Christina Alessi is an LBAC Travel Planner, contact her with all of your vacation questions and needs!

That feeling of excitement, the happy Disney feels, the feeling of magic in the air…

From the moment I got to the airport, through my entire trip and until the moment I got home from the airport, I had all of the feelings that I have loved and missed for an entire year.

Traveling to Walt Disney World again may have been a bit different than what we remember, but the magic was very much still alive. Sure, Disney has certain protocols to keep everyone safe including mandatory facial coverings, physically distant lines at attractions and limiting large gatherings including parades and firework displays, but that does not mean that Disney has taken any ounce of magic, excitement or fun out of their vacations. From quick temperature scans when you enter the parks & Disney Springs to new technology for quicker security & baggage checks, I personally felt safer at Disney than when I do in my local Target.

For myself and my friends I was traveling with, the character cavalcades were so exciting, and it brought out the children in us!! From Mickey, Minnie & friends, Winnie the Pooh & Tigger, Donald & Daisy to all of the Princesses., We got to see them all from their one car parade floats. These unannounced cavalcades bring the spontaneity back to a Disney trip. We loved not having to wait an hour along Main Street to wait for a parade. We would be walking from Haunted Mansion, hear music, turn around and there was a cavalcade passing by!! What is even more special is that since these are unannounced, the characters are spending more time waving and interacting with the tiniest of Disney fans in their strollers or dancing along to the music.

Some may get scared when they see the lines for attractions many wrap around into other “lands”. No fret!!! Since the lines for attractions are set up for physically distancing, each party will be standing 6 feet from each other. Because of this set up, lines seem exceptionally very  long and sometimes scary. However, lines for 90% of the attractions were consistently moving, which makes your wait time not seem as long. Wait times were almost always less than what the posted wait time was- a positive for everyone!

Mobile ordering, while it was available to utilize in 2019 and the beginning of 2020 Pre-COVID-19, it is a required now for most quick service dining locations. Once logged into your My Disney Experience account, you can select a quick service location, select food options from the online menu, pay for your order right from your phone and when you are ready to pick up your food, your order will be all set for you! While this is a safety feature to keep crowds from forming inside the dining locations, it is also a new convenience for guests not wanting to wait on in a line to order food!

Yes, guests need to wear facial coverings, even for photos, but Disney’s Photopass Cast Members know how to capture the smiles, excitement, and magic, even while facial coverings are on. On our 4-day trip, we took hundreds of photos, and since we had pre-purchased the Memory Maker prior to our trip, this included our on-ride photos and videos as well!! Since Disney Cast Members are not allowed to take photos with personal phones or cameras anymore due to COVID-19 restritions, having the Memory Maker is now worth every penny!!

These are just a few of the changes happening at Disney, all which were just a quick adjustment to get used to and love! For more information on traveling to Disney this year or in the future, please contact your dream vacation planner at LBAC Travel today! With so many updates happening frequently, we will be sure to keep you updated every step of the way!

Contact Christina Alessi today to start planning your magical trip! You can also learn more about Christina’s travel certifications – she plans so much more than Disney for her clients – here!