Disney World News: AP Freebie, Ticket Deal, Character Selfie Spot & Guest Satisfaction Up?!
We’re back with a big Walt Disney World news roundup. Among other topics, this one covers expanded & added park hours through June 2021, spring break at EPCOT, lighting enhancements to Spaceship Earth & Grauman’s, ticket discounts, an Orange Bird freebie, physically distanced selfie spots with Minnie & Mickey Mouse, and more.
Let’s start with an update on new and extended park hours as Walt Disney World’s spring break season continues. All four theme parks, Disney Springs, and Blizzard Beach have had hours for another week added to the DisneyWorld.com park hours calendar. These now extend to June 5, 2021. Hours are the same for all dates:
- Magic Kingdom: 9 am to 6 pm
- EPCOT: 11 am to 7 pm
- Hollywood Studios: 9 am to 7 pm
- Animal Kingdom: 9 am to 5 pm
- Blizzard Beach: 11 am to 6 pm
- Disney Springs: 10 am to 10 pm (11 pm on weekends)
Park Hopping times for those and all dates remain from 2 pm until park close; that’s quite the range given Animal Kingdom closes at 5 pm and Magic Kingdom closes at 10 pm on certain dates. Also note that beginning on May 23, 2021, Disney’s Hollywood Studios begins opening at 9 am daily instead of 10 am. As usual, there are also extensions to hours for select dates at specific parks…
From April 4 to 10, 2021 all four parks at Walt Disney World have received significant extensions:
- Magic Kingdom: 8 am to 9 pm (previously 9 am to 6 pm)
- EPCOT: 11 am to 11 pm (previously 11 am to 7 pm)
- Hollywood Studios: 9 am to 8 pm (previously 10 am to 7 pm)
- Animal Kingdom: 8 am to 8 pm (previously 9 am to 5 pm)
Significant extensions here, but standard for the week following Easter. The only minor surprise here is that April 11, 2021 was not also extended. That’s the last day of peak spring break season, and should be every bit as crowded as the days immediately before it.
What April 11 still having the boilerplate/placeholder hours underscores is that Walt Disney World’s park hour releases and extensions are formulaic. Hours are typically released or extended by the week, which ends in Saturday, without regard for crowd or attendance trends beyond that.
This is significant because we’ve heard from several readers recently looking at the park hours calendar months down the road, trying to draw conclusions about crowds. Walt Disney World still has not updated hours for a Sunday three weeks from now that will unquestionably be busy–we know that, they know that. The current hours for May and June 2021 are utterly meaningless and in no way reflective of crowd forecasts.
Speaking of spring break, we visited EPCOT over the weekend to check out some new things. Although we’ve been tracking wait times from the comfort of home, this was our first spring break visit to the parks.
It wasn’t too bad. Busier than the last couple of months (save for Mardi Gras), but not as congested as we anticipated based on last Christmas season. It would be premature to draw sweeping conclusions from one visit, but our guess is that loading more rows of ride vehicles has helped a bit with the “feels like” crowds. Wait time data also supports this hypothesis.
Our main motivation for visiting was the new physically distanced selfie spot with Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse in the EPCOT entrance plaza.
Pluto and Goofy also appear throughout the day, but we didn’t see them.
This is a solid addition, and one that is proving quite popular with spring break crowds. Throughout our time in the main entrance plaza, there were always several parties waiting for selfies or photos with the characters.
It’s a bit surprising that it has taken Walt Disney World so long to deploy this concept. RunDisney has done distanced selfie spots for years, and the Winnie the Pooh characters outside Crystal Palace have proven popular since last summer. Clearly guests want more character “interactions” like this.
We also checked out the 2021 EPCOT Eggstravaganza scavenger hunt that debuted over the weekend.
If you want the prize, the cost is $8.
Here’s what should be a spoiler-free photo of one of the eggs. If you can identify that location, you have quite the astute eye…and will thus have no problem finding the eggs.
I’m not sure what the prize is, as we did a “self-guided version for cheapskates who don’t need trinkets.” It would be savvy if Disney made the prize that Spike the Bee spork that they’re otherwise going to be selling for the next decade.
Speaking of sporks, the “coveted” Star Wars spork is once again available for purchase (limited to one spork per person) at Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. It even comes with a travel pouch perfect for keeping it safe as you explore infinity and beyond.
I’ll level with you: I do not get the appeal of this at all. I didn’t get it when people were stealing them from Disneyland and trying to sell them for absurd amounts on eBay, and I certainly don’t get buying this thing for $11. I don’t have anything against sporks, but I’m also not bothered by forks and spoons being separate utensils. To each their own, though. If Star Wars sporks spark joy for you, have fun with it!
In other news, Walt Disney World is working on some lighting upgrades happening at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and EPCOT. Imagineering is testing out new lighting on Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, plus the return of spotlights beckoning guests to the premiere of the latest Mickey Mouse short at Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway.
Per Imagineering, “this is a culmination of years of work by our teams to bring ‘premiere night, every night’ energy to this iconic golden age of Hollywood architecture.” Not to be too cynical or snide, but how on earth does it take “years of work” to add spotlights to a building? I’m not sure that’s something about which I’d boast.
Back at EPCOT, Imagineering teased work on the “Beacon of Magic” lighting debuting at Spaceship Earth on October 1, 2021 as part of Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary celebration. Above is a first look at one of the points of light, as overnight teams test fit the first of these fixtures before starting installation at the top and working down.
Per Imagineering, the team “has been hard at work innovating the design and technology for this poetic and inspirational lighting concept.” Again, not to be too cynical or snide, but what they call poetic and inspirational looks to me like a push puck light. I didn’t realize our cheap closet lighting solution was so ingenious and inspirational!
The other aim of our EPCOT visit was checking out the Easter Eggs at Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts.
The displays are a bit scaled back this year, but given that we were expecting nothing, even this is a huge win in our view. As we discuss in our updated 2021 Guide to Easter at Walt Disney World, it also bodes well for future holidays and more returning. Incremental progress!
Next, Walt Disney World is offering Annual Passhodlers a special discount on 1-Day Water Park Tickets: only $49 plus tax. This means you can save up to $20 per ticket for adult and $10 per ticket for kids.
As covered in our Blizzard Beach Reopening Report, we had a great time at the water park…but it was dead. That was likely a byproduct of the weather, but also that the vast majority of Annual Passholders no longer have water park access. We’ll be back once the weather gets a bit nicer to see whether Blizzard Beach is busier.
In celebration of the 2021 Taste of EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival, an Orange Bird magnet will be mailed to active Annual Passholders sometime in early summer. (Limit of two magnets per household.)
We only receive about half of our AP communications from Walt Disney World, so hopefully that means we’ll get one! Joking aside, it’s really nice to see Walt Disney World sending these out to APs. Kudos on this gesture. I am sort of surprised they’re not requiring an offseason weekday visit to EPCOT, but am very happy we won’t have to wait in what would surely be a long line for this!
Finally, Disney CEO Bob Chapek recently did an interview with Bloomberg and discussed a wide range of topics. Among other things, these included Disney+, ESPN+, theme park demand, brand trust, and the future of technology at the parks (again hinting that theme park reservations could stick around).
The most buzzed-about topic among Walt Disney World fans has been Chapek’s statement that guest satisfaction scores have improved since the parks reopened, with guests having more satisfaction than prior to the closure. He also mentioned a “reemergence scenario” in which the “magic is even greater for our guests when they do come back to the parks.”
On a somewhat similar note, I’ve heard sentiment essentially boiling down to high-level leadership within the Walt Disney Company being satisfied with current performance of Walt Disney World. There are concerns that said leadership will use the current numbers to justify maintaining a reduced slate of entertainment, nighttime spectaculars, etc.
To be sure, this is superficially plausible. Anyone who has been a Walt Disney World fan for the last 5+ years has seen this play out even pre-closure. I don’t doubt for a second that certain executives salivate at the prospect of axing more entertainment. However, I would not extrapolate anything from current trends.
For one thing, current attendance is, at most, 35% of full capacity. Don’t misconstrue Chapek’s carefully crafted message: the parks are not profitable. They are making a net positive contribution towards fixed costs, which is to say that they are losing less money by being open than they would lose by being closed. Despite appearances and anecdotal observations during spring break, 35% of full capacity is not a healthy number of guests or good target. To the contrary, it is unsustainable.
While it’s true that we don’t know what organic spring break attendance would’ve looked like without the attendance cap, we do know that most other dates last year and so far this year have not even hit 35%. Occupancy rates are also anemic and many hotels remain closed, having had their reopening dates pushed back due to low demand. Perhaps things will change this summer and fall, but so far, the argument that “Walt Disney World is doing well despite cuts” is utterly unpersuasive. Attendance is mostly weak–for a variety of reasons.
As for guest satisfaction scores, those can likewise easily be explained away. It’s fair to say that there are objective upsides to the post-reopening lower crowd levels and shorter wait times. There’s no denying that guests enjoy those things. However, those advantages won’t last once attendance picks up.
Moreover, there’s a ton of self-selection bias occurring. There are so many warnings and disclaimers on DisneyWorld.com that they literally take up the top half of the page. You have to see and acknowledge those multiple times before even booking a theme park reservation–there’s no way to not see the changes and temporary rules before visiting.
Consequently, most guests know what the modified Walt Disney World experience will entail and choose to visit anyway because they’re okay with the compromises. Guest satisfaction surveys are sent to those who attend the parks–not those who choose to stay home.
Perhaps more significantly, this is all happening against the backdrop of a pandemic and incredibly divisive climate. Disney’s surveys don’t ask “how much has the last year sucked for you?” and use that to grade on a curve. But it’s probably not a stretch to say the last 12 months have been among the worst (if not the worst) of our lifetimes. Is it thus really any surprise that people are giving high marks to escapism?
We can only speak for ourselves, but two of the best days we’ve ever had at Walt Disney World occurred last year–our first stay back at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn and our first day back in Magic Kingdom. Our guest satisfaction scores for both would’ve been through the roof. While Disney certainly played a role in that, the larger change was in us. We really savored the experience and didn’t take it for granted. I’m guessing this is along the lines of what Chapek is suggesting with his “reemergence scenario.”
Beyond that, our overall satisfaction at Walt Disney World from last summer through the present has honestly been higher than the 12 months prior to that. That’s partly because of my aforementioned newfound appreciation for the parks, and not taking anything for granted. It’s also because a lot of the stuff that has been cut doesn’t matter a ton to us, and on balance, we prefer enjoying the parks with lower crowds.
If I did highly value all of that temporarily unavailable stuff, I simply wouldn’t visit Walt Disney World right now. Judging by readers and commenters on this blog, that’s exactly what people are doing–visiting now or postponing trips based on their circumstances and priorities. This is not really profound insight nor is the reality that it impacts guest satisfaction scores.
It’s also fair to say that, although Walt Disney World is not grading guest satisfaction scores on a curve, fans are doing exactly that. In normal times, I would not be okay with so much of what has been cut. However, for the time being some of that gets a pass given the real world circumstances. If those same things remain absent beyond mid-summer, I’ll be far less forgiving.
Ultimately, my strong suspicion is that Chapek was posturing for Bloomberg, trying to put his best spin on the theme parks’ performance for the sake of Wall Street, tailoring his message for that audience, and telling them what they want to hear. That isn’t to say his statements don’t concern me. It’s always possible that Disney leadership truly believes that attendance or guest satisfaction scores are strong and will hold at that level on the merits of the current theme park offerings or in light of pent-up demand. In such a scenario, it could take longer for entertainment and other components of the guest experience to be restored. However, guest satisfaction will also plummet in the process and park offerings will be corrected over time.
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
What do you think of this Walt Disney World news? Analysis on Chapek’s statements about guest satisfaction scores? Thoughts on what another extension to park hours means for spring break? Excited for the free Orange Bird Annual Passholder magnet? Thoughts on the physically distanced selfie spots? Do you agree or disagree with our assessments? 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’ve learned never to take anything for granted, but then I’m older and have had plenty of years to learn that.
We (six of us) have a nine day trip planned for end of April and end of September. We each have a different level of safety and in order to enjoy the trip together have decided against indoor dining. I purchased individual cutlery sets for us to use with take out dinners. This will be a resort based vacation, unless we feel safe going to the theme parks, a decision to be made when we’re there.
In April, we have two rooms at Coronado Springs. For September, we reserved a two bedroom villa at Saratoga Springs, which will better suit our needs.
We don’t care what’s missing from Disney. We just to get back to our favorite place. We will make the best of it, even though we know that in our little world, northing will be normal again. Too much isolation, loss and sadness during the past year. And so we will go forward with (I hate to say it) our new normal.
Park hours in this post are inaccurate, per WDW app. The below is starting with 3/28..
MK 8a-9p
EP 11a-11p
HS 9a – 8p
AK 8a – 8p
My family 20 of us went to Disney in Florida last February 5-15. We got in and right before COVID hit. We had a blast! First time we could get a quarter of us together. We would love to go back but not at theses prices with a whole lot less!!! We’re planning on going to Universal.
We went to MK and AK last week. We come from way out of state and did enjoy ourselves. There still was a constant feeling of too much money for no shows, people mover down, train down, very limited food choices, characters whizzing by on a boat, shortened hours, no fireworks, less cast members to help and ask questions etc. The value just isn’t there –
We went and had a great time in December. It was a repeat visit, and we generally knew what we were getting into and we had an absolute blast. I would have rated the experience highly had I been given a survey.
That being said, we didn’t rebook again and don’t have plans to return to the Florida parks currently.
It’s not because we’ve ever had a bad time. It’s because the prices went up again (even with cuts) year over year and frankly the value proposition just wasn’t there.
We are leaning towards going to Cali next year. Do a couple days at the park and then enjoy the rest the state has to offer.
I mean sure the parks are losing money and the cutbacks and capacity restraints are unsustainable, but given the circumstances, I don’t think it’s disingenuous for Chapek to be pleased with how the parks are operating as it could have been a lot worse and they have reason to feel confident that they will return to being a cash cow for Disney once the restrictions are lifted. Combine that with Disney+ wildly exceeding expectations, and he kind of has a reason to be satisfied with how Disney is surviving Covid.
I’m a satisfied customer, and I haven’t even been on-site in the last year and a half. I know we’ve (thankfully) moved passed this, but in the early days of Disney’s reopening, it was reassuring to see how seriously and strictly they handled their safety efforts. Then, through this blog and other vloggers, I’ve continued to live vicariously, getting immediate happiness and distraction from the things happening on the opposite end of the spectrum. Tom, I love how you’ve broken down this concept. Your thoughtful writing is always top-notch. I’ll be an actual customer in the next month, and am rebounding (revenging) big-time–making up for a lost family vacation and the months of stress, stagnation and limited bread and circuses. I’m a realist, but definitely need a fix of manufactured magic and the state of suspended disbelief…and the FL weather and proximity of palm tress won’t hurt either.
The free market has a way of reasserting itself and correcting products and processes that don’t work. Disney certainly has a huge advantage when it comes to familiarity, nostalgia, and their vast IP which they can ride out for awhile. But people have expectations when it comes to how their disposable money is spent. The $110-$145 per day they command for a 1 day park ticket is not commensurate with what the guest is getting right now. People like me have a pent up desire to go back and a wider tolerance for less service and amenities right now as that is what we’ve experienced from nearly every business and government office for the last year. But if Disney thinks this menu of less entertainment is a new acceptable normal, that free market is going to do that aforementioned reassertion and people will take their disposable vacation dollars elsewhere.
For me, the most important parts of a Disney trip are the rides, and having some flexibility and spontaneity within my daily schedule. That’s the WDW of today, and I far prefer it to the micro-managed pre-Covid WDW trips of Fastpass+, ridiculous crowds, and impossible ADRs. For this guest, satisfaction at WDW is at an all-time high.
I wish I were one of the guests polled so I could rate my ‘satisfaction’.
We’re out of state APs and visited for our first time this month since pre-pandemic (it was 52 weeks between our last trip and this trip exactly). While many things are familiar enough, so many things we adore about WDW are not there. This was a big blow to us as guests who need more than just the rides to feel like we’re getting our value out of the experience.
I can’t tell you how much I missed the obvious things like the nighttime spectaculars, the stage shows, exploring other resorts (hello Polynesian…). But I also missed the little things that Chapek seems to care less about: not having to wear my mask for a photo with my family, getting to enjoy more of the way as I WALK around Epcot WITH my drink in hand and don’t have to sit each time I want something, singing my heart out at Jellyrolls, Hoop De Doo Revue, deciding the morning of that I want to go to a certain park, park hopping!, hugging Mickey Mouse, not being turned away to at the gate when trying to visit the Contemporary.
But why are any of us surprised at his comments?
Great points. These are all part of the experience. To me the primary thing is that I can’t go in a mask, but I also really want fireworks and character greetings, and normal photos!
Shows (other than Laugh Floor) are a big part of WDW for me, so I’m not interested at this time. And even Laugh Floor was fun the first time we went and my wife got chosen to participate and essentially played the guy voicing the character.
And I thought Spork was the black sheep of the family that Spock never talked about.
Chapek’s comments are so funny it cracks me up, so there’s that benefit.
We stayed at Pop Century March 13-20, and mostly did not feel the magic. Having a 9 year old daughter, character interactions are a big part of the Disney experience. If it is just a matter of rides, we can go to Worlds of Fun without even needing a hotel room. Food choices were limited. We couldn’t handle the heat in a mask, and even the kid asked to go back to the room a couple times. Honestly, I would not have planned a trip at this time but we purchased airfare and military tickets in December 2019, and Disney extended the expiration to September 2021. Spring break seemed a better idea than summer, but we only enjoyed Epcot after dark and the last day at Hollywood (post-storm, not as hot).
Spork seems like something that’s no good at being the things it’s replacing.
We have been to WDW a few times since the reopening and have had great times. We were never firework fans and don’t miss them. We actually like the spread out lines better as they give more personal space and most are in constant motion and wait times normally are overstated. Mobile ordering has been a great improvement.
Oh and we have never seen so many characters before. Between the quick cavalcades and the balconies, we were able to see dozens of characters that before would have been accessible only by long waits or character dining.
We
Went in February and I can say that we missed the entertainment and the fireworks. And the masks well not even taking a picture without it was disappointing.
I do not care at all about fireworks or shows, except at Epcot. Fireworks at MK and HS are hard to see and they create all kinds of congestion. There were lots of good places to watch Illuminations, and I’m looking forward to Harmonious.
Oh, I also like the Christmas light overlays on the castle, and the Kiss Goodnight, but I don’t need to see Mickey and Minnie dancing to some Kidz Bop-style song played at deafening volume in front of the castle four times a day to have a good time.
Nor in Tomorrowland, or on cars or floats randomly running around, or basically anywhere that it disrupts the theming or background music and ambience. These so-called ‘dance parties’ are just dumb and annoying. We were there on NYE a few years ago and they were playing irritating junk all over the MK all day long. That was far worse than the oppressive crowds.
I agree 100 percent with your entire statement. It’s time to end the ridiculous restrictions and start getting back to living.
We won’t return until those things are back and masks are gone. You would think Chapek is smart enough to understand this so there is no way he can think satisfaction is up. They are only polling the people willing to go and put up with all of their changes!
We do have a trip planned for July 16 only because we are dvc and have to use our points. If things are not somewhat back to normal we will cancel and continue to push it back.
Also, disney won’t sell us an AP but universal will. We are very tempted to keep our stay and just get universal passes and commute each day. Disney needs to start making some changes or they will quickly be losing customers to universal.
I didn’t say any of that, Jody. Not sure who you’re responding to; I think masks are great.
I was responding to Heather. Not sure how it responded to yours. My apologies. As for the masks, we will have to agree to disagree because they are awful.
This weekend, my family discussed going the week after Christmas, as we would all be nearby. Yes, it’s busy, but the weather is great and we have really loved it at Christmas in the past. But this time the big questions were – will there be entertainment? I mean the big shows, not some caravan yodeling down the street. Will there be characters? Ones you can actually meet, not stand miles away from and wave at. We decided to wait two years (we won’t be near there next year for Christmas). I would rather have our regular amazing time than go and be disappointed.
(We did discuss doing Universal instead, and we might do that. We looooove Harry Potter world!)
I am planning a very short three day trip just before July 4th (June 30-July 3). It will be just me. I’m taking my kids (15 and 19) to Universal and Sea World in June for the younger one’s birthday so I was hoping to make this particular trip Disney (we do have an extended family trip planned for September). But I priced it out and I could get three days at Sapphire Falls and an ANNUAL PASS (the Power Pass because seasonal is blocked out in July) for the same price as two days and a TWO DAY park ticket at Wilderness Lodge (with the early summer discount). Granted Sapphire Falls is more along the lines of a moderate, but Wilderness Lodge definitely isn’t the most expensive deluxe. But the real difference is, of course, the tickets. I can get an annual pass and all the benefits (including hotel discounts) at Universal (this is a 2 park, not 3 park) for less than a 3 day (one park per day) ticket at Disney. I know the two places aren’t completely comparable. I lived most of my life in Florida and have previously been a Disney AP. But all I get from doing this comparison is that Disney doesn’t want my money. The biggest deal breaker here wasn’t the annual pass (which I actually already have but will have to upgrade) but the fact that I can stay three days at Universal as compared to two at Disney. I plan to spend a lot more time eating, drinking, and relaxing than waiting in lines, so if Disney doesn’t want my money, I’m okay with that. I would’ve liked to spend a day in Epcot though. (For the record, Sapphire Falls is cheaper with the AP discount than not only the few Disney moderates that are open, but all of the Disney value resorts as well…with the early summer discount). The important thing here, if other guests are like me, is that people are getting APs to Universal. Which means they are more likely to keep taking their business to Univeral for the next year. Which definitely doesn’t help Disney recover. But maybe most people aren’t like me. I’m not asking Disney to be comparable to Universal in price (they certainly have a lot more to offer), I’m just asking them to be reasonable. And right now, they’re not.
We did a similar analysis and came to the same conclusion. Our extended family was looking at a full week at Disney at a value resort and it was cheaper (by far) for us to stay at Royal Pacific at Universal with free express unlimited passes and get 2-park season passes than it would have been at Disney with 4 day 1-park tickets and a lot of the offerings still limited.
Don’t get me wrong, we’ll still be at Disney this fall, but Universal is definitely a better deal right now.
Agreed. I never even considered becoming a Universal AP before, but with the 15 months for the price of 12 deal and the access to Universal hotel discounts, which are more reasonable than Disney hotels anyway, it was a no brainer. Which now means that when I’m in Orlando for work or want a quick, cheap getaway, I’ll be spending the day at Universal (buying food and merch) rather than Disney.
Same conclusion. I am right with you.
The Universal hotels are better too, Heather. Especially, if you can spring for Royal Pacific upwards. Rooms are nicer, beds are on another level of comfort and the included Express Pass means less stress. Coming from the UK WDW would literally have to pay me to go just now. We probably spent 25k on 4 WDW holidays in the last 5 years but with their cuts upon cuts even ignoring the COVID restrictions there’s not a lot of value in going anymore. A real shame because those 4 holidays were great. May do Disneyland if we go to California in a year or two.
Any recommendations for considering a first time trip? We are looking to possibly go Oct. 2-11, and our daughters will be 7 and almost 5 at the time. I’ve read in other blogs that they do not recommend first timers to plan a trip this year, so we are kind of torn. Any advice/speculation would be appreciated!
I would steer clear of those dates only because of the anniversary. They are going to be very crowded with people who want to be there on October 1 for the true anniversary date.
We have a trip planned for Thanksgiving week. My sons will be 7 and 4 1/2 when we go. I know it’ll also be really crowded then, but it’s tough working around school schedules! I also know we’ll be able to go again in a few years, so I’m ok with missing some attractions and catching them the next time we take a trip.
We lived in FL when my daughter was 5-7, and made several trips. We went this last week, and many times my daughter asked to do something, and I had to tell her it was closed due to COVID. There was disappointment, but if your kids don’t know they might not miss it. If you don’t have your own stroller, I recommend renting one from a business that can deliver to your hotel. The park strollers are not comfy, and have to be left at the park entrance. Headed home it can be a long walk to the bus/car.
Our family loves WDW but if you are an infrequent or 1st time visitor, I advise not to come until the entertainment, fireworks, parades and other experiences are fully restored. Wait until the capacity restrictions are lifted and the restaurants and resorts are all open again. I would also wait until the massive construction at Epcot is complete. The mask 24/7 mask requirements and social distancing protocols are very restrictive and take away from the experience too so you may want to make sure those are gone too.
Chapek should hope that people don’t remember what Samuel Clemons said about statistics. It might ruin his satisfaction survey results.