Hi Everyone, I think this is my first post and it is going to be a long one. We recently returned from a week-long trip (Sept 11-18), staying at Old Key West and visiting all four parks. You all helped us so much in tempering our expectations and giving us a heads up of what we were likely to see in the parks, that I want to pay it back (and forward).
A bit about us to give you context regarding our comfort (or lack thereof) with covid risk – I am 61 and my husband is 65. We are university faculty, and have been working from home since March 17 or so. We have not set foot in any store except CVS (like twice) and had not eaten even outside at a restaurant during that time. We have been exceptionally careful. Until late August, when we were required to fly out west to take my mother to all of the doctors’ appts she has missed over the last many months. Talk about ripping the bandaid off! On that trip I spent many hours on the plane and accompanying her to Kaiser for numerous tests (always in my KN95). And we ate lunch outside every day at restaurants. So after that gauntlet we decided to keep the September Disney reservations that we’ve had since January. Given our trip was basically free (AP, DVC, TIW) except for food and gas money, we decided to give covid Disney a try.
The good to great:
- For the first time in history we received our room is ready text by 9:30 am day of arrival and were able to go straight to the room using old magic bands to open our door. Old Key West (our home resort) was perfect for distancing!
- It was amazing to be back at Disney for the first time since early March. Enjoyed the outdoors (instead of being stuck in my house); rode all the attractions we wanted (save Rise of the Resistance); had our favorite treats (EPCOT caramel popcorn, Amorette's 11 layer cake, churros from anywhere, High Tower Rocks at Nomad Lounge, incredible Frozen Mudslides at Gurgling Suitcase ); loved the adorable cavalcades (especially the ones on boats at AK and Jack and Sally in MK) - all of this was magical and so very needed. The joy experienced on Flights of Passage - we rode 4X! - alone made the whole trip worthwhile.
- The Cast Members seemed to be so happy to see us – in every restaurant they thanked us profusely for coming. We thanked the CMs for helping keep us safe and they really seemed to appreciate that as well.
- Overall, people were really good about distancing in attraction lines - this surprised me a lot and in a good way. Sometimes large groups ended up in our space but it was easy enough to leave one additional six-foot space between us and the large party. And because the bulk of most lines is outside, we spent very little time indoors in line.
- In our experience 99% of people wore masks, and probably 99% of those wore them correctly over both nose and mouth. The ones who didn't, though, were egregious (see below), and of course are the ones you remember. But if you actually count the number of people around you and do the math, I think you will be pleasantly surprised.
- We felt more in control than we thought we would - there were like 3 times in lines over the entire 7 days where we felt a bit unsafe and we just left the line (unsafe is probably too strong a word, probably more like uncomfortable). Even in those instances we were sufficiently distanced. Sadly that wasn’t the case on rides (see below).
- Disney Springs was supposed to be a nightmare, but we had lunch there almost every day and it was absolutely fine at least between 11:00 and 1:00. Our strategy was to get to the restaurant at opening, and ask to sit outside away from other people. We were always accommodated (except once, see below) and usually had the space entirely to us for the first 45 minutes or so.
- Most days we were in the park only 2.5-3.5 hours, and yet we were able to ride everything we wanted (except ROTR). Here’s what we did:
- Friday, 9/11 - arrived at EPCOT around 3:00, rode Soaring, Frozen, Test Track, visited Mexico, had Cucumber Margarita at La Cava, bought Caramel Corn in Germany, people watched, left at 6:00.
- Saturday, 9/12 – arrived Animal Kingdom around 2:00, rode FOP, KS, walked the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail, and then Dinosaur 3X. Left at 5:00.
- Sunday, 9/13 – the day before had seemed super crowded, and it was hot, so we decided to just go to a nice lunch and then the pool. And then watch the Rays on Fox Sports Go in the room.
- Monday, 9/14 – arrived at Hollywood Studios by 9:30, was part of the “not in the park” debacle for ROTR, gave up and rode Slinky Dog (2X), Aliens (1X), TSMM (2X), had a churro, rode Star Tours (3X). Got in line for MMRR and after waiting about 20 minutes it broke down; left about 12:30.
- Tuesday, 9/15 – arrived Magic Kingdom 10:30ish, rode SDMT (2X), BTMRR (2X), Splash, MCA (2X – it was so hot but the ride and the spitting camels cooled us down), lunch at Pecos Bills, LSR, HM. Saw every cavalcade. Left by 2:00ish.
- Wednesday, 9/16 – back to DHS, again foiled by ROTR, so rode MMRR (2X). Walked through GE, and headed off to DS for lunch before a 1:10 Rays start. After the game and some pool time, headed back to DHS and rode SDD (2X), and TSMM (2X) between 5:30 and 6:45.
- Thursday, 9/17, last day at AK; arrived around 10:30, rode FOP then a long and sorta relaxing lunch at Nomad Lounge. Rode FOP again (walk on) and yet again (15 minutes). Back on the bus by 2:00.
- Friday, 9/18, lunch at DS, milk chocolate caramel apples at Candy Cauldron (30% off with AP), and then hit the road.
- Throughout the trip wait times were highly inflated – 90 minutes usually meant 45; 70 meant 35, 30 meant anywhere between walk on and 35 (if you hit a cleaning cycle).
- Busses were much better than we expected, but we tended to ride them at off times (we drove to DHS in the morning). Over half the time we were the only ones on the bus. Before the trip we had decided that busses were off limits, but we gave it a try and were glad (note that we always wore the KN95 masks on the bus, so felt pretty safe.) They only allow 6 parties at a time on the busses, so we were always socially distanced.
- Dining is a really big deal to us on our Disney trips, and we were able to cobble together a nice slate of restaurants – lunches at Frontera Cocina, City Works, Boathouse, Pecos Bills, Wolfgang Puck (and added a mushroom pizza to go), Nomad Lounge, Polite Pig, and 5:00 dinner at House of Blues. All meals were outside. We were able to use TIW everyplace that would typically take it, and usually just flashed them the card.
OK, the things that were less than stellar.
- The parks “seemed” incredibly crowded (it’s a pandemic!), especially on the weekend. But we know capacity is low, so what gives? There is just no place to put all the people! At least half of the restaurants are closed; those that are open are decreased capacity and lots of people eat outside making everything look crowded. Stores have limited capacity, so lots of socially distanced lines outside. Rides have the bulk of their lines outside (to keep from trapping people inside close together), and because they are so socially distanced, they look horrifying long and there are just seem to be so many people at the edges of every walk way. But, to be honest, the sparse bus ridership, fast moving lines, and empty bathrooms show that while the outdoor space might feel crowded, there are not that many people.
- Many restaurants are closed, have reduced hours, and/or reduced menus. Morimoto is only open at dinner. Jaleo is also dinner only but only 4 days a week. Even Splitsville and House of Blues did not open for lunch on the days we thought to eat there. And many menus are bleak. This was not unexpected because of all of your wonderful and informative reports! I did fine finding delicious things to eat but it was rough for my husband given he does not eat fried food or red meat – many menus are so reduced and seem to be on the less than healthy side. Homecomin' was a real disappointment - they would not seat us outside even though there was plenty of space (they had not staffed it). They offered inside or the screened in porch (which gets zero air flow). So we declined. I could have asked for a manager but I was hot and tired and happy to give my money to some other establishment who understood the words "I have not eaten in an enclosed space since March due to the, ugh, pandemic ..." And we canceled a reservation for later in the week. So two lost sales.
- There were a few times when I did not feel completely safe. I do think we had a lot more control than I had envisioned, but ... people. And then my own comfort levels too, which sometimes surprised me. The very first ride on the very first day – Soaring – the entitled family of four next to my husband took their masks off as soon as the ride started. Are you kidding me? And there was nothing we could do but be glad we had on the KN95s. That same day we were in the Test Track line, and a couple parties in front of us a party of 4 adults decided to eat and drink in line with masks off. OK, they were about 18 feet away from us, so whatever, ... but then the ride went down and who knew how long we would be stuck in this situation, indoors, so we bailed (second ride of the vacation - at that point we just felt like we were covidiot magnets). Second day, Kilimanjaro Safaris - it was the weekend so they were filling every row, one party per row. There is a clear divider between rows. I would have felt safe, but the guy right in front of me had his mask below his nose for much of the ride (and it is a long ride). Jungle Cruise line - no one was doing anything wrong, but this poor guy just kept coughing in his mask (they were the party right in front of us) - we were outside and distanced and everyone in masks but we bailed. In line, you have control, you can bail if you need to. But once the ride starts, you are at the mercy of the people around you and while that was only a problem twice, it was pretty annoying. We found that when someone wasn’t following the rules, it tended to be the entire family. The entitled family from Soaring (plus grandma and grandpa) – all with noses out or masks off altogether – ended up in line with us for SDMT. Luckily this time they were several parties away from us and someone elses' problem. We wore the KN95s always on the bus and indoor rides, and then in lines too if we saw something troubling.
- I learned that my comfort zone with masks off is very, very small. Because we arrived at restaurants at opening we had the run of the place for most of the meals and it was awesome. However, we ate twice at outdoor bars (House of Blues and Nomad Lounge). Even though we arrived at opening, it was a really different vibe than the restaurants. More crowded (but still definitely more than 6' apart), people stayed longer, and people were louder - some shouting, some singing (there was a band at House of Blues), and of course, everyone with masks off. Except for me, as I was bordering on terrified. As much as I love those places, I would not go to an outdoor bar again until things are less crazy. Likewise, the pool. Once you enter the fenced in pool area, you don't have to have a mask. The first time we went to the pool we were the only ones there. Blissful. The second time, there was also a family of 3, and a party of 2. All more than appropriately distanced, but of course, masks off, and really loud (I could just envision all of those virus particles spewing everywhere ...). The family of three next went to the hot tub, and the other party followed about 5 minutes later. OMG, the hot tub was so tiny and these two parties were mingling and apparently perfectly comfortable ... and I was a mess just having been in the massive pool, appropriately spaced from them. So although we were willing to go to Disney during a pandemic, I clearly have my limits, and should be in as few mask-less spaces as possible!
- No park hopping was not a real problem for us, the only issue was that I couldn't hop over to EPCOT on the last night after AK to get a stash of fresh caramel corn to bring home.
Overall, we had a really good time, and there were times when it felt amazing - Flights of Passage, dining outside just the two of us, the first pool day - it was like nothing was wrong in the world and I was completely relaxed. So magical. And because we are local, AP, DVC, TIW – a really cheap trip. So even with all of the limitations, we felt that it was worth going, was good value, and mostly great for our mental health. If we were paying full price for a park that was only open 8 hours, with no fast passes, limited restaurants and menus, no fireworks or shows, we might feel differently (although maybe not given how desperate we were for a vacation).
Anyway, thanks to all of you who informed our trip, and hope this recap is of use to someone. For those of you going, have a great trip! And let me know if you have any questions!
I have no idea what November will bring (thoughts, but still no idea lol) but let me say that although crowds have increased which is really a good thing and yes the "walk ons" reported in July and early August aren't so much the norm now, the reported wait times are SO inflated! Examples: On Friday BTMRR posted 70; we waited 22. Walked right back on to a posted 45; waited 9. IASW posted 50 and yes we still got in line lol and were on in 21 and that was due to a vehicle cleaning. Today 7DMT posted 15 at 9:15 and it was 15 as was PP; BTMRR again said 45 and it took SEVEN MINUTES! 
I'm still ready for a vacation so will go unless the virus gets a lot worse even knowing that this is going to be a totally different Disney experience.
