Who's ready for a Disney trip?

by: Jennifer Ray

Based on personal experience.  Your experience may differ.

The hubby and I had a Disney cruise booked for June 2020 and well, Covid. We also had a WDW vacation planned for November for the runDisney Wine and Dine…. Covid. So short notice we decided, with our girls, to take a weekend trip to WDW for a weekend of fun.

I booked us at the Pop Century over Labor Day weekend. Just to go on a trip (road trip fun) to sit by the pool, play some mini golf, dine, shop and have some fun. As a travel planner I had read all the details about Disney’s new policies due to Covid restrictions. We were prepared. So if you have been wondering about your visit to Disney here is some info to maybe help you decide.

1. Masks are required EVERYWHERE! Except the pool area. And YES, it’s hot! You can bring your own or purchase some there. There is a 4 mask per order limit but we each were able to get the ones we wanted. I will say that the straps on these are soft and feel good since you have to wear them all the time. They are a little thicker cotton on some designs. Disney does have rules about the type of masks you wear and cast members do remind guests to wear their masks.
   
   
   
2. Buses- Leave it to Disney to figure a way to streamline this system as well. Bus lines now have markers on the ground to keep parties distanced while waiting. (this will be the same as waiting in lines for rides and check out) Once a bus arrives the driver will assign parties to a seating number. On board there are numbers on the seats with plastic dividers between parties. Also some seats are marked with NOT AVAILABLE signs to keep that seat clear for distancing.  Buses are not carrying as many people at a time. I recommend adding extra time to wait in line if you have dining reservations. We allowed ourselves about an hour to get from our hotel to Disney Spring for dinner both nights and we were spot on both nights.
   
   
   
3. Speaking of lines. (Speaking for our resort as it is the only one we went to but I am sure it is the same or similar to others.) There was a line for the gift shop and one for the café. Again the lines on the floor allow guests to distance while waiting. They only allow so many guests in at a time to shop but it moved pretty quickly.  Dining at the resort. We arrived late for check-in and decided to grab dinner at our resort. Thankfully when we walked in there wasn’t a line. There was a sign with a QR code that allowed us to view the menu and place our order mobile. Once the order is placed you wait. The app will show your order placed, in process and when it is done it turns purple. At that point the cast members will direct you through the line into the café. Once there tables are set up with cast members to hand you your trays with the food. Tables have now been spread out again for distancing. It was all planned and executed very well aside from allowing more time for waiting.
4. Other observations- Housekeeping is going above and beyond with cleaning. The frequently touched surfaces that cannot be replaced are sanitized and covered for your safety. Like the remote control and the in shower toiletries. Cast members are wiping down tables and chairs in the dining areas and pool area as soon as guests are done. Hand sanitizer station are all over for guests safety as well.
   
   
   

While we are all getting used to this new world we find ourselves in, Disney has done a great job in welcoming us home. We hope that everyone gets to visit Mickey soon and rest easy knowing cast members are working hard to keep us all safe.

For the most up-to-date information on Walt Disney World Resort operations and safety measures, please visit our "Know Before You Go" blog post that includes links to Disney's information page.