, "Here's your chance to have the trip you always said you wanted but never followed through on! Slow down, relax, think outside the box of parks, parks, parks.".
ETA: NOT beng preachy here! This is our perspective however, I totally understand that this doesn't apply to others whose situation is different. I understand the disappointment this is for many!

 

[only hope]

Stupid question here, but how do you modify the number of guests on a dining reservation? Or is that not an option anymore? I know I've done it in the past! I have a reservation for 6 at Sci fi when I only need it to be 2. Since it's once party per car we aren't taking up additional spots by having 6 reserved but I still like for things to be correct! When I go to modify down to 2, it searches for a new time for a party of two and doesn't find one. Which again doesn't make sense since it's one party per car, whether 1 person or 6 people...but Disney's tech probably can't handle booking reservations like that, hence my current dilemma.

 

[Snowysmom]

We are scheduled to go in November and will go as long as Disney is open and things aren't too crazy. I am looking forward to a slower pace, not having to run around to get to fast pass times. We can sleep in a bit and in the evening I can have a glass of wine and read a book as I look out the hotel room window. It will be a relaxing vacation for once and may actually feel rested when I get home. It is only DH and I so we can go at our pace. I wish the hours were a bit longer but I need my Disney fix so will make the best of it.

 

[Sarahslay]

We are scheduled to go in November and will go as long as Disney is open and things aren't too crazy. I am looking forward to a slower pace, not having to run around to get to fast pass times. We can sleep in a bit and in the evening I can have a glass of wine and read a book as I look out the hotel room window. It will be a relaxing vacation for once and may actually feel rested when I get home. It is only DH and I so we can go at our pace. I wish the hours were a bit longer but I need my Disney fix so will make the best of it.

My DH and I are going without the kids in November as well (Thanksgiving week), as a rescheduled anniversary trip since it wasn't going to be fully open during the original trip. It already looks nothing like our original trip that we had booked, nothing about it is the same, including the pace we will now set because of the hours. I go about 6 or so times a year, but DH hasn't been since December 2017 and I think at first felt very sad that he wouldn't get that original park open to close experience without kids whining they were tired by mid afternoon. However, I think he's come around and realized this could be a new kind of awesome, and we may not feel like we need a vacation from our vacation at the end of the week. It is what it is, we will make the most of it, and maybe won't feel like we're dying by the middle of the week this time lol

 

[MinnieMSue]

Stupid question here, but how do you modify the number of guests on a dining reservation? Or is that not an option anymore? I know I've done it in the past! I have a reservation for 6 at Sci fi when I only need it to be 2. Since it's once party per car we aren't taking up additional spots by having 6 reserved but I still like for things to be correct! When I go to modify down to 2, it searches for a new time for a party of two and doesn't find one. Which again doesn't make sense since it's one party per car, whether 1 person or 6 people...but Disney's tech probably can't handle booking reservations like that, hence my current dilemma.

i have the same problem. I know people could do it but I am unable too. One thing I saw is that some people actually put in names for all 6 or whatever guests and then could just eliminate the ones that aren’t going. We don’t have any extra people in MDE so we have 2un-named guests on our reservation that the only option is to add names for - not delete. Idk if that is the difference or not. I just decided to let it go. I have a touring plans restaurant search looking for a 2person reservation but for the first time ever using it - I have not gotten so much as a peep from it. Always before I got a text that they found something within hours to days. I honestly don’t think they have any 2 person availability ever there

 

[only hope]

i have the same problem. I know people could do it but I am unable too. One thing I saw is that some people actually put in names for all 6 or whatever guests and then could just eliminate the ones that aren’t going. We don’t have any extra people in MDE so we have 2un-named guests on our reservation that the only option is to add names for - not delete. Idk if that is the difference or not. I just decided to let it go. I have a touring plans restaurant search looking for a 2person reservation but for the first time ever using it - I have not gotten so much as a peep from it. Always before I got a text that they found something within hours to days. I honestly don’t think they have any 2 person availability ever there

I’ve got tp set up too, haven’t heard anything. Oh well, I’ll just leave it. I only have the two of us in mde. There shouldn’t be a diff between 1-6 people anyways with the current set up.

 

[MinnieMSue]

I’ve got tp set up too, haven’t heard anything. Oh well, I’ll just leave it. I only have the two of us in mde. There shouldn’t be a diff between 1-6 people anyways with the current set up.

sounds like this is fairly common practice now (at least by the disboards people)

 

[Figvention]

im in mid September so no Halloween get... and we have horses next door at home... we live in the remote country so that’s not a vacation to me LOL! I want fancy and night life! Sorry I’m whiney

Agreed! I’m not sure how much money some of make (God bless you if you do well) but Disney is not a cheap date. My wife and I can cruise the Greek Isles for 5 days for the cost of a Disney trip... You can hop through Northern Italy Wine country for 10 days for the cost of a Disney trip. We know this to be true because we have done both for the same price as a 6 or 7 night Disney trip.

Yes, COVID skews all of these equations but if the entrainment and world class experiences doesn’t come back after all of this then Mickey Waffles and fast passes are not worth it. There is a big blue world outside of The World.

 

[polynor]

THIS! So much! We started going before the kids came. Took our first one at 7mo and have gone numerous times over births of 4 kids and 3 decades. Always rope drop til close people. Always regretted NOT spending more time at our resort. Always said '"This trip we will" and we always stayed in the parks til close, came back to our room late, showered, dropped into bed and started all over the next day. When we found out the hours were further reduced, even my DD19 said, "I'm kind of glad. We always feel the need to make the most out of the park days and stay the whole day. Now we are being forced to slow down and enjoy the trip in other, different ways." .... And I thought she'd be disappointed! Haha. I'm actually excited about this. It's like fate is saying, "Here's your chance to have the trip you always said you wanted but never followed through on! Slow down, relax, think outside the box of parks, parks, parks.".
ETA: NOT beng preachy here! This is our perspective however, I totally understand that this doesn't apply to others whose situation is different. I understand the disappointment this is for many!

Yup! knowing the lines weren‘t going to building to 60+ minute wait, we purposefully didn’t make rope drop. Took our time eating a real breakfast (not just scarfing down cold cereal), even swam one morning our Epcot day. we’ve never done pool time in the morning. it really was one of our more relaxing Disney trips.

 

[Jess.stw]

I am totally good with the slower pace... but for us slower pace is people watching in the parks, a leisurely dinner... walking around the parks looking at details and chatting with cast members... and I am honestly sure what to do after 7pm.

 

[crazymomof4]

Yup! knowing the lines weren‘t going to building to 60+ minute wait, we purposefully didn’t make rope drop. Took our time eating a real breakfast (not just scarfing down cold cereal), even swam one morning our Epcot day. we’ve never done pool time in the morning. it really was one of our more relaxing Disney trips.

Sounds lovely! We are at BWV for the first 2/3 of the trip so especially for our Epcot days I would like to do what you describe. Two out of the 3 adult kids coming with me in Sept are all for it. The 3rd one said "Wake me up half hour before we leave for Epcot" LOL he is my sleeper! Always has been. Was the best baby!
Oh I can't wait! This trip will be different for sure, but I'm hoping a lot of the *different* is a GOOD kind of different!

 

[crazymomof4]

I am totally good with the slower pace... but for us slower pace is people watching in the parks, a leisurely dinner... walking around the parks looking at details and chatting with cast members... and I am honestly sure what to do after 7pm.

If there isn't already a thread about "Things to do after the parks close", maybe it would be fun for one of us to start one and see what ideas people come up with? Disboards is always a great resource for good ideas!

 

[yulilin3]

,

If there isn't already a thread about "Things to do after the parks close", maybe it would be fun for one of us to start one and see what ideas people come up with? Disboards is always a great resource for good ideas!

https://www.disboards.com/threads/things-to-do-after-the-park-closes-for-the-day.3805616/

 

[Robertfam08]

yes... I’m not a Disney Springs fan... what do you do after you leave? So bummed

I'm hoping we might be able to catch a movie by early September. I just saw they are releasing Mulan on Disney+ AND in theaters on September 4. Seems weird to me if we wouldn't be able to see their own movie while we're there, haha.

 

[Melodious]

Yup! knowing the lines weren‘t going to building to 60+ minute wait, we purposefully didn’t make rope drop. Took our time eating a real breakfast (not just scarfing down cold cereal), even swam one morning our Epcot day. we’ve never done pool time in the morning. it really was one of our more relaxing Disney trips.

This is what we want too. Reviews from this past weekend though make it seem as if the slow time is over. So I am watching carefully before our september trip. Hopefully, hours have been reduced because it will slow back down

 

[Jess.stw]

I'm hoping we might be able to catch a movie by early September. I just saw they are releasing Mulan on Disney+ AND in theaters on September 4. Seems weird to me if we wouldn't be able to see their own movie while we're there, haha.

I'm not sure I am ready to see a movie in COVID times even if they are open.... but not a bad idea if they are open