We have reservations for the end of September and I’m wondering if anyone has been to Disney Springs or Hollywood Studios since the reopening and have any insight they would like to share.
Safety
How safe does Disney Springs feel? I’m less concerned about DHS since they are restricting visitors there.
Fun
At DHS, how are things going without FP’s? Longer lines, shorter lines? What about Rise of the Resistance? Delays getting food?
Overall, is it worth doing a short trip right now?
We went in mid-August and thought it was totally worth it. We spent three days at HS. I don’t have a reference for what it was like pre-COVID, but I felt the lines were reasonable. We did have to wait 20-25 minutes a few times but we did everything we wanted and multiple times. We were able to get a BG all three days. We rode SDD and MMRR twice each day we were there. We only rode MFSR twice, but we have done that ride quite a few times at DLR. Those were the rides with probably the longer queues.
We did not go to Disney Springs. Reports I had heard made me leery of crowds and mask compliance there.
I don’t feel like there were any significant delays getting food. We did TS more than QS though.
Made the mistake of going to DS the first night we were at Disney, which was a Friday. It grew really crowded really quickly and I ultimately cut short the visit as a result. (I was actually only there to activate my AP anyhow, so it was not a big deal.)
We went back to Disney Springs later in the trip, and it was much better. Weekend crowds (including Friday night) were so bad, there was a huge wait to get into World of Disney, but our later visit to DS, there was almost never a wait to get into anything. It felt better, for sure.
In terms of mask compliance…honestly, while there is definitely more people not wanting to wear their masks properly compared to the parks, it wasn’t bad. Most people were wearing their masks fine. I think the bigger problem is just maintaining social distancing (more outside than inside, so even there it isn’t too big of deal).
Ultimately, I think it comes to your personal comfort level. Friday, I wasn’t comfortable staying. But the following Thursday (when we also ate at Homecomin’), I was perfectly comfortable.
We actually headed into DS one more time during our trip, but it was hard to judge since there was a horrible downpour and we ended up somewhat drenched and people were making a mass exodus it seemed. This is because once the rain starts, most of the stores literally locked their doors to keep people from coming inside. So, I recommend if you are there when it is about to rain, get inside BEFORE the rain starts!
Great. But I hate FP, so I think it is really nice to not have them!
Some lines are longer, some are shorter. Rides that are Omnimover-style actually move EVERY quickly with almost no wait. Other rides where they have to limit ride capacity more can be longer. Overall, I felt it kind of was a break-even experience. I don’t know how to compare SPECIFICALLY to DHS, because this was the first time we’d been there since TSL and SWGE.
I got Boarding Group 2 within 3 seconds of the 10:00 window. Once actually in line, the line never really stopped moving, but there was a wait. Not bad, though. I can’t remember exactly. Maybe on the order of 20 minutes???
We really didn’t experience delays in food. We used mobile order, and tried to eat early, before the crowds built up. This generally meant getting lunch right at 11:00. We also wouldn’t wait until we were actually at the eatery to say we were there, but within a 5 minute walk. That way, once we arrived, we had a very minimal wait.
We loved our trip, and I wouldn’t hesitate going back. (Well, actually we ARE going back in December.) And I wouldn’t hesitate telling others to go.
It reads like they’re referencing both DL and DW down town areas as concerns. Occasionally DFB will site a store closing w/o reason and I always wonder if C-19 is the reason. Guests in the parks and resorts might be in a bubble but the CMs come and go into their communities, it makes sense that they could catch it and bring it in the bubble. All the more reason that Disney needs to step up mask enforcement in the parks.
Most of the article is Downtown Disney, in California. There’s a paragraph or two at the end of the article about Disney Springs and a positive case, with two coworkers staying home for a few days.
This sort of article barely seems to want to inform as much as inflame, given the inclusion of screen shots of text messages.
I came away from this article with the idea that Disney opened Disney World to accommodate the NBA.
eta quote from article
“The former reopened to house the tightly controlled 13-week experiment, in which staff, players, coaches, and personnel adhered to strict social distancing guidelines and isolation requirements, paired with regular on-site testing.”
Yes, but, as other recent trip reports indicate also, Disney doesnt seem to have the same caution for DS as the parks. And the more and more I read about the “Downtown” areas, I think Im going to skip my 2 TS plans there and stick to the parks for meals. Hopefully they extend hours a bit for the Thanksgiving and Christmas season.
Yes, Im actually about to look over the list of outdoor dining options again and pick for that. And have back ups incase they arent open yet right after Thanksgiving. Im hoping, with Thanksgiving being one of the busiest times of the year, Disney opens up some resturants and keeps them open through the New Years crowd.
