Is the magic still there ?

[Gary Stocker]

P.S. yes there is more walking (wear comfortable shoes), prepare for varied weather (heat, rain etc), cavalcades are not as amazing as parades but I honestly enjoyed them. No fireworks but we stayed at Contemporary and saw the electrical parade at night and although a bit cheesy it was still fun. My Husband and I watched the entire thing! Lol Understand that I’m coming from a place where I’ve lost a lot of my loved ones this past year and a half. Been to more than a few “Zoom” funerals. I’m still “losing” others to other medical issues. I just went to Disney with the attitude of being grateful. I needed the distraction. It is what you make it. It’s not perfect but after the year or so we’ve all had... it was more than what I needed. Best wishes on your decision. Life doesn’t wait for perfect circumstances.

Sorry to hear about your losses. I lost a friend to covid back in January. While the light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter there is still some risks especially with kids being able to spread still.
My wife is a kidney transplant post op nurse and they changed her unit into a Covid wing at the height of it...in NJ..so getting her to agree to a trip in August was a minor miracle as she tends to be more on the risk averse side of things. Just need to get into that bubble..albeit hot and sticky August.

 

[HappilyEverAfter1]

.

 

[Yeabower]

Went late April and did all 4 parks, stayed at Beach Club Villas. Parks feel less crowded than pre COVID which was nice. Now that outdoor mask requirement relaxed that will help a lot to feel more at home and less like an intruder. We were so glad to be back that the limited dining choices and lack of parades and fireworks didn’t ruin the trip by any means. The cavalcades are great. Epcot felt pretty much normal. If you prepare for a few restrictions, the beauty of Disneyworld is all there. Cast members at hotel were particularly friendly. Several in the shops were reassigned from administrative positions and had interesting insights to share. The trip was overall........ Excellent!

 

[Carol_]

Went late April and did all 4 parks, stayed at Beach Club Villas. Parks feel less crowded than pre COVID which was nice. Now that outdoor mask requirement relaxed that will help a lot to feel more at home and less like an intruder. We were so glad to be back that the limited dining choices and lack of parades and fireworks didn’t ruin the trip by any means. The cavalcades are great. Epcot felt pretty much normal. If you prepare for a few restrictions, the beauty of Disneyworld is all there. Cast members at hotel were particularly friendly. Several in the shops were reassigned from administrative positions and had interesting insights to share. The trip was overall........ Excellent!

Spill!

 

[bear_mom]

I understand your hesitation, we have a trip planned for 2022 to celebrate a 25th wedding anniversary and college graduation and some of the changes have given me pause. To add to all of Disney’s changes, one of our girls just had extensive back surgery and I’m not sure what she will/will jot be ok to ride.

But, what makes a “perfect trip” depends on my family and not on where we are traveling to. It seems like every trip we take (not just Disney), something doesn’t go according to plan: weather, some gets sick, something we planned to is closed/busy, etc.

We will go next year and we will roll with punches and we will have a great time, because we will be together.

 

[Brett Wyman]

People with ANY feelings like OP's should 100% not go until things are back to normal. If you are a regular and can roll with the punches(because you know you'll be back in 6 months anyway), or you aren't SUPER open minded about all the cutbacks, for gosh sakes just wait. My take is, if you have to ask if you'll like it like this, the answer is probably no.

 

[shawthorne44]

In trip reports, I've noticed a difference between those that had been recently and those that hadn't. For those that have been recently the stakes are lower. They don't particularly mind not going to the things that have been removed, because they saw/did them on a recent trip. But for those that haven't, and particularly for those that this is their one big trip -- that is a whole other story.

I noticed this in the contrast between my attitude towards going to Disney and Universal. We postponed our Jan 2021 Disney trip to next year, but we've been to Universal twice since the lockdown. Small reason is that we already had a pass to Universal. But, mainly, we had done *everything* just before the lockdown, so we were OK with missing the castle light show for example. But, I can't imagine going to Disney until all the shows return and DD can hug a princess.

 

[AC7179]

This seems like such a hostile reply. Good grief. OP, we are due to go in a bout a week. I have the same concerns, but the difference is it's not a once in a lifetime type trip for us. My expectation is that we will have a good time and make the most of it. We've decided to skip Magical Express and just pay for an Uber and I know we will miss the fireworks for sure. Jury is still out on how we feel about the lack of Fast Passes. I was worried about the masks (I'm not antimask just thinking it would be miserable in the heat). I really do think the lack of fireworks has to do with capacity restrictions and once they come back with normal capacity then those will come back too.

I think you've already answered your question. What you see is what you lost, and you're looking for reasons to be preemptively dissatisfied. So no, it won't be happy enough for you. You will not be satisfied with your trip, and instead of seeing things as they are, you'll see them as losses.

For example, you cite the loss of spontaneous park hopping? Had you been planning to planning to park hop before 2 PM? Is that really a loss, or is it just a thing you can shake your head at how things used to be? There are extra magic hours -- they are just different. There are ADRs, jut not as far out. If you can't come until 2022, there will undoubtably be some version of fast pass in place. The only thing that is tough about the park reservation system is the limited capacity -- once WDW gets staffed back up, that won't be an issue except when capacity is an issue. Fireworks, entertainment, all that stuff will be back. DME doesn't end until January, and they will be somethind in place before then. Certainly by the time you'll be able to visit.

But it won't matter, because you've already bought into the story of how different things are, even though "now" and "when you can visit" might as well be an eternity away. Yet you've already started planning for how much worse things will be.

So don't. Save your money, stay home, do one of those other things people around here say are such a better value. Remember Disney as your memories have it, and be happy with that. Otherwise you're already establishing how disappointing you'll find it.

 

[disneymom0104]

We haven't been to WDW since 2016 and are very much looking forward to being there later this summer. A lot of things about this trip look different and I know will feel different. It will cost more than any trip before it but we are still going and we are still very excited. I have no expectations of what was or how it used to be. I've read enough here to feel prepared- and who knows how much will continue to change between now and later this summer. Either way- my kids are excited, they are counting down the days and I am 100% positive we will find and experience the magic.

 

[mousegear]

We just had 8-day trip and this trip was very different from than other 20+ trips we had. We definitely missed the FPs and the shows. This trip really felt like we were on our feet a lot more. Not having FPs was both blessings in terms of not being tied down to a schedule and also walking more and constantly checking on the Disney App for lower wait times for the rides. We've crisscrossed the parks many more times than we would have in the past. And b/c there are no shows to watch, we rope dropped each day and were pretty much finished riding everything by 11 or before. As for not having a dining plan, we haven't had one for a long time. We usually do one or two ADRs each day but we pay out of pocket. I really don't see the value of the dining plans. However, we do miss some of the restaurants which are still closed such as Flying Fish, Yachtsman's Steakhouse, Jiko, etc.

It definitely feels different and it was so odd that no one commented on my son's graduation badge during the duration of the trip. We've definitely had lots of fun and will be returning but yes, it definitely feels different.

 

[KMarston]

I hope by next year things will be back to normal. It might cost a little more to get to the resort, I think they are planning to eventually phase out magic bands but we bought them for the first timers for our summer trip. We have had many trips to WDW but if I was traveling across the globe for an expensive trip I’d definitely wait until things are closer to normal and by then the Space restaurant will be open as well as the attractions they’re still working on. We’ve been waiting for the Space restaurant since our Jan ‘21 trip! Things are constantly changing but I think by ‘22 things will be running “normally.

We have a trip planned with three first timers and theamount of anxiety I have is crazy. Everyone else is completely willing to go with the flow but I’m already disappointed that the kids won’t be meeting characters and the lines will be long and transportation is a problem but no matter what has happened we’ve never had a bad trip to WDW! Somehow each trip has its own magic!

 

[MMR76]

The magic for me is spending uninterrupted time with my husband and kids at one of our favorite places. We all know it will not be the same as past trips but it doesn’t mean it won’t be wonderful. We will make memories and be happy to finally be on vacation again. If anything the last year has taught us that life is short and the unexpected happens. We’re leaving for WDW on Wed for 11 nights and while I know things will not be what we are used to, I have no second thoughts on taking this trip.

 

[malialaine]

We had 3 trips planned last year, only 1 happened, preCovid. That being said, we have been twice this year. We are out of state APs and could not wait to go. We were going for cheer event in February, it was postponed until April and our reserved resort, POFQ, was still closed. Well, WDW moved us to the GF, needless to say, we went in Feb anyway, great trip, all the magic I expected was still there. So even if the magic we have been use to for the past 47 years was missing a little it was still DisneyWorld and a great time we had. We also went to the cheer event in April and Disney pleasantly surprised me how they organized the handling of the spectators to see our teams compete. I have 2 more trips planned this year and one for a cheer event in January. Everyone’s case is different and if you feel like you want to wait, do whatever is best for your situation. But the 47 years we have been going, Disney has made many changes, some I liked, some not, so no matter when you go, it is all what you put into it. When I go I always have a Magical time.

 

[Helvetica]

I’m there now. I say yes, but it really depends. If you’re someone whose Disney obsessed and just wants to go, then I think you can have a really great time. Just keep your expectations in check. It’s really, really crowded and the lines are really long. In some cases I’ve never seen them before. The ride ops are legendary, so everything is moving fast. I think it would work best as a very laid back trip and understanding that you’re probably not going to do everything you want to do and that you’re probably not getting on Rise.

Otherwise, I think it gets murkier. I don’t think it’s great for first timers and I think people who come once every couple of years may feel cheated. Especially for first timers. I couldn’t recommended it for anyone’s first trip.

I think in that case now is a perfect time to stay offsite and check out the rest of Orlando. Maybe do half the number of Disney days that you usually do and experience new things.

 

[casperthegm]

As you can see, you're going to get a wide range of replies here, since everyone comes at this from a different perspective. We just returned from our trip last night. We've been visiting since the 70's and have seen all of the changes over the years. I think the ride experiences have improved greatly over the years and new ones, such as ROTR, will blow you away. Conversely, there has been a decline in (in our opinion) of the personal experience, probably due to cut backs with cast members and the removal of little touches here and there (like the paint brushes on Tom Sawyer Island or Push, the trash can for just a couple of examples).

We have always made excellent use of FP's, planning them out to be used late morning, early afternoon, after we hit a bunch of rides via rope drop. We definitely missed the FP's when we visited last week. Again, this is something that everyone has different feelings about, but for us, standing in lines for 30-45+ minutes in the afternoon isn't something that we were used to or found to be enjoyable. Not the end of the world, but I will say that rope drop is more important than ever these days. It felt a little "off" not experiencing the end of night fireworks shows, or parades- things that kind of added a little extra magic to the day. Even if some of the magic was missing, it was worth it for us, especially after over a year of being cooped up at home (we will wait to visit again until there is more of a return to "normal"). It's a chunk of money for something that isn't the full experience right now, so each person is going to have to weigh whether or not it's worth it to them personally.

 

[FastPasser.]

It certainly wasn't Magical for us a couple of months ago. It wasn't worth the effort and we left after only a few hours. My reason for being in the area was mainly to visit with friends and relatives so I wasn't disappointed. Because of how much time I've spent at WDW, the Magic for me is marginal to begin with. I won't return until I know that everything that's supposed to be there is there. I'm guessing later next year.

 

[Sakiki]

I’m there now. I say yes, but it really depends. If you’re someone whose Disney obsessed and just wants to go, then I think you can have a really great time. Just keep your expectations in check. It’s really, really crowded and the lines are really long. In some cases I’ve never seen them before. The ride ops are legendary, so everything is moving fast. I think it would work best as a very laid back trip and understanding that you’re probably not going to do everything you want to do and that you’re probably not getting on Rise.

Otherwise, I think it gets murkier. I don’t think it’s great for first timers and I think people who come once every couple of years may feel cheated. Especially for first timers. I couldn’t recommended it for anyone’s first trip.

I think in that case now is a perfect time to stay offsite and check out the rest of Orlando. Maybe do half the number of Disney days that you usually do and experience new things.

Staying offsite is what we always do! We only get over from the UK every two or three years (if we’re lucky - last trip was in November 2019 and although we immediately started planning our next trip for November 2021 we’ve deferred it until November 2022 given the current travel and other restrictions.

Staying offsite we always hire a car so we can come and go on our own schedule. We hardly ever do FPs or ADRs (although we made an exception for CRT and I’d also do so for Space 220). We always try and do a couple of the Orlando area dinner shows, visit KSC, do an airboat trip on one of the waterways, do a bit of shopping for clothes in styles/colours etc that we don’t see in the UK… One year we booked tickets and drove down to Miami for a Monday night game at Joe Robbie/Dolphins Stadium/Hard Rock Stadium (I would have preferred Tampa/Raymond James but we’ve never been lucky with the combination of home game dates and ticket availability).

But the thing we would really miss is the… ambience, I think I’d call it: the ‘street scene’ performers in MK (who can resist the Dapper Dans?), the international performers in Epcot and AK. And the fireworks (although not so much the parades). It’s that ambience that sets WDW apart from other theme parks IMO.

So we’re planning our 2022 trip in the hope that these ‘ambience generators’ will be back, the park reservation system will be gone, and the poor CMs who’ve had to be mask and social distancing monitors can get back to concentrating on making WDW the happiest place on Earth…

 

[gharter]

We were there in April. We've had our vaccines, so were less worried.
While it was a different experience than any other trip we've ever done, for us the magic was still there.
We were glad we went.
YMMV.

 

[StuckInKS]

I had the same concerns before our trip in March and was very anxious the entire week before our trip. I was nervous about getting COVID, but also nervous about all of the precautions ruining the experience. Honestly, it ended up feeling like a pretty normal Disney vacation. Missed hearing the Happily Ever After music on our MK days, but that's it. We felt very safe, masking was not a big deal, no one got sick and a lot of the social distancing guidelines actually improved our experience (I hate being packed in the lines and not being able to find a table with a large family in the QS locations). We have another trip booked for Sep/Oct, and I am actually hoping things are the same this time instead of being worried about it.

 

[TLSnell1981]

We've visited during COVID and still had a good time. Although many experiences were sorely missed. Some I never realized how much we enjoyed. My concerns are COVID will be the excuse to continue to remove the "magic" as well as the conveniences. Disney has been making cuts and changes for quite a while. Late night extra magic hours and airport check in are two "perks" we miss the most. The costs have increased significantly while services have diminished.

I will be happy be happy when international travel opens up significantly. Way more bang for the buck...