Is Disney World “Magical” Right Now?
“Is visiting Walt Disney World still magical right now?” and “is the magic really back without [insert something cut] at Walt Disney World?” are two common reader questions. We’ll attempt to answer here based on visits to Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, and Magic Kingdom.
This is an ongoing series, coming in response to feedback and concerns raised in reader questions we’re frequently receiving on our Walt Disney World reopening reports. Along with questions about discounts, crowds, policy changes, face mask and physical distancing rules, and Annual Passes, this is an unsurprisingly common reader inquiry.
Of course, “magical” is a nebulous term, meaning different things for different people. Some people, sexy geniuses you might call them, would say there’s nothing more magical than waving at bumpkin bears. Others might require full parades, fireworks, character meals, and other such frivolity for a magical experience. Only the sexy geniuses are going to be satisfied with visiting Walt Disney World right now…
Joking aside, we’re going to eschew the range of varying definitions of “magical” and instead treat the term as a synonym for escapism. While there’s a certain elusive and inarticulable je ne sais quoi quality of a great and special visit to Walt Disney World, we suspect that most of that is encapsulated by escapism.
In our view, there are two components that are key to escapism: the real world and the fantasy one. How “magical” Walt Disney World is comes down to the differences between the two. This is still fairly abstract, so let’s paint a picture…
Excited to start your day in the Most Magical Place on Earth, you walk from Contemporary Resort to the park. Along the way, you’re greeted by a series of around a half dozen sandwich boards, each offering a liability disclaimer warning or new rule. After a quick stop at a tent to have your temperature taken and bag scanned, you continue towards the park.
Upon entering Magic Kingdom and rounding the corner under the train station, you hear the cheery background music, smell nostalgic scents, and your eye is first drawn to Cinderella Castle. In short order, your attention is pulled back to a series of health warnings, rules, and various other signage plastered to the side of virtually every trash can on Main Street. Cast Members line the curb, waving and clearly smiling with their eyes, but with their faces obscured by masks and shields.
This scene is every bit as jarring, dissonant, eerie, dystopian, etc. as it sounds. There’s no denying or sugarcoating that. What’s normally the greatest ‘reveal’ at Walt Disney World now has an unsettling, contradictory quality. It’s a really weird first impression, rather than being an unequivocally happy one.
The silver lining is that this is about as awkward as things get–and there are ways to sidestep that surreal sensation. Our biggest recommendation on that front is visiting the park you view as “most magical” last. Go to Epcot, the park most grounded in reality, first. (We also recommend this due to operating hours.) Then do Hollywood Studios, finishing with Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom.
We recommend ordering the parks this way because so much of what appears unharmonious online fades away in person. After seeing all of the health safety and warning signs several times, they become white noise that our brains filter out. It’s science. We’ve compared this elsewhere to California’s Proposition 65 warnings. Pretty much everything in the state may cause cancer–which freaks out visitors–but the obnoxious signs are so ubiquitous that Californians don’t even notice them.
It’s the exact same idea. You may notice all of the signage when looking at photos while sitting at home, but by day two of visiting Walt Disney World, they’re mostly invisible. Perhaps a more apt comparison is trash cans–when you look at a photo of Main Street when empty, the number of trash cans is almost startling. How many of you actively notice or count the number while in person, though?
Face masks are a different story. Those never fade into the background, neither the fact that you’re wearing one or that most Cast Members have masks plus shields. Even after wearing them for a couple of months, it’s still a relief to get to a Relaxation Station or back to the hotel room and remove them.
However, masks are also not as dreadful as some feared. Those prophesying that theme park guests would “drop like flies” due to heat exhaustion and Disney would be inundated with lawsuits due to the supposed harms caused by masks were wrong. (Shocking as it might be, thousands of guests per day are not suffering “death by mask” at Walt Disney World.)
Masks in the summer are definitely uncomfortable, but you know what else is uncomfortable? Florida in the summer. We’ve done full days in the parks with ‘feels like’ temperatures above 100º, and I can’t say it’s any worse than before. Instead of focusing on my sweat-soaked shirt, I fixate more on the mask. It’s a six of one, half a dozen of the other situation. Oppressive heat and humidity are going to be uncomfortable regardless, and I can’t say it’s appreciably worse due to the masks.
“Still awful” is not really a ringing endorsement, but if you visit Walt Disney World in the summer, you more or less know what you’re getting yourself into. To that point, if you read the comments on our various posts, you’ll probably notice a lot of people returning from Walt Disney World saying that wearing masks wasn’t as bad as they expected. From what we’ve heard, that’s the general consensus.
With that said, all of these health measures are a double-edged sword. They definitely have the effect of ‘ruining the illusion’ and allowing the real world to bleed into the Walt Disney World “bubble.” They also bring a sense of safety and comfort that you can’t find in many other places.
True to form, Walt Disney World is once again an idealized version of the real world when it comes to health safety measures. You’ll be hard pressed to find anywhere in the real world where mask compliance is 96-98% (depending upon the park), where physical distancing is observed and actively enforced, and everything is just so clean.
In our view, this is where escapism (or “the magic”) depends both upon the fantasy and real worlds. The backdrop against which all this is set–raging pandemic, economic uncertainty, and the greatest social tensions of our lifetime–is inescapable.
If the last four months have been the best of your life, we deeply envy you. We’re not going out on too much of a limb by saying that’s probably not true for the vast majority of people reading this. I can’t imagine many people exited the theater after Contagion and said, “I really hope we get to live through that someday–it looked delightful!” It’s probably not necessary to explain why or how the last four months have been awful, depressing, and so forth.
The point is that real world circumstances have a bearing on escapism. The lows of the last several months amplify the highs of visiting Walt Disney World now and in the future.
You may not be experiencing as much escapism or “magic” when visiting Walt Disney World in the near-term, but the gap between the real and fantasy worlds is more pronounced than normal. Your cares won’t totally melt away when visiting Walt Disney World (nor should they) now, but it’ll be even more of an appreciated distraction.
We’re pretty confident that your next trip—whenever that might be—will just feel different. More special. More cherished. More magical, if that’s what you want to call it. However, it will be less about what Walt Disney World does or does not offer in terms of programming.
It’ll be about you. So much of the stress and tension that’s been bubbling beneath the surface will melt away when you step foot back onto Walt Disney World property–it’ll be like a weight has been lifted off your shoulders. At least, this has been the case for us.
On a personal note, we don’t need character meet & greets or parades for visiting Walt Disney World to be special. If anything, we prefer the modified character encounters. Although the character cavalcades don’t hold a candle to full parades, there’s also way less effort required to watch them. I’ve seen more total minutes of these cavalcades in the last two weeks than Festival of Fantasy in the last year.
We’ve also had a ton of fun watching Winnie the Pooh clumsily trying to catch butterflies, Joy skipping through a garden, and Stormtroopers doing their thing. Entirely a matter of personal preference, but I far prefer the Galaxy’s Edge or Disneyland-style spontaneous moments to static meet & greets.
For us, the lack of nighttime spectaculars and simply being in the parks at night are the bigger blow. Ending the day with Happily Ever After and a tranquil stroll around Magic Kingdom with the park all lit-up is a quintessential Walt Disney World experience for us. On the upside, nighttime in Magic Kingdom will once again be possible once Daylight Saving Time ends.
For now, we’ve been savoring our evening walks around Epcot. Enjoying a virtually empty World Showcase at sunset has been simply sublime–and something we never expected to be able to do. We cannot overstate how much just being able to go to Epcot and take laps around the park has improved our mood, outlook, and spirits. We’re actually able to relax and decompress again.
To that point, it’s worth reiterating that the cuts come with upside. Because park capacity has been reduced and others aren’t visiting for a number of reasons, weekday crowds are low and wait times are minimal. Weekends have become a different story, but weekday crowds have been low since reopening.
Suffice to say, there’s nothing “magical” about waiting in long lines and navigating heavy crowds. I don’t think anyone has ever said, “I’d rather wait 120 minutes for Flight of Passage than 20 minutes.”
This is not to say you should race back to Walt Disney World ASAP to escape reality and get that dopamine hit. If you’re uncomfortable visiting (understandably so), you should not. That discomfort won’t simply vanish upon arrival. This post is more to address the time after which you’d be comfortable, but are still worried that there won’t be sufficient “magic” to make visiting fun.
The good news is that Orange County has started to improve (see positivity and hospital capacity numbers here and here) despite every theme park in the county now being open. Additionally, Florida as a whole seems to have turned a corner. With that said, we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves–Florida’s numbers are better but still elevated. Plus, other locations that improved have seen subsequent second waves.
Ultimately, this article is still pretty abstract in trying to answer whether Walt Disney World is still magical. That’s the inherent problem in attempting to explain a feeling that’ll undoubtedly vary from person to person. I guess the salient point, if there is one, is that it’s surreal to visit Walt Disney World right now…but simply existing in the real world is also incredibly surreal.
We don’t view “magic” as a fixed concept that can be quantified by checking off a set number of boxes in terms of character greetings, nighttime spectaculars, parades, or what-have-you. For us, “magic” is circumstantial. In light of the present real world situation, even with so much of the guest experience being “temporarily abnormal,” Walt Disney World is very much magical by comparison.
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
Does Walt Disney World seem as “magical” to you right now as before? Do you agree or disagree that “magical” is a circumstantial idea? Are you eagerly awaiting your next vacation ‘escape’ to Walt Disney World, or you waiting until everything returns to normal? Will you be attempting to visit Walt Disney World this fall or holiday season, or are you waiting until 2021 or beyond? 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!
Hi Tom,
First, let me say I love waking up to a new piece that you’ve written; I teach English, and it’s refreshing to read a well-written article!
We have plans to stay for eight nights from the end of August into September in a villa at Bay Lake. We’ll be driving quite a distance to go to the park, but I think it’s worth it and here’s why…I have anxiety in large crowds, and frankly, I believe crowds diminish the Disney experience.
Strollers blocking the way (note I do love children), bumping shoulders, the inability to walk down Main Street without feeling like a salmon swimming upstream, all conspire to make me not want to go to Disney as much as I’d like to. But with the low numbers right now and the enforcement of social distancing and mask-wearing, I can’t wait to go.
As for escapism, I agree with you that it’s relative to the person. There’s no way to escape the pandemic, news of rioting and general discord in the US, but a day at Disney sure does help…
Enjoy your trip! We are going from 10/30-11/2 and cannot wait to go home for a couple days. Have a healthy and safe vacation!
I am a grown up Annual Passholder with no kids and my husband and I went to Magic Kingdom July 21st for just the day and I must admit despite all the adjustments for COVID-19, I found it to be even more magical than usual! We rode things we haven’t ridden in decades just because there was no line. Tomorrowland Speedway! Dumbo! Astro Orbiter! Carousel! We even stayed on Dumbo to go around again. I haven’t had a photo with a character without a niece or nephew in it my entire adult life and there I was with Stitch dancing and waving behind me, Big Al on the balcony above blowing kisses to me, and having a private dance off with Chip and Dale as they passed on a Tom Sawyer raft. I wasn’t participating as one of several people doing this . it was just ME! Well and my husband but he won’t admit to dancing with chipmunks. If you have children who have never been, they honestly won’t care that Buzz Lightyear is 10 feet away, but I know there are parents out there looking for the perfect photo op who may not be happy with the old characters-in-the-background photos. I loved every second of my hot, sweaty day there and wish the crowds would stay at this level forever, without infectious disease of course.
Wendy, that’s terrific that you had such a great time! My husband and I just look at the empty parks and think how surreal it would be there at this time. And thought it might be a bit depressing. We aren’t heading there for a while, but it was nice to read your post and hear about how much fun you had 🙂 nice to see such a positive post
Very nicely done, Tom. You captured it well. Your blog continues to be one of my favorites.
Since trips are going to probably be more about the resorts than they ever have been, what’s the easiest way to see what’s open at resorts? What’s the “feel” at the resorts? We value low crowds as #1 but don’t want it so empty than grabbing a Mickey ice cream or an open pool or quick service (resort and park) is difficult. The magic will disappear quickly. We did sea world and Legoland opening weeks and they were low crowds but also felt almost like they were going out of business. The seaseme street area only have 20-30-% of the rides open, etc. Also, are the new character viewing options viewable on the app?
Great Article Tom, you sir are an excellent writer!
My family planned and saved for our dream vacation for 5 years, private home with pool, perfect resort, five star meals, first class tickets, fast passes and everything top of the line along the way. Then covid hit and we changed dates and plans 4 times over just as many months but never gave up on the Dream. Finally we made it in July and yes mask were required but I have to say the magic was there. No wait times at any parks meant 3 times in a row on most rides. Dinner anywhere open in the park. My daughter loved the Dumbo ride and didn’t even have to get off to ride again. Cast members directly interacted with us because we were the only ones there. My children felt vip the entire vacation and it truly was magical. I’m sure we will never go to Disney again with no wait lines, no crowds and personal attention everywhere we went. BUT the magic will stay with us for a lifetime.
My family visited Disney World last week. For perspective, we normally visit Disney 1-3 times per year, so we are what I’d consider “regulars.” We set our expectations prior to our trip, knowing things would be different. That said, we had a wonderful time. Yes, we missed the character greets, fireworks and parades. But we LOVED being able to ride pretty much anything we wanted multiple times, and we felt like Disney went above and beyond with the spontaneous character appearances. We didn’t love having to wear masks – who does? – but it was an accepted trade off to be able to experience the parks. We felt very safe – in fact far more safe than at our local grocery store! My biggest issue – and it’s really a non issue – is having to wear masks for photos. I’m very visual and love my Disney pictures, so this was a little off-putting for me, but I figure at least we’ll never forget our 2020 Disney visit, and the mask photos grew on me. Anyway, for my family the magic was very much alive.
This was beautifully written, and I’m gonna go find that tissue box now. Cheers to you, Tom and Sarah, and to everyone who is staying positive, hopeful and helpful. That’s where the magic is.
Here here!
We went to Cedar Point this week and got a taste of what WDW must be like. Employees constantly cleaning, masks required, ~10′ spacing in lines, hand sanitizer at each ride entrance/exit. All in all, it was still an enjoyable day. Our heat isn’t as bad as Florida, but dew points were ~70°F and the mask got uncomfortable in the afternoon, but still bearable.
I have been to Epcot and Magic Kingdom since they opened and for us although different it is still magical. Honestly living in the area I actually love the way it is now. To be able to walk freely without people all over and get on rides almost immediately is awesome. Loved Epcot Food and Wine, not as many booths but what we had was amazing. I recommend Africa and Japan. Plenty of space to eat. Everyone I saw abiding by the rules. Cast members were helpful and as amazing as usual. It was great to do twice as much as you would normally get done in the same amount of time. Now that is magical to me. We are going again next week. After being in the house so long it is a great place to be.
“It’ll be about you. So much of the stress and tension that’s been bubbling beneath the surface will melt away when you step foot back onto Walt Disney World property—it’ll be like a weight has been lifted off your shoulders.”…. sounds like Magic to me!
Loved this, thank you Tom.
I truly appreciate a forum that is informative, funny and up beat. It is easy to be negative so I am thankful you have a talent to write that allows me to walk away with a positive feeling. My compliments in your ability to share “magic” via a written word and pictures.
Totally agree with you here. First – I think theme parks with social distancing and masks enforced feel more comfortable and safe than a lot of other public spaces or a lot of other entertainment options currently … even outdoor areas that are pretty packed with people who have nothing else to do.
Second – once you’re used to signs and masks and plexiglass everywhere, it’s really not a big deal to see those same things at the park. It’s white noise. Ironically, our trip to the literal epicenter of Covid was such a great escape from Covid because we got to just enjoy ourselves and not talk about Covid or worry about what’s next or when this will end. Even if the experience is inferior to what it might be with fireworks, it’s still a huge reprieve from the last few months and it was totally refreshing to us.
I just returned from a solo “research trip” last week to determine if my family’s planned trip next week should still happen (what else do you do with expiring flight credits, unused DVC points, and an AP?).
I have to agree 100% with everything you’ve said in this post. The mask situation (both compliance and…comfort) is spot on with my experience. The jarring contrast between getting off the Magical Express and returning to real life at the airport was enough for me to realize how much the modified WDW experience was still magical in its own way.
So yes, our long-awaited family trip is still on. See you in the parks!
OMG! I’m laughing b/c I am going Friday-Monday on a solo trip (JUST planned it Thursday) to check out if it’s going to be worth my family going in December. I thought maybe I was crazy! So glad to see I’m no the only one to do this! 🙂
I’m so jealous of both of you getting solo trips!! My family would lock me in a closet and throw away the key if I tried to go without them even for a scouting report ;P
We need it. I’m in Argentina, had to cancel in, March and May, changed for September. I think not lineas at all is a great thing, we visited before, so will be a very different experience. Hope we can flight, our airport is still closed. We are now in our day 136 of quarentine, clearly we’ll enjoy this freedom and magic.
Thanks Tom! Great way to strike a balance in these strange times I remember visiting Disney’s California Adventure right after 9/11 and it was empty and eerie. What’s happening now is different but I you captured the bittersweet joy of “escaping” when the real world is itself surreal.
I’m replying to myself so I can fix the typos. Sorry.
Thanks Tom! Great way to strike a balance in these strange times. I remember visiting Disney’s California Adventure right after 9/11 when it was empty and eerie. What’s happening now is different but you captured the bittersweet joy of “escaping” when the real world is itself surreal.
Great blog and I appreciate your perspective. We have a toddler and had postponed an October trip because of the character meet and greets, lack of character dining, etc. But seeing how empty the parks are, and the minimal wait times (!!), we likely are going to do a scaled-down visit in late November or December. Hoping to catch some cooler weather to help with the masks and heat.
Hi Tom and thank you for all the info!!! I was wondering if you have heard anything in regards to any type of compensation or discount to the cost of the monthly payments for the Platinum Plus annual passes? Other than the additional month and the 30% rather than the 20%? We have 4 of these passes and have been buying these for so many years now and we are so loyal to Disney, and I would hate to think that they would continue to charge us the same rate for so much less offered.
Epcot’s Germany restaurant’s menu still is advertised as a “Boisterous German Buffet”
Anybody know how they are doing the buffet style during this trying time/
Are there cast members serving the food at the buffet line as opposed to everyone serving themselves?
Hi Tom-
We just returned from a weeklong visit to AKL Kidani and all four parks. We used your blog religiously for our planning. We’re so grateful to you for your research and insight!! Thank you!!
We live in South FL so I can say with certainty that we not only “felt” safer but actually “were” truly safer in the parks than in other places back home. Mask compliance. Distancing. Hand washing/sanitizing. Cleaning protocols. Can Disney please run South Florida?? And may I just say, everyone followed the rules graciously. In these crazy times, that’s what was most magical to me – the overwhelming sense of gratitude to be in the parks with my family after all that’s happened.
Thank you again for all you do.
Couldn’t have said it better myself. â¤ï¸
I’m not a great fan of rides. We prefer doing more parades, shows and fireworks than rides at Disney World. We will do our favorite rides but we are not driven by rides alone. I can’t seem to wrap myself around this new Disney World. It’s not working for me.
Economics plays into this experience, as well. I believe park ticket prices will have to be radically reduced to attract an audience to be satisfied with mostly rides and nothing else. Then, you have all the restrictions to deal with which doesn’t make it the happiest place on earth. Logistics is a factor of Disney transportation now. Everything that way is harder.
We enjoyed the special events like Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween party. Well, that’s gone. I feel Christmas events like the Candlelight Processional in Epcot is probably gone this year, too.
Honestly, I’m not going to pay the same prices for Disney resorts, parks, restaurants, etc. for basically half the experience. Then, you have getting there and back for non-locals and this can be a real challenge whether you drive or fly there. In this economy I just won’t do it. I think I need to be on the cautious side when it comes to disposable income.
I will do one caveat here. If I lived close to the Orlando area and could go back to my own home at the end of the day then I would possibly consider going to Disney World for just rides. There are some good deals for locals out there on park tickets. I would still have concern about the safety of it all but that might draw me in at least once.
Thank you for your thoughts! I had a trip planned for the Fall but recently decided to pull the plug. Bummed but it was the right choice for us. Looking forward to when I can return to the magic 🙂