What could be more magical? Since Walt Disney World reopened I’ve talked quite a bit about how magical I think that things are. I still stand by that. There have been some good changes and some things that are necessary but less than popular. Still, I have had a great time whenever I’ve been to one of the four Walt Disney World theme parks.
Some people have had less magical experiences than I have. They have complained about what is missing, and I’ve even heard Walt Disney World described as “nothing more than a local theme park”. It saddens me that some people have left without having felt the pixie dust that I’ve seen around every corner.
I think that a lot of it has to do with expectations. Many people have expected to walk onto Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, and to be able to dine at a restaurant that is usually hard to get a reservation for. These things are not happening, even with reduced capacity.
A lot of the mess that people mention has to do with Disney’s Hollywood Studios. They claim that it’s “packed” and some even state that it’s at pre-closure capacity. This has not been my experience. There are areas that sometimes get crowded momentarily, but it’s nothing near what it was like before things shut down. The park does feel busier than the other three parks, but there are two reasons for that. First, it is the park that has the two newest lands and all of the newest rides. People are willing to wait in long lines because there are rides that they haven’t ridden before. Second, area-wise, Disney’ Hollywood Studios is by far the smallest park. That has always made it feel more crowded than the other three parks.
I have several friends from out of town who have visited Walt Disney World since it reopened and have said that it was their best vacation ever. They decided to look past what is missing, and instead just enjoy being in the parks. If you have a trip planned soon, head to Central Florida with the right mindset. If you don’t dwell on what isn’t there and instead think about how great it is to be able to visit Walt Disney World once again, you will be able to easily find the magic. If you need to know were to look, I find it near Journey Into Imagination With Figment. Watching Winnie the Pooh with a butterfly net is always magical to me.