Going to Disney World during the pandemic is definitely a personal choice that Guests must feel comfortable with before heading to the Most Magical Place on Earth. If you do decide to head to Disney World, here are a few tips on how to stay safe, and have fun!
Having flown to Disney World during the pandemic, and being here for over a month, coming up with the best safety tips and tricks has been very important to me. Now that I have been navigating the parks with that in mind, I would love to share some of the things I have done to make myself feel more comfortable when navigating the parks at Disney World.
Bring Disinfectant Wipes
These little guys will be your first line of comfort. From the airplane seat, to tables at the Disney Parks, to even lap bar handles on attractions, having wipes on you will give you a large peace of mind. Although Disney is constantly cleaning and disinfecting literally every surface humans touch, it still feels good to know you can control the cleanliness of what you touch. Just remember that you must purchase one with a high alcohol content in order to assure that it can kill all bacteria.
These are also amazing when you use a restroom. I wipe down toilet seats and handles with my wipes, as that is a highly contacted area.
If you would prefer, travel-sized spray sanitizers that are over 70% alcohol are also available from Bath & Body Works and other similar stores.
Masks Masks and More Masks
This one seems like a no-brainer. You cannot enter any Disney World theme park or Resort hotel without an approved face mask . In fact, if you try you will be asked to leave immediately. So unless you always had a dream to be kicked out of Magic Kingdom, definitely get stocked on those masks.
But, did you think of bringing multiple masks when you are at parks? Orlando is a hot place, so it’s important to always have back-ups (unless you want a sweaty mask on your face all day!). Feeling comfortable in a mask at Disney is your first step towards finding happiness and comfort in this new normal. I personally was not used to wearing a mask all day, but finding comfy options that I can rotate if they ever bother me helps me forget I’m even wearing one!
Sanitize
Of course you are going to be sanitizing when you are at Disney World. I suggest keeping a bottle on you at all times, but Disney World also has touch-less sanitizers around every corner. As a rule of thumb, I sanitize anytime I see a sanitization stand. Your hands will be very dry, and you may not have even touched anything between the mere feet from one stand to the next, but by doing this, you are ensuring that you are keeping your hands as clean as possible at all times.
When I get off a ride, I also like to use my personal sanitizer immediately, and then again once Disney’s sanitization stand pops up. The best way to know if you are sanitizing enough is when you feel like you are overdoing it. And whenever you have a chance, always wash your hands!
Find Alternate Routes
Walking though the hub just off Main Street U.S.A. at Magic Kingdom as the Cinderella Castle projection show has fireworks going off may not be your best best to avoid crowds. The parks may be less busy, but there are still people so taking the road less travelled by will really benefit you. In the case of wanting to go around the castle, I made a left to Crystal Palace, followed the back bridge to Adventureland and kept walking around. Or if you want to walk from Big Thunder Mountain to The Haunted Mansion, take the walkway bridge right off the Rivers of America and avoid all of the people using the main walkway.
Sometimes, this could mean walking a little farther to get to your destination, but it will help you keep distanced.
Stay Away From Rope Drop
And park close for that matter. If you head to the parks during off times, you will cut crowds in half. If you are staying at a Disney Resort, the Disney busses are socially distanced but if you want a Disney bus to yourself, leaving around 2:00 PM is going to get you that. This does mean it would cut into your park day, but you miss the morning rush of people at your resort, and the Disney parks.
Park close is usually busy and bodes for large crowds at you exit, especially if you need to take any Disney transportation. Leaving 45 minutes prior to the end of the day will really help you escape the massive exit.
Keep Outdoors
If you stay outside, you avoid the close contact that comes alongside being indoors. This means if you mobile order food from Cosmic Ray’s Cafe, for example, maybe bring it outside and enjoy a nice outdoor lunch! Although everything is quite safe inside, staying outside with more circulated air is always the better option if you can help it.
Don’t Touch Everything!
I know when you go into any Disney Store like The Emporium on Main Street U.S.A, you want to look at all the Disney items! We are so used to picking things up to look at them or move things out of the way. To avoid germs, though, try to look with your eyes if you can.
My philosophy with this is don’t touch what you aren’t going to buy.
Bring Snacks (including your own water)
Eating at Disney is perfectly fine! But if you want to avoid having someone else handle your food you can minimize the exposure by bringing your own snacks. This was usually a good way to save money, but now it’s also a way to stay safe. Bringing your own water also avoids the same problem. You may need to go and refill at some point, but the important thing here is how long can you avoid having to involve another person.
So when you visit Disney World, remember these tips and remember to have fun! Disney is doing everything they can to keep Guests safe during the pandemic, and if you are able to modify your vacation and accept that things will be a little different, you will have a blast. Click here if you are interested in planning to visit Disney World and start planning today!
Do you think Disney World is safe to visit during the coronavirus pandemic?