Yesterday and today were major milestones for Walt Disney World. The Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Animal Kingdom reopened for Cast Members and Imagineer previews. We were able to visit the Magic Kingdom yesterday and will share what the park experience was like with you below! Are you ready to find out if the magic still shines through?
We also have good news about the resumption of ticket sales tomorrow. Let’s take a look . . .
Arrival at the Magic Kingdom
We arrived at the Magic Kingdom Toll Plaza in the early afternoon and drove to the parking lot. For the previews, guests must park near the Transportation & Ticket Center. During the previews guests are not allowed to walk to the park, even from the Contemporary. The only transportation to the park is from the Transportation and Ticket Center.
Parking was not an issue, though we were notified that parking trams would not be running. So there was quite a walk from our parking spot to the park entrance. It was a hot and humid summer day.
Security & Screening
The temperature check tents were a breeze, literally because they have fans inside. However, they still have employees placing a thermometer at your forehead to take your temperature. We wish everything was done in a more passive way using thermal imaging so it wouldn’t be noticeable at all (SeaWorld has just switched to thermal imaging)… but maybe in the future.
The new security checkpoint at the Transportation and Ticket Center seems to be complete for the most part.
Although tickets are not being sold at the moment, sales will resume starting tomorrow. Sales were paused in order for hotel guests, annual passholders, and those with existing tickets to book a visit to the park. But starting tomorrow, July 9, guests can buy tickets and also book hotel stays for the remainder of 2020. If you’re interested in visiting WDW, keep in mind that Park Pass reservations are still required for the immediate future. (Our travel advisors can assist you – take the stress out of WDW booking and click THIS LINK and one of our partners at Get Away Today will contact you.)
Taking the Monorail to the Magic Kingdom
We then had a choice of taking the monorail or ferry. We were more interested in seeing how the monorail was set up for social distancing, so we opted for the highway in the sky.
Vinyl dividers divide monorail cabins in half. It’s similar to how the buses are set up, though the buses use a more solid plexiglass divider.
Welcome to the Magic Kingdom
We got to the Magic Kingdom, and it’s nice to see how open it is now in front of the park, now that the old security checkpoints and old planters have been completely removed.
The view is also a sign that conditions aren’t going to be crowded.
Below, take a look at a video I filmed while wandering around the hub. It should give you a good idea of what it feels like to be there.
The castle looks stunning from down Main Street. The aren’t quite done yet, but they are getting close.
New Health and Safety Procedures in the park
It’s all about distancing . . .
Shops ask you to keep your distance from other guests and limit your handling of merchandise. But folks still pick things up and place them back down all the time. So it’s a good idea to sanitize your hands after shopping.
A note: most attractions in the park are open, however, every two hours each attraction will undergo sanitization protocols. That means once every two hours, your wait time will be extended considerably while each ride vehicle gets cleaned. It also means you may not see vehicles being cleaned, but it is happening.
What Was Open and What Was Closed at the Magic Kingdom
Many shops were open, but a much larger amount were closed. We are surprised at how few were operating. We saw the list beforehand, but it’s different to see how much is closed in-person.
Balloon Horse
When we went to the park on Saturday the 11th, we saw an absolutely bizarre chain of events that ended in a horse tangled up in a balloon. Take a look:
Luckily everyone involved was okay, and the child that lost his balloon even got a new one. Kudos for the fast acting Disney Cast Members that were well in control of the situation.
Jungle Cruise
Welcome to the jungle. Lot’s of little changes here, including plexiglass IN THE BOAT.
Ducks
The local waterfowl have had the whole WDW resort to themselves for months now. It was probably a nice vacation for them to enjoy Magic Kingdom without human distraction!
Construction / Closures
Lunch at the Skipper Canteen
We did stop by the Skipper Canteen for lunch. It’s actually wonderful when there are no dining reservations allowed for anyone because we were able to walk in and get seated almost immediately.
Final Thoughts and Tips
Did I feel safe? I really did. Moreso than my local grocery, Costco, or gas station. But are Cast Members happy to be working again? Honestly, it felt like there were two camps. Either they were really ridiculously happy to be working with guests again, or they weren’t having any of it and they were grumpy. Overall, the park was quiet, which made distancing easy. It also made for a very pleasant visit.
On the negative side is the lack of entertainment. When the park is this quiet, you can almost do everything in 3 or 4 hours and you’re left with nothing else to do. With the lack of any real entertainment, especially parades and fireworks, the park feels like a half-day experience. The Magic Kingdom really doesn’t have that much to do and it is now more noticeable than ever before. We understand why there is so little entertainment, but it is noticeable.
The parks will be operating with short daily schedules of about 10 hours each day. So it’s ok if you zip through things. Take your time to have a leisurely lunch somewhere and cool off. You should still have time to do all the things you really want to do.
It was a little uncomfortable not to be able to remove masks on a very wet water ride like Splash Mountain, as is Universal’s policy. It felt odd wearing a mask on this singular attraction, especially as Disney was only allowing one party per log. They should probably tell guests they can remove the mask as soon as they leave the station, but need to have it on again before they arrive back in the station.
We expect the re-opening of the parks to be a success. But I’d advise guests to set their expectations properly. This isn’t the Disney experience of old. The health and safety procedures are there to protect us all, but they do impact the experience. That’s the trade-off for being able to visit a theme park at all as Covid cases surge in Florida.
And before you get too excited, the park is only available to guests with valid admission media AND an advance reservation to visit. Here’s everything you need to know about that process:
BREAKING NEWS: Walt Disney World Park Reservation Info & End of Free Magic Bands!
Let Us Help
Theme parks are reopening, and there’s no better time to lock in low rates on future travel. But waiting on hold and not knowing what questions to ask isn’t the magical part of a vacation. That’s why MiceChat has partnered with Get Away Today to handle all the difficult stuff for you . . . all for no extra cost. That’s right, they do all the work and it doesn’t cost you extra.
Our travel partners at Get Away Today are here to help you with your theme park booking 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. Ask about:
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 Walt Disney World 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.
Give your family something to look forward to:
- Visit Get Away Today HERE
- We are expecting high call volume as Disney resumes hotel bookings and tickets sales. So, please fill out our request form and a vacation advisor will call you back: Vacation Information Request Form HERE
Let’s Hear From You
Well, what do you think? This was the first of two days of Cast Member previews. Procedures may be changed and enhanced. Did what you read above comfort or concern you? Are you making Walt Disney World travel plans, and if so, how soon will feel right to you? Let us know in the comments below. And be sure to share this article with your friends! Sharing is caring and it REALLY helps us out when you spread the love.
We had another MiceChat staff member attend the Cast Member preview for Disney’s Animal Kingdom today. Follow MiceChat on Facebook and on Instagram for more information about the reopenings and a link to that article when it runs!
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