Magic Kingdom Reopening Is July 11th. What Does That Mean to You?
We finally know when Walt Disney World theme parks will reopen.
On July 11th, almost exactly four months after the parks closed, Disney will allow guests back for the first time.
Image Credit: Disney
MickeyBlog wants to celebrate the return of the Most Magical Place on Earth by starting a new series about things to do at each Walt Disney World Gate.
Let’s begin with the most popular theme park in the world. Magic Kingdom is reopening on July 11th.
Source Credit: Disney
Attractions You Should Do Immediately
Oh, man. It’s Christmas in July!
With Magic Kingdom open again, we can rush to experience all our favorite attractions!
I would suggest that you prioritize the classics. I’m talking about Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Peter Pan’s Flight, and the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover!
Jungle Cruise, It’s a Small World, Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room, and Carousel of Progress all fall into this category.
You want to embrace a Disney visit the way that you would have as a child. You’ve just lived through months of the first pandemic in a century! You deserve a reward!
Get on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and laugh at the old man taking a tin tub bath in the river! Talk smack before taking aim at Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin! And spend so much time at Cinderella Castle that you feel like you live there!
Grab a churro and a Mickey Mouse Ice Cream Bar and a Dole Whip. Nobody deserves these delicacies as much as you!
If anything, 2020 has served as a stark reminder that life is short. You can and should live it to the fullest, and the Most Magical Place on Earth is an ideal location to do so.
Think of your next Magic Kingdom visit as the first time that you genuinely get to kick back and relax after months of stress.
Show up when the park opens and stay until the last possible moment. You’ve earned this, my friends.
Attractions You Can’t Do Yet
Okay, let’s not sugarcoat the situation. Some stuff at Magic Kingdom won’t remain the same.
Disney must close some of its attractions and amenities until some semblance of normalcy returns.
Image Credit: Disney
I want you to know which of them may not operate while you’re there. For starters, Magic Kingdom won’t host any fireworks presentations or parades.
Obviously, the company will discourage any large gatherings of people. It would be irresponsible of them to act otherwise.
Also, Magic Kingdom won’t host conventional character greetings for a while. Yes, that applies to the fixed location spots, too.
So, you will skip Princess Fairytale Hall and Town Square Theater right now. And you won’t notice a line for Merida near Cinderella Castle.
However, your next visit will feature new opportunities to watch cast members. Shanghai Disneyland is staging surprise character appearances at random intervals.
The expectation is that Disney will do the same at Magic Kingdom. So, you’ll get to do things that weren’t possible before.
Finally, Disney has ruled out high-touch areas. While the company hasn’t provided a list yet, we can guess about the likely culprits here.
Swiss Family Treehouse and Tom Sawyer Island are places where people physically interact with the environment, and that’s a no-no right now.
Attractions to Approach Warily
Even during a pandemic, there’s no right or wrong way to visit the parks. On the contrary, you should do anything that makes you feel comfortable and brings you happiness.
Keeping this philosophy in mind, you should understand a couple of aspects of Coronavirus. Scientists believe that the risk of infection is exponentially lower in the open air.
As such, attractions that have outdoor line queues and ride paths are safer. Something like Splash Mountain provides less risk than, say, Peter Pan’s Flight.
Now, I’m going to ride Peter Pan’s Flight the next time I’m at Magic Kingdom. Period. However, I’m aware of and accepting the risks when I do so.
The attractions we should all monitor carefully are indoor shows. Disney hasn’t given any indication yet about whether it will operate Mickey’s PhilharMagic.
Presuming that Magic Kingdom hosts its signature Disney short, social distancing is easy to maintain. Cast members will ask guests to sit several feet apart.
However, an indoor movie is the kind of attraction that people should approach warily. Please think about your safety and the health of others when you visit such attractions.
Similarly, although they’re not attractions, I would recommend that you prioritize outdoor dining during your next visit.
When you request a meal via Mobile Ordering, you maintain control of where you sit. So, you can dine in the open air and enjoy a lovely Florida day.
At an indoor Table Service restaurant, you’re at the mercy of potluck. Now, I reiterate that cast members receive training to maintain your social distancing and thereby protect you.
I merely want your next visit to be perfect. I want you to pay attention to every possible sticking point now so that you don’t worry about it later when it might be too late.
Attractions You Should Do If Possible
There’s a hidden benefit to Disney operating its parks at less than capacity.
Let’s say that Disney opens at one-third of capacity. By definition, this limitation means that the lines are only one-third as long.
In hourly terms, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train usually includes a line that’s 90 minutes long. When Magic Kingdom reopens, this line could be 30 minutes or less.
I’ve ridden Seven Dwarfs Mine Train more than just about any non-Floridian on this planet, and I’m telling you the truth here. Anytime you can ride this in less than 45 minutes, you’ve done something special.
This thought process applies to all of Magic Kingdom’s most popular attractions. You should think of the park’s reopening as akin to Disney After Hours or Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.
You will have the run of the park during your next visit. Yes, it will come with some pandemic-related concessions, but don’t miss the big picture here.
An early visit to Magic Kingdom allows you to experience more attractions than you ordinarily could during two or three full park days.
I strongly suggest that you create a list of attractions that you generally accept will have longer lines than you’re willing to stand in.
These attractions are the ones that you should monitor on My Disney Experience.
Ordinarily, I’d suggest walking by rides to check line sizes, but Disney’s moving toward virtual queuing as a Coronavirus response. So, the lines may mislead you.
Also, FastPass+ is temporarily disabled. The new virtual queue will be something different.
Attractions to watch:
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Jungle Cruise
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
- Space Mountain
- Splash Mountain
You could have one of your most productive visits ever during your next Magic Kingdom visit!
