What Do You Like Better Now Than Before COVID?

[fabfemmeboy]

Mobile ordering, including from many take-out restaurants. We aren't people who like eating at restaurants, but we like the variety of food we can take to our hotel room now.

Random character sightings! That was my favourite part as a kid - just turning a corner and suddenly there they are! Similarly, I really enjoy the cavalcades (except when I get stuck on one side or the other of Frontierland and can't move for 15 minutes). The idea of spontaneous entertainment appeals to us more than waiting hours to see a character.

The change to the DAS program where we can get the next ride time on our phones instead of having to either go all the way to the attraction or find a blue umbrella or whatnot. It made things a lot easier for the ambulatory member of our party.

 

[cjnix29]

The bag scanners! So much faster than having security actually go through everyone's bags!

 

[Gabby01]

I appreciated going to Galaxy’s Edge for the first time during the pandemic because the stormtroopers were confined to their little roped-off areas. I just didn’t like the idea of having to dodge stormtroopers on my vacation lol.

 

[Starclassic]

I like Chef Mickey’s so much better family style now and hope they never go back to buffet! I also like the autograph cards they give at character meals now.

 

[2Lunds]

With all the disappointments that people are experiencing these days and with how much more complicated it is to plan a trip to WDW or DL, what do people like BETTER now? I would love to be able to focus on the bright spots. We have really liked the Cavalcades we have seen at both resorts (but love having the "Meet and Greets" back too!). And some people have been a bit friendlier and more patient because they are just so thrilled to be able to be back in the parks (I know, some have become just the opposite, but I try to ignore them lol!).

Mobile order is nice - I hate waiting in line for food and don't mind ordering my lunch at 9 a.m. Quite like knowing what I'm going to eat in advance actually.

Direct-to-room check in via the app.

I don't need MouseKeeping every day, so I liked that.

I also actually really like MDE and Genie+. Yes, it's expensive, but I'm actually on my phone less now that I'm not constantly scanning FP. I can actually put it away for 2 hours at a time.

 

[flipper32]

We

The international program has started returning with the France, Canada, Norway, Germany, Italy, and UK pavilions. I haven't been to Epcot since they started returning but hopefully it will make the experience better.

Went last Tuesday to EPCOT and there were cast members from France in that pavilion "earning their ears."

 

[Toad_Passenger]

We


Went last Tuesday to EPCOT and there were cast members from France in that pavilion "earning their ears."

We just returned from a 9/17-9/25 trip and we saw a lot of new trainees at all the parks, and at the resorts. Hopefully the "lean" staffing problem is starting to resolve.

 

[jimmymc]

I prefer Genie+ to Fastpass+. Having to decide ride times 60+ days out was not convenient or relaxing, and it often left you with weird gaps where you'd have your next reservation in 30 minutes and nothing had a short wait. I still thing the original Fastpass was the best system, but G+ is a net improvement.

Disney World in particular has done better with characters randomly popping up around the park. Pre-covid you had to wait in a long line or get a FP reservation to meet just about all characters, now it's much more common to see them out and around. As someone who likes characters but doesn't really care for the meet and greet locations, this was fantastic.

Reducing the dining reservation timeline to 60 days just makes sense. 180 was totally unnecessary.

Mobile ordering is another great addition, although I think the parks were trending this direction before covid anyway. I can take my time browsing the menu and placing an order while in line for an attraction, then as soon as I get off I head to the restaurant and my food is ready in less time than it used to take to order.

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

Cavalcades and character viewings (not sure what to call it). I like to SEE the characters, but I don't need to interact, pose for a pic, wait in line for it.

Mobile ordering. This makes it so much easier on me, the one who orders.

Walk-up availability on the app. Not sure if this was added during covid, but I have enjoyed taking advantage of it since.

 

[LuthienDragon]

A lot of people are saying mobile ordering, but I dislike the changes from 2019. You could order right then and there, now, you are only allowed to order 30 minutes ahead which is very inconvenient, you are basically forced to the line if you want to order NOW - which some lines being 15 minutes long under the sun...
The only things I actually liked, having 2019 as a comparison, was how the castle looked and loved the new rides that I hadn't ridden since then which were plenty: Rise of the Resistance, Ratatouille, Cosmic Rewind, Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Train, among others. Loved the Virtual Queue. Loved that the All-Star Resorts had their own designed buses instead of sharing.

I have more cons that pros, unfortunately.

 

[CinderEmma94]

A lot of people are saying mobile ordering, but I dislike the changes from 2019. You could order right then and there, now, you are only allowed to order 30 minutes ahead which is very inconvenient, you are basically forced to the line if you want to order NOW - which some lines being 15 minutes long under the sun...
The only things I actually liked, having 2019 as a comparison, was how the castle looked and loved the new rides that I hadn't ridden since then which were plenty: Rise of the Resistance, Ratatouille, Cosmic Rewind, Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Train, among others. Loved the Virtual Queue. Loved that the All-Star Resorts had their own designed buses instead of sharing.

I have more cons that pros, unfortunately.

I’ve mobile ordered many times recently (in the past couple of months) where the pickup time was something like “now-1:30” plus several times in the next few hours. The only times it’s forced me to pick a time in the future (not “now”) was during an extremely busy day during peak meal times. We tend to avoid eating at peak times because getting a table is a hassle.

 

[Toad_Passenger]

A lot of people are saying mobile ordering, but I dislike the changes from 2019. You could order right then and there, now, you are only allowed to order 30 minutes ahead which is very inconvenient, you are basically forced to the line if you want to order NOW - which some lines being 15 minutes long under the sun...
The only things I actually liked, having 2019 as a comparison, was how the castle looked and loved the new rides that I hadn't ridden since then which were plenty: Rise of the Resistance, Ratatouille, Cosmic Rewind, Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Train, among others. Loved the Virtual Queue. Loved that the All-Star Resorts had their own designed buses instead of sharing.

I have more cons that pros, unfortunately.

The trip we just returned from had all mobile ordering available as "now" until a certain time. Usually would have everything within 5 minutes of tapping "we're here."

 

[jimmymc]

A lot of people are saying mobile ordering, but I dislike the changes from 2019. You could order right then and there, now, you are only allowed to order 30 minutes ahead which is very inconvenient, you are basically forced to the line if you want to order NOW - which some lines being 15 minutes long under the sun...
The only things I actually liked, having 2019 as a comparison, was how the castle looked and loved the new rides that I hadn't ridden since then which were plenty: Rise of the Resistance, Ratatouille, Cosmic Rewind, Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Train, among others. Loved the Virtual Queue. Loved that the All-Star Resorts had their own designed buses instead of sharing.

I have more cons that pros, unfortunately.

I'm also confused with the mobile ordering. If there are spots available, you can still order for immediate pickup.

 

[parasail_of_congress]

I thought it was weird that people were commenting on mobile ordering at all since that was around pre-covid. During our trip in 2018, I think we did mobile ordering for all but one of our park meals.

 

[LuthienDragon]

I’ve mobile ordered many times recently (in the past couple of months) where the pickup time was something like “now-1:30” plus several times in the next few hours. The only times it’s forced me to pick a time in the future (not “now”) was during an extremely busy day during peak meal times. We tend to avoid eating at peak times because getting a table is a hassle.

Not ONCE did that appear for me during my whole recent trip. It was always 30 min or more in advance.

 

[Toad_Passenger]

Not ONCE did that appear for me during my whole recent trip. It was always 30 min or more in advance.

Always check closely, though. I thought all of mine were for 30+ minutes out, because my brain was skipping the "now" part of it. For instance, right now, MK is showing everything as "Now - 1:35pm."
Some may read that as "Now, the next available time is 1:35pm," but it actually does mean you can pick up anytime "starting NOW through 1:35pm"

 

[gorkt]

Thanks for this thread. I had no idea about the bag scanners. That is actually exciting because I was always the designated bag person in my family, and it used to annoy me that they could go up ahead while I was stuck waiting for the bag search.

 

[Bork]

Regarding bag scanners, it took us about halfway through our trip before someone pointed out that we could avoid a bag check if we hold our charging block in our hand. We couldn't figure out why our bag had to be checked sometimes, but not others.

Regarding what was better, surprisingly LL+. Staying offsite, we could no longer avoid early entry, but we now have a chance at LL+ for Seven Dwarfs or Flight of Passage, where before, we had no chance at FP+ staying offsite.

 

[jimmymc]

Regarding bag scanners, it took us about halfway through our trip before someone pointed out that we could avoid a bag check if we hold our charging block in our hand. We couldn't figure out why our bag had to be checked sometimes, but not others.

Regarding what was better, surprisingly LL+. Staying offsite, we could no longer avoid early entry, but we now have a chance at LL+ for Seven Dwarfs or Flight of Passage, where before, we had no chance at FP+ staying offsite.

My glasses case did it for a whole trip before security told me to hold it out.

 

[fabfemmeboy]

My glasses case did it for a whole trip before security told me to hold it out.

I still don't know what does it in ours - every time, both of our bags. No matter what we take out beforehand, it goes off and security tells us it's a different reason. Try what security told us the next time...nope, still goes off. We have yet to go through security without needing our bags hand-checked. I wish we could have the luck other people do with the new scanners - the seem great in theory!