Visiting Disney World in 2020: Reopening FAQs

Guest post by Siera Duiser from Spreading Magic

If you are considering a trip to Disney World in the latter half of 2020, you probably have LOTS of questions. 

What will the experience be like? Is it worth spending money on a trip to Disney World if it’s not the “full” experience? 

Siera, our amazing travel agent for The Budget Mouse, spent eight days in Disney World with her kids this July. She’s kindly shared everything about her trip so you’ll know what to expect.

I think you’ll be amazed at the benefits of visiting the Disney World theme parks in our current situation!

Here are the FAQs about visiting the parks right now and Siera’s answers. Here’s a shortcut to where you can get a free quote from her for a visit to Disney World. 

Q: Are the parks still magical? 

A: YES! There is still so much Disney magic waiting for you right now.

Things do look a little different, but the parks are still magical and enjoyable.

You can see and even interact with Disney characters, enjoy attractions with minimal wait times, and leave your worries at home in the “real world.” 

Q: Just how bad is it wearing a mask all day in the Florida heat?  

A: Honestly, it wasn’t as bad as I expected.

You do get sweaty when you’re just out walking the park or in between attractions, but there are always air conditioned stores available and relaxation stations where you can take a break and remove your mask.

I would bring at least a couple, in case you’d like to change your mask to a fresh one throughout the day. 

Q: Will my kids be able to wear masks all day? 

A: Yes, my three year old and eight year old did great wearing masks for all eight days.

You can still take an afternoon pool break and return to the park, too, if they need a real break from the masks.

I also recommend practicing wearing masks at home with your kids so they have an idea of what to expect before you arrive. 

Q: When can you remove your mask? 

A: Disney is only allowing guests to remove their masks while actively eating and drinking AND stationary.

You cannot walk around with a drink in hand, just to remove your mask.

You can also remove your mask inside dining locations to enjoy both quick service and table service meals. 

Q: Should I be worried that there are no FastPasses being offered right now? 

A: No! The lines are so short right now! You won’t even miss FastPass+.

Disney is using much of the FastPass area for additional queue space to allow for social distancing. 

Q: Are there still characters in the parks? 

A: Yes! Although you can’t hug the characters anymore, there are still quite a few opportunities to see Disney characters and even interact with them.

There are character cavalcades throughout all four parks in addition to other characters scattered throughout the parks. 

As you can see, you can still get great pictures of the characters and they are all around.

It reminds me of the character experience at Disneyland and how it used to be at Disney World when I was a kid. 

We saw princesses, Mickey and the gang, Toy Story characters, Winnie the Pooh, Alice in Wonderland, Tinkerbell, and many more. 

We got to chat with Alice in the UK pavilion in Epcot for a while and we would never have experienced that before. 

The character experience is different, but just as magical. 

Q: Is there any character dining available? 

A: Yes, there are currently two character meals available. You can enjoy breakfast at Topolino’s Terrace at Disney’s Riviera Resort or lunch and dinner at Garden Grill.

This is also a great way to get a picture with a character without your mask on (from a distance, of course)! 

Siersa can help you book your dining reservations when you book your trip with her (at no cost to you!). Get a free quote from her here. 

Q: What are the attraction queues like? 

A: Disney has instituted social distancing in all queues.

The ground (both inside and outside) is marked with a minimum of six feet of space in between each party.

For tighter queues, plexiglass has been installed so you still don’t have to worry about guests on either side of you. 

Q: What dining options are available? 

A: There are both quick service and table service dining locations open at all four theme parks, Disney Springs, and Walt Disney World Resort hotels.

Advance dining reservations are still accepted (and encouraged) for table service dining locations.

I also strongly recommend taking advantage of mobile order for your quick service meals whenever possible. It will save you so much time!

You can find a great tutorial abouthow to use Disney World Mobile Order here. 

Q: Are Disney buses running? How packed are they? 

A: Yes, buses are still available from Walt Disney World Resort hotels to the parks and Disney Springs.

They are practicing social distancing and only allowing five to six families per bus.

Dividers have been installed on the buses and the seats are numbered per family. 

Q: Is the Skyliner or monorail available? 

A: Yes, both the Skyliner and monorail are available and running daily.

The Skyliner loads one family per car so social distancing isn’t a concern.

Dividers have been installed in the monorail and social distancing is being practiced there, as well. 

Q: Is it too late to book a late summer or fall vacation? 

A: No, not at all!

With no FastPasses currently available (or necessary) and dining only available up to 60 days in advance, there’s still plenty of time to plan a last minute getaway.

There are even some great deals, if you’re comfortable traveling. 

Q: Which hotels are open right now? 

A: The following hotels are currently open and accepting new reservations: Disney’s Pop Century Resort, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, Disney’s Contemporary Resort, and Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground in addition to the deluxe villa properties. 

 

Q: Did you feel safe in the hotel? 

A: Yes, almost all of the precautions being taken in the theme parks are carried throughout the hotels, as well.

The only noticeable difference was that we did not receive a temperature check to enter the hotel as we did the theme parks.

The rooms are cleaned thoroughly before each guest and you have the option to decline Mousekeeping (housekeeping) for the week, if you’d prefer they not be in your room for cleaning.

Masks are required throughout the lobby, food court, and gift shop and social distancing must be practiced in all common areas. 

Q: Is Magical Express still available? 

A: Yes, Disney’s Magical Express (complimentary airport transfers) is still available and running 24 hours a day.

They are practicing social distancing on the bus and leaving two rows open between families.

The biggest difference is that the luggage delivery service is temporarily unavailable so you will need to collect your luggage at baggage claim and bring it on the bus with you.

As you can see, there are MANY pros to visiting Disney World right now. The first and foremost is NO CROWDS!

If you’ve always wanted to experience Disney without the crowds, now is the time to go. You’ll likely never again get a chance to see Disney World this way and Disney has gone to extreme lengths to keep every guests safe and healthy. 

You can get a free quote from Siera here to start planning your trip!

Any other questions about visiting Disney World right now? Please leave a comment below or join the discussion in The Budget Mouse private Facebook group here.