Walt Disney World officially reopened all four of its theme parks to the general public in July. Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Animal Kingdom began welcoming guests back after an unprecedented nearly four-month closure on July 11, while EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios officially reopened their gates to guests on July 15th.
We’ve been on the ground in the parks ever since, including experiencing both cast member previews and Annual Passholder previews, which served as an opportunity for Disney to test their new health and safety protocols on groups that would more closely approximate a public crowd.
As Disney reopens in the midst of the global health crisis, our focus has been on helping you understand what to expect when you get to the newly reopened parks, as well as how to navigate Disney’s new planning systems and procedures — from the new Disney Park Pass reservation system to big changes to Disney’s hotel, park ticket, and dining reservation processes.
But, the one question everyone still has about Disney World right now is: Is it safe and should I go? We’ve got a broad perspective on this for you — with lots of quotes and specific, firsthand reporting. But we’ve also got an anecdotal perspective on this from our time in the parks and Disney Springs. I was shocked…by my own behavior. And that’s what I think is the most important part of this article for you to read. So hopefully these two sides of the coin will help you as you’re making this very important decision for yourself.