Coronavirus (COVID-19) Disney World News & Planning Guide
Walt Disney World’s theme parks & hotels have reopened and been safely operating for months amidst the coronavirus pandemic with physical distancing, face masks, and health rules. This planning guide addresses how WDW is keeping guests safe from COVID-19, tips & advice for navigating this period of “temporary abnormal,” plus the latest news out of Florida! (Updated May 12, 2021.)
Right now, so much has changed that typical strategies are irrelevant or inaccurate. As such, we’ve put together these “temporary abnormal” (not new normal) Walt Disney World travel tips to cover everything you need to know if you’re visiting in Summer 2021. Some things have started to return to Walt Disney World–for instance, Park Hopping is now back–but the Disney Dining Plan, FastPass, various entertainment, and more is still missing. The biggest question right now is thus when will things go back to normal at Walt Disney World?
The good news is that there’s light at the end of the tunnel, especially as coronavirus cases and hospitalizations plummet and vaccinations increase. However, there’s still a lot of uncertainty about when everything will be normal again. So much depends upon real world factors. If you’re waiting for that, you should simply postpone until October 2021 or later. We are visiting regularly and monitoring closely for updates—if you want notification as things continue to evolve, change, and return to normal, sign up to receive our FREE Walt Disney World Email Newsletter.
Let’s start with all of the latest news in Florida. The latest developments began with Orange County’s three-phased plan to end health safety mandates. This was tied to case and vaccination metrics, and resulted in the immediate relaxation of physical distancing rules thanks to the first goal being met. Universal Orlando and Walt Disney World have both since followed suit and reduced physical distancing in the parks.
That’s just the latest of many changes on the health safety protocol front in recent weeks at Walt Disney World. Temperature checks are going away soon thanks to guidance from Florida. Beverage stations have been restored to their normal self-service status, portable hand washing locations that were added shortly before the closure have been removed, and there have been other little ‘quality of park visit’ improvements that are more significant than they might seem.
The biggest change about which most readers care is the face mask rule. On that front, there has been one significant improvement: face masks can now be removed for outdoor photos at Walt Disney World. Outside of that, it’s unclear whether more changes are on the horizon–Disney recently hinted that masks might be required until November 2021.
That’s not totally surprising, and consistent with the latest CDC mask guidance that is very conservative and will not impact Walt Disney World. Following that, the Transportation Security Administration extended a federal requirement that travelers on buses, trains, flights, and at airports wear face masks. The rule will now be in effect through September 13, 2021. Obviously, that doesn’t directly impact Walt Disney World, but it’s perhaps something of a window into future expectations for guidance on mask-wearing in crowded indoor spaces.
It’s worth noting that on the last earning call, Disney CEO Bob Chapek called vaccine availability a “game changer” with significant implications for Walt Disney World. Chapek also indicated there will likely be some level of physical distancing and mask-wearing for the remainder of 2021, but what “some level” means is unclear.
Disney’s next earnings call is on May 13, 2021 and we expect more details at that time. Hopefully, a timeline or metrics will be provided for further rule relaxation. With vaccines now widely available for adults and soon available for adolescents, it’s likely Walt Disney World will further reduce health safety protocol in Summer 2021. Moreover, this will allow Walt Disney World to increase park capacity, restore entertainment, and nighttime spectaculars, among other things. All of that is desperately needed as pent-up demand is starting to cause growing crowds.
The question at this point is still when all of that will occur–what’s possible and when it happens are two different things. As we’ve said repeatedly, Walt Disney World is like an ocean liner: you turn the wheel slowly, and the big ship pivots gradually. Everything takes time from decision to implementation, and it’s going to take at least 6 weeks to see big changes in the parks.
In short, it’s not going to be a matter of “flipping a switch” and having the pre-COVID experience magically restored overnight. Certain things will return before others, more entertainment will debut, additional hotels will reopen, menus will be expanded, rules relaxed, and so forth. In short, it’ll be a continuing process with things going back to normal as things improve.
Of course, people have different definitions of what “back to normal” means. For some, it’s everything pre-COVID. That won’t happen until 2022. For others, ditching the face masks is the big thing. In When Will Walt Disney World Stop Requiring Face Masks?, I predict a gradual relaxation of that rule. It’s possible Walt Disney World could loosen some of its policies (like Universal Orlando has already done) or transition from a rule to a recommendation. That could potentially occur by summer or fall.
For other people, the return of more entertainment, restaurants, resorts, and substantive offerings will mark a return to normalcy. Right now, staffing is an obstacle to many of these things, but the good news on that front is that the College Program is returning for Summer 2021. That should facilitate more offerings being brought back. (On a positive note, Festival of the Lion King just returned!)
By way of example, right now the Disney Dining Plan is not being offered. As we explain in When Will the Disney Dining Plan Return?, we do not expect that offering to be gone forever–or even until 2022. Instead, we break down what needs to happen for it to come back, why Disney wants it back ASAP, and when that’ll probably occur.
On that note, some things won’t be back until 2022. In “Now or Normal: Walt Disney World in 2021 v. 2022” we cover the pros and cons of visiting this year or waiting until next year. While significant strides are being made in the real world, it’s entirely possible Walt Disney World will continue treading water until October 1, 2021–the start of its 50th Anniversary–and aim to start bringing things back then, with more returning next year.
Beyond the Disney Dining Plan, we already know that Early Theme Park Entry will debut in 2021, replacing Extra Magic Hours. Also along that same timeframe, we anticipate one new attraction, another restaurant, a nighttime spectacular, and more to debut. If you’re curious about the brand-new offerings on the horizon, consult our What’s New & Coming to Walt Disney World in 2021 & 2022.
With that said, we do not predict that FastPass+, character meet & greets, and various extras & upcharge offerings will return by Summer 2021. There’s so much fluidity and uncertainty right now that it’s impossible to make credible predictions about so much of the Walt Disney World experience.
Here’s what we know right now–and how you should plan for Walt Disney World if you’re visiting between now and at least May 2021 during this period of “temporary abnormal” at Walt Disney World…
How is Disney Staying Safe From Coronavirus?
There’s no simple answer to this complicated coronavirus question. One of the refrains you’ll hear from Floridians is “Walt Disney World is far safer than our local grocery stores.” This is not hyperbolic–Publix can be like the wild west, and nowhere in Central Florida is as safe as its theme parks. Disney and Universal have set a high bar for their health protocol and they’ve both absolutely been crushing it at reducing the risk of COVID-19.
However, the statement is also at least a tad disingenuous. You might be inside a grocery store for an hour (unless you really love inspecting vegetables), whereas vacationing at a theme park means consecutive multi-hour days. There are more opportunities for exposure, even if each individual one is lower risk due to rules and behavior. Moreover, getting groceries is essential, whereas visiting a theme park is not.
Walt Disney World has made a ton of changes to the parks to ensure guest and Cast Member safety. For one, there are sandwich boards everywhere with rules and the boilerplate COVID-19 Warning: “We have taken enhanced health and safety measures. An inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public place where people are present.”
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.
As far as COVID-19 safety measures go, Walt Disney World’s official “Returning to a World of Magic” page covers the three guiding principles of the modified operational guidelines and health safety measures: enhanced cleaning, reduced contact, and physical distancing.
Check out the Physical Distancing & Safety Measures in Attraction Lines as well as the Health Safety Hotel Modifications for some looks at these in practice.
When it comes to the new health safety rules and COVID-19 protocol, face coverings remain the hot and polarizing topic. There are some unique wrinkles to Disney’s policies–see our FAQ & Guide to Face Masks at Walt Disney World for more on that. For those wondering how adherence to the rules has been–it varies.
Physical distancing is generally good in lines, but not always as great in other spaces. It’s very difficult to unlearn ingrained habits and behavior, and even guests with the absolute best intentions are bound to make ‘missteps’ in terms of physical distancing. This is no knock on guests—to the contrary, it’s preparing you for what to expect.
As for whether Walt Disney World is safe enough to visit, that’s a personal question we cannot answer for you. It was sufficiently safe for us to visit before being vaccinated, albeit with behavior modifications (we only ate outdoors and avoided indoor shows, for example).
Now that we’re fully vaccinated, we are comfortable doing anything we would’ve done in January of last year. We’ve read enough credible studies about real world efficacy, likelihood of infection and transmission (or rather, lack thereof), comparative risk analyses, and commentary from respected epidemiologists. It should go without saying, but we’ll still follow face mask and physical distancing rules or mandates where those exist.
Life is otherwise largely back to normal for us as two fully vaccinated adults without kids. Of course, everyone’s risk tolerance levels vary. Beyond that, we work from home and do not come in contact with older family members. Your circumstances will likely vary.
If you’re thinking of visiting and not everyone in your party is or can be vaccinated, we’d encourage risk mitigation. Epidemiologists point to growing evidence that transmission of coronavirus via fomites (surface transmission) is minor, unlikely, and exaggerated. By contrast, aerosol transmission of COVID-19 is much more likely, especially with prolonged personal contact or via enclosed indoor settings where coronavirus aerosols remain airborne and accumulate over time.
If those studies and research are a bit dense, check out “We Need To Talk About Ventilation,” which breaks things down in lay terms. Of particular import is the COVID-19 super-spreader-event triad’s three V’s: venue, ventilation, and vocalization. As that also points out, in one database of over 1,200 coronavirus super-spreader events, just one incident is classified as outdoor transmission.
You thus might consider avoiding indoor bars & lounges around the parks and resorts, and choosing restaurants with open air seating if you want to mitigate some risk of COVID-19 at Walt Disney World. This is arguably the biggest and best thing you can do, but Disney doesn’t make it easy–most table service restaurants only offer indoor seating. See our Best Outdoor Dining Options at Walt Disney World for recommendations on that front.
Ultimately, pre-vaccination, we generally felt safe from COVID-19 at Walt Disney World so long as we took some proactive mitigation measures. Now, we’re 100% comfortable. Our biggest disappointment is that Disney has yet to publicly address ventilation nor has the company sought to increase outdoor dining options. In some ways, it feels like Walt Disney World’s safety protocol is stuck in last March instead of May 2021. It’d be nice if Disney moved beyond the superficial measures of sanitizing and installing plexiglass, focusing less on hygiene theater and more on actual risk mitigation.
You’re all adults who are going to assess your circumstances, risk tolerance, data, and other information and make your own decisions. It’s unlikely that will be predicated on what some random blogger says. Nevertheless, hopefully you gleaned something useful from this long and rambling section and it assisted in some way!
Compromises & Cutbacks
A lot has changed. Walt Disney World has temporarily suspended parades, fireworks, and other high-density entertainment during the first phase of its reopening. Likewise, character dining, meet & greets, playgrounds, water play areas, and other areas where physical distancing is impossible or impractical are temporarily suspended during phase one.
Park hours have been reduced, in some cases fairly significantly. Additionally, Park Hopping, Extra Magic Hours, FastPass+, and the Disney Dining Plan have all been temporarily suspended. In their place, the Disney Park Pass system has been introduced, requiring reservations for visiting the theme parks.
In light of all this, “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 of the most common reader questions right now. We attempt to answer that in our comprehensive post, Is Walt Disney World Magical Right Now?
Ultimately, the answer is going to be “it depends” but that’s well worth reading to give you an idea of what to expect. We’ve been having a blast visiting Walt Disney World since the parks reopened, but our circumstances are also unique. If we were planning a first trip, we would wait until at least Summer 2021 and would recommend the same for most people reading this.
When to Visit
This section of the guide has received a total overhaul since Walt Disney World reopened. In July and August, crowds were low–well below even the reduced capacity cap set by Disney. The parks were veritable ghost towns, and that was during a period when many were expecting pent-up demand to make those months busier than the normal fall off-season.
This made sense given that overall demand for Walt Disney World has plummeted due to a variety of factors. This includes but is not limited to health & safety concerns, Florida’s case numbers, travel restrictions (read this state-by-state guide to quarantine rules following visits to Florida before booking), mandatory mask opposition, unemployment levels, economic uncertainty, travel trepidation, and Annual Pass cancellations.
On top of that, many guests feel that the value proposition simply isn’t there with shorter park hours, reduced entertainment, and more. However, it’s likely this will begin changing by Summer 2021, as the phenomenon known as “Revenge Travel” Could Spike 2021 Crowds at Walt Disney World. As more people get their COVID-19 vaccines, we’re anticipating that more people will be comfortable traveling to Walt Disney World.
Even now, attendance is trending upwards, with monthly increases from September through the end of the year. December was the busiest month post-reopening, but that doesn’t tell the full story, as December is always the busiest month in the second half of the year. Christmas is a very popular time for Walt Disney World fans. It’s also a time of year when the weather is more pleasant, making mask-wearing more comfortable and dining outdoors more practical.
January and February attendance was significantly lower, which makes sense as those months are the normal off-season for travel to Florida and cases were surging following the holidays. However, attendance spiked for spring break, and as of May 2021, it has not let up. Normally, this would be “shoulder season” between spring break and summer crowds–instead, it has mostly stayed elevated, which is attributable to remote work & learning, pent-up demand, lower case numbers, and rising vaccinations.
However, even that doesn’t tell the full story. Due to the lack of FastPass+ and physical distancing, lines look much worse than they actually are. Plus, wait times are dramatically inflated at most attractions. Before worrying too much about growing crowds, we highly recommend reading the above “up 40%” post as well as our most recent Walt Disney World Park Photo Reports. Those cover the good, bad, and ugly–offering step-by-step recaps of our visits, including posted v. actual wait times.
Another thing that’s worth noting here is that weekends are the busiest time to visit Walt Disney World. This is a trend that will undoubtedly be true throughout 2021. This is the case because weekends are the best time for Floridians to visit, and they currently make up a disproportionately large segment of guests since tourists are not visiting in their usual numbers.
If you’re looking for more specific recommendations beyond that, consider consulting our updated 2021 Best and Worst Months to Visit Walt Disney World. That takes into account Orlando area school schedules and other relevant variables, and ranks every month of the next year, recommending the 3 very best weeks to visit!
Discounts
Walt Disney World has released room-only discounts for Summer & Fall 2021. If you aren’t eligible for the other good room-only rates, consider the following alternatives for saving money:
- Priceline Express Deals for Walt Disney World Hotels
- Renting Disney Vacation Club Points (only do this if absolutely certain you will not be cancelling)
- Disney Springs Resort Area Hotels (walking distance of Disney Springs)
- Swan & Dolphin Resorts (walking distance of EPCOT and DHS)
We understand the allure of being in the Walt Disney World “bubble” and the top 2 options above definitely offer that. The next 2 arguably do, as well. The last one doesn’t, but is probably the very best option in terms of bang for buck.
Additionally, we have the 10 Best Tips to Save Money at Walt Disney World. Those tips cover a lot of ideas, such as buying discount Disney gift cards, or even having Groceries Delivered to Your Walt Disney World Hotel Room. Those are just a handful of ways to save a ton of money on a trip to WDW!
Where to Stay
One of the very best posts on this blog is our Walt Disney World Hotel Reviews page. We have stayed at every Disney hotel, plus many off-site ones. That page offers links to each of our hotel reviews, room photos, thoughts on the amenities, pros & cons, and more.
Right now, our top picks would be Fort Wilderness Campground & Cabins, Caribbean Beach Resort, Pop Century Resort, BoardWalk Villas, and Beach Club Villas–all for different reasons. If you have a rental car, Animal Kingdom Lodge and Kidani Village are also really attractive options.
For the rest of the year, you’ll want to cross-check that page against the 2021 WDW Resort Reopening Timeline because many hotels are not yet open, and won’t be until Summer 2021. Note that some of the Disney Vacation Club or villa wings of otherwise closed hotels are open, so if you have your heart set on a specific property, that’s an option.
You should also consult our list of Construction & Refurbishments at Walt Disney World Hotels. That covers where to avoid, and how these projects could impact your trip.
Without Extra Magic Hours, the Disney Dining Plan, or priority booking windows, there’s less of a point to paying a significant premium to stay in a Disney-owned resort. That is, unless you really value the transportation, theme, or location (and many guests do). This has been a gradual erosion, as we covered in “Is Walt Disney World’s On-Site Advantage Disappearing?”
Accordingly, you might consider off-site accommodations or on-site third party hotels like the Swan & Dolphin, Four Seasons Orlando, etc. (See our List of the Best Third Party Hotels Near Walt Disney World.) You also might consider renting a vacation home, both for the sake of privacy and isolation. (See our Best Vacation Home Rentals Near Walt Disney World.)
What to Pack
There are some wrinkles to Walt Disney World that make packing a bit different, and by bringing certain “clever” (we think) items in your luggage, you will improve your experience. We go over the best stuff in our Walt Disney World Unique Packing List.
Two of our favorite examples from that list are Frogg Toggs Chilly Pads and this Compact External Charger. Seriously, you’ll wonder how you ever travelled without these (and many other) items on our list! Additionally, if you’re going in the colder months, check out our Packing for Disney in Winter post. For summer months, read Tips for Beating the Summer Heat at Disney.
We also highly recommend the Life Straw Go Filter Water Bottle. Florida water tastes awful straight from the tap, so it’s key to get a bottle with a filter. This bottle is the best option, hands down. It’s durable, BPA-free, dishwasher safe, and uses a 2-stage activated carbon filter reduces odor, chlorine and leaves zero aftertaste! (If you’re looking for a cheaper alternative, Brita Filter Water Bottles are great, too.)
Transportation
If you’re wondering whether the monorail lines, boat routes, buses, and the Skyliner gondolas are operating, see our Transportation Changes & ‘Know Before You Go’ Info. That covers when each will resume routes, along with other details and tips for efficient transit between the resort hotels and theme parks.
Before you even arrive at Walt Disney World, you might be wondering whether you should fly or drive if visiting from out of state. Our initial, intuitive response was that we’d drive. However, after reading this ‘epidemiological investigation’ about potential COVID-19 transmission on a flight from Singapore to Hangzhou, China, this article by a Harvard public health professor, this research showing the low odds of in-flight coronavirus transmission, and other similar pieces, our view has evolved. We’d now fly.
The safety of flying is predicated on the in-flight experience itself. In particular, the plane’s filtration system and air replacement rate make the risk of COVID-19 minimal. Mask policies also help, as do the current policies to block off middle seats. The longer a flight, connections, whether in-flight meals are served, and individual risk factors impact those odds. Keep in mind that nothing is no-risk, only lower or higher risk. That’s true in the case of coronavirus and life in general.
The riskiest aspect of flying is the airports themselves. Coming into contact with people at check-in and baggage counters, seating areas, and busy terminals. Ironically, these are the things that (personally) concern us the least, because we have more control. We can avoid most of the issues with airports, seeking out less crowded seating areas, and more.
Even if planes are safer, that control goes out the window as soon as you board. It’s tough to overcome that mental hurdle, plus our preconceived (but apparently erroneous?) notions that airplanes make you sick. We don’t yet have any flights booked for ourselves, and are still nervous about the idea. However, we will fly again at some point…just a bit more nervously than before. Your mileage may vary.
Upon arrival, we’d strongly recommend renting a car in terminal at Orlando International Airport (MCO) rather than using Disney’s Magical Express. This is our advice both on the basis of health safety and convenience.
The health component should be obvious–not sharing transportation with people who are not in your party reduces the time you’re exposed to strangers in a confined, indoor space and thus the risk of COVID-19. Even the best Walt Disney World hotels from a location and transportation perspective require using bus transportation for accessing at least 2 theme parks, which is not ideal.
Equally as important is convenience. During Walt Disney World’s phased reopening, transportation capacity has been reduced. In some ways, this is good. For instance, one party per Skyliner gondola cabin is nice and doesn’t negatively impact lines too much.
In other scenarios, it makes lines unbearable. Only 6 parties are allowed per bus, which has resulted in long lines and wait times for bus transportation, and this is even with most hotels having low occupancy rates. We’ve avoided buses ourselves, but have heard reports from friends about 30+ minute waits.
Save yourself the headache and rent a car. Failing that, be prepared to use ride share services for rope drop or other times when you see long lines at the bus stops. Our Tips for Using Uber & Lyft at Walt Disney World offer strategic advice to help you bypass the worst transportation woes at WDW.
Dining
We love to eat at Walt Disney World, and the reduced restaurant lineup and scaled back menus are probably the biggest disappointment to us. For a look at what’s open right now, consult the Resort Restaurant ‘Know Before You Go’ Info, which covers hotel dining, and the List of Open & Closed In-Park Restaurants at Walt Disney World. From there, consult our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews page.
The good news is that more restaurants open each week, and hopefully by this holiday season, most will have reopened. Additionally, almost every dining spot at Disney Springs has already reopened. Due to the shorter park hours, it’s easy to do dinner at Disney Springs–or even off-site (we highly recommend 4 Rivers Smokehouse but the newly-renovated and reopened All Star McDonald’s at Walt Disney World is a convenient pick).
Daily Itineraries
With attendance picking up, you’ll once again want to use solid strategy to beat the crowds. Our Walt Disney World Itineraries offering what you need to know, and we’ve already updated several to account for crowd-flow and priority changes resulting from the operational changes. Suffice to say, a lot of conventional touring wisdom no longer applies.
Regardless of whether you use our itineraries or not (and you really should!), we strongly recommend first-time visitors do not ‘wing it’ for your daily itinerary. You don’t need to plan every movement so that there’s no spontaneity in your trip, just make sure you have at least a loose plan of what you’re going to do.”
Moreover, experiencing the headliner of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge remains incredibly difficult–to the point where you almost need to plan 2 days at Disney’s Hollywood Studios if it’s a must-do for you. See our Ride Guide & FAQ for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance for more strategy and info.
That about wraps up what to expect in terms of how Walt Disney World is handling changes in the era of coronavirus. Keep in mind that the situation remains fluid and ever-evolving. What’s true one month often isn’t the case the next. Again, we highly recommend reading our Walt Disney World Photo Reports that cover our weekly visits to the parks. Those will give you a great idea of what the experience is currently like.
Beyond that, this Coronavirus (COVID-19) Walt Disney World Planning Guide remains a work in progress, something we will update regularly based upon our observations, new developments, changes, etc. One big component of how the guide will evolve is reader questions. Being in the parks regularly, we take some things for granted because we’ve already become familiar with them. However, that may not be the case for the majority of readers, so please ask questions. Chances are, someone else wonders the same thing as you, and that’ll help us iterate and improve this resource!
If all of this is really overwhelming, we recommend contacting an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner and letting them do the work for you. This is Disney’s term for their affiliated travel agents, and the huge upside to them is that they don’t charge for their services—Disney pays them directly at no cost to you! Click here to get a vacation quote from our recommended no fee Authorized Disney Vacation Planner.
Remember, what’s in this post is just a starting point. To recap, you’ll also want to read our When to Visit Walt Disney World post for the best time of year to plan your trip. If saving money is important, read Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post to buy the cheapest tickets from legitimate sources. To figure out where to stay, our Walt Disney World Hotel Reviews page is a great resource. Want to know where to eat or if the Disney Dining Plan is right for you? Our Walt Disney World Dining Resources will help!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Are you planning a Walt Disney World trip in Summer 2021? Will you wait until COVID-19 is truly a thing of the past, or you’re fully vaccinated? If you’ve visited since Walt Disney World reopened, what tips, recommendations, experiences, or insight would you add to this? Did you feel the parks were safe? What about magical? If you’re a first-timer, is there anything else you’d like to know? Are you excited to experience the parks or will you wait for Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary in 2021 before visiting? We love to hear reader feedback, but please keep the comments civil. This is not the place for arguing about efficacy, politics, and so forth—all such comments will be deleted, irrespective of perspective.
I would like to see a graduated lifting of the mask requirements, like outdoors optional, removal for pictures outdoors with heavier restrictions in place while in queues or indoors, and with strict adherence to social distancing at all times. I wonder if anything like this would be possible in the near future?
I would love for them to be removed for photos also. They are only down for a few seconds!
It’s too bad we can’t back to some normal it seems like they keep moving the goal posts and to be honest I don’t know if we should make children get the vaccine. With that being said Disney is never going to lift this mask mandate. I keep hoping they will listen to the science but they aren’t they are too worried about getting sued! Children rarely carry the virus. That being said people should be allowed to make common sense choices and I have no problem if someone wants to wear a mask but we should be able to decide not to wear one if we are vaccinated and we follow the proper guidelines. This is just my opinion. Disney will never be the same very sad.
They really aren’t worried about getting sued. There is absolutely no way to show where you contracted a virus like this. If you tried to sue, you’d be laughed out of court. No, they are worried about the appearance of safety and getting families to show up.
I don’t mind canceling and rebooking for next year if by November you still have to wear a mask. Just not enjoyable breathing into a mask all day. We can change our two weeks of plans. We love Disney but it isn’t going anywhere.
It’s been obvious for a while now that we would be widely vaccinated by May/June. So this “news” is really just confirmation of this timeline.
Yet… WDW has not shown any signs of starting to “turn the ship.” Other than FOTLK announced 2 months ago, no additional signs of anything being prepped to return. No stories about significant upcoming increases in staff. No announcements of further anticipated hotel openings.
It feels more and more like WDW has chosen to write off the summer. Take the opportunity to reset a lot of their operations.
Or see how much they can get away with not bringing back. Unfortunately Disney is always fixated on cheapening the experience while raising prices. If they can get folks in parks without bringing back many of the entertainment options they will. They’re probably just hoping people will forget about many of them and they’ll quietly be canceled for good.
I am trying to remain optimistic for the future. Right now, we are experiencing a ridiculously artificial, completely unprecedented situation. Even in a WWII type environment, things wouldn’t be this crazy. As always, the company has problems with unions and other groups interfering with a return to normal. The perpetual overhype affects people’s willingness to o to WDW, and DL remains closed (for the next month still anyway). They’ve taken extraordinary measures to reopen WDW parks and hotels while dealing with reduced demand, stemming revenue losses wherever possible.
People view this as an excuse for greedy corporate scrooges to axe entertainment and services in favor of profits, but I think the people in operations and parks management do not think this way at all. They are doing what they can keep things as normal-ish as possible, but as Tom has noted repeatedly, the reduced capacity in the parks directly translates to net revenue losses. They simply cannot roll everything back in all at once. It sucks for us and it sucks more for the folks out of work. So please be nice to the overstressed cast members when you do go to the parks. They are doing their best to give you a magical experience and they don’t like hassling you about masks any more than you like wearing them.
Fair points, Mrnico, and I certainly agree Disney is wanting to nix masks asap as it directly affects their bottom line. I think the skepticism many in the community feel with regard to what will and will not return in terms of entertainment is tied directly to Disney’s track record before COVID was on anyone’s radar. Disney has been cheapening the guest experience for years while also raising prices, and there were no capacity restrictions or health concerns motivating myriad changes to that affect. So while it may be to an extent cynical to think Disney can/will/has leverage(d) the health crisis to their benefit in certain regards, its also cynicism driven directly by precedents Disney, and Disney alone, is responsible for. A good example would be the AP situation in DL, but I believe Tom has spoken on that already so I won’t rehash it here.
I concur on the recent nickel-and-diming point. Parking fees for resort guests, double ticket increases each year, etc…
We were just there for Spring Break. The parks were crowded, but overall the trip went really well. Usually around an hour wait for the big ticket items, maybe a little more. But nothing too crazy even with the parks at capacity. The one thing that did suck, masks. And it was only mid 80s while we were there. I feel for those of you who will be attempting a June-August trip if they dont relax the rules by then. Also, masks are pointless and unneeded outdoors. I would hope as they relax rules maybe they require them indoors, but not outside.
Hi Tom! I’m curious what you mean by a “gradual relaxation” of the mask policy? Do you basically expect them to stop being as strict, such as allowing a quick picture or allowing you to walk and drink water? We are headed there mid June. I’m very nervous about the no water in lines part. Some lines are an hour and half in the hot sun. Any thoughts on if this will potentially change by then?
Potential options:
-Maskless photos allowed outdoors (already Universal’s policy)
-Masks may be briefly removed when outdoors & physically distanced (already Tokyo Disney Resort’s policy)
-Masks optional outdoors, required in queues or indoors
-Masks optional but recommended
We’re booked for early November for two weeks but if we have to wear a mask we are canceling. We both are fully vaccinated. Wearing these masks and on vacation is just something we don’t want to do. We have plenty of time to see what changes will take place before then. Also not having the parks open later is a bummer. Our best time at Epcot and Mk are at night. We love walking around all night at Epcot eating and drinking. Trying new foods. Love the rides at Mk at night. So pretty and fun. That is another issue of ours.
YES! I love being in the parks at night. Warm clear nights in Tomorrowland with the neon, or Epcot anywhere…
Masks in November shouldn’t be an issue other than being annoying. We did September and that wasn’t great, but in January it wasn’t too bad.
My son and I are booked for June. I will be vaccinated by then. We have visited several times and we decided we are OK with missing the entertainment and dining that is currently unavailable because the 35% capacity is a nice trade off. I’m growing more and more concerned that we will end up in a funky transition where more people are allowed into the parks, but with no return of fast pass or other perks that would make the crowds bearable. Most blogs talk about the end of May or Beginning of July… while June lays in limbo.
When they introduced the newer FP system, it radically changed lines and waits. Maybe it helped he company mange crowds in some ways, but for us it sucks. There are now usually long lines where there never were before. That’s why we call it Fastpass-Minus. Not concerned about it coming back…
There’s a lot of talk and consideration about vaccine requirements and passports and whatnot, but that is a ship that has already sailed, and it’s impossible for that to be enforced now.
Everyone that has been vaccinated, up to now and for the foreseeable future, has only a card with hand-written dates and signatures to serve as “proof” of having gotten the vaccine. Most are getting their shots in the middle of a parking lot, or in an assembly line set up in school gyms, hospital conference rooms, or other nearly anonymous settings. There is no documentation or centralized tracking of who has been vaccinated at this point.
I could print out a vaccine card and fill it out, and have the same “proof” of vaccination as anyone else. No one would be able to confirm or deny the veracity of it either. Lacking a verification method, there is no way to enforce requirements or “passports” … it just cannot be done.
I’m not sure about other states, but in Texas, our vaccine info is put in the state vaccine registry.
I am actually beginning to question whether vaccines will be the “game changer” I (and others) have anticipated. Our company has manufacturing sites throughout the US and we are tracking vaccine acceptance (these are rural locations). In general the employee acceptance rate (either through us or on their own) has been about 40-50% – slightly higher for the salaried workforce. We have even offered it on site to folks for free and don’t get a different rate – at one site where we offered a couple of hours of pay we got slightly better results though not substantially. This suggests to me there is more vaccine reluctance than many of us who are getting the vaccine assume. It also suggests we could get to the summer and find we have many many more doses of vaccine than are being demanded…how this plays out long term I don’t know (more variants emerging?, smaller flairups every year? if high risk individuals are getting vaccinated maybe it looks more like the flu – effecting the lower risk population where a very small number get very sick and extremely small number die – remember the flu can kill 10s of thousands in a year but that is a tiny percentage of infections). The one thing I am convinced of is that we won’t be eradicating this through vaccines and some portion of the population may continue to use additional precautions on an ongoing basis…
Kevin, there are several different camps out there, and a lot of folks have seen too many movies. And some of us have a more scientific education that makes us question everything. There is a lot of misinformation out there, more than ever before. You see reports that it’s really mRNA gene therapy which isn’t legally a ‘vaccine’ but I kind of see that as the same as champagne vs Champagne, port wine vs Port bottled in Oporto, Cognac vs cognac, where in the end the quality is what matters to most consumers, not the origin specifically. I personally distrust anything made by someone else to some extent. I am a licensed structural engineer, but I don’t trust manmade stuff at heights while at the same time I will go to the edge of a 1000 foot cliff to drop rocks off of it. As a kid they had to drag me up stairs that didn’t have risers on back of the treads like at the Poly! But I’ve taught rope work and rappelled down into caves on a rope. But I digress…
I’ve always hated getting shots or having blood drawn. My parents are getting different versions, one Moderna and one Pfizer. I’ve spoken with folks at VA stations all over the country and friends. None have had serious ill effects from any of them. One said an older woman she works with at the university nursing school had some foggy memory issues for weeks after getting it. But that’s it so far. The VA is now pushing all contractor employees including engineers and architects, etc to get flu shots in addition to the annual TB testing. They haven’t suggested requiring a covid vaccine yet. Rollout is accelerating though. They dropped the age here to 40 starting next week. Went to doctor last week and he said they are expecting some doses for patients soon, maybe the J&J single dose version and will text us. He said they consider flu shots to be maybe 40% effective, but haven’t seen hardly any cases this years because of the masks. So even if the J&J version is ‘only’ 75% effective, it will make a big difference.
The virus cannot be eradicated. It will always be with us now. But we are really learning how to treat it as well as prevent, so death numbers are dropping regardless of vaccinations. Much like heart attacks, this can take anyone at any age with bad luck. Have friends in their 70s and 80s who got it and survived. Some severe, some barely had any symptoms even in same house. Sorry I don’t have a clear, concise answer for you!
This scares me more than anything. I can’t wait until the day I can get vaccinated (48 and immunocompromised plus other health issues – we’re still at 65+ in Washington) and when I do, the vaccine might not be as effective for me. The thought that half the population doesn’t even want one does not bode well for my future at Disney World. I guess I’ll just stick to the Asian parks once I can travel again since a way higher percent of their population will be vaccinated. But I do love WDW.
That’s troubling but not unsurprising–and the United States isn’t even among the most vaccine-hesitant countries!
One thing to consider is that there are two ways to gain immunity, and it sure seems like those who have the most vaccine hesitancy are also those who are more likely to gain natural immunity. How long that lasts is still uncertain–as is the percentage of the population that has been infected–but that coupled with vaccines might be sufficient to get us to the herd immunity threshold.
Arizona started vaccinating all people age 16 and older yesterday
Myself and eight other family members had our trip canceled due to the Pandemic, including four children. The entire experience was devastating, especially for the children. Yes, I know I am not alone here. The Canadian/ US border is closed to non essential travel. I know at some point it will reopen. When it does, will Disney World allow Canadian visitors? I an not expecting to travel until masks are no longer a requirement and Disney brings back character dining and meet and greet. Hopefully in 2022. The cost for 9 people to come and stay at a Disney resort is extremely high, especially coming from Canada, so you can understand why we would want the full Disney experience.
I visited for 2 weeks in December, the first time I’d eaten at a restaurant since March 2020. Disney was great!
Back in February as a snowbird and went 22 out of 28 days- always was grateful for cast members keeping it magical
Planning on 4 days in May on the way back from the Keys
Appreciate all your insight Tom, always fantastic!
My family and I will be coming to WDW in May from PA. By that point, we will all have been fully vaccinated. Should we bring proof of vaccination, or is that not necessary.
It’s not necessary.
You overlook the fact that the pediatric vaccine won’t be available until 2022. Disney is a family friendly company they can’t let hoards of maskless adults (some of whom are anti vaxx) roam the parks. That’s a bad look. They’ve also always had a close relationship with Give Kids the World and Make-a-Wish. They aren’t going to say “Sorry former wish kids, you can’t come because adults want to be maskless and drunk in Epcot.”
I still expect masking to last to the end of 2021.
The CDC has sort of sidestepped this issue by treating children as low-risk and I’d expect that to continue with their guidance going forward. With that said, I do expect Disney to err on the side of caution, wanting to avoid any negative PR given their brand reputation for safety. However, I think that means waiting until a few weeks after Universal has relaxed mask/distancing rules, not keeping them in place until kids can be vaccinated.
IMO, it’s not solely a matter of health safety, it’s about balancing that with Disney’s business interests. It will cost Disney too much lost revenue to be the only major vacation destination in the United States to require masks.
This, exactly. 21% of the US population is 14 and under. The percentage of guests not eligible for a vaccine going to Disney is going to be higher than that for the rest of 2021. Dr. Fauci has said 6 months minimum data will be required for pediatric approval. Pfizer 12-15 yrs trial started in mid-December. Moderna trial for kids 6 months and up started last week. So absolute earliest approval for 12 and up is Late June, late September for younger kids. It doesn’t matter if we the consumer believe or don’t believe masks work. Disney has shown by their past policy they value a mask mandate. Why would they reverse it before CDC changes their recommendations when they already have established practices and people have, for the most part, accepted them?
If we reach herd immunity earlier than expected and case levels are non-existent and CDC revises guidelines then maybe mask mandates are relaxed earlier. But I doubt it happens in 2021. If only 60-70% of adults get the vaccine and 20% of the population is not eligible due to age and there is relaxation of international travel how are case numbers going to be low enough? I would love it, though, if I turn out to be wrong and adult vaccination and those who have already had COVID turns out to be sufficient to squash the virus sooner.
I agree. I just don’t think Disney will lift the mask mandate or social distancing policies until there’s a pediatric vaccine. So my bet is early 2022ish. Little kids is just too high a percentage of people entering their parks. They care more about not getting sued than public image…. but either way it’s bad if a bunch of kids get COVID at the park.
I wish they would bring back character meet and greets sooner. Even if they had fixed locations (in restaurants and other areas) and just have a piece of plexiglass (or some type of divider) so kids (well, everyone) could get better pictures actually beside the characters. That would be the closest thing to actually hugging them and not being so far away that sometimes the characters aren’t even looking at you for pictures. (I hope that all made sense).
Mississippi is also already vaccinating anyone over 16
Why not do away with masks for Florida residents and/or those states with a large vaccinated population? This will require a little work, but it’s doable.
How does how and where people choose to eat when visiting town relevant to WDW? Half of this post was educating people on the science. Are we really still so clueless? I also wonder if the crankiness of some cast members these days is people complaining Disney isn’t “doing enough”. They are already jumping through hoops on the daily trying to enforce the rules they have. I agree it is mostly for show, but they still have to do it.
I think people so concerned about Covid have a choice not to be there. As you said, theme parks are not essential.
A targeted rule would be an enforcement nightmare, and the practical reality is that most states are likely to reach milestones on pretty similar timelines.
The “educational” half of the post was written last July. Even with that said, there are *still* many people who are fixated on hand sanitizing and disinfecting, even though our collective knowledge about transmission has evolved well beyond that. Personally, I’d argue that Disney’s health safety rules are still stuck in March of last year (literally no mention of ventilation or air filtration anywhere by Disney), but that’s likely by design as Disney wants to focus on the visible show of it, since people care about feeling safe.
The company isn’t going to do anything like that. They aren’t going to put cast members in the position of arguing with irate or ignorant guests. A huge part of training for us was avoidance of confrontation and people making scenes that would disturb other guests’ experience.
Excellent points Tom. It’s about appearances as much as anything. That comes from Walt’s early planning for Disneyland and his distaste for dirty, seedy amusement parks and carnivals. And the public’s mistaken impression that if it LOOKS clean, it must BE clean and this idiotic fad of white counters and cabinets in kitchens on all these TV shows (and sadly, Disney hotel rooms).
Totally agree! And If you are so worried abt Covid don’t go where there will be lots of people. And if you do, where your mask, and stay 6 ft (maybe 3ft) away from me and mine. We recently visited Hollywood studios, and it was quite amusing the safety inconsistencies that were noted, such as long lines to get into another line to go into a store, only to realize they did NOT sanitize in between each of the parties going into the stores. OR no sanitizing the cars in between riders, but yet the employees would HARP on you to pull your mask up over your nose as your asking a question and your mask is falling because you are talking! WDW is a little bit RIDICULOUS, if you ask me, especially in a non-mask mandated state!
Yes, I understand your points now, Tom. As well as the cast member who said they certainly don’t need to deal with any more people who might give them a hard time.
I hope they will soon open more resorts like POR!
I had trouble finding a vaccine appointment when it opened up to me last week, soonest I could find was almost a month out, so when appointments open up to the younger age groups it would be well into summer before others would be able to get an appointment. I hope Disney doesn’t jump the gun and open up too much or relax safety protocols too early, and keeps park attendance capped at a lower capacity with park reservations necessary. I know business is important, but it would be the responsible thing to do. I’ll be there in early June and I’m actually looking forward to no parades, no fireworks, and hopefully a lower attendance overall
“I had trouble finding a vaccine appointment when it opened up to me last week, soonest I could find was almost a month out, so when appointments open up to the younger age groups it would be well into summer before others would be able to get an appointment.”
You might want to try one of the higher-capacity super sites. While appointments have been tough to score, many people are reporting waiting 30 minutes or less (often no wait whatsoever) at those sites. At least, that’s the case here in Florida. I know it’s true in some other states, but certainly not everywhere.
Good luck!