Here Now & Just Back WDW Reopening Experiences Including Park Hopping

[preemiemama]

I don't use my phone, but I do put the white noise machine on the nightstand also. I think the closer it is to you the better.

Yep. We use one at home every night and use a phone app while traveling. Before getting a machine at home, we used the bathroom fan. Definitely works better when you have it closer to you since the machine is much closer to us at night.

 

[boop0524]

We are going next week and staying at SSR for a few days. How bad were the buses? We will not have a car so will need to rely on Disney transportation. We will be in the Congress Park section

I would recommend in the morning going to the bus stop really early (before 90 mins) and waiting, even before they post the bus times on the app. We had a bus buzz by us twice before they were supposed to have arrived at the station. Not sure if they were just full or if it was because no one was at the station waiting but it was pretty frustrating. So just get there and wait would be my suggestion.

If a park is your high priority and it’s not hugely inconvenient, I’d walk to Paddock or even try to make it up to Grandstand to get on the bus. We were in Paddock but closer to CP so we used that station, and sometimes the busses would be full before making our stop. We also found the mid day busses to be the worst and almost missed a dinner ADR. Morning and end of day they are running pretty consistently, but when you hit the afternoon it’s a total crapshoot.

I saw in another thread a suggestion to take a Disney Springs bus to a resort within walking distance when in desperation. We had a car so never had to do that, but may be helpful for you. Have fun!!

 

[ILoveMyDVC]

Currently here staying at Poly DVC. I was here with my sister in January over MLK week. Here are some things we’ve noticed this trip.

1. It is HOT. We are normally fall/winter vacationers but my mom wasn’t comfortable going in January and really wanted a trip before losing points so here we are.We upgraded our tickets to PH+ week before arriving and very grateful we did. We go to the parks early and leave around noon to rest or hit the pool or Blizzard Beach and then go back to the parks after dinner.

2. There are definitely more people. That was expected but it is noticeable for sure. Without the shows and parades to eat people, the lines build pretty quickly. That said at least they move continually without the stopping for FP. We know how to use FP to our advantage but I kind of like the continuously moving lines.

3. The social distance markers are in the lines but no one uses them. In January most people were very good about keeping to the distance markers. Now they may as well not be there. No one is breathing down our necks in line, but it does feel more pre-COVID-19 line distancing.

4. Mask compliance is not as good as January. Most people in January were great at following the rules. Now, I’d say 75% compliance in lines and 50% or less at the resort. Maybe it is better in resorts where you have to walk more inside to get to your room. We don’t mind as we are all vaccinated but just an FYI to those who have concerns.

5. Wait times tend to be inflated. We noticed this in January as well. I’ve been using the Lines app from touring plans and it has been pretty accurate. Definitely pay attention to the last reported times as sometimes it is over an hour since a report.

we are having a great time but I think it will be a while before we come in the summer again. My mom and sister don’t handle heat well. For that matter, neither does my husband.

How crowded was Blizzard Beach?

 

[Roxyfire]

We arrive for our 1st stay at WL next Tuesday. You said the transportation was good? No issues with the buses like other resorts are having? How full did the lodge seem?

Just ending my time at BRV and I was disappointed in the bus service this time, especially to MK. We waited a long time to come back to the resort.

Last night we were MK an hour after park closing and people had been waiting since 9. We took our time coming back from our last ride and knew we would not be on the first bus.

A young man from another group went on the chronically empty bus at stop 1 or 2 to ask why they were sitting there so long and no one was picking us up. The driver pulled up to the WL stop to just take them back and rolled back around to get us. I felt bad for the families that had to wait that long with little kids.

No wonder they’re practically begging people to drive. We tried it one night but without the trams i did not do well. The heat was pretty oppressive and next to no rain was no fun. Without DAS i would’ve been sittingat the resort all week.

 

[jbrinkm]

https://www.disboards.com/threads/white-noise-machines.3841009/
For anyone interested in continuing the White Noise Machine convo!

 

[yaywatermelons]

We had 6 parties on one boat, but... 3 of the 6 parties were 2 people or less.

When we went in April, they had partitions in multiple places to separate parties and they just didn't seat anyone in the center. So depending upon the size of the party, they could seat 4-5 parties of 2-4...

Thank you both! I figured it wasn't "fill all available space." We have a party of 15 next week - we may fill the boat!

 

[TikiTikiFan]

What time do you take a break to avoid the worst of the heat? What part of the day is the hottest? Trying to plan our break times and what outfits (lol) to plan for.

 

[preemiemama]

What time do you take a break to avoid the worst of the heat? What part of the day is the hottest? Trying to plan our break times and what outfits (lol) to plan for.

We usually go in the summer and our breaks are leaving by 1pm and then coming back for dinner around 5pm. The pm thunderstorms usually hit around 3, so we stay out of them and it cools things down a bit. Win-win.

 

[TikiTikiFan]

We usually go in the summer and our breaks are leaving by 1pm and then coming back for dinner around 5pm. The pm thunderstorms usually hit around 3, so we stay out of them and it cools things down a bit. Win-win.

Perfect- thank you!

 

[Princess Katelet]

Just ending my time at BRV and I was disappointed in the bus service this time, especially to MK. We waited a long time to come back to the resort.

Last night we were MK an hour after park closing and people had been waiting since 9. We took our time coming back from our last ride and knew we would not be on the first bus.

A young man from another group went on the chronically empty bus at stop 1 or 2 to ask why they were sitting there so long and no one was picking us up. The driver pulled up to the WL stop to just take them back and rolled back around to get us. I felt bad for the families that had to wait that long with little kids.

No wonder they’re practically begging people to drive. We tried it one night but without the trams i did not do well. The heat was pretty oppressive and next to no rain was no fun. Without DAS i would’ve been sittingat the resort all week.

Buses back to SSR at night were HORRIBLE. After an hour wait one night they finally sent a Mears coach bus and packed it full. We kept watching bus after bus pull up to all the other resorts, but not SSR.

Just ending my time at BRV and I was disappointed in the bus service this time, especially to MK. We waited a long time to come back to the resort.

Last night we were MK an hour after park closing and people had been waiting since 9. We took our time coming back from our last ride and knew we would not be on the first bus.

A young man from another group went on the chronically empty bus at stop 1 or 2 to ask why they were sitting there so long and no one was picking us up. The driver pulled up to the WL stop to just take them back and rolled back around to get us. I felt bad for the families that had to wait that long with little kids.

No wonder they’re practically begging people to drive. We tried it one night but without the trams i did not do well. The heat was pretty oppressive and next to no rain was no fun. Without DAS i would’ve been sittingat the resort all week.

We were at SSR for eight days in May. Buses back to SSR from parks were TERRIBLE. Hardly any came and when they did they filled up right away with scooters and their families. I don’t know why they get front of the line privileges…. Finally after an hour of waiting at the Studios they called in a Mears coach bus that crammed us all in to every seat. I’m not sure how any people were left after they filled it to the brim but it did scoop up a whole bunch of us.
Day after day we would watch bus after bus after bus, sometimes two at a time, come for all the other resorts, but not SSR.

 

[kclark9830]

Leaving today after 7 days at All Star Movies and 5 park days. We had a great slowed-down trip, and we made lots of great memories. We do not regret making the choice to visit in any way.

That being said, we do have a few observations and experiences to share.

• I was worried about mobile ordering and getting timeslots. I shouldn’t have been! It was not only super easy, it was also super convenient. No more waiting in long lines! And getting a timeslot when I wanted one was never a problem.
• Buses were hard. We had a couple short or no wait rides, but the majority of times we waited 20-45 minutes for buses.
• We missed FP+, a lot. I have read all the arguments and I get it. But for our family, we knew how to use them and we missed them greatly on this trip. We only come to Disney every 2-3 years, and we skipped several headliners this trip because we weren’t willing to wait in long lines with a 4 year old. I get that this was totally our choice. I get that. But it stunk and we missed FP+.
• Lines, even for notoriously unpopular attractions, were regularly 20-30 minutes minimum. We did have a couple of walk-on experiences and that was nice, but this wasn’t the norm. Even at rope drop and park closing, which we did both of 4 out of the 5 park days.
• We had lots of great interactions with CM’s. They make things magical, and I appreciate and applaud all of them who manage to keep a great attitude during all of this time. We absolutely did have some negative interactions with a small handful of CM's, but this wasn’t the norm. I choose to believe these poor folks are over stressed and under appreciated by guests.
• If you are worried about any of these things, I would say try to look at all of them on the positive side. Because of longer waits for everything from buses to rides, we were forced to slow down. While it was frustrating to not get as much done as we were used to, we really enjoyed the slower Disney vacation (despite ourselves, lol).

 

[malissa99]

Just back from a week at BRV. I have a lot of thoughts but here are just a few: 1) it’s crowded. Just walking in the parks, getting into shops, getting coffee, snack etc. is an ordeal. 2) it’s very hot and the queues that are extended outside in the sun are unbearable. Sure folks may say the lines move quickly but 60+ minutes ( yes it was 60+ min, lowest we saw these were 45 min.) in full sun in 97 degree heat is not doable. For example, space mountain and seven dwarves. The 7DMT line started at Little Mermaid and was in full sun. We saw lots of sunburnt little ones. Keep in mind we were there a week with park hoppers. So it wasn’t just once we saw it like that. It was every time we were at MK. Same for MMRRR. We are Disney vets and there were some big rides we did not get on bc of how the queues are right now. 3) Epcot construction is a mess and was very crowded. Great food at the Flower and Garden but recommend an evening trip. Frozen ever after line was another one we skipped. 4) there are lots of standard Disney things not available right now. Shipping was biggest issue for us. FYI the Rancor Tooth Beer flight souvenir cannot be shipped bc it’s not a “Disney” item. 5) buses were ok but the numbered seating and partitions are nuts. Really limits the number of folks who can get on a bus. Same with the ferry at WL. Times on app were accurate. Usually a bus would come before posted time bc of the huge lines waiting at WL. 6) cast members for the most part were great. There’s were definitely a few that need to find a new line of work. Lots of cast members told us how they are doing very different jobs now and are being moved around. It’s strange at Epcot not having the countries in WS be represented. Les Halles for example, not the usual well oiled machine. 7) Wilderness Lodge was amazing. Every cast member, the food, the housekeeping, all great. We checked out this morning and it was significantly more crowded in lobby. These are just some quick thoughts I had. If anyone has any questions I’d be happy to answer if I can. Overall a good trip but we will not be back in June (too hot) and we won’t be back until things are more properly staffed and services are restored. This was a postponed 2020 trip otherwise we would not have gone. Oh and I missed the MK fireworks so much more than I thought I would.

 

[wilkydelts]

@kclark9830 and @malissa99 How do you know the waits were super long if you skipped them? Seems like high speculation especially since people have stated regularly to ignore the length of the line because they visible size does not match the wait time.

 

[malissa99]

@wilkydelts At MK we waited in space mountain twice. 62 min and 58 min. Waited 42 for pirates. 35 for BTMR. 30 for HM. The 7DMT was spiraling around the attraction and people weren’t moving. Posted wait was 65, touring plans reporting 60. Touring plans app was very accurate as long as you checked the most recent reported time. We skipped 7DMT bc it’s in full sun. The 60 minutes in full sun is much diff than 60 in an indoor queue. Lots of people were waiting so if it works for you no reason not to stand in it.

 

[kclark9830]

@kclark9830 and @malissa99 How do you know the waits were super long if you skipped them? Seems like high speculation especially since people have stated regularly to ignore the length of the line because they visible size does not match the wait time.

Posted wait time for Soarin was 50 min, we waited 65 min. Waited 80 min for 7DMT before giving up on it because it broke down. Not sure what the posted wait was for that one.

ETA: posted wait at IasW was 10 min, we waited 30.

 

[OhioWDWDuo]

@malissa99 The Rancor Tooth beer flight could not be shipped home? I thought anything could be shipped from a retail location if you have the receipt. We’ve done it before with a lightsaber. Thanks for the report!

 

[luv2cheer92]

I’m sorry but I have told anyone that asks me about going to Disney World now- not to go.
Yes, I am still going but I am a DVC member and have an annual pass. I also can drive from Georgia so my expenses are kept down to a minimum.
We were at Epcot on Monday for dinner. We were at Hollywood studios Tuesday morning for boarding group 9 on ROTR and left after we rode since that is the closest thing now to a FP.
We know others have more patience than us and that is good. Currently we only visit to satisfy my Disney addiction by taking a walk around the park (most lines are too long)and having a dinner reservation.

To each their own, plenty of people are having fantastic trips. But I definitely wouldn't be discouraging anyone from going right now.

 

[brockash]

@kclark9830 and @malissa99 How do you know the waits were super long if you skipped them? Seems like high speculation especially since people have stated regularly to ignore the length of the line because they visible size does not match the wait time.

I'm not them; however we've been 3 different weeks since reopening and we consistently waited 35-60 mins for headliners (except for 1-2 rides if transportation got us to the park 50ish mins. before actual opening) and literally at least 20 mins. for every single ride 95% of the time...many being more like 30 (Carousel of Progress for example...we waited 20 mins. - and the only reason we did it was because we weren't up to wait longer for anything else at the time.)

Lines are definitely longer for those who are used to making fastpass work for them.

 

[malissa99]

@malissa99 The Rancor Tooth beer flight could not be shipped home? I thought anything could be shipped from a retail location if you have the receipt. We’ve done it before with a lightsaber. Thanks for the report!

Yes! That’s what we thought too! The WL gift shop said it’s bc it’s not a “Disney” product, it’s a third party. You need a receipt for everything you want to ship. Basically the receipt from Oga’s looks different. It doesn’t have any text on the back compared to the other receipts. The front desk did help us out and shipped it Fed Ex for us because we were going to have to either buy a $170 or $200 suitcase or return it. So that was great but we thought same thing.

 

[VandVsmama]

We were at WDW 6/1-6/7, staying at Pop Century. Did a 1-way cross-country road trip to get there, flew back. Here are some highlights:

6/1:
Did online check in, requested 1st floor room, got 2nd floor room instead but was close to elevator, so that was helpful. We were in a preferred room category. Very short walk to the main building. Went to DS for dinner at Chicken Guy. I don't understand what the big deal is about Chicken Guy. It was ok. I wouldn't make a special trip there just for dinner again, though. After 8 pm, DS was noticeably more busy than when we'd arrived. Turned rental car in at the WDW Car Care Center, which was really easy. Alamo gave us a lift back to Pop Century.

6/2:
Intended to do rope drop at HS, but didn't get out the door early enough. To save time in the mornings, we made our DDs shower in the evening before going to bed. Got on MMRR at 8:50 am and it was maybe a 10 min wait. Super short wait. Probably waited 5 min, not 10. Then went to MFSR with a 25 min wait, but it was more like 15. We were in a cockpit by ourselves, but they are definitely doubling up with other parties now, so just be aware. If you want to be a pilot, tell the CM.

After that, had a bathroom break and then went to Savi's Workshop for our DDs' lightsaber build appointment at 10:25 (it was YDD's b-day this day). It was worth the $$. Really great experience. The lightsaber build 'guide' was really great. He was amazing. The kids were totally into it. They loved it. DH loved it. Make your ADR for this way ahead of time. Many people were going up to the CMs at the Savi's Workshop check in asking how they could build their own lightsaber and they had no idea that you needed a reservation booked in advance. YDD said that making her own lightsaber made for the best day ever.

Then we had an ADR at Brown Derby at 11:35 to celebrate YDD's b-day. First time there for all of us. We really enjoyed the food. Felt it was really good quality & service for the price you pay. Expensive lunch, but definitely worth it. We were done around 12:50.

We didn't get a morning BG for ROTR, but got BG #166 at the 1:00 pm BG drop. Hooray! Left right away for a break back at the room. Went back at 4:40, taking Skyliner back to HS.

Dinner was at Docking Bay 7, which YDD didn't care for. Food too 'weird' for her. Tried to get into Dok Ondar's, but the legacy lightsaber queue was virtual and was full for the evening by the time we figured that out, so we vowed to try again on HS day #2. We went on all of the Toy Story Land rides, got off of SDD at 8:05 pm and then headed out of the park. Got back to Pop at 9:00. Walked 7.4 miles this day!

6/3:
MK day

Got a late start. 9:40 am - on bus. Went on Tomorrowland Speedway, People mover, Country Bears Jamboree. Checked in at noon 30 min early for our Skipper Canteen lunch and they went ahead and seated us early. YDD loves Jungle Cruise, so she really loved this place.

1:00 - done with lunch, shopped on Main Street and took bus back to Pop Century. Not interested in being in the parks all day. We do it this way at Disneyland, too. Works well for us and makes for less cranky family members.

2:00 - back at Pop Century. DH & I napped. Kids watched TV. It was nice to be in air conditioning.

4:35 - in line for bus back to MK. 4:50 - on bus, so only 15 min wait (nice!). Went on BTMRR. Had an absolutely awful QS dinner at Starlight Cafe in Tomorrowland. Bleh. Not going there again.

6:39 - got in line for Jungle Cruise (YDD's favorite). posted wait time was 45 min. at 6:55, we got out of line. we'd hardly moved in those 15 min and by the time we left the line, the app said the wait was 70 min. Something was up. Not too long after that, Jungle Cruise was down entirely.

7:25 - got in line for POTC with 30 in posted wait. 7:52 - was off ride, stopped for bathroom break.

8:09 - convinced DH to join us on 7DMT (he normally doesn't like roller coasters). Posted 40 min wait. 8:45 pm - we were off the ride and had just enough time before closing to get ice cream sundaes in Fantasyland.

Park closed at 9. DH & the kids went on ahead to bus back to Pop Century while I shopped in the Pandora store on Main Street for charms for ODD for her birthday later this month. LOTS of people hanging around the hub to take photos of the castle (it's beautiful at night!). I waited in line 50 min for a bus back to Pop. The line was so long. And they had buses coming every couple of minutes...like, a bus would leave and then a minute later, another bus would show up.

more in next post..