Visiting Disney World During the Pandemic

Posted by Kelsey on February 28th, 2021

Visiting Disney During the Pandemic

Many people have asked me what it's like to visit Disney World during the pandemic.  You can imagine that Disney has changed and adapted like the rest of the world but your Disney vacation can still be magical. 

The number one thing thats changed at Disney is the face mask requirement.  Disney now requires face masks in all public places. The only time you are allowed to remove your mask is for eating and drinking but you must remain stationary.

Disney has continually updated their face mask policy as the pandemic has evolved. If you want more information, check out this post on the Disney face mask policy.

Besides face masks, another big change at Disney World is social distancing.  Disney has placed social distance markers literally everywhere. 

If you are in line for a ride, food, or a shop, there will be markers on the ground indicating six feet distance from the party in front of you. It's actually pretty hard to get within six feet of another party because these distance markers are everywhere. 

Disney has also gone to extreme lengths to ensure Disney guests stay more than six feet apart while on attractions. Every Disney ride is skipping rows or has plexi-glass barriers between rows. 

Many rides are skipping multiple rows to ensure guests safety. For example, on Pirates of the Caribbean only two parties are allowed on one boat. 

In addition to modifying the rides, Disney has placed hand sanitation stations literally everywhere. After every ride and the exit of every store is hand sanitizier.  I've never used more hand sanitizer than at Disney, simply because it was available. 

Another big change is the lack of character meet and greets at Disney.  To substitute for the lack of character greetings, Disney is doing frequent calvacaldes or parades so guests can still see their favorite characters. 

You won't have the chance to get up close and personal with Cinderella but you are still able to see your favorite Disney character from a distance. 

These are all small changes to make Disney guests safe during the ongoing pandemic. In my opinion, Disney is still the most magical place on earth and the pandemic hasn't changed that. 

There are even aspects of Disney that are more magical because of the pandemic. Disney crowd capacity has been lowered to keep people safe which means less people in the Disney parks. 

With reduced capacity, all the ride lines are much shorter than normal.  You may have seen pictures online of long Disney lines but the lines only look longer because of social distancing. 

Another magical aspect of Disney during the pandemic is no fastpasses. Yes I know, some people love the fastpass system but it's a lot of work and allows you more time to enjoy your Disney vacation. 

Since there are no fastpasses, everyone is waiting in the same line.  Once the pandemic is over, the Disney fastpass system will return so check out this post for more information on the Disney Fastpass system. 

Ultimately, Disney World has changed like the rest of the world during the pandemic. Disney has implemented many safety procedures to keep Disney guests safe but these procedures become second nature once you're enjoying the magic. 

Some people will complain Disney isn't the same right now, but I argue that's a great time to visit Disney World for the short wait times, low crowds, and magical experience during a hard time. 

If you'd like more information on the Disney World reopening or visiting Disney World during the pandemic, check out a Little Bit of Pixie Dust for all the Disney news and tips!