Here Now & Just Back WDW Reopening Experiences Including Park Hopping

[Mango7100]

Truthfully, I'm not really concerned with outside common areas. I'm actually relieved not to have to wear a mask outside next week. But for my kids, one of whom just had her first vaccine and the other nothing, I'd feel far more uneasy if people weren't mostly still wearing masks in lines. it's good to hear that people are, for the most part, following the rules in that respect.

Exact same. I don’t care about people walking around..we are moving outside and encounters would be brief. Im happy we aren’t wearing it all day when it’s 98 degrees outside. I am more concerned if we get in a long line with our unvaccinated daughter and the majority of people aren’t wearing masks correctly (I know compliance will never be perfect and I don’t expect that). I will also have no problem if the people in front of us aren’t wearing masks properly to hang extra far back or let another party go in front of us. We probably won’t hit as many headliners this trip, so I don’t know if that will make a difference...

 

[KayKayJS]

Any recent animal kingdom experiences? Are they still opening before posted opening? And what all is available at that time?

tryjng to get there early so my toddler can ride Kilimanjaro without a long line. Last month it was down the entire time we were there.

 

[Krisshay13]

I'm here right now. We didn't need our masks on when entering the park. Just when you get in line for rides (regardless of whether the line que is inside or outside). And on the rides themselves. Also on all transportation (boats, monorail, busses). At the skyliner you are told to mask up as soon as you enter the que. For the busses nobody seems to be wearing masks in the que.

No fingerprint , you just tap your magic band or phone. Also no bag checks, you walk through an airport type scanner with your bag on. If something triggers it you step aside and they check your bag. Yesterday my daughter got her bag checked at both MK (cellphone battery charger tripped it) and at Epcot (glasses case). Not needing fingers scanned or every bag checked makes getting into the parks so quick.

**I will add the skyliner is nuts. Last night at Epcot at about 9 the line stretched back to Beach Club. My daughter and I decided to get on a bus to MK or Springs at Beach Club and transfer. Standing for long periods of time is very hard on my back. This worked well and we got back to AoA pretty quickly. Talked witha lady in the food court this morning and she told me it took an hour and twenty minutes to get on the skyliner at Epcot last night. If we go back to Epcot I'll be taking a bus back to AoA to avoid that.

May 13th...we were leaving Epcot by skyliner to AOA around 8:30PM. Like you, the line was terrible. We chose to stay in line since our DGS had fallen asleep in the stroller & it was easier since you don't have to fold the stroller up to get on the gondola. The line never stopped moving so, it didn't take too terribly long. But, I was surprised when we saw it.

 

[Krisshay13]

Any recent animal kingdom experiences? Are they still opening before posted opening? And what all is available at that time?

tryjng to get there early so my toddler can ride Kilimanjaro without a long line. Last month it was down the entire time we were there.

we went to AK Saturday. They did open before official time but, I can't remember what time. We were so excited about just hearing the news of no mask outside so, I didn't pay attention to the time. We went straight to FOP.....I do know Navi River did not open as early that morning as FOP. But, I don't know about others.
If you are not doing FOP & can go to Safari 1st, do it.......we messed up & didn't go 1st thing & actually got over there closer to maybe 9:30ish. And that line was not fun. It kept moving but, it was probably the worst line we had the 3 days we were at the parks. It weaved & turned & circled back around.....I thought we would never get to the trucks. I will say, the animals were more active than I've ever seen them, though.....so, that made us forget the horrible line...LOL But, yes, go early!!!

 

[KayKayJS]

we went to AK Saturday. They did open before official time but, I can't remember what time. We were so excited about just hearing the news of no mask outside so, I didn't pay attention to the time. We went straight to FOP.....I do know Navi River did not open as early that morning as FOP. But, I don't know about others.
If you are not doing FOP & can go to Safari 1st, do it.......we messed up & didn't go 1st thing & actually got over there closer to maybe 9:30ish. And that line was not fun. It kept moving but, it was probably the worst line we had the 3 days we were at the parks. It weaved & turned & circled back around.....I thought we would never get to the trucks. I will say, the animals were more active than I've ever seen them, though.....so, that made us forget the horrible line...LOL But, yes, go early!!!

thank you! We will definitely be going to Kilimanjaro first since that got misssed last time and she can’t do too long of a line.

 

[scrappinginontario]

thank you! We will definitely be going to Kilimanjaro first since that got misssed last time and she can’t do too long of a line.

Kilimanjaro isn’t opening until 8:00 so if you’re there very early you may want to take that into consideration.

 

[nerdyone]

Any recent animal kingdom experiences? Are they still opening before posted opening? And what all is available at that time?

tryjng to get there early so my toddler can ride Kilimanjaro without a long line. Last month it was down the entire time we were there.

We were getting into the park almost an hour early across the board. It's a really weird experience if you are used to rope dropping

 

[Mome Rath]

Yes, it is odd. They use the individual rides as little individual rope drops. If you get in early before the rides open, you make your way to the attraction you want and queue up.

 

[Helvetica]

I wasn’t able to switch my DHS day, so I’m stuck here until hopping time. I tried for a Rise boarding group at exactly 7am and they were all gone. I couldn’t even get into the join screen.

Edit: Slinky Dog Dash is at 2 hours at 9:01 (1 minute after official park opening) They really need to do something with regards to either entertainment or extended park hours.

 

[kverdon]

I would say that estimated waits are now matching what they are posting. It was not that way last week but this week 45-60 mins have been bang on. In Animal Kingdom today. Got in at 7:15 and got on FOP at the advertised 35. Came straight over to Safari and we are on track to meet or exceed to 50 minute estimated wait. Both FOP and Safari are now posted at 75. It seems pretty nuts to increase park capacity without increasing ride capacity.

 

[KayKayJS]

I wasn’t able to switch my DHS day, so I’m stuck here until hopping time. I tried for a Rise boarding group at exactly 7am and they were all gone. I couldn’t even get into the join screen.

Edit: Slinky Dog Dash is at 2 hours at 9:01 (1 minute after official park opening) They really need to do something with regards to either entertainment or extended park hours.

Agreed. We went to HS Monday and it was rough. We need FP back or more entertainment...

 

[KayKayJS]

Kilimanjaro isn’t opening until 8:00 so if you’re there very early you may want to take that into consideration.

Thanks! This is what I was looking for. So maybe we'll arrive at 7:30 and head towards the safari so we are ready when it opens.

 

[lovethattink]

Be sure to let Disney know about your experiences through email or surveys.

 

[Anne Scaffo]

I wasn’t able to switch my DHS day, so I’m stuck here until hopping time. I tried for a Rise boarding group at exactly 7am and they were all gone. I couldn’t even get into the join screen.

Edit: Slinky Dog Dash is at 2 hours at 9:01 (1 minute after official park opening) They really need to do something with regards to either entertainment or extended park hours.

And the next several weeks are only going to get worse. I am heading down at the end of June. Right around summer break for most of USA. If they don't do something by then (and I am sure they will), it will just be a nightmare.

 

[Amy&Dan]

Btw - that's common at that station at the end of the night, but basically only then. (That station is almost never actually busy.) I had decent luck by bailing around 8:30pm.

It actually wasn't the end of the night. The park was open for another two hours.

 

[skullsplitter]

Since the reopen how is pin trading working? Is it all pin boards now or are some CMs trading?

 

[lovethattink]

Since the reopen how is pin trading working? Is it all pin boards now or are some CMs trading?

There are pin boards you can trade from. No touching or up close looking. CM don’t wear lanyards.

 

[Mango7100]

I wasn’t able to switch my DHS day, so I’m stuck here until hopping time. I tried for a Rise boarding group at exactly 7am and they were all gone. I couldn’t even get into the join screen.

Edit: Slinky Dog Dash is at 2 hours at 9:01 (1 minute after official park opening) They really need to do something with regards to either entertainment or extended park hours.

Wait times for DHS look bad on MDE and even the expected wait times on Kines look terrible. And it’s only 1045...

 

[Helvetica]

Wait times for DHS look bad on MDE and even the expected wait times on Kines look terrible. And it’s only 1045...

Yeah, I left. It looks like a good day for a Resort Day.

 

[lovethattink]

I wasn’t able to switch my DHS day, so I’m stuck here until hopping time. I tried for a Rise boarding group at exactly 7am and they were all gone. I couldn’t even get into the join screen.

Edit: Slinky Dog Dash is at 2 hours at 9:01 (1 minute after official park opening) They really need to do something with regards to either entertainment or extended park hours.

I’ve found weekends to be better at DHS than weekdays.