2020 was terrible...
Between the heated election and the freezing storm that shut down Texas, 2021 certainly wasn't starting off much better. The one thing I had to look forward to was a family vacation to Walt Disney World. My year was in desperate need of a little bit of magic.
I'd last visited WDW in 2009. Despite some of the amenities and experiences being closed or altered due to COVID-19, there were so many new rides, restaurants, and refurbs to enjoy. So, I masked up and boarded my first flight in a year (to the week) and headed from chilly Texas to sunny Florida.
Overall, my experience was great...dare I say magical. Prices were competitive, cast members were happy to be back at work, the weather was temperate, and crowds were moderate (considering park capacity was capped at 35%).
I hope these details will be helpful if you're planning a trip to Disney in the near future.
RESOURCES:
Planning a trip to Disney can be overwhelming. There are so many price packages, accommodations, tickets, reservations and more to consider. Plenty of people have made a living as Disney vacation planner/specialists. But I'm not the type to drop $500+ to have someone plan a trip I had the capacity and interest in planning myself. That said, I couldn't have done it without a lot of research.
So much is changing due to COVID-19, so toss out the Disney guidebooks. Well, maybe don't toss them out, but know that you'll have to use them a little differently than they are intended. I used The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2020 (published in August 2019...before the world imploded) to build an itinerary and make decisions about which hotels and restaurants to consider. At the time of my trip, some hotels and restaurants weren't open. Fast passes were not active, nor were dining plans or park hopper passes. So I had to adapt what I knew and/or read to the rapidly changing COVID-19 policies.
Disney Food Blog helped tremendously. I subscribed to their YouTube channel and email newsletter for updates throughout the week. I couldn't have planned this trip without this valuable resource. The team at DFB provided timely updates that helped me to navigate policy changes, ride closures, restaurants, events, etc.
I also found The Tim Tracker's content on YouTube helpful. Their hotel reviews ultimately lead me to book our stay at the Gran Destino Tower at Coronado Springs. If you're planning trips to the other parks in Orlando, their channel will be very useful.
ITINERARY:
Your WDW itinerary should fit your family, travel style and trip duration. Our trip was 6-days (5 park days) with stops at all 4 parks without children. We traveled in February, and due to COVID-19, park hours were reduced.
DAY 1: Travel Day
Flight
Disney Express (ending soon)
Hotel check-in
Dinner at the hotel
Were were sure to take it easy our first day, especially after a full day of traveling during COVID-19.
DAY 2: Magic Kingdom
Fantasyland: Cinderella's Castle, Seven Dwarves Mine Train, Under the Sea - Journey of The Little Mermaid, Peter Pan's Flight
Adventureland: Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise, Aloha Isle for a Dole Whip stop
Grab and Go lunch in Frontierland
Frontierland: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Haunted Mansion, Splash Mountain (last ride of the day)
Tomorrowland: Space Mountain, Carousel of Progress, Buzz Lightyear
Dinner at Liberty Tree Tavern (Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen and The Plaza Restaurant were our alts)
Magic Kingdom is a busy day, so we intentionally planned it earlier in the trip when we would have the most energy and stamina. Originally, we planned to do two days in MK, but without young children, we didn't see the need to add days at this park. We were satisfied after riding all of our favorites and all of the new rides.
DAY 3: Hollywood Studios
7:00 a.m. Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance virtual queue
Hollywood Studios: Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway, Hollywood Tower of Terror
Grab and Go lunch (where I ended up snagging the coveted Rise of the Resistance passes at 1:00...screaming ensued).
Galaxy's Edge: Drinks at Oga's Cantina, Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
Toy Story Land: Slinky Dog Dash, Toy Story Mania
Dinner at 50's Prime Time Cafe
Rise and shine. If you want to ride Rise of the Resistance (you'd be crazy not to want to), you need to set your alarm early so you're awake and ready to sign on to the virtual queue. This queue books up in seconds (yes...seconds), so familiarize yourself with how to get passes before your booking window opens. There are things you must do ahead of time to ensure your party qualifies for passes (ex. ensuring your party is correctly grouped in the My Disney Experience app). I watched a ton of YouTube videos, read all the blogs, cleared my phone and did everything in my power to ensure I got passes in the morning lottery window. I was absolutely heartbroken when I didn't get passes.
When I got to the park I ran to customer service to see what I could do to better my chances of getting passes in the afternoon lottery. There I learned the terrible mistake I'd made that morning. I thought I could better my chances at getting passes by having everyone in my party trying for passes at the same time. Doing that blocked me out of the system, and by the time I tried a second time the tickets were all snatched for the day. I did not make that mistake in the afternoon lottery, and was lucky enough to snag standby tickets close to the closing of the ride. We got in by the hair on our chinney-chin-chins! Stressful, but worth it!
DAYS 4-5: EPCOT
Future World: Soarin' Around The World, The Seas with Nemo and Friends
World Discovery: Fast Track
Lunch at Via Napoli Ristorante e Pizzeria and Tutto Italia Ristorante
World Showcase: Frozen Ever After, Grand Fiesta Tour, Reflections of China, The American Adventure, American Heritage Gallery, Canada Far and Wide
World Celebration: Spaceship Earth
Dinner at La Hacienda de San Angel
After two days at MK and Hollywood, we needed a vacation from our vacation. Those parks have the most coveted rides, which meant a lot of standing in lines, and stressing over virtual queues. EPCOT is the perfect park to relax at. The rides are a little older (exception being Remy's Ratatouille Adventure...opening soon), so you won't find the lines to be too crazy. This is the perfect place to take your time, and mix rides with food/beverage, shopping and cultural experiences.
DAY 6: Animal Kingdom
Pandora: Na'vi River Journey, Avatar Flight of Passage
Asia: Expedition Everest
Lunch at Yak & Yeti
Africa: Kilimanjaro Safari
Discovery Island: It's Tough To Be A Bug
Dinoland U.S.A.: Dinosaur
Animal Kingdom typically has shorter operating hours due to the animals. We enjoyed some of our favorite rides and all that the new Pandora/Avatar land had to offer. The little details of Pandora are really incredible - you feel like you're on a lush alien planet. You'll have plenty of time to enjoy this land while you're waiting in the long, weaving lines for the two Avatar themed rides.
HOTEL:
This is by far one of the more important, and often expensive, considerations when booking a WDW vacation. You can save some money by staying off-site, but you have to consider travel time and daily parking costs. There are on-site properties that partner with Disney (such as Marriott's Swan and Dolphin hotels), which offer similar perks to Disney owned properties, while allowing you to use points and/or membership offers. Disney owned properties are typically the most expensive option, but offer the best locations, perks and conveniences. Disney owned properties range from economy to luxury, so finding the right option for your budget and family is key.
My family has stayed at the Value Resorts and two of the Deluxe Resorts in the past. We were interested in booking a Moderate Resort to enable our budget to go farther, without giving up the comforts of a Deluxe Resort experience. We ended up staying at the Gran Destino Tower at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort, which didn't disappoint. While this is one of the older resort properties, the tower is one of the newest hotel additions to WDW. We found the accommodations to be fresh, clean, and vibrant. The on-property dining options were fantastic, and the pool was very nice (especially for February). The only downside of this property was that we had to use the bus system (vs. monorail or skyliner). However, the property was very close to Hollywood and Animal Kingdom.
HOT TIPS:
Download and familiarize yourself with the My Disney Experience app before your trip, as you'll use this app for everything. Also, ensure your travel party is correctly grouped prior to your arrival to make checking in easier. The map features are fantastic, especially the ride wait time estimator. You can check-in/out of your hotel directly from app and unlock your hotel room door. Your dining reservations are accessible from the app, and you'll make most counter service dining orders directly in the app.
Don't pay for water. You can request a cup of ice water from any vendor for free. Bring a water bottle to the park and refill throughout the day for a huge money savings.
Dining reservations are a great way to kick-back and relax after a day at the park. Make those reservations in advance to save time. You wait in enough lines - you shouldn't have to wait when you're hungry!
You can have food/groceries delivered to your hotel for a small fee. This is a great way to stock up on snacks, water, soda, etc. without paying Disney prices.
Check for available offers online before booking. Disney typically offers seasonal and regional offers.
WHAT TO PACK:
Rain ponchos ($1 at Target - $15+ at WDW) or lightweight umbrella. I ended up using the poncho when it rained one afternoon, and on Splash Mountain. The lightweight umbrella was nice when I had to wait in long lines without shade.
Comfortable, breathable masks (there are a ton cute masks available on Etsy); mask chains are also nice if you don't want to set your mask on a table while you're eating/drinking.
Band-aids, sunscreen, hat, sunglasses
Sanitizer and sanitizing wipes
Cell phone battery pack (My Disney Experience will drain your battery)
Refillable water bottle
Enjoy the magic!
AB
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