Should You Visit Walt Disney World Resort During a Pandemic?

With the threat of Covid looming over us, and the news reporting outbreaks on the hourly, it seems odd that people might want to travel anywhere with a large body of people. We each have our own reasons for wanting to visit The Most Magical Place on Earth even with a host of rules, regulations and restrictions. I have made the decision about whether to go or not easier in this post: Should You Visit Walt Disney World Resort During a Pandemic?

First, take a look at the overview of the restrictions and then look at the restrictions and problems park by park before making a decision about whether to visit Walt Disney World Resort.

Each families approach to the Covid-19 pandemic is unique to them. Whether you are a mask family or anti-mask, vaccine versus anti-vaccine, or health enthusiast, planner, live-by-the-seat of your pants, etc., each family will formulate a different set of rules that are important to them.

For our family, our ultimate decision to visit Walt Disney World while the threat of catching the virus came down to the fact that 1) We believed that crowds were still under control, 2) we were led to believe that Walt Disney World had enhanced sanitizing methods, and 3) our youngest son is autistic and Walt Disney World is a magical place for him.

Additionally, we are generally healthy and while we haven’t had the virus, we aren’t on the list to get the vaccine anytime soon due to our age and demographic. 

FACTORS IN DECIDING TO VISIT WALT DISNEY WORLD

#1 HEALTH

Do you and/or your family have any serious health considerations? Are you in a high-risk age range? Do you suffer from any of the diseases that would prevent you from going out, traveling, or receiving medical care? These questions can only be answered by you and your doctor.

#2 QUARANTINE ABILITY

Do you have a job that would require you to quarantine when you get home from a vacation? Currently, my husband is out of work, and I work from home. Neither one of us would have to miss additional work if we travel to WDW Resort for vacation. However, if you have a job where you would be exposing your coworkers or clients, you probably want to postpone a vacation at this time.

#3 YOUR CHILDREN’S SITUATIONS

While on our trip, we met a family whose son was required to quarantine when he got home from WDW. If your child is unable to miss school or quarantine when you return home, you may want to reconsider a trip. Additionally, if your child participates in sports or other extracurricular activities and has teammates depend on them, a trip may be out of the question.

#4 FLYING VERSUS DRIVING

I personally do not want to fly at this time. However, I know many people are still using the airlines to get to their final destination. Each and every interaction you have can potentially expose you to Covid. While I know people have said that they felt perfectly safe in the airports, most have also said that they did not feel the same level of comfort in a full airplane. 

Before traveling by air, contact the airline to see if they are distancing in the airplane. Make sure to check other security and safety measures that they are taking at this time. This will help you to determine the best course of action for your family.

Disney Vacation Travel

#5 WALT DISNEY WORLD TRANSPORTATION

I was led to believe that Walt Disney World Transportation was extremely clean and Cast Members were sanitizing everything all the time. This is a major exaggeration. I was actually told by someone that Cast Members are wiping surfaces down after each rider. NOPE! They are not.

Walt Disney World is using sanitizers that are long-lasting. However, they are not wiping rides, attractions, and high-touch areas after each rider. 

However, there are hand sanitizer dispensers outside of each ride and attraction. 

Another item to note is that Walt Disney World Transportation is extremely limited at this time. That may mean that more people are trying to ride the limited buses, monorail, and Skyliner. 

We took our own vehicle to most destinations. 

One other item to think about is the fact that there are limited hours of operation for the parks and the transportation. One morning we had reservations for breakfast at the Yacht Club, and the Skyliner and buses were not operated at that time. Our only options were to drive or call a taxi.

#6 Walt Disney World During a Pandemic May Mean LIMITED PARK HOURS

While crowd sizes are limited, so are park hours. When deciding whether a vacation is right for your family during Covid, this is a key consideration. With limited park hours, some days it was impossible to accomplish all that we wanted to do. Epcot’s hours are currently 11 am to 8 pm. Usually, our family visits Future World before the World Showcase opens up. There was no possible way to see everything in the limited hours that the park was open.

We experienced similar problems in Magic Kingdom which was by far the most crowded park we experienced. 

#7 YOUR PERSONAL SAFETY MEASURES

While in WDW Resort, it is mandatory for all persons over the age of 2 to wear a mask. And almost all people follow that mandate. However, you will encounter the person walking with the mask under their nose and ignore a Cast Member’s directions to pull it up. 

Which do you feel more passionate about – wearing a mask or maintaining your distance? For me, distance is the key. This is important to Disney too. They have plenty of strips up showing you where to stand for each ride and attraction. They have worked hard to route high-traffic rides and keep the congestion from impeding the flow of normal foot traffic. However, Disney cannot police every single person and the same people that break the rules in a normal WDW trip, are still there breaking the rules!

You and your family may save for years to go to Disney, therefore, it is understandable that you would want to have a magical time. While it is possible to have a great time at the parks, some of the magic is missing. Only you can decide if this is the best time to go for you!

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