Contemplating a trip to Walt Disney World soon?!
As a mom of four, I know doing anything away from home can be nerve wracking during this time! We’ve kept the boys in our own little bubble for months and while we occupied ourselves with crafts, the pool, and more food delivery than you can imagine, NOTHING…I mean NOTHING, compares to playing at Walt Disney World.
Being Annual Passholders for years and growing up just outside of Orlando, Disney has always been a constant in our life. (Kind of like the beach.) We crave the smells of Main Street USA in Magic Kingdom, the delicious African dishes of Boma at Animal Kingdom Lodge, and whooshing down the slides at the Port Orleans Pool!
Earlier this week I was invited to explore and experience the newest changes at Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom for a Mom’s Day Out with my friend Kristen from over at Balancing Pieces Blog! (A HUGE thank you to Walt Disney World and Disney Parks Blogfor having us and to Kristen for bringing me along!!)
Our family has gone back and forth for weeks now on whether or not we can safely enter the parks with the boys after the reopening! (I mean, have you seen how busy these boys are?! They touch e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. lol) We’ve all been missing it terribly but, it’s been tough to make a decision without having experienced it myself yet! BUT, I HAVE GREAT NEWS! I can genuinely say that after this visit, I absolutely feel safe and comfortable bringing our family along with us to Walt Disney World in the near future!
Take a live peek at our day by visiting me over on Instagram and checking out the Disney AK Highlight tab!! You’ll get a live look at our day from the park! Also, check out the #disneycreators hashtag on Instagram for a look at other creators sharing their days in the parks!
Not only is Walt Disney World implementing strict Health & Safety procedures among staff and guests but, they’ve also made ordering food, entry, and parking an easy yet, safe experience for all!
Upon entering the park you’ll be greeted by the experienced staff of AdventHealth for a quick and contactless temperature screening, have a contactless security scan, and bag check! Entry is scanned by band or pass as you normally would but, without the finger scanner!
All throughout the park you’ll see signs reminding guests to practice social distancing, frequent hand washing, follow ground markers & physical barriers, and properly wear face coverings! This is made easy with the many hand washing stations and contactless sanitizing pumps located on property, arrows & text markers on the ground, and reminders from designated Cast Members!
I am also extremely glad to say that on more than 9 occasions, I personally heard Cast Members requesting that guests have their masks on/worn appropriately (covering their nose & mouth) unless dining or drinking! For the majority, Cast Members are wearing not only masks but face shields as well!
Things to know:
Walt Disney World is focused on several avenues to maintain the health and safety of cast members and guests! In doing so, they have implemented many new practices, even those I wouldn’t have thought of as a guest myself! BRAVO! Let’s talk about them!
- Reduced Capacity: All guests are required to make advanced ticket purchases & park reservations in order to gain entry
-  Physical distancing enforced in dining experiences, attractions, queues & other locations!
- Temperature checks: Quick & contactless temperature checks are required for all guests! Guests with a temp of 104+ will be asked to exit along with their party!
- Face coverings: Guests ages 2+ required to wear a mask unless swimming or when eating/drinking!
- First Aid: First aid locations are staffed by experienced nursing staff!
- Increased cleaning & disinfecting:Â Especially in high traffic areas and with additional cleaning time after park closure every day!
- Updated App Technology: My Disney Experience allows guests to view hand sanitizer locations, explore digital menus, experience mobile ordering with contactless payment, see wait times, and more!!
- Designated Staff: Special cast members are present in the parks to answer questions guests may have & encouraging everyone to follow the new procedures put in place for the health & safety of everyone!
Let’s talk about rides:
There are several points I want to visit when it comes to rides and ALL are good ones! From wait times and queues, to ride spacing and safety-they’ve done it all!
- Wait Times: When it comes to wait times, even with there being a ton of disinfecting in ride areas as well as physical distancing between parties, wait times are all enjoyably low! The longest we waited in a line was about 25 minutes but, it was right after lunch and for Pandora’s Na’vi River Journey! (We had ZERO wait at all for Flight of Passage!!)
- Ride Queues: One of the things I think I love most about our visit, is that we went through the regular queue of each ride! As an Annual Passholder, we often only ride the attractions that we have Fast Passes for so, we don’t get to experience and enjoy the fun and detail of the regular queue! This is a really nice change that I know the boys will love!
- Fast Passes: Currently, there are no fast passes within the parks. However, you really don’t need them anyway as the lines are just as quick as if you’d scanned in through the Fast Pass line! The Fast Pass queue is now being utilized for those with disabilities and the DAS Pass.
- Social Distancing: There are ground and sign markers within each queue reminding and designating a safe physical distance between parties in all queues!
- Cleaning & Sanitizing: Not only are there several hand sanitizing and hand washing stations located within various areas in the ride queues but, Cast Members are always frequently cleaning ride vehicles as well!
Pro Tip:
When riding Kilimanjaro Safari, try to beat the heat by riding first thing in the morning!
Our first ride of the day was the safari! I LOVE to see the animals and take in the beauty of nature! Bench seats on ride vehicles are separated between rows by partitions! I recommend riding earlier in the morning to beat the heat and get a good look at as many animals as you can!!
Tips to stay cool:
I know one of my main concerns when visiting for the first time was how to stay cool with a mask in the already scorching Florida heat! GUYS. We went at park opening and stayed until about 2:30PM. I can definitely say that from open until right after noon, the heat wasn’t even a worry and I felt totally comfortable and not bothered at all by the mask! Things did get a little hotter mid day but, it wasn’t unbearable! A few things I recommend to stay as cool as possible:
- Hydrate Often: I know this is a no brainer but, like James always says-by the time you’re thirsty, you’re already dehydrated so combat that before it gets to that point and hydrate often with water!!
- Refresh: Grab a cool drink, something that quenches your thirst and brings your sugars up a bit! (Current favorite from DAK’s Creature Comforts:Â Cold Brew with Cinnamon Almondmilk Cold Foam and Pineapple Matcha Green Tea)
- Find Shade:Â Especially in Animal Kingdom there are a TON of shady quiet spots to relax! Although I haven’t taken the kids to the parks yet since reopening, I do know that even previously, this is important!!
- Stop into a spot with AC:Â Plan your shopping for mid-day when it gets a bit hotter out or stop into a quick service dining area for a snack to unmask for a few and cool off!
- Grab some cool-down gear: At almost any of the shops and carts located throughout the parks, you’ll find spray fans and cool down towels for purchasing! Both of these come in SUPER handy! We have a large collection of the cool down towels and our fan has been a Walt Disney World staple for years!!
- Free Cups of Water & Refill Stations:Â Pop into any quick service location for a free cup of water! Not only are there free cups of water at these dining locations but, in the queues of several rides and throughout the parks we saw newly installed refill stations for water bottles!!
- Pack Light:Â My biggest piece of advice is to pack light! Pack only what you need and keep it minimal! This will really help while you navigate the new protocols and keep your hands as empty as possible while helping your littles with their masks and frequent hand washes!!
- Mobile Order & Eat at one of the many socially distanced indoor tables: This is a big one and I’ll get into it more below but, DEFINITELY take advantage of the mobile ordering through the My Disney Experience App and use the time while dining to cool off, hydrate, unmask, take a breather, and recharge for the rest of your day!! Tables are marked for seating and being sanitized with attention to detail between guests!
My Disney Experience App
Walt Disney World has added some really awesome new updates to their app in order to keep guests and cast members informed and safe while on property!! If you haven’t yet, download the My Disney Experience app and get to know the full proof user interface and accessible options!
What Can You Do on the My Disney Experience App?!
- Locate hand sanitizer stations
- Check out Digital Menus
- Online Check-In
- Mobile Order
- View Up To Date Wait Times
Everything To Know About Mobile Ordering:
When it comes to Quick Service dining at Disney, nothing beats the ease and accessibility of the Mobile Ordering option through the My Disney Experience App! You can order and pay from your phone from over 20 locations on property and they’ll notify you as soon as it’s ready! That’s right!! No waiting in lines to grab your meal and it’s completely contactless!!
Here’s how to do it:
(Watch the video below for a Mobile Ordering Step-By-Step!)
Depending on where you are in proximity to the dining location you’ll be eating at, you’ll have two options:
- If you’re near the dining location:
- Scan the sign’s QR Code in front of the restaurant by opening the camera on your phone & simply pointing the camera lens at the QR Code.
- A prompt will appear to open the menu in the My Disney Experience app OR to download the My Disney Experience App if you haven’t done so already. (I highly recommend setting up your app and account prior to your park visit!)
- Select a pick up time
- View & select dining options from the menu
- Check out & pay with your debit, credit, or dining card
- Wait for the notification that your mobile order is ready for pickup
- Proceed to the Mobile Pickup queue/window
- If you’re making your way through the park to your dining location:
- Open the My Disney Experience app on your phone (make sure you’re logged in to your account)
- Click the hamburger menu at the bottom right hand corner of your phone
- Choose My Mobile Orders
- Create a new order
- Choose your dining location
- Select a pick up time
- View and select dining options from the menu
- Check out & pay with your debit, credit, or dining card
- Wait for the notification that your mobile order is ready for pickup
- Proceed to the Mobile Pickup queue/window
That’s it!!
It’s as quick and easy as saying “We’re going to Disney World!!”
Here’s the deal friends- If you’re on the fence about visiting the parks, I can confidently say that I was overly impressed by all of Walt Disney World’s safety practices during my visit to Disney’s Animal Kingdom, their commitment to guest and Cast Member safety in dining locations and within rides, the enforcing of masks and physical distancing throughout the park, as well as the updated tech options in the app! All of these new safety measures and updates make things easy for guests to safely experience the magic of Walt Disney World!
Until next time, like Mickey says: “See ya real soon!”
