Here Now & Just Back WDW Reopening Experiences Including Park Hopping

[AnaHtDis]

I live in Florida, but today the heat bothered me more than the mask. I think you get used to the mask and kind of forget it is there (similar to sunglasses). The lines outside at HS today seemed hotter than ever. I think we had more air conditioning breaks at MK and AK. My advice would be to break up the outside queue lines.

 

[Chisoxcollector]

The wife and I went to Hollywood Studios today. We arrived at the parking booths at 9:15, and there was quite a backup. We got through at about 9:35. Even though there were tons of people, we got through temperature check, bag check, and the entrance very quickly. We found a shady place to sit and waited until 10 to try for a RotR boarding group. Much to my surprise, we got group 1! We went straight to the ride and were probably one of the first 5 or so groups on. We loved how the cast members stayed in character with all of the virus stuff. One First Order guard suggested that we sanitize our hands, and as we did so he said now he was definitely going to lock us up because it looked like we were planning something evil (rubbing our hands together).

Mask compliance was much better than the absolutely terrible situation at Epcot yesterday. Still way too many jerks with their masks off or below their noses, but probably only 1/3 as many as at Epcot yesterday. Hollywood Studios was extremely crowded compared to the other 3 parks, and at times it was difficult to social distance. I had to tell a few people to get away from us after they get way too close to us, included one pair of ladies that sat right next to me on a bench. I also had to tell a few people that were right next to us in line to wear their masks. They would typically whisper to each other right after I did it, clearly talking about me. Yeah, I'm the jerk in that situation. Whatever.

We actually had a pretty great day. We rode RotR, Minnie & Mickey's Runaway Railway 3 times, Smuggler's Run 3 times, and everything else once.

At this point, I'd probably still be okay visiting every park except Epcot. We're done at Epcot until things change one way or another. In terms of feeling safe at the parks, I'd rate it Animal Kingdom -> Magic Kingdom ---> Hollywood Studios -------> Epcot.

 

[davidl81]

I think mask compliance is well above what I expected especially given the temperatures. That being said it is not 100%, and if only 100% is going to make you feel comfort able then now is not the time to go. There is only so much the CMs can do and there will always be a few people who do not fully comply. There is a certain level of risk in going to WDW right now, I think they have done the best they can to lower that risk, but there are still 1000s of people around you. Just kinda being blunt, if you are highly concerned about Covid then I don’t know if it’s the right move.

 

[yulilin3]

Heat not an issue with masks?

Heat is an issue which is why you should plan on taking more breaks to drink and cool down. To be honest though you get used to the mask fairly quickly if it's a comfortable one for you. Just remember to drink water

 

[Alice Sr.]

Longtime lurker here - thought I’d give our first day impressions. We’re a family of 7 - kids are 16, 14, 12, 3 next week, and 10 months. We rented points for a spring break stay, moved it to July, and after much deliberation, decided to go through with our visit. We are staying at BLT, but came in a day early (we were 7 of the 18 people on our Southwest flight) and stayed at the Hilton Bonnet Creek last night. The Hilton wasn’t great. The rooms were loud and, while there was good mask compliance in the hotel, the lazy river was crowded and many people had had way too much to drink.
We went to the MK today around 11:30 (after baby’s morning nap) and had a great day. I hoped to have the littles nap at BLT, but our room wasn’t ready until after 5. We loved the low crowds and thought most (not all) people were very responsible and respectful of the guidelines. We LOVED the cavalcades. My almost 3-yr-old was thrilled - the characters made great eye contact with her and blew kisses. We ate lunch at sleepy hollow and dinner at contempo cafe. Both good. We’re looking forward to HS tomorrow (and probably a good bit of time at the pool).
A note about my toddler and wearing a mask - she has been working on wearing a mask for months. Initially she wouldn’t even put one on her face. We tried lots of different types and figured out the ones that tie at the back of her head work best for her. I secure them with a bow. (Having a well-fitted mask is key.) We let her pick out some from Etsy and had her practice at our (very hot) zoo and botanical garden in the last few weeks. We had no problem at all today. She knows wearing a mask is non-negotiable and she’ll happily do it to get to go to Disney.

We are going in Oct with a then 3 and 1 yr old. We started practicing yesterday, not bad for a 1st go at it but it was with the disposable version. I bought a ventilated (small fan) mask for her thinking if she got hot it would be harder for her to comply. That was a definitive no go. If you could share the site you got your 3 yr old's mask that would be much appreciated. Might have to PM me if you are not allowed to post the link. Thanks

 

[Budzooka]

Heat not an issue with masks?

Not anything close to what I expected. We packed extra masks to change throughout each day and we only changed twice in 4 days. Once when it got wet from the rain and another time when the string broke. I won’t go so far as to say I forgot I had it on, but was not as problematic as I thought it would be.

 

[mzelent]

The wife and I went to Hollywood Studios today. We arrived at the parking booths at 9:15, and there was quite a backup. We got through at about 9:35. Even though there were tons of people, we got through temperature check, bag check, and the entrance very quickly. We found a shady place to sit and waited until 10 to try for a RotR boarding group. Much to my surprise, we got group 1! We went straight to the ride and were probably one of the first 5 or so groups on. We loved how the cast members stayed in character with all of the virus stuff. One First Order guard suggested that we sanitize our hands, and as we did so he said now he was definitely going to lock us up because it looked like we were planning something evil (rubbing our hands together).

Mask compliance was much better than the absolutely terrible situation at Epcot yesterday. Still way too many jerks with their masks off or below their noses, but probably only 1/3 as many as at Epcot yesterday. Hollywood Studios was extremely crowded compared to the other 3 parks, and at times it was difficult to social distance. I had to tell a few people to get away from us after they get way too close to us, included one pair of ladies that sat right next to me on a bench. I also had to tell a few people that were right next to us in line to wear their masks. They would typically whisper to each other right after I did it, clearly talking about me. Yeah, I'm the jerk in that situation. Whatever.

We actually had a pretty great day. We rode RotR, Minnie & Mickey's Runaway Railway 3 times, Smuggler's Run 3 times, and everything else once.

At this point, I'd probably still be okay visiting every park except Epcot. We're done at Epcot until things change one way or another. In terms of feeling safe at the parks, I'd rate it Animal Kingdom -> Magic Kingdom ---> Hollywood Studios -------> Epcot.

Hi, thank you for sharing! We're supposed to leave on Sunday and have two days planned in Hollywood Studios. Anything you would have done differently re safety measures? We have DH, DW and 10 year old daughter. Driving from N.C. so no plane - split stay at Pop Century and Saratoga Springs.

The wife and I went to Hollywood Studios today. We arrived at the parking booths at 9:15, and there was quite a backup. We got through at about 9:35. Even though there were tons of people, we got through temperature check, bag check, and the entrance very quickly. We found a shady place to sit and waited until 10 to try for a RotR boarding group. Much to my surprise, we got group 1! We went straight to the ride and were probably one of the first 5 or so groups on. We loved how the cast members stayed in character with all of the virus stuff. One First Order guard suggested that we sanitize our hands, and as we did so he said now he was definitely going to lock us up because it looked like we were planning something evil (rubbing our hands together).

Mask compliance was much better than the absolutely terrible situation at Epcot yesterday. Still way too many jerks with their masks off or below their noses, but probably only 1/3 as many as at Epcot yesterday. Hollywood Studios was extremely crowded compared to the other 3 parks, and at times it was difficult to social distance. I had to tell a few people to get away from us after they get way too close to us, included one pair of ladies that sat right next to me on a bench. I also had to tell a few people that were right next to us in line to wear their masks. They would typically whisper to each other right after I did it, clearly talking about me. Yeah, I'm the jerk in that situation. Whatever.

We actually had a pretty great day. We rode RotR, Minnie & Mickey's Runaway Railway 3 times, Smuggler's Run 3 times, and everything else once.

At this point, I'd probably still be okay visiting every park except Epcot. We're done at Epcot until things change one way or another. In terms of feeling safe at the parks, I'd rate it Animal Kingdom -> Magic Kingdom ---> Hollywood Studios -------> Epcot.

 

[Chisoxcollector]

Hi, thank you for sharing! We're supposed to leave on Sunday and have two days planned in Hollywood Studios. Anything you would have done differently re safety measures? We have DH, DW and 10 year old daughter. Driving from N.C. so no plane - split stay at Pop Century and Saratoga Springs.

As long as you're cognizant of your surroundings, do what you can to avoid the people not wearing masks, and speak up if put in an unsafe, inescapable situation, you'll do fine. It sounds like you'll be going on weekdays, so maybe it will be slightly less crowded?

Some general tips. Make sure to mobile order for any quick service meals you may have. Also, they will not allow you into the building to pick up your order until you get the notification that your order is ready for pickup. Lots of people will cluster at the entrance of the restaurant, not observing any kind of social distancing. I'd hang back out of the way until you get your notification.

The food is lacking, but we found Pizzerizzo to be a great place to grab a cold beverage, and relax in the AC. They have tons of seating, and even on a "busy" Sunday everybody was spread out nicely. Both floors were open.

If you are planning on trying for the 10am RotR boarding groups, I'd recommend arriving at the park by 9:30. That should give you time to get inside well before 10. If you want to be near the front of the line for a headliner attraction, especially the new Mickey and Minnie ride, you'll need to get there considerably earlier.

I'm happy to answer any questions about Hollywood Studios specifically, since it's still so fresh in my mind. We really did have a great time. Getting boarding group 1 for RotR really got the day off to a good start.

 

[koquinn]

If you are planning on trying for the 10am RotR boarding groups, I'd recommend arriving at the park by 9:30. That should give you time to get inside well before 10. If you want to be near the front of the line for a headliner attraction, especially the new Mickey and Minnie ride, you'll need to get there considerably earlier.

What time do you recommend getting to HS? I think we're committed to taking an Uber instead of the Skyliner from Pop - seems too unreliable. But I get the impression if we get there too early we'll be turned away. I'd rather not circle around with an Uber driver if we don't have to!

 

[AnaHtDis]

We drove our own car yesterday and got there at 9:00. A nice police officer told us we had to drive around and get there closer to 9:15. We drove around and got there at 9:17. There were about 8 cars in front of each entrance lined up. They started letting us in at that point. Parked, walked right through security, and was at MMRR line by 9:30. It was comical to see everyone standing in line with their phones ready to go close to 10:00 am. My hands were shaking so bad, but was able to get BG 24 at 10 am.

 

[Chisoxcollector]

What time do you recommend getting to HS? I think we're committed to taking an Uber instead of the Skyliner from Pop - seems too unreliable. But I get the impression if we get there too early we'll be turned away. I'd rather not circle around with an Uber driver if we don't have to!

As @AnaHtDis mentioned, if you want to get in line for a headliner, I'd plan on getting to the parking booths by 9:10 - 9:15. It's all about timing, as one minute could be the difference between being told to leave versus being the first car in line.

You could arrive a few minutes later if you only care about getting a RotR boarding group. But not much later, as you don't want to risk getting into the park at 10:01 or something.

 

[constanze]

We just got back after spending 8 magical days — anyone with questions, please feel free to ask. We stayed at the Riviera. Became a lover of the Skyliner— took it all three mornings to Hollywood studios and our two days to Epcot. For HS— we would take it at 9:15am be in the park by 9:35 am, walked on MMRR 2 mornings and slink one morning all before 10 and was able to secure a boarding group all three mornings for rise.—

 

[farleyville]

We are staying at Caribbean Beach this weekend... What time does the Skyliner start operating to HS?

 

[Nick6300]

would you guys agree with someone who mentioned to use disposable masks vs. cloth ones at the parks since they're lighter/less warm? We'd be taking maybe 2 of those each/day and take a couple reuseable ones in case those break/rained on.

 

[constanze]

would you guys agree with someone who mentioned to use disposable masks vs. cloth ones at the parks since they're lighter/less warm? We'd be taking maybe 2 of those each/day and take a couple reuseable ones in case those break/rained on.

The disposable ones for us were definitely the way to go!

ETA—before the trip — I was really worried about wearing the masks all the time in the heat— but you really do get use to wearing them. And you can get free ice water at any quick counter service and go off to the side and sit anywhere and with the super low crowds it’s super easy to physically distance and hydrate

 

[TISHLOVESDISNEY]

What time is HS opening? We hope to go straight to MMRR walking over from BCV next week.

 

[AnaHtDis]

Disposable ones feel better, imo. But beware...open your pack and make sure they are good. I ordered a 50 pack and they kept snapping. I was trying to be super careful and still had issues. I think I got a bad batch. Just pull strings before and take backups.

 

[constanze]

We are staying at Caribbean Beach this weekend... What time does the Skyliner start operating to HS?

9 am — when we first arrived it was 9:30, but it was posted 9am last we checked — but even when it was posted 9:30— it started early—- we found if we were always there at 9:15 (at the Riviera)— we were good to go— of course you’re even closer being at the Caribbean

 

[constanze]

What time is HS opening? We hope to go straight to MMRR walking over from BCV next week.

They usually start letting folks on MMRR around that 9:40 time— we were unusually the first party or saw the first party board— at least the days we were there

ETA—-they let you in the line earlier tho and hold you

 

[Surr]

At this point, I'd probably still be okay visiting every park except Epcot. We're done at Epcot until things change one way or another. In terms of feeling safe at the parks, I'd rate it Animal Kingdom -> Magic Kingdom ---> Hollywood Studios -------> Epcot.

That's interesting! We just got back Friday, and I haven't had a chance to write up my report yet. We would have ranked Epcot the best, followed by AK, MK, HS, and only if you are a risk-taker go to DS. At Epcot we easily managed physical distancing even though we did see a few people walking around masks down while drinking, this was before they clarified the rule that you had to be stationary. Epcot (World Showcase specifically) was the only park I saw cast members walking around whose sole purpose was to enforce the rules.