food IS a theme park
Disney World has seen many changes in the past year.
Cinderella Castle
The global health crisis has Disney making adjustments to Park Hopping, safety regulations, and more. When the theme park’s reopened, Disney made the decision to suspend Extra Magic Hours to reduce early morning crowds. Now, a new experience is coming to Disney World this year that will allow resort guests to enter the parks early.
Disney World is currently operating under new health mandates and limited operations. The regulations were implemented when the theme parks reopened in July.
Festival of the Lion King
Over the last several months, Disney has been adjusting to crowds and other factors by slowly reopening more resorts, restaurants, and more. Some facilities and accommodations have remained closed and others have scheduled reopening dates in the coming months. Also, some attractions are down for refurbishments. To help you prepare, we’ve listed EVERY Disney World attraction and resort that is closed in January 2021!
Walt Disney World reopened with limited capacities throughout every building on the property. All gift shops, restaurants, rides, and shows were reduced to accommodate physical distancing between travel groups.
Homecomin’
Upon reopening, Disney World had a reduced capacity of 25% and the theme parks attracted fewer crowds. It was recently announced that the theme parks were raised to 35% and we’ve seen an uptick in crowds over the holidays. Attractions are seeing increased wait times and Disney has been adjusting experiences to accommodate the lines. But what about restaurants? While Disney World hasn’t shared specifics, we have seen a quiet increase in capacity within the restaurants. So, what does dining at a Disney World restaurant look like now that the parks have been reopened for a few months?
Sometimes you gotta go where everybody knows your name! Whoops, that’s Cheers, isn’t it?
Rose & Crown Pub and Dining Room
You know that feeling of walking into your neighborhood bar and everyone knows you? The Cheers reference holds true of this spot too. That’s basically the feeling you get when walking into Rose and Crown. We like the food just fine but we love the feeling we get when we enter the pub doors at this EPCOT restaurant. Â Step inside for a pint and see what the restaurant is like since our last visit!
Drum roll pleeeeeease: The Crystal Palace has officially reopened in the Magic Kingdom!
The Crystal Palace
This fan-favorite table-service (read: sit-down) restaurant in Disney World used to be a huge draw for Disney fans. Winnie the Pooh and Friends greeted guests, and diners indulged in an all-you-can-eat buffet for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
But as with so many reopened restaurants at Disney World, the dining experience at Crystal Palace has changed quite a bit. Buffet? GONE. Characters? NOPE. So with all the changes, is visiting the Crystal Palace still worth it? Here’s what we think!
Walt Disney World reopened with new health and safety guidelines in light of the global health crisis.
Together Again Face Mask
Some of the guidelines are encouraged, but wearing a proper face covering indoors is a required mandate. While guests can forgo masks outdoors, they must wear them while inside, in queues, or on attractions. We’ve shared OODLES of tips with you over the past few months but we’re back with tips we HAVEN’T told you a billion times!
We’re taking it back to 1950 when the meatloaf was good and Mom never let us put our elbows on the table!
50s Prime Time Cafe Entrance
Walt Disney World reopened with quite a few changes to the overall dining experience. Limited capacities, increased sanitation, physical distancing, and limited menus are just a few of the newly implemented health and safety regulations. With all the new social distancing procedures, we wanted to check out one of the most interactive restaurants in Disney World to see what it’s like now. We headed over to Disney’s Hollywood Studios to get a good home-cooked meal from 50’s Prime Time Cafe!Â
After experiencing some delay, Disney’s Art of Animation Resort is set to reopen on November 1st, 2020.
Art of Animation Lobby
Much like most of the reopened Disney World resorts, Art of Animation will be hosting modified experiences and some limited amenities. In addition to the enhanced health and safety protocols, the main pool will be under refurbishment early next year. Let’s take a look at the dining options that will be available upon reopening and the Big Blue Pool refurbishment schedule!
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa is now welcoming back guests after a temporary closure.
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort
While the Villas at the Grand Floridian and some of the resort’s restaurants had already opened, the non-Disney Vacation Club guest rooms reopened today! We visited the hotel to see what things look like now that it’s officially reopened.
Savi’s Workshop is an immersive experience in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. It’s here that guests can build their very own custom lightsaber with hilts, kyber crystals, and other elements of their choice.
Savi’s Workshop — Handbuilt Lightsabers
When Walt Disney World reopened in July, some attractions remained closed. The Savi’s Workshop building reopened, but the immersive show qualities were removed from the attraction. Guests could buy a lightsaber then enter the workshop to take a look around. It was announced recently that Savi’s will officially reopen on September 20th with some of the immersive qualities we experienced prior to closing. Today, reservations for the Savi’s are available to book on the Disney World website!
Our handy (and portable!) ebook guides make sure you get the best deals and can plan a vacation of a lifetime.
