Magic Kingdom Photo Report: PeopleMover Problems, Dining Dilemmas, Short Waits, Etc.
Magic Kingdom has now been open for over two full weeks, so it’s time to head back to Walt Disney World’s flagship park to see how things are going after the pent-up demand has been exhausted during what would otherwise be summer vacation season.
This was our first visit to Magic Kingdom following the reopening of Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Our main goals were to see how the park had ‘settled’ into operations during this time of temporary abnormal and if more parks being open meant attendance was further diluted or if more tourists and other guests would be present after hearing glowing health safety reports.
In this photo update, we’ll cover that. We’ll also address a range of random topics from around the Magic Kingdom, including the current status of the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover, Magic Kingdom’s dining dearth, cool new merchandise, walk-on rides, and more. It’s fairly rambling and basically just covers interesting tidbits, illustrative photos (plus ones I like), and other observations.
To that end, we’re not really sure what readers want out of these updates. Is it for vicarious visits to Walt Disney World while you can’t or won’t make the trip yourself? Is it to assess safety, crowd levels, and how the parks ‘feel’ to determine whether you’d feel comfortable going to Walt Disney World? A little of both? Something else?
Normally, we can ascertain this from past comments, but it’s tough to tell. Our reopening reports have been popular, but the why of that is unclear. As such, we’d love feedback so we can tailor these Walt Disney World photo reports to what’s relevant to prevailing interests!
It should go without saying, but we’re not going to do anything that makes us uncomfortable. Sadly and ironically, the things we want to do most at Magic Kingdom are either beyond our risk tolerances–Carousel of Progress & Country Bear Jamboree, dining at Be Our Guest Restaurant & Skipper Canteen–or not currently operational, in the case of the PeopleMover.
Anyway, on with the Magic Kingdom photo report…
Lately, we’ve been arriving late to each park. Usually, we’ll look at the weather forecast to time our visit after or before the summer storms, to the extent that’s possible.
Aside from some brief rain, this day was mostly just overcast. On the plus side, that made the weather cooler and more comfortable.
We did get lucky with a late afternoon break in the clouds, and most of the photos here are from that brief window.
As you can see from the two photos above, Magic Kingdom is still pretty uncrowded.
The ‘paint by numbers’ on the bricks of Cinderella Castle have largely been completed, which means this project is almost done.
A lot of Walt Disney World fans seem to love the new-look Cinderella Castle. I am not one of them, but my opinion isn’t going to change anything here, so I’ll just let those who enjoy it have their fun without my cynicism.
I will say that if you think the new-look Cinderella Castle looks different in virtually every photo, that’s pretty true to life.
They might as well call this Chameleon Castle, because it looks dramatically different in every type of lighting. If you’re seeking the “ideal” look, check it out an hour after sunrise as close as possible to the winter solstice.
Sleepy Hollow is currently the best option for counter service dining in Magic Kingdom due to Columbia Harbour House being closed, Be Our Guest Restaurant not doing its normal lunch, and the toppings bars being dramatically scaled back at Pecos Bill and Cosmic Ray’s.
Don’t get me wrong, I love these waffles and this is a great excuse to switch to an all-waffle diet…but these being the best option for quick service meals in the entire Magic Kingdom is not ideal.
On the plus side, nearly every table service restaurant has a sign out front indicating that seating is available. We dined at Tony’s recently and shared the experience in Tony’s Town Square Restaurant Redemption.
Given the abundant same-day availability, I cannot fathom making an Advance Dining Reservation right now. That flexibility is really nice. We cannot overstate how nice it is to have this much spontaneity when visiting Walt Disney World.
Sticking with the restaurant motif, in response to our 5 Post-Reopening Improvements for Walt Disney World, some commenters reported success in getting water from counter service restaurants. We’ve had recent success at smaller spots in this regard.
However Cosmic Ray’s is the only spot in Magic Kingdom (to our knowledge) with a water bottle refill station. Here, there’s a Cast Member stationed just inside the door lying in wait, ready to shout “WIZARD YOU SHALL NOT PASS!” to anyone who doesn’t have a Mobile Order.
Liki Tikis and other water features are turned off (no spitting Aladdin camel), which is easier for photos.
I hope water play areas can return at some point in the near future, but if not, maybe they could receive some other type of interactivity? (Dancing lights corresponding with their drumbeat would be cool once Magic Kingdom open after sunset.)
Moving on to attractions…we didn’t do any because we instead spent 5.75 hours waving at the Country Bears.
Some might argue that this was a waste of time, but we’ll get the last laugh when the bear insurrection finally happens. We’ve made our alliances known–how will you handle our new oso overlords?!
Joking aside, we were only able to wave at bears for about 30 minutes before their set ended. After that, it was off to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
This was about a ~10 minute wait–the longest line of the day.
Pirates of the Caribbean was a walk-on.
While other aspects of the current Walt Disney World experience might be surreal or eerie, I absolutely love walking through empty standby queues. There’s so much you miss when these are full of people, and the empty queues have a ‘heightened senses’ kind of vibe.
Haunted Mansion was also a walk-on.
The lack of a pause between the front door and the load area is the oddest part of this. (I’m also probably used to the Disneyland version, where there is more physical distance–plus an elevator.)
Space Mountain was yet another walk-on.
This was the eeriest attraction experience of the day, and it gave new meaning to “in space, no one can hear you scream.” The ride was totally silent for some reason (well, aside from the creaking of the track), which I guess fits if you’re looking for a dead atmosphere that reinforces the vastness and vacuum of space. Still fun.
Sticking in Tomorrowland, we’ll take a look at some new-to-us merchandise.
I absolutely love the color choices of this new line, especially the t-shirt. I would love a light blue dad hat with the old Walt Disney World logo in lime green text.
I’m not entirely sure this stuff is new, but it’s also cool.
There have been a lot of cool PeopleMover shirts of late, but the slogans on them are always too cheesy for even my cheesy tastes.
Until this one!
I love everything about it–the design, material, and colors. Will probably pick it up before that 30% off merchandise discount expires.
Speaking of the Tomorrowland Transit Authority Peoplemover, it’s still down. As you might recall, it has been down since about a week before Magic Kingdom closed back in March.
Sarah asks about this every time we visit, and she’s received a range of different explanations. Distilling those into something consistent, it seems like Disney is awaiting new motors or parts of some sort, and the reason for the delay is a supply chain issue or factory closure. The timeline for this ranges from a few days until several months.
We are perhaps overly apprehensive about all things PeopleMover, especially after what happened at Disneyland. Losing this attraction would be a huge blow for Magic Kingdom.
However, we believe Walt Disney World management knows this. At no point in recent memory have we heard any credible rumors about the PeopleMover being replaced or retired. To the contrary, we’ve been “reminded” that more Magic Kingdom guests do the PeopleMover than any other attraction, and as such, improvements are more likely than anything.
I haven’t the slightest inkling as to what, if anything, that means in the current environment. From a ‘wishful thinking’ perspective, now (or whenever the parts arrive) seems like the perfect time to take the PeopleMover down for long-overdue maintenance, plussing, and a new on-ride spiel. Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary may not offer as much as previously planned, but that’d be a pleasant surprise.
Elsewhere in Tomorrowland, the place-making project has stalled (see above). We still expect this to resume and finish in time for the debut of TRON Lightcycle Run, whenever that might happen.
“THE NEW CASTLE COLORS DO NOT LOOK BETTER, THEY ARE A CARTOONISH OVERCORRECTION THAT DIDN’T EVEN ACCOUNT FOR FLORIDA WEATHER. PLUS THEY DRAINED MY FAVORITE FLOATIN’ SPOT FOR THIS FOOLISHNESS. LEMME BREAK IT DOWN FOR YOU IN 2,000 QUACKS.”
“SIR, THIS IS A WENDY’S.”
Our original plan was to stick around as the Hub and Main Street cleared out, but there was a “huge” crowd–the biggest of the day, by far–still there at 7:30 pm. That makes sense given the early closing time, but with an ugly sunset coupled with more rain in the forecast, we decided to bounce to beat the storm.
Ultimately, it was another good visit to Magic Kingdom. Mask compliance and guest observance of rules remained high–around 98%, which leaves Epcot as the outlier for obvious reasons. Wait times and crowds were short or non-existent. Magic Kingdom has the strongest and most well-rounded attraction lineup of any park at Walt Disney World, but even it doesn’t require a full day right now.
It currently reminds us of a daytime version of Disney After Hours, which is great for guests who want to max out their ride count. We’d personally like to see a bit more balance–even some new snacks would really help improve the overall experience–but it’s really hard to complain about the current experience. Walt Disney World continues to do an exceptional job from a safety perspective, and we’re really savoring these visits, as we’re unlikely to ever experience anything like this ever again (hopefully!). It’s the one silver lining for us amidst…literally everything else…happening in the real world.
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
Have you visited Magic Kingdom since the park reopened? What was your experience? What would you like to see covered in these park photo reports? 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? Do you agree or disagree with our advice? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Hi Tom,
Thank you so much for your article, always fun to read. While I am not planning a Disney trip anytime soon (I have one year old twins, one of whom is special needs and high risk so our family won’t be doing any non-medical related travel for at least a year I suspect) I still read your posts religiously because:
1) I’m an amateur photographer (no where near your level) and I just love looking at your photos. I’ve actually been following here and Travel Caffeine for years (I think I started reading your stuff when you where shooting a D700? I don’t keep a log so could be totally off on the body, but it’s been a while).
2) I really enjoy your writing style and find it entertaining.
3) I have an irrational fear they’ll discontinue the Electrical Water Pageant and think you would share in my desire to sit shiva for it if they do.
4) Since I don’t know when I’ll get my next Disney-fix like any good junkie I’m looking for whatever I can to get me by, lol
Seriously, though, thank you so much for all you’ve done throughout the years. It’s meant a lot to me when stuff has gotten rough to be able to check in on the latest Country Bears or Disney Duck commentary.
I like that backpack that Sarah had on waving at the bear. Could you tell me the brand? It looks sorta water-proof? Still waiting on our masks that you recommended!
It’s just a black backpack with Mickey Mouse ears from Tokyo Disneyland.
In general I read for information and because I love your wit and photography. Prior to trips, especially our July 12-17 trip I read for information about crowds, safety, closures etc… The last couple of days I’ve been reading because I’m near the end of my 14 day quarantine and I’ve realized that at the end of 14 days I still won’t be going anywhere so I’m living vicariously through your posts and considering buying a RV and moving to Fort Wilderness. Is it open?
Reasons I am reading this post:
1. To find some reference to country bears which always brightens my day.
2. Interviews with ducks.
3. Pictures of a mostly empty Disney world!
4. Living vicariously through you.
Says it all right there 🙂
Your updates are super helpful for me to relay to my travel clients what Disney is looking like right now. And definitely living a little vicariously through you two! Would love to continue getting updated info on mask enforcement, food options, and crowds.
I love reading all of your updates even though I won’t be going back to Disney until likely next spring. We do an annual pass every other year and are stretching it until next year due to the virus. Right now I just love reading all of your experiences since I won’t come back to Disney for awhile (and am sad about it), but next year I’ll go back to relying on you for all information and updates. Thank you for your entertaining posts, I have enjoyed them for years.
We are staying at Bat Lake Towers right now. We looked forward to the lack of crowds and wanted to take advantage of a trip with that type of laid back…”hardly wait at all” kind of experience we saw on YouTube with all the Disney Vloggers. The waits are NOT non existent, but less than typical. The waits in Fantasy Land were all around the half hour range. In fact most of the rides were more than we thought they would be. EPCOT we have found was the least crowded, but the bigger rides, we did wait for (frozen 35 minutes) and test track 45. To be honest I really wish we would have not got wrapped up in all the “it’s totally different” there, It is but not in a good way. The process to get food is beyond grueling. There are hardly any of our favorite snacks available and when they are they are not made on site, but brought in. A Minnie cookie from the confection on Main st was hard as a rock. The Joffrey coffee stand in EPCOT at 2pm sold donuts that were not up to par. I give Disney all the credit for opening, but the experience is not “magical”, it’s just different. Our resort pool and the Contemporary we share is so over crowded and there is no social distance being practiced. I can only say, there were NO discounts at all to be here and I honestly can’t wait to go home. It was a mistake to come and I am a huge Disney girl. I will return when we probably should have initially gone (when this pandemic is under control).
Theresa,
Are they requiring mobile ordering for all quick service restaurants right now?
With all the new travel restrictions, do you know if Disney is offering any covid testing on site anywhere? We would both need a negative test upon returning home to resume work with new restrictions. We also don’t plan to rent a car.
I definitely read your reports to live vicariously through you and Sarah but also because I value your opinion of what is going on in the parks and surrounding areas. I am eager to visit before our Dec trip because of the spontaneity you mentioned. It isn’t something a lot of us that go to Disney regularly ever get to enjoy anymore. And I must say I loved your duck picture and what the duck had to say…lol I also am not a fan of the new castle colors.
UGH is all I can say.
Please tell me there is still Dole Whip available somewhere!!!!!! I love your updates because we will be at Magic Kingdom one week from today!!! I have taken notes on rides and things to make our trip extra special during these times. Thank you!!!
I will be visiting the end of August and really appreciate your articles. Read them every day. Accepting that procedures are very fluid, I am confused on the mobile order situation. Is it mandatory that you use mobile ordering? In other words, am I going to go hungry if I don’t do mobile ordering? BTW, I’m not looking to get into a discussion of the pros and cons of mobile ordering.
We were last at the parks during the summer of 2018, just before the Toy Story section opened at Hollywood Studios. We are planning another trip in late 2021 or the first half of 2022. I always read your blogs in order to keep up with all things Disney World. My husband and I really enjoy your writing and your sense of humor! We used many of your tips and lists for our last family trip and will do so again in the future. Thanks so much for your continued postings!
Hey there! Here’s some feedback 🙂
I’ve been keeping up with these posts to live vicariously through your visits and to better plan my upcoming trip in September. I’ve mostly been wondering what’s open and what’s not? Attractions mostly, but Dining options too. Also, if there are limited menus at the Table Service Restaurants I’ve made reservations for, I’d like to know. Admittedly, that’s a very detailed request so no worries if it’s not covered! However, it would be helpful to know if the one dish I’m craving is out of commission for now. I might change my dining reservation to another restaurant to get a dish I’d rather have. 🙂
Thanks for your posts. They are always awesome!!
– Holly, College Program Alum
Love your updates and for now, just living vicariously through your visits. Our fall 2020 trip was rescheduled for Sept 2021, so looking forward to hearing your preditions on deals, free dining (praying this will return), etc… when the time comes, but you include those kinds of things anyways, which is why we appreciate your blog.
Put me down as “currently vicarious” as my next Disney trip, planned for 2021 before the Covid pandemic, will be to Disneyland for a variety of reasons, some personal, and also I have been to WDW several times recently so want to get back to Anaheim next time. But for now an escape from the news is very welcome and yours is a ‘Great Escape’.
I especially love your stunningly beautiful photography with the commentary a close second. Keep up the humor- need it in these difficult times. BTW, also enjoy your Japan, China and French visits, all Parks that it’s extremely unlikely I’ll ever visit as I age.
Thank you for publishing this! My husband and I have a trip planned for the beginning of November, and your blog has helped us to make the decision to keep our plans (as of right now)! Please keep posting updates as to how crowded the parks are, ride wait times, food, etc. However, my biggest fear is that we’ll spend all this money for our trip, but won’t experience the same Disney “magic” feel. Do you think it still feels magical at the parks?
Definitely reading to see the safety, crowds, what is closed due to Covid etc. we have a trip planned in November.
We recently visited all the parks except Epcot. Although I agree they did a lot for safety, I felt a bit was overboard and detracted from the magic. We missed the character meet and greets parades and nighttime shows. We missed some of the shops and restaurants that are closed now. I felt scolded a few times by employees. The atmosphere was less than welcoming. Also note, I didn’t call them cast members. We saw more employees out of character or ignoring guests, i.e. talking to each other about their day, than we have ever seen on a visit. This also took away from the magic. Quite honestly wearing the mask was the least of the problem. Yes, the low crowds were nice, we got on many rides but the low crowds also made for low energy. We spent 3 days at Universal and felt that they did a better job of keeping people safe and not detracting from the park experience. I am still a fan, I know we will go back but I am not sure when.
BOG isn’t doing their normal lunch? This will be our first visit to WDW (September 2020). Should we try for breakfast? Or skip BOG all together?
I am very interested in how the parks are safety and crowd wise. We have a trip planned in December. If crowds pick up or safety starts slipping we will postpone. Also you sharing where to eat, when to go during the day etc is all so helpful in planning (or not planning!). I gotta say I actually love that we might have a laid back and spontaneous trip this time! So basically I appreciate all the updates you give, the phototgraphy and your humor. And PLEASE do NOT start posting more merchandise photos! 🙂