Safest park to visit during Covid next week (3/18/21)? Disney V. Universal

[Dani Cloud]

Hello all.

***What have your experiences been like at Disney and/or Universal in Feb/March 2021 re: Covid protocols?***


I take Covid VERY seriously. My 13 yr old and I have been in the house for the whole year with very limited interactions around others. We only do food togo and curbside pick up for groceries. If we do go in public, it is very brief, we remain distant from others and we both wear a mask. I have had both doses of the vax but she has not. We are taking a beach vacay during the week of Spring Break. We will continue to be socially distant and extremely careful. She wants to try a theme park for a day. Who has the safest, strictest Covid protocols? While I appreciate everyone's opinion, I don't care if you don't take Covid serious - we do. I don't want to throw away a year of safety for a day of fun so I want to be as safe and careful as possible. I am looking for recent experiences. We will be traveling next week (March 14th) and will likely visit the park that Thursday for 1 day only. I know if we visit Disney, I will have to alter the date bc it may not be available that day.

Thank you.

 

[kdonnel]

I don’t think you will be happy at any theme park at this point.

The precautious being taken are nearly identical between Disney and Universal. There are slight differences that only you can decide if one is better than the other.

 

[Dani Cloud]

I don’t think you will be happy at any theme park at this point.

I know it may be more than I am used to but I am interested in hearing about people's experiences in the last few weeks. I know we will be uncomfortable. I want to prepare for "how uncomfortable".

 

[kdonnel]

I know it may be more than I am used to but I am interested in hearing about people's experiences in the last few weeks. I know we will be uncomfortable. I want to prepare for "how uncomfortable".

30,000 people uncomfortable. Likely bumping into you, perhaps with a mask under the nose.

 

[Martie Parker]

Statistically look at the math for Covid negative experiences for 13th year olds and base your comfort level on that statistic.

 

[BlueRibbon]

I agree with the post above from kdonnel, spring break in Florida is here with all WDW reservations gone for next week. Universal will be equally as crowded. Given the description of how you've led your life this past year, I'd guess you'd be very uncomfortable in either situation.

 

[MomOTwins]

Moot question as to Disney because all four Disney parks are sold out on 3/18, so you couldn’t visit them even if you wanted to.

Universal will be very crowded too. It is spring break for a lot of florida schools.

 

[Dani Cloud]

Moot question as to Disney because all four Disney parks are sold out on 3/18, so you couldn’t visit them even if you wanted to.

Universal will be very crowded too. It is spring break for a lot of florida schools.

I am there a week so I can alter the date. I knew Disney was not available on 3/18. I'm ok with changing my date if Disney is the choice.

 

[My3kids1989]

I have been to both post COVID and I would choose Disney over Universal.

 

[Aimeedyan]

I would not go. Heck, I wouldn't go that timeframe even if I wasn't COVID careful!

It's going to be packed. We were stuck in a mass of people today at AK due to the ridiculously long line for Safari cutting across a bridge and it was just like old times. They do the best they can but it's a LOT OF PEOPLE - and this wasn't a sold out day.

 

[MomOTwins]

I am there a week so I can alter the date. I knew Disney was not available on 3/18. I'm ok with changing my date if Disney is the choice.

Sorry should have been clearer. All four parks are sold out March 15-18. Epcot is the only park that still has availability on the other days of the week. On the one hand, Epcot has a lot of open space so distancing is easier. On the other hand, it is the park with the worst mask compliance because people eat and drink “around the world” and stop being careful a few drinks in. Weekdays are definitely better than weekends, but still get crowded in the afternoons and evenings with all the people who park hop to have dinner in Epcot.

So I really can’t recommend Disney that week. Universal may also sell out—they just don’t announce in advance so you won’t know it is sold out until day of. Universal hotel guests are guaranteed entry but not sure if that works for your plans.

 

[My3kids1989]

Sorry should have been clearer. All four parks are sold out March 15-18. Epcot is the only park that still has availability on the other days of the week. On the one hand, Epcot has a lot of open space so distancing is easier. On the other hand, it is the park with the worst mask compliance because people eat and drink “around the world” and stop being careful a few drinks in. Weekdays are definitely better than weekends, but still get crowded in the afternoons and evenings with all the people who park hop to have dinner in Epcot.

So I really can’t recommend Disney that week. Universal may also sell out—they just don’t announce in advance so you won’t know it is sold out until day of. Universal hotel guests are guaranteed entry but not sure if that works for your plans.

it’s really annoying that you can’t reserve for universal. We are APs at universal so hoping we can go then, but we are not early risers so we might just end up at the Boardwalk pool next week ha

 

[only hope]

I did not renew my pass to either this year because the covid guidlines are not strict enough. They were when they first reopened but both parks dropped important safety measures without warning or valid scientific reason. People are placed within six feet of each on rides and in queues, despite CDC guidance saying not to. At Disney in most instances there is
some sort of plastic between people; but not at Universal on the rides. The capacity is so high that even on non-sold out days it is literally impossible to distance on walkways at least half the time. Now, on slow days this is not true- except for bottlenecks distancing is fine- but the week you are in Fl will be extremely busy. Mask compliance ranges from almost everyone following the rules to seeing someone literally every thirty seconds who is not wearing one properly. Last month I was also frequently politely asking the people behind me in queues to keep their distance. People don’t seem to care anymore. Lots of people make up their own markers and just stand wherever they please, which often results in people standing side by side.

Universal spaced out their queue markings better and requires sanitizer before rides. They also allow neck gaiters, which have been shown to be not very effective. They also allow medical exemptions for face masks- people can go to guest relations and get permission to wear a face shield while walking around; on rides they must wear a mask. I never saw any face shields though. At Disney performers do not wear masks. Some of the Universal ones do.

If ya’ll want a break from the beach I suggest finding a nice state/local park or garden, or maybe a museum taking appropriate precautions. Not all counties/cities here have a mask mandate, before planning an inside activity in any particular county/city you may want to verify the local rules and establishment rules.

 

[CampbellzSoup]

Hello all.

***What have your experiences been like at Disney and/or Universal in Feb/March 2021 re: Covid protocols?***


I take Covid VERY seriously. My 13 yr old and I have been in the house for the whole year with very limited interactions around others. We only do food togo and curbside pick up for groceries. If we do go in public, it is very brief, we remain distant from others and we both wear a mask. I have had both doses of the vax but she has not. We are taking a beach vacay during the week of Spring Break. We will continue to be socially distant and extremely careful. She wants to try a theme park for a day. Who has the safest, strictest Covid protocols? While I appreciate everyone's opinion, I don't care if you don't take Covid serious - we do. I don't want to throw away a year of safety for a day of fun so I want to be as safe and careful as possible. I am looking for recent experiences. We will be traveling next week (March 14th) and will likely visit the park that Thursday for 1 day only. I know if we visit Disney, I will have to alter the date bc it may not be available that day.

Thank you.

if you take covid VERY SERIOUSLY then stay home. Going to a crowded theme park is the exact opposite, and the guests now are not gonna to play along with other people’s fears.

People wear masks and try to give distance but Citywalk and Disney springs felt like normal times this week. The parks are much more crowded now, much more, and while people try to be mindful no one is walking around like people are landminds anymore.

 

[Marthasor]

Protocols are in place, but Disney can't police every guest. It will be crowded, mask compliance will not be 100% nor will physical distancing. If you are expecting an environment similar to the one you've created for yourself at home to be covid-safe, you will be very, very disappointed.

 

[Mrsjvb]

Honestly? None. Spring Break is a big GO here again this year, and that means even with the reduced capacity limits, the parks are gonna be full. And quite honestly, so are the beaches. Well, maybe not here in The Panhandle since the bridge is still out and ain’t nobody gonna wanna deal with the detour( three separate fatal accidents in the past week on the ‘other’ bridge to Pensacola Beach).

 

[debdebdebby13]

If you have barely left your house in the last year you do not want to be at any theme park.

 

[Orion Nebula]

Just got back from WDW last Friday and I will say if social distancing is important to you DON'T GO. I think overall things were handled fairly well, plenty of sanatizer, most people wore their masks and stuck to the rules. etc but I couldn't tell that the parks were at limited capacity. I got bumped into, stood shoulder to shoulder in many area's, we couldn't even sit off to the side without people almost stepping on our toes.

 

[Best Aunt]

I don't know if this link will work, but the photo showed wall to wall people on the ferryboat and exiting the ferryboat to the Magic Kingdom:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1368943889743282177

 

[Mango7100]

I take COViD very seriously as well—I would not go to any of them, especially that week. Orange and Osceola counties have Spring Break then so lots of locals. Dallas and Houston districts as well as a lot of TN schools have that week off, so it will be nutty. if you go, you will spend the day hyper-viligant, mentally calculating 6 feet distances, very sensitive to any cough or sneeze sound, and looking to see if everyone has a mask on properly—it will be exhausting.

If I had to pick one, it would be Disney. No personal experience but just from reading posts on this board