What does Walt Disney World look like during COVID?

After several months of closure, Walt Disney World re-opened a few weeks ago with limited capacity. Every guest is required to make an advanced “park” reservation so they will be guaranteed admission to the theme park of their choice each day. The Travel Advisors at Kingdom Destinations have been on the ground at the most Magical Place on Earth and is experiencing low crowds, short wait times and lots of social distancing.

Below are recent photos captured by our Kingdom Destinations team within the last few weeks of the re-opening. All these photos were taken during normal business hours at Walt Disney World.

Theme Park Crowds

Due to limited capacity, the crowds at Walt Disney World have been extremely light. It’s a great time to take photos of your family without other guests in the background.

Who wouldn’t love to be queen (or king) of the castle?

Entrance to Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom

Disney’s Hollywood Studios entrance during a late morning arrival

Just inside Disney’s Hollywood Studios entrance

Sunset Boulevard at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

An empty Animation Courtyard at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Attractions Wait Times and Lines

Even though Walt Disney World has temporarily suspended FastPass+ access, the wait times for attractions are very low. You can pretty much walk on most rides… and then ride again… and again with little to no waiting. Plus, every attraction queue features 6+ feet markers on the ground so all guests are reminded to maintain their distance.

No outside line forming for Spaceship Earth

Barriers separating switchback queues for Tower of Terror

Social distancing markers for Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin

10 minute wait time at Rock n Roller Coaster

Extra umbrellas to help shade guests in outdoor queues

30 minute wait time for Avatar Flight of Passage

Plenty of fans to cool off guests waiting in outdoor queues

Social Distancing on Rides

Not only must you maintain your distance while waiting in line, but once you are on an attraction, Disney’s Cast Members make sure you enjoy the ride experience at a safe distance from other families. Some attractions only allow one family per vehicle while other rides skip rows in between families. Plus all attractions are shut down throughout the day for more enhanced cleanings.

Keeping guests apart from each other while riding Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance

Empty rows in between families on “it’s a small world”

Only one family per vehicle on Splash Mountain

On Jungle Cruise, guests must sit on opposite ends and there are glass dividers on each bench

Blocked off seats at Awesome Planet show in EPCOT

New Character Interactions

This is probably Kingdom Destinations favorite new addition to the park experience! Throughout the day, special unannounced mini-parades or calvacades will appear featuring your favorite Disney characters! It’s just a little touch of unexpected magic you can experience as you wander around the parks.

Pop-up parade at Magic Kingdom with some favorite characters

Characters roaming the parks ready for their socially distanced photoshoots.

Hotel Safety

All guests ages 2 and older will be required to wear face masks in hotel public areas (except for swimming and seated for dining). All public areas will be cleaned more frequently and your hotel room will go through a thorough cleaning prior to your arrival.

One of many reminders throughout the Walt Disney World Resorts

Enhanced cleaning guide inside all Walt Disney World guest rooms

Shrink-wrapped remote control that has been thoroughly cleaned

Disney’s Boardwalk Resort pool with social distancing compliance

Disney’s Boardwalk area with very little evening activity

Disney Transportation

Guests will be required to wear face coverings on Disney transportation and Disney has taken extreme measures to make sure social distancing will take place during your ride.

Dividers between sections and designated areas for each family which will be assigned by your bus driver

Buses all travel with the emergency hatch propped open for extra ventilation

Only one family per gondola on the Disney Skyliner. All gondolas have open vents with lots of fresh air blowing in.

Partitions added in monorail cars and only one family per section

Blocked off seats EPCOT’s World Showcase boats

Health Screening and other Safety Measures

All guests will go through a health screen process prior to entering the Walt Disney World theme parks and Disney Springs.

Professional health screening at the entrances of all the parks and Disney Springs

Temperature scans at theme parks and Disney Springs

Hand sanitizer stations at every ride entrance and exit

Disney Restaurants

Some restaurants are open at Walt Disney World and safety precautions have been implemented at each dining venue.

To avoid guests sharing menus, you can scan a barcode at each restaurant to view the menus

Sunshine Seasons food court with plenty of open seating

Mobile order pick-up inside quick service restaurants

Socially distance seating at Base Line Tap House.

Parties are seated away from each other at Spice Road Table in EPCOT

Conclusion

As you can see the safety measures at Walt Disney World are pretty incredible and we have never seen the parks look so empty! At Kingdom Destinations, we understand that every family has their own set of circumstances and their own level of desire for future travel. Our team is happy to discuss the temporary changes at Walt Disney World and address any concerns you may have so that you can make the best decision for your family. Whether you would like to travel to Walt Disney World in 2020, 2021 or beyond, Kingdom Destinations will make sure your trip is extra magical!

Have you travelled to Walt Disney World during COVID or do you have plans for a future visit? Tell us about your experience or expectations below in the comments.