With everything going on in the world during COVID-19, the last thing some people might think to do is attend an amusement park. For others, it’s the best way to distract themselves from reality. Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida is one of many amusement parks currently open to the public in the United States. I decided to go to Disney’s Hollywood Studios at the end of February during President’s Week to see how Disney is handling crowds during COVID-19.
I started my day by having breakfast at Kona Café located in Disney’s Polynesian Resort hotel. A reservation was required, and there were not many other groups in the café when I first got there for my 7:30 a.m. reservation. My waitress wore a mask as well as a face shield and did not stay at my table for very long each time she came by to check on my party. The food was delicious, the tables were distanced properly, and everything ran very smoothly.
After breakfast, I got into Hollywood Studios about a half-hour after opening. I noticed that instead of checking bags like they used to, cast members just had people walk through a metal detector. It wasn’t as crowded as I have seen Disney World be pre-COVID, but it was a little bit more crowded than I expected. Still, I felt safe due to every single person around me wearing masks.
My party and I decided to go on “Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith” as our first ride of the day. The wait time was a bit shorter than we were told, and the line was socially distanced very well. There were markings on the ground indicating where each party should stand, and in instances when the line would normally have people standing parallel to each other, the markings made it so that the line was staggered; no group was standing directly next to another. The closer we got to entering the enclosed building, the more spaced out the ground markings would become.
When we reached the area where a cast member would split us up into rows to get onto the roller coaster, we realized there were plexiglass dividers between each row. The plexiglass was a recurring safety precaution throughout the park, including between cashiers and guests at food kiosks, between rows of seats on rides, as well as within the lines of popular rides themselves.
For lunch, my party and I had a reservation for 50’s Prime Time Café, a themed restaurant located within the park that serves delicious comfort food. I have previously been to this restaurant before, and there is no comparison to what it’s like pre- and post-COVID.
Back when I visited in 2018, the restaurant was completely packed, and you’d have to wait a bit even if you had a reservation and checked in early. This time, I got a text message at the exact time of my reservation notifying me that my table was ready.
Entering the restaurant, the waiting area was completely empty apart from cast members welcoming you in. (Normally, this area would have been so packed with people that you could barely move.) We were seated immediately and served promptly. Our waitress was very friendly, took note of food allergies in our party, and again, was also wearing a mask and a face shield. Our dining experience was excellent and the food was delicious.
By the end of the day, I realized that I never once felt unsafe in Disney’s Hollywood Studios park. I have been to other large public spaces during COVID before, and I remember feeling extremely uncomfortable due to the overwhelmingly large capacity of people allowed. However, this was not the case at all at Disney World.
Disney not only follows all the safety precautions advised of the state of Florida, but they go above and beyond to ensure that every guest leaves the park feeling safe and satisfied.
Even though face coverings are not mandatory in Florida, you must wear one at all times in Disney parks, except when seated or consuming food and beverage; non-compliers are removed from the park. They also have hand sanitizer dispensers every few feet as you walk, and in some areas they even have hand washing stations. With all of this in addition to the plexiglass, it’s almost impossible not to feel as though you are being taken care of at a Disney park.
My overall experience that day was fantastic. Not only did I feel safe at all times, but I had fun, the lines were shorter than I was used to, and the mandatory mask wasn’t even that much of a bother after a while. If anyone ever wants to visit a Disney World park during COVID, they can rest assured knowing that it’s probably the safest public space you can go to during a pandemic.
