Recently, I wrote a couple of blogs about my experience going to Walt Disney World ( Walt Disney World Resort COVID 19 Reflections and Recommendations) and Universal Orlando Resort (Universal Orlando Resort COVID 19 Reflections and Recommendations) with the all of the new restrictions and things in place for COVID 19. After those experiences, my family felt comfortable in taking our children to Walt Disney World. So I wanted to write up some tips for visiting theme parks with children during the midst of a pandemic. With crowd levels being low and the parks increasing their cleaning procedures, it’s actually a really great time to visit a theme park – with some modifications of course.
- Most importantly, prep the kids for the trip. Tell them what they can expect. This will help them be ready for the changes when going into the parks. Explain to them about having to have their temperature checked while entering public places. Also, prep them for using hand sanitizer frequently. We told our kids to just plan to use hand sanitizer any time they saw a dispenser, especially before and after a ride. This ensured they were cleaning their hands consistently and frequently. This worked great! Our kids were actually reminding us to use sanitizer when we passed a dispenser.
- Prep kids for wearing a mask. For example, we went on several walks prior to our trip and had our kids wear masks. This really helped them to get used to wearing a mask outside for a long period of time. We had our two smallest children practice wearing a mask both walking and while riding in a stroller. My 3 year-old was the one I was the most worried about with complying, but by the time we actually got to a park, he was pretty used to the mask since we made sure we practiced while at home. Masks ARE required to be worn by all guests 2 and up when in public areas when someone is not stationary and eating or drinking. It’s good to be prepared for that before getting to the theme park.
- Take multiple masks and stay somewhere you can wash the masks at night. Kids are notorious for being messy. They will get food or whatever else on themselves and their clothing. We took at least one extra mask to the parks with us per kid, so if one mask became dirty, we could switch them out as needed. We also stayed in a room with a washer and dryer. That way we were able to wash our masks nightly for wearing the next day.
- Schedule down time while in the parks. A good time to do this is during snack or meal times. You can sit down, rest, take your mask off, and relax. This really helps as far as not getting tired of the masks is concerned, for both you and the kids. Also, they have “Relaxation Areas” in the parks where you can go and relax and remove your mask even if you’re not eating.
- Here are some suggested items to take with you – hand sanitizer (although there are lots of hand sanitizer stations throughout public spaces), Clorox wipes – if you feel the need to wipe a surface down such as a table. Large water bottle with water, snacks and disposable cups – some food locations are not open, so this ensures you have food and drink when kids become hungry. Disposable cups allow you to give water or shareable snacks, such as popcorn, to individual kids while lessening the opportunity to spread germs. I also recommend taking Lysol spray to spray down things such as backpacks or strollers at the end of the day.
- Schedule down time while at the resort. Even though there are instances where you remove your masks in the parks, it’s not quite the same as being in your own room and being able to move freely without a mask. Make sure you allow for time to relax in your room or even at the pool. This way you have extended periods of time where you don’t have to worry about wearing a mask.
- Be flexible and don’t feel that you have to do everything. There may be points at which kids (or even you) are just done with dealing with wearing a mask or dealing with sanitizing hands every 5 seconds. So, you may have to leave the park sooner than you plan. Being flexible and just enjoy what you can do instead of trying to do everything. This can help make for a more enjoyable trip in these types of situations.
- Stay on property. On property, you are a lot closer to the parks and there are more transportation options. You can go and come from the resort to the parks more easily, if you want. Or you can even go in different directions if you want. For example, one evening, I took my oldest son back to Hollywood Studios because we got a last-minute group for the Star Wars Rise of the Resistance ride while my husband stayed back with the other kids at the resort. We were able to ride the bus to Hollywood Studios while he was able to walk to Disney Springs to get dinner for himself and the other kids.
- Work with a travel planner. Travel planners are there to provide personalized service. They can answer questions specific to your trip. They can also keep you up to date on changes in policies or procedures for the parks or resorts. They are your best resource when it comes to planning for your trip and for helping deal with changes or unexpected things that come up. Especially in a time when changes seem to be happening daily, it’s good to have a trusted professional in your corner to make sure your trip goes as seamlessly as possible.
- Have fun but do what you’re comfortable with. Enjoy yourself but also use your best judgement and instincts. If you feel unsafe or uncomfortable with a situation then leave or change your plans. While staying at Walt Disney World and Universal, we deliberately stayed in “the bubble” and didn’t go off property. For both locations, it’s a very controlled environment. We felt more comfortable knowing that cleaning procedures, policies and expectations were standardized across property, which represented less risk for our family. Ultimately, you have to do what makes you feel safe – which equals a more enjoyable trip for you and your family.
