What do you feel it will be like for us when WDW opens again using our mobility wheelchairs & scooters?

[RaySharpton]

Post #321-Disney's EPCOT Sunshine Seasons Reopens with No Fountain Beverages and an Extremely Basic Menu - PHOTOS - July 17, 2020
























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[RaySharpton]

Post #322-Disney's EPCOT Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along & Impressions de France Reopen with Significantly Reduced Capacity - PHOTOS - July 17, 2020

 

[RaySharpton]

Post #323-Disney's Updated Look at All Four Disney World Theme Park Guidemaps (COVID-19 Warning, Relaxation Stations, Reduced Offerings, and More) blogmickey Mike - PHOTOS - July 17, 2020

 

[RaySharpton]

Post #324-Disney's EPCOT Reflections of China Reopens with New Social Distancing Measures - PHOTOS - July 18, 2020

 

[RaySharpton]

Post #325 & #326-Disney's EPCOT The American Adventure Reopens with Social Distancing Measures in Place and No Voices of Liberty - PHOTOS - July 18, 2020









As the wheelchair or mobility scooters enter the foyer, the cast member may direct you to the right side as you enter to show you where the private elevator is located. Each group will be directed by a cast member to enter the elevator after they open the regular looking elevator outer door to take you to the second level. Exit elevator and roll the right to queue up to another set of the closed-door entrance to another walkway ramp down to the auditorium.













After wheelchairs and mobility scooters are seated in the auditorium, other guests line up here to take escalators to the next floor and queue into the same door entrance that wheelchairs and mobility scooters did before entering the auditorium.

 

[RaySharpton]

Post #325 & #326-Disney's EPCOT The American Adventure Reopens with Social Distancing Measures in Place and No Voices of Liberty - PHOTOS - July 18, 2020











On the left is carpeting where wheelchairs would roll down after lining up outside. Other guests would arrive after wheelchair and mobility scooter guests are allowed to sit in the rear of the auditorium. The elevator is located on the first floor.



To the left is the rear row with a few chairs for wheelchair and mobility scooter guests.

 

[RaySharpton]

Post #327-Disney's EPCOT The Land Pavilion Awesome Planet Film Reopens with New Social Distancing Measures - PHOTOS - July 18, 2020

 

[RaySharpton]

Post #328-Disney's EPCOT Canada Far and Wide in Circle-Vision 360 Reopens with New Social Distancing Measures - PHOTOS - July 18, 2020

 

[RaySharpton]

Post #329-Disney's Grand Floridian Resort to Magic Kingdom Walkway Bridge Work Continues - PHOTOS - July 18, 2020

 

[RaySharpton]

Post #330-Disney's What’s the SCOOP on Refillable Popcorn Buckets in Walt Disney World Theme Parks? Here’s What’s Poppin! - DFB Sierra Vieregge - PHOTOS - July 11, 2020

We are back in Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, bringing you coverage from today’s Annual Passholder Preview ahead of the park’s official reopening to guests this Saturday, July 11th.

And if there’s one thing that a LOT of people associate with a stroll down Magic Kingdom’s Main Street, U.S.A., it’s the fragrance of buttery popcorn that greets you from the Main Street Popcorn Cart the moment you step into the park.

Of course, that’s not the only place you can find popcorn, as carts are located in each land and right by Cinderella Castle. So, no matter where you are in Magic Kingdom, you’re only steps away from POPCORN… which also means you’re only steps away from a Refillable Popcorn Bucket available for purchase!

Refillable Popcorn Buckets can vary in price (especially with regards to specialty souvenir buckets which can vary with the season), but your basic bucket will run you $12.00, filled with popcorn for your first purchase. Refills are then available for 2 bucks a POP, valid for your length of stay.

But how do Refillable Popcorn Buckets work in light of new safety protocols which encourage contactless measures to promote physical distancing when possible?

Well, from our experience today, we learned how they are handling things at the Magic Kingdom carts. We showed them our Refillable Popcorn Bucket, and they were indeed able to offer us a $2.00 refill.

BUT! Rather than filling our Red Mickey Balloon Refillable Bucket (the way they did in Disney Springs), they gave us our refill in a fresh BOX of popcorn. (Great to see the Mary Blair-inspired popcorn boxes again, isn’t it?)

Enjoy it by the carton, or you can go ahead and pour your fresh batch into your Refillable Popcorn Bucket.

 

[lanejudy]

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Thank you for sharing the updated park guide maps. I have heard that hard-copy maps are NOT available in the parks, so if you are like me and prefer to look at the paper copy vs on the app, be sure to print your own. Here are links:

MK: https://cdn1.parksmedia.wdprapps.di...magic-kingdom/MK_0707_EN-os.pdf?1594825924810

EPCOT: https://cdn1.parksmedia.wdprapps.di...nations/epcot/EC_0720_EN-os.pdf?1594825959607

HS: https://cdn1.parksmedia.wdprapps.di...wood-studios/DHS_0720_EN-os.pdf?1594825995132

AK: https://cdn1.parksmedia.wdprapps.di...imal-kingdom/DAK_0720_EN-os.pdf?1595018417071

 

[RaySharpton]

Hi, lanejudy

Thank you. Much better quality. And yes I do.

Thank you for sharing the updated park guide maps. I have heard that hard-copy maps are NOT available in the parks, so if you are like me and prefer to look at the paper copy vs on the app, be sure to print your own. Here are links:

MK: https://cdn1.parksmedia.wdprapps.di...magic-kingdom/MK_0707_EN-os.pdf?1594825924810

EPCOT: https://cdn1.parksmedia.wdprapps.di...nations/epcot/EC_0720_EN-os.pdf?1594825959607

HS: https://cdn1.parksmedia.wdprapps.di...wood-studios/DHS_0720_EN-os.pdf?1594825995132

AK: https://cdn1.parksmedia.wdprapps.di...imal-kingdom/DAK_0720_EN-os.pdf?1595018417071

 

[RaySharpton]

Post #333-Disney's Updated Answers to Questions About the Reopened Disney World Hotels - DFB Brianna LeCompte - July 20, 2020

Which Disney World hotels will be reopening?

While previously we knew that Disney Vacation Club resorts and Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort would be reopening on June 22nd, Disney recently released a complete list of which hotels will be available for guests soon!

Disney World Hotel Reopening Dates ©Disney

Disney hasn’t officially said when Disney’s All-Stars Resorts, Disney’s Port Orleans Resort (both French Quarter and Riverside), Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge Jambo House (non-DVC rooms) or Disney’s Wilderness Lodge (non-DVC rooms) will reopen, but we’ll be monitoring the situation and hopefully will be able to provide more information soon.

Which Disney World restaurants will be reopening?

At first, Disney only confirmed a few restaurants would be reopening on June 22nd (you can view the full list here). And for now, Topolino’s Terrace’s breakfast is the only character meal being offered at Disney World.

But now, Disney has shared its FULL LIST of restaurants that will be reopening July 11th and July 15th.

Some menus are being reduced and some dining experiences may be modified — for example, we just learned Be Our Guest Restaurant will only be offering a table service Prix Fixe lunch and dinner menu while breakfast is being discontinued for the time being.

When dining in Disney World, guests can also use the new Mobile Dine Check-In feature which you can read more about here.

Disney has also confirmed which attractions, entertainment, and shops will be reopening soon.

See how Disney World has modified its guest rooms here!

All Club-level service will be temporarily unavailable until further notice.

In-room celebrations, dry cleaning, and valet laundry services are also not occurring at this time.

Self-service laundry facilities are still available at this time for Disney World resort guests to use.

Guests can also utilize the Laundry View app to see if a washer or dryer is available or check if their laundry’s done before leaving their room! Read more about this free feature that makes doin’ laundry at Disney World less of a hassle here!

Before the temporary closures, Disney World’s moderate and value resorts offered guests a Disney gift card worth $10 for each night of their stay, excluding their final night, if folks opted out of daily housekeeping services. It was called the Service Your Way promotion and it wasn’t made available at Disney World’s deluxe resorts.

However, we confirmed with a manager today Service My Way will is not being offered for the time being. All guests may choose to decline housekeeping regardless of whichever resort they’re staying at, but as of right now, they won’t be issuing gift cards if you decide to forgo cleaning services.

Disney’s Magical Express is running back and forth from Orlando International Airport and will shuttle your luggage to your resort.

However, Bell Services cannot drop off your luggage unless someone is in the room. For us, it has been hard to get a call through to Bell Services and it took quite some time to receive our luggage. But Disney has stated Cast Members are still able to deliver luggage to rooms — just not escort guests to their rooms.

Grocery delivery is a convenient (and often cheaper!) way to get common goods such as bottled water, breakfast cereal, diapers, and other items sent to your resort.

We’ve been able to confirm services such as Instacart, Garden Grocer, or any packages you have mailed to your hotel up to a week before your arrival date can still be delivered to your resort. You can also still get food delivered to your resort via Postmates, Grubhub, or any other delivery service. Note that there’s a $6 fee charged if you want any delivery brought to your room, otherwise you can pick it up at the front desk area.

In addition to most of the resorts’ pools we’ve visited today, we’ve noticed Disney World resorts’ fitness centers are open but mostly vacant.

Some locations may have reduced hours and capacity, and instructor-led fitness classes will not be available for the time being. Fitness and sports courts are also open with social distancing in place.

Mini toiletries are still available at the resorts that previously offered them. We found these in our room at Bay Lake Tower this afternoon.

Meanwhile, larger dispensers of body wash, shampoo, and conditioner are still installed on the wall at the resorts which had them prior.

Like we’ve recently seen at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort with their in-room shower products, the bottles are being freshly sanitized between guests’ stays, and sealed with a plastic wrapper with a “clean” sticker.

Convenient grab-and-go items are still available at the select restaurants that have reopened. Although all the snacks you’re used to might not be available (we noticed bakery cases aren’t being stocked with fresh goods in most places quite yet).

A confirmed dining reservation is required for day Guests (those not staying overnight) and is highly recommended for Guests staying overnight at a Disney Resort hotel — that’s their official word on the matter and was confirmed by several Security Cast Members we spoke to today. Our dining reservations were checked before being permitted to enter a resort other than where we have our hotel reservation.

However, we noticed after our dining reservation at Grand Floridian Cafe at Disney’s Grand Floridian, the walkway to Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort was open and guests could walk back and forth between the two resorts after initially getting into one. The same is true if you have a reservation (resort or dining) at Disney’s Beach Club or Disney’s BoardWalk Inn.

Ride Share services are currently being allowed inside Disney World resorts to drop off or pick up guests. They are also allowed at Disney Springs.

For now, Minnie Vans are temporarily unavailable and will resume at a later date.

Disney World has stated there would be a limit to how many people are allowed to swim at one time, however, there were very few people at the pools today, so there wasn’t a need for guests to wait outside for their turn to enter.

Pin trading hasn’t been happening anywhere at Disney World between guests and Cast Members since the closures, and now that the resorts have reopened, we can officially say it’s not currently happening at the hotels either.

Pinboards are potentially available at hotel gift shops, but pin books and boards at the front desk have been suspended. Disney is probably aware that they cannot entirely eliminate pin trading that takes place between two guests, but for now, it looks like we’ll have to wait and see if and when pin trading with Cast Members resumes again.

Disney’s official policy is that to enter a resort you need a resort hotel reservation or an Advance Dining Reservation for that resort at the time you are entering. There are buses running to and from Disney Springs and we have not seen added security to check if guests have the necessary reservations. However, this does not mean that a Cast Member will not stop you to verify that you are allowed to be at the resort you’re visiting.

Right now, you don’t need to worry too much about wait times. Though we did have to wait a while for a bus to arrive, there weren’t exactly a ton of people trying to ride the bus. Disney World is currently pretty empty. We rode the bus twice — once completely alone, and once with one other person on it. However, this could change as guests begin to return to the resorts.

We know that the Monorail and Skyliner are unavailable at this time and the buses are operating with zone seating to keep guests distanced. In the instance that there is a higher demand on the buses, this could make for long transportation wait times. We’ll have to keep an eye on the situation to see how Disney intends to mitigate these issues.

 

[RaySharpton]

Post #334 & #335-Disney’s Magical Express: What Changes can you Expect? - kennythepirate Jamie Fonseca - July 21, 2020.

If you’re planning to visit Walt Disney World anytime soon, you may be wondering if Disney’s Magical Express is subject to any changes in line with Disney’s new health and safety protocols. After a recent visit to Walt Disney World, we did notice some changes while checking into and on the Magical Express. Here’s what we experienced.

One of the perks of staying onsite at Walt Disney World is the use of Disney’s Magical Express to take you to your hotel after arriving at Orlando International Airport.

With the recent reopening of Walt Disney World, Guests are experiencing many changes in operations in order to comply with Disney’s new focus on health and safety.

There are changes in nearly every operation in Walt Disney World, including Disney’s Magical Express.

Disney’s Magical Express is a form of transportation at Walt Disney World. This motor coach is used to shuttle Guests with Walt Disney World Resort reservations to and from Orlando International Airport.

This service is complimentary for Resort Guests.

Although it’s true that “some things never change,” this is not the case for Disney’s Magical Express. However, sometimes change can be a good thing, and you may find the service to be even more magical this way!

When I arrived at Orlando International Airport (MCO), the signs were still there directing me to Disney’s Magical Express, and I was able to find the area with ease. As I walked up to the Disney’s Magical Express check-in area, I noticed several signs giving information about the new health and safety protocols.

THE SIGNS REMINDED ME TO WASH HANDS FREQUENTLY, KEEP SOCIAL DISTANCE FROM OTHERS, AND TO WEAR A FACE COVERING.

There were two parties ahead of me at the check-in. As I walked up, I became more and more excited and I got a little too close to the party in front of me. Seemingly out of nowhere, a Cast Member appeared and reminded me to step back and keep a distance of 6 feet from the other party. There were no floor markings at check in to remind me of this, so I backed up to what I deemed to be about 6 feet.

When it was my turn to check-in, the Cast Member greeted me cheerfully and told me she was so happy to see me! As a side note, this was my experience with almost every Cast Member I encountered. They all appeared happy to be back to the magic and happy we joined them! The Cast Member checking us in was behind a glass partition in order to provide another barrier between us.

I checked in with ease and was reminded yet again of the new health and safety protocols. The Cast Member emphasized wearing a face covering and remembering to social distance from other parties. I was then directed to the line that would take me to Disney’s Pop Century Resort, where I was initially the only Guest waiting. There were floor markings in the queue on where we should stand while waiting in order to remain 6 feet apart from other guests.

The Cast Member waiting for me asked me if I needed to use the restroom before boarding. She informed me then that the restrooms on board the buses are closed due to the new health and safety protocols.

The bus was loaded from the back to the front. The Cast Members explained this new procedure was in place to reduce contact with Guests walking past each other. Seats are now assigned on the Magical Express. The Cast Member showed me a diagram of the bus and pointed out exactly where I was supposed to sit.

 

[RaySharpton]

Post #334 & #335-Disney’s Magical Express: What Changes can you Expect? - kennythepirate Jamie Fonseca - July 21, 2020.

Since I was the first Guest on the bus, I was given the very last seat on the back of the bus. The Cast Member did ask me if I was ok with sitting back there and gave me the option to sit elsewhere if I chose.

Guests were seated so there were 2 to 3 empty rows between each party, giving plenty of social distance for everyone on board. It was really nice to be sitting alone with lots of space around me!

Pop Century was the first stop for the Magical Express, so I arrived in no time!

My arrival experience was pleasant and well organized. I believe that as a whole, these changes are all positive and they not only helped me feel safe, but they made my Magical Express experience more pleasant, more magical, and more enjoyable than previous trips!

The departure experience differed greatly from the arrival experience in several ways. First off, one thing hasn’t changed. It is always a sad sight to return to your Resort room to see the “tragical express” documents hanging from your doorknob.

On departure day, we arrived at the waiting area for the “Tragical Express” and our bus was about 30 minutes late. When we walked up to the bus, the Driver looked at our documents and waved us on board.

There was no friendly greeting, no social distancing reminders, and no direction on where to sit.

Our bus was about 50% full. When we got on, the back of the bus was fairly empty, so we moved back there, but as a result, we passed several other Guests on the way.

We chose a spot where there were no other Guests in the rows in front of us or behind us. However, there was no enforcement on where we could or should sit, so anyone could have sat anywhere.

After experiencing such a wonderful arrival experience, and a week of strict health and safety protocols from Disney, I was surprised and slightly taken aback to have such a different experience when departing.

I was surprised at Disney’s lax approach to seating and social distancing protocols on the way to the airport. This is not to say I felt unsafe on the way to MCO, because I was still able to social distance, but the responsibility to do so was on me and the other Guests.

THE BOTTOM LINE IS, ON THE TRIP FROM MY RESORT TO MCO, IT WAS LEFT TO ME TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND DISNEY STAYED OUT OF IT.

 

[lanejudy]

One thing I didn't see mentioned -- I believe there is currently NO BAGGAGE SERVICE available to or from the airport. Guests must claim their bags and bring them to the DME check-in, where bags will be placed underneath your own bus for the ride to your resort. Similarly, there is no RAC (Resort Airline Check-in) and guests will have to bring their bags to the DME bus and check them at the airport.

 

[RaySharpton]

One thing I didn't see mentioned -- I believe there is currently NO BAGGAGE SERVICE available to or from the airport. Guests must claim their bags and bring them to the DME check-in, where bags will be placed underneath your own bus for the ride to your resort. Similarly, there is no RAC (Resort Airline Check-in) and guests will have to bring their bags to the DME bus and check them at the airport.

I noticed that, too. Another person asked the same question on the article's website quoted below.

Winters July 21, 2020 at 8:57 am
Are they still transporting luggage? I’ve heard (rumors) that DME wasn’t handling or delivering luggage and you have to retrieve your own luggage at MCO upon arrival (which would also mean no luggage delivery to your room either). For my family, the handling of luggage is our main reason for using MDE.
Reply

• Jamie Fonseca July 21, 2020 at 9:58 am
  Luggage transport from MCO to your resort is no longer available. We checked it with Bell services when we arrived because our room wasn’t ready, and they delivered it to the room when the room was ready. They are also not doing luggage transport from your resort to MCO on departure day either.
  
  Also another question:
  
  Steve July 21, 2020 at 8:27 am
  So how many stops are the buses making now they there are so few people for each resort? How long did you wait before the bus left?
  Reply
  
  • Jamie Fonseca July 21, 2020 at 9:57 am
    The bus left MCO in about 10 minutes and we went straight to Pop. On our return, we went straight from Pop to MCO without stopping.
    

 

[bluecruiser]

If DME is still the same on my next trip, I may have to consider renting a car. They were great on the trip to the resort but I don't like their lax approach to social distancing on the bus when returning to the airport.

At least on this trip I'll have my own power wheelchair so I won't have to repeat the nonsense about getting wheelchair assistance on my return trip.

 

[RaySharpton]

Hi, bluecruiser.

I feel the same way about my wheelchair, too.

If DME is still the same on my next trip, I may have to consider renting a car. They were great on the trip to the resort but I don't like their lax approach to social distancing on the bus when returning to the airport.

At least on this trip, I'll have my own power wheelchair so I won't have to repeat the nonsense about getting wheelchair assistance on my return trip.

 

[RaySharpton]

Post #340-Disney's EPCOT Living with the Land Adds Plastic Separators PHOTOS - kennythepirate Monica Street -July 21, 2020

New safety measures have been put into place at Epcot’s Living with the Land, and like Kilimanjaro Safari, the view you have may not be a pleasant one. See the photos below!

Living with the Land is a slow and gentle boat attraction located in Future World. Guests will see firsthand how Walt Disney World horticulturists are using innovative growing techniques and cross-breeding crops to help feed the planet.

Even better: you can enjoy the food that is grown at the Living with the Land attraction during your stay at Epcot! Both Sunshine Seasons and Garden Grill Restaurant serve fresh produce and seafood from the farm!

Upon Epcot’s reopening, which occurred on July 15, current safety measures included no plastic partitions and seating Guests every other row.

Even as recently as this morning when Kenny rode the boat tour this morning, the above measures were being used.

However, within one hour of riding, Kenny the Pirate noticed a change when he went to ride it a second time: now Guests are seated every row but plastic separators were installed.

These plastic dividers cause the same issue that Jamie discussed in her Kilimanjaro Safari article.

Plastic separators are also used on that ride as well, located in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and they cause a terrible view from the middle seats.

Not such a great view, huh? We would recommend if you ride Living with the Land to ask to be seated on the outside seats. Or, at the very least, be prepared to avoid looking straight ahead.