Disclaimer: while the information below is fresh at the time of writing please know procedures can be constantly evolving day to day. Some things may change in the future.

With the parks closed for the last few months we have been anxiously awaiting to see what they would be like once open again. Well yesterday we were fortunate to get that chance as we attended an Annual Passholder preview day at Disney’s Animal Kingdom park. Honestly leading up to this visit we have had so many thoughts in our head. While we weren’t concerned about Disney properly handling safety we did wonder:

Can we last in a park, in the heat with a mask?
What will crowds be like? Will they comply with rules?
Will Disney still feel magical?
At the end of the day is paying for a ticket to Disney still worth it?

Read on for a full review of our park experience including plenty of info on new safety measures and changes…

Parking

While we were expecting lines leading out of the entrance, when we first arrived to the Animal Kingdom parking booths we were shocked to see them wide open. (It’s good to note we arrived about 30 minutes after park open). With trams not currently running Cast Members (CMs) were parking cars as close to the front as possible. Cars were being directed into every other parking spot. Once a group of about 10 rows or so is full the empty spaces are back filled with the next group. So it’s nice to see there aren’t wasted space, but this method allows people to have space with different arrival and departure times. The one thing we should is being an AP preview day everyone should have parking for free after flashing their card, when the regular public returns there could be a bit more a time lag if people are paying for daily parking.

Health and Security Check Points

A lot of signage has been added to explain health measures and direct guests to a temperature screening tent. It is a very quick and non invasive process. You simply enter one at a time and a health representative will use a touch-less thermometer on your forehead before moving forward. It is also good to note they are checking masks now too, we heard guests with gators were turned away at the entrance too.

In other news the new security check is completely different and in our opinion awesome! Disney has installed new scanning machines. There is no longer a bag check. You are able to leave everything in your bag (and pockets) and simply walk through. The new system isn’t 100% perfect as we were asked to remove umbrellas (which we didn’t have), so there are probably a few larger items that may set them off. It was a very quick process and security were making sure to tell each guest what they had to take out of their bag before walking through so there was no confusion. If for some reason the sensor went off, guests would then be directed to a table where their bags would be searched. Every person around us went through without any problems. (Note there are no pictures allowed in the security area to show the new process).

Guest Messaging & Safety

There were plenty of new safety measures and communication in place. Here were all of the general things we noticed throughout our visit to promote social distancing:

SIGNAGE: There were plenty of signs to inform guests on the new policies regarding social distancing and sanitary policies. Any place a line could form, there were decals on the floor indicating where guests should stand to maintain a safe distance. This included attractions, snack stands, merchandise stores, etc. We found the crowds light enough to not need these too much, but they are in place for crowds to grow.
TRAFFIC FLOW: certain areas (like gift shops for example) have changed to one way traffic with one entrance, and several “Exit Only” doorways.
MAPS: paper maps are still available and have been updated with new information. We noted health reminders and new additions such as Relaxation stations.
HAND SANITIZER: these pumps were available all over the place. We saw at least one (if not multiple at the entrance and exit of every ride, restaurant, and gift shop. We also came across random ones around the park as well. We did see a couple portable hand washing stations as well. (It’s good to note the large amount of people we saw constantly using them too!)
MINIMIZED TOUCH POINTS: we noticed in certain places small adjustments had been made for less touching. For instance trash cans have been propped open to not touch the lid. When ordering an ice cream cone it came upside down in a cup to avoid handling the cone.
RELAXATION STATIONS: a few areas in the park have been dedicated as mask free areas to rest. While we saw one was outdoors (near the bird show arena) it’s good to note that the Pizzafari restaurant has been converted to an indoor area.
VERBAL COMMUNICATION: CM’s were available to direct and help remind guests if needed too. We also heard a recording come on every so often reminding people of safety measures.

Adjustments to Attractions

We have to admit we were nervous to see what new safety measures would do to the overall wait times for attractions. We were surprised to find that things seemed to flow smoothly and we did quite a few attractions:

Enjoying our own Time Rover on Dinosaur!

We were impressed at the amount of details that had been implemented to promote safety within the attractions. And even though our visit had extremely low crowds we believe that most of these new measures will not hinder wait times all that much. Here are some of the updates we experienced while visiting:

FLOOR DECALS: you will see many markings showing the recommended 6 feet spacing throughout que lines and beyond.
PRE SHOW AREAS: some rides have altered the waiting room/pre-show areas. For instance in Dinosaur the video is playing on a loop while you walk past. In Flight of Passage they have merged the first and second rooms into one video to keep parties spaced out.
TONS OF DIVIDERS: many attractions have installed plexiglass or plastic separating rows of seats. We also came across dividers in certain lines, especially toward the end where it was more likely that people would be more condensed right before boarding (like the end of the safari line). While the dividers didn’t affect the experience in most instances, we did find the plastic barriers on the safari vehicle did impeded air flow especially for any member of your party sitting in the middle. (While everyone kept their masks on during the entire ride that we saw, we did confirm with a CM that they are allowing guests to remove their masks during the attraction, they just aren’t advertising it.)
EMPTY SEATS: many rides are skipping entire rows of guests. For instance on Dinosaur and Expedition Everest are seating every other row unless a party is together. On certain rides we ended up with a whole vehicle to ourselves (such as Na’vi River).
CLEANING: while there is no cleaning between every party/guest there does appear to be a set cleaning schedule. We witnessed this when riding Flight of Passage and were told to hold in the pre show room for a cleaning cycle. But we realized this wasn’t after every party, because after our flight, the next group came in right after us.
CLOSED OFF AREAS: some attractions have been modified to have less touch points such as on the jungle trek a curtain of chains dividing a section have been removed. Some areas have been roped off all together as well.

Entertainment

There were certain shows not running such as the Finding Nemo Musical and The Festival of the Lion King. However we were surprised to see some were open such as the outdoor Up, A Great Bird Adventure and the Animation classes. We did notice that there are currently no performers like the musicians in Africa or Kevin wandering around.

Speaking of characters there are no Meet and Greets. There were however several “float bys” with characters on boats in the river. About every 10-15 minutes, a different boat enters the lagoon where River of Lights is held, sails along the river that flows through the park making a large circle and ending up back in the same lagoon. We saw four different boats today including Mickey/Minnie/Pluto; Pocahontas with Meeko; Dino Chip/Dale with Goofy; and Donald/Daisy. We also saw one boat had a live band playing as they boated by.

PhotoPass

With the park being pretty empty it was a great time to grab some photos. The only problem is you are required to keep you masks on. While you can still find some PhotoPass photographers around the park they did not seem all that busy. It can be fun to get a couple photos, but at the end of the day they don’t make for the best memories with everyone’s faces covered. While we appreciate adhering to safety standards in the meantime, we honestly probably won’t get that many pictures until that policy changes hopefully in the future.

Dining

During our visit all restaurants were walk up availability, once the park opens there will be reservations. We went into one sit down location Nomad Lounge to grab some drinks and snacks. We had lucked out with a table but after us there did seem to be quite a wait. Tables have been spaced out from each other and Menus have been replaced with a digital bar code. Our server Christian was awesome! Sitting down to enjoy a couple drinks and snacks in the AC was a great move. We really felt energized to keep going.

As far as quick service goes there were some locations and kiosks that were closed but a good amount seemed to still be open. We didn’t run into any lines for food. And we will note most people grabbed their item and found a nearby bench to enjoy it. While you are allowed to walk and eat the most acceptable protocol seemed to be to remove your mask briefly to take a bite/sip and replace. We did get a frozen drink from Joffrey’s and a soft serve ice cream from the cart in Asia. Also in order to not touch the cone it was served upside down in a cup which did make for a very messy snack.

The Truth about Masks

Everyone visiting a Disney park now must adhere to the face mask policy:

Face coverings (disposable or reusable) must be made with two layers of breathable material, cover the nose and mouth, and be secured with ties or ear loops,” according to the face mask policy on the official Disney World website. Disney World updated the policy to explicitly state that neck gaiters and “open-chin triangle bandanas” are not acceptable face coverings. And as part of existing rules, costume masks are prohibited.

While at the park we did hear that guests with masks not fitting this policy were turned away. However masks are available for sale if you need them. It is also good to note we witnessed very good compliance from guests. So the big question we keep getting is: what is it like to wear a mask all day in the park. The truth is no one likes to wear a mask, but it is necessary right now. This was a big worry point for us and we wondered if we could last, but we are proud to report we did a 9 hour day and survived! Now after having done a full park day with a mask in the Florida summer heat these are our thoughts and tips:

Find what type of mask works best for you. We tried handmade masks. These looked cute but honestly felt heavier and led to headaches and us feeling ill. We found the disposable medical masks were lighter and better for us. We do feel like the medical masks feel sweatier though (perhaps the cloth ones absorb the sweat and you don’t notice as much?). But overall we decided sweaty lips were better than feeling ill. Try a few and see what is your best option.
Some people like to use mask extenders to keep the loops off of your ears.
We also suggest changing your mask throughout the day. (Make sure to bring bags to keep your fresh masks clean and your dirty masks separate if reusing.)
You are going to sweat a lot. Julie found it is not worth wearing face makeup, it ends up all over the mask and melts off your face. Stick with eye makeup and that’s it.
Speaking of sweat we also found that the salt build up on our face led to some not ideal skin situations. After hours in the park Julie came home with some dried out and irritated skin. Moisturize and plan for after park skin care.
We can’t emphasize this enough: hydrate! While this is important to do anyway we feel there is something about the mask that makes you even more dehydrated. We brought bottles of water and electrolytes with us and made sure to drink a lot of water while dining.
We found taking some breaks made all the difference. Book that mid day dining reservation and relax in a cool restaurant. Or take advantage of an inside Relaxation Station. Even little breaks like grabbing a drink on a bench can help. We really enjoyed doing an interior ride or the blast of breeze on a coaster too.
There are many people experimenting with cooling devices such as towels, fans, and more. We didn’t bother bringing any of this stuff now but may look into it. At the end of the day it’s hot, and at a certain point it’s going to be uncomfortable no matter what.

Final Thoughts

For us, a lot was riding on this visit. Our first major concern was how we would be able to handle the heat with the masks. We each tried a few different types and landed on ones that seemed to work the best (thees were the disposable blue medical masks). While wearing them in the heat wasn’t quite as bad as we though they would be, it was still uncomfortable and we noticed them pretty much the entire time. BUT the Disney magic hit us hard and we found at the end of the day it was worth it to wear a mask and experience it. Also, we will admit that we are willing to deal with a little less magic if the wait times remain as low as or even near what we saw them today. There was plenty of space to move around and it never felt crowded. Disney seems to be doing a good job and taking the safety of its guests seriously.

Having said all that, we were very happy to be back at the parks, as were most of the Cast Members we spoke with. They kept thanking us for being there, and we kept thanking them! We are excited about our upcoming visits in the next few weeks as we have reservations to visit the three other parks. We honestly felt safer in Animal Kingdom today than in just about any grocery store or large box store we have been in recently.

While some experiences were not available (like nighttime shows and character meet and greets) we found overall the “value” of our visit was still high being able to accomplish so many rides, we are curious to see if that will continue. At this point many of our concerns have been addressed. Our one main remaining concern is the advanced park reservation system because outside of our visits in the next two weeks, the next weekend date we can get isn’t until September 13. So we are curious to see how this develops and hope that we will be able to continue to use our passes to visit. Will you be visiting the parks anytime soon?

Curious in what it is like to stay on property during this time? Make sure to check out: Walt Disney World After COVID Reopening Part 2: Staying at a Resort