food IS a theme park
So, hey, we hear you might be planning a trip to Disney World this summer!
Cinderella Castle
But before you start planning, we’ve got some tips, tricks, and information you’re going to want to know about! Whether this is your first trip or your 100th, things are still pretty different in Disney World. So hang on to your Minnie ears, because we’re going to tell you what you need to plan your trip and do our best to guarantee you have a GREAT time!
Thinking of going to Disney World for the VERY first time?
Welcome to Disney World!
There are SO many things to consider and learn. Where do you stay? What’s the dining situation like? What types of tickets are there? It can all be a bit (OK, a LOT) overwhelming. Don’t worry, you do NOT have to figure this all out on your own. We’re here to help!! Today we’re breaking down everything you need to know about planning your very first trip to Disney World with lots of info, links, and videos that will make the process so much easier for you.
Walt Disney World reopened in 2020 with some major adjustments due to additional health and safety needs. We’ve slowly seen hotels and restaurants reopen and ticket options come back but one of the missing perks that we have yet to hear an update on is a possible return of FastPass+.
Pandora is just so breathtaking! Good thing the lines for rides keep you there for hours 😉
Even with a reduced Disney Parks capacity, it can still be a challenge to ride some of the most popular rides. FastPass+ was a major perk for park guests in tackling some of these big-name attractions. Just to name a few there’s Flight of Passage, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Slinky Dog Dash, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, Test Track, and Rise of the Resistance (though that’s a whole other ballgame we’ll get to in a bit!). If crowds are close to capacity, you can be stuck having to wait 60+ minutes in the socially distanced line with no option to skip the line. But, we’re here to tell you that it definitely is possible to ride ALL of these without a FastPass+. So, before you panic, just hear us out.
We spend a LOT of time in Disney World!
Tree of Life in Disney World’s Animal Kingdom
And that means we’re here to tell you every little change that we spot in the parks. Over the past few days, we’ve been popping into Disney’s Animal Kingdom and now we’ve got an update on everything NEW in food, construction, and merchandise.
Thinking about making your very FIRST trip EVER to Disney World this year?
Walt Disney World Gateway
The theme parks and some of the hotels at Walt Disney World are open, but LOTS of things are different than they used to be. From masks to dining options, there are a LOT of things you should be thinking about. ESPECIALLY if you’ve never visited before! So, should you visit Disney World for the very first time this year? We’re breaking it all down for you.
Things are constantly changing at Disney World.
Cinderella Castle
In 2020 alone we saw TONS of changes (like the temporary suspension of fireworks and the suspension of the Disney Dining Plan) and — oh yeah — the parks CLOSED for the longest time in history! All of these majorly changed how you plan your Disney vacation. BUT, Disney has made many major changes like this over the years that dramatically impacted how trips are planned. Today, we’re taking a trip back in time to go through some of those BIG changes. Plus, we’ll make a quick trip to the future to see some changes that are on the horizon!
When Disney World reopened in July of 2020, there were some pretty MAJOR changes in place. These include mask mandates, physical distancing guidelines, the cancelation of fireworks, parades, and character meet and greets, and the temporary suspension of FastPass+ and the Disney Dining Plan, just to name a few (not to mention the parks reopened with a freshly-painted pink castle!).
Magic Kingdom
Since then, however, there have only been MORE big changes that could have major impacts on your upcoming Disney World vacation. Some of the guidelines that were in effect last summer are no longer the case in 2021 while others have changed since inception! Let’s take a look at some of the biggest changes in Disney World SINCE July 11th, 2020!
Things are constantly changing at Disney World. Over the past few months, we’ve seen various restaurants reopen, Park Hopping has returned, some drink stations are back to being self-serve again, and some things at the parks have returned to “normal.”
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in Disney World’s Magic Kingdom
But, when we think about things that are still missing from the parks since the reopening, there’s one BIG thing that comes to mind — FastPass+. When Disney World reopened, FastPass+ was suspended. Will Disney bring back FastPass+ anytime soon? We’re going to break down where we’re at now with FastPass+, what we know so far, and where we think Disney is headed.
With crowds increasing over the past few weeks in Disney World, we’ve been hearing from readers how much they hope FastPass+ returns in the coming months. And today we got a little surprise!
FastPass Mention on Disney World website — Screenshot 9-20-20
A page popped up on DisneyWorld.com discussing guests using FastPass+ for their trips in January and February. And you may have seen or heard some reports that it meant FastPass+ was returning in just a few months.
FastPass mention on Disney World website — screen shot 9-20-20
But we want to clear up any confusion. This page may have been put up in error. Or it possibly may not yet have been updated with 2021 information. But there are several things that show this content is from 2019.
With limited capacity and no FastPass+ being two major changes in a reopened Disney World, many have wondered exactly what the impact has been on the average wait time for the many rides and attractions at the four theme parks.
Crowds at Magic Kingdom
After visiting the parks nearly every day since the phased reopening began and checking out the various wait times for ourselves, we wanted to share some insight on what expected wait times have been versus what the reality ACTUALLY was!
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