Thinking of a Disney trip? Pandemic travelers share what to expect

You wouldn’t be the first to think Florida doesn’t sound bad right about now.

But Disney World? During a pandemic? Mickey ears paired with a mask?

A number of Sioux Falls-area travelers have been making the trip and returned with helpful advice for others.

“I think people need to stop waiting to do things and just do it safely,” said Rory Kelly, whose family of five just returned from Disney World.

“From a business perspective, they did a really good job reopening.”

His 6-year-old son marked a birthday at Disney, which helped make up for a missed trip scheduled for last May.

“A lot of companies have had to get creative, and COVID has created ingenuity, and Disney had to figure out how to become cleaner,” Kelly said.

Kristen Thorkelson’s family had a pre-paid trip to Disney that was supposed to be used last year, but they were able to reschedule it for mid-January.

It was a first visit for her and her kids, age 7 and 8.

“It was a good experience,” she said. “We just felt really lucky to be able to do it in a pandemic, and even though not everything was open, it was a great family trip and one we’ll remember for a long time.”

She has heard of many others in Sioux Falls taking the trip.

“When we left, we had a break at school, and four of my girlfriends were going too. Their husbands went golfing, and they went with the kids. And one of my friends just messaged me about where we stayed and another friend is planning on going.”

Consider your kids’ age when deciding on a Disney trip, she encouraged.

“(My husband) Chris and I were always of the mindset we wanted our kids to remember it, so we never wanted to go when they weren’t tall enough to ride. But at 7 and 8, I kind of feel like they outgrew some of the magic of it. They’re like, ‘Mom, do not get Mickey ears. That would be embarrassing.’ I was fully ready to buy all the merch.”

Tips from a pro

The most go-to source on Disney intel in Sioux Falls has to be the Tupy family. They offered tips to both the Kellys and the Thorkelsons and agreed to do so for you too.

How much do they love Disney?

“We started going once or twice a year in the early days, mostly because my wife and kids were huge Disney fans,” said Kevin Tupy, who grew his wireless business into one of the industry’s largest Verizon retail partners.

“As the kids have gotten older and things have loosened up financially, workwise, we go once a month as life has progressed.”

He estimates they missed a month or two during the pandemic, “but as soon as Disney opened, we were there.”

They also have a house nearby in a “Disney-oriented community” but still enjoy the Disney resorts. His favorite: Animal Kingdom Lodge.

“Waking up in the morning and opening up your veranda with a cup of coffee, and you see giraffes nibbling at the top of the trees is so awesome,” Tupy said. “They’re just an experience in themselves staying at the hotel.”

Post-pandemic, he said the park no longer feels like walking into an NFL stadium as it’s emptying out.

“There’s half the people in the park from my summation,” he said. “But there’s also less things happening. Less restaurants and retail shops open. Less parades. No fireworks. On the positive side, the meet-and-greets with the characters still exist, but they’re on a balcony waving to you, or they’re on a boat at Animal Kingdom.”

His colleague Erica Mullaly also went to Disney recently with her 2-year-old daughter.

“It was November when COVID was still at its peak, and they were at 25 percent capacity,” she said. “I was there with a 2-year-old, and it wasn’t awful by any means, and everyone who is going is just very respectful and understanding of what the nation is going through, and everyone is there to have a good time and have a little normalcy back in their life.”

She’s planning to go back with her toddler and a new baby later this year.

“Patience and understanding are required,” Tupy added. “We encourage people to go because the experience is different but still spectacular. And it’s important to support all the resort and entertainment workers in Florida. They’ve been hit the hardest.”

Getting in

Reservations are all done online and using your phone to help control the number of people in the park. Once there, expect your temperature to be taken.

If anyone is 100.4 degrees or higher, the party won’t be allowed in.

All those 2 and older are expected to wear face coverings except when dining or swimming.

Here’s more information from the park itself.

The rides

Social distancing is on full display at Disney, Thorkelson said.

“I can’t imagine the amount they invested in all the signage and 6-foot distancing signs on the ground all around,” she said.

“The lines, I’m told, were way better than they would be (normally).”

Rides have reduced capacity, though, which does result in lines.

“They’re spreading out the rides, and some are at 50 percent capacity, so you’re waiting,” Kelly said. “But they’re doing really well. I think on almost every ride they could give you a shot of hand sanitizer.”

If your party includes someone in a wheelchair, there are accommodations, Thorkelson added, “which is nice to know.”

The strategy

Charge your phone well because you’re going to be using it to schedule slots on the most popular rides.

The Thorkelsons used their ride-scheduling app to lock in a time on the popular Star Wars Rise of the Resistance ride, which came with a more than three-hour wait.

“It will count down and say you have an hour left, so we could stay on top of it that way,” she said. “You literally are taken hostage by the stormtroopers, and you walk from room to room and have to escape, and the ride is incredible. I love that they’re thinking more experience-based and incorporating a ride rather than a 30-second roller coaster ride you wait an hour for.”

Bring ponchos in case of rain, and “I know people say comfy shoes, but it’s no joke,” she added.

The food and entertainment

There are fewer options for food and don’t set your expectations too high, all the travelers advised.

The nearby Disney Springs entertainment area is “incredible,” Thorkelson said. “We got meals at the park two of the three days we were there, and they were totally standard park food. We looked forward to Disney Springs and ate at STK (a steakhouse) and House of Blues, and our kids loved being entertained at House of Blues.”

Characters are seen at a distance and surrounded by Disney team members if they do walk around, she said.

Smaller pop-up parades occur throughout the day.

“It was a lot of fun,” Kelly said. “The Disney people are super friendly, and I felt like everyone was happy to be working. It felt like Disney.”

Masks and memories

Bring along plenty of masks.

“You had to be masked the whole time. That wasn’t my favorite, but I didn’t hate it, and the kids didn’t complain once,” Kelly said.

“They literally will chopper a person on you if you remove your mask to itch your face. They totally have people looking out for people not wearing their mask or wearing it too low on their face. They’re not rude, but they’re obviously protecting their brand and pictures matter.”

You can remove the mask to eat or drink, but “you need to pull over to the side of the sidewalk,” Thorkelson said.

Forget a mask or lose one? There are vending machines.

Your family photos will include masks too.

It was “a bummer” to take photos with masks on, Thorkelson agreed, “but I got to thinking about it, and this will just be the memory,” she said. “We went to Disney at the time of a pandemic, and you can see us smiling with our eyes.”