Disney Is Not the Full Experience But It Feels Normal
If you haven’t been to Walt Disney World lately your experience could be very different than in the past. The magic is still there but some of it is missing. Attractions that have preshow elements have had the preshows removed. You are still getting a magical experience but it has been modified. Disney is not the full experience but it feels normal.
Preshow Elements
We went on the Haunted Mansion and the entire preshow in the stretching room has been taken out of the experience. Guests still walk into the room but its already fully extended. Guests simply walk through the room and straight to the loading area with the ride vehicles.
Galaxy’s Edge Attraction
Other attractions that have preshows will most likely have them taken as too. We suspect that when Galaxy’s Edge opens a similar experience will happen with the attractions if they are operational. Smuggler’s Run has a few elements that we don’t see happening. Guests are brought into a room with an animatronic Hondo Ohnaka right before they are placed in the line for boarding. We think that preshow will be eliminated and it will become a walkthrough. The line afterward should have social distancing markers and only allow a few groups at a time. We are not sure how they will handle the Millennium Falcon lounge area that guests enter before they board on the ride.
Disney has stated that Rise of the Resistance will be operational. Rise will use a virtual queue system through the There are so many preshow elements that would have to be modified or removed completely to make the attraction safe. We suspect that if the ride is open that guests will simply board the ride vehicles right way. Which will have guests skipping a large portion of the experience. We also expect to see plexiglass barriers in place like many of the attractions at the Magic Kingdom.
Disney’s PhotoPass
At the Magic Kingdom, they are still offering Disney PhotoPass. We talked o one of the photographers and asked about any changes. The only significant change the photographer mentioned was that guests have to leave their masks on for photos.
At Galaxy’s Edge, this could be a problem when it comes to those fun lightsaber photos. So if you are planning to bring your lightsaber to finally get the perfect shot you might be disappointed. We have heard that Savi’s Workshop, where guests build custom lightsabers will not be open. We will confirm that on July 15th when we attend the reopening of Galaxy’s Edge. Other theme parks in the area allow guests to remove masks for photos but Disney does not.
Playgrounds and Play Areas Closed
If you have little kids you know the Disney playgrounds and play areas are a great place to let the kids play and for parents to sit and relax. During the reopening of Disney, all playgrounds and play areas are closed.
In some queues for attractions such as Winnie the Pooh, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, and Dumbo there are hands-on play areas where kids can play while they wait in line. All of those are closed or roped off. Disney isn’t taking any chances when it comes to safety.
Disney is Not the Full Experience But it Feels Normal
The experience isn’t the same but as a guest, it felt normal. Some of it might have been because we have been trained over the past few months to wear masks and distance ourselves from others so none of that seemed weird. We are annual passholders so we get a chance to go often. If you haven’t been to Disney before or haven’t been in a while the experience may not be as magical.
I was surprised that so many stores, snack carts, and eateries were closed. Hopefully, as conditions improve more and more of the store and food options can open up with precautions in place. At the Magic Kingdom, all the attractions were open. Disney is not the full experience but it feels normal. Disney has done a great job of trying to eliminate the things that are not necessary for the experience to keep everyone safe but still holding on to the magic.
