Categories
Disney Lists Disney Parks

Dear Disney, Please Don’t Make These Mistakes When the Parks Reopen

All eyes are on Disney as they prepare to reopen Disney World’s theme parks! While we have every confidence that Disney is thinking everything through a thousand times over, there are still a few things we hope Disney doesn’t mess up!

Dear Disney, Please Don’t Make These Mistakes When the Parks Reopen

Disney World

After visiting Disney Springs every day since its reopening in addition to Universal Orlando and CityWalk at Universal Studios Hollywood, we’ve learned a thing or two about what mistakes we DON’T want to see Disney make when the parks reopen!

 

Please don’t make us wish you had a virtual queue system!

One of the biggest surprises as we await the reopening of Disney World was the news that the theme parks will NOT be using virtual queues upon reopening. We saw virtual queue systems implemented at Universal Orlando, and it seemed like the obvious solution for Disney as well to address the concern of physical distancing within the parks.

Dear Disney, Please Don’t Make These Mistakes When the Parks Reopen

Rise of the Resistance

We know now that no rides or attractions, including Rise of the Resistance, will utilize virtual queues — at least at the beginning. Instead, every ride and attraction will use traditional standby queues.

With FastPass+ currently suspended and no Single Rider lines available, Disney will have additional queue space available to accommodate parties at six feet apart.

Dear Disney, Please Don’t Make These Mistakes When the Parks Reopen

Physical distancing at Universal Orlando

We also know that Disney has stated that the capacity in their parks will be reduced, as it has been in Shanghai Disneyland. Disney will also utilize its Park Pass reservation system to further limit crowds. So, it may be that Disney anticipates no need for a virtual queue system to help control crowds.

Dear Disney, Please Don’t Make These Mistakes When the Parks Reopen

Haunted Mansion

We hope that Disney’s decision to eliminate the possibility of virtual queues was the right one! It’s possible some systems may be implemented in the future, similar to how Shanghai Disneyland did not have virtual queues at first but are now rolling out a Standby Pass. Only time will tell!

Please don’t rely too heavily on paper menus, and instead push digital!

As restaurants have begun to reopen around Disney World, QR Code-based menus are the name of the game now! These digitally accessed menus are contactless and easily updated. Restaurants throughout the resort should be prepared for the necessity of paper menus for those without smartphones. That said, we hope that those restaurants have those on reserve for guests who truly need them.

Dear Disney, Please Don’t Make These Mistakes When the Parks Reopen

Raglan Road paper menu

Giving paper menus out to only those who specifically request them will drastically reduce the amount of waste that all those paper menus will surely create!

Dear Disney, Please Don’t Make These Mistakes When the Parks Reopen

Wine Bar George QR Code for Digital Menus

Digital menus are becoming more and more common throughout Disney Springs and the reopened Disney World hotels. Plus, with the huge strides Disney has taken lately to be more “green,” digital menus seem to be the perfect solution for the current global situation AND to further their green initiatives!

Dear Disney, Please Don’t Make These Mistakes When the Parks Reopen

QR Code for Digital Menu

Disney can also continue to push mobile order at their counter service locations, as long as it doesn’t malfunction! We noticed a few technical bugs with the mobile order system at Universal Orlando, but Disney has been heavily pushing their Mobile Order system pre-closure, so they might not see the same troubles.

Dear Disney, Please Don’t Make These Mistakes When the Parks Reopen

Mobile Order at Universal Orlando

The digital experience at dining locations is also being introduced before you even sit down to enjoy your meal! Disney recently announced that they are rolling out Mobile Dine Check-In, which allows you to check-in for your Advance Dining Reservation via My Disney Experience, skipping the host stand entirely.

Please don’t make it too difficult to find masks for purchase!

So far it seems as though most major theme parks are not handing out face masks for free. Disney has stated on multiple occasions that face coverings are required for all guests above the age of two for entry and must remain on for the duration of your stay at Disney World and Disneyland when the parks and resorts reopen.

Dear Disney, Please Don’t Make These Mistakes When the Parks Reopen

American Threads Face Masks at Disney Springs

The exceptions to this rule are when you are seated at a dining location, you are eating or drinking on the go (your mask can be lifted temporarily to take a sip or a bite), or in the announced “relaxation zones” that Disney said may be a part of the park experience. These will be similar to the “URest Zones” we saw at Universal Orlando.

Dear Disney, Please Don’t Make These Mistakes When the Parks Reopen

URest Area Entrance

It goes without saying that having access to masks is key! Plus, when you consider the likelihood of folks losing their masks, it needs to be as easy as possible to find new masks for purchase.

Dear Disney, Please Don’t Make These Mistakes When the Parks Reopen

Vera Bradley Face Masks

Universal Orlando as well as Disney Springs and Disney World hotels have several retail locations that sell masks, but we wouldn’t complain if we saw even more locations AND even more varieties. We’ve learned one type of mask doesn’t necessarily work for everyone, so having a few options would be handy.

Dear Disney, Please Don’t Make These Mistakes When the Parks Reopen

Face masks for sale at Bayview Gifts

We enjoyed the system at CityWalk Universal Studios Hollywood. There, we spotted a vending machine before you pass security that sold disposable as well as washable face masks!

Dear Disney, Please Don’t Make These Mistakes When the Parks Reopen

Vending machine selling face masks

Many guests will not think to pack a spare mask or two for everyone in their party…for every single day, and purchasing masks should be as easy as possible!

Please don’t limit the number of places we can at least get a glimpse of the characters!

Perhaps the most jarring change guests will experience when visiting a reopened Disney World and Disneyland is the lack of character meet and greets, which have been temporarily suspended. In addition to that, all character dining has been canceled, with the one exception that we know of so far at Topolino’s Terrace.

Dear Disney, Please Don’t Make These Mistakes When the Parks Reopen

Topolino’s Terrace Breakfast a la Art Characters

As much as we understand the need to keep guests and Cast Members safe, there is surely pent up demand for a photo of Mickey Mouse!

Now, we do know that Disney World has announced that Character Cavalcades will take place throughout the day in each park.

Dear Disney, Please Don’t Make These Mistakes When the Parks Reopen general

Mickey Mouse

Having multiple character experiences throughout the day should lessen the likelihood of large crowds forming. If guests know there are plenty of chances to see the characters and Disney makes these encounters plentiful, there will be less demand — and less overcrowding — to catch that ONE show or that ONE cavalcade.

Dear Disney, Please Don’t Make These Mistakes When the Parks Reopen

Will we see more mini-cavalcades when the parks reopen?

This was something we saw go EXTREMELY well at Universal Orlando! Characters seemed to be EVERYWHERE, more so than usual, and it lessened the need to crowd around any one character experience.

Please don’t skimp on the sanitization!

When a guest sees frequent sanitization of surfaces, they are more likely to feel safe and know that Disney has their health in mind first and foremost. This includes frequent cleaning of rides, counters at retail locations, dining locations, and any other touchpoints that a guest may come into contact with.

Dear Disney, Please Don’t Make These Mistakes When the Parks Reopen

Cast Member cleaning at Disney Springs

Physical distancing is one step towards mitigating any risk, but frequently sanitizing surfaces will put everyone’s minds at ease that every precaution is being taken! So it’s super important when the parks reopen for guests to SEE the sanitization happening in front of their very eyes!

Dear Disney, Please Don’t Make These Mistakes When the Parks Reopen

Cast Member with required face mask

Disney will have ample opportunity for guests to wash and sanitize their hands. Disney has always been known for keeping its parks super clean and tidy, and from what we’ve already seen in Disney Springs, we expect sanitizer and handwashing stations to be plentiful.

Please don’t have too few social distancing floor markers!

What we’ve observed over the past few weeks is that when places run out of physical distancing floor markers, it creates a “free for all” environment.

Dear Disney, Please Don’t Make These Mistakes When the Parks Reopen

Physical distancing floor markers at Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey

And with the likelihood that crowds will naturally form in some places in the parks (like what we saw at Hogsmeade in Universal), those floor markers will be super important to help encourage distancing!

Dear Disney, Please Don’t Make These Mistakes When the Parks Reopen

Universal Studios

While it’s impossible to mark every square inch of a theme park (could you imagine what that would look like?), having as many floor markers as possible goes a long way in helping folks know where to stand, and more importantly, where NOT to stand!

We’re learning more every day about what Disney is planning on implementing in their theme parks to keep guests and Cast Members safe. While we can only hope Disney is taking every extra precaution to mitigate risk, we still know that at the end of the day that this is all new, and all locations are learning as they go! So, yes, we can also expect this to be a learning experience for Disney as well as for guests as the theme parks reopen, so expect things to change and be modified even after the parks reopen!

Are you planning on visiting Disney World or Disneyland shortly after they reopen? Let us know in the comments!

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Featured, Walt Disney World, cleaning, digital menus, Disney World, disney world masks, Disney World reopening, Disneyland reopening, distancing markers, face masks, hand sanitizer, handwashing stations, QR Code, qr menus, sanitizer, virtual queues

Categories
Disney Guides Disney Parks

Theme Park Virtual Queue TIPS! What You Need To Know To Be A Pro When Disney World Opens!

The last year has brought some significant changes to theme parks.

Theme Park Virtual Queue TIPS! What You Need To Know To Be A Pro When Disney World Opens!

Hollywood Studios Before Park Opening Waiting to Get Boarding Groups for Rise of the Resistance

We’ve been seeing a TON of changes as Florida theme parks (and beyond) reopen from their historic closures this year, but our focus is on an even more noticeable change. Prior to the closures, we started to see Virtual Queues in theme parks, and now they’re expanding more as a health measure. So, let’s take a look at the pros and cons of Virtual Queues, and how YOU can navigate them like a pro!

How do Virtual Queues work?

We’ve seen a few instances of virtual queues used in the past few years at the Disney Parks and most recently at Universal Orlando and Shanghai Disneyland. Though there are slight variations in the different systems, there are also a lot of similarities.

Theme Park Virtual Queue TIPS! What You Need To Know To Be A Pro When Disney World Opens!

World of Disney Virtual Queue sign

The Virtual Line at Universal Orlando uses the free Universal app on your smartphone. Once they’re in the park, the app gives guests the option of reserving a spot in line for any of the attractions that offer Virtual Lines. You can reserve a spot in line for up to two rides at a time and once you use those reservations, you’re free to make more. Universal’s Virtual Line is the only example where some attractions have both a Virtual Line and a standard standby line available at the same time.

Disney World and Disneyland have used a system that is slightly different at the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and later at the opening of Rise of the Resistance. Both systems utilize a Boarding Group method where guests use the My Disney Experience app to reserve a space in a Boarding Group. These groups would then get called in order throughout the day (starting with Boarding Group 1 and moving up) and you could head to the ride when yours was called (via a push notification to your phone).

Theme Park Virtual Queue TIPS! What You Need To Know To Be A Pro When Disney World Opens!

Rise of the Resistance Crowds

Of course, the system works a little differently when it’s used for a whole land, like Galaxy’s Edge, instead of a singular attraction. In Disneyland, the Boarding Groups offered a four-hour window during which guests were allowed in the land. When those four hours were up, guests from the current boarding group were required to leave the land to make way for the next boarding group. However for an attraction like Rise of the Resistance, the boarding group simply meant you were permitted to enter the queue once your group was called.

The most recent Disney implementation of a virtual queue is the Disney Standby Pass in Shanghai Disneyland. This pass is currently in a trial period but gets rid of a physical line much like other implementations of a Virtual Queue. The Standby Pass is a free service through the Shanghai Disney Resort Official App. New passes become available hourly and allow guests to enter the standby line during a specific hour-long period, much in the same way that Disneyland’s MaxPass system has worked.

Theme Park Virtual Queue TIPS! What You Need To Know To Be A Pro When Disney World Opens!

Virtual Line

As you can see, there are some differences in the implementation of Virtual Queues, but the general process remains the same: guests use an app to reserve a specific window of time to access the ride. This keeps them out of the physical line and able to enjoy other areas of the parks while they wait for their designated ride time.

The Pros of Virtual Queues

As you can probably expect, there are a lot of advantages to using these queues. They definitely help to allow for physical distancing in reopened parks. We’ve seen them effectively help to keep large crowds from clustering in a high-demand queue like Universal’s Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure. The same could be true if they were used to control crowds in more high-demand areas of the parks.

Theme Park Virtual Queue TIPS! What You Need To Know To Be A Pro When Disney World Opens!

Virtual Line

A behind-the-scenes pro of Virtual Queues is that they allow Disney and other parks to regulate the number of guests entering the queue in a given window of time. Disney, for instance, knows their rides’ capacities so that they can maximize riders and minimize wait times.

The Universal method is actually somewhat similar to Disneyland Resort’s MaxPass offering, and since you reserve rides two at a time throughout the day, that means that your day is not as structured. This has the effect of everyone getting a chance to ride the rides they want. There are no rides with availability running out first thing in the morning (like we were seeing each and every morning with Rise of the Resistance). Everyone is on an even playing ground.

Theme Park Virtual Queue TIPS! What You Need To Know To Be A Pro When Disney World Opens!

Line for Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure

When we tried out Universal’s Virtual Line, it felt pretty practical. You can plan out your day without that plan being too rigid, and you’ll spend less time waiting in line. With no pre-planning, we felt like we could’ve gotten on every single attraction in the course of a day! That’s pretty cool.

Plus, these systems can be flexible so that they can adjust for the demand. In Universal, once crowds started to lessen later in the day — they could turn the Virtual Line feature off. This allows for even MORE measured control of guests and ultimately can make for a more pleasant park day.

The Cons of Virtual Queues

But, the systems are not perfect. They can get wonky if there’s really high demand. The Rise of the Resistance Virtual Queue essentially turned into a lottery system for those who got to the parks HOURS before it opened. This resulted in a situation where people who couldn’t get to the park until later in the day didn’t have a chance to ride at all.

Theme Park Virtual Queue TIPS! What You Need To Know To Be A Pro When Disney World Opens!

Rise of the Resistance opening day in Disneyland

In Universal, some rides were Virtual Line only; and Disneyland Shanghai’s Standby Pass shuts down access to the ride for anyone who DOESN’T have the pass. This can limit options for anyone who is unable to get a spot in the Virtual Queues for whatever reason.

Theme Park Virtual Queue TIPS! What You Need To Know To Be A Pro When Disney World Opens!

Standby Pass Rules

Perhaps one of the biggest cons is that these Virtual Queue systems are not super accessible for those who aren’t tech-savvy or those who don’t have a smartphone. These folks could have a LOT of trouble in situations where the Virtual Line is the only option — and that doesn’t really seem fair.

Pro Tips!

So, let’s talk tips so that you can get the full advantage of these Virtual Queues! First off, if you’re having trouble with the system (whether from glitches or because you’re not the most tech-savvy), ask a Cast Member or Team Member. They will be happy to help you and get everything worked out!

It’s also beneficial to screenshot any important info (just in case!). If your booking suddenly disappears from your phone, it helps to have a photo you can show a Cast Member to prove it was there in the first place.

Theme Park Virtual Queue TIPS! What You Need To Know To Be A Pro When Disney World Opens!

Advent Health Cast Member at Temperature Screening

And what happens when a ride breaks down during your ride window? When rides break down at Universal Studios, those with active Virtual Queue windows are given the equivalent of a Multi-Experience Fastpass. Keep in mind, though, that you should give it some time after the ride comes back up before you head back. Hagrid’s broke down in Universal while we were there; since there was no express line, the line was SUPER long when we came back as all the people returned as SOON as the ride was running again.

Finally, and perhaps the most important tip, BRING A PORTABLE CHARGER! Having a functional phone is more important than ever when you’re in theme parks now. If your phone dies early in the day, you’re going to have a lot of trouble navigating the parks. So, be prepared!

Theme Park Virtual Queue TIPS! What You Need To Know To Be A Pro When Disney World Opens!

FuelRod Station

FuelRod chargers are available at stations around the parks and resorts for $30 with unlimited free exchanges after your initial purchase, or you can bring your own charger from home. Here’s one of our favorites.

And there you have it! Now you know everything there is to know about this relatively new advent in theme parks. We’ll let you know as soon as more information is revealed pertaining to virtual queues in the Disney Parks. You can keep checking in with DFB for updates about Virtual Queues in Disney and beyond!

How do YOU feel about Virtual Queues? Tell us in the comments!

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: disney parks, Featured, News, Boarding Groups, Disney Standby Pass, Disneyland Shanghai, Ride of the Resistance, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Universal Orlando, Universal Orlando Virtual Line, virtual line, virtual lines, virtual queue, virtual queues

Categories
Disney Lists Disney Parks Other

6 Things That REALLY Surprised Us About the Reopening of Universal Orlando

We spent yesterday at Universal Orlando attending a special Annual Passholder preview!

Gringotts

And while we had some idea what to expect based on the new health and safety measures we’d already experienced when several CityWalk stores and restaurants began to reopen on May 14th, we knew our first time back to an ACTUAL theme park was probably going to look and feel A LOT more different!

We had prepared ourselves for temperature screenings, social distancing, and wearing a face covering for the duration of our stay, but that doesn’t mean we weren’t thrown a few curveballs along the way! Here are a couple of things that really surprised us the most about our visit to the newly reopened Universal Studios!

Which Attractions Are Harder to Ride with Face Masks

We were totally expecting our face masks to fly off on Universal’s most-thrilling rides such as Hollywood’s Rip Ride Rockit or The Incredible Hulk Coaster (luckily we brought some back-ups, just in case!). But strangely enough, the speed of these attractions actually helps to hold your face mask in place!

Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure

The rides that proved to be the most challenging for us were ones where you had to wear 3D glasses such as Skull Island: Reign of Kong or Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts. Our breath kept fogging up the lenses until we figured out if we wore our glasses over our masks, it helped cut down on the fogginess!

See what our experience was like on several Universal attractions while wearing face mask here!

Mobile Order Was Glitchy

Universal’s Mobile Order was having a rough go of it yesterday! Even though Universal offered Mobile Order at select restaurants before the temporary closures, a bunch of new locations have been added to the app — even the walk-up spots at Diagon Alley!

Mobile Order Pickup Line at The Hopping Pot

But all of these extra locations really added a lot of strain to the already struggling system (we even had some issues with the Virtual Line Experience in the early A.M.). The app was crashing a lot or not work properly throughout the day. This was the first day of Annual Passholder previews though, so hopefully Universal will be able to work out the kinks over the next few days.

Read more about troubleshooting Universal’s mobile order system here!

Characters Were Everywhere

Even though we couldn’t walk up and hug our favorite characters, we were really shocked by how many of them were out!

Dr. Seuss Characters

Several sectioned-off stage areas have been set up throughout the parks where you can watch and wave to your favorite characters! We saw a bunch of Dr. Suess dudes (including the Lorax and the Grinch!) hanging out in Suessland yesterday along with some of The Simpsons, Blues Brothers, Hello Kitty, Beetlejuice, Spiderman, and lots MORE! Many of these characters wore masks, but there were also a few who did not.

While Disney has shared that character meet-and-greets will be suspended, we’re eager to see if they interact like the character at Universal did.

Water Rides and Misting Effects Were Running

While earlier Universal had stated some of their rides that involve water such as Jurassic Park River Adventure might not reopen with the rest of the park, we were surprised to see it running yesterday! Guests are permitted to remove their masks once they board water rides and are they seated in an every-other row!

One note on water rides, do hold onto your mask in your lap because it would be very easy for it to fly away!

Jurassic Park River Adventure

We were also told water effect features on some rides (such as misters) would be deactivated, but on The Incredible Hulk Coaster and Escape From Gringotts, they were STILL working!

Personal Wand Shopper at Ollivanders

Something we were truly amazed to see was how Ollivanders Wand Shop is operating now!

Hogsmeade

To keep the shop from becoming too crowded, each guest is given their own personal attendant! You can’t handle the wands like you could before, but we think the one-on-one service is pretty nifty!

Virtual Lines Aren’t the Same as FastPassses

Since we’re so used to using Disney World’s FastPass+, it took us a little time to figure out Universal’s virtual queue system is a bit different. We traveled with a group of two and since the apps aren’t linked, we were able to make two reservations at one time. There aren’t any tiers so our two reservations could be made for the same ride.

And despite having a guaranteed ride time, there were still about a 20-30 minute wait to ride each attraction (unlike FastPass where you usually just walk-on). With no preshows, for the time being, the wait can feel a little long.

Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure

But similar to the My Disney Experience app, once you use one of your reservations, you can make another. We also noticed when we refreshed the app, sometimes new Virtual Line Venues appeared like they sometimes do when you refresh the available FastPasses.

Click here to learn of the virtual queue system works at Universal Studios!

We’ll be back at Universal tomorrow reporting all day once the theme parks officially open to the public, so stay tuned! And if you have any questions on the new processes that theme parks are implementing, please let us know!

Did you attend Universal’s Annual Passholder preview? What surprised you the most? Let us know in the comments below!

Related posts:

  1. Here’s A Look at the Safety Measures Being Discussed By Major U.S. Theme Parks Right Now
  2. Universal Studios Has EXTENDED Its Temporary Closure
  3. Universal Orlando’s CityWalk Has Just Reopened! See What Our Experience Was Like Here!

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Featured, News, 3d glasses, 3d goggles, 3d rides, characters, face masks, masks, Mobile Order, ollivanders, roller coasters, surprising, Universal Orlando, Universal Orlando Resort, Universal Studios, virtual lines, virtual queues, wand shop, water rides