Visiting Walt Disney World During COVID-19 (With and Without Kids)

 I've been asked a lot and been promising to write this post for some time now. Two months after Walt Disney World officially opened back up since closing down during the Coronavirus pandemic of 2020 (March-July), here it is. 

I've visited the various theme parks and resorts around 20 times since reopening, and have seen some changes and learned a lot through the process. 

I could write a short novel on the subject, but instead will just jam out the major points and then maybe ramble on a bit after that...

- Masks are required for all guests aged 2+. Yes, the masks add to the heat and are not enjoyable, but are a fair tradeoff for being able to be at Disney and enjoy a small break from reality. Wear them correctly and use common sense.

- I prefer the disposable masks myself; they are lightweight and I don't have to wash them. My four year old likes the official Disney masks the best. He wears a size Medium. (Disney masks run smaaaaaaallll). 

- Bring at least two, if not three masks per person per day. It's nice to put on a fresh mask after sweating, eating, etc halfway through the day.

- If you bring a stroller:

    - bring a rain cover. Pack it and it won't rain ;) (More Rain Tips to be linked here...)

    - Don't overload it just because you can. The more stuff you schlep, the more you'll have to do to get through security, fold it up if to get on a water transportation, bus, escalator, etc. Diaper bag, rain cover, stroller fan, Yeti of ice water, and a misting water bottle are our must-haves).

    - if you have a young baby, bring a carrier. Plan to park the stroller in one 'land' and explore it all using the carrier. Then move on to the next. 

-The lines are going to look long due to social distancing. The wait times are sometimes inflated, but better to be safe than sorry, and it makes for a happy feeling when the actual wait time is much lower. You know what I mean. 

- Speaking of lines, PICK ONE LINE AND STAY IN IT!!! When you arrive at security or the turn stiles, there will be lines. Choose one and relax. Don't start a long day on a hectic note. You'll get it, I promise (as long as you have your ticket media and Park Pass...)

- The parks are closing early in the evening, but there are ways to extend the magic. Just think, when Walt Disney World opened in 1971, it was dubbed as The Vacation Kingdom of the World, and the ONE park, Magic Kingdom, closed at 6. People shopped, dined, danced, enjoyed water activities, etc. Try to reframe it as old school and retro, but with masks! Ha!

- Remember, at the end of the day, you are choosing to be there and experience Disney during this unprecedented time. You can choose to enjoy it or not. Try to make the best of it and understand that the Cast Members are there for you to escape and play. They're doing more than their original job description asked. We all are because PANDEMIC. 

- Be nice, smile, and HAVE FUN! 

(Also, contact me when you're ready to book a trip. There are so many little pointers, ins and outs, that I can't possibly write here but love to pass along as we 'talk shop' and plan your trip.)

(PS It's free- Disney pays me. Doesn't cost you a penny more. Disney bakes in commission to every price/vacation. When you book through me, I get that. When you book straight through Disney, they keep it.)

(PPS have you SEEN the wait times on hold for Disney lately?? Trust me, you don't want to be doing that unless you're being paid to. So let me!)

Ok but seriously the rules still apply as always: don't over schedule, play to take it slow and/or take a break, try to enjoy the moments and make the best of them. Now there's just an extra layer of stuff to add to the experience. 

Hope this helped. I'm sure I'll add more as things pop into my head. Any questions you have, please ask below. 

As always, thanks for reading. Can't believe some of y'all are still around this here space. XXXOOO

XO, 

Ashley

Ashley@believevacations.com

UPDATE: Disney Trips + Pregnancy Style

Guys! Hi! I've been wanting to write a post for so long now but couldn't really pin down what I wanted to write about, so figured I'd just dump whatever photos or thoughts came to mind here and at least get something out in the blogosphere. Blogging is in a weird place right now, agree? I feel like most content now lives on Instagram, specifically IG Stories (at least that's where I find myself sharing and looking at my favorite bloggers, instead of actually going to blogs anymore.) The times, they are a-changin'.

Let's get started, shall we?

We'll start back in January at Disney's Hollywood Studios where we went to catch the last few days of holiday merriment and sweet treats. This is the chocolate hazelnut cone from Backlot Express and yes it was as delicious as it looks. We also hung with the lovely Christine (@hkitizzle on social media).

On to the Magic Kingdom. You know it's 'Florida cold' when we bust out the North Face fleece and Uggs (college habits die hard, amIrite??). Thomas, Angie and I watched the Christmas parade which runs during the day after all of the Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Parties have finished for the season (until then, it only runs the nights of the parties). Angie bought this hat first and I copied her because I thought it was going to go the way of the Mickey Pumpkin hat which I had in my hot little hand but didn't buy, and then couldn't find ANYWHERE after! So I had major FOMO and bought the Christmas version, even though there were tons of them on the shelves all the way through the holiday season. Still searching for that Pumpkin hat if anyone comes across one.

Here's Will enjoying a pool day at the Polynesian resort the beginning of January because Florida winters are the best.

BOOM! How about a pregnancy belly shot, and a Spaceship Earth Selfie all in one. Our tees are from TeePublic and designed by my friends Ryan and Josh (@honorary_android and @thesteele, respectively). My jeans are Paige under the belly maternity jeans and honestly, I've worn them almost every day of my pregnancy. No lie, no shame. They're awesome. You're told to buy your pre-pregnancy size, and because they are under the belly and have belt loops, I'm hopeful I'll be able to wear them postpartum, too. Worth every stinking penny. I bought a ton of over the belly Jessica Simpson jeans my first pregnancy and hated them- I was constantly hiking them up. The belt loops on this Paige pair is a game changer- no more droopy crotch jeans! Rejoice!

Perk #2958 to living by WDW- bringing home desserts from the Norway pavilion in Epcot to eat while watching TV at night after putting the kid to bed. This is the viking chocolate mousse cake and the beloved school bread.

My sweetie holding lots of plush sweeties.

Ah! I was so excited to see this! The CM in front of the Haunted Mansion was holding an invisible dog- remember when they used to sell these at a small kiosk outside of the Haunted Mansion?? Talk about a throwback.

Only the best Disney snack (besides the giant pickles). Citrus Swirl will always have my heart, as will this Walt/Train Magic Band that Uncle Thomas and Michael gave to Will but I claimed as my own. Sorry not sorry.

The Liberty Belle riverboat is back up and running. It's always an enjoyable journey around the Rivers of America, and gives some glimpses into parts of the park you can't see unless you take a ride. Will loved climbing the stairs and exploring the boat.

Back at Epcot with more obscure Disney nerd t-shirts. Mine is another @honoraryandroid design (Waynes World/World Showcase mashup which is genius) and Will's in from @retrowdw. He wears his Fozzie hat that his uncles Thomas and Michael gave him about as much as I wear my Paige maternity jeans. This was us checking out the first day of the Festival of the Arts, which is probably my favorite Epcot festival (with Flower and Garden being a very close second); Passholders can get a free Figment magnet at MouseGears until the festival ends on Feb. 25.

DHS randomly popped up an Incredibles celebration back in Pixar Place where the original Toy Story attraction used to be located. The whole thing is kind of slapped together and fairly disjoined if you ask me, but it DID bring us the famed Jack Jack's Num Num Cookie from Disney's California Adventure park, so for that alone I'd say WORTH IT! This puppy is huge- literally the size of Will's face- and dense and served warm. Definitely sharable. In fact I think in the best interest of your health, you should share it. Also shareable but not nearly as good is the Key Lime Pie on a stick, which is sold at the same place as the Num Num cookie. I wanted to like this, I really did, and they key lime pie was ok I guess, but the blue coating was just too much and not necessary. Plus this sucker weighs a ton and is too much for any one person to consume- it's very dense and sweet. Oh yeah and there's little Incredible-themed photo ops set up around the area. (Confession- I still haven't seen any of the Incredibles movies. I really don't see many movies, even Disney ones, so you'd be surprised to know how many I actually haven't watched. The classics, yes, but the newer stuff, not so much.)

Ok quick aside here. This is the kid's meal from Woody's Lunchbox back in Toy Story Land. Half a grilled cheese, and you can choose two sides. We went with the tomato soup dipper and tater tots. It's plenty of food and I could happily make a meal out of it. Many times it advantageous to order the kid's menu items, especially because they come with a drink, which really makes the savings add up.

Overindulging at the Plaza Restaurant for breakfast with a friend. The food is decent but it's the castle views over coffee that make this a nice option for breakfast, especially if you can get a reservation for before park opening and enjoy the relatively quiet atmosphere of Main Street.

The train is parked at Main Street Station during Tron construction and makes for a fun experience to chat with the engineers and learn more about these antique beauties. Even if you don't think you're interested in it, I urge you to check them out. You'll walk away with a greater appreciation of them. You can also read here to learn more. This is my particular favorite, the Roger E. Broggie. If you don't know who he is and want to learn more, there are bios of each person that the four different train engines are named after, down in the train station under the tracks. Check it out!

Random pictures:

Reminder of the best rocking chairs in MK and yes, you can sit up there. It stinks that they'll boot you out during the Muppet's Great Moments in History show every hour or so now, but still a great spot to sit and peoplewatch.

Cute Valentines Day and St. Pat's Day themed Mickey plush.

Cute Will in a Fozzie hat holding a Fozzie Muppet Baby plush.

 If you ever want to break out of the Disney Bubble and see a more authentic side of Orlando, take a drive toward Downtown Orlando. Winter Park, College Park, and this area pictured below, Baldwin Park, are all nice spots to spend a day shopping and having lunch. I get my hair done in Baldwin Park by the amazing @ashleyfehthair, and she's gracious enough to cut Will's hair (and does a super job). Will likes to walk out onto the gazebo on the lake and play with the love locks that are strung up.

Christine again! We went to MK to catch the New England Patriot's Super Bowl victory parade and saw quarterback and GOAT Tom Brady and MVP Julian Edalman, then stayed to watch Festival of Fantasy from our primo spot. We then serendipitously ran into some friends and were fortunate enough to have afternoon snacks and drinks in Club 33. Will doesn't know just how good he has it.

Watching Illuminations. It's being replaced with a new nighttime show in September 2019 and Will hasn't seen it in its entirety before, since it's wayyyy past his bedtime. He liked it, and I love this pic of my mom and son gazing up at the fireworks.

Galentine's Day with my beautiful mommy tribe. So blessed to have these women in my life.

We did a maternity photo shoot with my lovely friend Alexis (@alexismann_ on IG). Check out her page Alexis Mann Photography and get in touch with her if you're ever in the Disney/Orlando area! Can't wait to show more pictures after my baby 'sprinkle' this coming Saturday. She did a phenomenal job.

My loves.

Thanks for reading! 

XO, Ashley