Here Now & Just Back WDW Reopening Experiences Including Park Hopping

[BroadwayHermione5]

Random but has anyone heard about sending souvenirs to front of park or your resort hotel-really hoping that comes back soon-even to front of park-i truly don't mind for EPCOT having to go all the way to the front and then go all the way to the back to go back to the Boardwalk.

 

[scrappinginontario]

Random but has anyone heard about sending souvenirs to front of park or your resort hotel-really hoping that comes back soon-even to front of park-i truly don't mind for EPCOT having to go all the way to the front and then go all the way to the back to go back to the Boardwalk.

a restart date for sending purchases to the front of the park or your resort has not been announced.

 

[PrincessV]

I was in WDW 7/1-7. Previous pandemic-era trips were in Aug. 2020, Oct. 2020, Dec. 2020, Jan. 2021, and May 2021, for reference - I've pretty much seen every level of WDW pandemic safety protocol lol! I'll just hit some observations without getting too detailed here...

• Overall, everything felt busier this trip: at resorts and parks. Just more people everywhere. But still far less than this time in other years (I visit over July 4th most years.) EP on July 4th was MUCH less busy than on previous July 4ths and I only really saw a "crowd" build along the rails 30 minutes before fireworks. (No special July 4th tag this year, though.)
• I didn't do any morning touring. My plan was to hit parks late in the day, but weather played a part in a couple earlier afternoon arrivals. Evenings were consistently less busy and had lower wait times than afternoons. One surprise, though, was how little MK emptied out after fireworks on 7/2, when the park was still open another 1.5 hours. I thought it would be a ghost town, but it definitely was not.
• Wait times were fine by me: I never waited more than 25 minutes for anything. I used TP's app for better wait time estimates and it was its usual accurate self. HM, for example, was posted as 65 mins, TP had it at 30, and I actually waited 22 - this was around 4pm.
• Food was challenging. I don't eat beef or pork, limit poultry, and have food allergies, which reduces my choices a lot: coupled with reduced menu options, it was tough. I'd run through the few options I had at SSR by day 2 of my 5 days there.
• COVID precautions are gone entirely, excepting the weirdness of masking on the monorail (and buses & Skyliner, but I didn't use those.) Not only is there no physical distancing, it's back to "fill in all available space!" and people pressing up into your back in queues. I didn't appreciate how much I really hate that - pandemic or not - until I'd had a year without it, and then it was back. The "funnel" in HM was really unpleasant for me, TBH. I'm fully vaccinated, so it wasn't really any fear of contagion - I just plain want some personal space!
• I drove to all parks, as usual, and it was, also as usual, easy and quick. Still no trams, but they need them soon: I was pretty far back in MK and AK lots and ride would have been nice.
• I saw a LOT of people buying tickets (I assume) at ticket windows this trip, which was surprising. "A lot" being 4-6 windows open with lines 4-10 deep per window - much more than I've seen in a year.

 

[SamiL]

We're here now at OKW. We're three nights (two park days in) to an eight-night stay. We spent our first day at HS and had a park reservation to go back to HS yesterday. I ended up changing it to Epcot because HS was so crowded (and hot!) our first day. So we did Epcot yesterday morning took a break in the afternoon and went to MK last night. What I've experienced so far are all the downsides I'd normally expect going in July (crowds and heat) compounded by lack of FP, EMH, Parking Lot Trams, few characters, and what seems to be a shortage of staff. And since we can't upgrade our tickets to APs as we hoped we might by now we are also missing that laidback, no-problem-we'll-get-to-it-next-time vibe. Lines for everything are long. Those little magic Disney moments that keep us coming back are missing as well. The closest we've gotten was a cast member in the HS asking if anyone wants stickers as we walked by. If you are thinking of visiting before WDW gets their act together I'd advise you to reconsider. We are determined to be happy and we can make our own magic, but we could do that anywhere for a lot less $$$. This is not a great time to be here. This isn't coming from anger or frustration--just practicality. Go to the beach or the mountains, or even another theme park resort--basically anywhere but here.

 

[armerida]

Apologies...I was just curious that if we were hopping to another park (AK today) from our reserved park which we have already visited...are they stickers for the 2pm time or will they let us through closer to 1:30pm or 1:45pm? I can say right now since I'm already here...1:30pm was a no go.
Guess we will sit here at the gates until 2pm.

A week ago I was able to enter Epcot at the International Gateway at 1:45 on 2 separate occasions. CM’s were asking everyone if it was their first park of the day and had people who were hopping hang off to the side until exactly 1:45.

 

[preemiemama]

We will be in Hollywood studios two weeks from today. Hard to figure out a strategy when lines fill up so fast. 30 to 50 minute waits right away in the morning is not cool.

I think we may do rockin roller coaster and Tower of terror right at rope drop and then fill in throughout the morning filling in others. Possibly hitting.MMRR or MFSR but by the time we get off of our first two rides I’m guessing that both of those will be long lines. Sucks. These wait times are crazy for only one hour and 15 minutes after park open IMO

DanView attachment 588731View attachment 588732


MMRR was very crazy after 9. Rope drop right at 8 and queue for it was best IMHO . We were on the first bus out of AKL at 7:40 and in the park pretty much at 8. From what I saw today, go wherever your priority is at 8 to queue, ride when it opens snd move to something else. MMRR, SDD and MFSR all started running around 8:30. I believe RNRC and TOT did as well since my son got in both easily first thing. DHS is intense in the am!

 

[Nice Work Pal]

Leaving this Wednesday for 7 nights at SSR. Last trip was late April…we arrived on a Sunday around noon and the ME line spanned the entire length of the terminal so we opted for a $30 Uber ride to the Poly. Anyone use the ME lately? Lines gone down or about the same? I don’t mind ubering to save 2 hours of vacation time but would rather take the ME

 

[WEDWDW]

IT IS GETTING CLOSE!

Many of the Food Booths were training Staff today in preparation for Thursday's Food & Wine open.

Lots and lots of hard-working CPs will be working the Festival.

Also,the "feeling" I am getting down here is that when the Local Bands finish their schedule at the end of September,the remaining weeks will indeed be filled by the National Acts-wouldn't that be amazing!

I have no "inside info"-this is just my opinion at this time.

As always,time will tell.

 

[Randy Miller]

Day 4 and we have yet to see a “Cavalcade” anywhere? I got the impression there were several a day? We are obviously in all the wrong places and missing them.

 

[MomOTwins]

Day 4 and we have yet to see a “Cavalcade” anywhere? I got the impression there were several a day? We are obviously in all the wrong places and missing them.

It’s hard to see them when you are in ride lines all day. We never saw any on our first covid trip and the second one had to consciously sit down and wait for them.

 

[Ali626]

Hi, everyone! I’ve looked all over and can’t find if there is still plexiglass on FEA?? I’ have a 4 year old nugget who was devastated last time bc of it. Is it still there? Also - I can’t remember which other rides had it.. I know soarin and text track didn’t but can’t remember which others did? Can you guys help with this? Especially with FEA if it’s still on. Thnx so much!!

 

[scrappinginontario]

All posts re: masking, etc. have been deleted. As a reminder of what was posted a few weeks ago.....

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[finedice]

Any current reports on what time they are opening the parking lots right now? Especially at MK and DHS?

 

[preemiemama]

EPCOT this pm. Soarin posted 30 but was walk on- we did it twice in a row. Nemo an SSE also walk ons. Long day so headed back early tonight.

I will say everyone was right that those things in the lagoon are even more horrific than the pictures showed. Wow. Also the state of that park right now is crazy. Way too much disruption from the construction. The new entrance is beautiful but man the hole behind it also cannot be undersold. It’s a mess.

 

[yaya74]

Hi, everyone! I’ve looked all over and can’t find if there is still plexiglass on FEA?? I’ have a 4 year old nugget who was devastated last time bc of it. Is it still there? Also - I can’t remember which other rides had it.. I know soarin and text track didn’t but can’t remember which others did? Can you guys help with this? Especially with FEA if it’s still on. Thnx so much!!

I rode FEA on 7/3. No plexiglass on the boat, only in the queues.

 

[Grumpy by Birth]

...Not only is there no physical distancing, it's back to "fill in all available space!" and people pressing up into your back in queues. I didn't appreciate how much I really hate that - pandemic or not - until I'd had a year without it, and then it was back. The "funnel" in HM was really unpleasant for me, TBH. I'm fully vaccinated, so it wasn't really any fear of contagion - I just plain want some personal space!

 

[WEDWDW]

Just left Morocco-the Courtyard refurb turned out great.

Also for anyone interested current Mitsukoshi hours are 12-7.

 

[Goldilocks07]

My husband half jokingly said that the rides aren't doing so well carrying full capacity anymore, and also made the comment that maybe Disney needed to bring back full maintenance staff again since they were obviously having problems. It wasn't even that bad over memorial day week, but it was the worst we'd seen it so far on all our trip since reopening, and happened to be our first trip with most of the rides operating back at pretty much full capacity, and they just couldn't hang.

just my 2 socioeconomic opinion cents: the more complicated the ride, the more risk of breaking down. Anything mechanical can obviously break, but the more technicalities, the more that can go wrong, and the harder to fix. Can't have the good without the bad.

On another note, thank you for all your posts! I'm so excited for my upcoming trip and reading these really helps!

 

[goodeats]

We will be in Hollywood studios two weeks from today. Hard to figure out a strategy when lines fill up so fast. 30 to 50 minute waits right away in the morning is not cool.

I think we may do rockin roller coaster and Tower of terror right at rope drop and then fill in throughout the morning filling in others. Possibly hitting.MMRR or MFSR but by the time we get off of our first two rides I’m guessing that both of those will be long lines. Sucks. These wait times are crazy for only one hour and 15 minutes after park open IMO

Yes and Epcot is very similar. Epcot and HS don’t have that many attractions and HS doesn’t have enough shows that get people away from the attractions. If one of the big rides go down all the waits go up by a lot.

 

[Ursula_Fan]

Heading to MK this Friday for the first time since Feb 2020!

Debating rope dropping 7D versus listening to the TP app (which says start with Splash). My concern is that there aren't enough data with the current re-ramping up for TP to be super accurate. My big goal this trip is to get on Splash because it has been broken or down for regular maintenance every. single. time. I have gone before this visit. WWYD? Rope drop 7D or start with Splash and trust TP?