Trina here and I am all about “experiences” instead of more “things” and so for Christmas, I decided that my son and I would visit Walt Disney World. The Most Magical Place on Earth for Christmas?! Absolutely!

We had traveled to Aruba and Costa Rica since the Covid-19 pandemic started but this would be our first trip to Walt Disney World since it reopened last summer. Was I worried? Not really. Did I do my research? Absolutely! As a travel advisor, I try to be as knowledgeable as possible on destinations that I sell, and Walt Disney World is no exception. I knew about the safety protocols that were in place and wanted to experience them for myself. What would it be like? Would the magic that only Disney can offer still be there? I wanted to find out!

We flew out Christmas morning on Delta (middle seats blocked!) and arrived at MCO and immediately hopped on the Magical Express to Coronado Springs Resort. They did a fantastic job of social distancing on Magical Express. We even had assigned seats.

Walt Disney World Resorts are encouraging guests to complete their check-in online using the My Disney Experience app in order to limit the number of guests going to the front desk. Really, why would you NOT want to check-in online and go straight to your room instead of the front desk? It was easy peasy and we were in our room in no time. Your phone and your magic band serves as your key so really no reason to go to the front desk.

It's worth mentioning that mousekeeping will do light cleaning every other day. This includes removal of trash and used towels, replenishment of used towels and amenities (toiletries, coffee, tea, etc. ), cleaning the vanity and surface areas. Beds are not being made by mousekeeping which wasn't a big deal, we just made our own beds.

We opted not to go to a park today but instead were having Christmas dinner with friends at the Boathouse at Disney Springs. Check out this Star Wars Christmas tree!

Since reopening last summer, Disney has implemented a new system requiring guests to make park reservations for each park they would like to visit during their stay due to park capacity being capped at 35%. It's important that you (or your travel advisor) check to make certain that the parks you want to visit have availability on the days you want to go BEFORE purchasing your tickets. We were only staying 4 nights and would visit Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. Sorry Epcot!

We did not rent a car so relied on the onsite buses to take us to the parks and Disney Springs. If I was worried about anything, it was the buses but there was really no need to worry. A limited number of passengers are allowed on the bus and there are dividers between each section. Plus, they are no longer allowing passengers to stand so if the seats are full, you will need to wait for the next bus.

Let's be real, the parks can get extremely crowded especially during busy times like I don't know, CHRISTMAS! haha My son and I went around the same time last year and experienced very busy parks. Not so much this time because Disney is capping park attendance at 35%. Sometimes the line may appear long but that's because they have these nifty markers on the ground showing you where you should stand. They are all at least six feet apart. And yes, my son and I have matching red Converse. Totally NOT his choice but he humored me.

Only 75 minutes for Avatar Flight of Passage?! Score!

Masks, love them or hate them, they are 100% required. Don't want to wear one? You will be asked to leave so if you aren't down with wearing a mask, Walt Disney World is not the place for you right now.

Side note: the shops have some super cute masks if you decide you need a new one while there..............I did, of course.. How could I say no to a Star Wars mask?!

Washing your hands often and using hand sanitizer is highly encouraged and you will find sanitizing stations literally everywhere. We never encountered one that was empty or not working which seems to happen at other places sometimes.

Want a quick meal? Mobile ordering is your friend. Most quick service options are now mobile order only which to me is a great thing! Why would I want to stand in line to order my food when with a few clicks on my phone, it's ordered and no line?! Plus they text you when it's ready. That's a WIN to me! Most of the snack carts still require in-person ordering and we did a LOT of snacking but the lines weren't bad at all. When we could use the app, we did!

We all love hanging out with our favorite Disney friends and while it may look a bit different right now, they are still there and you can still see them while maintaining a safe distance. Check out Buzz and I!

Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance in Hollywood Studios still has a virtual queue which is great but the even better news is that you no longer have to be in the park to get a boarding group at 7:00 a.m. as long as you have park reservations for Hollywood Studios that day. This has helped tremendously at controlling capacity. In the past, huge crowds would gather at the entrance of the park just waiting to try to get a boarding group for the day. You DO however, need to be in the park for the later 1:00 p.m. option.

Speaking of Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, you will notice that plexiglass dividers have been installed to separate guests on the ride. This is also true for many other rides in the parks including Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, Tower of Terror, It's a Small World as well as others. Plexiglass has also been installed on many attractions to separate guests in line as well as the loading areas.

A couple of the rides look a bit different as well but are still fun! The "stretching room" in Haunted Mansion isn’t currently being used in order to observe social distancing. Guests also no longer gather outside the recording studio for Rockin' Roller Coaster. The rides are still a blast though!

Has the Most Magical Place on Earth lost it's magic? NOPE! We had an absolute blast and actually felt incredibly safe during our visit. Sure, it looked a bit different but doesn't everything right now? I still felt the magic that only Disney can offer and I'm already planning my next trip. PLUS, just look at how many pictures my kiddo let me take of us! If taking him to Walt Disney World will make him happy enough to take photos with me, just imagine how happy it will make you. Haha