Here Now & Just Back WDW Reopening Experiences Including Park Hopping

[Gary Stocker]

It's pretty busy. Hearing a lot of British accents so definitely Europeans getting their vacations on

 

[Gary Stocker]

Baseline tap house always delivers the greatness.

 

[butterscotchcollins]

Holy cow there is no quit in these crowds! Manage your expectations if you’re coming, the normal January dip seems to be a January rise right now which feels so bizarre. Still having a good time but it’s definitely a slow go.

Some tips:
1. Take advantage of Early Resort Entry/Deluxe Extra Evening Hours if you can, and for Early Entry get there like an hour earlier than posted time, it seems (at least at HS) they’re letting resort guests onto rides 30 mins earlier than posted time.
2. Mobile order is your friend! I haven’t had any issues getting food slots or picking up, despite the crowds.
3. Buses have been good but the cardinal rule is be at the bus stop an hour earlier than whatever time you’re trying to arrive at your destination (especially if you’re heading between the Epcot and MK areas.) Right now it feels like it’s taking extra time because of the number of ECVs loading/unloading.

 

[naneliz]

Holy cow there is no quit in these crowds! Manage your expectations if you’re coming, the normal January dip seems to be a January rise right now which feels so bizarre. Still having a good time but it’s definitely a slow go.

Some tips:
1. Take advantage of Early Resort Entry/Deluxe Extra Evening Hours if you can, and for Early Entry get there like an hour earlier than posted time, it seems (at least at HS) they’re letting resort guests onto rides 30 mins earlier than posted time.
2. Mobile order is your friend! I haven’t had any issues getting food slots or picking up, despite the crowds.
3. Buses have been good but the cardinal rule is be at the bus stop an hour earlier than whatever time you’re trying to arrive at your destination (especially if you’re heading between the Epcot and MK areas.) Right now it feels like it’s taking extra time because of the number of ECVs loading/unloading.

I am truly baffled at the crowds. I planned a late January trip hoping for light crowds as that has been the case in the past. Seems like perhaps lots of international travelers might be the reason as there was pent up demand for so long.

 

[gottalovepluto]

… Also, how do they merge the Remy line for the guests entering the IG vs from the front of the park?

here is a write up from a blogger who gave it a go from the front of the park. They were in the park basically as early as possible, walked with the crowd back to Remy, wait was an accurate 40 mins for them by the time they arrived.

It sounds like the IG crowd fills the Remy line before the Front Entrance crowd arrives so no need to merge lines.

 

[Gary Stocker]

Risking getting banned...I have never seen.so many people in scooters...obviously needed by some..also thinking some do not. Some busses with over 3 of them...trying to patk and smashing into each other. Can I get a scooter for being too drunk too? Asking for a friend

 

[WIll C]

My wife and I (both 50+) just got back from a week and a half in Orlando and it was an amazing time. Coming from the PNW, we don't like the heat and so only travel in the late fall to early spring and the weather this last week was perfect for us. Never got out of the mid 70's and cool mornings when we were outside the most. I really couldn't have asked for better.

One thing my wife wanted to do was obtain all the cold 50th anniversary collectable coins. This quest was rather time consuming but it got us to see a lot of places we wouldn't normally do. It's not a cheap thing to do in terms of money or time but it was fun. A lot of running around and a must to have a cheat sheet!

We arrived in the evening of the 11th and went right to our room at Riviera. Love this resort and this was my wife's first trip and she fell in love with the room and resort overall. After getting settled some, we headed over to Epcot to get my wife's AP renewed and set up her DAS. It's so much easier in person (less than 10 minutes) than online (she spent hours waiting and kept getting disconnected). Went into Epcot quickly to check things out and get some food. Crowds were busy around the UK pavilion but mobile ordering got us some quick fish and chips and we sat around and enjoyed the evening.

Our first full day we did a VIP tour with some friends and it was amazing. John, our guide was spectacular. He'd been doing this for 30 years and gave us the perfect tour. We started in AK with Pandora rides, went to HS for MMRR and RotR and finished in MK. We did a number of rides at MK, grabbed some hot dogs at Casey's and finished up watching the fireworks in the VIP section. It really was a perfect day. We did everything we wanted to do and so the rest of our trip was much more laid back.

The next day, we went to Epcot early. Got stuck at the IG line as their scanners were down and they had problems with the tap points. I think we got about 10 minutes of early entry. We grabbed a DAS for Remy and headed over, only to find it was down. I used G+ this day so we could ride a few extra rides and keep the DAS for Remy for later and headed off to Soarin' and then a few other rides. After lunch, we headed back to Remy to ride that. It was a fun ride, not something amazing and we like MMRR better but it's a fun ride to add to Epcot. We spent a lot of time just walking around until dinner at Biergarten. One of our favorite places to eat and we were happy it was back to a buffet.

Friday the crowds started to get heavier with the coming holiday. We spent the morning at MK and had lunch at Be Our Guest. It was not a great experience with the food not up to par but we've had worse. Probably not something we'll do again for the price. It was certainly better back in 2019.

Saturday was a HS day. We rode MMRR and RoTR and did a lot of walking around to see places we hadn't before and had lunch at Sci-Fi diner. This was our first time and probably the best lunch we had all week. Dinner that night was at Homecomin'. Our first time there as well and it was really good. A lot of food and all done very well. We need to try the bunch at one point as I've heard that is good too.

Crowds at this point were getting noticeably heavier on the weekend, though not as bad as Christmastime in 2019 when we were here last. Sunday was the rainy day and we stuck around the resort for the most part as my wife wasn't feeling well enough to go out much. We generally avoided the afternoons as the parks and did things in the morning. Spent a few more days back in HS and MK with evenings around Epcot. We had lunch at both Mama Melrose's and Crystal Palace. Both were good and we'd go back to either one. Crystal Palace is back to a buffet and we were happy with that. Cape May for breakfast wasn't and while good, not what we wanted and hopefully it will be back and have characters by the time we return. We did breakfast at Topolino's and were a bit disappointed. Food was cold and service not great. I've had it before and it was good but this time wasn't quite up to speed. The characters add a lot to the overall atmosphere and if you haven't seen them in their Riviera outfits you should.

Overall out time at Disney was great. We couldn't have asked for a better time to come and pretty much had great experiences all around. We're happy we bought DVC points at Riviera and look forward to returning each year. The location for us is perfect with the skyliner and just enjoy the resort all around. The weather helped a lot with our enjoyment and we were surprised it was a cool as it was but happy for it.

We didn't use G+ much, other than a day at Epcot and one at MK. We never spent all day in a park or park hopped much without taking time back at the resort, mainly due to my wife not lasting, even while in a wheelchair. We still got a lot done without it and since we knew we were coming back time and again, we just kept it easy rather than rushing around.
Mobile ordering was a must with the crowds. I would set us up any time we could, even at Riviera as Primo Piatto was always busy in the evening. Perfect example was the fish and chips spot at Epcot. We walked by, decided we wanted it and saw the long line. I mobile ordered and had it ready in under 10 minutes (if not five). The line had hardly moved by the time we were walking away with our order.

We didn't really do much with the festival at Epcot. Checked out a few food places but nothing was really a must eat. Got most of the special merchandise but no popcorn bucket. I mean, 5 hours in line? Nah. This was our first time at this festival and it as fun to see the artwork but we weren't going to deal with getting stuff home. We stick to pins and shirts

After our time at Disney, we spent a few days at Universal and the Royal Pacific...Not our best decision. Compared to Riviera, it was a major downgrade. Universal is fun but we'll just take a day and travel up there instead of staying there. Even with the Express pass that comes with the room, we should have just stayed longer at Disney.

 

[boop0524]

Holy cow there is no quit in these crowds! Manage your expectations if you’re coming, the normal January dip seems to be a January rise right now which feels so bizarre. Still having a good time but it’s definitely a slow go.

Some tips:
1. Take advantage of Early Resort Entry/Deluxe Extra Evening Hours if you can, and for Early Entry get there like an hour earlier than posted time, it seems (at least at HS) they’re letting resort guests onto rides 30 mins earlier than posted time.
2. Mobile order is your friend! I haven’t had any issues getting food slots or picking up, despite the crowds.
3. Buses have been good but the cardinal rule is be at the bus stop an hour earlier than whatever time you’re trying to arrive at your destination (especially if you’re heading between the Epcot and MK areas.) Right now it feels like it’s taking extra time because of the number of ECVs loading/unloading.

Thank you for this info!! We are heading down next week and I’ve been worried about the crowds. My plan for ETPE was going to be get to the SSR bus stop by 6:45 am for 8:30 opening. Based on your recent experience, will that be good? Also, curious if you used Genie+ and found it helped at all with the crowds?

 

[SheSingsAlong]

Finally found out why it is so crazy at MK. There is a cast party tomorrow night closing the park at 4:30PM. So apparently EVERYONE came today. All G+ LL are sold out for the day. Everything, even the shows and silly rides that never need LL.

 

[NJlauren]

Can someone that is there now tell me a bit about the weather?

I can read a forecast, but I’m prior Jan/Feb trips 50th can seem really cold, or am I not remembering correctly?

 

[Faithful Raider]

Wow seems like a lot of good ADRs available for tomorrow. Lot of people cancelling because of the weather?

 

[butterscotchcollins]

Thank you for this info!! We are heading down next week and I’ve been worried about the crowds. My plan for ETPE was going to be get to the SSR bus stop by 6:45 am for 8:30 opening. Based on your recent experience, will that be good? Also, curious if you used Genie+ and found it helped at all with the crowds?

Buses start running an hour before opening so 6:45 might be a bit aggressive but that’s up to you! I am very anti-Genie+ so have not used it BUT we did buy an ILL for MMRR yesterday solely because the posted wait was 45 mins which we had time for before our reservation, and after 45 mins we didn’t even make it inside the building which was frustrating. That ride was only $10 so essentially bought back our time and that was worth it. There are tons of good tips on how to use Genie+ if you’re interested, I wouldn’t discourage you from getting it if you can invest the time into reading the “how to”s. It seems like it works really well for afternoon and evening parkgoers.

But have fun! You’re gonna have a great trip

 

[ENJDisneyFan]

Wow seems like a lot of good ADRs available for tomorrow. Lot of people cancelling because of the weather?

Maybe, but it's not unusual to see a lot of availability the day before (as people cancel in time to avoid the no-show fee).

 

[WIll C]

I agree, we cancelled a number of dining reservations during our trip. Just decided that dinner, especially, was too much for us and cancelled.

 

[SheSingsAlong]

Can someone that is there now tell me a bit about the weather?

I can read a forecast, but I’m prior Jan/Feb trips 50th can seem really cold, or am I not remembering correctly?

Here now, yes temps in the 50s feel cold, a breeze feels very cold. Riding an outdoor coaster is cold. If it is overcast it feels REALLY cold. Hopefully you will have better weather, but it was down in the low 40s a lot for me and I wore long sleeve T, short sleeve T, and 2 hoodies, with gloves. When it is sunny and in the 60s, it feels amazing, though - jeans and a long sleeve T are just fine. When it is in the low 70's I was comfortable in jeans, short sleeve T, and sandals.

 

[NJlauren]

Here now, yes temps in the 50s feel cold, a breeze feels very cold. Riding an outdoor coaster is cold. If it is overcast it feels REALLY cold. Hopefully you will have better weather, but it was down in the low 40s a lot for me and I wore long sleeve T, short sleeve T, and 2 hoodies, with gloves. When it is sunny and in the 60s, it feels amazing, though - jeans and a long sleeve T are just fine. When it is in the low 70's I was comfortable in jeans, short sleeve T, and sandals.

Ugh i have a feeling Saturday is going to be BRUTAL! 51 is the high with lots of wind....

 

[lindsroc]

Ugh i have a feeling Saturday is going to be BRUTAL! 51 is the high with lots of wind....

I am flying down Friday and Sat will be our 1sr day at the parks. I am coming down from Boston, so I am used to cold but honestly- you dont spend too much time outside when its cold. This will be interesting. In all our trips I have never been when its below 60. Not looking forward to the 1st time. lol

 

[NJlauren]

I am flying down Friday and Sat will be our 1sr day at the parks. I am coming down from Boston, so I am used to cold but honestly- you dont spend too much time outside when its cold. This will be interesting. In all our trips I have never been when its below 60. Not looking forward to the 1st time. lol

Same! But coming from NJ, and when we went Feb 2020 one day was so cold we froze! I am bringing hand warmers, and layers and lots of patience!

 

[lindsroc]

Same! But coming from NJ, and when we went Feb 2020 one day was so cold we froze! I am bringing hand warmers, and layers and lots of patience!

Lots of layers!!! lol. Its funny because Friday doesnt look bad and then Monday on looks good- mostly just the 2 days we will be at Disney look awful. Wah!!!!

 

[Turksmom]

Lots of layers!!! lol. Its funny because Friday doesnt look bad and then Monday on looks good- mostly just the 2 days we will be at Disney look awful. Wah!!!!

But at least it won't be snowing!