By Pink Diva
Walt Disney World recently re-opened after an almost three month closure. They have done a lot of work to make Disney not only safe, but still magical. My family and I went to Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom. While it’s not the Disney we generally think about, we still had a great time. You will need to purchase your ticket in advance, have it linked to My Disney Experience and have park pass reservation. For details on how to make your park pass, read Pixie Dusted Diva’s article.
We took this real quick, but I could easily have waited and no one else would have been in the picture.
If you are debating on whether you should go or not, let me give you 5 reasons why you should consider going.
Reason 1. Low crowds. Everyone wants to come when the crowds are the lowest to maximize their experience. The crowds will never be lower than they are right now. Animal Kingdom seemed to have more people, but we were still able to easily physical distance. Less guests means that we could ride more rides. In Magic Kingdom we did all but three rides (Splash Mountain, Astro Orbiter, and Haunted Mansion) and had lunch in about seven hours.
In front of the Tree of Life.
Reason 2. Low wait times. There are currently on Fastpasses. This, along with low crowds, allows you to almost walk on most rides. The longest wait we had was less than 15 minutes for Big Thunder Mountain and Na’vi River Journey. Flight of Passage took longer to walk through the queue than it did for the actual wait. There was a Cast Member halfway down the exit ramp allowing guests who wished to ride Flight of Passage again the skip part of the outside queue. As a Passholder I have had a difficult time getting a Fastpass for Flight of Passage. Now, we could have rode it as many times as we wanted.
My new favorite family picture.
Reason 3. Photo opportunities. We were able to get some great photos without many guests in the background. We were able to do this both in front of the castle and the Tree of Life. It’s not only the park photos that are great, but also the ride photos. Because of physical distancing, there are less people to ride vehicles. We were able to get some great shots of us on a few rides without other guests in them.
Reason 4. Characters. The characters are not what we are all used to. However, Disney is thinking outside the box to get the characters out spreading magic. There are Character Cavalcade where different characters safely go through the parks. We were able to have a great view of Mickey and friends when we entered Magic Kingdom. Watching characters float down the river in Animal Kingdom is also fun. While I hope that we will be able to return to character meets, I do hope they keep some of these new character interactions.
Mickey and Friends Conclave.
Reason 5. Safety. Disney is doing everything possible to make sure guests are as safe as possible. Cast Members wore face shields and masks when dealing with guests. Hand sanitizer is everywhere. There are markings on the ground to indicate where to stand in line. Even, trash cans are propped open so that no one has to touch them. While nothing is ever 100% safe, I definitely felt safer there than my local grocery store.
Cleaning the carousal.
As with everything we do, there are risks. Disney was not wiping off each ride after each guest. We did see them cleaning both the carousal and safari vehicles. There are areas where you can remove your mask. The Relaxation Stations were cleaned after each guest and physical distancing was practiced.
If you choose to visit Walt Disney World Resorts right now, you will be required to follow their rules. As of now, there are no exceptions to the rules. Read all rules before going as they are changing daily.
While the magic may not be what we think of, it’s still there. Families can still make memories. You can still have your best day ever. According to Winnie the Pooh, “Any day spent with you is my favorite day. So, today is my new favorite day.”
The new castle colors. I love them.
