All four Disney World theme parks are now reopened. But, our biggest question we’re getting — is the magic still there?
Upon reopening, Disney World has implemented a number of new health measures to help ensure the safety of guests and Cast Members. So, with all of the changes in place, is Disney World still fun?
Let’s take a look at our experience with different areas of the parks to see what conclusions we can draw!
Rides & Attractions
In the initial phase of reopening, some Disney World attractions are unavailable. While most of the rides are up and running, a large number of the shows such as Festival of the Lion King, Finding Nemo — The Musical, Beauty and the Beast, Voyage of the Little Mermaid, and more, are NOT currently being performed.
Plus, the parades and firework shows are also on hiatus. So, you won’t find entertainment like Fantasmic!, Festival of Fantasy, or Happily Ever After at the moment.
But even though some attractions and entertainment offerings are missing, we have noticed that the wait times for most of the rides have been relatively low in the days since the reopening. We’ve regularly seen the wait times for super popular attractions like Flight of Passage and Peter Pan’s Flight as low as 5 minutes throughout the day!
This seems to be the case in three of the four parks. Although the wait times in Disney’s Hollywood Studios have been notably higher than the other parks, they are still less than you would have found pre-closure. Since reopening, we’ve enjoyed the opportunity to hop on super popular rides with a minimal wait — but if you’re a huge fan of the shows, fireworks, or parades, you’ll probably feel like you’re missing out on a decent amount of the Disney magic.
Here’s the full list of the rides, attractions, and entertainment that reopened with the Disney World parks!
Characters
For some guests, a trip to Disney World isn’t complete without the chance to hug Mickey Mouse. But since character meet-and-greets are currently suspended, that won’t be happening anytime soon! Most character dining has also been paused, with the exception of modified character dining experiences at Topolino’s Terrace and Garden Grill. We had a blast seeing the characters dance around the restaurants while we took socially distanced selfies — but if you’re big on getting autographs and interacting with the characters up close, it might be a bit of a letdown!
But there is another way you can see the characters — there are different cavalcades and processions that make their way through each of the parks at random points throughout the day. This has been one of the things we’ve absolutely loved about the reopening! It’s a fun way to spot our favorite characters without having to wait in a long line or scope out a parade spot for hours.
Much like the modified character dining, it might not be for you if you’re all about the up and close interaction — but we’re loving this new way to “meet” the characters!
These are all the places you can spot characters in Disney World!
Health and Safety Measures
There are a number of other health and safety measures that have changed our experiences in the parks. For one, all guests aged two and older are required to wear a mask at all times except while eating or drinking. And this definitely took some getting used to at first. But we’ve found that while wearing a mask in Disney World isn’t ideal, there are plenty of steps we can take — like bringing plenty of spares, and testing our masks beforehand — that make it a much more comfortable experience. So, while wearing a mask isn’t our favorite way to do Disney, it hasn’t kept us from having fun!
Plus, there are several ways that social distancing measures are being implemented to help guests maintain space. This includes social distancing markings on the ground in queues, reduced seating on attractions, and reduced capacity in restaurants and shops. This has made our experience in the parks different, but it hasn’t necessarily had a negative impact — since the overall capacity of the parks is also reduced, it hasn’t caused wait times to explode or made dining reservations impossible to get at this point.
And some of the other health procedures have hardly even been on our radar throughout our time in the parks. The temperature check process is quick and easy, and we’ve barely noticed this additional step for entry. And increased sanitation measures might be a bit more noticeable when rides briefly go down for cleaning, but overall this hasn’t had a huge impact on wait times.
For us, none of the new health and safety measures have prevented us from enjoying our time in the parks.
So, is Disney World Still Fun?
Let’s start with the simple answer — yes, we have still had fun on our visits to the reopened Disney World parks. BUT, that might not be the case for everyone right now. If you absolutely have to do one (or a few) of the things that aren’t currently available on your Disney World vacation, that could have a huge impact on your trip.
While there is still plenty of Disney World magic, there’s no denying that the current experience of being in the parks is different than we are used to. Whether the current Disney World experience is right for you is ultimately up to what you and your family want from the experience.
If you are looking to enjoy a lot of rides at Disney and don’t mind the lack of fireworks or live shows, there is a lot to do at Disney World right now. However, if you feel uncomfortable with wearing a face mask in the heat, or know that Disney World just isn’t complete for you without park-hopping and fireworks to end your night, it might be best to wait until those things come back to the parks.
While we don’t think now is the best time for your first Disney World trip or your once-every-few-years trip, we’ve found that the parks are still fun — but they’re definitely different!
Would you visit Disney World during the initial reopening phase? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Want to learn more about the Reopened Disney World?
- We’re Answering Your BIGGEST Questions About the Reopened Disney World!
- We Went to Magic Kingdom for Disney World’s Reopening — Here’s What You Need to Know!
- Everything You Need To Know About the Reopening of EPCOT!
- We Went to the Reopening of Disney's Animal Kingdom -- Here's What It Was Like!
- We Went to Disney’s Hollywood Studios for Its Reopening Day -- Here's What You Need to Know
- Here Are ALL the Changes and Cancellations That Disney World Just Implemented for Their Reopening!
- Everything You Need to Know About Disney World's Face Mask Policy
- Everything You Need to Know from Disney World's Reopening!
- We’re Answering Your BIGGEST Questions About Disney World’s New Disney Park Pass Reservation System!
- The Ultimate Guide to Disney World’s Relaxation Stations
- 6 Tips You Aren’t Thinking of for Your 2020 Disney World Trip
- Tips to Remember When Wearing a Face Mask in Disney World
- Here’s What It’s Like to Wear a Disney Face Mask All Day Long in Disney World!
- What You Need to Know About the Transportation Options at a Reopened Disney World
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I went because I had an AP, but I absolutely would not go if had to pay daily ticket prices. Not worth the premier $$$ (Filet Mignon prices for Burger experience).
How can you have memories, if what your little one is interested in is closed. And pictures with a mask on…. NO THANK YOU
we are set for Labor day weekend. The way I booked our hotels we can not get out of. Our kids are almost grown and not getting any younger so we are going for it. We will miss a few things but overall are looking forward to the rides, the food, the magic!!
For us it just isn’t worth it until this craziness ends. I can’t handle the mask for more than about 20 minutes. The prices are not coming down for rooms or tickets even though the rooms have very few amenities and little housekeeping. The parks have no extras. We will not come back until this ends.
We visited the Magic Kingdom on Sunday. The crowds were light and the lines short. We also really like the pop up entertainment. We saw a marching band and later walked behind a float with Disney Characters + dancers and music. We also saw Anastasia and Drizella on a back terrace of Cinderella’s Castle. We weren’t terribly impressed with the Relaxation Station. We only saw two of these and the station between Adventure Land and Frontier Land only had one table that was even partially shaded, the rest were in the sun. The other area we saw was at Tommorowland Terrace and that was nice, shaded and plenty of room for many people to sit with their masks off. Over all we enjoyed our day, but will probably wait until the weather cools some before we visit again.
Would not want to go right now with all of the shows and parades and the character meet and greets and the fireworks suspende. Went in 2009 and 2017 and loved it. But all those things are part of what made it a fantastic vacation
UH “IS DISNEY WORLD STILL FUN RIGHT NOW?” – that would be a NO!!!
We’re scheduled for a 9 day visit in Jan 2021, staying at the Poly. Masks are not really an issue for us, as we are already used to wearing them to be out in public in California. Also, we are not huge fans of the parades and fireworks displays (We don’t hate them, but the typical HUGE crowding around these events will not be missed.) We plan to (hopefully) use this opportunity to go on all the rides we usually miss die to wait times and time constraints. Our only “bummer” is the lack of park hopping, especially as it affects dining plans. Perhaps this will change by January, but if not we’ll adapt. For those that have been already, are you allowed multiple entries to the park you have a reservation for that day? We love to take a nap in the afternoon, and are hoping we can still leave the park and return refreshed after a nap.
Hi Laura! Yes, as long as you have a park reservation you are able to leave and come back later on that day. You will just need to go through security and temperature screenings again.
Just got back from a four day weekend at Grand Floridian/Polynesian (DVC) and we had a lot of fun during the day, but the downside is that there is literally nothing to do at night. No fireworks, no Electric Water Parade, no parades in the parks, and, at the Poly, the only bar that was open during the day shut down at 8pm (the one at the Grand Floridian, the Enchanted Rose, stayed open until 10pm.) So, if you’re a night own, probably not a lot of fun for you.
It feels to me that “Is Disney World Still Fun Right Now?” is the wrong question. If I lived in the area and had already paid for a season pass then I suppose I’d go. “Fun” is what you make it, and walking around and doing a few attractions would be fun, even with a mask. But for me, traveling from western NY and paying for rooms and tickets just would no make any sense.
the true answer is without the shows,fireworks and having to wear a mask and yes i know its for everyone’s safety i get it the answer for me and i’m sure for thousands of other pass holders is No NO NO!
Well now let’s see 90 degree heat with a mask. Uh NOT fun. Gate prices the same or higher. Way way less value with all the stuff that’s not open or happening. So value for your dollars hugely diminished. Combine all this with way shorter park hours and I don’t see us going to WDW anytime soon I’ve already banked all my points til next year. Looking at bailing out of DVC altogether
thanks for your perspective, our family and friends will sit this Disney experience out till its back to somewhat normal,fireworks parades photos with characters and number one on the list mandatory masks.
We will miss the parks until it is back to normalcy. It is just a very expensive vacation and with all the things that are suspended that we love to do, plus the mandatory mask, we will just wait. I have a hard time with the mask at the grocery store, I cant even imagine walking around all day with it that sounds horrible.
Way overpriced, now more has been eliminated and the park price remains the same. As Igor wanted….Its a park for the elite—-not dreamers as Walt wished.