The “New” Disney, My First Visit Back by Stacey Thompson

October 30, 2020 ,

From Guest Blogger Stacey Thompson

I’m currently at Walt Disney World for the first time since it reopened. It has been a great trip so far, and it’s not done yet, even with the restrictions.

For those of you on the fence about coming, here are some things to consider:

1. The crowds are lower, and it’s noticeable.

2. There are no fastpasses, but most lines are not more than about 15 minutes. Yes, the most popular ones are longer. Wait times do change throughout the day, just watch for that and do other things in the meantime. We got on Peter Pan in about 15-20 minutes….. when does that happen???

3. It is a different experience. If you come to the parks a lot, you get to see it in a new way. Enjoy the cavalcades and different character viewing options. It’s different, not bad. We are embracing these different things we wouldn’t normally see!

4. You may not get to hug the characters, but you still see them. You won’t get to see fireworks yet, but you can spend time looking at the details in the parks and look for hidden Mickey’s. On busy park days, thats hard to do! Take advantage of the low crowds! You can do everything in each park in one day right now – which is awesome!

5. You can book dining after hours! We have had a few dinners after park closing and that has been great. Wonderful picture ops without crowds!!! Same dining experience, maximize your park time, still enjoy the great restaurants in the parks. Love this option!

6. You can always go back when things get back to normal for the experience you are “more used to.”

7. The parks are clean. They are doing a great job with distancing and cleanliness. Hand sanitizer is everywhere. They are washing rides constantly. I feel very safe in that regard.

8. There are discounts on dated merchandise and passholders get a higher discount right now too. Not a bad thing! Halloween and Christmas merchandise is out! Fun to get to shop both!

I’m loving this experience, but I have been here a lot and the change is nice for me. If I were bringing young kids, I might wait a bit longer if these changes would effect their trip. Its hard to wear masks all day in this heat.

Hopefully this helps anyone on the fence about taking a Disney trip. I’m glad I came. I do know for me personally I need cooler weather next time, regardless of masks!

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