Disney is opening. Disney is opening!

What to expect when arriving at Disney Springs  by Victoria Johnson

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Those who know me know I have been dying to get my Disney Fix any way I can.  And what a great way to start off - Disney Springs!

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When I pulled into Disney Springs, the Orange and Lime garages were open, with only one entrance. Orange opens first then Lime. No times given. 
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When you arrive and park in the Orange Parking Garage, walk to the elevators (parked on level 1) and take elevators or escalator to the 2nd floor. Cast Members will direct you where to enter and to have your temperature taken. They use a digital UV forehead thermometer. No touching. Point and click. Temp 100.4 and below you get to enter. Masks are must; A surgical mask, a homemade mask, a hoorag. Anything that covers your mouth and nose. 

The crowds were minimal. I arrived at 11am in the garage and was instructed where to go. Temperature was taken and down the escalators I went. Not a lot of people at all. This was nothing at all like what I expected.  It probably wasn’t too crowded because it was only 11am, but I was still expecting more people. 

Restaurants

I noticed there weren’t any popcorn stands; then I came across one by World of Disney. This was the only one I saw (or happened to notice). 

The restaurants I noticed open for business were:

The Boathouse – ate here for lunch 
Planet Hollywood
Morimoto
Polite Pig
Frontera
Wine Bar 
Blaze Pizza 
T-Rex
Chicken Guy
Wolfgang Puck
Paradiso 37 
Earl of Sandwich

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Stores

World of Disney is open!! YAY!  Everyone and their brother wants in. Because I arrived early I was able to get in with no wait. There is no time limit to spend in the store but they are only allowing a certain number of people in at a time. It wasn’t too crowded when I went in but there seemed to be quite a few people. I'm not sure how many at a time they are letting in.  
When I passed by around 345pm, I heard a Cast Member tell guests walking up to the door that there was a 30 minute wait. They take your phone number and will text you when you can enter. You have 30 minutes to get to the store to enter if you are not in the area. 

The Spice and Tea Exchange. I love this place. I picked up some flavored sugar-dark cocoa and espresso-flavored. I am very excited to try these.  

Some of the other stores open were: 

The MarketPlace Co-Op
Pandora
Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea
A few stores by Exposition Park are open but most are still closed. Sunglass Icon, Pelé Soccer, Sosa Family Cigars are also open.  

What are you expected to do at Disney Springs?  
 -Have temperature taken upon entrance.
 -Wear mask that covers mouth AND nose.
 -Mask must be worn at all times, except when in restaurants for meals. You may pull it down to drink while walking around but they must be worn. Yes it gets hot. Yes it gets humid. It isn’t too terrible. But think about it, HEALTH FIRST.  
Please use hand sanitizer walking in and walking out of stores and eateries.  
Try hardest to keep 6 feet distance.

Overall the measures they are taking aren't too cumbersome.  Once the capacity levels are increased I'm sure that the waits will get longer for the stores and restaurants, but hopefully by then some of the CDC restrictions will be lifted.

Have you ventured to Disney Springs yet?  Share your experience with us here or email us at universaldisneynutz@gmail.com.

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