Now that Disney World has reopened, we’ve got some brand NEW tips to share!

We’ve visited the parks, hotels, and Disney Springs to get a feel for what it’s like to visit a reopened Disney World. And with all of the changes in Disney, that means we have some NEW tips for your vacation that probably would have sounded a little weird at this time last year!

Bring Plenty of Face Masks!

All Cast Members and guests age two and up must wear a face mask in the parks at all times (except when eating and drinking). And with the summertime Florida weather, you’re likely to encounter thunderstorms, heat, and humidity — and the resulting sweat!

Which means, your mask is likely to get wet throughout the day! Whether you opt for reusable or disposable face masks, pack extra for your trip, and throw several in your park bag for each member of your party before you head out for the day. That way, you’ll be all set if you need a fresh mask!

Did you know you can get a Disney Food Blog Face Mask?? Check them out here!

Set a Reminder to Drink Water

We encourage our readers pretty regularly to make sure they’re staying hydrated as they navigate the parks. But from the time we’ve spent in a reopened Disney World, we’ve found we aren’t drinking water as often as usual.

Guests are allowed to briefly pull down their masks to take a drink or a bite of food, but since it’s less convenient with a mask on, we’ve been guilty of not hydrating as often! If you think there’s a chance you could fall into this habit as well, consider setting a reminder on your watch or phone to stop and take a drink every so often. Trust us, it’s better than getting dehydrated!

If you DO forget and find yourself in a bad way — either through dehydration or heatstroke — swing by the First Aid Center in each park. They’re well equipped to help you if you need it.

Here’s how you can get water in the reopened Disney World theme parks!

Pack Your Own Hand Sanitizer

We’ve found the ample hand sanitizer around the parks but, while there are lots throughout the parks, hotels, and Disney Springs, we still recommend packing your own! 

By packing your own hand sanitizer, you won’t have to search for a hand sanitizer station. And you’ll have it available when you really want it — like when your meal arrives at a restaurant or when you’ve just pulled down your lap bar on an attraction!

Here’s what it’s like to eat in a recently reopened restaurant in Disney World.

Speaking of Hand Sanitizer, Consider One that Clips to Your Bag!

Another piece of hand sanitizer advice — we’ve found that having ours clipped to the outside of our park bag is super convenient!

That way, we don’t have to dig around inside our bag (and touch all of our other belongings in the process!) when we need it. Here’s a good multi-pack of sanitizers we like.

Here’s how you can find the nearest hand sanitizer station in Disney World!

And Bring Lotion for Your Hands Also!

One side effect we’ve noticed from all of the handwashing and sanitizing we’ve been doing — our hands get super dry! 

So, while regular moisturizing lotion isn’t typically at the top of our list of park bag necessities, it’s definitely become an MVP for us in recent weeks! If your room provides travel-sized lotion, pop one not your bag. These are a great option as well (and ultra-moisturizing).

Here’s a big piece of NEW Disney World planning advice you’re not thinking about!

Keep a Close Eye on Disney Park Pass Availability

In order to visit the reopened Disney World parks, all guests are required to have a Disney Park Pass reservation. There is a cap on the availability for Disney World Resort guests, regular ticket holders, and Annual Passholders in each park every day so when they’re all gone, they’re gone.

BUT, we’ve noticed that the Disney Park Pass availability can change, and occasionally, parks that were previously listed as full have become available again. So, if you didn’t get your first choice of park when making your initial reservations, check back regularly to see if the availability has changed!

Click here to see our Disney Park Pass tutorial!

Be On the Lookout for Characters in Unexpected Places

During the initial reopening period, guests won’t find traditional character experiences like meet-and-greets, parades, and character dining (with the exception of the modified character dining experiences at Topolino’s Terrace and Garden Grill).

But that doesn’t mean you can’t spot characters on your vacation — there will be new (socially distanced) experiences in each of the parks! We’ve already had the chance to see these in action in Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom, and characters will pop up in Disney’s Hollywood Studios and EPCOT as well!

These character experiences will be unscheduled and will pop up as a surprise, so don’t camp out to try to catch them! But keep a sharp eye out as you’re wandering through the parks and you might spot one of your favorite characters! We were kind of shocked by how MANY characters we’ve seen since we’ve been back. While you can’t get an autograph or a hug, it’s kinda neat to see so many characters in a day!

Click here to learn more about these new character experiences!

Reapply Sunscreen to Your Face Regularly!

It’s important to protect your skin regardless of the circumstances of your vacation, but now this common tip has a new twist! Don’t forget to regularly reapply sunscreen to your face! This can help you avoid both a sunburn and unwanted face mask tan lines.

You also might want to use a high SPF sunscreen on your face, to help cut down on the face mask tan lines! This is a great one made especially for your face!

See which face masks are the MOST comfortable to wear all day in Disney World — and which ones you should avoid!

Bring Lip Balm

We’ve found that wearing a mask around the park all day has caused our lips to get dry super quickly. So, another park bag essential that has found its way towards the top of our list is lip balm!

Here’s a bonus tip — since these are typically pretty small, they can fall to the bottom of your bag easily. So if possible, keep your lip balm in a small, outer pocket of your bag for easy access!

Here are three things that surprised us at the Disney World Annual Passholder preview!

Bring a Portable Phone Charger

With the focus on reducing contact, your cell phone (and My Disney Experience app) is more important than ever! You can use your phone to Mobile Order, pull up QR code menus, process contactless payments, and more!

Disney World does offer swappable FuelRod chargers at several locations, but keep in mind that guests who signed up for the program after October 26th, 2019 will now have to pay a $3 swap fee.

So, while there are portable phone charging options available in Disney World, you may want to bring your own from home to avoid swapping fees! This is a reliable charger that can provide you multiple charges in a day!

Click here to learn more about the FuelRod swapping policy change!

We’ve been scoping out all of the ins and outs of navigating a reopened Disney World — and we’ve learned A LOT along the way! We hope these new tips will help you maximize the magic on your next Disney vacation! What else do YOU want to know about reopened Disney World? We’re in the parks every day checking out the changes and here to help you be in the know.

Most people who are booking their Disney World trips right now don’t know THIS!

Have you been to Disney World since the reopening? Share your new tips in the comments!