Hey there!

Welcome to August my friends, hope yours is off to a good start so far. Before we get to this week's news I wanted to talk a little about the situation here now in Central Florida.

Case numbers are really going up right now in Central Florida. If you watch the news you're probably hearing a lot about it.

Many of you ask me for feedback because you're trying to decide if you should visit. As I've always said, I can't tell you what would be best for you and your family but I can give you some honest information on what I see and experience, and hopefully, that will help you make an informed decision that's best for you.  I think it's important for you to know what you'll experience in the parks so you can decide if you'll be comfortable, so here's where we're at now. 

Disney is requiring masks indoors again, and Universal is suggesting them but not requiring them at this point, They still aren't mandatory outside, all though I see a lot more people wearing them outside than I did a few weeks ago. I went this week to see how it all went. Compliance was excellent. I feel like people are still used to this, as it hasn't been that long since we had to wear them all the time, so it wasn't a huge adjustment for guests. Disney has done a great job of posting a CM at the entrance of every area to remind everyone. Yes, you do sometimes see people drop it below their nose for a time, but overall, I'd say over 90% were wearing masks consistently wherever they are required to. 

Now let's talk distancing. Many things have already been set into motion, as capacity has been increased, and more things are scheduled to reopen every week. Masks are an easy thing to adjust as needed, but social distancing is based on having far fewer people in the park than normal. So distancing just isn't really possible right now, as crowds are back to normal levels. There are definitely some things you can choose to do that will minimize time spent in a packed group, but you should know that lines and other spaces will feel pretty much like they used to pre-Covid. 

By far the most crowded you will feel is for the fireworks. I can definitely see why Disney stopped them when they were following the social distancing rules, as people will always push in for a better spot no matter how tight it may be. The biggest thing you can do to minimize your time spent in tight quarters is to view the fireworks from an alternate location other than in front of the castle. (Near the Tangled bathrooms, on the bridge near Be Our Guest, or behind the merry-go-round in Fantasyland are all optional areas where you won't be as crowded and can still see most of the fireworks just not the projections.)

I'm personally comfortable going to the parks right now, but I've also been going all along and have adapted to the gradually growing crowds. For someone not used to that who hasn't been going out much and hasn't been among any crowds, I can see them feeling a lot of anxiety being around so many people. 

I'm not one to track all the numbers closely because I had to stop doing that for my mental health a few months into quarantine. But I do monitor on a high level to keep up with things, and it's worrisome. I'm a bit of a skeptic with news sources but I do put a lot of stock in what I see happening first hand, within my real-life circle of people. And I know more people who are sick now than last year. So that feels significant to me, Now most of those are healthy people who have fairly mild cases, but it still shows me that numbers are definitely rising.  

I'm worried for sure.  But I do have a lot of confidence in the way Disney prioritizes the safety of their guests and feel like they do the very best they can balancing the current situation. Sometimes there is no perfect way of handling all this, but to take things as they come and be ready to adapt as needed.  

So that's where I'm at, and what's happening right now. Things can always change, especially with mask rules going forward. Hopefully, that will help any of you on the fence about whether to visit. Just remember that whether you come now or decide to wait it'll be here when you're ready. Disney parks aren't going anywhere. There's no right or wrong decision- there's just whatever works best for you. 

Okay, let's get to this week's news!

• More restaurant reopenings: We have some more to add to every growing list or returning food options. The link is here to see food photos. 

• Yachtsman Steakhouse at Yacht Club Resort August 5th
• Toledo Tapas at Coronado Springs  August 5th
• Columbia Harbor House at Magic Kingdom August 5th
• Pizzafari at Animal Kingdom August 2nd

 

• Star Wars Hotel news: The Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser experience will officially be opening in the Spring of 2022. Some of the Imagineers talked about details of this unique two-night experience in a new video here. 

• Vaccinations for Castmembers: Disney has announced they will be requiring vaccinations for all salaried and non-union employees within a 60-day time frame. You can find more details here. 

• Details on Epcot's Harmonious: We got some real story details and visuals on the new nighttime show for Epcot and I must say it looks amazing. I love the storyline, and they talk about how the show will be broken up into three acts all highlighting the idea of a global community. The video is worth a watch. 


In case you missed it:
 

• More Entertainment Returns More exciting news as shows continue to return to the parks. A whole bunch of them were announced for the summer:

• Wonderful World of Animation, (the projection show that used to play before the fireworks) will return to Studios on August 1st.
• Monsters Inc Laugh Floor reopens at Magic Kingdom on August 8th.
• Beauty and the Beast the live stage show will reopen at Hollywood Studios on Aug. 15th
• Turtle Talk with Crush returns to Epcot’s The Seas on Aug. 21st.

• Park Hours Increased: Hours have been expanded at pretty much all parks so if you're planning a trip make sure you check the current hours for the days you'll be visiting here. 

• Happily Ever After to End: We knew that we would be getting two new fireworks shows at Epcot and Magic Kingdom beginning Oct. 1st, but we didn't know if Happily Ever After might return after the anniversary show ran for the 18-month celebration. Well, now Disney has confirmed that HEA will not be coming back.  “EPCOT Forever” will conclude its limited-time run on September 28, and you have until September 29 to take in the spectacle of “Happily Ever After” at Magic Kingdom Park. Here's the full article. 

• Fireworks are back: starting July 1st at Magic Kingdom and Epcot. Details can be found here. 

July 15th- November 20th: Food & Wine Festival at Epcot  July 19th: Polynesian Resort reopens August 10th- October 31st: (select evenings) Boo Bash After Hours Party at Magic Kingdom August 26th- Animal Kingdom Lodge reopens Sept. 28th: Final showing of Epcot Forever Sept. 29th: Final Showing of Happily Ever After Oct. 1st, 2021: Disney World's official 50th Anniversary begins

I'll be at Studios this week on Tuesday so follow along with me on socials.

If you're thinking "man she hasn't posted much lately"  it's because you've probably missed some, at least on Instagram. Whenever I take a break like I did some last week while on vacation, they always limit my reach for a while. It'll pop back eventually, but if you like seeing my park updates, take a minute to go there and like comment or share my few latest posts and you'll probably start seeing them again. It's the evils of Instagram and part of the deal. That's why I always want people to connect with me on email like this, as you're more likely to see it if you want to, without some network interfering with that. But I do share lots of tips in stories that don't last too long so don't miss them if you like to be up to date. 

I consider you guys- those who read my newsletter- to be my real audience. There are lots of people who just follow on socials, which is awesome and everything, but if you're a newsletter reader, you get a lot more of my real updates, not only what's going on in my personal life, but also my honest thoughts on things happening regarding the parks. I'm able to be a bit more editorial, and I know that those who aren't interested can easily skim through to get to the news.  

As my online audience has grown I share less of my personal opinions on socials. It reaches too many people at this point with too much feedback from those who don't know much about me or what I'm all about. But this is a place where I can be open and honest and give a more personal opinion. And I wanted to address the rise in cases here as it pertains to visiting the parks because I felt it was important to do so. 

Thanks as always for reading, and have a great week!

Serena  ✨🏰✨