Each visit to the parks since reopening in July has been a VERY different experience. This week (October 6-7, 2020) I had the chance to visit Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios for a quick trip, so here are the major takeaways and updates!
Magic Kingdom Halloween Fun!
Despite not having Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party this year, the holiday magic is still very much alive at Magic Kingdom! The Halloween cavalcades were incredible (way better than watching the YouTube videos of them!). It was as close as you’ll get to seeing the full Boo to You parade, without paying extra to see it at the Halloween Party. Even though I arrived to the park at 2pm, I was able to see the majority of the cavalcades. They run frequently, and if you know where to wait, you’ll be able to catch them AND have a great view of Vampire Mickey. In addition to the cavalcades, the park is covered in fall decor and festive treats are abundant!
I hope that Disney treats Christmas the same way and am confident even more will be offered by that time! Fingers crossed 🙂
My Experience Visiting Magic Kingdom Solo
I’ve always heard such great things from people about visiting the parks by yourself but I had never actually done it myself. I can honestly say now I understand why people love it so much! I had the best time at Magic Kingdom flying solo. While I love going with Ben and with my family, it was a different but enjoyable experience being by yourself. I even enjoyed lunch at Tony’s Town Square alone – a much needed break from the heat that day!
I was able to go at my own pace and just take in all of the things that I love so much about the park. I enjoyed all of the cavalcades from the hub in front of the Castle and just walked around every land soaking in the magic. I did ride a few attractions, but I was mostly focused on seeing the parades and characters and getting great content! It also helped that I didn’t post at all to social media while I was there. It was a nice break and allowed me to really be present. I highly recommend a solo day to anyone who is able to do it!
Hollywood Studios Crowd Updates
Arriving to the Park
Since we were staying at the Dolphin hotel, we were able to walk to Hollywood Studios. We arrived by 9:30, which has been the same time we’ve arrived the last few visits since reopening (the park opens at 10). As we got closer, we saw massive lines ahead – I couldn’t believe my eyes! The line to get through the temperature check was so far back past the Skyliner and towards the parking lot. Luckily, the line moved very quickly and we were in the park in 15 minutes. Tip: the line on the far left (as you’re facing the park) coming from the parking lot seemed much shorter, so it might be worth it for us to walk to that side to save a few minutes.
Joining the Virtual Queue
Once we got in, we headed straight for Rock n Roller Coaster. Since we were waiting for the virtual queue for Rise of the Resistance at 10am, the Cast Members have a certain line to wait in within the queue (if you’re not doing the virtual queue, you can walk right on the ride!).
We waited for the countdown to 10am and then as I clicked through to join the virtual queue, it did NOT automatically select all members of our group. I had to manually select my husband (it must have glitched) and then when I clicked ahead to join, it bounced me back to the beginning. I went through the steps again only for it to tell me I had already joined (PHEW).
We got boarding group 34 which was great, but the last two times we were groups 4 and 5. I’m not sure why it didn’t auto-select our party, but I was just relieved we got a group (the family behind us did not – it’s devastating!).
Overall Crowds
This was by far the busiest day we’ve seen at Hollywood Studios or any of the parks! It felt like pre-COVID visits, except without FastPasses. After this day at the park, I really hope they bring them back soon. I can’t imagine how the holidays will be without them.
If you’re considering visiting the parks during this time but concerned about social distancing, this would be the park to avoid. It’s small and congested, and even though the number of guests is lower than at the other parks, it feels SO much busier. There just isn’t a ton of space, and with a lot of the shows and “extras” still unavailable, people are forced to go to the same attractions. This causes wait times to shoot up and stay pretty high throughout the day.
Overall, it was a great two days, but the crowds are definitely creeping up! While you can still “walk on” most attractions with minimum waits compared to pre-COVID times, I think Disney will need to bring back FastPasses sooner rather than later. We’ll see how the rest of 2020 goes!