We just booked for Oct! Advice please..best masks, dining tips, etc?

After much debate, we bit the bullet and booked our trip!! We are using DVC points from a friend and had airline miles to use so it was a deal we couldn’t pass up. We have been to DW several times but this is likely our last trip as a family with the kids getting older (DD14, DS12 and DD9). They are completely ok with most of the limitations we have heard of…no shows, no fireworks, no character meetings. I did read something about pre-ride “entertainment” being shut off too. Can someone explain this in a bit more detail? Some examples of what this looks like?

We are from Minnesota and haven’t had to wear masks outdoors yet. I’m nervous about finding the right masks that we will be cool and comfortable in all day out in the Florida heat and humidity. Would love some recommendations on what others have found to be the most cool and comfortable.

Any other comments on differences would be greatly appreciated!

A little more about us…we tend to spend most of our time at EP or HS. My kids are “foodies” are they are very excited about trying different foods at the booths during Food & Wine (I have been trying to read about how this has changed too). On a normal trip, we would be park hopping almost every day since we prefer to eat at EP. No PH will be a big change for us.

I’m sure I have more questions but can’t think of anything specific at the moment and wanted to get this out there so we can decide on which parks and how many days each and make our reservations.

Thanks so much!
Gretchen

2 Likes

In some cases, it won’t make a noticeable difference unless you already knew the pre-show existed. But, for example, in the HM, you no longer get to experience the stretching room…you just walk through it. At Test Track, you can no longer design your vehicle, etc. In the case of FOP, we had never been on it before, so we didn’t “miss” the pre-show…but apparently there was more than we saw. Same with ROTR…we apparently missed out on some stuff, but I don’t know what it was, so I didn’t mind.

One thing to note…I wouldn’t worry as much about this as you might think. We were there when temperatures were hitting over 100, and feels like temperatures hitting as high as 113, etc. Yet, the masks themselves were rarely an issue. In fact, I actually found that masks were MOST noticeable when you were inside in the cool. It is then that you notice your face is hotter than your surroundings. But when we were outside, it wasn’t the mask making us hot. It was just plain hot outside! :slight_smile:

Regardless, try different masks yourself ahead of time and find what works for you. Most important is if you wear glasses, make sure you have a metal nose piece to seal it, otherwise you’ll experience fogged up glasses a lot! :slight_smile: (I’m a glasses wearer.)

4 Likes

I agree with @ryan1. It was so hot when we went in July that the mask was the least of my concerns with the heat.
Not only should you try masks before hand, but bring various ones with you so you can swap out if a mask is bothering you.

I think the biggest pre-ride entertainment that we missed was Test Track. Not designing a vehicle really took some of the fun out of it for us.

We’ve spent a lot of time testing out various brands of masks, getting ready for DS to begin wearing them to school. We both decided the Athleta Made to Move masks are our favorites. I’ve ordered enough for both of us to have 4 sets to be able to switch throughout the day in our upcoming trip.

1 Like

Granted, my DD20 has a horrible memory. But she rode ROTR in March at DLR and said she thought the preshow was the same on our recent trip to WDW. :woman_shrugging:

I figured we missed some of the ROTR stuff since we never rode it pre-Covid, but maybe not.

Did anyone mention to bring multiple masks to change throughout the day, yet? Due to the heat, perspiration will dampen a mask making it less effective and possibly chafe (sp?) putting on a sweaty mask after eating seemed gross to us.

3 Likes

Ryan, I don’t think you missed anything on ROTR. From what I could tell it was the full show. Maybe a little less staff interaction but that was all I noticed.

1 Like

Test Track was our favorite EP ride, now we skip it half the time with a 15 minute wait. It really is half the ride without it.

1 Like

The DFB had an interesting YouTube video recently about what the narrator did to help make her “feel” more safe when visiting WDW this summer. Aside from the usual advice we all know and hear, she mentioned taking a shower each day after visiting the parks and putting used clothing in a plastic bag while traveling until laundry could be done. Considering that some CM’s use face shields (in addition to wearing face masks) to protect themselves from skin exposure I thought her suggestions were a simple, but logical safety add-on given a day long exposure to other people in the parks. I happened to watch this video a day after talking to my son who is teaching some in-person classes at Mizzo this fall. To say he is nervous is an understatement. In our call he mentioned that in addition to wearing a face shield, he also showers each day when he gets home from campus and puts on a fresh change of clothing. At the time it struck me as a little overkill. So watching the DFB video the very next day obviously left an impression on me. For your consideration …

2 Likes

Exactly.

Thank you so much for your feedback!!

My son is super disappointed about this. I know we will still ride it but design his car is pretty much his favorite thing at WDW.

1 Like

Great advice! Thank you!

Has anyone worn the masks from Costco? My younger two find those to be the most comfortable masks but it looks like those are only single layer. :frowning: Do you think anyone will notice?

We grabbed a box of those… they are more than one layer though and they have a built in nose wire to shape too. Very comfortable.

I grabbed a box of the disposable ones there too. I meant the 32 Cool brand they carry. They are more like an athletic material. Appear to be only one layer.

2 Likes

I saw an ad to buy them directly from 32 Cool. I think we’re going to get some child and adult sizes. There’s more variety in sizes on their website, if that matters to you.

1 Like

Great! Thank you!