Yesterday was an important one fellow Disney fans! Disney Springs has finally reopened. Some things went great. Some didn’t. And some people decided to have a BBQ party for their kids at Disney Springs with their own BBQ! Yes, things got weird. But overall, we had some fun. Let’s take a look at what’s going on at Disney’s shopping district. Be sure to let us know what you think works and what doesn’t quite make sense.
Arriving at Disney Springs… Parking Garage Issues
We really don’t know why, but Reedy Creek Improvement District (The owners and operators of the Disney Springs Parking Garages) had the main entrance to the Orange Garage direct from Interstate 4 closed. This is a HUGE issue. It caused major traffic backups in the evening, and from what we saw, there was no logical reason that entrance was closed. It just made it a pain in the neck to park, and it made Buena Vista Drive considerably more crowded than normal. We hope this gets a quick rethink.
Welcome to Disney Springs
Finally, we parked (It literally took us twice as long as normal to park because of the closed entrance, can you tell we’re salty about that?). Now comes the fun.
The temperature screenings have been outsourced to AdventHealth.Let’s put a temperature gun to your forehead. Also, if you’re not wearing a mask, you’re not getting past this point.
Warning signs let you know that there are risks in public spaces. But with all that text, how many guests do you think will take the time to read?
COVID-19 Warning A-Frame SignThe Disney Springs Directory signs have had their buttons removed. They now just rotate through images. There is no longer a way to pause it on a map. Guests should use the app.
Keeping a safe distance shouldn’t be too difficult, the area was pretty empty when we were there.
It wasn’t crowded at all.
Signs, signs, everywhere the signs . . .
Some reminders to be healthy!These signs and hand wash stations were everywhere around Disney Springs. No one is using them.It was no problem keeping 6 feet apart.
A Quick Look Around Disney Springs
The breezeway in the Town Center is always the coolest area of Disney Springs. Literally. It was 94 degrees outside in the sun, and it felt like 78 degrees in here, a relief.Goofy’s Candy Company was closed, but it’s important to note that almost all shops only have one entrance and many exits.Uniqlo had multiple doors marked as Exit Only. That’s fine, but it was difficult to find where to enter since it is such a large store. They also needed arrows on their windows to direct people where to go to enter the store.
A beautiful day.Inside of the closed Disney Days of Christmas Store.Lululemon is coming this summer.The 4Rivers Cantina Food Truck is open for business. When guests have food in their hands they aren’t expected to wear a mask. But it also means there will be some guests walking around without masks on.All Disney-operated stores are still closed. World of Disney and some of the other Disney-owned stores are scheduled to open on the 27th.The Boathouse provides beautiful views.Drawn to Life is coming soon to the Cirque Du Sole Soleil theater. We got a little preview just before the shutdowns.This was the only children’s activity we could find that wasn’t closed.Ample Hills is still coming soon. Hopefully their bankruptcy doesn’t stop this from happening.You can also see some of the glow-in-the-dark arrow decals on the ground.STK has a nice lunch special going on. In the theme park world, that’s a steal for a really good burger.These are the Cast Members from recreation. They’re here to tell you to have fun and wear a mask.House of Blues isn’t open yet . . . but we love their sign.It wasn’t crowded here either.Tommy Bahama was closed. No Aloha / Hawaiian / Camp shirts for us!Chicken Guy only offers outdoor seating, but let’s go inside to order.A Certification of Sanitization at Chicken Guy. We’ve never seen one of these before.Chicken Guy is serious about social distancing.Safe Chicken Guy.Even the Chicken Guy on the sign was wearing a mask. They were installing large plexiglass shields over the cash registers while we were in the restaurant.Here’s the guy installing the plexiglass barriersThe Chicken Guy says Be Safe and Be Kind.Earl of Sandwich is open!Earl of Sandwich was overcharging for food. Select items were ringing up for 50 cents more than the amount posted on the menu board. We had a Holiday Sandwich. Although the sandwich was delicious, the price issue is not okay with me. The practice of bait and switch is illegal, and we hope they fix the pricing (or the sign) so other guests aren’t misled and overcharged.
NBA City Works is still under construction.
NBA City Works is a, um . . . work in progress.Workmen were on the job.
Starbucks had some new special “Welcome Back” drinks on the Marketplace side. The Westside Starbucks was closed.Nitro Cold Brew is now at Disney Springs on the Marketplace side. This may not be that new to most stores, but it’s new to Disney Springs.If you want a drink to go, the Boathouse has you covered. It also means you won’t be expected to wear a mask . . . which is a strange loophole in the safety rules.Rainforest Cafe was closed.The M&M’s Store is re-locating from The Florida Mall. Clearly they haven’t re-located just yet.No drinks for you, at least not from the Disney-operated kiosks.Sugarboo & Co. was open for business.The Main Entrance of Disney Springs was closed. (Yes, this is the main entrance to all of Disney Springs according to the designers, Elkus Manfredi.)AMC Theaters is Closed.Sorry folks, we’re closed!The Smokehouse at House of Blues is Closed.With so much still closed, it’s good that the crowds really didn’t show.World of Disney was closed, but here’s a look inside.The West Side had many construction walls, but it was not crowded at all.Disney balloons are for sale. Did you know that Disney balloon vendors are 3rd-party?A beautiful view!
Don’t Stand Where?
Don’t stand here. Stand there. Or stand behind that. The markings in Disney Springs aren’t consistent. This is the same problem guests are having in Shanghai Disneyland. We’re quite surprised that Disney imported that problem from China after it has been so well documented on social media.
DON’T STAND HERE DECALS. These make no sense at all. People want to stand on the decals. That’s what Disney has trained guests to do in the parks. Stand on this number, If you aren’t on a spot, then you don’t have a seat, etc.I stood there and I still felt safe, but don’t try this yourself. I teach queuing theory for a living and how people respond to good design, so I’m qualified to walk on the wild side. 😉
Don’t stand here . . . but please stand here . . .
In other places there are lines that say “Please Stand Here”. None of this terminology makes sense to me. People don’t stand on lines, they stand behind or in-between lines. It’s nice that these glow in the dark though.
We would like to see some consistency with these markings.
“Hot Dog!” – Mickey Mouse’s First Words
Now for the strangest thing that happened on re-opening day (that we know about).
Facebook user Bradley Kenobi took these shots of a family that decided too… well…
Yes, this family took over a seating area from the closed restaurant and decided to start cooking their own hot dogs on an open flame for a party with 8 children. Disney Security was not too happy.
The Next Steps
As you saw above, not everything is open. Some of the Disney owned stores will open on May 27th. But that’s not what you really want. You want to know when the parks will reopen. And we may just find that out very soon.
By the time you read this, Universal Orlando is expected to have submitted their reopening plans to the state of Florida. Those plans will include the date they intend to open and what procedures they’ll have in place to keep guests safe. Some smaller parks have already submitted plans and had them approved.
Disney should be following suit soon. At risk of having their opening date leaked too soon, they’ll likely wait just a bit longer. But we do think the next big phase of their reopening plans will be some of the WDW hotels, as they did in Shanghai.
Make Future Magic
Theme parks will reopen, and there’s no better time to lock in low rates on future travel. Special comeback rates are now available at some of your favorite theme park hotels – discounted up to $100 off their regular nightly rates.
Our travel partners at Get Away Today are here to help you with your theme park shutdown concerns and rescheduling plans. We know you’re as uncertain about the future as we are. That’s why Get Away Today is offering the most flexible Disney travel options available:
Price Protection – If a better special comes out after you have booked, you’ll get the better deal.
Peace of Mind – Make hotel changes, reschedule dates, drop nights, change ticket vouchers and more, as many times as you’d like for a small, one-time fee.
Layaway Plan – Lock in your 2020 or 2021 Disneyland Resort vacation for just $175 down. By booking early, you secure your availability and have the flexibility to pay as you go. Make as many interest-free payments as you’d like, whenever you’d like, with final payment due just seven days prior to travel.
That’s it from Disney Springs. What do you think? Are you ready to make a visit? Do you think signage should be consistent, or is anything goes fine? Do you like to cook hot dogs when you walk around Disney Springs? Let us know in the comments below!
