Is It Worth It to Go To Disney Right Now?

There's no doubt that this is the biggest question on any Disney Enthusiast's mind. Is it safe? Is it magical? Is it worth the money?

We recently came home from a trip to Disney World and we were able to experience some of the answers to these questions.

Here are some of the pro's and con's we experienced to hopefully help YOU decide if it is worth it for you and your family to visit the parks this year.

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1. Lines and Wait Times are Much Shorter

While we were at Disney, one of the biggest things we noticed is how differently the wait times were now that fastpass is not available.

Many of the listed wait times were around 40 minutes or so, but we timed our actual wait, and most of the time it was only about half as much.

Everyone had to be spaced 6 feet apart, so the lines looked crazy long, but they hardly stopped moving so even the 20 minute or so waits didn't feel very long.

Many rides were even walk on's!

2. Crowds and Capacity

Another big reason for this was the reduced crowd levels. Don't get me wrong, it was still pretty busy!

When we went in October, the capacity was 25%, but recently it has been raised to 35%.

I had heard it said that the crowds feel like a full Christmas or Halloween Party Ticketed event, and I would definitely agree with that!

It wasn't empty, but there was still plenty of room to comfortably have space between groups.

We've experienced Disney at it's fullest when we went for New Year's Eve and that was definitely a packed house! It is something to note, that Disney only hit that type of capacity a few days out of the year.

Typically a 'normal' pre COVID day at Disney would consist of crowds around 50-70% so Disney now days is comparable to a light crowd day.

Either way, it' was definitely easier to move around and enjoy the parks!

3. Characters and Calvacades

Currently, Disney does not have any Character Meet and Greets, Parades, or Firework Shows.

It is understandable that they have this implemented to protect cast members and guests from large close gatherings that these offerings often cause.

Disney is trying to add a little magic back in by implementing socially distant character offerings as well as spontaneous calvacades throughout the day!

Personally, I hope they keep some of these options, as they really give a little surprise throughout your day. You never know when you will turn the corner, the music will start and Mickey himself is there waving to all the guests!

These were truly some of the mot magical and memorable moments of our trips!

4. Mobile Order Options and Dining

Mobile order is something that Disney has been implementing over the past year or so and was already a great option to skip the long lines!

A big positive is that many more quick service locations have become available for mobile order which means no more big long lines for food!

Eventually normal lines will become available again, but in the meantime, this is an excellent option. You can order on your phone while you are on the other side of the park, and then by the time you walk over, your food will be ready or almost ready to go!

This has definitely made Disney's food options much more streamlined and again, less time waiting in lines!

5. Disney Transportation

Another thing that we really noticed was that you are guaranteed a seat on the bus and monorail!

This may seem silly, but remember how we said the last time we went was on New Years? After a LOOOONG Day of walking around and standing on my tired feet, the last thing we wanted to do was stand on a bus for an additional 40 minutes at 2 am to go back to our hotel room...

Ok, so I know that's a little extreme. But in all reality, it's really nice to have some space on the buses and a relaxing ride to and from the theme parks.

Because they are limiting the bus capacity, they are also running the buses more frequently. We hardly had to wait for a bus at all! Which is great considering Pop Century (where we were staying) is ALWAYS busy at the bus stations.

This probably won't be the way it is forever, but for now it sure is nice!

6. Spacing On Attractions

Speaking of spacing, they also had quite a bit of spacing on all the rides!

If it was a boat ride like Pirates, or Small World, they would only sit 1 to 2 families per boat. We even got a whole boat to ourselves a few times!

This was nice because we were able to chat about the ride and be fun and goofy without disrupting other families on the ride with us.

Again, this probably won't always be like that, but it a different experience for sure!

7. Security Procedures and Temperature Checks

This was something that actually surprised me! We were very skeptical of the temperature checks as Florida is quite warm.

The process was quite quick and smooth and they had a tent off to the side for you to cool down if your first check was too high.

The security process was pretty seamless as well! Animal Kingdom has the most effective as their bag check is simply a scanner. You don't have to remove anything except for large electronics (aka our camera).

This was SO MUCH FASTER than checking each individual bag and I hope that they implement this into the other parks soon.

8. Reduced Park Hours and Non Park Activities

Currently, many of the park hours are reduced. This will change in the future, but right now you have to be a little smarter about how you spend your time both in and out of the parks.

Luckily, there aren't many shows so it's easy to get everything done while in the parks.

You also have extra time to do non park activities like mini golf, resort hopping, and even hanging out at the pool.

The best part about this, is that you don't feel like you are missing out since the parks are already closed.

9. Online Table Service Check In and Mobile Order

One really BIG change is how Disney handles dining. For all quick service locations, you MUST use Mobile Order.

Many of the dining locations will not even allow you to enter the restaurant if you do not have an order ready for pickup.

This was nice because it was much easier to find a table and you didn't have to wait in long lines.

Out biggest tip is to order your food on your smart phone while you are walking to the location that way it is ready, or close to ready by the time you arrive!

Table service locations even did things a little different. You can now Mobile Check In up to 20 minutes before your reservation time. You then receive a text message when your table is ready to go!

These restaurants also take your temperature before entering the restaurant, which was a quick and painless a process as it is entering the theme parks.

Overall, both experiences make the whole dining process much smoother at Disney!

Last, but not least, lets talk about...

10. Face Masks

Currently, Disney does require that Face Masks be worn at all times unless actively eating or drinking while stationary.

I'm going to be honest... this was my least favorite part of the trip. Wearing masks outside in Florida sucks...

HOWEVER

I did feel much safer that Disney was so stickler with this rule as it kept everyone accountable to do what they needed to do to keep everyone safe.

It does get pretty hot, but we found the the new fabric Disney masks were AMAZING!

They are super lightweight, comfy, and the straps are super stretchy so they didn't hurt my ears at all.

Plus they come in some super cute patterns!

This is so important as you truly could ONLY take them off when you were eating. You MUST be stationary, and they do not allow eating or drinking in queue lines of rides.

That being said, it is super important to take breaks throughout the day. It's easy to get grumpy when you're hot and sweaty, but taking a break by eating or even going back to your room or the pool for a bit will help wonders!

Now the big question is:

Should You Go?

If it is your very first time going to Disney World, you have to decide: is it worth it to miss out on some of the things that makes Disney magical such as Fireworks and Meet and Greets?

Personally, we say wait until Disney is back to operating more "normally". But if you really are going just for rides, now is a great time! Lines are much quicker and you can definitely knock a bunch out.

If you are someone that goes alot, I would also say now is a great time to go and experience something new.

Visit a new resort, do some Mini Golf, a tour, or even relax at your own resort pool!

Luckily the return of parkhopping is coming in January, so I think that will be a big perk for alot of people.

Either way, we personally felt safer at Disney than we do many other places at this time. Disney does a great job at making sure that each guest and cast member feels safe and healthy!

Hopefully this helps you to decide it it's right for you to travel to the most magical place on earth!