I wanted to provide my thoughts about the pros & cons of re-opening day today at Walt Disney Worlds Magic Kingdom.
First, I need to get this off my chest quickly (if you don’t care to read my rant skip to the next paragraph lol). I am disgusted by other Disney BLOGS/fan sites that have been and continue to provide click bait articles and posts. If you are a Disney fan I’m sure you know which I’m referring to as it seems they enjoy producing misleading information or rumors in order to boost clicks and discussions on their social media platform. I suppose to each his own but it is just upsetting when others do that. Today is a prime example. I will finish this portion by saying that while we are a mom and pop family website, we work hard to provide you with news that is straightforward and what you need to know-not rumors just to generate clicks. Ok rant over….sorry about that guys.
These are our assessments of how today rolled. Here we go:
Pros:
- Disney provided a ton of information prior to park reopening today and that helped prepare guests of expectations.
- Temperature check was smooth as was security. There was no bag check-you simply walked through the metal detector
- Signage was everywhere with safety information. Partitions in the queue lines and buses really helped
- Hand sanitizer stations were everywhere too. Most locations had them before and after rides as well as in the shopping areas
- Cast members strived to always focus on safety and make this a pleasant experience for all guests
- Guests were a respectful to each other and to the rules. Everyone wore face masks (and kept them on) without complaint. Yep even the younglings.
- Social Distancing in the queue lines was amazing. Guests totally adhered to the lines on the ground. The best way I can describe it is comparing it to musical chairs. As you walk by one chair you quickly jump to the next. People would go from one line to the next as soon as the person(s) in front of them moved to the line in front of them. On occasion we would see someone who moved too soon and they would quickly jump back to their area. It was really cool how people respected the rules today
- Wait times for most rides were under 30 minutes. We basically walked on to most rides!
- All rides left space/rows between people
- There was so much open space because lack of tour groups and strollers- it was refreshing
- Cast members were super friendly to everyone (I know they always are but still wanted to mention that)
- There were announcements over the parks PA system occasionally reminding guests to wear their masks, wash their hands, socially distance, etc…
- Characters appearing unannounced at random locations welcoming guests back
Cons:
- Way to much questioning on why someone wants to go into a store. Several times at different locations I was questioned as to what I was going to buy before I could enter. Heck I wasn’t even sure what they had so it was tough to answer. I’m sure they were just trying to point me in the right direction but at times it felt weird.
- Mobile ordering only. I don’t mind mobile ordering but I saw several people upset as they didn’t have a smart phone or weren’t comfortable with using this process
- Not all restaurants are open. I’m sure this will change as they move forward but for now this makes the con list
- Less seating at the open restaurants. Again we totally understand why this has to happen but for now it’s gotta be on the con list.
- Merchandise is no longer delivered to the front of the park or to your resort. Again we totally understand why but still it’s gotta go here as a con
- No parades or fireworks or castle stage shows. Add this to our portion of the con list but we know why they cannot take place
- No Park Hopping
- No Character interactions/meet and greets.
I’m sure I’m missing some things but hopefully this helps you guys out who are considering whether or not to visit the parks in 2020. One tip I would advise is to hydrate as much as possible. While it was about 100 degrees I wasn’t overly uncomfortable in my mask. I will say that yes breathing does create hot air but my biggest issue was forgetting to drink water throughout the day. As I mentioned in an earlier tweet….the best thing you can do is ask yourself what is your primary reason to visit Walt Disney World this year? If it’s to meet characters and see parades and fireworks and park hop then we suggest you wait until at least 2021. If it is to enjoy the Disney parks and ride attractions then make plans now. It was great. No line was longer than 30 min and we walked into most rides.
All-in-All Disney did a great job today under the circumstances. This was day one in a new world so sure they will tweak things and improve. Be patient with them. Thank you to all cast members! We appreciate you and thank you for helping make families vacations magical again!
