- 2021 is not the time to take a unique vacation at Disney World.
- AJ Wolfe of the Disney Food Blog says it’s better to save money for a better trip in the future.
- Currently, Disney World is best suited for residents, annual pass holders and frequent visitors.
- Visit the Insider home page for more stories.
Disney World is widely considered the most magical place on Earth – but this is not necessarily true during a pandemic.
Since March 2020, the Orlando, Florida theme park has closed for 116 days, thousands of employee layoffs, temporary closings of attractions and basic restaurants and more. As a result, both Disney fanatics and fans ready for their first visit are wondering if they should plan a Disney World vacation in 2021.
Unfortunately, the answer is no if you want to experience a magical and unique trip this year.
Disney World is not operating normally during the COVID-19 pandemic
Mickey Mouse ears and character print clothes have been the basic wardrobe of Disney park goers for years. Masks are now a mandatory part of that dress code.
At the time of this writing, Disney World requires that all park goers and employees – including those who received the COVID-19 vaccines – wear two-layer face masks at their theme parks. They can only be removed when swimming or eating and drinking at a fixed location. Bandanas, neck gaiters and other non-protective facial covers are also prohibited.
Other new security measures include limited crowd sizes, required temperature checks, social distance through place markers and physical barriers and reduced contact in hotels, gift shops and restaurants.
Now you have to wear masks at Disney World – even on outings.
Charles Sykes / Invision / AP
Disney World fans are still going to theme parks every day, so these new guidelines may seem manageable to some. But what can be a major obstacle is the fact that some attractions and restaurants are temporarily closed.
Among the basic items unavailable are character encounters, nightly fireworks, daily parades and live shows like Fantasmic.
These changes would be disappointing in any theme park. But, specifically at Disney World, what is a vacation without hugging Mickey Mouse, staying late to watch the fireworks behind Cinderella’s Castle and see artists like Broadway in the parks?
Some restaurants, including Casey’s Corner in Magic Kingdom and Pizzafari in Animal Kingdom, are also closed for the time being. Some open restaurants, on the other hand, have limited menus. Sure, you’ll be able to buy fan favorites, including Mickey Mouse food, but theme parks usually have tons of other unique options to try – and some of them won’t be there this time.
That said, ticket prices for Disney World in general have remained the same since the theme park reopened in July 2020. Standard admission costs more than $ 109, and park-hopper tickets are even more expensive, starting at $ 174.
If you are planning to make your first trip to Disney World in 2021, you should probably wait
AJ Wolfe, the founder of the Disney Food Blog, told Insider that Disney World is “very different” now, with “a lot missing from the overall experience you would normally have”.
“Are you going on your first trip or the only trip of your life?” she said. “Are you going to bring the whole family and spend 16 mortgage payments? Now is probably not the time to go, if that’s the case. You won’t have the full experience – it just won’t. Way to sweeten it up.”
Take Cinderella’s Royal Table, for example. The iconic restaurant allows parkgoers to dine inside Cinderella’s Castle while princesses greet them at their tables for approximately $ 62 a plate. The experience is different now, however, as a result of the pandemic.
“You are still spending a lot of money, having a rushed meal experience usually with the same food that is not all you can eat, and you only see one princess – Cinderella,” said Wolfe. “She kind of comes and waves from afar, and that’s all you get.”
You should also consider your resort options. If you ever dreamed of staying at Disney World Port Orleans Resort, Polynesian Village Resort or Animal Kingdom Lodge Jambo House, now is not the time. All three locations and a few others are temporarily closed, with little or no insight from Disney as to when they can reopen.
And if you plan on spending just a day or two in the parks, you’ll need to figure out how to do that without FastPasses. The service – which allows parkgoers to avoid queues at busy attractions – has been temporarily suspended due to new safety guidelines. Jumping into parks is an option, so you can see more than one park a day, but infectious disease specialist Dr. Scott Weisenberg previously told Insider that doing so can increase the risk of spreading and capturing COVID-19.
Visiting several Disney World locations in one day can be risky.
John Raoux / AP
As a result, Wolfe recommends saving money for a future trip where you could stay at a better hotel, spend more days in the parks, have better dining experiences and more.
Kayla Hemphill, from the Hemphilly Ever After blog, agreed and noted that the person you are traveling with should also be a factor in deciding whether or not the 2021 Disney vacation is right for you.
“If you have a family with young children, and seeing characters and parades is really important to you, then I would definitely say wait,” Hemphill told Insider. “You will lose everything and not get the most out of your tickets – especially if you have kids who can’t ride a bike.”
“There are a lot of things that are not available now that would really make your trip so memorable and so Disney,” she added.
Disney World is currently best suited for annual pass holders, Florida residents and other frequent visitors
According to Wolfe, Disney World’s COVID-19 security precautions and unavailable attractions will be “more of an inconvenience than a major disappointment” for people who have already experienced the theme park.
Hemphill, holder of Disney World’s annual pass, said that visiting the theme park is now actually “almost enjoyable” thanks to a “change of pace”.
“We had to slow down because there were no FastPasses or dinner reservations,” she said. “We just had to go, experiment and not do so much planning, which was kind of refreshing. We were even able to enjoy some of the little Disney details that we hadn’t seen.”
Sections like Toy Story Land are much less crowded than usual this year.
Charles Sykes / AP
Longtime Disney World fans can also enjoy staying at theme park resorts and dining at restaurants available during this unique period. The theme park is offering several discounts for its hotels on site, and some food services have also been improved, with some restaurants offering meals in dishes instead of buffets.
There’s a lot to expect at Disney World in the coming months and years
At the end of the day, it can be easy for adults and parents to postpone their next Disney World vacation. Young fans, on the other hand, can take the news a little harder. That’s where Disney’s future plans come in handy.
If you decide to visit in 2022 or later, you can try new tours, including Remy Ratatouille Adventure and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at Epcot, as well as the TRON Lightcycle Run at Magic Kingdom.
The theme park is also expected to open new restaurants and hotels in the coming months and years, including La Crêperie de Paris, Space 220 and a “Star Wars” themed hotel. Not to mention the celebration of Disney World’s 50th anniversary, which begins in October 2021 and is likely to run until 2022.
“Disney has a lot going on,” said Wolfe. “So there are still a lot of new attractions, special things, exclusive merchandise, food, etc. that will reach 2022 and beyond.”