Pictured Above: A voice emanating from a large Woody statue reminded guests in line for Slinky Dog Dash to maintain social distancing.
Sophie Ojdanic | The Crow’s Nest
By Sophie Ojdanic
As winter break in the era of COVID-19 drew to a close, I found myself searching for anything to truly relax my brain before heading back for my last semester of university.
Disney World’s creepy “welcome back” commercial seemed to do the trick as I bought a four-day Florida resident pass, which was shockingly cheap (for a theme park ticket) — only $265.
From the moment I stepped foot onto Disney property, I could tell that social distancing and other COVID-19 guidelines were in place and enforced.
At the entrance of each park were AdventHealth tents where each Disney guest would get their temperature checked. Cast members — the term Disney uses for its employees — were stopped at every exit and entrance informing guests about the requirements in the parks.
Masks were required for guests while on Disney property, and could only be removed while eating or drinking while stationary, or in designated ‘relaxation stations.’ This means everyone’s photo with the Magic Kingdom castle featured the world’s newest accessory.
I’m not kidding.
Once I gathered up the courage to ride Animal Kingdom’s Expedition Everest for the first time in my life, I was informed that I could not keep my ride picture because the guests behind me had removed their masks on the roller coaster. They prompted me back through the line to ride once more for a better photo. I don’t think Expedition Everest was meant to be ridden twice in a row.
By the way, it broke down both times, which the ride is notorious for doing since its opening in 2006.
Ride lines were all marked with social distancing tape, showing guests exactly where they were supposed to stand as the line inched forward. Luckily, the reduced park capacity lended itself to reduced wait times, with my longest wait being 90 minutes for Epcot’s Test Track.
Magic Kingdom had the biggest crowds out of the four parks, even on the Thursday that I was there. Guests were often clumped together as they walked through tighter areas of the park, like walkways in between lines.
By far, the highlight of my trip was Hollywood Studios, the home of Disney’s Star Wars themed park, Galaxy’s Edge.
The two themed areas, Galaxy’s Edge and Toy Story Land, were incredibly immersive. Small things like cast members using terms related to Star Wars or Toy Story added depth to the guest experience. Galaxy’s Edge was also home to the best ride in the entirety of Disney World — Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.
The ride was split into sections, with in-character cast members guiding guests through the experience along with holograms and videos of the Star Wars cast.
My Disney experience, through ride breakdowns and social distancing, was excellent. I felt safe in most areas of the park, and cast member attention-to-detail brought themed areas to a new level.
