After the longest ever closure since its opening in 1971, Walt Disney World has been working on the massive reopening process to welcome back guests to the Most Magical Place on Earth. This past Saturday was the opening day for Magic Kingdom. The famous Magic Kingdom ducks now have to share the Park again with the humans.
There is still a lot of tension around the idea of opening the economy while COVID-19 cases are continuing to rise. Disney has worked closely with many health experts to be sure they reopened in the safest possible way. One of these experts is AdventHealth CEO Terry Shaw, who oversees about 30 hospitals in the state of Florida and is a WDW Annual Passholder himself.
What has Disney World enacted to make the guests' experience as safe as possible? Here is an overview of some of the key safety measures that Disney has taken.
First they have reduced the capacity of the Parks to about 25%. This will ensure not only much shorter wait times for favorite rides but also the ability to keep guests six feet apart as they wait for these rides.
All guests ages 2 and older are required to wear masks. This is a firm policy Disney has in place and all guests must comply with this policy to stay in the Parks. Disney has set “Relaxations Stations” around the parks where families and guests can go and sit sometimes more than 6 feet apart from others, to remove their masks and take a break. Masks are sold in most stores. Four for $20 with a percentage of the proceeds going to make masks for needy areas.
There are hand sanitizing stations at the entrance and exit of every ride, as well as the restaurants and shops. Park areas are being cleaned every 2 hours with disinfectant and mobile hand washing stations have been brought out to the different sections of the Parks.
Plexiglass partitions are being used to divide the queues at quick service restaurants and rides where the line lanes are close together and it is difficult to stand six feet apart from the next lane.
On rides with large rider capacity, guests are being spread out in the rows. For instance on Splash Mountain guests of different parties would be seated in the front and the last row of the log vehicle. If you are traveling with a larger group, they will seat you together.
For guests taking in a show, seats are sectioned off and rows skipped to keep folks 6 feet apart, and Cast Members are on hand to direct guests where to sit.
PhotoPass Photographers are located throughout the parks, and guests will still have their photos captured on rides. The difference is that now PhotoPass Photographers are no longer taking pictures using guests' personal phones or cameras.
Parades, character meet and greets, as well as, character meals are mostly on hold right now. There are Character Calvacades that will be happening throughout Magic Kingdom. These happen throughout the day. They are not set times but there are many of them with fun characters & music. These are usually 1 float that follows that old parade route.
When it’s time to eat, All Table Service & Quick Service locations have well spaced out tables where guests can sit. Using the free Walt Disney World App, Mobile Ordering for QS locations as well as some snacks is available. This app also allows contactless payments. Guests can order their food ahead of time, walk into the restaurant, pick up the food, and then move towards a socially-distanced seating area clearly marked for families and friends to sit and enjoy.Tables and chairs are sprayed with antibacterial solution, and they let it sit for at least 5 minutes and then wipe the table & chairs down.Topolino's Terrace – Flavors of the Riviera at the new Disney’s Riviera Resort is hosting Breakfast à la Art with Mickey & Friends. You can see some of your favorite characters dressed in costumes that reflect your favorite art medium. The characters parade around the restaurant and will stop and pose for pictures 6 feet away from your table. You are welcome to take as many photos and selfies as you like.
If you are staying on WDW property at one of their many resorts, you will be able to check in remotely using the WDW app on your phone and your room number will be sent to you. You'll be able to unlock your room either via the app or your magic band which comes complimentary with your hotel and tickets reservation.
There is still airport transportation via the Magical Express buses to Walt Disney's Resorts from the Orlando International Airport. The one change is that you will need to pick up your own luggage and bring it to the bus instead of having a cast member do that part for you.
The hotel rooms have also taken in hands cleaning measures where there is extra attention paid to highly touched surfaces in the rooms.
Park days must be booked in advance due to the lowered capacity of the parks. Guests need to use the WDW Park Pass Availability Calendar once they have purchased their tickets. This requires you to sign a waiver regarding COVID 19 and make your Park day reservations ahead of time. Changes may be made up to 24 hours before, pending availability.
These enhanced safety measures are expected to extend into 2021.
Right now there is a Mandatory 14-day quarantine for travelers arriving in Florida from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. For New Yorkers there is a 14-day quarantine for all those returning to New York from Florida. So many are on hold with Disney vacation plans and have chosen to look ahead into 2021 to book their vacation. Right now 2021 booking dates are open through September 29, 2021. To book a Disney vacation package, you only need a $200 deposit that is fully refundable if you cancel prior to 30 days before check in. You will also be able to book your Park Pass days and know that you have guaranteed entry those days.
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* In addition, I have had specialized training and continual ongoing training on the destinations I book. So you aren’t booking with someone at a call center or a big box retailer who has never gone to your destination nor received specialized training on your destination. If I cannot serve you for a destination, I can connect you to a colleague who can.
*So many changes have happened since March and the spread of COVID-19. I stayed on top of all news relating to the parks and helped my clients change their reservations, roll over vacation packages to 2021, and to cancel trips as needed. Some of these changes require a guest to call Disney and wait on hold for hours. I was able to do that for my clients and save them time and the general inconvenience of sitting on hold. I am here to help make planning as stress free as possible and that includes making changes as needed.
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