WDW to reduce physical distancing in phases?

[LSUmiss]

I've got a trip booked in mid-july with a toddler and a 5 year old. This is a nightmare scenario if they go to full capacity with no fastpasses. I can't wait with them in lines that are longer then about 30 minutes. I don't even care what rides we go on, I'm happy with IASW, but if they go full capacity with no fastpasses, that is going to be horrible for us.

Mornings & late afternoons/evenings are usually still good. I have similar situation with DS 3 & things like little mermaid, iasw, dumbo, carpets, etc always clear out or start out slow in the mornings. He’s happy riding little mermaid over & over so we do ok.

 

[shifteru]

I can tell you that while I was in the parks last week, there was very little physical distancing going on, even with it officially at 6'. Enough people just aren't doing it - in queues, in merch lines and stores, walking around, anywhere - that most of the time, I was within 6' of other people. So I don't really think a an official reduction is going to feel terribly different.

But what it might look like is physically shorter ride queues (same wait time, less distance covered), and closer seating/standing for shows. My best guess is that they'll go to 3' outdoors and retain 6' indoors. In a bigger picture, reduced distancing might mean being able to put more staff in places like kitchens, which might mean more menu items and/or more restaurants open. It'll be interesting to see just how it shakes out!

I think the problem as many are pointing out isn't the lack of or reduction in social distancing in and of itself, but what it will mean for park capacity allowances. If they reduce "official" distancing that means they can likely increase park capacity so whether or not people follow the rules there will just be more of them in the parks, which with other limitations could make the overall experience that much more crowded/worse.

 

[emilymad]

I took this to mean Disney will do whatever it wants, when it wants, with no advanced notice....so business as usual for them? This is just their notice so if a guest complains they can say we warned you.

 

[dez1978]

I'm all for getting rid of most of the restrictions personally, but I understand why others may be uncomfortable with it. With this though, they need to reopen all the shows and restaurants. If they opened those back up, and began running rides at full capacity, seating every seat, loading all the trains, boats etc, then even if they don't bring back FP right away, that would do a lot to reduce wait times. But when you are only running half of TOT like they were when I was there in March that doubles the wait times.

 

[OregonDisDad]

I’m for getting rid of as many restrictions as possible. It really does need to come with opening more shows and restaurants (soon), or people will stop coming to WDW. It seems to be a chicken and egg situation, and it is less expensive for Disney to increase capacity first. Also, Disney may be assuming that some people are still nervous about Covid (so won’t come when restrictions are first lifted), which may soften the impact of increasing capacity.

 

[LSUmiss]

I’m hoping this opens up more park reservations for May. I added 2 nights but can’t add any park days.

 

[shifteru]

I’m hoping this opens up more park reservations for May. I added 2 nights but can’t add any park days.

I'd be surprised if they started increasing capacity this month, assuming that's the way go with this, but it's definitely possible. My trip is early June and I'm thinking that's about when it would hit. That said, are you just looking at the park reservation calendar or actually going through the booking process? My trip was relatively last minute and the availability calendar never showed anything other than Epcot at best, but just occasionally trying to actually do the process I got passes for the 4 of us at MK one day and HS the other day.

 

[Flutter-butter]

I could see reducing the distance outside. I wonder if the reduced distancing will only be outside or if the 6 foot distance will stay in the inside queues.

 

[HashberryOTG]

I would love more tables in restaurants. For the most part, I feel they are very generous with their definition of "6 feet" in many of the restaurants we've eaten at in and around Disney. Getting more people in means more reservations for us and more $ for Disney. That would also help a little in getting people off the midways.

 

[LSUmiss]

I'd be surprised if they started increasing capacity this month, assuming that's the way go with this, but it's definitely possible. My trip is early June and I'm thinking that's about when it would hit. That said, are you just looking at the park reservation calendar or actually going through the booking process? My trip was relatively last minute and the availability calendar never showed anything other than Epcot at best, but just occasionally trying to actually do the process I got passes for the 4 of us at MK one day and HS the other day.

No I just checked the calendar. I’ll try that! Thanks!

 

[LSUmiss]

I'd be surprised if they started increasing capacity this month, assuming that's the way go with this, but it's definitely possible. My trip is early June and I'm thinking that's about when it would hit. That said, are you just looking at the park reservation calendar or actually going through the booking process? My trip was relatively last minute and the availability calendar never showed anything other than Epcot at best, but just occasionally trying to actually do the process I got passes for the 4 of us at MK one day and HS the other day.

It worked! Thanks!

 

[Krandor]

I could see reducing the distance outside. I wonder if the reduced distancing will only be outside or if the 6 foot distance will stay in the inside queues.

they said in phases so I could see ouside only being phase 1.. maybe inside phase 2 and rides phase 3.

 

[emilymad]

I would love more tables in restaurants. For the most part, I feel they are very generous with their definition of "6 feet" in many of the restaurants we've eaten at in and around Disney. Getting more people in means more reservations for us and more $ for Disney. That would also help a little in getting people off the midways.

Especially as more places around the country remove/reduce the 6' requirement. I can easily see a guest complaining they can't get an ADR but the restaurants look empty but the park is packed.

 

[shifteru]

It worked! Thanks!

Wow - that was quick! Incredible! I don't think it took me more than a day or two when I did it either. And still the park calendar is showing full!

That's very exciting - super happy for you! Enjoy your trip!

 

[Heather07438]

I could see reducing the distance outside. I wonder if the reduced distancing will only be outside or if the 6 foot distance will stay in the inside queues.

This is what I expect to happen. Well ventilated areas (like outside) can go to 3ft. So outside or airy queues... and possibly dare I wish, we start seeking shows come back. If Fantasmic and Epcot evening show came back by July 4th I’d be happier than a pig in mud

 

[cjnick6]

i would be thrilled if masks were only mandated indoors for our mid june trip. CDC just came out with news about mask mandates being relaxed

 

[Becky Mouse]

You mean...a normal, crowded park experience?

It was always going to come back eventually...perhaps with removal of 6ft, more experiences can open and soak up some of the masses.

It's not a normal experience though because there isn't FastPass. FastPass hasn't been needed with park capacity at 35%, but when capacity and lines/queues increase, not having FastPass will be rough.

I could see reducing the distance outside. I wonder if the reduced distancing will only be outside or if the 6 foot distance will stay in the inside queues.

I would support that. I hope Disney starts with a change like this first: eliminating the social distancing markers in the outdoor queues but waiting to do so on the indoor queues.

 

[AnnaKristoff2013]

It's not a normal experience though because there isn't FastPass. FastPass hasn't been needed with park capacity at 35%, but when capacity and lines/queues increase, not having FastPass will be rough.

Yeah. I think a lot of this fastpass debate is over people thinkiing about headliners and how the waits for headliners have gone down without fastpass. I have a 5 year old and 2 year old and honestly could care less about headliners, although my 5 year old obviously likes some of them. If I get 4 fastpasses in a day and those four fastpasses are IASW, Unter the Sea, Dumbo, and like Magic Carpets or something that’s a great day for me and my little ones. But having to wait in a 30 minute plus line for those four attractions with a 2 year old? That’s a disaster. I really hope that isn’t what I’m in for in July, but if they increase capacity, with all the pent up demand, I’m really worried it will be like Christmas in July. (Character M&G’s would also have been easily in my list above if they were a thing that still existed).

 

[BillBrasky]

This is going to be a huge test for parks and resorts management. They need good coordination and a focus on the big picture as they open further back up. I worry that upping capacity without bringing closed resorts, restaurants, and attractions back online will create chaos. Also if things ramp up quickly they’re really going to need Fastpass back to help crowd control but I can’t imagine they’d be able to get it back online anytime soon.

 

[OhBother1984]

This is going to be a huge test for parks and resorts management. They need good coordination and a focus on the big picture as they open further back up. I worry that upping capacity without bringing closed resorts, restaurants, and attractions back online will create chaos. Also if things ramp up quickly they’re really going to need Fastpass back to help crowd control but I can’t imagine they’d be able to get it back online anytime soon.

It is all coming, Disney is done with the crappy no money making they are doing now. Money is gonna trump safety procedures now that there is the vaccine and enough demand that isn't going to go away if procedures are dropped.