5 Post-Reopening Improvement Ideas for Disney World
Walt Disney World has done a great job with the phased reopening of its resorts and theme parks. Our experiences at Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Epcot have been largely superb. Health safety measures have been thorough and thoughtful, and guest compliance with rules like mask-wearing has likewise been exceptional.
There’s a lot to praise about what Walt Disney World’s policies and protocol, which we’ve done in our various reopening reports. About 98% of our experiences visiting the parks during this period of ‘temporary abnormal’ have been positive, giving new meaning to the idea of a Walt Disney World bubble.
Make no mistake: Walt Disney World is mostly crushing it on the reopening front; as a silver lining, some of the ‘temporary’ changes are an improvement on the norm (we’ll be back with a list of these in the next couple weeks). Perhaps most significantly, Walt Disney World has used previews for Cast Members and Annual Passholders, as well as observed behavior in the parks and guest surveys, to adjust policies and communications to ensure greater safety…
We offer this as preface because there are plenty of people and reporters eager to latch onto any unflattering photo or one-off rule-breaking to vindicate beliefs that the parks should not have reopened. Regrettably, the headline here alone will undoubtedly provide fodder for that crowd.
However, we think it’s still valuable to lay out these areas for improvement. Most of this feedback we’ve already offered directly to Disney (we’ve received more surveys via email following recent visits–including a request for a video interview–than ever before), but thought it would be worth reiterating here. This way, you have knowledge of current shortcomings and can plan accordingly–or perhaps adjust your own behavior…
5. Outdoor Dining & Shaded Seating – We are only dining outdoors for the foreseeable future while visiting Walt Disney World. (See our Best Outdoor Dining Options at Walt Disney World for recommendations.) This is because aerosols can accumulate and remain infectious in indoor air for hours, making dining via enclosed indoor settings or with prolonged personal contact one of the higher risk scenarios.
It’s disappointing that Walt Disney World restaurants haven’t added temporary outdoor seating sections–to the contrary, some have even temporarily closed their permanent outdoor seating areas due to being short-staffed. Part of this is understandable due to a lack of guest demand during the hottest time of year in Florida. However, Walt Disney World could shape guest opinion and behavior on this front by imploring people to spend time outdoors as much as they encourage hand-washing and sanitization.
At Epcot in particular, adding tables in shaded areas or with umbrellas overhead is necessary. Walt Disney World cannot reasonably expect guests to stop walking and eating without presenting a suitable alternative. Most guests are not barbaric bloggers–they will not be comfortable eating on top of a trashcan in the sun.
4. Food Quality – It’s completely understandable that Walt Disney World would shutter restaurants and reduce menus. While some of our favorite dining spots are not operating, we can make do–especially in Animal Kingdom, Epcot, and to a lesser extent, Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Magic Kingdom is another story entirely. With the full toppings bars removed from Pecos Bill and Cosmic Ray’s, the only decent counter service option is Sleepy Hollow…and a waffle isn’t always going to cut it. We’ve already had one surprisingly good table service meal in Magic Kingdom, but we’re not going to be willing to drop $60+ on food every time we visit the park. That means we’ll be eating at home before and after visiting, rather than eating at the park. We’ll happily spend money in Magic Kingdom on food, but we need to be presented with worthwhile snacks and quick service options.
3. AP Appeal – This is less of an immediate concern, but something about which Orlando leaders should begin to consider. Walt Disney World guests are disproportionately locals and Annual Passholders right now. The percentage of longtime fans versus first-time visitors will likely be skewed towards the former for the next few years as compared to the recent (pre-March) norm.
This means that Walt Disney World is suddenly much more like Disneyland in terms of guest demographics than it has been any time in its history. This is significant because Disneyland has operated differently, being much more aggressive with seasonal entertainment, attraction overlays, special menus, AP events, and more to entice locals to visit frequently–especially during California’s off-season.
Walt Disney World should borrow a page from Disneyland’s playbook, figuring out how to appeal to its most passionate (and local) fans. We’ll have a post next week about what this means when it comes to Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary…
2. Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance – The problems with the blockbuster E-Ticket of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge are well-documented. In Star Wars Rise of the Resistance Ride Report: Our Struggles & Successes, we covered recent experiences attempting to do the attraction.
While Walt Disney World has made an adjustment with boarding pass distribution times that has improved things a bit, we have two additional suggestions. First, dump the queue as soon as it’s clear there will be a downtime of 30 minutes or more. Don’t even give guests the option of waiting–just allow them to reenter later.
Second, allow guests with confirmed Disney Park Pass reservations at Disney’s Hollywood Studios to attempt to join the virtual queue without entering the park. Since this would be a small subset of all guests and only ones who are definitely going to attend DHS that day, it shouldn’t cause problems or crash the My Disney Experience app. Doing this would help modulate morning crowds, better distributing attendance throughout the day.
1. Tap Water Availability – Drinking fountain water at Walt Disney World is sourced directly from the swamp, and is actually 3% alligator urine. (I cannot prove that’s true, but you cannot either it isn’t true.) Due to the disgusting taste of Florida water, we carry our own bottles to the parks, and normally fill them up at counter service restaurants.
The problem with this is that Walt Disney World is currently only admitting guests with Mobile Order pickups into most venues. This is a totally understandable policy and we can get behind it. However, that means it’s long past time for Walt Disney World to address its dearth of water bottle filling stations. A few have already been added–finish the job.
Alternatively, a long-term solution that would also be a revenue generator would be to add Coke Freestyle machines (like at Grizzly Peak Airfield in DCA) and sell in-park refillable mugs. This is something Walt Disney World guests have wanted for years, and would likely be pretty lucrative for Disney. (It is for Universal!)
BONUS: Teach Guests How to Walk in Public – One of this blog’s longstanding Walt Disney World pet peeves is walking etiquette. I’ve gone on various diatribes about it over the years in random posts ranging from construction updates about pathway widening to crowd reports. I’ll spare you all of that again. Suffice to say, walking briskly is one of my greatest passions and the way guests aimlessly wander in disorganized hordes drives me bonkers.
In fairness, it’s not our collective fault that Americans do not know how to walk in public. We live predominantly in suburbs or rural areas, get around by SUV, and shop in spacious big box stores. Not being used to congested city sidewalks, the walkways of Walt Disney World are an exotic novelty. Parties often spread out, taking up as much room as there is available space.
We’ve noticed there are times outdoors when physical distancing is difficult to accomplish even though the parks are totally uncrowded. Groups should never walk four-wide, as that always impedes other guests from passing even if it doesn’t block oncoming traffic. With physical distancing now, parties should always walk two-wide at most. In large part, this is simply a matter of guests unlearning old habits. That will take time because it’s unnatural to leave that much space as a buffer between parties in mostly uncrowded areas.
This would be #1 on my list, but the reason it’s a bonus entry is because it’s not really practical for Walt Disney World to address. Disney could put directional tape down or have Cast Members hold signs (like is done quite successfully on New Year’s Eve and other busy times), but honestly, there’s already enough temporary signage and markers. The onus is on guests–we need to be more cognizant of spacing and change our behavior. Part of this will happen over time. Hopefully this diatribe serves as a gentle reminder of that. 😉
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
Your Thoughts
If you’ve visited Walt Disney World since the parks reopened, what areas for improvement did you see? Any changes you’d like Disney to make as the phased reopening continues? Do you agree or disagree with our suggestions? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
I always HATED the water in Florida when I lived there. I have always called it swamp water. I hated that it always came out of the faucet yellow (I never even thought about calling it alligator urine water! I will never get that image out of my mind now though.) It was even worse when they would super chlorinate it. It was like brushing your teeth in pool water. I still don’t know how people can drink Zephyrhills bottled water. It tastes awful!
I also agree with you about the walking issue. There is nothing more frustrating than people that just suddenly stop in the middle of a path, or walk as slowly as possible taking up all the space. Another one is not following directions. We just returned from Yellowstone and many of the paths were one way to help with social distancing, and some people just can’t seem to understand directional arrows (or choose not to–more likely).
In regards to #1 if they would put out water bottle fillers like so many places have, with filtered water, that would go a long way towards fixing a lot of issues. As is I tend to carry a Brita filter bottle which takes away most of the taste (and hopefully the gator urine) problems. But filling it from a water fountain is always a pain.
The problem with old system of providing water was that (and I have seen this happen repeatedly!) people could put their water bottles over the tap portion or area where the water came out. The area where their mouth was touching their bottles was touching the dispenser! YUCK! Some kind of system where it is impossible to actually touch the source of the water with your hand or bottle or other container is a necessity now.
Does anybody have any ideas about how to handle the scooter issue. I never use my car horn but am wondering if using horn on scooter would be a good idea.
If yours is like mine, the horn is teeny and not loud and it just won’t register for most people. Just go slow, have someone walk to the inside of you to spot for you (they’re taller and can see ahead better, and they should not be shy about calling out obstacles), and go slow. Also, go slow. My husband is tall, and he will walk with me and tell me when a herd of people ahead stops suddenly. It’s helpful.
I’ve been disabled and using ECVs and wheelchairs for quite some time, so it’s second nature to me. If you’re not familiar with using a scooter, practice. Go out for a ride in in your neighborhood and get familiar with it. If you’re going to be using the buses, practice parallel parking it. If a driver offers to position the scooter in the bus for you, let them; some drivers like it just so and it’s easier to let them do it than to try to do it for them. It seems to me that a lot of times, people rent one for their vacation and have never used one before, and then learning how to drive it in a crowd is very stressful. Practice will help you feel more confident and you’ll not be stressed. Just, go slow.
I will also say, I was miserable and isolated before I had my scooter. It is liberating to be able to go and do things with my family and my scooter is the tool that allowed me to do that. Embrace that, don’t be embarrassed. I can’t change my disability but I can change the tools I use to adapt to it.
Once, we were waiting for a bus at Disney Springs and wheelchairs board first. A guy near us groused loudly that he’d been waiting longer and it was hot and it wasn’t fair that I got to board first. My daughter, who was about 8, turned around and said “It’s not fair that my mom’s leg doesn’t work and she has to use a wheelchair. Do you want to trade?” The guy asked me if I was going to let my child talk to him like that and I said, actually, in this case, yes, I am. The bus driver told him to be patient and wait his turn or he could take the next bus. It was truly a Magical Moment.
The keywords are “Patience” and constant “Alertness”. It would be grand if using the horn on most scooters would help avoid collisions and other mishaps, but it has been my experience over a decade of scooting around WDW, that the horns do not assist in crowded situations. My advice is to scoot defensively – always actively scanning the pathway, the traffic formation and the folks who just stood up from that bench on your right… It can be quite a chore to drive with that vigilance for hours or days, but, it can also be rewarding.
Don’t be afraid of it… understand it for what it is and start scanning!
Good Luck and Happy Scootering
The way we do it: I walk in front, pushing the stroller. Wife on EVC follows directly behind me. My job is to stop if there’s a crowded point, not just try to squeeze through, because the EVC can’t squeeze! We generally don’t have any trouble, except a few times when we needed to turn around in tight quarters. I don’t recommend that!. I really think people don’t see the EVCs even though I can’t understand why.
Hey, how about reducing the price of park tickets and hotels. It is absolutely ridiculous, and principally immoral to charge the same price for these things as they did before Coronavirus. With so many things and places closed why should I have to pay full price. This should have been the #1 thing on your list. Where is the outrage that Disney is price gouging their patrons.
I will have a scooter when I go and am a little nervous.
Barbara, don’t worry. My partner has used a scooter (rented at the parks) the last two trips because of wrecked knees, and we have had no serious issues at all. I “break trail” ahead of her. Be sure you take advantage of the majority of rides that give you separate entrance; in some cases you can ride directly onto a ride, in others there may be a short transfer, but a cast member will take your scooter to a position near the ride’s exit (if it differs much from where the entrance is). Cast members are unfailingly polite and helpful to scooter users. A few guests may grumble or glare here or there; ignore them. Cast members ALWAYS make you feel warmly welcome.
Just wanted to take a moment to sneak in and say we are still eagerly awaiting a full, lengthy, and detailed post of your opinion of the new castle color scheme, which I believe you promised your readers in one of the return to MK posts. 😉
(Unless, of course, I already missed it somewhere, which is entirely possible!)
Here’s the short version: I absolutely hate it.
I’m still debating whether a full post is necessary/appropriate right now. There’s enough negativity in the world and I don’t really want to pile on. It’s one thing to share negatives about the park experience that’ll help with planning or perhaps influence policy decisions–but this wouldn’t help or change anything.
A lot of Disney fans like the new look…I think I’ll just let them have their moment. Honestly, Disney could’ve spray painted Cinderella Castle camo green and my main reaction still would’ve been that I’m just happy and grateful to be back.
You are too awesome! Completely sincere and yet still a little tongue and cheek! Brilliant, love it, thanks!
They should still offer more character interaction with guests with an 8 ft. Distance barrier . The cavalcades are beautifully done but not as personal.
There are a fair amount of distanced character interactions throughout the parks outside of the cavalcades – when we were there we saw Jack Sparrow, Winnie the Pooh, Joy, Stitch, Buzz Lightyear, Rey, Chewbacca, Storm Troopers, Mary Poppins, and a few more that I’m sure I’m forgetting. It was actually pretty nice to turn a corner and get an unexpected interaction with a character.
“Groups should never walk four-wide, as that always impedes other guests from passing even if it doesn’t block oncoming traffic. ”
THAT’S ALWAYS TRUE… VIRUS OR NO VIRUS!
People who do this are showing an amazing lack of consideration of others.
(That’s the polite way to say ‘they’re being selfish and self-centered’)
Couldn’t agree more. People need to be more aware of how they operate in the space around them and be more mindful of giving others a chance to move in the space around them.
Agreed! And that’s not just at Disney, it’s at ALL VENUES, Shopping Malls, Trails, Jogging Paths, it’s just rude. But theme park guests seem to be the worst offenders.
Except – people come to WDW with littles, and littles should not be expected to walk on their own, without a parent next to them. If you have more than 2 kids, then it is necessary to walk in rows with more than 2.
And even with bigger kids or larger groups, sometimes I just want to walk next to a couple of people i’m chatting with. I don’t go to WDW enough to walk briskly through it, I want to slow down and enjoy all of the little details!Honestly, if that is your biggest gripe, I’d say things are going quite well!
One thing you missed! Bring back the Electric Water Pageant! !!! Sad to be missing this classic. Love hearing it from my room at night! There is zero COVID risk with it. Yes, I already sent an email to guest experiences but you have more pull….
I’m totally with you on that one, but at this point, I want the situation in Florida and business to improve before I start complaining about specific cuts. I’m willing to give a lot of latitude on things like that for now because I’m worried about the future of the parks.
My other suggestion is automatic paper towel dispensers.
Sorry, Tom, but people are on vacation and relaxed, and should be indulged a bit – let them walk as they wish. I have been frustrated by the need to move in non-linear paths, too, but I can almost always jog through the maze with near complete freedom, and also make good time. (Seems I end doing that a lot with expiring FastPasses.!)
David I agree! I question those inconvenienced professional vacationers who need to rush along and then condemn as selfish those who are simply in the moment perhaps overwhelmed by the splendors of the sights and sounds that make the parks special.
I’m not condemning anyone as selfish. It annoys me, but I understand the ‘why’ of it.
I’d also push back against the notion that it’s simply people caught in the awe and splendor of the moment. That I can totally understand, but it’s mostly just people who lack situational awareness. (Again, I understand why many visitors lack this–Americans aren’t used to walking around in cities or crowded public spaces.)
Actually, Tom, as I reread my remarks I gasped to realize it might have seemed that I was referring to you but so help me I was not. I consider you the fairest of men. As a matter of fact I find myself returning to this site so often simply because your voice is an antidote to the pervasive ugliness that seems to dominate most media (and maybe a little because Sarah is the fairest of them all) . I do however cringe at many of your commenters who are ever ready to condemn their fellow tourists with whom they compete for the choicest viewpoint, table or pass,..
Totally understand!
One thing to remember with regard to other commenters, here and elsewhere, is that a lot of people just want to vent and the anonymity of the internet is conducive to both hyperbole and angst. In person, I think you’d find most online commentators to strike a very different tone. I know that’s not totally reassuring, though.
Thanks, Tom, for not taking offense. You’re the best!
the shade issue cannot be overstated. we about roasted last september at food and wine looking for ANY shade to eat in, let alone sit. this is a major issue that needs to be addressed, not just due to the pandemic and reopening. they need more shaded seating areas and benches, but they seem hell-bent on removing as much as they can in new construction.
Tom,
We are going at the end of next month, this post is invaluable to us. Thank you for your honest critique, maybe someone at Disney will take your advice….
I’m so pleased and honestly proud of you that you are not eating inside and you say why every time it comes up. I agree that it is a huge safety measure and wish we could all pull it together for a few weeks/months to change the path of this virus. Be safe, continue to say how you are trying to stay safe. Thank you for all you do.
Thanks. We still feel pretty conflicted about all of this, and think that the least we can do is mitigate our risk to the greatest extent possible and also try to share good information and gently persuade others to behave similarly. When this is all over and we’re looking back on it years from now, we don’t want to regret how we acted and influenced others to act.
I know off topic, but Tom’s point about restaurants holds true for classrooms.
I agree completely. When restaurants reopened I’m my state, I would feel safe eating and drinking in an uncrowded dining room. Now, because of Tom’s frequent reminders, I only do the al fresco thing – even in summer. Thanks Tom – you’re helping stem the spread.
Margaret, I’ll second that ! Thank you Tom.
“The poor scooter drivers attempting to go slow and be mindful of walkers are in a constant traffic jam.” Thank you for acknowledging this, I am a licensed CDL driver and use a scooter and very mindful of walking crowds. You are ABSOLUTELY correct, I too cannot understand why folks have to stop either in an exit or entrance to make their next decision as to where to go.
Love the rise of resistance idea! I would definitely go later in the day if I knew I didn’t have to go at opening to grab a boarding pass. And yes on the water bottle stations!! I’m bringing a filtered Brita water bottle to refill so I can get rid of the swamp water taste.
“3% Alligator urine” That’s funny right there!
Walk slow walk fast at least your moving – the group of people who stop in the bottlenecks to discuss their next move are by far the worst. There are twelve of us when all go together and we always move out of the flow when we need to have a group discussion.
At the parks most crowded times the masses break around scooters like a wave hitting a rock. The poor scooter drivers attempting to go slow and be mindful of walkers are in a constant traffic jam worse than I-285 in ATL at 5 o-clock in the afternoon.
Resort guests with confirmed Hollywood Studios reservations should be automatically given a slot in line to ride Rise. They took 95% of all other on-site perks away. High time they added a good one back.
What a great idea
Agreed
Tom –
Noticed a number of other sites showing and talking about the portable hand washing stations around the parks. One thing i have noticed is that many are right smack beside a trash bin. I guess i understand the logic of placing them next to each other because of them being obtrusive and best to group things together for less avoidance. But not sure how hygienic an issue to place it right up against a trash bin. Are you finding many like this around Disney?
Just FYI – they’ll still let you walk into a quick service and pick up ice water. We’ve done it several times – we’ve just told the CM at the door what we wanted and they sent us right in. We haven’t tried doing it during a peak meal time, but we’ve done it a bunch and had no issues.
You’re luckier than us–our success rate at this is about 25% thus far. Perhaps we’re going at the wrong times or to the wrong places?
(We’ve been consistently denied at Cosmic Ray’s, which is the spot we want to go most since they have a water bottle filling station.)