Moving a DLR Trip to Walt Disney World- Let’s Talk!

[ten6mom]

Thanks for the update! I get cold easily too. Are you just wearing pants roughing it out when it’s hot so you’re comfortable at night when it’s chilly? I think that’s my plan.

I am wearing jeans and just a tank top all day. I do always ALWAYS bring a hoodie tho. Yesterday was strange because it was so warm all day and then we got the most rain of our trip as we exited Yak and Yeti after dinner (it must have been around 5PM-ish) but it wasn't a cold rain. So I had put my hoodie on to deal with that and left it on since it was comfortable.

Then, after park close (we rode FOP last, so I think we probably left the park around 7:30ish), as we were walking out to the car I actually got uncomfortably warm (still had the jacket on) due to the lingering moisture in the air.

I think it's so weird here! The humidity after that little walk through Pandora after dark (very cool) out to the parking lot was unpleasant for me! But- I am used to the dry heat of Arizona. None of this humid stuff!

 

[TikiTikiFan]

Phew, we are back! We had a great time but I am pretty exhausted. The parks are so much larger so the amount of walking was rough on me after months of working from home and with my neuropathy. I should have trained for it because it wiped me out! I was pretty close to renting a scooter at the end but toughed it out. One day I’ll accept my limitations but not this day!

We stayed at the Caribbean Resort Hotel which I loved. Being the main hub on the Skyliner is a big perk- I felt sorry for all the people arriving from the other hotels that had to go to the back of the line. The pool was wonderful, we enjoyed it a lot. The grounds were so big... again, so much walking. Next time I’ll pay for a preferred room to be closer. I kicked myself everyday for not doing that!

We did six park days: one at AK and Epcot, two at MK and HS. My takeaways in general about all of it.. the good and the bad:

• The airports (DIA and MCO) had NO physical distancing but okay-ish mask compliance. The airline (United) stuffed us in the plane like sardines- all seats were filled on both flights. Right off the bat my crowd anxiety bandaid was ripped off in the Denver airport. No one gave us space in security, on the train, the escalators, anywhere.
• Magic Kingdom was the most crowded and had the worst mask compliance. The biggest two bottleneck areas seemed to be Adventureland and Fantasyland by Peter Pan. I consistently had people bumping into us it was so packed in walkways at times. So that’s a bit FYI for anyone feeling hesitant. Physical space is not guaranteed and at times you just have no choice but to deal if you don’t want to leave.
• MK was the only park I saw a few people taking masks off during rides. This was also the park where I had a family right in my backpocket in line and when I told them nicely to stay in their sticker they told me to “go home if you’re so scared.” So that was a memorable moment, oof! Every other park the mask compliance was perfect that I saw. Our Monday at MK was the worst with Thursday being much better- I’d avoid weekends and Mondays. It was night and day difference on crowds there.
• Distancing in queues and restaurants was great. Problem areas are shops and walkways but don’t see how much Disney can do about that. I think people just forget. It definitely didn’t feel like an empty park, those days are definitely gone but I felt fairly comfortable most of the time. But I also feel like I should mention that I am definitely getting a covid test regardless- the risk is there.
• Animal Kingdom was amazing. We had the perfect day! We rode everything multiple times and usually had plenty of distance (aside from a few bottlenecks here snd there) from others. I loved Pandora. And Everest! And Dinosaur! We loved it all, I wish we had done two days we loved it so much.
• Don’t eat the few churros offered- they’re a travesty.
• Food in general was disappointing. Nothing that stood out as amazing. Be Our Guest had amazing atmosphere so even if my picky vegetarian self didn’t like the food, that was my favorite. They let me exchange my weird vegetable broth for a mac and cheese style adult kids meal so how’s that for having the palette of a 10 year old. I’d say this restaurant is a must. Sci-Fi at HS was also really cool, my son loved it. Food was okay but everything there for vegetarians is now all Impossible burgers which I hate (I don’t like the taste of meat so not a fan of these) but that might be a “me” problem.
• At Magic Kingdom I thought Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise and Splash were better- so many extra scenes. Pirates offended me because it was so short! After we got off we were like ‘where’s the rest of it?!’ I didn’t care for their version of Space Mountain- the ride cars are like the Matterhorn bobsleds! My back will never be the same lol. Also missed the music- felt kinda weird being able to hear everyone else so easily.
• Masks were easy to get used to- only became difficult in the hot sun. My son did better than me- I was the one whining for a relaxation station, not him. Kids are tougher than us oldies.
• Got on Rise of the Resistance both days with no issues- follow the board in the WDW page for tips if you’re going, it’s a big help. Same with the ‘here and back’ board. I could go on for days and how amazing that ride was! Highlight of the trip.
• We made sure to arrive as early as possible each day and that made a huge difference. We had ridden both rides in Pandora and the park had only ‘officially’ been open 15 mins when we got off Flight of Passage. Which was amazing.
• Pictures with masks are a bummer, didn’t do as much photopass as we usually do. I did make a point to do a selfie with the kiddo each time we were eating/drinking/etc. so we have a few good mask free photos. Featuring dole whips, blue milk and pretzels!

Feel free to ask me anything I might have left out, there’s so much to say! I want to go back and just spend a week at Animal Kingdom! So much fun. Epcot was good too but with all the closed shops and construction the experience felt a bit impacted there more so than at the other parks. Overall, I felt like the magic was there. I don’t regret going and it definitely helped charge my mental health batteries. But if you’re on the fence because of risk, you should be prepared for the reality that while masks are being used nearly 100% of the time, physical distancing isn’t always possible.

 

[TikiTikiFan]

I am wearing jeans and just a tank top all day. I do always ALWAYS bring a hoodie tho. Yesterday was strange because it was so warm all day and then we got the most rain of our trip as we exited Yak and Yeti after dinner (it must have been around 5PM-ish) but it wasn't a cold rain. So I had put my hoodie on to deal with that and left it on since it was comfortable.

Then, after park close (we rode FOP last, so I think we probably left the park around 7:30ish), as we were walking out to the car I actually got uncomfortably warm (still had the jacket on) due to the lingering moisture in the air.

I think it's so weird here! The humidity after that little walk through Pandora after dark (very cool) out to the parking lot was unpleasant for me! But- I am used to the dry heat of Arizona. None of this humid stuff!

I wore leggings our last few days with a tank/t-shirt and had my sprit jersey in my bag. I was okay with that most of the time! The first few days it was in the 80s and not being used to the humidity we were dying from the heat. Was so happy it cooled down! Made me real hesitant on going in the summer when it’s even hotter though.

 

[midnight star]

Phew, we are back! We had a great time but I am pretty exhausted. The parks are so much larger so the amount of walking was rough on me after months of working from home and with my neuropathy. I should have trained for it because it wiped me out! I was pretty close to renting a scooter at the end but toughed it out. One day I’ll accept my limitations but not this day!

We stayed at the Caribbean Resort Hotel which I loved. Being the main hub on the Skyliner is a big perk- I felt sorry for all the people arriving from the other hotels that had to go to the back of the line. The pool was wonderful, we enjoyed it a lot. The grounds were so big... again, so much walking. Next time I’ll pay for a preferred room to be closer. I kicked myself everyday for not doing that!

We did six park days: one at AK and Epcot, two at MK and HS. My takeaways in general about all of it.. the good and the bad:

• The airports (DIA and MCO) had NO physical distancing but okay-ish mask compliance. The airline (United) stuffed us in the plane like sardines- all seats were filled on both flights. Right off the bat my crowd anxiety bandaid was ripped off in the Denver airport. No one gave us space in security, on the train, the escalators, anywhere.
• Magic Kingdom was the most crowded and had the worst mask compliance. The biggest two bottleneck areas seemed to be Adventureland and Fantasyland by Peter Pan. I consistently had people bumping into us it was so packed in walkways at times. So that’s a bit FYI for anyone feeling hesitant. Physical space is not guaranteed and at times you just have no choice but to deal if you don’t want to leave.
• MK was the only park I saw a few people taking masks off during rides. This was also the park where I had a family right in my backpocket in line and when I told them nicely to stay in their sticker they told me to “go home if you’re so scared.” So that was a memorable moment, oof! Every other park the mask compliance was perfect that I saw. Our Monday at MK was the worst with Thursday being much better- I’d avoid weekends and Mondays. It was night and day difference on crowds there.
• Distancing in queues and restaurants was great. Problem areas are shops and walkways but don’t see how much Disney can do about that. I think people just forget. It definitely didn’t feel like an empty park, those days are definitely gone but I felt fairly comfortable most of the time. But I also feel like I should mention that I am definitely getting a covid test regardless- the risk is there.
• Animal Kingdom was amazing. We had the perfect day! We rode everything multiple times and usually had plenty of distance (aside from a few bottlenecks here snd there) from others. I loved Pandora. And Everest! And Dinosaur! We loved it all, I wish we had done two days we loved it so much.
• Don’t eat the few churros offered- they’re a travesty.
• Food in general was disappointing. Nothing that stood out as amazing. Be Our Guest had amazing atmosphere so even if my picky vegetarian self didn’t like the food, that was my favorite. They let me exchange my weird vegetable broth for a mac and cheese style adult kids meal so how’s that for having the palette of a 10 year old. I’d say this restaurant is a must. Sci-Fi at HS was also really cool, my son loved it. Food was okay but everything there for vegetarians is now all Impossible burgers which I hate (I don’t like the taste of meat so not a fan of these) but that might be a “me” problem.
• At Magic Kingdom I thought Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise and Splash were better- so many extra scenes. Pirates offended me because it was so short! After we got off we were like ‘where’s the rest of it?!’ I didn’t care for their version of Space Mountain- the ride cars are like the Matterhorn bobsleds! My back will never be the same lol. Also missed the music- felt kinda weird being able to hear everyone else so easily.
• Masks were easy to get used to- only became difficult in the hot sun. My son did better than me- I was the one whining for a relaxation station, not him. Kids are tougher than us oldies.
• Got on Rise of the Resistance both days with no issues- follow the board in the WDW page for tips if you’re going, it’s a big help. Same with the ‘here and back’ board. I could go on for days and how amazing that ride was! Highlight of the trip.
• We made sure to arrive as early as possible each day and that made a huge difference. We had ridden both rides in Pandora and the park had only ‘officially’ been open 15 mins when we got off Flight of Passage. Which was amazing.
• Pictures with masks are a bummer, didn’t do as much photopass as we usually do. I did make a point to do a selfie with the kiddo each time we were eating/drinking/etc. so we have a few good mask free photos. Featuring dole whips, blue milk and pretzels!

Feel free to ask me anything I might have left out, there’s so much to say! I want to go back and just spend a week at Animal Kingdom! So much fun. Epcot was good too but with all the closed shops and construction the experience felt a bit impacted there more so than at the other parks. Overall, I felt like the magic was there. I don’t regret going and it definitely helped charge my mental health batteries. But if you’re on the fence because of risk, you should be prepared for the reality that while masks are being used nearly 100% of the time, physical distancing isn’t always possible.

Good to know about the airports. Did you take the Magical express? WAs there a long line? I've seen some scary pictures of the line...

What did you think of their MK? I personally like the DL version more. I like that it is smaller and you can see the lands from where you are in the park. MK just feels so huge to me. Fun park, but just massive.

I LOVE animal kingdom. I would do 2 days there too! I feel like it's underrated. Everyone loves MK, HS, E . Give me Pandora, Dinoland, the Safari and Everest in Asia any day!

I agree about the food. When I came back to DL after WDW, I appreciated the snacks at DL so much more. The only place we truly loved was Tiffins. But it's very expensive, so the food better be good lol. I'm not sure if it's even open right now. We ate at Coral Reef, which was good, but I don't think I would choose it again.

 

[midnight star]

I wore leggings our last few days with a tank/t-shirt and had my sprit jersey in my bag. I was okay with that most of the time! The first few days it was in the 80s and not being used to the humidity we were dying from the heat. Was so happy it cooled down! Made me real hesitant on going in the summer when it’s even hotter though.

When I was 5, my parents took me to WDW for the first time. It was in July. We are from Las Vegas, so we can handle hot and dry heat. I don't remember, but my dad said we only lasted maybe 4 hours in the park each day lol. He wears glasses and the humidity caused his glasses to fog! He says if he ever goes back, he refuses to go in July LOL

 

[ten6mom]

Phew, we are back! We had a great time but I am pretty exhausted. The parks are so much larger so the amount of walking was rough on me after months of working from home and with my neuropathy. I should have trained for it because it wiped me out! I was pretty close to renting a scooter at the end but toughed it out. One day I’ll accept my limitations but not this day!

We stayed at the Caribbean Resort Hotel which I loved. Being the main hub on the Skyliner is a big perk- I felt sorry for all the people arriving from the other hotels that had to go to the back of the line. The pool was wonderful, we enjoyed it a lot. The grounds were so big... again, so much walking. Next time I’ll pay for a preferred room to be closer. I kicked myself everyday for not doing that!

We did six park days: one at AK and Epcot, two at MK and HS. My takeaways in general about all of it.. the good and the bad:

• The airports (DIA and MCO) had NO physical distancing but okay-ish mask compliance. The airline (United) stuffed us in the plane like sardines- all seats were filled on both flights. Right off the bat my crowd anxiety bandaid was ripped off in the Denver airport. No one gave us space in security, on the train, the escalators, anywhere.
• Magic Kingdom was the most crowded and had the worst mask compliance. The biggest two bottleneck areas seemed to be Adventureland and Fantasyland by Peter Pan. I consistently had people bumping into us it was so packed in walkways at times. So that’s a bit FYI for anyone feeling hesitant. Physical space is not guaranteed and at times you just have no choice but to deal if you don’t want to leave.
• MK was the only park I saw a few people taking masks off during rides. This was also the park where I had a family right in my backpocket in line and when I told them nicely to stay in their sticker they told me to “go home if you’re so scared.” So that was a memorable moment, oof! Every other park the mask compliance was perfect that I saw. Our Monday at MK was the worst with Thursday being much better- I’d avoid weekends and Mondays. It was night and day difference on crowds there.
• Distancing in queues and restaurants was great. Problem areas are shops and walkways but don’t see how much Disney can do about that. I think people just forget. It definitely didn’t feel like an empty park, those days are definitely gone but I felt fairly comfortable most of the time. But I also feel like I should mention that I am definitely getting a covid test regardless- the risk is there.
• Animal Kingdom was amazing. We had the perfect day! We rode everything multiple times and usually had plenty of distance (aside from a few bottlenecks here snd there) from others. I loved Pandora. And Everest! And Dinosaur! We loved it all, I wish we had done two days we loved it so much.
• Don’t eat the few churros offered- they’re a travesty.
• Food in general was disappointing. Nothing that stood out as amazing. Be Our Guest had amazing atmosphere so even if my picky vegetarian self didn’t like the food, that was my favorite. They let me exchange my weird vegetable broth for a mac and cheese style adult kids meal so how’s that for having the palette of a 10 year old. I’d say this restaurant is a must. Sci-Fi at HS was also really cool, my son loved it. Food was okay but everything there for vegetarians is now all Impossible burgers which I hate (I don’t like the taste of meat so not a fan of these) but that might be a “me” problem.
• At Magic Kingdom I thought Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise and Splash were better- so many extra scenes. Pirates offended me because it was so short! After we got off we were like ‘where’s the rest of it?!’ I didn’t care for their version of Space Mountain- the ride cars are like the Matterhorn bobsleds! My back will never be the same lol. Also missed the music- felt kinda weird being able to hear everyone else so easily.
• Masks were easy to get used to- only became difficult in the hot sun. My son did better than me- I was the one whining for a relaxation station, not him. Kids are tougher than us oldies.
• Got on Rise of the Resistance both days with no issues- follow the board in the WDW page for tips if you’re going, it’s a big help. Same with the ‘here and back’ board. I could go on for days and how amazing that ride was! Highlight of the trip.
• We made sure to arrive as early as possible each day and that made a huge difference. We had ridden both rides in Pandora and the park had only ‘officially’ been open 15 mins when we got off Flight of Passage. Which was amazing.
• Pictures with masks are a bummer, didn’t do as much photopass as we usually do. I did make a point to do a selfie with the kiddo each time we were eating/drinking/etc. so we have a few good mask free photos. Featuring dole whips, blue milk and pretzels!

Feel free to ask me anything I might have left out, there’s so much to say! I want to go back and just spend a week at Animal Kingdom! So much fun. Epcot was good too but with all the closed shops and construction the experience felt a bit impacted there more so than at the other parks. Overall, I felt like the magic was there. I don’t regret going and it definitely helped charge my mental health batteries. But if you’re on the fence because of risk, you should be prepared for the reality that while masks are being used nearly 100% of the time, physical distancing isn’t always possible.

Welcome back! We have two more days and then leave on Tuesday afternoon.

I agree that there is no way I'd be able to handle masks if it was any warmer than it has been.

We have done, in this order, MK, DHS, AK, and Epcot. I originally scheduled two days each at MK and DHS (to make sure we had every possible chance to ride ROTR) but we got on on our first day and my husband doesn't feel the need to go again, nor to experience anything else in DHS a second time, so I just changed our last day to MK. We still need to do Big Thunder, Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain, and Country Bear Jamboree. I am not having a ton of patience to stand in lines for an hour so I think tomorrow we will sleep in, go to our BOG dinner at 6:30, and look at the Castle light projections on our way out. Then we can rope drop on Monday and get those biggies out of the way... and then relax. I don't normally do more than a couple of days at a time at DL so I am pretty exhausted.

I don't know what Epcot is like in normal times but I sure did not care for it today!

 

[midnight star]

I don't know what Epcot is like in normal times but I sure did not care for it today!

Uh oh. Was it packed?

 

[TikiTikiFan]

Good to know about the airports. Did you take the Magical express? WAs there a long line? I've seen some scary pictures of the line...

What did you think of their MK? I personally like the DL version more. I like that it is smaller and you can see the lands from where you are in the park. MK just feels so huge to me. Fun park, but just massive.

I LOVE animal kingdom. I would do 2 days there too! I feel like it's underrated. Everyone loves MK, HS, E . Give me Pandora, Dinoland, the Safari and Everest in Asia any day!

I agree about the food. When I came back to DL after WDW, I appreciated the snacks at DL so much more. The only place we truly loved was Tiffins. But it's very expensive, so the food better be good lol. I'm not sure if it's even open right now. We ate at Coral Reef, which was good, but I don't think I would choose it again.

We took the Magical Express from the airport- they originally told us an hour wait but we walked right on. Saw big lines for other hotels so maybe we got lucky. Didn’t take it on the way back- our flight was at 8AM and they wanted to pick us up at 430- we ubered instead and that went fine. We used uber a few times and everytime the cars were clean and drivers masked up- no issues.

I didn’t care for the MK either- it was just so spread out for no reason. I spent most of the time comparing it to Disneyland haha. I did like the Seven Dwarves ride- I wish we’d get that! Rivers of America was drained too so that was odd. But soooo much walking. The it’s a small world was so wrong- like what is this? Why is it inside? haha. I liked the Tangled area, that was neat. We didn’t do the Buzz or Astro- did everything else though. Felt like it was missing something which is probably just bc it has so few rides compared to DL.

Best food we had was at Beaches and Cream at one of the resorts. But we just got a table full of icecream and grilled cheese so who wouldn’t be happy?

 

[TikiTikiFan]

I am not having a ton of patience to stand in lines for an hour so I think tomorrow we will sleep in, go to our BOG dinner at 6:30, and look at the Castle light projections on our way out.

They let you stay in the park after close pretty late so you can take your time enjoying the castle! We had our BOG at 7:50PM and we’re still able to hang out on Main Street and enjoy the lights with only a few others around!

 

[midnight star]

I didn’t care for the MK either- it was just so spread out for no reason. I spent most of the time comparing it to Disneyland haha. I did like the Seven Dwarves ride- I wish we’d get that! Rivers of America was drained too so that was odd. But soooo much walking. The it’s a small world was so wrong- like what is this? Why is it inside? haha. I liked the Tangled area, that was neat. We didn’t do the Buzz or Astro- did everything else though. Felt like it was missing something which is probably just bc it has so few rides compared to DL.

Yessss! We felt the same way. To us it made no sense that Peter Pan and Dumbo were both considered to be in Fantasyland, yet are a 40 minute walk from each other...?! Whenever we go back, we will consider the size of the park when mapping out rides.

 

[TikiTikiFan]

Yessss! We felt the same way. To us it made no sense that Peter Pan and Dumbo were both considered to be in Fantasyland, yet are a 40 minute walk from each other...?! Whenever we go back, we will consider the size of the park when mapping out rides.

We didn’t even go in the corner with Dumbo- we were just so sick of walking! It looked like a big bottleneck from the map so avoided it. I really loved Carousel of Progress, I love the old school stuff. I found the ambiance lacking in general of many areas- Disneyland definitely wins with that. You can’t beat New Orleans Square or our Fantasyland. The Adventureland felt so cramped too- the Aladdin carpet ride is just in the way where it is, although we rode it and thought it was funny. I was so happy to see Swiss Family Robinson- my family loved that when I was little, missed it.

I think the best MK ambiance is that little Tangled corner-so cute! Main Street is pretty similar too, so much that I kept accidentally walking in directions where I associated DL with. Like where the lockers are!

 

[TikiTikiFan]

I feel like I should also mention that my son loved loved Epcot. But he’s a bit of a nerd (runs in the family!) so he really digs the educational stuff. He loves aquariums so much that I was like ‘oh no not an aquarium!’ when I realized the nemo ride was in one- he just never tires of them. We spent an hour in there so he could look at every single fish. And so he could ask the CM a hundred shark questions. I was bored but he had fun so that’s all that matters. I liked World Showcase much more- I could have skipped the other half if it weren’t for Soarin! And another park with sooo much walking!

 

[ten6mom]

Uh oh. Was it packed?

No... well the International area was busy but it was a Saturday plus Food and Wine so we expected that. The rest of the park seemed very... disjointed? Hard for me to describe. I know there is some construction going on because I've seen mention of the construction walls (more toward the main entrance)... I just felt like there was no "flow". We wandered around even trying to find out where the attractions were. It was just weird to me. We did Mission: Space (orange...not as bad for us as I had read about), Living with the Land (those boats are such odd ride vehicles), and Spaceship Earth (weird... cool but weird... had zero knowledge of what that was before we got onto it), and Journey into Imagination with Figment. Didn't feel up to standing in line for an hour for Test Track and to be honest I was pretty exhausted by then. Oh and we did the little Nemo ride.

I don't know. Nothing about it seemed "Disney" to me (maybe it isn't supposed to?)

The it’s a small world was so wrong- like what is this? Why is it inside?

This was such a shock to us! Yuck! I didn't know what was behind all the (very colorful) construction tarps and when I peeked in to see it... what the heck!!!

 

[midnight star]

The rest of the park seemed very... disjointed? Hard for me to describe. I know there is some construction going on because I've seen mention of the construction walls (more toward the main entrance)... I just felt like there was no "flow". We wandered around even trying to find out where the attractions were. It was just weird to me.

We felt the same too when we went. We think it's the construction. The area near Future World was so hard to navigate. Plus the day we were there it was pouring so it was hard to check our phones or paper maps.

 

[crystal1313]

So glad you had a wonderful trip @TikiTikiFan

 

[KPeterso]

Phew, we are back! We had a great time but I am pretty exhausted. The parks are so much larger so the amount of walking was rough on me after months of working from home and with my neuropathy. I should have trained for it because it wiped me out! I was pretty close to renting a scooter at the end but toughed it out. One day I’ll accept my limitations but not this day!

We stayed at the Caribbean Resort Hotel which I loved. Being the main hub on the Skyliner is a big perk- I felt sorry for all the people arriving from the other hotels that had to go to the back of the line. The pool was wonderful, we enjoyed it a lot. The grounds were so big... again, so much walking. Next time I’ll pay for a preferred room to be closer. I kicked myself everyday for not doing that!

We did six park days: one at AK and Epcot, two at MK and HS. My takeaways in general about all of it.. the good and the bad:

• The airports (DIA and MCO) had NO physical distancing but okay-ish mask compliance. The airline (United) stuffed us in the plane like sardines- all seats were filled on both flights. Right off the bat my crowd anxiety bandaid was ripped off in the Denver airport. No one gave us space in security, on the train, the escalators, anywhere.
• Magic Kingdom was the most crowded and had the worst mask compliance. The biggest two bottleneck areas seemed to be Adventureland and Fantasyland by Peter Pan. I consistently had people bumping into us it was so packed in walkways at times. So that’s a bit FYI for anyone feeling hesitant. Physical space is not guaranteed and at times you just have no choice but to deal if you don’t want to leave.
• MK was the only park I saw a few people taking masks off during rides. This was also the park where I had a family right in my backpocket in line and when I told them nicely to stay in their sticker they told me to “go home if you’re so scared.” So that was a memorable moment, oof! Every other park the mask compliance was perfect that I saw. Our Monday at MK was the worst with Thursday being much better- I’d avoid weekends and Mondays. It was night and day difference on crowds there.
• Distancing in queues and restaurants was great. Problem areas are shops and walkways but don’t see how much Disney can do about that. I think people just forget. It definitely didn’t feel like an empty park, those days are definitely gone but I felt fairly comfortable most of the time. But I also feel like I should mention that I am definitely getting a covid test regardless- the risk is there.
• Animal Kingdom was amazing. We had the perfect day! We rode everything multiple times and usually had plenty of distance (aside from a few bottlenecks here snd there) from others. I loved Pandora. And Everest! And Dinosaur! We loved it all, I wish we had done two days we loved it so much.
• Don’t eat the few churros offered- they’re a travesty.
• Food in general was disappointing. Nothing that stood out as amazing. Be Our Guest had amazing atmosphere so even if my picky vegetarian self didn’t like the food, that was my favorite. They let me exchange my weird vegetable broth for a mac and cheese style adult kids meal so how’s that for having the palette of a 10 year old. I’d say this restaurant is a must. Sci-Fi at HS was also really cool, my son loved it. Food was okay but everything there for vegetarians is now all Impossible burgers which I hate (I don’t like the taste of meat so not a fan of these) but that might be a “me” problem.
• At Magic Kingdom I thought Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise and Splash were better- so many extra scenes. Pirates offended me because it was so short! After we got off we were like ‘where’s the rest of it?!’ I didn’t care for their version of Space Mountain- the ride cars are like the Matterhorn bobsleds! My back will never be the same lol. Also missed the music- felt kinda weird being able to hear everyone else so easily.
• Masks were easy to get used to- only became difficult in the hot sun. My son did better than me- I was the one whining for a relaxation station, not him. Kids are tougher than us oldies.
• Got on Rise of the Resistance both days with no issues- follow the board in the WDW page for tips if you’re going, it’s a big help. Same with the ‘here and back’ board. I could go on for days and how amazing that ride was! Highlight of the trip.
• We made sure to arrive as early as possible each day and that made a huge difference. We had ridden both rides in Pandora and the park had only ‘officially’ been open 15 mins when we got off Flight of Passage. Which was amazing.
• Pictures with masks are a bummer, didn’t do as much photopass as we usually do. I did make a point to do a selfie with the kiddo each time we were eating/drinking/etc. so we have a few good mask free photos. Featuring dole whips, blue milk and pretzels!

Feel free to ask me anything I might have left out, there’s so much to say! I want to go back and just spend a week at Animal Kingdom! So much fun. Epcot was good too but with all the closed shops and construction the experience felt a bit impacted there more so than at the other parks. Overall, I felt like the magic was there. I don’t regret going and it definitely helped charge my mental health batteries. But if you’re on the fence because of risk, you should be prepared for the reality that while masks are being used nearly 100% of the time, physical distancing isn’t always possible.

Love your assessment.

Animal Kingdom is our favorite park. People often call it a half day park and I can never figure out why. There is so much to see and do there! On out 10-12 day trips, we spend at least 3 full days there and often a 4th partial day. And it is very often the first park we go to since we are looking forward to it.

And I feel the same way about MK. It is ok, but Disneyland park is so amazing in comparison. And my family said the same thing the first time we rode pirates --- "where is the rest of the ride? Do we walk through it or something?" LOL. Only walk through is a store at the end, not the same.

I was at Epcot on my last day of my March trip (and earlier in the trip too), and it was just so confusing with the construction right now. Don't judge the park based on that. It is normally so much easier to get around when it is not a sea of construction walls. Oh and we love to eat there. The restaurants in the countries are all very good (our favorites are LeCellier, Chefs de France, Teppan Edo, and Akershus).

Glad you got Rise of the Resistence. What Boarding Groups did you get? How was it doing the boarding process at 7 AM from the hotel?

 

[noodle73]

The airports (DIA and MCO) had NO physical distancing but okay-ish mask compliance. The airline (United) stuffed us in the plane like sardines- all seats were filled on both flights.

Agree! The worst part of our trip & when I felt the most unsafe was on the airplane. We flew United also (DIA/MCO also!) and every seat was filled. Yes masks are required except when the snacks/drinks come around and the whole airplane takes off masks at once... How is that possibly safe???

I didn’t care for the MK either- it was just so spread out for no reason. I spent most of the time comparing it to Disneyland haha.

Same! I think DL is so much better than MK. There are so many more rides, and better ambiance, and it's more compact. One day we trekked from PoC to Gaston's Tavern and it took FOREVER.

Best food we had was at Beaches and Cream at one of the resorts. But we just got a table full of icecream and grilled cheese so who wouldn’t be happy?

Yes! Beaches and Cream was my favorite food on our trip too!

 

[midnight star]

I need to try beaches and cream! I hear so many good things about it.

 

[TikiTikiFan]

Glad you got Rise of the Resistence. What Boarding Groups did you get? How was it doing the boarding process at 7 AM from the hotel?

The first day I got group three and the second day I got group 30! The process from the hotel was great- I walked around the room first to test what area had the best wifi since I got bad service there. I practiced a lot from home first and they definitely helped. I also think a fast phone is key- I have the iphone pro 11 and compared to my sons ipod touch (newest edition but still) it was light years difference in speed. I already had our groups booked before he even got to the last page.

Agree! The worst part of our trip & when I felt the most unsafe was on the airplane. We flew United also (DIA/MCO also!) and every seat was filled. Yes masks are required except when the snacks/drinks come around and the whole airplane takes off masks at once... How is that possibly safe???



Same! I think DL is so much better than MK. There are so many more rides, and better ambiance, and it's more compact. One day we trekked from PoC to Gaston's Tavern and it took FOREVER.



Yes! Beaches and Cream was my favorite food on our trip too!

I thought the same thing about the planes! On the way back the people in the row ahead of us ate the entireeeee flight- probably just so they could keep their masks off. I was pretty upset but felt justified in wearing the Kn95 and face shield then!

Wasn’t DIA insane? I was shocked! I reserved an 8AM flight thinking the airport would be more quiet (it has been in the past when we’ve flown that early!) and nope, total madhouse. Shoulder to shoulder on the train to the terminal like welp... here we go!

We got our COVID tests today (the university I work at offers saliva tests for employees which is nice- just as accurate they claim but saves your poor nose!) so now we wait. If you test positive it’d be hard to pinpoint where you got it because the airports are such a mess but we did wear crazy gear in the airport and only cloth masks in the park... fingers crossed! We’re going to isolate regardless just to be responsible. Working from home so not a big deal... and our county just went under a strict lockdown so easy peasy to stay home haha.

 

[TikiTikiFan]

Our test results came back negative! We did get them a bit earlier than experts recommend (mostly just because my university had limited openings) so we'll still quarantine but still a good sign.

Now I'm already in 'let's plan the next trip mode!' I really want to hope for a summer Disneyland trip but not sure I want to be on the ronacoaster again waiting for Newsom to toss me a bread crumb..... so the question is: WDW in the summer (Yikes, so much heat!) or wait it out?