Here Now & Just Back WDW Reopening Experiences Including Park Hopping

[ENJDisneyFan]

Yesterday pt. 2:

After I did the spa at the Dolphin and rested, I went back to HS at around 5pm. Had a Ronto Wrap then hopped on MFSR, it was a posted 45 minute wait but I waited 30 minutes. I got to solo the ride so I was finally pilot! It really is so much more fun as pilot. Then I hopped into the queue for MMRR at 6:30 or so, posted was 40 and I waited 20. Hot take from an MGM old head but I like this ride way more than GMR. I was not expecting that! But it really captures the feel of the new cartoons and puts you right into them.

I headed over to TSL afterwards and Lines was showing 30-35 minute waits for TSM and SDD respectively so I had decisions to make given it was 7:30 at that point. I went to SDD and when the CM saw I was alone, he scanned my band and gave me a FP! So I walked right on through the FP queue. Afterwards I did TSM to close out the park, and it was about a 20 minute wait. In general, HS is so much more pleasant in the evenings. Waits are way more tolerable because I think most people leave during midday. None of the headliners were over 30 minutes.

I hopped to Epcot just to do Test Track, it was posted 45 at 9:15p and I waited 38 minutes, Lines was spot on. The current state of that park is really breaking my heart. It’s so exhausting to navigate FW because of the walls. And WS is not the same without the international cast or live entertainment. I hope we can get both back by my Oct. trip.

Also, last night’s surprise midnight fireworks really was Harmonious testing. Full pyro test.

https://www.wdwmagic.com/attraction...eworks-ahead-off-the-shows-debut-at-epcot.htm

I'd just like to say that I'm jealous of your solo trip. Sounds like you're having so much fun!

 

[DSLRuser]

What are the odds of beating the crowd at rope drop and having to wait less than an hour at SDD first thing in the AM? I’m just trying to decide if it’s even worth it to get to HS early if that’s our priority. Our kids are little, so the other headliners aren’t really a priority. If there’s a pretty good chance of having to wait an hour for SDD no matter the time we get there, then I’m not sure it’s worth the morning rush for us.

If you are towards the front........and want to be a runner.......yes...you can do SDD by 8:25.......on my 2nd rope drop day...we were inside security, but 200 people deep in one of the lines....we got to SDD by 8:30 (8:15 let in) and the line was back to the woody statue already.

My strategy is to catch SDD late at night and do all the other stuff in the morning.

 

[DSLRuser]

I don't think I posted our Memorial Day MK experience in here.

We arrived to MK parking lot around 4PM. Got right in, I believe we were in the park by 4:30. Now we have a toddler and are local so our experiences are slightly different.

First thing - stopped to get a balloon, only 1 person in line in front of us. Score! As we were getting balloon, mickey and friends cavalcade came up main street - toddler loved it. Disney magic.

After this, we headed to IASW which was posted at 25 and we waited 15. Then we headed to the carousel, posted at 15, waited 10. Got out of line, got right back on in 5.

While waiting in line, did a mobile order for pinnochios which was ready as we left the carousel for the second time, was able to get a nice spot overlooking IASW. Ice cold air conditioning + food = happy toddler

Then we headed over to Winnie the Pooh, I believe the posted was around 35 and we waited probably 20. I remember noticing that Mine train was only 40 and haunted mansion was 10. I think the longest line I saw was splash.

After this we headed out as it was 7 and we didn't want to push bedtime too late. All in all, best disney experience we've had since reopening. I could not believe that the lines were so low in the afternoon of Memorial Day at Magic Kingdom. They were worse during the day 2 months ago.

Any questions feel free to ask. We are headed to HS tomorrow.

same...we did MK on Memorial Day. arrived about 10am...left at 8:45pm. Did everything but splash....just didn't want to get wet. longest wait was 45 mins for 7dmt at 7pm. crowds are very manageable

 

[monstermash23]

True, but unless WDW increases capacity, there is a limit to how many guests are allowed into each park and those have been maxed out for quite some time based on the park reservation system. My biggest concern is how Disney will handle increased capacity when they decide to do so. It just makes our late July trip so unknown in this regard. My big fear is increased capacity without any other changes to accommodate.

Dan

We have a trip end of July also. Same fear here. I feel like our July trip may be a “testing period” for October.

 

[ENJDisneyFan]

My strategy is to catch SDD late at night and do all the other stuff in the morning.

This was our strategy as well, worked out great.

 

[robinb]

What are the odds of beating the crowd at rope drop and having to wait less than an hour at SDD first thing in the AM? I’m just trying to decide if it’s even worth it to get to HS early if that’s our priority. Our kids are little, so the other headliners aren’t really a priority. If there’s a pretty good chance of having to wait an hour for SDD no matter the time we get there, then I’m not sure it’s worth the morning rush for us.

What rope drop does for you is to allow you to do more than one attraction with a shorter wait. Mickey’s Railway also gets pretty long lines. You could easily knock off all of Toy Story Land and mickey’s Railway by 10:30.

I don’t know when you’re going, but it might be worth your while to whip up a little spreadsheet with wait times around the time you think you might arrive. Do it for 2-3 days to see where the trends are and if it makes sense to miss rope drop.

 

[hulk51382]

We were at HS yesterday and most wait times were under an hour. Longest thing we waited for was Droid Building . Went to Slinky around 6:30 pm and the posted wait was 45 min but was on in under 30 min. Managed to get ROTR at 1pm which was awesome.

 

[OhioWDWDuo]

Yesterday pt. 2:

After I did the spa at the Dolphin and rested, I went back to HS at around 5pm.

Hi- How was the spa at the Dolphin?

 

[tsme]

Are all the 6’ markers gone in the parks?

 

[nolawave]

How early does one need to line up to get into the first Frozen show at DHS? Also, it seems that the Disney Junior show may be taking place outside now? Anyone know anything about it’s current form?

 

[cc-atl]

How early does one need to line up to get into the first Frozen show at DHS? Also, it seems that the Disney Junior show may be taking place outside now? Anyone know anything about it’s current form?

Today we walked into the Frozen show with no wait (arrived around 10:28 or 10:29 for the 10:30 show). We were in the back three rows of the theatre but had no complaints about the view.

 

[Miffy]

We were at WDW about 2 weeks ago. Note: we are not not not runners.

The day we RD'd DHS we walked onto MMRR (this was preceded by a pit stop), then went back into the extremely short queue and waited maybe 5 or 10 minutes to ride it a second time.

But the day we didn't RD DHS, we waited in line--a line that is mostly outdoors in the sun and heat--for 50 minutes or so. By the time we got off the ride, the line was even longer, so we didn't do it again, and we wanted to.

 

[Kerr84]

We heard the fireworks from Caribbean Beach last night! Now that I know it was harmonious testing, I wish I would have went outside.

 

[kylenne]

I left HS to go back to YC and ship my droid but did a u turn on the friendship boat back to HS, we did not even make it halfway to Swolphin bc of lightning. Not your typical afternoon storm over here at all, it’s a bad one and not going anywhere. Skyliner and Crescent Lake guests directed to the bus depot. It’s a doozy of a downpour but had been threatening all day tbh. Feels good lol

 

[elittleton]

So the Safari was open early? I kept reading that they don't open it before the posted opening?

We got in line and waited until it opened at 8. We road it about 5 minutes after 8 and by then the line was already 45 minutes or longer.

 

[elittleton]

Wait times have looked great the past couple weeks. So many schools aren't out yet though.

This is the reason we come this week. Other than Memorial Day the crowds are the best of the summer. We came one year with my brother and sister family at the end of July and the crowds were worse.

Good call. I assumed it had been booked up. I don't remember seeing availability day of. It will be interesting to see reports next week and mid June when it's sold out again. Kind of a moving target though since we have no clue what Disney has planned and can change at any moment.
View attachment 579612

I wonder when something opened up. When I checked earlier in the week every day we are here was gray. This morning nothing was open but at lunch I noticed AK had availability.

Are all the 6’ markers gone in the parks?

They are still there at AK and MK.

 

[kylenne]

Hi- How was the spa at the Dolphin?

Beautiful and an amazing experience. I had the 80 minute customized massage and my therapist was great. Prices much better than Senses as well. No AP discount but they do offer a DVC discount and there are often Groupons available. I still prefer Senses but I would totally go back to Mandara and plan to if Senses is still not open by our October trip.

 

[OhioWDWDuo]

Beautiful and an amazing experience. I had the 80 minute customized massage and my therapist was great. Prices much better than Senses as well. No AP discount but they do offer a DVC discount and there are often Groupons available. I still prefer Senses but I would totally go back to Mandara and plan to if Senses is still not open by our October trip.

Sounds fabulous- thank you!

 

[robinb]

Are all the 6’ markers gone in the parks?

As of last Sunday they were all still there but no one was really paying attention to them .

 

[G719]

I left HS to go back to YC and ship my droid but did a u turn on the friendship boat back to HS, we did not even make it halfway to Swolphin bc of lightning. Not your typical afternoon storm over here at all, it’s a bad one and not going anywhere. Skyliner and Crescent Lake guests directed to the bus depot. It’s a doozy of a downpour but had been threatening all day tbh. Feels good lol

Yes it was bad! We were at AK trying to get on a train back from rafiki's. We got soaked but we still went to dinner at Yak and Yeti. Our reward for sticking it out was a walk on for both pandora rides.