Disney Day Pandemic Style

It would be an understatement to say that a lot has been different for all of us in the year of our Lord 2020. These have been crazy and stressful months for us for sure. Marlee and I along with the rest of you have also really felt the effects of what has been happening on several levels financially and personally. Recently we have been trying to use our free time to get creative, have fun, and enjoy our extra time together while we still can. Although we are taking the recommended precautions to keep ourselves and our small circle as safe as possible we are also trying to get out there and fill the rest of 2020 with as many good memories as we can.

With that positive outlook in tow, last weekend we made the decision to return to and enjoy one of our favorite pastimes we share together..... Disney World!!!!!!

Obviously we know that a lot has changed with the Disney experience since reopening, so as steadfast passholders we decided to get on here and let our followers either local or soon to be traveling in town know what a day at the parks looks like post pandemic. This was our first trip back and we were only able to do one park with the new restrictions, but as we start accumulating more Disney days please feel free to message us for more information on what its like in the other parks.

We booked our very 1st reservation and decided on Hollywood studios as that is one of our favorites being Star Wars enthusiasts. So off we went with ears and masks in hand ready to take on the day. We were prepared to follow the strict guidlines that the company has set in place, and although we didn't encounter anyone during our visit policing us we have been told by close friends and family that have gone before us that they are consistently walking around watching and making sure everyone is properely adhereing mostly in the way of mask wearing. Which is that everyone is to wear a mask at all times expcept when eating or drinking while sitting stationary.

To be as candid as possible some things were definitely frustrating. Many attractions were closed including several food options and drink carts. It became a chore to just easily access a bottle of water. The few places that were open you were required to order virtually through the Disney app and wait for your order to be prepared, which become aggravating since it slowed down our day. There was even a moment Marlee sadly realized she would not get to see Chewbacca who is one of her favorites as they did not have character meet and greets. I was also dissappointed to see my favorite Frozen sing along experience was closed as well. Other than a small toy story parade there was lack of any character presence. Also we did have a frustrating moment while being unable to secure Rise of the Resistance spots at either time frame (10 am & 2pm) due to glitches on our phone saying that not all of us were in the park (which wasnt true) and that prevented us from moving any further in order to secure a spot. At first we let it go, but when it happened the second time we tried to go and show one of the guest service attendants who basically blew us off about it and didnt have much explanation as to why we had that issue. Honeslty that was our biggest disappointment of the day, considering all of our efforts to time it perfectly and knowing the decrease of park capacity, which was next to nothing considering what we are used to seeing crowd wise when we go.

Despite the of the lack of a Chewbacca visit and no Rise of Resistance not all was lost. We did get to try Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway for the 1st time which in past was a ridiculous wait so we hadn't been able to yet. We Also had the great pleasure of initiating Marlee into the Smugglers Run ride experience...she got a little queasy on that one, but still had a blast. Make sure to check out the 2 videos below!

also thankfully our favorite Beer Garden was still open to enjoy a couple of yummy cold beverages which didn't require a virtual order and was basically where we spent the day circling back around to for booze or food. This of course made everything right again like any ice cold beer will do.

Overall I think we would say we had a great day despite the few issues. We definitely felt comfortable and safe with the new sanitizing guidelines, social distancing, and decreased park capacity, and did not feel overwhelmed by any mask police jumping out from behing bushes. From what we could see everyone was respectful of the rules and all seemed in good spirits. I have already explained to a family member that the sanitizing, cleaning, and health safety procedures in place to make you feel safe are definitely impressive. Hopeful as the time goes on and our new normal gets even better the Magic of it all will return. But if you are a Disney fanatic like we are and want a little dose of the magic you've been mssing these last few months then we definetly recommend going in and giving it a try.

Happy Disney Days,

Hope & Marlee

---