In this post, we’re going to share updates from social media and other sources that show what Hollywood Studios and Epcot are like now that they’ve reopened. For similar updates at Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom, see our post discussing Cast Member previews at those parks. All of these updates will eventually be consolidated in our Disney World Reopening Details — Parks post.
Updates from Hollywood Studios
We’ll start with Hollywood Studios, where we’ve got some standard, new-normal details, as well as the modified virtual queue system…
Transportation Notes
Look—Disney is not in a rush to get people inside the parks in the morning. If you’re in a hurry, you’ll need your own car or to Uber/Lyft (I haven’t confirmed Uber/Lyft are operating same as ever, but I haven’t heard otherwise).
We know buses are running at low capacity. While I’ve seen plenty of reports that tell me they’re running at good frequency, you’ll need to be on the first one for the shortest waits to start the morning (waits mostly only a problem at Hollywood Studios, though).
And you never know with the Skyliner, as guests at Pop Century and Riviera report different experiences.
New Cavalcades Debut
There are three new cavalcades at Hollywood Studios (links to videos):
The cavalcades are at random (that is, unpublished) times throughout the day.
Relaxation Stations
Relaxation Stations are spots within the park—sometimes outdoors, sometimes indoors—where guests are allowed to remove their masks while socially distancing from other guests. At Hollywood Studios, the relaxation stations are at (links to photos / articles):
Rise of the Resistance Virtual Queue
Rise of the Resistance is back, and the virtual queue (boarding pass system) is back, too. The boarding pass system has a slight change though—passes are issued at 10AM, 1PM and 4PM. So if you miss it right at 10AM (when the park is scheduled to open), you still have two more chances.
As discussed in our Rise of the Resistance boarding pass post, you’ll use the app to grab a boarding group, and they’ll run out quickly. They’ve been running out in 30 seconds or less so far.
What’s Going On With Rope Drop?
We talked last update about how rope drop seemed to be irrelevant at Walt Disney World right now. But as always, Hollywood Studios surprised us…
According to Shannon of WDW Prep School, the parking plaza opened at 8:57AM for a 10AM open on July 16. A lot of guests seem to have filed into the Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway queue, but that ride faced technical difficulties. In any case, I didn’t see any reports of rides running anywhere near 9AM.
This isn’t shocking. This continues the Rise of the Resistance problem, whereby guests are lining up way early to make sure they’re inside the park by 10AM (their first shot at the virtual queue).
But unless you have the rides running at that time, you’ll just have people filling the queues to start the day. That’s fine as long as those queues are socially distanced. I suspect crowding is not a problem at the moment, but I have some unease about Disney still having this problem where demand for the park is peak as it opens.
In any case, it does look like there is still a rope drop advantage at Hollywood Studios. If you arrive early enough, you will be in the front of the queue of your choice. Of course, what is one wait worth? If you pick Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railways, for example, you might wait only 10 minutes to start the day, but it might also only be 20 minutes by late afternoon.
I will add that when we were there in March, the cell reception inside the Runaway Railway building was really bad. So if you want to try and get a boarding group at 10AM, you want to not be inside that building at 10AM.
Hopefully we’ll have more on this…
Park (Probably) Near Reduced Capacity
At some point, Hollywood Studios was fully booked for a few days for all three parks pass groups. Since then, Disney has opened up more space for Resorts Guests. (You can read more about the Disney World Parks Pass Reservation System here.)
In any case, the crowds we see the first ten days of Hollywood Studios’s reopening should be close to the maximum Disney is allowing right now. This is in contrast to the other three parks, which have seemingly been far below capacity daily.
This means if you have seen the low crowds at Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom recently, you should keep in mind that those are below the limit Disney set.
Unsurprisingly, Hollywood Studios started the day with relatively high waits. The park still doesn’t have many rides, and it will still have a lot of guests arriving early for the first shot at the virtual queue for Rise of the Resistance. Here’s a look at 11:28AM waits (my time zone is central):
While I wouldn’t be excited about any of those waits, they’re overall reasonable and would allow you a fun-filled day at the park.
Updates from Epcot
And now Epcot, which has three new cavalcades and a new mini-festival!
New Cavalcades Debut
There are three new cavalcades at Epcot (links to videos):
Mickey & Friends World Tour
Princess Promenade
The cavalcades are at random (that is, unpublished) times throughout the day.
Relaxation Stations
Relaxation Stations are spots within the park—sometimes outdoors, sometimes indoors—where guests are allowed to remove their masks while socially distancing from other guests. At Epcot, the relaxation stations are at (links to photos / articles):
Taste of Epcot International Food & Wine Festival
The Taste of Epcot International Food & Wine Festival is a miniature version of the standard Epcot International Food & Wine Festival. There are 20 food booths, and the Remy scavenger hunt is back. Merchandise is a mix of new items and Flower & Garden items (that festival was cut short by the closure).
We recommend Disney Food Blog for all things Taste of Epcot.
Wait Times
Waits at Epcot are always skewed around the debut of Festivals, and the reopening of the park only adds onto that. Here’s a look at noon on day 2 (again, screenshot is in central time):
Keep in mind the park opens at 11AM. Wait times early are going to be skewed. I suspect a good rope drop strategy will still have you done with most rides in a few hours (hopefully I get to confirm this at some point).