TRIP RETROSPECTIVE
PART 3
COVID Impacts
Masks
Throughout the pandemic, I have been a vocal proponent of masking and limiting social interactions. I have been supportive of Disney’s safety protocols from the very beginning, which, while not perfect, have allowed the parks to continue to operate despite the global pandemic. Since the vaccines were approved, I have advocated for vaccination, which is the single greatest tool to combat and even end the pandemic.
I am compliant with rules by nature. We were always very careful to follow the guidelines as posted or instructed by cast members. I would not want to make any CM’s life more difficult.
All that said, we were very relieved to hear last month that masks would no longer be required outdoors, in accordance with evidence-based guidance from regulatory authorities. Wearing masks outdoors in the Florida heat is not fun, and even indoors can get old fast. With the oppressive heat and humidity, we were always weighing the trade-off between outdoors with no mask, or indoors with one.
I have been watching the COVID numbers and I think we’re finally getting to a point where vaccination is high enough and infections are low enough that I personally (being vaccinated with children who are at low risk) would be comfortable removing remaining restrictions, including indoor mask requirements, in the next couple of weeks. I understand not everyone will feel that way. I’m not saying it is my decision, just saying that if I had an upcoming trip planned, I would not be opposed with removing indoor mask requirements and would not voluntarily wear one or have my children wear them if that were to occur.
I came back to work today and found that masking is no longer happening in my office or in restaurants I frequent (my company is relatively progressive and the office is located in a more liberal part of town), so it seems many people are feeling comfortable with lifting restrictions. I hope whatever Disney does, they advertise it in advance so families can make the necessary arrangements depending on their comfort level.
Other Measures
Plexiglass or other clear plastic barriers were still around in some queues and ride vehicles. It was most disruptive in Frozen Ever After, Rise of the Resistance, and Kilimanjaro Safaris. Given the latest evidence that plexiglass is at best unnecessary and at worst, counterproductive, they should remove it.
Spacing between parties in lines was non-existent. While there were still markings, no CMs were making any attempt to enforce except in very specific places (such as the outdoor Milk Stand queue in SWGE 
) with no rhyme or reason. Most rides were loading every row, and in some cases, single rider lines have returned (e.g., Hagrid’s at UOR).
Most indoor and outdoor theaters had some sort of distancing protocol, but in the case of Frozen Singalong, they started to backfill empty rows close to show time so it was essentially pre-pandemic seating. It all seemed very ad-hoc and, pardon the pun, theatrical.
There was some spacing between tables for indoor dining, and sometimes tables were still marked “unavailable” to promote distancing, but most places seemed back to normal. If you are concerned, definitely request an outdoor table.
Mobile Order, which was around pre-pandemic but expanded much more rapidly than it might have, was fantastic. They need to add it to the remaining quick service and food cart locations. Just keep in mind you may not be able to get an immediate return window and may still have to wait nearby to be called.
I talked to my wife and we both agreed that the restriction we loathed the most was waiting in line to get into shops. This seemed unnecessary - the only shops that ever had a line were also the largest ones where I never felt cramped pre-pandemic. World of Disney in DS is a good example - the store is gigantic, and had like 30 doors marked “exit only,” forcing all the crowds together into one line instead of keeping people dispersed. Most people just pop in and out of that store anyway. I understand why they implemented it originally, but it’s probably time to “let it go.”
As for the difference between UOR and Disney, while we were there, the protocols were about the same (we left UOR just before the change in mask policy), but UOR felt worse because of the crowds packed in tight areas, especially Hogsmeade. Also, UOR packed their buses with standing room only passengers. Disney still had partitions between parties and limited capacity on their buses for the duration of our trip.
Offerings
There was so much to do, we felt no lack of attractions or entertainment. I was actually relieved to not have to worry about getting my kids to meet and greets or keeping them out late for nighttime shows. It would have been cool to see fireworks from our hotel room at BLT, though.
The cavalcades were much better than parades. You didn’t have to stake out a spot or commit any time whatsoever to watching them. They happened about every 20 minutes throughout the day. If I were in charge, I’d keep the cavalcades and cancel any future parades, except maybe a nighttime one like Paint the Night, Main Street Electrical, etc.
The biggest disappointment was that they pushed back the opening of Ratatouille. That seemed just cruel on Disney’s part. It wasn’t something I personally was super looking forward to, and honestly it would have been tight to fit it in, but why not open something that is completely ready to go? We all know why, and it has nothing to do with the guests. Honestly, they should have used last summer to expedite Tron and GotG, not push them back further. UOR did it right with Velocicoaster.
Crowds
I could discern no difference between the number of people at WDW / UOR this trip compared to previous trips. There were tons of people. Everywhere. (Well, the only exception was at Jambo, which isn’t officially open yet.) Len said on the Disney Dish that they estimate capacity is currently at 42%, but that is probably normal for this time of year anyway (they only approach 100% on Christmas and New Year’s, etc.). Len also mentioned that crowd levels are showing 1s and 2s into June because crowd levels are based on wait times, not number of people, and wait times are way lower than usual because of the lack of fastpass (which uses 90+% of capacity on most attractions, inflating standby wait times).
Here were the actual crowd levels for our dates:
Lines - Disney
Almost all our waits were less than 30 minutes. Rides like Dumbo, Triceratops Spin, Spaceship Earth, etc. were 5-10 minutes most times of day. Most dark rides were 10-20 minutes. Headliners were walk-on to 20 minutes during the pre-park opening period, but were more like 40-50 minutes later in the day. Even FoP was like 44 minutes in the afternoon, much better than the 180 minute waits it commanded in pre-pandemic summers. Looking back through my notes, none of our actual WDW wait times was longer than 50 minutes (as opposed to posted, which was sometimes longer), or if I missed one, it was very close to that. Space Mountain was 47 minutes - I think that was the longest.
Planning and executing was much simpler and less stressful without FPP. If they ever reintroduce something, I hope it is only used for the headliners, as it is (was) in Disneyland. You don’t need FPP for high-capacity or less popular rides like Dumbo or It’s a Small World or even Pirates of the Caribbean. It would have been nice to have FPP for Space Mountain, FoP, SDD, and a handful of others. Anything where the wait is under 30 minutes, I’d prefer to leave it standby only. FPP never completely eradicated waiting anyway - you always had to wait 5-10 minutes or more depending on the loading patterns, so you’re really not saving much on the rides with shorter standby waits anyway - you’re just making the standby line much longer than it needs to be.
Instead, Disney should invest the money they were going to spend on the IT for an FP replacement system and build MORE SHADE (and/or indoor AC) for the queues. 30-40 min is tolerable if you’re moving swiftly and are in the shade. (While I’m at it, can I recommend a gosh darn canopy for the 37-foot of outdoor portion of Test Track?!?!? Rain delays = 
. Did anyone check the climate before building in Orlando?)
Lines - UOR
At Universal, Express Passes through HRH were absolutely essential, especially since we had little kids requiring extra time for rider swap. We only had to worry about waiting in line for Hagrid’s (generally 40-60 minutes upon reporting to the queue with a Virtual Line Pass - at 81 min, our second time riding was our longest wait of the trip due to downtime), Ollivander’s (which I recommend rope dropping to secure a return time - only need one person in line), and Velocicoaster (we waited 37 min in the afternoon - watch the app since it can fluctuate throughout the day). (Also Pteranodon Flyers, but we didn’t end up going on that.)
At Volcano Bay, as I mentioned up above, the add-on Express Pass would have been great if I had bought my tickets and EP at the same time so they were already linked to each guest profile (which would then link automatically to your Tapu Tapu upon entry through the tapstiles). If you have to go to the Concierge Desk in the morning of your VB day to have tickets linked to profiles, you will waste way more time than EP is worth, unfortunately. Also, buy EP ASAP (once you have a firm date - not transferable, except perhaps in person with Guest Services, I assume). You can get the basic VB EP (which is good for one ride on most rides except the body slides) for like $20 if you buy 2-3 months in advance ($40 for the EP Plus, which is good for one ride on all slides), whereas it goes up to $80 or more for basic within weeks of your date.