A lot has changed at Disney World since the last time I visited. I have not been back to Disney World since last year, but we could still go over some of the changes that have taken place in order to keep everyone safe when they visit the Happiest Place on Earth.

Masks and social distancing are the new normal and Disney World is no exception. You must wear a mask and maintain social distancing while at Disney World. There are signs on the floors to show you where to stand when you are in line. In order to maintain social distancing on the rides, some rides have every other row closed or the rides have plastic dividers.

In addition to wearing a mask and social distancing, you must make a park reservation to enter the park and you are not allowed to park hop. Once you pick a park, you can stay there all day or go to the park, go to your resort and return to the same park.

Cinderella Castle got a new paint job. This change was planned since last year. It now has bright blue and pale pink.

Fast passes have been suspended. Since Disney World had to limit the number of guests allowed per park per day, the lines are a lot shorter, so there are fewer wait times. Suspending Fast Passes also helps with social distancing.

Another change is the suspension of fireworks, castle shows, scheduled parades, or anything else that draws a crowd. What you will find are character cavalcades at each park. They are unannounced to prevent crowds from forming. It is a way to see the characters that you would normally see in the park, since you cannot meet the characters like before. You can still see some of the characters at specific locations, but since the characters are socially distancing too, you can only see them from a safe distance and wave. They have also canceled Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party and the Candlelight Processional this year. Disney is still decorated for the holidays though.

Several of the restaurants are temporarily unavailable. Character dining at the character dining restaurants that are open is from a distance. The characters are announced, they walk around staying at a safe distance, wave, and go back to be announced. Some of the tables are closed to maintain social distancing.

There are areas of the park designated for you to sit, relax, and take off your mask for a bit. They are called “Relaxation Stations.” After walking around the park, riding the rides and watching the cavalcades, it is nice to know there is a place to sit back and relax without a mask for a bit.

If you like the rides at Disney World, there are low wait times, you can see the characters, and enjoy low crowds. If you, like me, prefer to meet the characters and get their autographs, park hop, and watch the parades and fireworks, and maybe hop on a few rides, you might want to wait until it is safer and things get more like the way Disney World was.