PHOTOS: Disney World’s Reopening Day vs. What the Parks Look Like Now
It’s officially been one year since Disney World reopened!
A LOT has changed at Disney World over the past year!
Over the past year, things have changed drastically at Disney World! We’ve seen the end of temperature checks, the end of mask requirements in most situations, and the end of social distancing. We’re also seeing more people in the parks as both entertainment and fireworks begin to resume.
But just how different are things today compared to Disney World’s reopening one year ago today? We’re taking a look back to compare!
Magic Kingdom
Then
At reopening day at Magic Kingdom, there were physical distance markers at the entrance spaced six feet apart, according to CDC guidelines at the time.
Magic Kingdom reopening
Guests were to remain with their groups, with each group standing on its own marker.
Now
Now, those markers are gone and guests are no longer putting space between themselves and other groups.
No more social distancing
There has also been an increase in capacity in the parks, so more guests are filing through the entrance now.
Then
Main Street, U.S.A. crowds on reopening day seemed pretty intense at first, but they began to disperse making the park feel much emptier overall.
Magic Kingdom Crowds on reopening day
People were also extra conscious of social distancing as they walked through the parks.
Now
Main Street, U.S.A. now looks a LOT different. The crowds have returned to Disney World this summer, and it feels pretty packed.
Main Street, U.S.A. crowds now
And social distancing is now just a memory. Also, face masks are no longer required outdoors or indoors for vaccinated guests.
Then
On reopening day, there were times when we had part of the park to ourselves. The area around Gaston’s Tavern was completely empty!
Crowd Level in Fantasyland
It was like this in many areas of the parks right after reopening!
Now
That’s changed a lot, too. The crowds are back and it’s probably going to be a while before we can take photos in the parks without people in them. We often see a line out of the door at restaurants like Gaston’s Tavern!
Gaston’s Tavern Now
Every part of the park feels much busier now (because it is!).
EPCOT
Then
Over in Future World, EPCOT was very quiet and peaceful on reopening day.
EPCOT
There were only small groups of people hanging around.
Now
Things have certainly changed here, too.
EPCOT crowds are back, too
However, there is so much space at EPCOT that it’s still relatively easy for groups to keep their distance from others if they choose.
Then
Crowds in the World Showcase pavilions were virtually non-existent when EPCOT reopened.
Pavilions were super chill
EPCOT had a VERY laid back vibe.
Now
The crowds are all over World Showcase now, as exhibited in the below photo at the France Pavilion.
It’s a drastic difference!
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Then
Entering Hollywood Studios when the park first reopened was very similar to what we saw at Magic Kingdom and the other parks.
Hollywood Studios Reopening Day
There was not much of a line, and there were distancing markers as far as the eye could see.
Now
The distancing markers have disappeared now, and many more people are entering the parks each day.
Hollywood Studios Entrance
We’ve also noticed rope drop is a pretty busy time for the parks again!
Then
In Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Oga’s Cantina was virtually a ghost town due to limited capacity.
Oga’s Cantina at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Hollywood Studios
Before the closure, this bar was usually pretty packed!
Now
Well, Oga’s isn’t quite as packed as pre-closure, but you can tell that capacity has been raised. And guests now share the bar space and tables with strangers again.
Time to make some friends at your shared table!
However, this is one reservation that’s still hard to get, even with its raised capacity!
Then
Walking towards Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway was pretty chill on reopening day.
Hollywood Studios
The crowds were light and spaced out.
Now
Although we’re still seeing mostly lower crowds than pre-closure, there are still way more people coming to this park now.
Everyone showed up to Hollywood Studios today!
Things are getting back to “normal”, it seems.
Then
Popular quick-service spots like the Milk Stand in Galaxy’s Edge had almost no wait.
Milk Stand
It was easy to go up to a stand like this and grab what you wanted!
Now
Nowadays, if you want some Blue or Green Milk, you’ll probably be waiting a while.
Milk Stand Line Now
This is a popular snack in Hollywood Studios, and even though Mobile Order is offered here, you might have to wait in a line like this.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Then
We were in shock at how empty Pandora felt when Animal Kingdom reopened.
Pandora Crowds (or lack thereof)
And we only had a 10-minute wait for Flight of Passage!
Now
My, how times have changed. The crowds are certainly back in Pandora.
Animal Kingdom crowds
And the wait time today for Flight of Passage was at 90 minutes.
Then
Most of Animal Kingdom had low crowds on reopening day.
Where are the people?
PhotoPass lines were short, too!
Now
Well, we think this photo shows best how things have changed since reopening. Here’s what recent Animal Kingdom crowds have looked like.
Crowds
It’s starting to look a lot more like pre-closure now! But that’s to be expected as Disney World continues to raise capacity and bring back more activities and entertainment for guests. And with more hotels reopening this year, we bet we’ll see even more guests for the 50th anniversary celebration!
We’ll be at Disney World to cover those crowds, too, so don’t go anywhere!
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