Here Now & Just Back WDW Reopening Experiences Including Park Hopping

[tex1989]

We just got home on Sunday, last day in the parks was Friday as we drove from Texas. We were in the parks from Sunday October 25 through Friday October 30 and this is our opinion of the trip:

1. It was very much like a mid 90's trip in that there were no FP's and pretty much if you wanted to ride a ride, you got in line an waited. This was not a bad thing in that virtually every ride was a much shorter wait than posted. Our longest wait for any ride was 30 minutes with the exception of Runaway Railroad and Slinky Dog. We got to ride RotR twice. Tuesday we got Group 66 at the 2:00 window and rode at 4:30 and Thursday got Group 33 at the 10:00 window.

2. Frustration was the number of shops and food stands closed. The live shows were also not operating so it was pretty much ride the rides. It made the fact that the parks had reduced hours a non issue because after a full day of standing lines and riding rides, we were ready to leave.

3. The bus was no issue the two times we took it. We stayed at Pop and both days to MK there were multiple ones there and going the wait was like 5 minutes tops. Our one day to Epcot was a mess. 1 1/2 hours on the Skyliner to get to the park. Fortunately we only had day planned at Epcot. We drove to AK once and Studios 2 days. We were in the parks every day before posted opening times except Epcot because of the Skyliner.

4. Wearing a mask was not terrible and there are constant reminders that you have to wear them at all times with the exception of being stationary and eating or drinking. Also there are a lot of CM's holding signs that say you have to keep your mask on while taking pictures. The Photopass folks would not take your picture without a mask and you could not be served food, drink, or merchandise if you did not have one on. We did see people stopped at the gate and told that their mask was not "approved". These were people wearing the neck gators. One guy was told that he was not wearing an approved mask and switched from one gator to another and was stopped again. We left before we got to see the outcome of that one.

5. Going through temp screening security and ticketing was so much faster with this system that it was very nice.

6. All food ordering from QS places was through the app and they would not let you in till your app said your food was ready. There were very few exceptions to this rule. We did notice also a lot of activity at the resort at night because it was the only thing to do other than Disney Springs. We went to DS once in the afternoon on our AK day with no issue and on the way out of town on Saturday 10/31. We tried to drive over Friday night but the garages were full and it had reached capacity so we could not go.

7. We ate at Rose and Crown, Yak and Yeti, Trattoria on the Boardwalk and Be Our Guest and all the meals were great.

8. Maybe because our last trip in late March was cancelled, or maybe because the one before that in February when we got sick and came home early were not good, but this was one of the best trips we have had in a long time. It was very enjoyable.

It was great to be back and we really enjoyed driving and having a vehicle there but I can honestly say for my wife and I it was our best trip in a long time!

 

[Cynt]

2) Unpopular opinion around here, but we love Liberty Tree Tavern. We had a lunch reservation there, which we were excited about. When we arrived, we were told that we were being seated next door at the Diamond Horseshoe, but we’d receive the same meal/service as we would have at LTT. We were frustrated, as we enjoy the theming of LTT (I know, I know, unpopular opinion), and I would have appreciated some heads-up in advance since we had a reservation.

I asked if we could wait for a table inside LTT - they said we could, but they didn’t know how long it would take and guessed it may be “up to an hour.” Obviously we didn’t want to wait that long, so we just went with the overflow seating at Diamond Horseshoe. It felt like eating at a quick service. In retrospect, I wish I would have pushed harder.

Also - for the first time ever - I left LTT hungry! It was so strange. The portions that were brought out for the four of us were less than what we normally get when there are just two of us. I hate food waste, so I’d prefer they do things this way and then add more of what you want, but we were never asked if we wanted more of anything (if this were our first time there, I wouldn’t have known I could have more). After our plates and the serving plates had been empty for some time (20+ minutes), our server came by and tried to clear them. I stopped him and asked him for more of certain dishes, which they brought small portions of. Again, in retrospect, I should have said something, but we’d been there for so long at that point we just wanted to go.

I'm sorry about your LTT experience. We enjoyed LTT. Thanks to recommendations on here we booked a TS for lunch at MK. It was our first time there and at first it took our waiter a minute to assist us but when he did, our waiter piled the food on us. It was just DH and I. The waiter started with salad. He could have kept that, we skipped breakfast and was ready to chow down. Next, a platter of all the meats and stuffing arrived. It was way more than husband or I could eat but we ate most of it. I enjoyed the roast beef and husband liked the turkey and pork. They also served plenty of the side dishes. We asked for seconds of the mashed potatoes and green beans. We were stuffed. And then he brought out the cookie thing w/ ice cream on top. OMG!! We devoured it even though we were bursting at the seams.

We waddled around the park a couple of hours after lunch, did a little shopping and hit the bus back to OKW where in our room we took a nice long nap. We didn't eat anything else the rest of the day. O I HAD to get a dole whip before I left the park.

 

[KM82]

I'm sorry about your LTT experience. We enjoyed LTT. Thanks to recommendations on here we booked a TS for lunch at MK. It was our first time there and at first it took our waiter a minute to assist us but when he did, our waiter piled the food on us. It was just DH and I. The waiter started with salad. He could have kept that, we skipped breakfast and was ready to chow down. Next, a platter of all the meats and stuffing arrived. It was way more than husband or I could eat but we ate most of it. I enjoyed the roast beef and husband liked the turkey and pork. They also served plenty of the side dishes. We asked for seconds of the mashed potatoes and green beans. We were stuffed. And then he brought out the cookie thing w/ ice cream on top. OMG!! We devoured it even though we were bursting at the seams.

We waddled around the park a couple of hours after lunch, did a little shopping and hit the bus back to OKW where in our room we took a nice long nap. We didn't eat anything else the rest of the day. O I HAD to get a dole whip before I left the park.

This was us after dinner there tonight! Soooo full! Then we made the mistake of getting our pictures in front of the castle. . We not only felt full, but we looked full too!

 

[lorileahb]

This was us after dinner there tonight! Soooo full! Then we made the mistake of getting our pictures in front of the castle. . We not only felt full, but we looked full too!

I plan on looking full next week!!!

 

[nancy155]

I plan on looking full next week!!!

Me too! In two weeks tho!

 

[scrappinginontario]

Wow .. perhaps you are right .. I didn't realize it was that bad.

!!!!! the line was hundreds of people long 2 hours before DHS opens?? And that was just for Pop Century guests? Yikes. I assume though .. it goes a lot quicker than say waiting for the bus since it is constantly loading.

Is the Skyliner running not at capacity modified due to social distancing? Or just not starting early enough?

My main "fear" of going during this mess is less about wearing masks and closed attractions, but more about the trip being "disrupted" by long waits for transportation (which normally is a huge plus for staying onsite).

Thanks .. the main reason I wanted to stay at AoA .. was the "fun" of the skyliner, and the "pressure" of getting to DHS on time will be less for sure thanks to the new BG change. Still may drive .. (figure the WDW roads are less crowded with less people "in" the resort).

Just figure that if there is a long wait for a bus, the kids are less "antsy" waiting in line for a bus compared to just driving ..and walking. Even though it may take the same amount of time to get there .. there is less waiting in a line to start the day where they'll have to wait in a line a lot (especially without FP)

Another question -- what's the "window" for a BG? Like if you got into a long line for SDD, MMRR, or MFSR . would you have to get out of that line to make your Boarding Group time?

The challenge that was/is happening with the Skyliner and Pop is that guests have to line up at Pop to get on the Skyliner there and then unless you're in the first 10ish cabins for the day, when you arrive at CBR you are sent down the ramp and join the back of the line of those from CBR who are waiting to ride. I'll be honest and say i can't understand why they can't do 1 Pop, 1 CBR, 1 Pop, etc. at the CBR station since guests there have already waited in line but possibly it's a problem with crowding at the CBR station?

Oh, I totally agree . . . I'm a rope dropper all the way lol! I'm more curious about the best way to accomplish that given the current situation. I think, honestly, DD and I would prefer to take the bus. That's where my comfort zone lies as far as getting around. And getting in line at 7:30 a.m. doesn't sound all that bad anyway. Thanks for your advice!

I haven't been back to WDW since all of the most recent changes but I heard Monday that Art of Animation is running buses from their resort to DHS and Epcot. If this is the case and you're staying at either AoA or Pop, there is an option for you to take a bus if you wish.

 

[tlmadden73]

The challenge that was/is happening with the Skyliner and Pop is that guests have to line up at Pop to get on the Skyliner there and then unless you're in the first 10ish cabins or the day, when you arrive at CBR you are sent down the ramp and join the back of the line of those from CBR who are waiting to ride. I'll be honest and say i can't understand why they can't do 1 Pop, 1 CBR, 1 Pop, etc. at the CBR station since guests there have already waited in line but possibly it's a problem with crowding at the CBR station?
I haven't been back to WDW since all of the most recent changes but I heard Monday that Art of Animation is running buses from their resort to DHS and Epcot. If this is the case and you're staying at either AoA or Pop, there is an option for you to take a bus if you wish.

You have to get off the skyliner and get to the end of the line at CBR? That seems a pretty awful system .. but .. I guess the ultimate question is .. is it quicker than taking a bus or driving. Still sounds like it may since things are constantly moving.

Maybe we just take the Skyliner "for fun" on our off days rather than try and use it as the main transportation mode to get to DHS.

 

[tex1989]

We took the Skyliner to Epcot on our one day planned for Epcot and it took us 90 minutes to get there. Stood in line for it at Pop and then when you get to CBR they heard you into a line to wait for the next segment of your journey and they did not segregate the lines, so if you were going to Epcot or Studios you waited in the same line and only split when you got close to loading so it would have been 90 minutes for us to either one. That was the only time we took the Skyliner during our 6 days in the park and drove or took a bus the rest of the time. Two day in MK (bus), two days at Studios (drove) one day at AK (drove) and one day at Epcot (Skyliner from hell!)

We were there last week

 

[tkouri]

With no park hopping, do they allow yo to enter a park, leave, and go back to same park?

 

[tstein12]

With no park hopping, do they allow yo to enter a park, leave, and go back to same park?

Yes

 

[scrappinginontario]

With no park hopping, do they allow yo to enter a park, leave, and go back to same park?

Yes

 

[mickey0930]

For those that just returned...What happens at the parks when it becomes dark. I know no fireworks/parades etc. But are there light shows, music etc?

 

[nkereina]

You have to get off the skyliner and get to the end of the line at CBR? That seems a pretty awful system .. but .. I guess the ultimate question is .. is it quicker than taking a bus or driving. Still sounds like it may since things are constantly moving.

I think that only depends on how far back you are in the line at CBR. If we were staying at Pop or AOA, I would have taken an Uber to DHS around 8:30ish. By then, the parking lot should be opening and you don't have to hassle with parking.

For those that just returned...What happens at the parks when it becomes dark. I know no fireworks/parades etc. But are there light shows, music etc?

We were there last week, before daylight savings, and the only park that was open after dark was Epcot. The hours were extended to 9pm being a Sunday. Otherwise, AK closes at 5pm and MK closes at 6pm. It was barely dark at 7pm when DHS was closing. I know darkness will come earlier as we approach winter, but based on our Epcot experience after dark, there is nothing different than the daytime. No different music and no new light shows or anything like that. Also, since park hours are short, leaving for mid-day breaks is not optimal. Its better to rope drop and stay all day, leaving when you're done. This makes for late afternoon/early evening close to park closing a pretty quiet time, so there isn't a reason to do anything special at that time of day. We left Epcot at 9pm last Sunday and it was a complete ghost town, there were points walking through the World Showcase where we were the only ones within sight.

 

[KittyKitty]

guess the ultimate question is .. is it quicker than taking a bus or driving

Does Pop have buses to Epcot/Studios?

Touring plans tried something different going from Pop to Studios. Took a bus to AK, then took a bus to closest resort(Boardwalk). And walked to Studios. The time was shorter.

 

[SugarSweetLee]

Does Pop have buses to Epcot/Studios?

Only if the Skyliner isn't running for some reason (like weather/lightning).

 

[lovethattink]

Does Pop have buses to Epcot/Studios?

No. Only during thunderstorms.

 

[nkereina]

Does Pop have buses to Epcot/Studios?

Touring plans tried something different going from Pop to Studios. Took a bus to MK, then took a bus to closest resort(Boardwalk). And walked to Studios. The time was shorter.

I can't watch the video right now, but I'm interested to check this out. How long did they wait for a bus to the Boardwalk from MK at park opening? I can't imagine buses are frequently running from a park to a resort at opening, unless Boardwalk is more frequent so people can get to Trattoria al Forno?

Last week, the buses to MK started running around 8:30am. People lined up at the bus depots over an hour early to ensure they were on the first one. If someone were using MK as a transfer point to Boardwalk, they'd also want to be on the first bus which would still require getting to the bus stop early. By the time they get to MK, wait for a bus to Boardwalk, and walk to DHS, I think it would be pushing 9:30 or later. I'm sure there's instances where this would be faster or when the Skyliner would be faster - there's a lot of variables. Its a wash to me, so I'd rather take the easiest or more convenient route from my resort, which would be Skyliner for Pop.

 

[KittyKitty]

I can't imagine buses are frequently running from a park to a resort at opening, unless Boardwalk is more frequent so people can get to Trattoria al Forno?

I guessing the bus is going to MK, and then going back to resort to pick up the next group of guests. The route would be Pop/MK, MK/Boardwalk, and then walk to Studios. The video shows it was quicker than the Skyliner.

Tho with getting 10am Boarding passes online for RotR at 7am online, it might not be a factor.

The challenge on Skyliner on Pop, is there is a transfer to Studios/Epcot, and and you converge with 2nd line , Caribbean Transfer, making the time longer.

 

[disneygirlsng]

The challenge that was/is happening with the Skyliner and Pop is that guests have to line up at Pop to get on the Skyliner there and then unless you're in the first 10ish cabins for the day, when you arrive at CBR you are sent down the ramp and join the back of the line of those from CBR who are waiting to ride. I'll be honest and say i can't understand why they can't do 1 Pop, 1 CBR, 1 Pop, etc. at the CBR station since guests there have already waited in line but possibly it's a problem with crowding at the CBR station?
I haven't been back to WDW since all of the most recent changes but I heard Monday that Art of Animation is running buses from their resort to DHS and Epcot. If this is the case and you're staying at either AoA or Pop, there is an option for you to take a bus if you wish.

In August they had separate lines at CBR for those coming from Pop and Riviera and they would take 5 or so parties from each line at a time. So they have done that, could definitely just be a numbers/capacity issue now.

 

[michellej47]

Does Pop have buses to Epcot/Studios?

Touring plans tried something different going from Pop to Studios. Took a bus to MK, then took a bus to closest resort(Boardwalk). And walked to Studios. The time was shorter.

So I guess, theoretically, I could do this from anywhere, right? I'm staying at OKW. Could I take the bus to AK, which opens at 8am and then hop a bus from AK to Boardwalk? Would the buses back to the resorts already be running?