Disney World Reopening Report
We spent the day at Walt Disney World for reopening day, visiting Magic Kingdom as a follow-up to our Annual Passholder preview day two days ago. In this report, we’ll share photos, crowds & wait time info, eBayer thoughts, health & safety measures, mask compliance, and more.
Essentially, this is a continuation of Our First Day Back in Magic Kingdom, as there was a ton of overlap between the two visits. In large part, we’re using this post as a chance to address a few topics we either forgot to cover in that, plus some changes we’ve observed between the two days.
In hindsight, it probably would’ve been wise to do Animal Kingdom today to space out our Magic Kingdom visits, but we clearly didn’t think things through. (Stay tuned for a report from that park soon.) Regardless, we think this update should prove useful, as we quickly hit on a variety of topics in a photo and caption format…
One thing we’re going to gloss over is the mood in Florida right now, and Walt Disney World’s decision to proceed with today. That has been making waves in the national media–and it’s absolutely a topic worthy of thorough discussion. We did exactly that in our Should Walt Disney World Stay Closed? post.
That offers a nuanced look at the pros and cons of resuming operations versus waiting, plus the pitfalls of both approaches. While snap judgments are a time-honored American pastime, we’d recommend reading that before jumping to conclusions. As we’ve said before, the challenges facing Florida are multifaceted and simply shouting “stay closed!” is not a serious solution to a complex problem.
On the flip side, we’d also caution against reading this and reaching premature positive perceptions, too. Certainly do not plan a Walt Disney World vacation on the basis of these preliminary reports. While Walt Disney World is doing a superlative job thus far, it’s still early and a lot can change in a short span of time.
On top of that, there’s the real world situation outside the Disney bubble. That, coupled with the compromises and risks you’ll have to make and take if traveling now should make “wait and see” the default. In short, we’d actively discourage most people from planning trips until we have more information and data sufficient for making credible forward-looking predictions.
With those disclaimers out of the way, let’s take a look at reopening day at Walt Disney World…
We once again delayed a bit, and rolled up over an hour after rope drop to miss whatever opening rush there might’ve been.
Let’s start by checking out the new walkway to Disney’s Contemporary Resort, which remains far and away the most efficient way to access that hotel and Bay Lake Tower.
We experienced zero lines at the temperature screening and bag check.
Speaking of which, above is a look at the sign for the new security screening. Both times now, my camera bag has set off the metal detector (no surprise there). Contactless bag check thereafter has been a breeze, with me just quickly lifting up lenses for security to visually inspect.
Entering Magic Kingdom was likewise hiccup-free with no lines whatsoever at the turnstiles.
Apparently there was an issue that caused a back-up at Guest Relations earlier in the morning, but this line had dissipated within an hour or so of park opening. The whole arrival and entry process was once again easy and friction-free.
Here’s a look at Main Street when we arrived. Pretty quiet once again.
This was more or less the scene on Main Street throughout the day.
Attraction waits, on the other hand, were definitely longer today.
Part of this is undoubtedly that park capacity has already ramped up between the preview days and the reopening day. (We’d expect this trend to continue to the extent that there’s demand.) Another part is that various attractions kept going down throughout the day–it seemed like 2-3 were down whenever we checked.
I tried to capture the lines for “it’s a small world” and Peter Pan’s Flight in one photo, failing at both in the process.
You can’t tell, but both are spilling out their respective entrances into overflow areas. Each have 20-25 minute waits at this point.
Haunted Mansion had a 25 minute wait shortly after come back up from a brief downtime.
This died down shortly thereafter, settling into near walk-on status by late afternoon.
The longest line each of our visits to Magic Kingdom has been the Splash Mountain gift shop. We haven’t been inside it, but it looks like only some plush and very ordinary t-shirts are in stock at the moment. The rest of the merchandise has been scooped up by eBay pirates.
My view on eBayers is generally “don’t hate the player, hate the game,” which is to say that Disney could easily eliminate this problem if the company so desired. Nevertheless, I’ve gotta admit seeing so many people with tons of bags–and even entire cases–of merchandise left a sour taste in my mouth. It has gotten out of hand. (On a related note, the Splash Mountain reimagining is probably over a year away–expect this stuff to be restocked many times between now and then.)
Notice anything missing from this photo?
(Aside from guests.)
This should make it more obvious.
In both visits thus far, we’ve noticed barely any strollers. It makes sense, but is still odd to see. Reminds us of Tokyo Disneyland.
The Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover is still down, but “should be operating soon” per a Cast Member. We’ll take that with a grain of salt, as it was down in the pre-closure days in March, too.
Also, don’t touch this…for your safety.
We’ve seen several comments on social media from people who don’t want their photos taken while wearing masks. That’s an understandable position–there is something incongruous about the visuals.
Our perspective is the opposite. When this all inevitably ends and society emerges out the other side of it, we’ll have these photos as tangible reminders of what 2020 was like. Not that this abominable year won’t be burned into our memories regardless, but I’d rather have historical documentation of what visiting Walt Disney World was actually like, not a rosy misrepresentation.
I don’t fault anyone for disagreeing with that view; it probably would not be my take if this were our first and only visit. (Then again, we would not make a first visit right now.)
If you do want to “wear a smile,” there are always prop options or even the character masks that Walt Disney World is selling. Those are a good choice if you want something cheery or themed.
As someone with “resting scowl-face,” I’m fine with the masks. Adding in sunglasses and a hat actually makes me less self-conscious and nearly invisible, which I also like. I can’t wait until the weather is cooler so I can start dressing in full-on John Marston garb, and look really ominous and enigmatic.
The biggest downside for me is hearing and recognizing others. I’m really bad at both of those things to begin with, and the masks just exacerbate that.
While we’re on the topic, guest mask compliance wasn’t quite as stellar as the AP preview day when we reported observing 100% perfection on that front.
On reopening day, it was more like 97%. We saw a few instances of guests walking and eating, as well as masks not covering noses. In a couple of cases, we actually overheard Cast Members politely but firmly correcting this behavior. We consider anything about 95% compliance really solid, so no major complaints here.
If you want to remove your mask, restaurants, designated dining seating areas, and the Relaxation Stations around the park are your options.
Above is the one indoor Relaxation Station, which is located back in Storybook Circus.
The best of these is Tomorrowland Terrace. This one is open air, which is crucial to us, and also offers great views and a nice breeze off the water.
Our only criticism is that Cast Members have been closing off the lower, waterfront tier if the top area isn’t full. Why not just leave the whole thing open? There’s no shortage of Cast Members to wipe down tables, and providing more space to spread out makes guests feel more comfortable.
It’d also be nice if Tomorrowland Terrace were one of the operational restaurant options. That’s unlikely because it has always been seasonal, but having an outdoor and open air dining option would be great. (It certainly has not yet, but we predict guest demand will ultimately come around on this and outdoor seating areas will become favored.)
In general, the current dining slate at Magic Kingdom could use improvement. Especially on the counter service front.
At this point, our biggest preliminary takeaway/recommendation is to arrive late and stay late. Not only will you bypass potential logjams and hiccups at rope drop, but you’ll be positioned to last longer in the Florida heat and humidity, which will allow you to enjoy lower wait times.
This will also give you more time to eat a big breakfast or early lunch, thus avoiding the paltry dining options at Magic Kingdom right now. Really though, not much strategy is required at all–the Walt Disney World experience is currently pretty frictionless and allows for plenty of spontaneity.
Ultimately, another good day in Magic Kingdom with low crowds and a reassuring array of safety measures coupled with near-perfect guest compliance. We realize this doesn’t cover a ton of new ground as compared to our previous report, but the less that changes in terms of crowds, compliance, etc., the better. Walt Disney World is still crushing it on this front, making it a solid time to visit if you’re a local Annual Passholder, Disney Vacation Club member with points to burn, or frequent guest who otherwise feels comfortable and safe visiting.
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
Did you attend the reopening day at Magic Kingdom or Animal Kingdom? What was your experience? Thoughts on any topic discussed here? Are you eagerly awaiting your next vacation ‘escape’ to Walt Disney World, or still apprehensive about everything going on right now? Do you have any questions about the current modified Magic Kingdom experience? Will you be attempting to visit Walt Disney World this summer or fall, 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!
How does disney world handle people who can not wear a mask? Do you need a doctors note? From what I have learned so far is they are not allowed to ask about your medical condition. But I am wondering what Disney World is doing about this. Thanks for any insight,.
There are no medical exceptions to the mask rule.
My understanding is that under the disabilities Act (ADA), if you have a medical condition that poses a medical and or physical risk, you do not have to wear one.
IF Disney is in violation of of the ADA they could face steep penalties. Organizations and businesses can be fined up to $75,000 for first violation and $150,000 for any subsequent violations. Maybe I am wrong. But that is my understanding. Thanks for your prompt reply.
The ADA only requires “reasonable accommodations.” There is no reasonable accommodation for wearing a mask, as it protects other people from the wearer. Accordingly, no exception is required by law.
I know “face mask exempt cards” have made the rounds on social media, but those are bogus (the Federal Trade Commission actually addresses them on their coronavirus scam page).
Some of these locals are scum! Buying bags and bags of splash mountain merchandise and selling them for crazy prices. All these ebay sellers/mercari etc. who are trying to price gouge others who don’t live locally is terrible. What a shame to Disney to allow them to do it as well. Hope these sellers get stuck with the merchandise or lose money on it.
If you have breathing problems that are bad enough that you can’t wear a mask. Then you really shouldn’t be going to Disney World in the middle of a respiratory disease pandemic.
Tom, what IS the policy on masks and photos at Disney? Can masks be removed for photopass photos (is photopass even operatinal?). I’m happy to comply with mask rules, but it would be nice to be able to get some socially distanced “normal” photos.
PhotoPass is available, but masks cannot be removed. (However, the Tomorrowland Terrace Relaxation Station has a view of Cinderella Castle, so you can get mask-free photos there.)
Will the Splash Mountain redo be at least a year away for sure? As an EBay buyer and not a big seller or even small seller, I’m seeing prices crazy high. Hoping they will be able to keep restocking the gift shop so a personal shopper could pick up something at a reasonable cost. However, I was wondering about supply chains? For example, I ordered Lilly Pulitzer Pottery Barn kids shams months ago and they are still not expected until August now – the dates been pushed several times. Are Disney’s supply chain’s experiencing “It must be on a slow boat from China “ effect? I would say no, but it took a long time for the masks to come in. So, just wondering about that as well. Also, the one thing I don’t think will be restocked is the Dooney and Bourke Ink and Paint handbags – are there many of those in the parks or are most of them online? Thanks to anyone who has info.
Nothing about any of this is certain–mostly speculative on my part.
I have a tough time seeing that refurbishment starting anytime soon. My expectation is at least a year, but I don’t have anything super credible to back that up. I’d also imagine it’ll start at Disneyland first.
I think as part of the analysis of whether WDW is right for you, one has to look at the data behind the numbers. Not just the “rising cases” top line. Florida does an excellent job of breaking out their data. People under 45 make up 155k cases or 58% of the total. They account for 123 deaths, or just 3%. The survival rate for people under 45 is currently 99.92% That is before you even factor in how many of those people had underlying conditions. You could even bump that up to people under 55 and it is 99.85% survival rate. Both of these are in line or better than the seasonal flu. I would not go right now, but that is solely based on wearing a mask all day in 100 degree weather. The data behind the virus itself gives me no pause for me or my family. Everyone can feel how they want obviously, just expressing my view on it. Disney is doing a better job than most at keeping people safe as well.
You make valid points, but for every point there is a counterpoint. Covid may not make me, my wife (both mid 50’s), or child “teenager”) very ill, but if we were to contract it, it could be fatal to my 84 year old MIL who lives with us and has dementia.
Whether one chooses to go or not go to the Florida theme parks (or any place where large amounts of people gather) is a personal choice based in their own levels of comfort with risk (perceived and real) in these days and times..
In my case, I’d hate to potentially kill off my MIL because I couldn’t wait an extra year to go to WDW or Universal (cancelled my planned vacation there for next month), and came back home as an a symptomatic Covid patient.
Tom, Your blogs are AMAZING & VERY INFORMATIVE! Could you please tell me if Samsung Pay or Google Pay are accepted at the parks? TY
Wow, what an amazing place to visit Disney land, Disney Land is in my travel wish list. A small beautiful state within a state. Love to visit such a beautiful developed place.
These are pictures of Disney World in Florida, Disneyland in California is still closed 🙂
Awesome report! Do you think that arriving early, like around 8:30, would also avoid crowds? I thought that might get us in between the 8:00 and 9:00 rush. Maybe.
I’m a former Disneyland CM. I attribute my Disney obsession during my college years to your blog; I discovered it during a difficult time in my life, and reading about your trips gave me the Disney ‘itch’ and lifted me out of considerable darkness. That ‘itch’ took me to Disneyland Paris, and Disneyland’s Disney College Program. Clearly, I was a huge fan of yours and your blog had a tremendous influence on my life. However, I have been horrified to watch the Disney fan community’s response to COVID-19, and deeply disappointed to read your stance on this situation. This terrible illness is nothing to take lightly; we know that even if we ourselves are unaffected, we place others at risk of death by choosing to live as though the past four months have not changed life as we knew it. I feel it is deeply irresponsible to not warn others against traveling to Disney World, let alone actually *go* to the parks. Given Florida’s surge in cases, it is immoral to not warn others against making such a careless move.
Not sure you picked up on the main point in the beginning…the part where they actually recommended folks NOT plan a trip at this time. I also think you’re using the immoral incorrectly. At best, the word would be unethical…and then only if the author is getting paid by Disney to post this blog and persuade people travel to Disney and hit the parks. Don’t get me wrong…you’re entitled to your opinion. As a big Disney fan myself, and someone associated with the operations of this company for two decades, I felt safe traveling here and creating more lifetime memories, because I know Disney will get it right, and do everything in their power to protect me and every other visitor.
Have a Magical Day!
The indoor relaxation station and the indoor dining at Magic Kingdom are the only two things that give me pause. Visitors shouldn’t be lingering indoors without masks. That being said, I believe that if our country had an actual reopening task force, and one which included the people who oversaw WDWs reopening, we’d be living a far better reality today. They embraced and enforced responsible and effective virus mitigation when it wasn’t popular among so many. These type of actions of mitigation helped NYC out of a disaster. They work. As our governor has repeated over the last few months, “Actions matter.” Life can go on as long as our actions are responsible, and as long as we are respectful of what we are facing here.
I have a feeling the CDC, health officials from local to government, as well as the CEOs of companies in the travel industry from cruise ships to hotels to water parks and everything in between have an eagle eye on Disney World right now. Disney as a whole over the past 60 or so years has set the baseline for the travel industry. Whatever Disney does, other will follow.
I pray Disney with their reopening proves all the hand wringers, naysayers, and skeptics wrong.
We have such terrible contact tracing in Florida, on purpose. It’s a great system come, get sick, leave and it’s your home state’s problem. I’m wondering how long it is before states with good contract tracing demand something be done about Florida’s recklessness? Not everyone is being careful or avoiding indoor dining. People are getting sick at Universal and Disney Springs. CMs are getting sick.
It’s like having a peeing section in the pool. We’re attached to the rest of the pool, it’s not going to stay in Florida because of magical thinking. The state is playing a dangerous game where they bet only young people will get sick and they can keep death rates and hospitalizations down without actually keeping the cases down. This type of Wild West isn’t going to last long. We won’t be able to open schools with the cases this high, and other states are going to complain when the infected tourists go home.
Ah, well it will be fun until someone comes here then starts a cluster in another state.
I agree with your message because the Gov of Florida has not been truthful with reporting the real numbers.. Everyone has a right to go to DW if they want but I’ll pass until our crisis is over and we have vaccine. The other thing Is I can’t enjoy myself while others are suffering. Again my choice.
My man dropped. a John Marston reference!
Glad to see it was another smooth day for y’all and appreciate the “getting to travel vicariously” through your trip reports while I stay indoors, play games and follow the NBA bubble content on Twitter. On a side note: the players absolutely should’ve done some sort of reality TV deal, because the social content coming out is pure GOLD.
Disney did the right thing by waiting and getting the parks ready and safe but become the scapegoat because of timing. Meanwhile bars and nightclubs still operate via loophole and have been proven covid hotspots. They don’t make as good of a villain in news coverage though.
I’m happy to see that WDW is open again. However, it also makes me a little sad to see all the changes. Just reinforces in my mind with what is going on around the entire world.
Tom, you brought up an excellent point. I agree that the initial crowds will be the pent-up demand. It does make one wonder how Disney could continue operating with such low crowds. My wife and I have been tossing around the idea of visiting from out of state towards the end of July. The new 15,000 covid cases really has caused me to take a step back and re-evaluate. I’m going to wait and see how this week goes before I make my final decision. 90% leaning towards staying home.
Someone also brought up a point that I haven’t really thought about. There is much more attention to WDW being open and if it should stay closed or not. The same degree of attention and/or criticism has not been directed towards Universal whatsoever. Universal has been open for an entire month – from my understanding masks and social distancing are not looked at as strictly as what is happening at WDW. It is also my understanding that there has not been a giant COVID outbreak from universal being open.
From what I have seen, I think Disney I is doing a great job. I visited the resorts three weeks ago and was extremely impressed with what Disney had done to ensure guests and cast members stay safe.
I was wondering the same thing about the financials. My guess is Disney’s fixed costs are very high and their marginal costs are probably somewhat surprising low. So they can at least get some contribution towards the fixed costs with even a small number of guests. I’m sure it won’t be profitable, but it will be less of a loss.
The 15,000 case number today is actually better than past days. The raw case count is basically useless information. Today was the lowest positivity rate in more than two weeks, and they’ve had three straight days of decline. Not saying you should go, just want the information out there.
We have almost non existent contact tracing in Florida and our governor doesn’t feel it’s needed. He said young people don’t want to talk to the tracers anyway. This is convenient because people are getting sick at Universal and CMs are getting sick at Disney Springs. The state just has some plausible deniability here. It will likely work until other states complain that we are sending infected tourists home.
They were having cases early on at Universal, too. People were getting sick after coming for previews or opening weekend.
looks like a fun day. My family and I just canceled our trip to Disney because we don’t feel comfortable flying and the drive from Ohio is too long to make without stopping.
It was hard to cancel the trip but after seeing the Coronavirus numbers, we feel like we made the right choice.
Thank you for sharing your experience and photos with us all.
So is it expected that everyone must keep masks on while on each ride? I am asking as I wonder if the mask might come off riding something fast like Space Mountain.
If your mask is secure around your ears/head, it won’t come off. You are required to wear it during all rides, and, in fact, Disney won’t release ride photos for anyone not wearing a mask.
Thank you so much for these posts! I miss DW so much but won’t be able to visit any time soon.
From what I can see, if you removed the vloggers and cast members, there wouldn’t be very many people left.
You’re not wrong. There have definitely been disproportionate “people of the internet” (vloggers, bloggers, influencers, legacy media, and eBayers) opening weekend. Part of that is unsurprising–there’s always that element to a degree with anything new.
It also makes me suspect we haven’t even seen the lowest crowds yet. After the locals and people of the internet get their first visits in, and pent-up demand is gone, how empty will the parks be? How long will operating that way even be sustainable? With the recent explosion in Florida’s case numbers, it’s unlikely out of state tourists are coming back, even in small numbers, anytime soon.
I have a park pass scheduled for Thursday! My neighbor also happens to be working in MK that day, too! I’m excited and a little nervous. Thanks for sharing!!
Tom, thanks for intentionally or unintentionally answering my question about the relief places where one can take off a mask. Thanks for the unbiased report as usual. If I could just get in splash mountain one last time. Jealous on your great days not gonna lie. If I could drive it I think I’d go.
Tom & Sarah – God bless you for dealing with some of these comments. WOW.
following
No one has accused Tom and Sarah of being terrible people or wanting people to get Covid. Tom encourages different viewpoints and no need to justify desire to go to Disney World. Everyone do what feels right for them. How boring the comments would be if everyone completely agreed! And yes I order takeout a lot to help support small neighborhood restaurants. Huge difference between that and traveling out of state to go to a hotspot state and a theme park. Tom himself has consistently said that he would not come from out of state now !