What do you feel it will be like for us when WDW opens again using our mobility wheelchairs & scooters?

[RaySharpton]

Post #361-New MASK changes posted on Disney's website (scroll down to mask icon and click more info.) - WDW - July 27, 2020

Face Coverings
Face coverings are required for all Guests (ages 2 and up) and Cast Members. Please bring your own face coverings and wear them at all times, except when dining or swimming. You may remove your face covering while actively eating or drinking, but you should be stationary and maintain appropriate physical distancing.

All face coverings (whether disposable or reusable) must:

• Be made with at least 2 layers of breathable material
• Fully cover the nose and mouth and secure under the chin
• Fit snugly but comfortably against the side of the face
• Be secured with ties or ear loops and allow the Guest to remain hands-free

At this time, based on guidance from health authorities, neck gaiters, open-chin triangle bandanas and face coverings containing valves, mesh material or holes of any kind are not acceptable face coverings.
Costume masks are also not considered appropriate and are prohibited from being worn, in alignment with our existing rules.
The use of face coverings is not a substitute for physical distancing.

NEW: Disney has clarified its policy for face coverings to officially ban masks with valves and/or holes: — Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) July 26, 2020

“At this time, neck gaiters, open-chin triangle bandanas, and face coverings containing valves, mesh material, or holes of any kind are not acceptable face coverings.” pic.twitter.com/FCydnkN5xe — Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) July 26, 2020

 

[RaySharpton]

Post #362-Update On Disney Resort Hotel Reopenings. The following Disney Resort hotels are now open and accepting new reservations. - WDW - July 26, 2020

Post #362-Walt Disney World Adjusts and Removes Opening Dates for Select Resorts! - kennythepirate Monica Street - July 26, 2020

Update On Disney Resort Hotel Reopenings

The following Disney Resort hotels are now open and accepting new reservations:

• Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
• Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
• Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village
• Disney’s Beach Club Villas
• Disney’s BoardWalk Villas
• Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort
• Disney’s Contemporary Resort
• Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground
• Disney’s Old Key West Resort
• Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
• Disney’s Pop Century Resort
• Disney’s Riviera Resort
• Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
• The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

With the opening of these hotels, we have taken a measured and deliberate approach to implement a number of health and safety measures based on guidance from various governmental authorities and health agencies.

In addition, we currently plan to open the following Disney Resort hotels to booked Guests on the following dates. Please note that the reopening dates have been revised for Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort and Disney’s Art of Animation Resort.

July 29	Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
August 24	Disney's Yacht Club Resort
September 21	Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
October 4	Disney's Polynesian Village Resort
October 14	Disney's Coronado Springs Resort
November 1	Disney's Art of Animation Resort

While reopening dates were previously shared for Disney’s Beach Club Resort and Disney’s BoardWalk Inn, these Disney Resort hotels will remain closed until further notice, as the reopening timeline continues to be reevaluated.

Future reopening dates are subject to change and Guests’ reservations could still be modified to other Disney Resort hotels if needed.

Given the current situation, there are some Disney Resort hotels and other areas that are not, as of this time, being scheduled for reopening yet. We will continue to evaluate the situation and reopen more locations when the environment is right to do so.

While these plans may evolve, we will be monitoring the constantly changing health environment and its impact on the state of Florida as we find the right time to welcome back even more of our Guests.

We continue to assist Guests with current hotel reservations for 2020, modifying travel plans as needed.

New Reservations Are Available
The following Disney Resort hotels are currently accepting reservations:

• Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
• Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
• Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village
• Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
• Disney’s Beach Club Villas
• Disney’s BoardWalk Villas
• Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
• Disney’s Contemporary Resort
• Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort
• Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground
• Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
• Disney’s Old Key West Resort
• Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
• Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
• Disney’s Pop Century Resort
• Disney’s Riviera Resort
• Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
• Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
• The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

BREAKING: Walt Disney World Adjusts and Removes Opening Dates for Select Resorts! - kennythepirate Monica Street - July 27, 2020

Walt Disney World adjusts opening dates for select resorts that were set to reopen at various times over the coming months. There are also two resorts that have been taken off the reopening timeline. Read on for the new dates!

When Disney World announced its reopening plan, we did not have any information regarding Disney World Resort hotels. The verbiage regarding hotel reopening was taken down and then not mentioned for a few weeks.

Finally, Disney World shared when each resort would reopen to Guests right before DVC resorts and Ft. Wilderness reopened.

With the first few weeks of reopening under Disney’s belt and the climate changing constantly down in Central Florida, Disney World has changed the reopening dates for select resorts.

Disney stated:

“WE ARE COMMITTED TO REOPENING DISNEY RESORT HOTELS, THOUGH AT THIS TIME WE HAVE DECIDED TO ADJUST THE REOPENING DATES FOR DISNEY’S POLYNESIAN VILLAGE RESORT AND DISNEY’S ART OF ANIMATION RESORT DUE TO THE CURRENT ENVIRONMENT. WITH THIS IN MIND, THE PLANNED REOPENING DATES FOR ADDITIONAL DISNEY RESORT HOTELS WILL BE AS FOLLOWS.”

Here are the changes:
Disney’s Caribbean Beach is still set to reopen on July 29. You can view the changes that will take place upon reopening HERE.

Disney’s Yacht Club Resort is set to open on August 24, which is still on schedule from the original announcement.

There is no change for Disney’s Grand Floridian Resorts & Spa. On September 21, the resort will open to the public.

On October 4, Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort is set to open. This has been changed from the original reopening date of August 12. That is almost 2 months later!

Disney’s Coronado Resort sees no reopening change. It will continue to open on October 14.

Finally, Disney’s Art of Animation Resort will reopen on November 1. Previously, it was on schedule to reopen on August 12. This is almost 3 full months later.

What about Beach Club and BoardWalk Inn?
Disney also shared an update regarding the reopening of Disney’s Beach Club and Boardwalk Inn. Previously, Beach Club was set to reopen on August 24 with Yacht Club. BoardWalk Inn was due to welcome Guests again on August 1.

HOWEVER, DISNEY STATED THESE TWO RESORT HOTELS WILL REMAIN CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICED WHILE THEY CONTINUE TO REEVALUATE THEIR REOPENING TIMELINE.

They also state they will continue to reevaluate the reopening dates as needed so this may very likely see more dates change in the future. We will continue to keep you updated?

 

[RaySharpton]

Post #363-Walt Disney World Safety Measures in Place on Disney Transportation - PHOTOS - kennythepirate Jess Watkins - July 27, 2020

Free transportation is a huge perk to staying on site at Walt Disney World Resort. Even if you are a local resident or staying offsite you probably use the ferry or monorail to reach Magic Kingdom. Hand sanitizer conveniently located near the entrance and exit of the Monorail, Ferry & Skyliner. Cast Members also reminded guests that masks must be worn on Disney property and this includes all modes of transportation.

The Express and Resort Monorails are open and providing guests safe, socially distant transportation to Magic Kingdom. On the ramps at the Transportation & Ticket Center and Magic Kingdom that lead to the monorail, there are ground stickers that say ‘Please Wait Here‘ to distance guests.

While waiting to board, each party is asked to stay together and stand on a large numbered circle on the ground. The numbers do not correspond to a specific place on the monorail but help cast members to know when the monorail is full.

Whether you board at the Transportation & Ticket Center or a monorail resort, as seen in the photo below taken at the Polynesian Resort, you will complete your temperature screening and bag check prior to riding the highway in the sky.

Inside the monorail, there are partitions hanging above the seats to divide the car into multiple sections. In our experience, there was only one party loaded per section, but other guests have reported being seated directly across from another party and told by cast members to stay seated for the duration of the trip.

The monorail loop that takes guests from the Transportation and Ticket Center to Epcot is currently not running. This could be due to maintenance that was postponed in January.

Guests staying at monorail resorts that want to visit Epcot attractions will need to hop on a bus.

Ferryboats are running to transport guests across the Seven Seas Lagoon from the Transportation and Ticket Center to Magic Kingdom. Prior to boarding the boat, each party is asked to wait on a numbered dot. There are several large dots with numbers 1, 2 & 3 and a cast member told us that they correspond to which ferry you will ride when Magic Kingdom is operating at a higher capacity. Guests standing on the number one will will board the first ferry, guests on number two, the second ferry, and number three the third. With reduced capacity, we only saw guests standing on the number one circle.

Once on the ferry, each party stands on a large dot that is very distanced from the next. There are a few open dots on benches for guest to sit, but most benches are labeled with “For Your Safety, Not Available“.

We recently gave you an in depth look at New Bus Guidelines to be Enforced at Walt Disney World. These are the exact procedures our Kenny the Pirate writer’s experienced on their opening week trip.

There are six seating zones on each bus and each zone holds 4-6 guests.

We did experience slightly longer wait times on a few occasions, especially to and from Disney Springs, however, we happily waited a few extra moments knowing that Disney was prioritizing our health and safety with their new bus protocols.

The Skyliner is open and running for guests to travel between Disney’s Riviera Resort, Disney’s Pop Century Resort, Hollywood Studios, and Epcot. Line queues are marked with ‘Please Wait Here’ ground stickers and each gondola only transports one party.

THIS MEANS IF YOU ARE TRAVELING SOLO, YOU WILL GET YOUR OWN GONDOLA AND NOT BE REQUIRED TO SHARE WITH ANOTHER PARTY.

Minnie Van Service is not currently running but private rideshare options, like Uber and Lyft, are still available on property. We took an Uber to breakfast at the Riviera Resort and felt very safe. Our driver wore a mask and our vehicle had hand sanitizer available in the back seat.

As we previously reported, Disney has suspended parking lot tram service at all four parks.

The Magical Express or as many say ‘Tragical Express’ (on the way home) is operating and transporting guests to and from the Orlando International Airport.

Please note, beginning July 16, 2020, luggage delivery service will not be provided for guests that arriving to and departing from Orlando International Airport. You can read that recent announcement HERE.

 

[marcyleecorgan]

I wonder when POFQ will be back up and running.

 

[RaySharpton]

Post #365-Walt Disney World has updated their informational pages to reflect that temperature screenings will now take place at table-service restaurants in Disney World Resort Hotel - WDW - July 27, 2020

Temperature Screenings: Guests dining in table-service restaurants at Disney Resort hotels will undergo a temperature screening prior to entering the location. As with other locations at Walt Disney World Resort that require temperature screenings before entry, anyone displaying a temperature of 100.4 F or above will be directed to an additional rescreening. Those with temperatures 100.4 F or above will not be allowed entry; those in their party will not be allowed entry either.

 

[mamabunny]

I wonder when POFQ will be back up and running.

:::sigh::: I love that Resort so much. Some of our happiest memories are from trips where we stayed there...

And I *know* we will again; it just feels so far away right now...

 

[RaySharpton]

Post #367 & #368-Disney’s Newly-Reopened Pop Century Resort Long Lines, Mobile Order Only, and Temporary Drink Refill System in Everything POP Shopping & Dining - PHOTOS - July 27, 2020

 

[RaySharpton]

Post #367 & #368-Disney’s Newly-Reopened Pop Century Resort Long Lines, Mobile Order Only, and Temporary Drink Refill System in Everything POP Shopping & Dining - PHOTOS - July 27, 2020

 

[RaySharpton]

Post #369-Disney’s Friendship Boats Did NOT Resume Operations in Disney World Today - PHOTOS - DFB Carly Terzigni - July 29, 2020

As the Disney World Resort hotels and theme parks continue their phased reopening, Disney’s many transportation systems have reopened generally in-step with the locations they serve.

We originally anticipated the Friendship Boats to reopen today, July 29. But when we checked the boat launches, however, we noticed that they are NOT operating! We saw signage posted at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn that the Friendship Boats are currently not operating.

The BoardWalk Inn was originally scheduled to reopen on October 1, but that has been delayed indefinitely. We also saw signs posted at Disney’s Swan and Dolphin hotels noting that the boats were not running. Both the Swan and Dolphin hotels reopened today to the general public.

We did not see any boats running today while we visited EPCOT, either! So where could those Friendship Boats be? Before today, Disney World’s website previously indicated that the Friendship Boats would resume the week of July 29.

Prior information regarding BoardWalk Villas and the Friendship Boats

When we check Disney World’s website now, however, that information is omitted and there is no mention of when the Friendship Boats will resume operation.

BoardWalk Villa Information as of July 29 – the Friendship Boats are MISSING!

So, it looks like we’ll just have to wait and see when the Friendship Boats will come back with no official word from Disney at this time.

 

[Lsdolphin]

Maybe after tropical storm/hurricane moves through....

 

[mamabunny]

Maybe after tropical storm/hurricane moves through....

I wonder if it is because of the way the cabins are? They are quasi-enclosed, but not with a lot of airflow, (even at top speed) and to socially-distance those properly might be difficult?

I also wonder if they are having a problem getting some of the boat captains back - lots of the captains at WDW are retired folks, and they may not want to work with/near the public given an increased possibility of health issues due to their age/health.

I don't think the water taxis are running at Disney Springs yet, are they? And I know that the Sassagoula River fleet that serves OKW, POFQ/POR and SS/Treehouses is not up and running yet either (of course, POFQ & POR are not open, so that math is easy to do! LOL)

 

[RaySharpton]

Post-#372 & #373-Walt Disney World's Relaxation Stations Guide - PHOTOS - kennythepirate Susan Phillips - July 31, 2020

There is a Cast Member located at each entrance to welcome and instruct guests where to sit. Some locations have chairs and/or tables removed while others simply have signs that instruct guests that the table is unavailable.

CAST MEMBERS EXPLAINED THAT IF/WHEN RELAXATION STATIONS GET BUSY, THEY MAY LIMIT GUEST TIME TO 30 MINUTES. HOWEVER, ALL LOCATIONS WE STOPPED AT OR WALKED BY ON OUR TRIP WERE VERY UNCROWDED SO TIME SPENT AT RELAXATION STATIONS WAS NOT AN ISSUE.

Each location displays a “Relaxation Station” white sign along with a hand sanitizer dispenser at the entrance. Cast Members encourage guests to continue social distancing.

Guests are also instructed to leave masks on until they are seated. Disney is utilizing a mix of closed restaurants and outdoor seating areas for relaxation stations.

Magic Kingdom Relaxation Station Locations

Magic Kingdom has three relaxation stations spread out throughout the park.

The first relaxation station we spotted was between Frontierland and Adventureland at the Golden Oak Outpost. Guests can choose to spread out tables to the left of the right of the entrance.

The only indoor relaxation station inside Magic Kingdom is located at Pete’s Silly Sideshow in Fantasyland. This area formerly held character meet-and-greets that have been suspended

Cast Members instructed each group of 4 guests to gather on a large floor dot or table.

This was our hands-down favorite Magic Kingdom relaxation station! The air-condition was frigid and cooled us off to the point of being cold. It was such a nice break from the brutal Florida heat and humidity.

The final Magic Kingdom location is Tomorrowland Terrace, which is also closed for dining. Tomorrowland Terrace is an open-air location to provide guests with fresh breezes, but no air-conditioning. The advantage of this location over Golden Oak Outpost is that all tables are in the shade. This is the most spacious relaxation station with ample seating available.

Hollywood Studios Relaxation Station Locations

The first relaxation station we stopped at was located inside Star Wars Launch Bay. This is a unique relaxation station because it provides indoor and outdoor areas.

We opted for air-conditioning of course! Guests were instructed to choose a table or large green dot (no more than 4 per area). There were two spread out rooms and one long hallway to for seating areas.

Meanwhile in Batuu (also known as Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge), Disney provides an outdoor relaxation station. Umbrellas are located at every table to provide shade. As you can see, the groups are very spread out.

EPCOT Relaxation Station Locations

EPCOT has 3 relaxation stations spread out throughout the theme park. The first location we spotted was in Future World near Test Track and Mission: SPACE. Guests are instructed to wait by parties at each line on the floor.

Like the relaxation station at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, this is an outdoor location with umbrellas provided at each table. However, like many tables at EPCOT’s Food and Wine Festival, it's standing only here.

EPCOT’s only indoor relaxation station is found inside Akershus at the Norway Pavilion.
It provides a large space for guests to spread out and cool off.

Guests strolling through the World Showcase can take a rest break at the relaxation station near the United Kingdom pavilion. Follow the path behind Yorkshire County Fish Shop to the water. That’s where you’ll find seated and standing tables. All of the seated tables have umbrellas to provide guests a shaded rest area.

 

[RaySharpton]

Post-#372 & #373-Walt Disney World's Relaxation Stations Guide - PHOTOS - kennythepirate Susan Phillips - July 31, 2020

Animal Kingdom Relaxation Station Locations

Animal Kingdom provides guests with 2 relaxation areas. Pizzafari is closed to dining and provides the only indoor mask-free area within Animal Kingdom.

Another relaxation station can be found in Asia at the Upcountry Landing. This is one of my favorite locations to eat since its right on the water. It’s a lovely view and catches winds off the water also.

Another wonderful treat at the Upcountry Landing is viewing of Animal Kingdom’s cavalcade right from your table! Seating is also under pavilions that provide needed shade.

 

[marcyleecorgan]

so sad to see the empty M&G areas!

 

[RaySharpton]

Post #375-Will the Disney Hollywood Studios' The Voyage of the Little Mermaid Show Be Permanently Closed? First, here’s a look at Voyage of the Little Mermaid has it sits today, followed by the other Hollywood Studios shows that have social distancing markers in place (although they remain temporarily closed). - PHOTOS - blogmickey Mike - August 1, 2020.

The show, which has been running at Disney’s Hollywood Studios since 1992, was reportedly under consideration to take a final bow before the COVID-19 pandemic shut the parks down. Between the extended closure and ongoing battle with the Actors’ Equity union, Disney has decided to end the show rather unceremoniously, we’re told.

Here is a look at the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular, complete with queue and seating social distancing markers.

Over at the Frozen Sing-Along, queue stickers and pre-show dots are in place.

At Beauty and the Beast, we can find extensive queue markers and we’re told that the stadium seating is also marked like Indiana Jones above.

 

[RaySharpton]

Post #376-Disney Hollywood Studios' Beauty and The Beast Live on Stage Replaced With Orchestra Show. - PHOTOS - kennythepirate Rebecca Davis - August 2, 2020.

Amid disagreements with the Actor’s Equity Union on ensuring performer safety, most of the live-action shows at Disney are on hold.

The Frozen Sing-a-long show and Beauty and the Beast live on stage are two of the most popular shows affected by the dispute with the Actor’s union.

But, Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage takes place in a wonderful, covered outdoor space that would lend itself to social distancing and CDC guidelines for being safer outdoors. So, Disney has decided to make use of the space with a new orchestra show.

The show is entitled “The Disney Society Orchestra and Friends“. Shows run continuously throughout the day at 11:15 am, 12 pm, 1pm, 1:45pm, 2:30pm, 4:10pm, 4:55 pm, 5:35pm, and 6:25 pm today.

While the Actor’s Equity Union and Disney continue to disagree about how best to ensure performer safety, Disney maintains that they are permitted to use non-union actors to get their shows back up and running.

Recently, Disney resumed the Disney Jr Show at Disney’s Hollywood Studios using a non-union actor as the host. Similarly, the UP Bird Adventure has resumed in a modified fashion.

Some members of the Actor’s Equity Union disagree with the union’s stance and just want to get back to work for fear of being replaced by non-union actors.

The union is requesting that performers wear masks and wants the actors tested for coronavirus to catch any outbreaks before they spread to the whole cast.

AEU maintains that it isn’t possible for actors to social distance during performances and that make-up, hair and costuming require the actors to be in close contact with other cast members.

Currently, Disney does not provide testing for any cast members, even those working in the NBA bubble.

 

[RaySharpton]

Post #377-Disney Magic Kingdom's Splash Mountain Guests Evacuate Fully Submerged Log “At This Time We Ask That You Do Not Get Out”. - PHOTOS & VIDEOS - themeparkuniversity josh young - August 3, 2020.

By now, you’ve seen pictures and video of a log sinking at Splash Mountain at Walt Disney World. While we don’t know what caused the log to sink, we are glad to see everyone was ok in the incident. The bigger issue is how the Cast Member who arrived on the scene first told them to stay in the log despite the fact that it was taking on water.

It’s baffling, astounding, and even unbelievable how this situation was handled. As the log began to sink and the guests were knee-deep (and growing) in water, they decided to wiggle out of their lap bars and jump out as the situation escalated.

I'm pretty sure I couldn' wiggle out from my lap bars.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1290133785011302400

Under normal circumstances, freeing yourself from a restraint on any attraction is a bad idea. It can lead to serious injury or even death. Having your ride vehicle slowly sink into the trough while being pinned down isn’t normal. From my understanding, the water trough in that section of Splash Mountain isn’t deep enough to drown someone.

How does the average rider know that? Unlike a standard swimming pool, there are no markers along the sides of Splash Mountain letting you know the depth at any given point. When Skyelar Ingersoll and her friends started to become submerged (who were in this Splash Mountain log) they managed to wiggle out from the lap bars and jump out to safety.

Keep in mind, this was Skyelar’s first trip to Walt Disney World. She has never been on Splash Mountain at the Magic Kingdom, yet she knew when the log started to sink, it was time to jump ship.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1290133785011302400

However, when the Cast Member arrived on the scene, she didn’t see Skyelar’s boat sinking as the bigger issue. Instead, she chastised the group for not remaining seated as the log slowly sank to the floor. “At this time we ask that you not get out,” exclaimed the Cast Member who was standing alongside the riders who were all watching the log slowly sink down and become submerged.

I spoke with Skyelar earlier today and asked about her experience. “I would’ve appreciated the Cast Member asking us if we were okay before lecturing us about staying in the boat. We understood that they have safety protocols they have to follow, but lecturing us about staying in a submerged boat… wasn’t cool.”

It just doesn’t seem fathomable. Someone who works at Splash Mountain and knows that logs sinking isn’t an everyday occurrence. Sure, seeing guests in an area they aren’t supposed to be is in itself jarring. But after seeing the log sinking and realizing that this is the reason they decided to jump ship, should have triggered something in that employee’s brain.

Incredibly, the first thing out of the cast member’s mouth wasn’t “are you ok?”. As a matter of fact, according to Skyelar, at no point did the Cast Member even ask that very basic question. Forget the dynamic of theme park employee (who enforces the rules) and guests (who must obey them) for a moment. This is an issue of basic human decency.

Surely I can’t be the only guest who has experienced this. You’re watching a parade and hear an employee yelling “Stay behind the line for your own safety! BEHIND! THE LINE!”. Sure, those words are indeed to make sure no one gets hurt. However the tone is, “stay back you filthy animals! I can’t keep telling you the same thing!”

Working in a theme park and being able to talk to guests is a skill. It’s not for everyone. You may have to repeat the same line over and over again all day. “Stay behind the line”, “Watch your step”, “please remain seated”. These are all important safety spiels. However, even if you have to repeat them every five minutes (or more often) guests aren’t disobeying or ignoring them to annoy you.

Every situation is different. Do you still need to repeat the safety message? Of course. Should you take a second and think about not only what you’re saying, but how you’re saying it? Believe it or not, that is actually more important than the message itself. Even if you’re repeated it hundreds of times a day.

Before and after (my boyfriend and I were in the back seats)

I don't think I would be able to by myself. I had hard enough difficulties getting out the regular way.

 

[RaySharpton]

Post #378-Disney Current Monorail Schedule at Walt Disney World. - PHOTOS - kennythepirate Donna Farmer - August 3, 2020.

Many Guests with upcoming Walt Disney World vacations have wondered about the current transportation options around the Walt Disney World Resorts and Parks.

Although there are various transportations options to travel between Resorts and Disney Parks, Guests have discovered that the operating hours are a bit different than during previous stays.

Current Monorail Schedule-Guests with early morning breakfast reservations may use the monorail starting at 7:00 am.

This monorail schedule will simply be transporting Guests to Resorts that offer breakfast dining. The monorails will not begin boarding for Magic Kingdom until 8:15 am.

Disney Parks are trying to discourage Guests from arriving to the Disney Parks early and forming lines well in advance to the Parks opening hours.

We have seen this with the change in time for the Rise of the Resistance Virtual queues and with the delayed opening hours of select retail locations. This seems to also be the reasoning in the 8:15 am monorail schedule for Magic Kingdom.

The time listed on the monorail schedule was that boarding would begin for the Magic Kingdom at 8:15am. In actuality boarding didn’t begin until 8:25 am.

Even with this delay, Kenny the Pirate was able to arrive at Magic Kingdom from the Polynesian Village Resort to the entrance of Magic Kingdom at 8:35 am. Today’s opening hours for Magic Kingdom are 9:00am-7:00pm.

At this time the monorail schedule still does not include Epcot. We will continue to keep you updated when this may change.

Also Guests need to be aware the current monorail schedule ends at 8:00pm with the Magic Kingdom Park closing at 7:00pm. After 8:00pm, Guests staying at Disney monorail resorts are invited to use the Disney bus transportation.

The Disney buses are scheduled for these Resorts from 8:00pm-11:00pm.

THE MONORAILS WILL RUN FROM THE MAGIC KINGDOM FROM 8:15 AM UNTIL 8:00 PM.

 

[RaySharpton]

Post #379 & #380 & #381-What social distancing measures are in place at Walt Disney World on attractions and in queues? - PHOTOS - kennythepirate Jamie Fonseca - August 5, 2020.

As Walt Disney World moves forward with the reopening, some may be wondering what social distancing measures they are taking on attractions and in queues in order to comply with their focus on health and safety. We recently visited all four theme parks, and we now have a firm look at just what Walt Disney World is doing in order to prevent the spread of illness for their Guests and Cast Members.

If you’re wondering if now is a good time to visit Walt Disney World, I would tell you yes, it absolutely is! With the lowered capacity at all four theme parks, the low crowds make for an enjoyable park experience.

However, many Disney fans have reservations about visiting Walt Disney World Resort during this uncertain time, and rightfully so. Although Disney is focusing on health and safety, many are wondering if Walt Disney World is truly a safe place right now.

We recently visited and took a look at the steps Disney was taken in order to ensure Guests can maintain social distance. We found Disney has some interesting and innovative choices in this area, and some are better than others.

Social distancing at Disney World: Queues

Social distancing is the term used for keeping a distance of 6 feet or more from other people. It is a recommended policy for helping prevent the spread of coronavirus. Keeping a distance of 6 feet in a theme park can prove to be difficult, particularly in queues.

If you’ve visited Walt Disney World before, you may be familiar with the sentence “please move in and fill in all available space.” I promise this is no longer a phrase you will hear from Cast Members – for now anyway.

Instead, Disney has taken the opposite stance. Disney is encouraging all parties to keep a distance of 6 feet or more in queues.

Social distancing at Disney World: Floor Markings

Most areas where lines form in Walt Disney World now contain floor markings indicating where Guests should stand. These floor markings vary. Sometimes they are round numbered dots your entire party should stand on. Others are clear lines that indicate you should stand there.

Cast Members are frequently on hand to direct you to the appropriate floor markings and are ready to redirect Guests if they miss the directions on where to stand.

Although this change does create the appearance of long lines, I personally think it is one of the best adjustments. One thing I can’t stand is having strangers crowd me in lines, so this is a nice break from that.

This adjustment to queues keeps parties together but others separated. There are no more Guests pushing up against other parties or getting too close.

Social distancing at Disney World: Partitions

The floor markings do help Guests so that they are not too close to the parties before and after them in queues. However, for many attractions, queues wind back and forth. So you not only have parties in front and back of you, but often you will have them on both sides of you as well.

Disney has thought about this issue and come up with an idea for addressing it. There are now large plexiglass partitions separating rows in queues.

These plexiglass partitions are in use in many queues around Walt Disney World. While they do work for their intended purpose, I personally found there were many negative aspects to their use.

The partitions made tight queue lines feel even smaller and more closed in. Anyone who has any anxiety around enclosed spaces would likely feel very uncomfortable with these in use.

In addition, larger Guests might be incredibly uncomfortable in some of these tighter spaces.

These plexiglass partitions also blocked air flow through the queues. While this might be a good thing to prevent the spread of germs, these partitions make some queues incredibly hot.

One queue where I found this to be a particularly uncomfortable problem was Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. On it’s best day, this queue can be hot and uncomfortable. However, with the partitions in place, it was one of the places I felt most overheated in all of Walt Disney World.

Some queues only utilized these partitions in the loading area, such as Kilimanjaro Safaris. Others used them in several places throughout the queue, such as Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

As much as I disliked the partitions in the queues, I did appreciate Disney’s consideration of my health and safety.

 

[RaySharpton]

Post #379 & #380 & #381-What social distancing measures are in place at Walt Disney World on attractions and in queues? - PHOTOS - kennythepirate Jamie Fonseca - August 5, 2020.

Interactive Queues

With Fastpass+ temporarily unavailable, we loved having the opportunity of walking through some the queues for attractions we normally have a Fastpass for, such as Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. We loved seeing the small details in the queues, and the different interactive features many of them have.

However, most of the interactive features in the queues require Guests to physically touch them. We didn’t get an opportunity to try them out.

Anything that required physical touching, such as the spinning barrels in Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, the interactive area in Winnie the Pooh, and the play area in Dumbo, were roped off or closed.

One interactive queue we noticed still had some of the interactive elements in tact was the queue for Peter Pan’s flight. When reaching the nursery, Guests can still interact with the shadow wall.

We may have spent a few extra minutes in this area, watching butterflies and pixie dust around our shadows!

Social distancing at Disney World: Preshows

Several attractions have pre-shows, which Guests attend before getting on the ride or viewing the show. Many pre-shows have changed in order to comply with social distancing measures.

On Avatar Flight of Passage, Guests typically attend two pre-shows before riding the actual attraction. These two pre-shows have been combined into one now, and Guests are split into the two pre-show rooms to view the combined show.

Many appreciate this change, as the Flight of Passage pre-show is notorious for being slightly annoying.

On Haunted Mansion, Guests were slightly shocked to see a rather large change to the “stretching room.” Once a pre-show that set the stage for this spooky attraction, the room is now already stretched, and Guests walk through without stopping.

Other attractions feature pre-shows that are unchanged, such as Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Soarin’.

The feelings are mixed on this one. Some love the pre-shows and what they bring to the attractions, and some can do without. For pre-shows, I think each individual attraction needs to be weighed separately to determine if it is a positive or negative change.

Social Distancing at Disney World: Rides

Keeping Guests separated on rides looks slightly different depending on the type of ride. However, Disney is making an effort to keep parties contained on all rides.

Some rides, due to their nature of only seating smaller groups of 3 or less, do not need Disney’s intervention for social distancing. Rides like Voyage of the Little Mermaid, Peter Pan’s Flight, and Haunted Mansion were mostly unaffected for seating purposes.

Boat rides, such as it’s a small world, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Frozen Ever After, placed parties at the front and back of the boats, leaving the middle rows empty.

On roller coasters, Guests were seated every other row. Depending on wait times, Guests were even seated with three or more rows between them!

Rides with long rows, such as Soarin, had glass partitions separating parties from each other. We thought the use of a booster seat to hold up the partition on Soarin was particularly interesting!

Rides with vehicles that can hold several parties at once, such as Rise of the Resistance, only sat members of the same party together.

This may mean that a vehicle only holds one person, which increases wait times for these types of rides.