Walt Disney World will have all 4 of its parks open on July 15th, allowing guests who are Annual Passholders, resort guests, and existing ticket holders with a Park Pass Reservation to experience the Parks in an entirely new way. It is of course going to be different than how it was pre-Covid-19, however your trip can still be magical!
While attending the Animal Kingdom Passholder Preview a couple of days before its official reopening, we were incredibly impressed with not only the safety measures in place, but also the low levels of crowds. We felt safe, were never in close proximity with other parties, and always had a way to clean our hands after experiencing high touch areas. You can hear all about our experience in our latest episode: Sivako.
Here are a few measures you can take to stay safe in the parks:
- Bring multiple masks: We brought 3 masks since it is so hot out we knew they were going to start feeling gross. We were at Animal kingdom for about 7 hours and I ended up wearing 2 masks total, switching them out after lunch.
- Mobile-order food: Most of the Disney quick service restaurants have switched to Mobile order only or mobile order recommended, to alleviate standing in line and to make it easy to grab your food and go. The My Disney Experience app is where you can place mobile orders, view wait times for rides, and also make table service restaurant reservations.
- Stay hydrated!: These masks get a bit warm and with the already soaring temperatures, you can get dehydrated very quickly. Skip the drinking fountains and take advantage of the free water cups that all food service counters will give you to cool off and stay hydrated.
- Wash your hands before handling food: Popcorn, ice cream, candied apples, and churros, are all Disney Park staples, and usually require touching your food with your hands. Don’t just rely on hand sanitizer, but use one of the hand washing stations with soap to ensure your hands, fingers, and fingernails are all clean of germs before eating.
- Be kind and follow guidelines: We are all adjusting to this new world together. Cast members are doing what they can to keep the parks safe for everyone. Don’t take things personally, and understand that we are responsible for keeping ourselves and each other safe. Follow the rules in place, and remember that you are in a privately owned space. We are all going through adjustments in comforts and things are not going to be as they were before. Be courteous, kind, and understanding. It will make your experience and the experience of others around you much better.
If you are low-risk for COVID-19 and feel comfortable going out the the parks, we will say that we felt incredibly safe, and it was….as they say “a walk in the park.”
Disney has taken extraordinary precautions to ensure guest and cast member safety, including:
- Mandatory face coverings everywhere in the parks outside of the designated rest areas
- Plexiglass installation on ride queues and on some ride vehicles, and heavy social distancing
- Strategically placed hand sanitizer and hand washing stations throughout the parks
- Limited dining and seating capacity
- The all around capacity for the parks has been reduced by the new Park Pass Reservation System
- The FastPass+ ride system is currently suspended to ensure proper spacing between people in standby queue lines, and the removal of FastPass+ keeps overall standby wait times down.
- No scheduled parades, fireworks, or character meet & greets that used to draw crowds.
That being said, they’ve definitely added Disney Magic. We are loving the introduction of the cavalcades of Disney characters and princesses that make surprise appearances throughout the day in areas they have never before been seen. This adds that true Disney magic touch.
Hear more about our newly reopened Animal Kingdom experience in our latest episode: Sivako, safe travels!
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