3 Surprising Things You Need to Know About Theme Park Travel in 2021
Is a theme park vacation in 2021 right for you?
Consider these 3 important tips before you book those flights.
Dreaming of your post-vax vacation? Me too!
Theme park travel is absolutely feasible in 2021, if you keep these points in mind.
Further discussion about theme park travel in 2021 on Go Informed Podcast episode 66
I dive further into this topic on the podcast, which you can find on your favorite podcast app, or click below to listen.
1: If you’ve never been there, 2021 is probably not the time to go
Not the advice you were expecting?
The fact is that if your heart is set on a first visit to Universal or Disney, all your dreams may not come true right now. That’s because a lot of the typical theme park experiences just aren’t happening in 2021.
Yes most of the attractions are operating, and you can still eat Mickey waffles to your heart’s content, and cast your spells in Diagon Alley. But parades and fireworks are discontinued. Mickey will wave from a distance but you won’t get a hug.
If you truly want the fully magical experience, it’s going to be best to plan your first visit for 2022 or beyond.
HOWEVER, if you’re OK with a modified theme park adventure, now is absolutely a great time to make those plans.
2: Theme park travel in 2021 is safer than you might think
Orlando’s theme parks have been operating safely since last July. Following and enforcing strict protocols for employees and guests, both Disney and Universal have welcomed millions of visitors this past year without incident.
Many rules apply when visiting the parks, including mandatory face coverings even while riding attractions, temperature screenings at park gates, and enforced distancing in lines. This probably sounds familiar since you encounter some of the same guidelines even at your local grocery store.
The difference between a Disney park and the grocery store though is that at Disney these rules are constantly enforced. Guests are not just encouraged to wear a mask, it is a requirement that must be followed. Same goes for distancing and other safety measures currently in place.
As the California parks open this spring, expect the same level of compliance and enforcement.
3: In 2021 planning your travel in advance is essential
Look into your potential 2021 travel dates right now.
Summer 2021 is shaping up to be an explosion of travel, and guess what? The parks will still be operating at severely-limited capacity. Probably only 35% of the usual space will be available this summer at all the US theme parks.
The Disney parks require a reservation for entrance, and this is a good way to gauge whether your dates are a realistic time to travel. You can check out availability all the way through 2022 on the Disney World park reservation calendar here.
If you look right now (mid-April 2021) you’ll see that for the month of June 2021 pretty much every Disney World park is already booked. That means even if you have a ticket, if you don’t already have a reservation you’re not getting into that park.
The good news though is that July and August still look good. If you get your dates booked now you can grab those reservations. And since the park capacity is limited you can be sure that even though the reservations are full, the park won’t be wall-to-wall people. That’s exactly why they use this system.
No reservation system at the Universal parks
Universal does not have a reservation system, even though they are operating under the same capacity limits. This means you’ll need to use some other tactics to ensure your entrance into the parks. This includes getting there early and staying in an on-site hotel. (Hotel guests get priority for entrance even when the parks are closed due to capacity).
Want to know if the Universal parks are likely to reach max capacity? Check your dates on the Disney World reservation calendar. If all the Disney parks are full, then it’s likely the Universal parks will max out too.
Bonus tip 4: Consider travel for the end of summer or early fall 2021
Even though the early summer is shaping up to be pretty frenzied, I’d expect things to slow down a bit by mid-August. As kids go back to school – like REALLY back to school! – family travel will taper off.
The end of August and most of September normally see some of the lowest theme park crowds of the year. If you have the flexibility and the tolerance for crazy weather, this is actually an excellent time to travel to Orlando.
Resources to help you get there
Check out these posts and podcast episodes for more tips to help you plan your 2021 (or 2022) theme park vacation:
- 10 things to know about Universal Orlando during COVID-19
- Tips for Disney World during COVID-19
- 33 things to know before you visit Universal Orlando (updated for 2021)
- 55 things to know before you visit Disney World (updated for 2021)
- Disney World ticket buying guide
Plus tons of tips on the Go Informed Podcast in any of these places:
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