Character Cavalcades are definitely a positive! Many people are complaining about the way that things are at Walt Disney World right now. They say that without parades, shows, and fireworks, it’s not a magical experience. The complaints grew when Disney announced that hours were going to be shortened after Labor Day. Instead of focusing on the negatives, I’ve been looking for the positives. There are plenty of them to be found.
One of the main complaints is that it is hard for Annual Passholders to get last minute Disney Park Pass reservations, especially at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. I will admit that the Studios part has been hard for me as well, because it’s my favorite park and I really miss it. Still, there are positives here. I’ve been spending more time at Epcot, I had forgotten how much fun that park can be! I also have a new appreciation for Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Since it hasn’t been crowded, I’ve spent more time just taking in the details of the park. As far as not being able to make last minute reservations is concerned, I’ve done fairly well. There have been a couple of times that I wasn’t able to get one, but on those days there was a downpour at the same time that I would have been in a park, so I decided to instead be thankful that I wasn’t there.
Walt Disney World has fantastic parades. That said, watching a parade will take a huge chunk out of your day. If the Magic Kingdom is busy you’ll need to find a good viewing spot at least an hour in advance, and then wait in the sun. There is a good chance that at the last minute someone will try to stand right in front of you. Character Cavalcades allow you to see your favorite characters, but there is no grabbing a spot or standing in the middle of a crowd. If you miss one, there will be another one along soon. Since there are no crowds, the characters interact with the people watching so much more than in a parade. Whoever came up with the idea of Character Cavalcades is brilliant.
It’s hard to end a day at Walt Disney World without fireworks. That said, I applaud Disney for not having them. Even if fireworks were set off in the distance or there were markers on the ground, crowd control would not be possible. There would be little social distancing, and since it would be after dark there would be plenty of people who would remove their face coverings, thinking that no Cast Members would see them. Without fireworks, there isn’t a large crowd leaving at the end of the day. You go to a park, ride the rides, watch the cavalcades, eat way too much, and then head out. Because there are no fireworks, many people aren’t staying until a park closes. If you’re headed to Central Florida and still want fireworks, SeaWorld Orlando has them on Friday and Saturday evenings through September 6.
I do realize that there is a lot missing from Walt Disney World right now. One thing, though, that is not missing is magic. There is still plenty to be found, you just need to look with the child’s heart that is within you. I give Disney a lot of credit. They could have stayed closed, like many theme parks across the country. Instead, they decided to find a way to keep people as safe as possible. It might mean limited offerings for now, but I appreciate all that they are doing.