Wait, you’re going back to Walt Disney World already? Didn’t you just go?” PART II

Barbara and I wanted to make a quick trip to assess what is new and what’s coming up soon. When we were at Walt Disney World in June, mask requirements had just eased up and were required only on transportation. Due to increasing Covid rates, masks are once again required for guests on all transportation, as well as indoor attractions and parts of queues. Cast members are strictly enforcing mask wearing.

Things that we noticed in Magic Kingdom were the decorations and preparations for both the Halloween season and the upcoming 50th anniversary. Fresh paint and cute decorations abound! The castle is so cute and all ready to kick off the milestone celebration. The first Boo Bash took place August 10th and will continue on select dates through Halloween. Main Street, U.S.A. is festooned with pumpkin Mickeys and cute fall wreaths and the shops are filled with cute Halloween merchandise. We didn’t see anniversary merchandise yet, but it is undoubtedly on the horizon.

Also in Magic Kingdom, the Hall of Presidents has reopened. Its closure was not due to Covid, but to the installation of our newest president, as is the norm. We just got lucky that it re-opened right before our visit. Columbia Harbor House has reopened, but we learned the hard way that it closes early…so we were happy that Casey’s has also reopened!

Speaking of restaurant re-openings, ‘Ohana in the Polynesian Resort is once again welcoming guests. Yum!

You can now take the monorail to Epcot and enjoy the Food and Wine Festival. The monorail to and from Epcot has been down for a few months for refurbishment; we are happy to report it is back on line now. I love that the monorail track does a loop through part of the park before entering the station. It’s a fun sneak peek before you hit the ground running to indulge in the bounty of the Food and Wine Festival.

As we sit in the Atlanta airport having received a bonus day of our trip, we’re reflecting on travel in general and our trip specifically. We’ve observed that the airports are busy, but are not yet fully staffed. Many restaurants and shops are not open yet. Masks are required; compliance is pretty good. Security lines are long. Flight times change frequently, occasionally causing an overnight delay (i.e., the bonus day of our trip). Extra patience is definitely required! In all honesty, it’s kind of a pain…but it’s still worth it to us. It’s very important to know, though, that things are not back to normal and that extra time and extra patience are absolute requirements for successful and pleasant travel experiences. Our advice? Allow extra time, pack your patience and go forth and adventure!