Have you been wanting to go to Disney World but unsure about how they are taking precautions and what that looks like for you and your family? Well you are in luck, I have come with knowledge!
My kids and I went with my parents on Jan 13 and Jan 14th, and let me just tell you… if you are on the fence of wanting to go…. DO IT! Now is the time! Lines are short, the magic is there, and they are doing everything they can to keep everyone safe, and to keep the gates open. So… here’s my run down from our experience at Disney World.
First, let’s start with what I think a lot of people are concerned with… safety! Firstly, you have to reserve your date in advance for whichever park you are interested in going to. They are cautious to make sure the crowds are significantly thinned out. All guests, cast members and personnel on the premises are required to wear a mask that are older than 2, and boy are those workers trained to watch for proper mask wearing. They are so friendly in reminding people to put the mask over your nose and mouth. My Davis wore a mask the first day that didn’t stay on his nose great, and they were so on top of it reminding him to pull it up. I would recommend making sure you have an extra mask just in case yours drops, gets damp from usage or ends up not fitting well for whatever reason. It is permitted to remove your mask while eating, drinking and while stationary. Otherwise, you need to be wearing one, even while taking pictures.
It wasn’t hard to make sure to stay 6 feet apart, even while in line. There were markers on the ground that the kids did such a good job watching for so they could respect the space of the person ahead. And honestly, the lines were so short, these markers didn’t get used much!
Sanitizing stations were all over the place, which made keeping our hands clean very easy! Most of the time, they had one after each ride! Plus, Disney would shut down rides periodically to clean and sanitize them. It felt very safe.
Now, for the action!!
The lines were incredibly short! We spent two days in Disney World… the first day at Epcot, and the second in Magic Kingdom. While in Epcot, we were able to do every ride and show we wanted to do with time to spare. We were only there from 12-7 and felt more than satisfied with what we had done! We rode the Finding Nemo ride multiple times! So many that the kind castmember at the exit showed us a shortcut to get to the front quicker. There was no wait at all! It was incredible. The Frozen Ever After ride is normally such an excruciating long wait that we hadn’t gone on it in previous visits, but this time it was 15 min (which ended up being about 8 min)!
At Magic Kingdom, we were there from 11:30-6:00 and ended up riding 25 rides! In case you were wondering, that’s almost 4 rides per hour!!! Can that be real? Yes… yes it is! The Peter Pan ride is normally at least a 90 min ride, and one that you always want to fastpass traditionally (which fastpasses don’t exist right now… there’s no need), had a 15 min wait time (which was again about an 8 min wait). At the end me, my mom and my boys rode the Barnstormer 6 times in a row, and some of them they let us stay on the cart because there was no one even coming up in line. It was such a blissful experience.
Now for some fast and quick tips!
- Make sure to reserve your date in advance! They have the schedule online to control and thin out crowds. Click here for tickets and reservations.
- Wear comfortable shoes. You’ll be walking more than usual since the crowds are thinned, so make sure you’re comfortable.
- Bring water and stay hydrated! It will be easy to get distracted and forget to stay hydrated since you’re moving so much, but drink your water!
- Bring a stroller! They do have strollers to rent, but it’s pricey in my opinion and way less functional. Here’s the link to their renting info. If you are going with kids, a stroller is a MUST! Although my kids didn’t use it much, it was handy for throwing things into that we didn’t want to take onto rides or hold while walking around. I will say that they do NOT allow wagons, but if you have a situation that requires a wagon, you can get a exemption tag from guest services. Comment below (or dm me on instagram) if you have questions on that, but here’s the link to their site for their stroller regulations.
- Pack a lunch and plan to eat stationary. It was super easy to eat real quick in line, but have some snacks too to keep the hangry pains from putting a damper on the day.
- Budget a dollar amount for souvenirs. I gave each of my kids $15 to spend. It was great because they weren’t asking for things in every store, and it was a great motivator for good behavior during the day. Two of my kids spent their money, and one of them chose to save it to buy a dinosaur from Target haha. I’ll give you one guess on who that is… 🙂
- Check the weather! If there is a forecast of rain, stop at a Walmart near by and grab rain ponchos for $1, otherwise you’ll spend $20 for a poncho if it rains. I’ve spent the $20 and in the moment I’m grateful for it, but they pack up so easy, it’s better to be better prepared on this one! Also, if it’s below 60 degrees, bring a light jacket. It will be nice to have! Trust me.
- Bring extra masks! They’re mandatory to be in the park, and if yours falls down or gets moist, it will be nice to have a back up. Talk to the kids about these rules too, and make sure they understand the expectations. My 4 year old rarely wears them since they’re not required for his age in our state, so we did practicing and talked him through it, and he did great.
- They have tons of sanitizing stations, but it wouldn’t hurt to bring your own just to be sure you have it when you want it.
- Download the My Disney Experience app ahead of time so you can see real time wait times and when you walk into the park, you’ll know what rides to hit up when. We also love having a physical map too just in case. I’ll also add a tip my mom suggested… put your phone on low power mode so keep the charge high during the day. If you’re worried, bring an external charger (don’t forget the cord). You don’t want to risk missing out on that Disney magic in your kids faces!
I would say this was easily one of my favorite Disney trips. We stayed safe, and created such beautiful memories together. Memories I hope last the kids, myself and my parents a life time!
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