Recently, I took a long weekend trip to Walt Disney World, Florida. If you want to read about my trip you can check that out here. Otherwise, let’s get back to it. Because of the pandemic and coronavirus travel has been very different. Travel to Walt Disney World during Coronavirus is especially different. They have done everything in their power to continue to give a great experience, while also being safe. You may wonder if you think Disney is a safe place to travel. Or you may wonder about all of the extra precautions brought in to make it the safest it can be. Maybe you’re just wondering how to prepare for your trip in general, well we will go over all of those things.
Travel to Disney during Coronavirus is it safe? My personal opinion.
Now, I am just going to give you my personal opinion here. I am not a health professional. I will say that I personally believe we should be able to make our own decisions during this time. So, with that being said, do I think traveling to Disney during Coronavirus is safe? Yes, for the most part, I believe you can visit Walt Disney World and be quite safe. Now, are you still taking a risk by being there around people? Yes, absolutely. I think before you plan a trip you should do your research and create your own opinion, but I think as per usual Disney is probably one of the safest places.
Why? What are the safety measures put in place in for coronavirus.
Masks are worn everywhere.
First things first, everything is different. You can not expect Disney to be the same as it always has been. Nothing in the world is the same as it has been, so don’t expect Disney to be any different. Disney makes you wear a mask everywhere you go while on the Disney property, not very magical I know. You do get used to it, and it is really nice to see that everyone follows this rule to a T. Not to mention that there are announcements and cast members constantly reminding you.
Parks and restaurants are on a limited occupancy.
Disney also has a lower limit on the number of people allowed in the parks than the state of Florida in general. The state of Florida specifically allows 50% occupancy at this moment during the Coronavirus pandemic. Disney? Disney is only allowing a 35% occupancy. Typically I believe the magic kingdom can hold around 90,000 people. That means 35% is about 31,500 people. So keep in mind there could still be a good bit of people in the parks, but it is highly limited. Think, Halloween and Christmas party amounts of people, or even less realistically. There is only one entrance into shops and restaurants so they can count the number of people going in and out at any time.
Socially distancing is a thing.
No matter where you go in the parks they are always trying to social distance. Every que for every attraction has tape on the ground reminding you to stay 6 feet away from the groups in front of and behind you. This makes lines look super long, but trust me they aren’t. (We made it through Avatar Flight of Passage in less than 25 minutes. The line, however, wrapped all the past the bridge towards the Lion King show.) They have also made sure the busses, boats, and monorail are safely distanced. No more cramming onto the bus at night! That part is super sweet, but you may have to wait for a bus. I will say they seem to be running so many more busses than usual (like 10x more).
Even more hand sanitizer and signs to wash your hands.
Disney has always had hand sanitizer everywhere at least I always thought so. As a former employee, we were always told to keep it on us just to be as clean as possible. Now there is even more, placed strategically throughout every que and many other places as well.
How to prepare for travel to Walt Disney World.
Just some key points to remember if you decide to travel to Walt Disney World during the coronavirus.
Masks:
Remember that masks are to worn the entire time you are on Disney property. This means your wearing a mask the entire time, on the bus, in the hotels, and in the parks. You will even be wearing a mask when out front of the parks. Therefore, it is recommended to bring more than one mask. I would bring a different mask for each day. Also, keep in mind that Disney has special requirements for your mask. They do not allow neck gaiters or bandanas to be used as a mask. You can read more about the mask specifications here.
Preplan:
Make sure to preplan your trip. Because of the limited number of people allowed in the parks at any given time, Disney makes you schedule your days in the parks. You are only allowed to visit one park each day, and you must preschedule what park for what day. This allows Disney to keep track of where people are and give room for more people to visit the parks.
Dining:
Dining in the parks is hard. I would suggest packing some food and snacks with you or ordering food and snacks from somewhere like instacart. I also suggest that if you plan on eating at a sit-down restaurant while in the parks you make a reservation beforehand. Weeks before if possible, or if nothing else the day before. Dining reservations are tough because of their limited capacity. Quick service is much easier, although there are way less open quick-service locations. Also, keep in mind that some quick-service locations are ordered on the app only. Meaning that you can only and I repeat ONLY order your food using the my Disney experience app. For these locations, you will order your food, and pay for it through the app, and the app will notify you when it is ready.
There is no fast pass at this time.
Although the parks aren’t very busy it would probably be best to get the bigger, more popular attractions done early in the day. The first few hours of the park being open have the shortest wait times so take full advantage of the early mornings.
Transportation:
Transportation right now is a little different as well. They are running more busses and ferries but be prepared to wait longer than usual. It’s very possible you won’t get on the next bus or boat due to a significant decrease in capacity.
THAT’S ALL FOLKS!
If you decide to travel to Walt Disney World during Coronavirus take some time to also check out the Walt Disney World website. They have most of the information listed there for you as well. I hope you all have a great day and I hope this info helps you out along the way!
