My comments on Disney's covid precautions (as of 12/21/20)-

[MoonRakerSCM]

Just got back from my 2020 Spite Trip... it was great. We had an awesome time and it was well needed and did us all good. Needless to say, the parks look quite a bit different and there are many things in place... for those wanting to get an idea of what safety protocols Disney has in place, here's a summary and what I thought-

1) Hand Sanitizer is EVERYWHERE. When you enter a line, when you enter a ride vehicle, when you depart a ride vehicle, when you leave an exit path. Bathrooms, near open stalls, some notable pathways. Every store has them at entrances and exits. Park entrance, park exit... they are everywhere. IF you simply make it a habit to use one when you see it, you'll be putting sanitizer on your hand more than 50 times a day. We encountered a few that were empty, but CMs were on the way to fill them up.

2) Queues are extra long in length, not time, due to social distancing markers on the ground. Disney thought these out very well and they're well spaced within the confined areas to keep people 6ft or more apart. Even tightly knit switchbacks have 6ft spacings on one row, and then a single spot for the next row thus maintaining distancing across rows. Some queues have plexiglass while others do not if spacing between switchbacks is closer than 6ft.

3) Rides are filling every other row or have installed plexiglass in place to act as barriers between guests.

4) Some rides (Rise of the Resistance comes to mind) have dots that you have to stand on in certain areas that allows social distancing.

Overall, I was actually impressed with what Disney is doing... I felt safer in the parks there than any store I venture into here in California. Cast members were actively telling people to distance, and to make sure their mask was on. The only issue I saw was that many people are not paying attention to the floor markings and some people take a bit to catch on to it. Disney should add that to their announcements to have people realize that the marks on the ground are actually telling them where to be.

Safe travels.

 

[JIMINYCR]

Good to hear that Disney has these measures in place, is continuing to promote guest safety, confronting those who dont follow the rules and is still delivering a safe, enjoyable experience.

 

[Disstevefan1]

Good to hear WDW is doing a good job and from your post it not only felt safe, its is safe at WDW. It’s too bad DLR was not allowed to open using these identical proven procedures...

 

[networkpro]

They are not spraying/wiping down rides anymore. I think the OP is suger-coating (pixie-dusting) this a bit (IMHO). I guess I would be somewhat impressed if I didn't already experience what Disney could be doing to ensure everyone's safety and are choosing to not do anymore.

They've modified their procedures quite a few times since reopening and the guests are not dropping like flies as a result. There are plenty of Cast members refilling dispensers (look for them pushing the carts with the 5 gallon Sea and Ski pump bottles), but since everyone is using them in high traffic areas you sometimes need to just go to the next one. It's not like there's a shortage of them everywhere in all of the parks. There are plenty of signs and periodic (like every 15 minutes) audio announcements to wear your masks properly or you will be asked to leave. Still there are CMs both walking with the mask signs and standing beside paths to check guest compliance.

They have more guests and the same number of cast members so they have to make choices.

 

[OrlandoRising]

Good to hear WDW is doing a good job and from your post it not only felt safe, its is safe at WDW. It’s too bad DLR was not allowed to open using these identical proven procedures...

Considering California's current surge, Disneyland would have never opened even if Disney and its allies had convinced the governor to loosen his reopening standards for theme parks.

Disney, Disneyland unions, Orange County CA officials, and the theme park lobby were all advocating for a reopening under the Moderate or "Orange" tier of California's reopening plans (which was 1-3.9 daily new cases per 100,000 people and a test positivity rate of between 2 and 5 percent). Orange County is nowhere close to those metrics now -- as of today, it's at 51.8 daily new cases 100,000 people and a test positivity rate of 15.2%.

Not to mention that the OC's record number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, including in the ICU.

If you want to argue that Disneyland should be open anyway, that's your right, but this context is crucial. Disney was never advocating for the resort to be fully open at a time when nearby hospitals are setting up surge tents.

 

[Disstevefan1]

Considering California's current surge, Disneyland would have never opened even if Disney and its allies had convinced the governor to loosen his reopening standards for theme parks.

Disney, Disneyland unions, Orange County CA officials, and the theme park lobby were all advocating for a reopening under the Moderate or "Orange" tier of California's reopening plans (which was 1-3.9 daily new cases per 100,000 people and a test positivity rate of between 2 and 5 percent). Orange County is nowhere close to those metrics now -- as of today, it's at 51.8 daily new cases 100,000 people and a test positivity rate of 15.2%.

Not to mention that the OC's record number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, including in the ICU.

If you want to argue that Disneyland should be open anyway, that's your right, but this context is crucial. Disney was never advocating for the resort to be fully open at a time when nearby hospitals are setting up surge tents.

I honestly don’t care if/when DLR opens. I just think the proven methods being used a WDW would have worked and all the DLR cast members could start making money and all the countless businesses surrounding DLR could also start making money.

But you bring up a good point California, Washington and Oregon rank at the bottom, and have the least number of hospital beds for their population. So it’s too risky...

 

[Billie borella]

Just got back from my 2020 Spite Trip... it was great. We had an awesome time and it was well needed and did us all good. Needless to say, the parks look quite a bit different and there are many things in place... for those wanting to get an idea of what safety protocols Disney has in place, here's a summary and what I thought-

1) Hand Sanitizer is EVERYWHERE. When you enter a line, when you enter a ride vehicle, when you depart a ride vehicle, when you leave an exit path. Bathrooms, near open stalls, some notable pathways. Every store has them at entrances and exits. Park entrance, park exit... they are everywhere. IF you simply make it a habit to use one when you see it, you'll be putting sanitizer on your hand more than 50 times a day. We encountered a few that were empty, but CMs were on the way to fill them up.

2) Queues are extra long in length, not time, due to social distancing markers on the ground. Disney thought these out very well and they're well spaced within the confined areas to keep people 6ft or more apart. Even tightly knit switchbacks have 6ft spacings on one row, and then a single spot for the next row thus maintaining distancing across rows. Some queues have plexiglass while others do not if spacing between switchbacks is closer than 6ft.

3) Rides are filling every other row or have installed plexiglass in place to act as barriers between guests.

4) Some rides (Rise of the Resistance comes to mind) have dots that you have to stand on in certain areas that allows social distancing.

Overall, I was actually impressed with what Disney is doing... I felt safer in the parks there than any store I venture into here in California. Cast members were actively telling people to distance, and to make sure their mask was on. The only issue I saw was that many people are not paying attention to the floor markings and some people take a bit to catch on to it. Disney should add that to their announcements to have people realize that the marks on the ground are actually telling them where to be.

Safe travels.

Sounds like you had a great trip!! We leave tomorrow for 4 days and I’m excited yet also apprehensive. Your post puts me at ease. Are there any recommendations of areas or times to avoid that seemed to be worse than others? Also how was the Christmas crowd and wait times at 35 percent capacity?

 

[Professortango1]

Just got back from my 2020 Spite Trip... it was great. We had an awesome time and it was well needed and did us all good. Needless to say, the parks look quite a bit different and there are many things in place... for those wanting to get an idea of what safety protocols Disney has in place, here's a summary and what I thought-

1) Hand Sanitizer is EVERYWHERE. When you enter a line, when you enter a ride vehicle, when you depart a ride vehicle, when you leave an exit path. Bathrooms, near open stalls, some notable pathways. Every store has them at entrances and exits. Park entrance, park exit... they are everywhere. IF you simply make it a habit to use one when you see it, you'll be putting sanitizer on your hand more than 50 times a day. We encountered a few that were empty, but CMs were on the way to fill them up.

2) Queues are extra long in length, not time, due to social distancing markers on the ground. Disney thought these out very well and they're well spaced within the confined areas to keep people 6ft or more apart. Even tightly knit switchbacks have 6ft spacings on one row, and then a single spot for the next row thus maintaining distancing across rows. Some queues have plexiglass while others do not if spacing between switchbacks is closer than 6ft.

3) Rides are filling every other row or have installed plexiglass in place to act as barriers between guests.

4) Some rides (Rise of the Resistance comes to mind) have dots that you have to stand on in certain areas that allows social distancing.

Overall, I was actually impressed with what Disney is doing... I felt safer in the parks there than any store I venture into here in California. Cast members were actively telling people to distance, and to make sure their mask was on. The only issue I saw was that many people are not paying attention to the floor markings and some people take a bit to catch on to it. Disney should add that to their announcements to have people realize that the marks on the ground are actually telling them where to be.

Safe travels.

What you say flies in the face of many photographs and videos. We've seen pictures of Expedition Everest with every row filled and no guards between. We've even seen Disney try and photoshop masks on riders. Flight of Passage is boarding every seat with no protection between riders nor between rows on top of one another.

That could not matter to you, but just be honest.

 

[Tuvalu]

What you say flies in the face of many photographs and videos. We've seen pictures of Expedition Everest with every row filled and no guards between. We've even seen Disney try and photoshop masks on riders. Flight of Passage is boarding every seat with no protection between riders nor between rows on top of one another.

That could not matter to you, but just be honest.

@MoonRakerSCM was being honest with conditions that were present during HIS vacation. To accuse him otherwise is unkind.

Disney is continually modifying their policies procedures during this unprecedented time. Filling all rows on Everest and FoP only happened in the last couple of days. Photoshopping masks on guests was a very short-term trial a month or so ago and is no longer happening. What one guest experiences on his or her trip may not be the same as another guest who travels at a different time.

My trip in July was not the same as my trip in November, and I expect my trip next month to have protocol changes as well.

 

[networkpro]

The thing is our trips overlapped and I did not experience or observe some of the things MoonRackerSCM is claiming. I guess it is down to personal preception. I did not feel unsafe because my family took safety precautions (made sure we social distanced as much as we could, brought our own sanitizer to use when the machines were out, followed queue markers, etc.) and a good portion (not the majority) of parkgoers did not seem to care about social distancing or proper mask wearing (nose left out), but the categorization of what is going on in the parks is a little more pixie-dusted for me to not say anything. The parks (HS and MK) were packed and it reminded me of crowd sizes during my trips in June. This was partly due to the social distance lines extending everywhere, which resulted in a lot of the main walkways being packed to the point you could not social distance from others. In the end, people are choosing to go to a theme park during a pandemic and take it for what it is and it is up to them to weigh the risk factors for themselves.

It's not as if you were trapped. When my wife or I thought that there were too many people in close proximity, we simply left the park for the day. We are not driven by maximizing park time, but by how much we are enjoying it. To each, their own, cost value maximization isn't ours so I guess that's why we still have our annual passes.

 

[MoonRakerSCM]

That could not matter to you, but just be honest.

Excuse me but do not call me a liar. What I said was exactly what I saw during my visit.

Feel free to comment on your visit when you visited. But do not accuse me of not being honest, it is unkind and rude.

 

[1HAPPYGHOSTHOST]

The thing is our trips overlapped and I did not experience or observe some of the things MoonRackerSCM is claiming. I guess it is down to personal preception. I did not feel unsafe because my family took safety precautions (made sure we social distanced as much as we could, brought our own sanitizer to use when the machines were out, followed queue markers, etc.) and a good portion (not the majority) of parkgoers did not seem to care about social distancing or proper mask wearing (nose left out), but the categorization of what is going on in the parks is a little more pixie-dusted for me to not say anything. The parks (HS and MK) were packed and it reminded me of crowd sizes during my trips in June. This was partly due to the social distance lines extending everywhere, which resulted in a lot of the main walkways being packed to the point you could not social distance from others. In the end, people are choosing to go to a theme park during a pandemic and take it for what it is and it is up to them to weigh the risk factors for themselves.

Here is the thing, it's not about whether you feel safe or not. Transmittable diseases do not care about your feelings. You could feel safe and fine and still get the corona virus even if you YOU THINK you are following all the right safety measures. That is what makes this thing so dangerous.

 

[jlsHouston]

We did a short trip in October. Personally I did not "feel" anymore or less safe than a trip to the local grocery store. I did observe a whole lot more cleaning going on everywhere at Disney than what I had become use to at the resorts and parks past several years. Overall it was a good trip. I was not thrilled with the lack of FastPass and some of the cue lines were a bit haphazard and not marked as well as others. MK was probably the biggest disappointment and HS was great and the virtual cue for Resistance worked great that day. Was disappointed how many food venues were not open and the lines for the ones that were including the little kiosks even for water. Really enjoyed the resort. We stayed at BCV and it was clean and not crowded and Cast Members as happy as I've seen them in a while. We were greeted with "welcome home" and I burst into tears like a sap. I skipped AK the last day and packed but Disney daughter and granddaughter said it was the best of the 4 parks done. Again, for me and the risks I am willing to take as far as exposure goes, I think Disney has done a good job with masks, social distancing and cleaning and if you are willing to venture into moderate crowds masked up and deal with lines it is still Disney.